Chapter 121: Holding the Water Evenly (Two-in-One)
After the meeting ended, the Master of Xuandu called Luo Yan aside and explained his intentions.
"You want Liuli to determine the list of participants through fortune-telling?" Luo Yan was so taken aback by the Sect Leader's idea that he was completely floored. "Isn't this a bit too frivolous?"
How about you stop being the Sect Leader altogether, and let my wife make all the decisions through fortune-telling from now on?
The Master of Xuandu, of course, understood Luo Yan's implication: the decision itself was not problematic; the key was that the decision-maker must take responsibility for it.
If Shi Liuli were to make the decision through fortune-telling, and the decision was wrong, would she have to bear the responsibility? If you, the Sect Leader, avoid discussing this, I'll just chuckle.
"Actually, I won't hide it from you." The Master of Xuandu said directly, "The Immortal said, if Daoist Dong You's fortune-telling ability is indeed as the rumors in the sect claim, 'always accurate,' then letting her be the next Sect Leader wouldn't be out of the question."
Luo Yan: ???
He was first shocked, instinctively thinking the Master of Xuandu was testing him, and quickly shook his head, saying:
"My Liuli has no interest in sect power whatsoever..."
"Who doesn't?" The Master of Xuandu smiled wryly, "In our Penglai Yuqing View, who is interested in power?"
"Even back when I assumed the role of Sect Leader, it was because the other two candidates pretended to have a Deviation or went out and didn't dare return. So the Immortal had no choice but to forcibly assign the position to me."
Luo Yan: ...
Why didn't I know about this? Oh, naturally, such things wouldn't be talked about casually by either the Sect Leader or the Immortal, so it's normal that no one mentioned it.
"Jingyun." The Master of Xuandu tried to persuade Luo Yan kindly, seeing that he wasn't moved, "If one becomes the Sect Leader, it's actually not as troublesome as you imagine."
"Firstly, as the Penglai Sect Leader, the resources within Yuqing View are more or less at your disposal."
Luo Yan was unimpressed: Do you think I haven't been the heir to the Sect Leader before? Don't know the ropes inside here?
Indeed, becoming the Sect Leader allows unrestricted access to sect resources, but the problem is, would ordinary cultivation resources satisfy someone eligible to become a Sect Leader?
What they truly need are the world's top-tier secret treasures and absolute treasures! And such treasures are basically held by the Sect Guardian Immortal. Do you think I don't know this?
"Secondly," the Master of Xuandu continued to persuade, "if you can become the Penglai Sect Leader, you can conveniently avoid harm in some troublesome situations in the future."
"For example, this time for the Seven Treasures Mysterious Garden Secret Realm trip, if I, as the Sect Leader, insisted on you going, could you not go? But if your wife becomes the Sect Leader, arranging some light work for you would be straightforward, wouldn't it?"
"Sect Leader." Luo Yan smiled wryly and said, "Discussing this with me is pointless; you need to ask Liuli for her thoughts."
"Of course." The Master of Xuandu nodded, "But for this Seven Treasures Mysterious Garden Secret Realm trip, you must let Daoist Dong You assist in fortune-telling to decide who is most suitable to send."
With that, the Master of Xuandu waved his sleeve, signaling the end of the meeting.
Luo Yan left the main hall and suddenly had an epiphany.
Wait, clearly we were talking about assigning tasks, how did it suddenly turn into a discussion about the heir to the Sect Leader?
Never mind, as long as I don't become the Sect Leader, everything is fine.
Returning to the Heavenly Craft Workshop, Luo Yan went to the Sword Casting Chamber and recounted the situation to Shi Liuli.
Shi Liuli was also amused. She originally thought whether her husband could contend for the Sect Leader position, but it seemed the Immortal actually intended to pass it to her?
Thinking carefully, although her husband is the master of the Heavenly Craft Workshop, in reality, most of the tasks within the workshop are handled by her... This isn't a secret within Penglai.
The Master of Xuandu knows how lazy her husband is, so how could he dare pass the Sect Leader position on to him?
Even if her husband became the Sect Leader, wouldn't he still leave things for her to handle? How would that be any different from her being the Sect Leader?
Seeing Shi Liuli silent, Luo Yan cautiously asked:
"Wife, what do you think?"
"The matter of the Sect Leader's heir can wait." Shi Liuli said casually, "Unless the Immortal speaks, everything else is idle talk and doesn't count."
"As for the fortune-telling, I can do it, but it must not be disclosed that I did it."
"By wife's meaning..." Luo Yan considered briefly and immediately understood Shi Liuli's intent.
Determining the list of participants is an offensive task, after all, Penglai is full of stay-at-home lazy folks, and no one wants to see their name on that list.
Shi Liuli can do the fortune-telling, but it can only be used as a secret reference. The final decision must be made by the Sect Leader and the Immortal.
"Of course." Luo Yan immediately agreed.
This is also good; at least with my wife taking over Penglai here, I can withdraw gracefully after obtaining the Heaven-Mending Stone fragments, while she, with her position, will not easily be implicated by any of my actions.
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Several days later, the Wan Xiang Immortal personally came to visit Shi Liuli to inquire about the fortune-telling.
Shi Liuli silently performed the divination, and after some time, finally came up with a list, which she handed over to Wan Xiang Immortal.
Wan Xiang Immortal looked at it for a long time, frowned, and said:
"There seems to be no issue, but why is your name not on the list?"
"I haven't formed a Nascent Infant yet, so I didn't include myself in the calculations," Shi Liuli replied.
"Last time at the Dragon-Imprisoning Well, didn't you and your husband obtain opportunities?" Wan Xiang Immortal asked, surprised.
"Yes, we did." Shi Liuli replied, "My achievement in the Golden Core Realm is already perfect, just not yet having undergone Tribulation."