Chapter 665: The Seventh Prince's Visit

Shen Xiaozhu stayed at Wang Ping’s Dao Field until late afternoon.

It was then that Liu Shuang presented a formal notice of visit. It was from the Seventh Prince of Lishui Prefecture, who intended to personally attend the ritual gathering at Qianmu Temple.

The notice was sent from Lishui Prefecture, timed perfectly to arrive in Wang Ping’s hands just as the Seventh Prince was about to set off for Qianmu Temple, according to the time stated.

It was late afternoon, and the sky was already growing dark. The ritual gathering would officially begin after tonight.

Under normal circumstances, this was a very impolite time to arrive.

Upon receiving the notice, Wang Ping didn’t hesitate. He immediately flew toward the Shang’an Prefecture harbor.

In just a few moments, he arrived in the sky above the Shang’an Prefecture harbor.

A moment later, a dense Water Spirit Aura surged from the Southern Sea Region, arriving in the blink of an eye about a hundred feet in front of Wang Ping.

“Greetings, Seventh Prince!”

Wang Ping was the first to offer a salute.

Ao Hong was dressed in grey-black dragon robes and a golden coronet. He looked no different from a human. After Wang Ping saluted, Ao Hong gently waved his two wide sleeves and returned the gesture. “Fellow Daoist, there is no need to be so polite. Just call me Fellow Daoist.”

Yu Lian reminded Wang Ping from within his Spirit Sea, ‘His karma is entirely malicious. He’s comparable to Li Miaolin from Ningzhou Road.’

Wang Ping committed this to memory. With a smile on his face, he clasped his fist and said, “The Seventh Prince is a senior. How could I dare address you as ‘Fellow Daoist’?”

“Xiaojiu wasn’t wrong when they said you were rigid and cautious!”

Ao Hong chuckled, mentioning Jiangcun to close the distance between them. Then, his tone shifted. “With the Daoist Palace re-established, you and I are both Second Seats. We should coordinate our efforts. If we’re always this polite, we’ll waste a great deal of time before we even get to business.”

Hearing this, Wang Ping considered it for a few breaths, staying in character, then nodded. “If that’s the case, then I will follow your lead, Fellow Daoist.”

He kept his demeanor very low-key.

Seeing Wang Ping’s reaction, Ao Hong chuckled again. “They say the scenery at your Dao Field is magnificent—that even just sitting there is enough to soothe the soul. Aren’t you going to invite me to have a look, Fellow Daoist?”

“This way, Fellow Daoist!”

As he extended the invitation, Wang Ping took the lead and flew toward Qianmu Temple.

Ao Hong followed closely behind him.

In the space of a single breath, the mountains of Qianmu Temple came into view. As they hovered above the Mountain Peak Dojo, Ao Hong exclaimed in admiration, “This truly is a wonderful place, far better than my grotto in the deep sea. My home is surrounded by pitch darkness—it makes no difference whether my eyes are open or closed.”

Wang Ping replied humbly, “It is merely pleasing to the eye. Your Dragon Palace, Fellow Daoist, is a true Immortal Mansion. Rumor has it that the depths of your palace hold countless treasures and Magical Artifacts.”

“Haha, as you said, those are just rumors. We of Lishui Prefecture have never been skilled in Artifact Refining, so how could we possibly have countless Magical Artifacts? We do have some treasures, thanks to the rich resources of the seabed, but most of them belong to the Dragon Monarch!”

Ao Hong’s manner was very casual.

Wang Ping now felt like he was finding his footing in a normal conversation. An involuntary smile touched his lips as he gestured and said, “This way, Fellow Daoist!”

“After you!”

Beneath the scholar tree outside the Mountain Peak Dojo, Liu Shuang was already waiting. Fresh fruit and a pot of clear tea were arranged on the table.

Seeing the clear tea, Ao Hong shook his head. “I’m not fond of tea. Change it to wine. I heard from Xiaojiu that the yellow wine you have here is a rare vintage.”

“As long as you don’t find it lacking, Fellow Daoist!”

After his reply, Wang Ping waved a hand at Liu Shuang.

