Chapter 218: A Glimmer of Hope
Hua Changxi’s sudden interjection directly pulled Gu Xing into the game between Xia Zhen and Prince Shou.
For a moment, all eyes fell on Gu Xing.
Wei Zhenjie was happy to watch the struggle between the Guardian Family and the Royal Family; he didn’t care which side gained the upper hand.
Ever since he discovered that the Guardian Family, like the Royal Family, relied on their advantages to seize cultivation resources everywhere, he knew that the Guardian Family’s actions were not purely for the development of the Four Spirit Realm; they had their own selfish desires.
After that, his respect for the Guardians was dispelled, and he only regarded them as ancient cultivation noble families.
Looking at the confronting Xia Zhen and Prince Shou, he even hoped they would fight, which would allow others to seize some things in the chaos.
Wei Zhenjie was already contemplating whether to instigate the conflict between Xia Zhen and Prince Shou when, unexpectedly, a dark horse appeared and disrupted the rhythm.
Seeing Hua Changxi signaling to Gu Xing, Wei Zhenjie’s face showed a look of interest, and at this moment, his interest in this young woman, Hua Changxi, reached its peak.
Since ancient times, it has always been the rulers who set the rules, and the subordinates who obey.
The Royal Family was undoubtedly the supreme power holder of Great Jin, and the Guardian Family also held the banner of protecting the inheritance. Both sides could be said to be the ultimate rule-makers.
Everyone else present, including himself, the Heavenly Department Minister, and the four great vassal king households of the southeast, north, and west, had to step aside in front of these two forces.
He was very curious about where Hua Changxi got the nerve to challenge the authority of Xia Zhen and Prince Shou and dictate the distribution of the Incense of Pills.
Also, what was her purpose in doing this?
He was also curious, as Gu Xing had always been indifferent to everyone equally, how could Hua Changxi dare to speak to him? Were they very close? And why would Gu Xing treat her differently?
Wei Zhenjie’s gaze flickered back and forth between Gu Xing and Hua Changxi, his eyes full of inquiry.
Gu Xing was also surprised that Hua Changxi would speak to him at this time and in this place.
However, he truly had no opinion on how to handle the remaining three sticks of pill incense.
In his opinion, as long as the person chosen by Prince Shou’s side or the Guardian’s side could light the pill incense and receive the Divine Wood Blessing, he didn’t care whose subordinate they were.
Gu Xing knew very well that everyone had selfish desires, planned for themselves, formed factions to expand and consolidate their power.
Although he disliked factional struggles, he also knew that a Sacred Land like Dan Sheng Hall, which everyone yearned for and wanted to enter, was unavoidable from such disputes.
The Medical Affairs Department had been taken over by the Imperial Court for hundreds of years and had been too deeply infiltrated by the Royal Family, nobles, and noble families. The factions were complex and numerous, and he could not eradicate these problems. Moreover, this was not his responsibility; he only wished for Dan Sheng Hall to reappear in the world as soon as possible.
As for the infiltration of Dan Sheng Hall, that was a matter for the future Holy Land Master to worry about.
Gu Xing looked at Hua Changxi, who was signaling to him, and didn’t really want to deal with her.
From their few encounters, he knew that this girl was not someone who pursued power, and even somewhat rejected it.
Now that she was acting out of character and involving him in the dispute between the Guardians and the Royal Family, it reminded Gu Xing of her taking the ten wooden tokens from the Old Plaza Courtyard.
Hua Changxi must have obtained the Divine Wood Leaf and learned about the many benefits of the Divine Wood Secret Realm. She was greedy again and wanted to collect secret realms like she collected wooden tokens.
Seeing that Xia Zhen and Prince Shou were also looking at him, Gu Xing perfunctorily said, “This old man is just a gatekeeper.” The implication was that he would not interfere with the handling of the pill incense.
Seeing Gu Xing’s reaction, Hua Changxi’s disappointment was evident: “Senior Gu, although you are just a gatekeeper, you are recognized as a person of the Sacred Land. Do you know that your attitude of standing by and watching, as if it has nothing to do with you, sets a very bad precedent?”
“I don’t know what others think, but in my eyes, your attitude tells me that when the Sacred Land encounters trouble, it can shirk its responsibilities, it must yield to external pressure, and that the reappearance of the Sacred Land and its development are not important at all.”
These words truly angered Gu Xing to the core: “When have I ever stood by and watched as if it had nothing to do with me? Don’t talk nonsense!”
Hua Changxi snorted, “You know whether I’m talking nonsense or not.”
