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Chapter 136: The Fall of a Mountain

"This is life. People like Li Pin are beyond your control. His future will not be limited to Jiang Province or even Taibai," Lu Changkong pointed out calmly. "It’s just a dismissal. Let the heat die down, and once the storm has passed, you will be reinstated. It’s not easy nurturing a talent like you. We shouldn\'t waste such a valuable asset over such a minor issue. That would be a loss to the martial association."

Lin Yuzhi understood that unless he proved additional value, even if reinstated, his position and influence would be significantly diminished. Even if his rank remained unchanged, his power would differ vastly. However, he had mentally prepared himself before meeting Lu Changkong, and the fleeting sense of emptiness quickly faded as he readjusted.

"I understand."

"Very well then, we’ll proceed with this arrangement. I’ll bring this matter to the meeting this afternoon. If all goes as planned, the personnel change will be announced within three days.

"Additionally, I’ll inform Zhuo Chengyu of the news and discuss with him the possibility of having Lian Hongchen temporarily serve as the chairman of the Jiang Province Martial Society. The price will be the resolution of this matter, and I trust they will make a wise decision."

Lin Yuzhi nodded. His attempt to have Qi Feng and Chi Tiexin ambush Li Pin might have failed, but he wouldn\'t face any repercussions because of this. The person who would be held responsible was Zhang Hengqiu. He was the one who had not followed the rules by seeking revenge on Li Pin that very night instead of waiting the prescribed three days.

As for Lian Hongchen, his attempt to use this incident to bring Lin Yuzhi down was merely a pipe dream. As for relying on Li Pin to do so... that would have to wait until the next martial competition three years from now.

Three years wasn\'t a short time. Many things could change in three years.

With Lian Hongchen securing the position of Jiang Province Martial Society chairman three years ahead of schedule, he likely wouldn\'t be as aggressive as before.

With that, Lin Yuzhi took his leave. Once he was gone, Lu Changkong frowned. After a moment, he called out, "Xiaoyun."

A robust man, standing over two meters tall, emerged from inside. He greeted in a deep voice, "Uncle."

Lu Changkong’s eyes flashed with satisfaction as he looked at his imposing nephew. His nephew, Lu Fengyun, had shown exceptional martial arts talent since he was young. At thirty-six, he was already an Internal Aura Grandmaster.

Not only that, but thanks to his innate divine strength, his qi and blood had reached forty-one points despite him not having reached perfection in his Internal Cultivation. If he weren’t past the age limit for the intermediate category, he would surely have been among the top three in this year\'s national competition.

Thinking about the missed opportunity due to his nephew’s bad luck, Lu Changkong sighed inwardly. After a while, he said, "There’s an opening for a deputy chairman in Jiang Province. You should go and take up the position."

"To Jiang Province?"

"Don’t worry, I have plans," Lu Changkong replied. "A dark horse named Li Pin has emerged in Jiang Province this year. Despite his youth, he has already reached the level of a great grandmaster and has remarkable combat abilities. Even compared to you, he’s not far behind. The key point is... he’s only twenty-three!"

"Twenty-three!? A great grandmaster’s combat power!?" Lu Fengyun was taken aback. "Which family does he belong to? The Fang family? The Lv family? Or the Jin family?"

"None! You could say he’s from a humble background. At most, he\'s connected to a local force called the Qin family."

Lu Changkong continued, "Lin Yuzhi secretly investigated the Qin family and suspects they might have an Astral Cultivator, though this person has never shown themselves. Many doubt they are anything more than a bluff.

"Over the years, the Qin family has remained small, maintaining only a medium-scale presence, so it hasn’t attracted the greed of others. Recently, with someone from their family apparently succeeding in meditating on the Astral God, the ones who were restless before have quieted down."

"A local family that developed by mere chance due to an Astral Cultivator," Lu Fengyun concluded.

Lu Changkong nodded. "Yes."

There were numerous factions like this across the Taibai Kingdom, almost representing a new emerging class. Being an old faction that had passed down martial arts for generations, the Lu Family was naturally not afraid. However, that did not mean they were willing to offend these new forces.

"With a family like this capable of cultivating such a martial arts expert, Li Pin... truly has remarkable talent," Lu Fengyun said.

"That’s right. So, when you get to Jiang Province, you can make full use of my connections and channels. My only expectation for you is that you establish a good relationship with him as soon as possible."

Lu Changkong said solemnly, "With his talent, in three years, he will not only stand out in the national competition but will also surely secure a place in the World\'s Top Martial Competition.

"During this time, I will arrange for you to replace Lian Hongchen as the new chairman of the Jiang Province Martial Society. Once you have such a prodigy under your command, your career will be smooth sailing. Within a year, you’ll be promoted to the association and enter the true power core of the Taibai martial arts world."

