Chapter 862: What It Truly Means to Be a Core Disciple

Chapter 862: Chapter 862: What It Truly Means to Be a Core Disciple

Cui Hao sat honestly across from the Yunmeng Pavilion Sect Master and said with an ingratiating smile:

"Just a joke. We’re a small sect, after all, and we know our place."

The Yunmeng Pavilion Sect Master raised an eyebrow, his tone impossible to tell whether he was angry:

"These words... could you be implying that our Yunmeng Pavilion is a small sect that doesn’t know its place?"

Cui Hao silently stood up at these words, then under the Yunmeng Pavilion Sect Master’s watchful gaze, decisively bowed in a deep courtesy, his tone aggrieved:

"This junior is timid. Elder, you can’t joke with a junior like this."

The Yunmeng Pavilion Sect Master saw that Cui Hao yielded so decisively. Sometimes showing weakness was an alternative way to break a deadlock. Before him, regardless of cultivation, Cui Hao possessed the unique value of seeing through matters with composure.

When a junior yields, continuing to press would be bullying the small with the big.

Cui Hao was a junior and could afford to lose face, but he could not.

The Yunmeng Pavilion Sect Master waved his sleeve. "Sit. If your master saw this, he’d think I was bullying you."

Cui Hao sat back down, a smile returning to his face:

"How could that be? Elder is teaching this junior how to conduct affairs."

"Smooth as silk." The Yunmeng Pavilion Sect Master’s expression didn’t change. His gaze dropped to the flowing grain patterns on the table before him. "To tell you the truth, I don’t dislike you. Quite the opposite, actually — I quite have high expectations for you."

Cui Hao didn’t dare respond casually. After all, when someone opened with praise, what followed usually wasn’t anything good.

He sat honestly in his seat, still wearing that smile that looked somewhat silly after prolonged observation.

The Yunmeng Pavilion Sect Master saw Cui Hao’s behavior and let a slight smile play at the corner of his mouth:

"Caution counts for something, yes. But the real reason I’m taking you seriously is how you extracted Zheng Zhaoling from this affair. You should have known that if Zheng Zhaoling had gotten involved in the Incense God conflict, or even just expressed support for the New Faction..."

"Then the initiative in this situation might not have been in my hands, but in yours."

"You understood everything, yet you did nothing. Sometimes being able to restrain yourself from acting is the true test of character."

Cui Hao only dared respond upon hearing this:

"This junior simply treats Fellow Daoist Zheng as a like-minded friend. Betraying a friend — that would be a crime of conscience."

The Yunmeng Pavilion Sect Master chuckled, then drew a radiant jade token from his spatial ring and gently pushed it toward Cui Hao:

"When it comes to character, you’re no weaker than your master."

Cui Hao lowered his head to look at the jade token before him:

"This... this junior feels I probably shouldn’t be seeing this."

The Yunmeng Pavilion Sect Master’s expression was calm. "Originally, you shouldn’t have. But someone made the choice for me."

Cui Hao looked up in surprise and blurted out:

"Zheng Zhaoling?"

The Yunmeng Pavilion Sect Master nodded. "Yes. What she said today is the reason you can see this jade token."

Cui Hao scratched his head, his tone puzzled:

"Are you sure you’re not picking on me for being slow? Fellow Daoist Zheng is nominally a core disciple... but after all these years, forget about core disciple treatment — getting the treatment of an ordinary disciple would be good enough. She’s probably spent more time in the seclusion room than any ordinary disciple."

"If Fellow Daoist Zheng were truly this important, her actions shouldn’t have been so constrained. She genuinely is constrained — I can tell."

The Yunmeng Pavilion Sect Master chuckled softly, his gaze calm:

"You should understand the significance of a core disciple. The most important core of the sect in the future — the entire sect will be placed in her hands."

"In your eyes, Zheng Zhaoling may lack the stature of a core disciple. But that doesn’t mean our Yunmeng Pavilion Supreme Elders see it the same way."

