Outside Qiankun Hall, clouds surged like snow-white waves.

The five-colored carp, just fed to satiety, frolicked in groups, swimming beneath the Shishui Bridge that arched like a rainbow.

While the hall’s exterior was magnificent and solemn, inside it was as noisy as a vegetable market quarrel.

“The immortal officials of our affiliated territories are all cultivators who have made significant contributions to the sect. In the temples of these territories, mortals worship golden statues of us and those officials. How can Song Qian Ji, a mere junior disciple, ask for an entire prefecture without his tongue being blown away by the wind?” Chiwater Peak Master Zhao Ji Heng sneered. “Can he bear the weight of others worshiping and bowing to him?”

“Whether he wants the territory to enjoy incense offerings and increase his fortune remains unknown. But trading a prefecture for restoring order to the outer court is worth it, in my opinion,” Chen Hongzhu said gravely.

“We didn’t have to pay the price of a prefecture originally! Wouldn’t a city be enough for him!” Mingxia Peak Master said with furrowed brows.

“I say, what if we don’t give him anything? Forcibly expelling him and those outer court disciples, then recruiting a new batch of obedient ones is the important thing.”

Chen Hongzhu looked around at the indignant expressions in the hall and patiently explained:

“Song Qian Ji is not as simple as you think. From what I know of him when he asks for a prefecture, that means a prefecture. Not less, not more. If he says it, he must have a backup plan.”

“Why do you always speak for him?” an elder asked gloomily. “What benefit do you get from him obtaining a prefecture?”

Chen Hongzhu was startled and replied sharply: “I am saving all of you! I am thinking of Huawei Sect’s future!”

Someone in the hall chuckled lightly, while distrustful gazes fell upon her one after another, including her father Master Xu Yun, and her senior brother Yuan Qingshi.

Chen Hongzhu suddenly felt exhausted.

Had she known this would happen, she wouldn’t have kept Song Qian Ji until the Announcement Assembly.

She wanted to pull out the whip at her waist, overturn the jade table before her, and smash Qiankun Hall to pieces, waking up these people who had lived in a greenhouse too long, clutching onto decaying dignity.

In the suffocating silence, Xu Yun finally spoke, his voice rather stern: “The first time, you begged me to keep him. The second time, you asked me for the Huawei True Command to track his movements. The third time, you came to request territory for him. From your childhood, I’ve indulged you in countless ways, but things shouldn’t happen more than three times. This time, I can’t let you…”

“Father,” Chen Hongzhu’s voice trembled, slightly hoarse, “your daughter made this suggestion without any personal feelings. In the current situation, the choice is no longer in our hands. Last night, hundreds and thousands of outer court disciples gathered in one place, nearly rioting. If Song Qian Ji had given one command at that moment, the consequences would have been unimaginable!”

Zhao Ji Heng said: “The sect granted them a path to immortality, yet they show no gratitude. It’s because we’ve been too merciful, too lenient with them. When new outer court disciples are recruited, we must discipline them strictly!”

Many nodded in agreement, deeply convinced.

“He’s just ‘that person’s’ convenient disciple, yet he dares to be so arrogant.” Master Xu Yun turned to the young attendant beside him and said coldly: “Go, summon that Song Qian Ji.”

Before his words faded, an announcement came from outside the hall:

“Sect Leader, Peak Masters, Song Qian Ji requests an audience—”

Everyone’s expressions changed slightly. This arrival was too coincidental.

Chen Hongzhu was also stunned.

This was Song Qian Ji’s second visit to Qiankun Hall.

At first glance, every seat was filled, much livelier than last time.

However, as he approached, the entire hall fell silent. If looks could kill, he would have died a thousand times over.

Song Qian Ji seemed oblivious to this, politely bowing with a smile still on his lips.

Master Xu Yun felt that compared to their previous meeting, Song Qian Ji had subtly changed again.

If before he had been outwardly respectful but had a domineering edge, this time the young man was like a cloud at the head of Shishui Bridge, drifting leisurely into Qiankun Hall.

Clouds emerge from mountains without intention.

This person appeared without intent, yet had already caused the outer court to sway in wind and rain.

Xu Yun’s feelings were complex—partly regretful that such a talented person hadn’t been discovered earlier and used to his advantage, partly resentful of Song Qian Ji’s deep thoughts and audacity.

“Have you come to apologize for leading the rebellion last night?” Zhao Ji Heng demanded.

“No,” Song Qian Ji said amicably. “I’ve come for the prefecture.”

He thought to himself, I only want a desolate, isolated wasteland to enjoy the pleasure of reclaiming land and farming.

I don’t want a romantically blessed place or beautiful mountains and waters, so what’s the difficulty?

