Chapter 296 - 266: Association Leader and Deputy Leader

Faced with an aggressive Zhu Ju, Yu Lou surprisingly chose to back down, leaving many astonished.

After all, Yu Lou wasn’t known for being reasonable.

The reason for this was quite simple.

The news that Zhu Ju possessed a Talisman Treasure and had used it to kill a Mid-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivator soon spread throughout the neighborhood.

The strength of Dao Foundation Cultivators varied, but among those of the same stage, it was usually only possible to achieve victory, not to kill the opponent.

Forcibly killing an opponent would typically result in a Pyrrhic victory, unless one possessed a powerful method that provided an absolute advantage.

The fact that Zhu Ju could kill a Mid-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivator meant his strength was considered formidable even for that stage.

In an instant, his status within the alliance rose considerably.

After all, including Yu Lou, the alliance currently only had three Mid-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivators. Although Zhu Ju’s Cultivation was lower, his combat prowess was not.

After this incident, Huu Lishu sent over a few more jars of wine. She didn’t say anything, but the change in her attitude was palpable.

Before, she had been trying to get closer and establish mutual support. Now, she acted more like a subordinate, showing him much more deference and respect.

Tong Jiao, whose apprentice had died, also came to visit, using Zhu Ju’s "assistance" as a pretext.

During their conversation, her gaze was practically weaving silk, and her attire was even more revealing. She was all but offering herself to him.

However, ever since leaving Wind Moon Valley and seeing the myriad beauties of the Joyful Sect, Zhu Ju’s standards had risen dramatically. It was now difficult for any woman to stir his heart, and he naturally had no interest in someone like Tong Jiao.

「In the blink of an eye.」

It was time for the alliance meeting again.

The Dao Foundation Cultivators gathered once more.

"Everyone."

Chen Tong, still seated in the main position, cupped his hands and addressed the assembly.

"A nation cannot lack a king, nor a household a master. Since we have formed an alliance, we too should have proper leadership and regulations."

"Exactly!" Tong Jiao nodded in agreement.

"The other day, Brother Liu and I went to the Marketplace. On our way back, we were ambushed by Tribulation Cultivators. If we hadn’t had a few tricks up our sleeves, I’m afraid we would have been done for."

"Here on Yunjing Island..."

"Even Dao Foundation Cultivators aren’t safe anymore."

"Precisely," Yuann Mo said.

"Since we have formed this alliance, we must work together. Even for trips to the Marketplace, we should travel as a group."

"Only then can we guard against unforeseen dangers."

"Absolutely!"

"That’s how it should be..."

A chorus of agreement rose from the crowd.

Without rules, there could be no order.

Although they had formed an alliance, it was far too loose and bore little resemblance to a true organization.

For instance, trips to the back-mountain Marketplace were arranged informally among friends, without any discussion within the alliance.

As such, traveling in small numbers was naturally more dangerous.

"I propose,"

Chen Tong spoke up,

"that the alliance elect an Association Leader. The leader will handle minor affairs, while major decisions will be discussed by all. We must combine our strength to overcome these difficult times."

"Fellow Daoists, what do you think?"

"I agree." Yuann Mo nodded.

"It is time we chose an Association Leader."

"Indeed!"

"That’s right!"

"..."

"If you ask me, why make things so complicated?" Yu Lou stood up, waving his hand dismissively.

"The alliance was proposed by Fellow Daoist Chen Tong, and he is also the strongest among us in terms of both Cultivation and power."

"The position of Association Leader should naturally be his."

"Not at all." Chen Tong smiled and waved his hand humbly.

"The Association Leader should be a person of great prestige and virtue. I merely made the suggestion; we should consider it carefully."

"Bah!" Yu Lou’s eyes went wide.

"I, Old Yu, am a stubborn man. The position of Association Leader is yours, Brother Chen, and no one else will do!"

"I won’t accept anyone but Brother Chen!"

As he spoke, he shot a seemingly casual glance toward Yuann Mo, his eyebrows raised in a subtle challenge.

"Fellow Daoist Chen established this alliance, giving us a sanctuary on Yunjing Island. His contribution is undeniable," one person said.

"I also agree that Fellow Daoist Chen should be the Association Leader."

"Yes!"

"This humble Daoist feels the same."

"..."

People voiced their opinions one after another, and in a few short moments, nearly half of those present had nodded their approval for Chen Tong to be the Association Leader.

The rest had flickering gazes and varied expressions.

Many looked toward Yuann Mo.

Zhu Ju watched thoughtfully.

’Yuann Mo has won over quite a few people these past few days, but it seems he still can’t get the upper hand against Chen Tong.’

’The Association Leader...’

’Yuann Mo’s expression is unchanged, and Chen Tong looks normal too. I bet the two of them have already reached some kind of private agreement.’

Just as he’d thought.

"AHEM!"

Chen Tong cleared his throat and spoke slowly.