"Replace Lian Hongchen?" Lu Fengyun was a bit surprised. "Uncle, didn\'t you agree with Lin Yuzhi to use Lian Hongchen\'s chairman position as leverage to prevent them from further attacking him?"

Lu Changkong sneered. "Heh, Lin Yuzhi offended a prodigy like Li Pin. With Li Pin on the rise, do you think Lin Yuzhi still has any chance of recovery?"

"So you mean..."

"I once had high hopes for Lin Yuzhi\'s future. I put considerable effort into elevating him to the position of chairman of the Jiang Province Martial Society. To think that this is the outcome he offers me in the end. It’s truly disappointing," Lu Changkong muttered nonchalantly.

His words indicated his stance. He couldn’t care less about how Lian Hongchen or Li Pin might retaliate against Lin Yuzhi in the future.

Lu Fengyun, being perceptive, did not press further. He said, "I’ll set off for Jiang Province once the appointment is finalized."

After a moment, he added regretfully. "Uncle, if you could help me leverage some connections and make adjustments based on my age, allowing me to participate in the national competition intermediate category, it could secure me a chance to enter the Dragon Gate Hall.

"If I achieve Martial Saint status there, it would truly be my opportunity to leap from the fish pond like a dragon and soar to great heights."[1]

"It\'s not that easy to secure a place in the Dragon Gate Hall," Lu Changkong said. "If training there is what you want, opportunities will come in the future. But if what you are after is to use the legendary astral equipment and achieve Martial Saint status... don’t even think about it."

He sternly looked at his nephew and said, "Legendary astral equipment are invaluable treasures Martial Saints used to burn themselves out and take that crucial step of refining qi into Spirit. Each use of the astral equipment incurs a loss so great that it’s difficult to quantify in monetary terms.

"For a grandmaster like you, you\'d have to be exceptionally outstanding to use a legendary astral equipment as an aid to break through to Martial Saint. Only the top three in each category, or even the number one, have the honor of using the equipment. Even among them, if they are too old and their potential is deemed insufficient, they will be denied the right to use the legendary astral equipment."

Lu Fengyun fell silent.

Legendary astral equipment... carried immense weight. Such a precious opportunity was eagerly sought after by Extreme Martial Saints, often leading to a queue so long that securing a chance became nearly impossible. It was unlikely for grandmasters like Lu Fengyun to carve out an opportunity to use them.

The sixth princess’ determination to win this year’s World\'s Top Martial Competition in order to gain entry into the Dragon Gate Hall and secure a chance to use the astral equipment highlighted just how unattainable such a chance was for others. No matter how influential the Lu Family’s connections might be, they could never surpass the power of the Taibai Royalty.

With that, their conversation came to an end.

Unbeknownst to them, inside the gift box Lin Yuzhi had sent to Lu Changkong was a broken Astral Crystal that seemed to serve as decoration. The crystal emitted a subtle energy that obscured the Martial Saints’ senses, allowing an instrument inside the box to transmit their conversation to Lin Yuzhi’s earpiece outside the courtyard.

The Jiang Province Martial Society chairman continued to walk steadily, but he raised his head to gaze at the sky.

The blue sky and white clouds. It had been a long time since he had calmed his mind and paused to appreciate the beauty of nature like this.

"So, once a person loses their value... they become like weeds, discarded at will," he murmured, as if questioning himself... or perhaps others.

Unfortunately, there was no one to answer him.

In Jiang Province, he was the esteemed chairman of the Jiang Province Martial Society, surrounded by people wherever he went. However, in the capital city, he had clearly yet to reach a level enough to receive such treatment.

"People... their greatest value will always be themselves..." Lin Yuzhi muttered.

Or perhaps... only you could truly perceive your own value.

Beep, beep.

At that moment, Lin Yuzhi\'s phone buzzed.

He lowered his head to glance at it. It was a video.

As Lin Yuzhi watched the footage, his pupils dilated.

He quickly opened it to find a clear depiction of the plot involving Zhang Hengqiu’s attempt to ambush Li Pin.

"Zhang Hengqiu!" A fierce cold light flashed in Lin Yuzhi’s eyes. "Such audacity!"

To Lin Yuzhi, Zhang Hengqiu was merely a junior who would show utmost respect to his master, Qiu Chufeng, in his presence. He never expected that Zhang Hengqiu would dare to scheme against him like this! This was truly... rebellious behavior!

"Damn it!"

Lin Yuzhi realized the potential consequences of this video leaking to the headquarters.

He immediately thought of returning to consult with Lu Changkong, hoping to secure his strongest support.

But then, he suppressed that thought.

This was because... his backing was gone. Without it, this video could destroy him.

He had no escape route left.

1. Achieving great success. ☜