If I continue to stay here, you’ll suffer more than I will.

The Huawei Sect members were indeed suffering, all bristling with anger. No one was willing to let him continue.

“Huawei Sect has countless territories, and every immortal official is at least at the Golden Core stage and possesses great merits!” Xu Yun seized the initiative. “You’ve been in the outer court for three years—what contributions have you made, what virtues do you possess to deserve the incense offerings of an entire prefecture?”

Song Qian Ji thought, what does this have to do with incense offerings?

“One prefecture in exchange for my immediate departure from the mountain,” he said. “I will never set foot in Huawei Sect again in this lifetime!”

These two sentences resounded through the hall.

The peak masters and elders exchanged glances. Though they talked tough, they knew well—

Killing him might invite Xian Jian Chen’s revenge, but keeping him in the sect could mean daily disturbances.

Even if they had ways to deal with him, it would surely be troublesome. Wouldn’t it be easier if he left on his own?

But the price of a prefecture was too high; Song Qian Ji was asking for too much. How would it look if Huawei Sect, with its abundance of powerful cultivators, allowed a junior disciple to extort them?

Chen Hongzhu looked around the hall, curled her lips, and showed a mocking expression.

“For the sake of that predecessor, we can give you a city,” Xu Yun inwardly cursed Xian Jian Chen.

“No,” Song Qian Ji shook his head. “A city is too small.”

As his farming skills improved and his techniques progressed, he would inevitably farm faster and faster.

By then, he would still be alive, but without land—who could bear that?

The two haggled like businessmen, back and forth.

Xu Yun had many peak masters and elders supporting him:

“You’re lazy and undisciplined, neither cultivating nor working. If we give you a prefecture, how will you govern it?”

“You don’t produce anything and rely entirely on outer court disciples for support. Without a single spirit stone to your name, do you want the prefecture’s common people to starve along with you?”

“Your cultivation is weak. If the prefecture is invaded by demon cultivators, how will you defend it?”

Song Qian Ji had ventured alone deep into enemy territory, yet he held his ground firmly.

Xu Yun narrowed his eyes slightly, hiding a threat: “At most three cities. Don’t refuse the toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.”

Just as Song Qian Ji was about to speak, the disciple guarding the hall door announced:

“The Abbot of Purple Cloud Temple, True Immortal Qingwei, has arrived—”

All the peak masters in the hall instantly changed their expressions, rising with composed smiles to welcome him. On Huawei Sect’s territory, they didn’t want Purple Cloud Temple to witness their embarrassment.

In his previous life, Song Qian Ji had been examined by this purple-robed Daoist using “spirit-viewing techniques,” but in this life, they had little connection.

He just thought, why come to find old man Xu Yun at this moment, delaying my bargaining?

Qingwei and Xu Yun briefly greeted each other, but then he walked straight toward Song Qian Ji: “Congratulations, junior brother.”

Junior brother?

Everyone in the hall froze mid-smile, terribly shocked.

Xu Yun’s face twitched slightly, and another ominous premonition surfaced.

Song Qian Ji initially thought the other had mistaken him for someone else, but suddenly realized something: “Wait!”

Qingwei had already started speaking: “Junior brother played a game of blind chess with my master on Xingzhai Terrace last night that was truly exquisite beyond measure. The game record has been noted down by Sister Li. My master has urgently commissioned a batch of jade slips…”

His voice resonated throughout the hall, making Song Qian Ji’s head buzz.

So the sickly old man enjoying the cool breeze last night was truly the Chess Demon!

“Such a famous game should be shared with the world. My master has decreed that whether disciples of our Purple Cloud Temple or array masters and chess enthusiasts from other sects, all can pre-order the jade slip game record for the minimal price of one spirit stone to study the mysteries of chess. Junior brother has promoted the Way of Chess, a deed of boundless merit.”

Song Qian Ji suddenly felt the half-scroll of chess record in his sleeve growing warm.

“Now the first batch of two hundred thousand jade slips has been sold out, generating an income of two hundred thousand spirit stones, which this humble Daoist delivers to junior brother. Please accept it with a smile.”

Qingwei handed him a storage pouch. Song Qian Ji’s wrist sank with its weight, and he almost didn’t hold it steady.

The Huawei Sect members were dumbfounded. Even cultivators who had seen much of the world thought this situation absurd.

Song Qian Ji knew how to play chess.

And he was a chess genius, far surpassing this year’s chess trial champion, actually able to play directly against the Chess Demon.

They recalled how they had just said he was unproductive, eating the outer court disciples’ food for free, without a single spirit stone to his name.

In the blink of an eye, Song Qian Ji had two hundred thousand, and that was just the first batch.

