Chapter 567: Coordinating Internal Affairs

“Did something go wrong with your cultivation, or did you get into a fight? How did your Golden Core crack this badly?”

Zhurong Daoist School had its own medical ward.

After all, cultivators were often injured. Even if they didn’t fight others, they could still suffer accidents during their cultivation.

With Chen Che’s physique, he could recover quickly from all sorts of injuries, not to mention he had a steady supply of pills. Hidden injuries were almost never an issue. But after the battle in Primordial City, the cracks that had appeared on his Golden Core hadn’t healed as they had before.

They were still clearly visible.

There were precedents of cultivators whose Golden Cores had shattered, completely destroying their cultivation, so Chen Che had been cautious enough to visit the medical ward. He didn’t expect that as soon as the test results were out, the staff would call his tutor to come and get him.

And that was what led to the present scene.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, then don’t.”

Sister Li had also worked her way up from being a low-level cultivator and knew that many students liked to keep things to themselves. Seeing Chen Che’s hesitation, she didn’t press him for details, simply saying in a gentle voice, “I won’t ask for the reason. Whatever you’re doing, you need to be more careful from now on.”

“Is it that serious?”

Chen Che hadn’t thought it was.

“It’s not all bad for you.”

Her own student was having health problems, so of course Li Tingyu was concerned.

“You know about the Nascent Soul, right? The Golden Core is the key to incubating it.”

“Because your True Essence is vast and dense, your Golden Core solidified into an especially sturdy form, which would have made it relatively difficult for your Nascent Soul to break out of the core. Now that there’s a crack, it will be slightly easier for the soul to emerge in the future.”

“Of course, the downside is that if the crack widens, it will affect the incubation of your Nascent Soul. If the Golden Core shatters completely, your cultivation will suffer to a degree corresponding to the damage.”

Chen Che was aware of that.

Zhao Yunchen’s Golden Core had been completely shattered, leaving only a few fragments behind, which was why he could barely maintain his Golden Core realm.

“If anything happens, tell me immediately.”

Li Tingyu patted Chen Che’s shoulder, her tone gentle. “Your teacher and the school are your strongest backers.”

With that, she turned and left.

‘Backers?’

Feeling the lingering warmth on his shoulder, Chen Che smiled. He could sense the genuine sincerity in Sister Li’s words, without a trace of hypocrisy.

Too bad it was a secret he couldn’t share.

…

After staying on Earth Element Star for a few days and confirming through daily check-ups that the crack in his Golden Core wasn’t widening, Chen Che returned to Jinyun Valley.

Based on the advice from the medical ward, Sister Li, and his own judgment, his body was still in good health. No accidents were likely during normal cultivation, provided, of course, that he didn’t face another siege by over a hundred Golden Core cultivators like in Primordial City. Barring that, there was almost no risk of the crack widening.

Moreover, as his realm advanced, the crack would heal on its own.

So he was relatively at ease.

After returning to the valley, Chen Che officially began to handle its affairs. The recent wartime chaos throughout the territories under the Primordial Sect had naturally affected Jinyun Valley, so a great deal of work had piled up.

Of course, not every matter was brought to Chen Che.

For example:

A disciple was killed outside the valley, requiring men to be sent to investigate and track down the murderer.

A disciple out in the world accidentally discovered a tomb, requiring the sect to send people to survey it.

Demon Beasts or Evil Cultivators were causing trouble in a certain area, requesting support from the sect.

…

Minor issues like these usually didn’t reach Chen Che.

The matters that did reach him were generally those too complex or difficult for the various Halls to handle. Alternatively, they were uncertain or controversial issues that required his approval as the Valley Master.

Otherwise, if he had to approve every little thing, what time would he have left for cultivation?

Of course, there were some exceptions.

After finishing his official duties, Chen Che saw two letters still on his desk.

These two letters were from Xiao Chan and Zhao De’an, respectively.

In his letter, Xiao Chan explained that Li Cang, having heard about the war outside the valley, was concerned about the White Lion Dynasty and was preparing to travel back with Zhou Lian to see the situation. Xiao Chan was asking for his approval.

‘Your disciple needs my permission?’

Chen Che chuckled in amusement.

He knew, of course, that although Li Cang was Xiao Chan’s registered disciple, he was also formally studying at Jinyun Valley. Furthermore, he would be accompanied by the Vice Valley Master’s direct disciple. And during this period of war preparation, Chen Che himself had strictly forbidden disciples from leaving their assigned territories.

That was why Xiao Chan had specifically requested permission.

“Approved!”

