The Elder of Tian Shu shook his head, no longer bothered by the strange reactions of the young people. He then straightened up and said seriously, "Master, there's one more thing to report— the Sect Leader of Yun Lan Sect has come to visit."
"Yun Lan Sect?" Fang Yuan coughed lightly, his fingers slightly rubbing in his sleeve. "I've been in seclusion for many years and am not familiar with them. Please, tell me more."
The Elder of Tian Shu quickly explained, "Yun Lan Sect is the largest sect in the Jiang Ze domain. It seems they have something important to discuss. From their expressions, they look quite anxious."
"Oh?" Fang Yuan raised an eyebrow, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes. "In that case, take me to greet their Sect Leader."
"Yes, Master." The Elder of Tian Shu bowed and immediately called over a few disciples to arrange for the talented individuals Fang Yuan had brought along.
---
Inside the Zixia Pavilion, the Sect Leader of Yun Lan Sect, Qing Song, seemed impatient.
"Sigh, forget it..." He stood up, preparing to leave, but just then, he heard the booming voice of the Elder of Tian Shu from outside, announcing, "The Master has arrived—"
A figure entered the pavilion.
Qing Song paused his movements, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes. He had initially thought the other party was deliberately ignoring him, but was surprised to see him appear in person.
However, when he clearly saw the person, his pupils contracted— the one regarded as the "Master" by everyone in the Sun and Moon Sect was actually a young man with stunning features!
Qing Song was a man of experience, and his surprise quickly faded. There were plenty of old monsters in the cultivation world who maintained their youthful appearance. The person before him might be some ancient being who had been in seclusion for a thousand years.
He immediately cupped his hands in greeting, his wide sleeves flowing like clouds, "I am Qing Song Daoist, Sect Leader of Yun Lan Sect. May I ask how to address you?"
"Fang Yuan." The young man spoke with a light tone, calmly uttering two words.
"Ah, so it's Daoist Fang..." Qing Song's smile suddenly froze, and his brow furrowed imperceptibly.
Something didn't seem right.
Wasn't he supposed to be the Master of the Sun and Moon Sect? He was also the ancestor of Zhang Xuanting... By all accounts, his surname should be Zhang, so why was it Fang?
The Elder of Tian Shu, who was following Fang Yuan, was also taken aback. He realized that since the Master had appeared, no one had dared to ask for his name. Now, for the first time, he heard the name "Fang Yuan" and was completely stunned!
This didn't make sense!
The Elder of Tian Shu's white brows twitched, and he began to suspect, "Could it be that the Master is intentionally concealing his identity?"
"Yes… when he entered seclusion a thousand years ago, he must have had some unresolved issues. Now, using an alias would be to avoid those old grudges."
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became, and his gaze toward Fang Yuan grew more understanding.
Fang Yuan, however, glanced at the Elder of Tian Shu's changing expression. It seemed the man had already figured it out, and didn't need any explanations from him.
Nice.
"Daoist Qing Song, may I ask what brings you here?" Fang Yuan asked with his usual calm demeanor.
Qing Song, not wanting to drag things out, replied, "To be honest, I'm not here of my own accord." He waved his purple robe slightly, his fingers trembling unconsciously, "I'm here at the request of the Xuan Ming Sect."
"Xuan Ming Sect..."
Fang Yuan silently repeated the unfamiliar name. In the previous world, there were many sects, and while he wasn't very familiar with this one, he wasn't in a hurry to ask for more details. He simply waited for Qing Song to continue.
"Xuan Ming Sect has invited the leaders of smaller sects like ours to attend a banquet with their Elders." Qing Song said, his fingers unconsciously tightening in his sleeve.
"Oh?" Fang Yuan raised his eyebrows, "That sounds like a normal gathering. But..."
He glanced at the tension on Qing Song's face, "Could it be there's more to the story?"
Qing Song let out a bitter laugh and lowered his voice, "To be honest, the real reason for this visit is not for a banquet, but because the seventh Elder of Xuan Ming Sect's son has been kidnapped, and they want to negotiate for his release."
"They gathered us here, hoping to have more experts from the later stages of the Heavenly Realm to help them create a stronger presence."
Ah, so they're looking for hired muscle. The Sect Leader of Yun Lan Sect, actually playing the role of a thug for another sect's Elder?
Thinking about this, Fang Yuan frowned, "Can't they handle this matter themselves in the Xuan Ming Sect...?"
"Well... perhaps it's different for big sects like them," Qing Song explained, his tone hesitant. "They're a huge sect, one of the top sects in the northern part of the continent. They have so many problems to deal with, they probably don't have the time to focus on just this one issue."
By the end of his sentence, Qing Song's voice held a note of uncertainty.
Fang Yuan, however, was even more puzzled. Given the Xuan Ming Sect's power, gathering a few experts to handle such matters should be easy...
Seeing Fang Yuan in deep thought, Qing Song continued, "Daoist Fang, we can't afford to refuse this invitation."
"You've been in seclusion for some time, so perhaps you don't understand the current situation. That seventh Elder from Xuan Ming Sect has been very supportive of our two sects. Without him, we might not even have had the qualifications to participate in the Central Continent's Ten Thousand Sects Conference..."
"If we refuse now, it might cost us dearly in the future."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Moreover, it's just a negotiation. If it goes well, it's a win-win. If it falls through, the Xuan Ming Sect Elder will bear the responsibility."
Qing Song's tone became more earnest. From his point of view, both Yun Lan Sect and Sun and Moon Sect were in a similar position. In this remote region, they lacked the resources and inheritance of larger sects. They needed Xuan Ming Sect's backing.
The Elder of Tian Shu also stepped forward, speaking in a low voice, "Master, this is quite an important matter. I remember that when Zhang Xuanting was still alive, he treated that Xuan Ming Sect Elder with great respect. He was considered an honored guest."
He hesitated for a moment, his face full of difficulty. "To put it bluntly, we can only act as big fish in the Northern Region. Once we leave this place, we'll still have to look to others."
"Alright, if that's the case, I'll join you." Fang Yuan nodded slightly. "When do we leave?"
Having already fully comprehended the Sun and Moon Sect's core techniques, continuing to sit in seclusion wouldn't yield much progress. It was better to seize this opportunity to see the state of the cultivation world in the Northern Region.
"That's great!" Qing Song's face immediately relaxed, and his eyes shone with delight.
In his opinion, this Master of the Sun and Moon Sect must be at least as strong as Zhang Xuanting. With his presence, the negotiating stance would be much stronger.
"We depart in three days at noon," Qing Song said, cupping his hands. "Yun Lan Sect has excellent skills in refining instruments. We'll prepare a flying boat and I will personally come to pick you up!"
"Then it's settled." Fang Yuan agreed.
"Good, then I'll take my leave now."
Since Fang Yuan had agreed to accompany them, Qing Song felt much more at ease. He smiled and, with the Elder of Tian Shu, left the pavilion.