Xu Yun ignored those two hundred thousand, only thinking about how Qingwei addressed Song Qian Ji as a junior brother.

Unless the Chess Demon intended to take this youth as a disciple, how could the normally arrogant and aloof Qingwei lower his status?

Chen Hongzhu, amidst her surprise, vaguely had an “as expected” feeling.

It seemed that as long as it was Song Qian Ji, no matter how many more shocking things he did, she could accept them.

True Immortal Qingwei bid farewell to Xu Yun and smiled at the pale-faced Huawei Sect members.

Song Qian Ji was stunned, as only he heard Qingwei’s mental message:

“My master is waiting for you under the eaves of Song’s courtyard. Junior brother, settle these trivial matters here quickly and return.”

He recalled that drunken night and felt like slapping himself.

To others, however, he appeared still as a mountain, unperturbed, as if he had anticipated everything.

Blue veins bulged on Xu Yun’s forehead.

Had Song Qian Ji calculated this moment all along? Was requesting territory just an excuse, while humiliating him and all the peak masters and elders of Huawei Sect was his true purpose?

Such a venomous, sinister thought.

Yet this youth possessed unique fortune. Having Xian Jian Chen as his backing wasn’t enough; now came the Chess Demon.

“Sect Leader, let’s continue,” Song Qian Ji came back to his senses. “A small interlude shouldn’t delay our business.”

With blood stuck in his throat, Xu Yun suddenly heard another announcement from outside:

“The Chancellor of Qingya Academy has arrived—”

The chancellor, dressed like a scholar in blue robes, entered the hall. Seeing the atmosphere was off, he didn’t point it out, just smiled and greeted everyone.

Xu Yun forced a smile in return: “Does the venerable Writing Saint have any guidance for us?”

“I wouldn’t dare call it guidance,” the chancellor smiled, taking out an exquisite small box from his sleeve and walking toward Song Qian Ji.

Xu Yun’s face turned pale. He thought it couldn’t be possible.

Song Qian Ji instinctively stepped back.

“Junior brother Song, last night you wrote a hero’s note at Xingzhai Terrace. This morning, many juniors viewed it, copied it, made rubbings, and gained insights from the true meaning of your brush. My master thanks you for your contribution to the way of writing and the talisman cultivators of the world. He especially gives you this item as a reward.”

The chancellor handed Song Qian Ji the small box that resembled a rouge container.

He mentally transmitted: “The Writing Saint himself is waiting for you under the flower trellis in Song’s courtyard, along with the Chess Demon. Junior brother, it’s up to you now.”

Song Qian Ji didn’t accept it and mentally asked: “That cultivator surnamed Hua who pretended to be the appraiser Wang Tugen and the distressed White Lianlan in front of me—was that all the Writing Saint’s idea?”

“That’s right,” the chancellor nodded, mentally replying: “Junior brother, if you don’t want this box, you still need to return it to my master in person. Don’t make things difficult for me as just a messenger.”

Song Qian Ji smiled bitterly and accepted it: “Don’t—don’t call me junior brother.”

The chancellor waved his sleeve, bidding farewell to the Huawei Sect members.

But they were all dizzy, unable to hear clearly what he said, and forgot proper etiquette.

Xu Yun suddenly fell backward.

Chen Hongzhu, quick-eyed and swift-handed, rushed forward to support him: “Father!”

Xu Yun closed his eyes momentarily, sorting out the chaotic spiritual energy within his body.

When he opened his eyes again, he seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.

The heavenly way was unfair; why was it so partial to Song Qian Ji?

He laughed, his laughter tinged with choking: “For our sect’s disciple to make such contributions at the Announcement Assembly, to have such merit for cultivators throughout the world, rewards are certainly in order! Come, bring up the map of Huawei Sect’s territories. I will select a precious location for ‘Junior Brother Song’! What’s a mere prefecture? It’s nothing!”

Everyone stared at the spirit stone storage pouch in Song Qian Ji’s left hand and the treasure box in his right, forcing smiles and crying out in unison:

“What’s a mere prefecture? It’s nothing!”

Song Qian Ji blinked, thinking this was indeed a blessing in disguise:

“When will it be decided?”

“Tomorrow!”

Song Qian Ji sincerely said: “Long night, many dreams. I’m in a hurry, please help me, True Immortal.”

Xu Yun gritted his teeth, blood seeping through: “Before midnight tonight! Is ‘Junior Brother Song’ satisfied?”

Song Qian Ji nodded with satisfaction: “Thank you for your trouble, True Immortal, and everyone’s hard work.”

He walked out of the hall, gazed at the boundless sea of clouds, and his smile gradually turned bitter.

Two people were waiting for him in Song’s courtyard.