"Everyone."

"The situation on the island is uncertain. The major families and the Yann Family are locked in a brutal struggle, and a clear victor is unlikely to emerge anytime soon."

"Furthermore, with Demon Cultivators lurking in the shadows and Tribulation Cultivators running rampant, taking lives, our only path forward is to unite."

He took a deep breath and continued,

"I propose that the alliance establish two positions: an Association Leader and a Vice President. They will consult on alliance matters together. This will prevent any one person from amassing too much power and leading us all into peril. What do you all think?"

Huh?

The expressions on everyone’s faces changed.

This move was clearly unexpected.

"I agree."

Yuann Mo nodded.

"Right now, the alliance is just us. But as far as I know, there are still many Loose Cultivators on this island with nowhere to go."

"We can bring them into our fold. Once we do, we’ll have nothing to fear, regardless of how the situation on the island develops."

"Precisely," Chen Tong said with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist Yuann speaks wisely."

"In that case," Tong Jiao suddenly interjected,

"The position of Association Leader should go to Fellow Daoist Chen, and the Vice President position to Brother Yuann Mo. Wouldn’t that be the perfect solution?"

"Fellow Daoist Zhu, what do you think?"

She turned her head to look at Zhu Ju.

By now, Zhu Ju’s status in the alliance was considerable, second only, perhaps, to Chen Tong and Yuann Mo.

His opinion naturally carried great weight.

"Fellow Daoist Tong is right."

Seeing all eyes turn to him, Zhu Ju nodded and said,

"I have no objection to Fellow Daoist Chen and Brother Yuann serving as Association Leader and Vice President."

"I have no objection either," Huu Lishu chimed in.

"That would be for the best!"

"Excellent!"

"..."

「Before long.」

After some discussion, the alliance members unanimously approved Chen Tong as Association Leader and Yuann Mo as Vice President.

"Thank you all for your trust."

Chen Tong beamed, cupping his fist in his hand.

"I can’t make too many promises, but I can say this: I will do everything in my power to ensure everyone’s safety."

"Hmm..."

"On that note!"

he said,

"The thick fog has sealed off the island, and our resources are running low. We need to make a trip to the back-mountain Marketplace for supplies. Why don’t we discuss who should go? For those who are staying, is there anything you need us to buy for you? And how should we arrange patrols for those who remain?"

*

*

*

By the time the discussion concluded, nearly half of the Dao Foundation Cultivators had opted to go to the back-mountain Marketplace for supplies.

With that many people traveling together, their safety was all but guaranteed.

The Dao Foundation Cultivators who remained were organized into pairs, taking turns leading the Innate Qi Refiners on patrols of the surrounding area.

Zhu Ju chose not to go to the Marketplace.

Neither did Huu Lishu.

The two of them were naturally paired up, which made Yu Lou, who was heading to the Marketplace, look none too pleased.

Time passed.

The fog grew ever thicker.

The perception range of a Dao Foundation Cultivator was compressed to that of a mere Mortal.

This seemed to be the Array’s limit, however, as the fog did not intensify any further.

「Several days later.」

The group that had gone to the Marketplace returned safely, all of them in high spirits. They had clearly reaped a great harvest.

"Brother Zhu."

Tong Jiao’s face was flushed with excitement.

"You really should have gone! Prices for all sorts of goods in the Marketplace have skyrocketed. It’s more expensive to buy, but that means it’s much more profitable to sell."

"And..."

"The Sunx and Fang Families brought out many rare items for sale, including several special Elixirs to advance one’s Cultivation, Secret Medicines to aid in the practice of Forbidden Techniques and Divine Techniques, and more."

Zhu Ju’s interest was piqued. He did need to procure some items, but after a moment’s thought, he shook his head.

"Never mind."

"With the island’s situation still so uncertain, I think it’s best for me to just stay put in the manor and wait for this to blow over."

He was consuming Satori Wine daily and felt he was on the verge of accumulating enough of its medicinal effects. Naturally, he was reluctant to go out.

Once he accumulated enough, he would be able to link his third Soul. His Cultivation would advance significantly then, and his ability to protect himself would be much greater.

"Tsk..."

Tong Jiao clicked her tongue and shook her head.

"That’s a real shame."

"How about this, Brother Zhu? You could give me your things to sell, and I’ll just take a small commission."

She knew that Zhu Ju had killed one Mid-Stage and two Early Stage Dao Foundation Cultivators; he was bound to have plenty of good loot on him.

"Oh?"

Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow.

"You’re going to the Marketplace again, Fellow Daoist Tong?"

"That’s right." Tong Jiao nodded.

"In a couple of days, Vice President Yuann is leading another trip to the Marketplace. A lot of people are going this time, too. If you sell your things, Brother Zhu, you’re sure to get a huge pile of Spirit Stones."