Gu Xing was so angry that he puffed out his beard and glared, “You…”
Seeing this, Xia Zhen quickly appeased Gu Xing: “Fellow Daoist Gu, why are you really arguing with a junior?”
Protecting the Sacred Land’s inheritance was the duty of the Guardians.
The continuation and inheritance of Dan Sheng Hall were the pill incense.
Every five hundred years, the Divine Wood Cauldron would condense eighteen sticks of pill incense, which would then be given to alchemy geniuses selected by the Guardians to light the incense and worship the Divine Wood, and finally obtain the Divine Wood Secret Realm.
Afterward, they would use the resources within the Divine Wood Secret Realm to inherit and develop the Dan Dao Medical Skills of Dan Sheng Hall.
As for the pill incense that was not lit, it would automatically dissipate in the end.
The distribution of pill incense was the power of the Guardians. Compromising with the Royal Family had already touched their bottom line. Xia Zhen absolutely would not allow Gu Xing, the gatekeeper of the Sacred Land, to get involved in the distribution of pill incense, even if only three sticks remained.
Seeing that Hua Changxi seemed to want to say more, Xia Zhen’s gaze deepened. He felt she was ambitious and intended to covet the distribution rights of the Sacred Land’s resources, so he preempted her: “Little Friend Hua, what exactly do you want to say? Why don’t you tell us directly and stop troubling Fellow Daoist Gu?”
Hearing Xia Zhen’s insincere words, Hua Changxi scoffed. Seeing Gu Xing remain silent, she ignored Huo Yunxiao and Wen Lanzhou’s frantic signals and stepped forward.
“Senior Xia, I do have a question. You are a Guardian, protecting the Sacred Land’s inheritance. I ask you, is the continuation and development of Dan Sheng Hall’s Dan Dao inheritance open to all cultivators in the Four Spirit Realm?”
Xia Zhen was somewhat surprised by Hua Changxi’s question but still nodded: “Of course.”
Hua Changxi: “Since it is open to all cultivators, why can only you and the geniuses selected by the Imperial Court worship the Divine Wood? What about those ordinary cultivators who love Dan Dao Medical Skills? Have you not considered that they should also have the opportunity to worship the Divine Wood?”
Hearing this question, Xia Zhen was stunned, Gu Xing’s expression was shocked, Wei Zhenjie’s eyebrows rose, Zhang Tianshi’s eyes flickered, while Prince Shou and other nobles frowned.
Xia Zhen remained silent for a long time before speaking: “It’s not that I haven’t considered ordinary cultivators, but ordinary people are too numerous, and it’s too difficult to decide who to choose and who not to choose.”
“Furthermore, in order to let the Sacred Land reappear as soon as possible, it is natural to prioritize selecting cultivators with strong alchemy talent to bear the responsibility of revitalizing Dan Sheng Hall.”
Hua Changxi: “Yes, to inherit and develop the Dan Dao, it requires exceptionally talented individuals to lead. However, the reappearance of the Sacred Land cannot rely solely on a few geniuses; ordinary alchemists are also indispensable.”
Hearing this, Xia Zhen began to understand what Hua Changxi wanted Gu Xing to stand up and fight for. The anger he felt from thinking she was ambitious dissipated, but his expression became even more serious.
The seriousness was due to apprehension, but this apprehension also carried a degree of high regard.
Hua Changxi’s ability to think of ordinary cultivators at this moment and voice her opinions in front of so many people was beyond his expectations.
Xia Zhen instinctively looked at Meng Qingyao beside him, hoping she would also step forward and say something at this moment, but unfortunately, she did nothing.
Seeing that Xia Zhen did not respond, Hua Changxi continued: “The Sacred Land spreads the Dao, and since it is open to all cultivators, then worshipping the Divine Wood cannot be limited to the geniuses in the plaza.”
“I know that ordinary cultivators are numerous and cannot come to worship the Divine Wood one by one, but this cannot be a reason to extinguish their hope of pilgrimage.”
“The Great Dao has fifty, Heaven’s evolution has forty-nine, and Man escapes one. Since these remaining three sticks of pill incense cannot be lit by those present, it means it is the will of Heaven.”
“The three sticks of pill incense correspond to three Divine Wood Secret Realms. Since Heaven’s will does not wish for these three secret realms to fall into the hands of geniuses, then let these three secret realms be public secret realms, open to all cultivators who aspire to achieve something in Dan Dao Medical Skills.”
Hua Changxi looked at Xia Zhen: “For the development of the Sacred Land, prioritizing heavenly prodigies is correct, but there should also be a sliver of hope left for ordinary cultivators. Senior Xia, as a Guardian, you must understand this better than I do, right?”