Liu Shuang understood and removed the clear tea from the table. Yu Lian, draped over Wang Ping’s shoulder, complained from within his Spirit Sea, ‘The man has no taste!’

After her complaint, she glanced toward the calico cat hiding behind the scholar tree. The cat had been sleeping by the table, but when Ao Hong descended, its fur had stood on end, and it had bolted behind the tree to hide.

When Yu Lian looked its way, the cat turned and leaped into the adjacent courtyard.

Wang Ping and Ao Hong’s idle chat resembled the polite compliments and pleasantries exchanged between two strangers in the Mortal World. By the time the yellow wine was served, the distance between them had shortened considerably.

They then began to talk about a misunderstanding from over a century ago, and before they knew it, two hours had passed.

The sky had grown completely dark, but the Mountain Peak Dojo remained as bright as day.

Ao Hong downed a cup of wine, picked up a fragrant pear, and took a casual bite. “After this ritual gathering ends, the Second Seats will have a regular meeting. This time…”

He trailed off, glancing at Liu Shuang, who stood nearby.

Wang Ping also looked at Liu Shuang and said, “You may go and rest. Get some good rest and prepare for tomorrow’s gathering.”

“Yes!”

A flicker of understanding crossed Liu Shuang’s eyes.

Perhaps Wang Ping himself didn’t realize it, but this was the first time he had ever dismissed Liu Shuang while speaking with an outsider. It wasn’t a matter of trust; rather, some matters were no longer suitable for ordinary Cultivators to hear.

Yu Lian flicked her tongue, watching Liu Shuang depart, then turned her golden, vertical pupils toward Ao Hong.

Just then, Ao Hong took out a red crystal and placed it in the middle of the table. With his free left hand, he formed a spell and activated the isolation array within it.

Only after the isolation array took effect did Ao Hong speak. “The Daoist Palace has a total of seven seats. We occupy the second, and the True Monarchs hold the first. But they never show themselves; they only enjoy the incense offerings of the world’s people!”

His words carried a hint of complaint. He then changed the subject, saying, “The world is managed by us Second Seats. It seems like we have immense power, but in reality, we have no freedom at all. If I weren’t trying to escape my third brother’s harassment, I would never have waded into these muddy waters. But it’s too late for that. I have no way out now.”

His speech was so blunt that Wang Ping didn’t know how to respond.

After speaking, Ao Hong took a fierce bite of his pear and continued, “The Star God Alliance is unhappy that the Great Cultivators of the Mystic Sect and the Celestial Sect continue to stand by and watch. Coincidentally, the various factions also dislike the old fossils occupying their positions. So, they hit it off immediately, and we became their pawns.”

At this point, he devoured the rest of the pear in one bite and stared at Wang Ping. “At the last regular meeting for the Second Seats, do you know who they designated as the first target?”

“Who?”

Wang Ping asked, playing along.

Ao Hong grinned. “Chongxing Taoist of your Taiyan Sect. Isn’t that just absurd? There are so many Fourth Realm Star Gods who’ve gone missing after their ‘vacations’ ended, but instead of looking for them, they immediately want to go after Chongxing Taoist. They don’t even stop to consider why he’s been able to focus solely on being a Profound Cultivator.”

The Daoist Palace monitors all Cultivators in the world, including those of the Fourth Realm. It is required to periodically organize their files, register them, and even track their specific whereabouts.

Most Fourth Realm Cultivators from the Mystic and Celestial Sects live as quiet Profound Cultivators. It’s the Star Gods who are a huge hassle. They often go missing, as they can roam freely through outer space and have far too many places to hide.

“However, they are clever in their own way. They weren’t really trying to cause trouble for Chongxing Taoist, just stalling for time. By proposing him as the target, they knew no one would dare to lead the charge, and the matter would eventually fizzle out. Things developed just as they predicted; the issue was delayed again and again until it was simply dropped.”

“But we can’t just do nothing after becoming Second Seats in the Daoist Palace and taking charge of so many resources. Now that you’ve entered the Second Seat, they’ll probably nominate you to lead the charge!”

“Furthermore, according to our rotation system, you’re scheduled to serve as the chief for the next hundred years. And let me tell you, that’s not a good gig!”