"Is that so..." Zhu Ju thought for a moment, then said,

"I can give you my things to sell, Fellow Daoist, but you’ll have to give me a deposit."

"Hmph!" Tong Jiao pouted.

"Then forget it."

Zhu Ju just smiled, unconcerned.

The trust between them hadn’t reached the point where they could entrust valuable items to each other without a deposit.

「A few more days passed.」

Vice President Yuann Mo led a team to the Marketplace.

Surprisingly, Yu Lou chose to go again, and his attitude toward Yuann Mo was remarkably friendly.

He was, however, somewhat distant with Association Leader Chen Tong, with whom he’d previously been on very good terms. It was hard to say what had happened there.

...

WHOOSH!

Stepping lightly on the mountain rocks, Zhu Ju moved like a phantom, appearing without a sound in a dense forest.

Two people were already waiting for him there.

Besides Yann Lan...

...it was Yann Ying, whom he hadn’t seen in a very long time.

"Brother Zhu!"

Yann Lan waved in greeting, his face alight with excitement, "The Patriarch has come, too!"

"Senior Brother," Zhu Ju said, cupping his hands. He then asked,

"Is everything alright with the Yann Family?"

"We’ve stabilized the situation for now." Having not seen him for many days, Yann Ying looked far more haggard, with new strands of white in his hair. He looked at Zhu Ju with gratitude.

"Junior Brother..."

"Thank you for everything."

He had left in such a rush that day, only managing to send letters to a few trusted friends, begging them to protect his descendants.

He never would have thought that decades of friendship would prove useless.

Instead, it was Zhu Ju, a man he had known for only a few years, who had stepped up to save his bloodline.

He had even learned from Yann Lan...

...that to protect his family, Zhu Ju had used a Forbidden Technique and expended a Talisman Treasure. He had truly spared no effort.

Now, seeing him in person, Yann Ying’s gratitude was plain to see.

"We are sect brothers. There’s no need for such formalities," Zhu Ju said, waving his hand.

"What is the situation on the island now?"

"The situation?" Yann Ying sighed, his expression complex.

"The Yann Family has suffered heavy losses. For now, we are only holding on thanks to our partial control over the Commerce Association’s Array."

"But the Yann Family has an ace up its sleeve. If it comes to mutually assured destruction, the other families will suffer greatly as well, so they don’t dare push us too far."

"Fortunately..."

"The other families are not a united front. They have their own internal conflicts, which is the only reason I was able to slip out."

"Junior Brother."

He took an object from his robes and handed it to Zhu Ju.

"This contains what I learned in the Jade Void Sect. Besides the Sword Control Method, there are also various Divine Secret Techniques. I’m entrusting it to you now."

"Senior Brother!" Zhu Ju looked astonished.

"This... I can’t accept this, can I?"

As far as he knew,

Yann Ying had not passed his learning on even to his own bloodline; the Yann Family did not possess the Sword Technique he cultivated.

"There’s nothing inappropriate about it."

Yann Ying shook his head.

"The Bright Void Sect was originally part of the Jade Void Sect. It was split off all those years ago precisely to ensure the continuation of its legacy."

"Now that the Jade Void Sect is destroyed, its legacy should be carried on by the Bright Void Sect. All of my skills come from the Jade Void Sect. It wouldn’t be right to pass them to anyone else. You, Junior Brother, are the only suitable person."

"Take it!"

He pressed it into Zhu Ju’s hands, leaving no room for refusal. Only when Zhu Ju accepted did Yann Ying finally smile, as if a great weight had been lifted from his mind.

"There is one more thing."

"This time I came out, I was also tasked with procuring supplies for the Yann Family. Junior Brother, do you have any leads on that front?"

Yann Ying continued,

"Magical Artifacts, Talisman Paper, materials... the Yann Family needs everything. As long as you can get it, Junior Brother, the Yann Family will buy it at a high price."

"We can even trade for Jade Spirit Pills, which can increase one’s Cultivation."

’Jade Spirit Pills?’

Zhu Ju’s heart hammered in his chest.

The medicinal effects of this Elixir were far stronger than the Grass Returning Pill. It was effective even for Mid-Stage or late-stage Dao Foundation Cultivators.

’If I had a sufficient supply of Jade Spirit Pills, even cultivating the difficult Mixed Element Scripture, I’m confident I could reach Mid-Stage Dao Foundation within a decade or two.’

"You’ll take anything?"

"We’ll take anything!"

Yann Ying nodded.

"The Yann Family is trapped in our ancestral residence. All manner of supplies are being consumed at a rapid pace. Conversely, we have a large stock of Elixirs at the moment."

"Besides..."

"Too many members of the Yann Family have died. We no longer have the numbers to use so many Elixirs."

"If you have anything on you, Junior Brother, or if you can procure other supplies, you can meet me here in seven days to make an exchange."

"..." Zhu Ju considered this seriously for a moment before giving his answer.

"Alright!"