He casually formed a seal technique with his hand, and the letter immediately transformed into a paper crane, flying off toward the main hall.

The other letter was from Zhao De’an. He actually wanted to retire and return to his hometown.

‘It is indeed too difficult for a mere Qi Refining Cultivator to bear the responsibility of being Chief of the Pill Hall.’

Chen Che shook his head inwardly.

Zhao De’an’s Spiritual Root was simply too poor. Coupled with the strain of managing the Pill Hall, his Heart Power had been damaged, and his cultivation had stalled at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer. Even with Chen Che’s support, he felt he had less than a thirty percent chance of reaching Foundation Establishment.

Furthermore, with his son Zhao Changping being given important responsibilities, his last bit of ambition had dissipated. That was why he wanted to retire completely—on one hand, to consolidate his cultivation and prepare for Foundation Establishment, and on the other, to push Zhao Changping forward.

“Denied!”

Chen Che pondered for a moment. He had originally intended to write a letter in reply. ‘Forget it. I’ll just go see him in person later.’

Next were the matters that needed to be handled and reviewed: either previously established strategies, issues requiring special attention, or things that needed new plans.

“Ding Fei is efficient. The rewards for merit have all been arranged, and production in the valley has recovered to seventy percent. Tell him not to push the subordinate territories too hard. As long as they aren’t being deliberately lazy, we can show some leniency.”

“Commission a seven-hundred-zhang-long Spiritual Boat from the Lu Family. The Lu Family’s assets aren’t sufficient to build such a large boat, so pay seventy percent upfront and another fifty percent upon completion. The Lu Clan is required to build the Spiritual Boat as quickly as possible, sparing no expense, and everything must be done to the highest standards.”

“Using the roster, prioritize arranging for the school-aged children of the Yuchi Race and the vassal families from Yunzhou and Chi State to enter the valley for cultivation. Have Chief Tutor Rong Shisan handle this.”

“Effective immediately, all resources from Yunzhou and Chi State, including ore, talisman paper, and medicinal herbs, are forbidden from being sold to other states. Jinyun Valley will fund their acquisition. At the same time, of all forged weapons, magical artifacts, and talismans, thirty percent are to be kept within the valley as strategic resources for the future campaign against Mist Rain Tower. Also, speed up the compilation of the list of cultivators willing to participate in the war.”

“Vice Chief of Xingtang Hall, Wang Chen, is to coordinate with Great Protector Rong Zhongxuan and Sacrificial Hall’s Tributor, Hermit Fushan. They will also organize other members of Xingtang Hall to screen both states for hidden Evil Cultivators one by one. If necessary, they can conscript cultivators from our vassal territories.”

“Chief of the Internal Affairs Hall, Ding Fei, is to continue conscripting loose cultivators to complete the waterway network in the territories of the two states. At the same time, he is to draft servant disciples to progressively improve the intelligence network. The pace can be slower, but every step must be steady.”

“Two areas in Chi State are showing abnormal Spiritual Qi fluctuations. The cause is unknown, and it has been raining nonstop for half a year. Hmm… have the Vice Chief of the Sacrificial Hall, Yu Daogui, investigate the cause with Tributor Zhao Shifeng.”

…

One order after another was issued.

To Chen Che, some of these matters seemed like just a single sentence, but they would affect tens of thousands of cultivators. The number of mortals affected was even greater. The construction of the waterways alone would involve at least tens of thousands of cultivators.

Beyond that, the first generation of disciples was also beginning to step up. Wang Chen was appointed Vice Chief of Xingtang Hall, Yu Daogui became Chief of the Sacrificial Hall, and Lu Ping’an was made Vice Chief of the Dark Hall. As for the other positions filled within the major Halls, they were basically all disciples from within the valley.

Of course, these individuals still lacked opportunities to prove they could stand on their own.

However, it was a time of turmoil. He believed that after being tempered by a war or two, they would soon be capable. Moreover, just as great waves sift sand, many outstanding cultivators would emerge.

The Xingtang Hall and the Sacrificial Hall needed no further explanation, but the Dark Hall was worth mentioning.

Having personally witnessed Gongyang Shuo build the Ten Thousand Gods Sect and Zuo Qinlong’s defection in Celestial Ghost City, Chen Che naturally understood the importance of sleeper agents. Once activated, they could even play a decisive role. Therefore, the existence of the Dark Hall was absolutely necessary.

For Chen Che, the number of sleeper agents didn’t matter. A single well-placed one could be worth more than an army of a million soldiers.

Moreover, with Lu Ping’an’s status as a Ghost Cultivator, he was truly the most suitable person for this position.