Chapter 849: Departure

Chapter 849: Chapter 849: Departure

"Then I shall trouble the High God Yunze to take this matter to heart. On behalf of tens of thousands of incense gods, I offer my thanks in advance."

Within the council hall.

Fushan Great King’s face was earnest. The hall was filled with incense gods of impressive titles and considerable cultivation, all rising in unison to bow toward Yunze, who stood at the head position.

Yunze stood at the main seat, gazing upon a scene his own mother had never managed — these renowned incense gods, each one bowing low.

Though he knew they were truly petitioning not him but the Yunmeng Pavilion standing behind him, the satisfaction in his heart was genuinely beyond words.

Most crucial of all was the opportunity — this chance that had walked right through his door, a chance for Yunmeng Marsh to lead once more.

Yunze raised his hand gently, his tone warm:

"Please, all of you rise. I cannot turn a blind eye to this matter. I will do everything within my power to resolve your difficulties."

Fushan Great King rose at his words and led the other incense gods in a round of flattery before finally standing to take his leave.

Yunze rose to escort him to the door, watching the incense gods depart, before slowly settling back into his seat at the head of the council hall.

His gaze drifted downward, as if those incense gods still stood below, bowing before him.

A female demon attending at his side saw the glazed look in Yunze’s eyes and dared not speak.

Time passed. How long, it was impossible to say.

Two sets of footsteps echoed.

Yunze raised his gaze to see Cui Hao and Zheng Zhaoling entering. He rose immediately:

"You two—"

"Save the pleasantries." Cui Hao cut him off directly. "Yunmeng Pavilion cannot intervene in the incense god matter. My master, likewise, will not."

"Ah?" Yunze froze.

He had never expected Cui Hao to refuse so decisively — to bypass even the courtesies before delivering his rejection.

This meant the matter was settled. There was no room for negotiation.

Yunze’s gaze shifted past Cui Hao to Zheng Zhaoling at his side.

After all, she was Yunmeng Pavilion’s core disciple — she was the one who truly determined the Pavilion’s stance.

Seeing Zheng Zhaoling’s calm expression and knowing she had nothing to say, Yunze’s anxiety grew.

Whether Yunmeng Marsh could take on this matter was critical. If they succeeded, Yunmeng Marsh would naturally gain an unignorable voice. If they failed, the respect those incense gods had shown moments ago would be replaced by contempt.

Yunze spoke quickly:

"This matter concerns not only the incense gods — it is not merely about Yunmeng Marsh either. If it can be resolved, Yunmeng Pavilion’s influence in Northern Julu Continent will rise further. These incense gods could become a powerful force for the Pavilion."

"Should you not consult your seniors before deciding whether to agree?"

Zheng Zhaoling’s eyes lifted slightly at his words. She wondered whether Yunze had learned a thing or two from Cui Hao — the pressure he applied at critical moments was certainly well-calculated.

"Naive." Cui Hao sighed helplessly. "This is the first time I’ve seen someone walk himself straight to his own death."

Yunze stared at Cui Hao with a mixture of wariness and alarm.

Cui Hao extended his hand, projecting a jade token outward with spiritual energy: "The situation outside has long since turned upside down. Those incense gods are petitioning you — not for the sake of justice."

Yunze reached out and caught the jade token, probing it with his divine sense.

The token was filled with intelligence and analysis of the situation’s development, including Cui Hao’s own judgments, laying bare the incense gods’ true intentions.

After reading it, Yunze found the reasoning impeccable. The more he read, the more his skin crawled. When he finished, he raised his head to look at Cui Hao, tongue-tied and unable to find words.

If he helped, and the backlash came, Yunmeng Marsh would bear the brunt.

Cui Hao strode forward and drew a map from his spatial ring:

"I understand the beautiful vision in your head, but how many such beautiful things exist in this world?"

"Still, your recent efforts have been commendable. Yun Li has been well looked after by you — that counts as a favor."

Cui Hao said this while pointing at the map suspended in the air by spiritual energy:

"The incense god matter — Yunmeng Marsh cannot touch it now. But doing nothing would cost Yunmeng Marsh dearly in reputation. Skip the tangled web before you and strike the heart of the problem."

"I suspect those incense gods are using the Evil Spirit Sect as their excuse. So we strike the Evil Spirit Sect directly."

"Write to Yunmeng Pavilion in your name — I’ll co-sign it."

"Yunmeng Pavilion’s reinforcements won’t engage in frontline combat. They’ll strike directly at the Evil Spirit Sect’s leadership, purging all Evil Spirit Sect forces from Northern Julu Continent in one decisive sweep."

"No matter which side wins or whether they splinter into opposition, you, Yunmeng Marsh, will have done nothing wrong. Both sides will have to respect you."

"As for how to request reinforcements — the excuse you raised about the incense gods’ strength is excellent. At least it sounds profitable."

"That’s my reasoning. What do you think?"

Yunze stood at the main seat, looking at Cui Hao not far away — his posture tall and straight, one hand lightly gesturing toward the map. His words were calm, devoid of threat...

And yet, after hearing it all, Yunze found he could not utter a single word of refusal.

Only...

Yunze asked carefully: "Why must it be in my name? Wouldn’t Fellow Daoist Zheng be more convenient?"

If he didn’t understand clearly, and the blame landed on him, that could truly be fatal.

Cui Hao didn’t hesitate to fabricate: "Because we cannot give others ammunition. If you request it, it’s selfless. If I or Zheng Zhaoling write it, it looks self-serving. Your vision cannot remain confined to these Northern Julu incense gods. The pressure from other immortal sects is what truly concerns us."

The real reason, of course, was to minimize the fallout. The incense gods’ grievances could not be allowed to implicate his master, and certainly not Zheng Zhaoling.

Especially Zheng Zhaoling — her name wasn’t even on the list. If anything went wrong in the future, she could walk away unscathed.

Beyond that, Yunmeng Pavilion had always contributed too little to joint efforts. This operation was massive, and they genuinely needed substantial support.

And if those incense gods ever figured things out and started their smear campaigns and underhanded tactics...

Then the groundwork Yunmeng Marsh laid now would serve as their strongest card.

No operation could cover every contingency, but if something could be anticipated, it was best addressed now — to prevent greater trouble later.

Yunze pondered for a moment, conceding that Cui Hao’s reasoning held merit. But he did not agree immediately, saying instead:

"I’ll consider it... I’ll give you my answer later."

Cui Hao chuckled softly.

Yunze raised his gaze, only to find Cui Hao’s expression calm — yet it gave him the distinct feeling that he had no path left but to follow the other’s design.

The sensation of being seen through, of being locked onto... of being controlled.

If Cui Hao was already this formidable, then what kind of hand must the Baiming True Lord — Chen Baiqing — who kept Cui Hao so thoroughly obedient possess?

Thinking to this point...

Yunze’s heart gave rise to a certain thought: *Fine. If I can’t outplay him, I’ll just do as he says.*

————————

Northern Julu Continent. Cangxi Country.

A streak of rainbow light — a jade token — shot across the sky.

The Yunmeng Pavilion Sect Master raised his hand to catch the jade token, sweeping it with his divine sense. The next instant, the token dissolved into streams of light.

"They’re ready to move. It’s the first time they’ve stayed outside the Pavilion for two full months."

"Let’s go. I imagine you’ve all grown weary of waiting here."

The Yunmeng Pavilion Sect Master rose.

Behind him stood a group of elders and Supreme Elders — their auras restrained, their cultivation terrifying.

All rose together.

Today, cultivators powerful enough to flatten every force in Northern Julu Continent...

Set forth.