"It’s not that we’ve restricted her. It’s that she hasn’t yet recognized her current identity."

"She hasn’t yet realized that every word she speaks from now on can change the course of Yunmeng Pavilion. She probably still thinks being a core disciple is just a title."

"A title that, if she’s not obedient today, could be removed and given to someone else tomorrow."

"Zhaoling doesn’t yet understand that this title was personally placed upon her by me and a group of Tribulation Transcendence Supreme Elders who are willing to entrust their lives to her."

"The same goes for the so-called seclusion. As a core disciple, she should understand the privileges that come with it. Before violating the Heavenly Principles, she need only say she doesn’t wish to go, and she won’t have to."

"Zhaoling appears constrained at Yunmeng Pavilion because she hasn’t yet realized this, hasn’t yet shouldered the responsibility of guiding Yunmeng Pavilion’s direction."

The Yunmeng Pavilion Sect Master’s gaze was terrifyingly calm, his tone steady as he continued:

"Zhaoling should be like she was today — unafraid and undaunted in expressing her thoughts."

"Even if they’re naive and laughable, even if they’re riddled with errors, even if they make people laugh when heard."

"But we would still seriously study every word she says, offering our understanding and plans. Even if we think it shouldn’t be done, as long as Zhaoling wants it and the losses fall within Yunmeng Pavilion’s acceptable range, we will execute it."

"Because we understand that a qualified helmsman is forged through waste and loss."

"Today, Zheng Zhaoling, as a core disciple of Yunmeng Pavilion, chose what she wanted to do."

"This jade token is the result of our deliberations — the conclusion that we should trust Zhaoling’s choice."

"So, the one we trust is not you, nor your master, but our Yunmeng Pavilion’s core disciple."

Cui Hao swallowed silently upon hearing this, a different kind of shock stirring within him. After a moment of deliberation, he still reached out and took the jade token.

Since Zheng Zhaoling had spoken these words, Cui Hao naturally could not back down and let her words come to nothing.

Cui Hao held the jade token and looked at the Yunmeng Pavilion Sect Master, asking a question that still puzzled him:

"These things... you could have told Fellow Daoist Zheng directly, couldn’t you?"

The Yunmeng Pavilion Sect Master raised his head slightly, gazing at the starry sky:

"Some things, rather than spelling them out, are better left for her to realize herself."

"The current Zhaoling still lacks confidence and hasn’t prepared herself to take on this great responsibility."

"When she has prepared herself, she will naturally express her views, and Yunmeng Pavilion will naturally come under her control."

"Before that, everything being done is cultivation. What I’m doing now is simply supporting her."

"So your invitation to become Supreme Elder receiving a ’scram’ in response was also to be expected, wasn’t it?"

"What we’ve invested is far more than what you could ever offer."

Cui Hao nodded in understanding.

He had thought the treatment of core disciples across different sects would vary significantly. But after hearing these words, it seemed the treatment of core disciples at every sect could only be better than the last.

Cui Hao didn’t hesitate. His spiritual consciousness probed into the jade token.

He finished reading the contents quickly.

The information was straightforward — several immortal sects intended to join forces, coordinating with Eastern Divine Continent to stir up a wave of public opinion against Chu Xingchen, united in suppressing his current reputation.

The reasoning within was quite precise — responding to Heaven’s Mandate, bearing the True Dragon of Ten Thousand Graces, unbeatable in all things.

They didn’t want Chu Xingchen dead, but they wanted him to no longer be able to wield righteousness and the backing of the Three Sects to coerce other immortal sects into compliance.

They wanted to give each sect the right to say no and refuse.

The Eighteen Immortal Sects were their own separate sects, not entities that Chu Xingchen could order about at will.

They also intended to use this matter to prevent a future scenario where, after the Great Calamity was resolved, Chu Xingchen could truly dominate for all eternity.

Cui Hao could only laugh wordlessly after reading.

They hadn’t even truly won yet, but they were already thinking about what would happen after the victory.