Chapter 814: If CEO Chu Had Made This Decision, There Had To Be A Good Reason (I)

Everyone was puzzled as to why Thunderbolt Stronghold voted for the Talismanic Sect.

News of the events at the Assembly of the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten spread like wildfire, leaving the members of the immortal sects bewildered. The Thunderbolt Stronghold had been under the protection of the Penglai Supreme Sect ever since their crushing defeat at the hands of the Celestial King Sect. Why, then, had they suddenly switched allegiances?

It wasn’t until Chu Liang arrived at Boundless Palace that he finally learned the truth behind it.

"You’ve been running around outside these past few days, so I didn’t get the chance to tell you," Venerable Wen Yuan said with a chuckle. "But this is all thanks to you. Do you remember Du Wuhen, the one you brought here?"

"Ah…" Chu Liang suddenly recalled.

Some time ago, he had settled Du Wuhen and Grand Ancestor Fuyou in the quarrying archipelago. He had arranged for people to help with mining while keeping close contact, even sharing a few meals together.

During one such meal together, they spoke of their greatest regrets.

Chu Liang said his biggest regret was founding Red Cotton Peak. He had no interest in spirit-stone coins, yet he was forced to work for them every day.

Lin Bei said his greatest regret was not fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a carefree yet tired brothel owner.

He had always believed that his cultivation talent would never allow him to remain on Mount Shu. Who would have thought that, by accident, he had become one of the Four Overlords of Mount Shu? Now, it seemed impossible for him to ever "graduate" from the sect.

Oldie Brodie's greatest regret, of course, was his past lack of "politeness," which had led him to make countless mistakes.

Du Wuhen, however, hesitated for a long time before finally admitting his deepest regret: believing the lies of the Penglai Supreme Sect and instigating the conflict between the Thunderbolt Stronghold and the Celestial King Sect.

Only then did they confirm what had long been a suspicion—the Penglai Supreme Sect had indeed orchestrated the entire affair. Before, they had only speculated, but now, hearing it from Du Wuhen himself, their doubts vanished.

After some thought, Chu Liang advised, "Since that's the case, Brother Du, why not turn back from the wrong path and try to mend the relationship between the two sects?"

While Du Wuhen hesitated, Lin Bei urged, "Ah Du, you've wandered for so long. Haven't you figured it out yet? Thunderbolt Stronghold is your root. A man cannot stand without his roots!"

Du Wuhen's eyes widened as realization struck.

Can a person survive without roots? No!

Even so, hesitation lingered in his heart. Seeing this, Chu Liang chose not to press him. Not long after, he returned to Mount Shu to tend to other matters.

While Chu Liang was at Zhongshan Sword Hut, Du Wuhen arrived at Mount Shu. Since Chu Liang was absent, Venerable Wen Yuan personally received him. After some persuasion, Du Wuhen finally agreed to reveal the truth about the past.

Later, with the Mount Shu Sect acting as the mediator, the long-feuding Celestial King Sect and Thunderbolt Stronghold were brought to the same table. The atmosphere was tense, but with Venerable Wen Yuan presiding, at least no one dared resort to violence.

However, the moment Venerable Wen Yuan called out Du Wuhen, tensions nearly erupted. Fortunately, Di Nufeng and Daoist Yan stood behind Du Wuhen like an imposing duo and their presence alone suppressed the growing hostility.

When Du Wuhen finally confessed his past wrongdoings, he fell to his knees, weeping bitterly. His decision to come forward wasn’t just because he had been persuaded by the Mount Shu Sect. Instead, it was the guilt weighing on him after Huang Ling’er saved his life.

Huang Hanshan had long suspected this, but now, he finally had concrete evidence.

When the Celestial King Sect and Thunderbolt Stronghold compared their grievances, they were stunned to discover a startling truth. Nearly every conflict between them had been carefully manipulated by Penglai from the shadows.

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"Did you do this?"

"No, then did you guys do this?"

"Also no!"

"…"

They had initially thought that the Penglai Supreme Sect was merely taking advantage of their conflict, but it turned out to be the mastermind all along. To weaken the Celestial King Sect and win over Thunderbolt Stronghold, the Penglai Supreme Sect had carefully orchestrated these schemes from the shadows.

With this revelation, the two sects cast aside their grudges and united against their true enemy—the Penglai Supreme Sect.

In a bold declaration, the Celestial King Sect proclaimed, "The sects of the nine provinces stand together. If the Penglai Supreme Sect dares to oppress you, we of the Heavenly Star factions will stand as your shield."

Although the Celestial King Sect was not as powerful as Penglai, it had allies. By forming an alliance, they could tip the balance and force Penglai to tread carefully.

Thus, Thunderbolt Stronghold secretly switched sides and finally bared its fangs at the Assembly of the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten.

Before the assembly, Huang Hanshan had planned to vote for Starhold Island as a show of loyalty to Penglai, even though it had no chance of winning.

However, when the moment arrived, he cast his vote without hesitation for the Talismanic Sect, the sect nominated by the Mount Shu Sect. After all, it was Mount Shu that had helped expose the Penglai Supreme Sect’s schemes.

When the vote on the paddle was revealed, the representatives of the Penglai Supreme Sect seethed with rage, the representatives of the Celestial King Sect smirked in satisfaction, Huan Leisheng was overjoyed, and Chu Liang… was utterly dumbfounded.

What the heck is going on?

The Talismanic Sect, with Huan Leisheng as its only member, had somehow secured a spot in the Terrestrial Ten. Nothing in this world made sense anymore.

Every other sect had fought ruthlessly for a place, enduring bloodshed and hardship. Yet, Huan Leisheng had simply stood there in a daze… and won?

The Mount Shu Sect had intended to stay neutral and avoid offending anyone, yet it had inadvertently stepped on the toes of the other competing sects. Still, gaining a new “little brother” among the Terrestrial Ten wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

They had never expected to come out ahead, but if a pie fell from the sky, why not take it?

However, the Talismanic Sect now had a major problem.

…

The next day, during a meeting at Red Cotton Peak, Huan Leisheng stared at Chu Liang in surprise upon hearing his sudden instruction.

"Take in disciples?" he asked. After a brief pause, he immediately nodded and said, "If CEO Chu wants me to take them in, then I will."

The way he looked at Chu Liang could no longer be described as mere admiration. It now carried a hint of reverence.

Despite CEO Chu’s young age, he had already reached a level in the world of immortality where he could stir up storms with a mere flick of his hand. If CEO Chu told him to remain calm, then things would be calm. If CEO Chu told him to take in disciples, then he would take in disciples.

In summary, if CEO Chu wanted to do something, there had to be a reason behind it.

"The Talismanic Sect is now one of the Terrestrial Ten, so it has to at least appear respectable," said Lackey A. "We can't have too few disciples, and their cultivation level can't be too low, or else it'll become an easy target for criticism.

"There are already plenty of rumors circulating, with people saying the Talismanic Sect is unworthy of its place in the Terrestrial Ten and accusing the Mount Shu Sect of greed, favoritism, shamelessness, short-sightedness, dishonor, and political scheming."

"That actually sounds kind of reasonable," Lin Bei said, unable to stop himself from nodding.

Bang.

Chu Liang slammed the table, gritting his teeth. "I absolutely did not manipulate anything behind the scenes!"

"Go ahead and fool others, but don't bother trying to fool your own brothers," Lin Bei said. "Everyone else fought tooth and nail for a single vote. So why did they all vote for the Talismanic Sect?"

"Then go ask them yourself!" Chu Liang retorted, looking genuinely aggrieved.