Chapter 669: Chief of the Second Seats

After reading the letter, Wang Ping turned to Liu Shuang and said, “Go on about your business.”

Liu Shuang nodded. “Yes, sir.” She silently withdrew from the pavilion, glanced back at Wang Ping once more, then transformed into a streak of light and flew toward the front hall. Yu Lian called out to the nearby Spiritual Dog, then followed Liu Shuang, flying toward the front hall.

Ao Hong placed a piece on the board and asked with a smile, “Is Elder Chongxing referring to our last routine meeting?”

Wang Ping’s gaze fell on the piece Ao Hong had just played. He nodded and said, “Yes. He also reminded me that while we can prepare for certain things, we don’t have to act. And even if we do act, I can’t be the one to do it.”

“He sees things clearly. The reputations of these old-timers might not seem like much now, but two thousand years ago, they were surely figures of great renown. With networks built over millennia, I’m afraid any plan we agree to one moment will reach their ears the next.”

Ao Hong said nonchalantly, “Elder Chongxing’s words truly come from the heart. We can make all the preparations, but we absolutely cannot be the ones to lead the charge.”

“What if everyone thinks that way?”

“Then we’ll just delay!”

“Delay until when?”

At this, Ao Hong looked up at Wang Ping. “Did True Monarch Yuan Wu give you a specific deadline?”

Wang Ping gleaned a great deal from Ao Hong’s question. A flurry of thoughts flashed through his mind before he shook his head under Ao Hong’s steady gaze. “You didn’t fight for the Third Prince’s opportunity to ascend to True Monarch just for fun, did you? If we do nothing this time, will they still be willing to speak on our behalf when we want to ascend in the future?”

A strange look appeared on Ao Hong’s face. He met Wang Ping’s gaze for several seconds before saying, “You certainly are ambitious. You’ve only just reached the Fourth Realm, yet you’re already thinking about becoming a True Monarch…”

He glanced at the game on the board as he spoke.

Wang Ping’s gaze also fell upon the board. After a moment of silence, he placed a stone. Then, on the glowing status panel, he saw the fusion progress for the Heaven-Covering Talisman reach (1/100).

His Primordial Spirit felt nothing special, however, perhaps because the fusion progress was too low.

Ao Hong picked up a stone with his right hand. “That’s why I came to you,” he said. “Otherwise, I would have just slumbered in my own Dao Field until the Daoist Palace was dissolved.”

“Do you already have a plan, Fellow Daoist?”

“Let’s talk after the routine meeting tonight.”

“Fine.”

The two continued their game until 9:15 PM.

Then, they both activated the Communication Tokens exclusive to the Second Seats. Yu Lian, having returned from the front hall, was bored. Seeing her chance, she immediately rose on a cloud and landed on Wang Ping’s shoulder, connecting to his Primordial Spirit Consciousness.

The next moment, her consciousness was pulled into the complex Arrays within the Communication Token. As profound Arrays unfolded one after another, she found herself in a vast, empty hall. The hall was lined with bookshelves, and on them were glowing Sealing Arrays. Contained within these Sealing Arrays were memories left by their predecessors, recording most of this world’s history.

In the center of the spacious hall stood a massive, round wooden table surrounded by seventeen seats. However, only nine of them were currently occupied.

“Congratulations, Lord Changqing! Haha, I never expected the True Monarchs would actually entrust the Southern Cultivation Realm to you!” The moment Wang Ping appeared, Rongyang Monarch was the first to greet him with a cupped-fist salute.

“The Southern Cultivation Realm has always belonged to my Taiyan Sect. It is only logical that it was entrusted to me.” Wang Ping’s tone was courteous, but his words were neither yielding nor humble. In the presence of these people, humility was no virtue.

“I hope you’ll stick to your duties. Don’t be another Xiao Shan!” a cold voice interjected.

Wang Ping turned to look. The man had deep red hair that gave off no sense of warmth, only a sinister chill. His eyes were yellowish, but at the very center of his pupils was a pitch-black void. Faint purple markings on his cheeks occasionally pulsed with the aura of the Netherworld. He wore black leather armor and had the bearing of a general.

This was Cang Ji Prefect of the Taiyin Sect. Just as Wang Ping was about to respond, Rongyang Monarch cut in, scolding, “Who the hell do you think you are? What gives you the right to pass judgment on Fellow Daoist Xiao Shan!”

‘Fair enough.’

‘The relationship between the Second Seats is not a harmonious one.’

“May the Saint be merciful!”

A voice Wang Ping found vaguely familiar cut through their argument. It was Master Kaiyun, who had appeared during Xiao Shan Lord’s ascension ceremony. He spoke in a tone of profound compassion, “Fellow Daoist Xiao Shan not only brought ruin upon himself but also implicated tens of millions of innocent people in Zhongzhou. He is a cautionary tale, indeed.”

“Everyone, if we are to continue with these tedious topics, I shall take my leave.”

A cool female voice spoke up. It was Yu Xing Taoist of the Yuqing Sect, seated opposite Wang Ping. Her features were exquisite, like those of an unmarried young lady from a great noble family in Southern Zhongzhou. She wore a white Daoist Robe, her hair fastened in a single spiral bun with a jade hairpin.

“Ahem.”

Master Kaiyun cleared his throat. “Let us return to the official agenda. There are five items for today’s routine meeting. The first is that it is my turn to step down as Chief Presider. According to the rotation, the next in line should have been Fellow Daoist Rongyang. However, with Changqing’s arrival, it is only right that he should take the position.”

Wang Ping glanced at the seating arrangement and immediately understood the rotation for Chief Presider. ‘It’s based on seating order. And since Ao Hong knew the position would fall to him, it means my seat was decided long ago!’

Meeting the gazes of everyone present, Wang Ping did not shrink back. He cupped his fists and said, “If that is the rule, then I will not shirk my duty.”

“Excellent!”

Master Kaiyun smiled. “Fellow Daoist, are you aware of the duties of the Chief Presider?”

Wang Ping nodded.

Ao Hong had already informed him. The primary duty of the Chief Presider was to act as a liaison for all the Second Seats. Whenever a matter required discussion, he had to ensure everyone was contacted immediately and then mediate to find a solution acceptable to all parties.

Furthermore, the Chief Presider was to host each routine meeting. This involved investigating any unresolved issues beforehand and presenting them during the meeting for a swift, collective resolution.

Finally, when action was needed, he had to be the first to organize the Daoist Palace Cultivators. For instance, if a Star God from outer space were to defect, the Chief Presider would need to organize a pursuit, and the other members would be obligated to provide their full support.

“Then let us proceed to the second matter. The Star God Alliance has sent another letter urging us to dispatch people to the front line as soon as possible. We have yet to receive a reply from Chongxing Taoist…”

“Speaking of which, Daoist Chongxing and Fellow Daoist Changqing belong to the same sect. Why don’t we have Fellow Daoist Changqing try to persuade him?”

A man dressed in grey-black, narrow-sleeved combat Soft Armor interrupted Master Kaiyun. He looked at Wang Ping and said, “The front line isn’t making these requests for no reason. I was there just last month. Many of our comrades-in-arms are airing grievances, especially the battalion commanders. Some of them have been fighting on the front for centuries without a single day of leave.”

Wang Ping and Ao Hong shared an imperceptible glance. After a moment of thought, Wang Ping said, “I will do my best to try. However, since this matter is so critical, why haven’t you prepared a contingency plan?”