Starting My Cultivation With Time Management

Chapter 731: Chapter 65 The Four Great Families of Kunlun
 

Chitai Market, located on the far eastern edge of the Kunlun Mountain Range, serves as the entrance connecting Kunlun and the Divine Land.

Junior Sister Xu was most fond of the Kunlun Spring, which was situated inside Chitai Market. The only inconvenience was that traveling back and forth by sword flying took at least half a day.

Song He’s suggestion to drink the Frosty Snow from Chitai Market was clearly a tall order.

But Qiu Changtian just gave him a meaningful look and then smiled, saying,

“Alright.”

He left the Disciplinary Hall but didn’t hurry off eastward. Instead, he leisurely returned to the entrance of Golden Ridge Cave Abode.

Since becoming Daoist Companions with Xu Yinglian, his interactions with other junior brothers and sisters had gradually diminished. But after all, they still lived together on Golden Ridge, so when they saw each other, they would greet one another and not become completely estranged.

Arriving at the entrance of his fifth junior brother Chen Zhen’s cave abode, Qiu Changtian coughed to announce his arrival, then entered with his hands clasped behind his back.

Inside, he saw Chen Zhen and the sixth junior brother Zhong Tianhuai frantically tidying up wine utensils and awkwardly smiling, saying,

“Has the Chief Disciple arrived? Please have a seat!”

“How has your cultivation been progressing lately?” Qiu Changtian subconsciously adopted Wei Dongliu’s mentor-like tone and asked leisurely.

Chen Zhen and Zhong Tianhuai exchanged glances and both made bitter faces, about to smooth things over with some clever words, when they saw Qiu Changtian turn and look towards a stone cabinet on the side. He took out a bottle of wine and sneered,

“Frosty Snow from Chitai Market? You have time to run all the way to the eastern edge of Kunlun to buy wine, but no time to cultivate?”

He didn’t wait for his junior brothers to explain themselves, but scolded them outright and, pocketing the wine jug, he left.

Returning to the dungeon within the Disciplinary Hall, Qiu Changtian handed the wine jug to Song He and said,

“There are no cups, so make do.”

Song He hurriedly took the jug and gulped down a large swig before wiping his mouth and saying,

“I, Song He, have spent half my life in Kunlun, making countless friends, yet after being clapped in irons and thrown into prison, only two people have come to visit me.”

“Qiu Changtian, you didn’t come here to mock me, so what are you here for?”

“I’m just here to visit an old friend,” Qiu Changtian said with his hands behind his back.

In reality, it was because when he thought about his political rival, it reminded him of his second senior brother, Song He, and that was why he came to chat with him.

“Heh,” Song He scoffed coldly. “Since you put it that way, I suppose I have to believe you. After all, I can’t imagine what on my person you could possibly covet.”

“Before you, the other person who visited me in this dungeon was none other than Yun Hong True Person, who ranks second in the Golden Core Realm.”

Yun Hong True Person? Qiu Changtian was momentarily taken aback.

Slowly he remembered that this senior brother was commonly known as “Zhao Jinghong,” currently ranking second in the Golden Core Realm, only behind chief senior sister Luo Baiyuan.

But this senior brother’s maneuverings were far more formidable than Luo Baiyuan’s. Most of the Golden Core True People were on good terms with him, and in both prestige and experience, he was not outshone by Senior Sister Luo.

“What did Yun Hong senior brother come to you for?” Qiu Changtian asked seriously.

“What do you think he came for?” Song He spoke slowly. “When do you estimate you’ll reach the Obscure Weave Rank of the Golden Core Realm?”

Qiu Changtian remained silent.

“`

His cultivation reaching the Great Perfection of the Root Seeking Rank was known by many in Kunlun, but Song He, a prisoner beneath everyone’s notice, should not have been included in that number.

Considering that only two people visited him, Song He’s source of information was becoming clear.

“Changgeng True Person,” Song He continued, “that’s how this world is. You think you’re just walking your own path, but in reality, you might already be blocking someone else’s way.”

“To aspire to be Head of the Kunlun Sect, one must first become the Chief Disciple of the Golden Core Realm. Currently, this position is held by Han Yuan True Person, but her thoughts are too naive, and she is not the chosen candidate for Sect Leader, which is common knowledge.”

Qiu Changtian remained silent for some time before asking,

“Does Senior Brother Yun Hong aspire to the position of the next Sect Leader?”

“Hahaha…” Song He let out a mocking laugh, “The Zhao Family of Guyuan has been scheming for nearly a thousand years for Zhao Jinghong to succeed the position of Head of the Kunlun Sect. At that time, Changgeng True Person, you had not even entered the doors of Kunlun Mountain.”

“Although it’s not a rule set in stone, for the past ten thousand years, the position of the Head of the Kunlun Sect has essentially rotated among members of the Xu, Luo, Zhao, and Ge families. It was supposed to be Zhao Family’s turn to take up the mantle after the Ziwei Master.”

“Changgeng True Person, I am merely a nobody, but that Zhao Family of Guyuan is a leviathan equal to the Ge Family of Taiyuan. If you think you can rest easy under the protection of the Sect Leader, you might face disaster in the future.”

Qiu Changtian wanted to ask more, but Song He already picked up his wine jug and quietly moved to the back of the cell, obviously not willing to say anything more.

Musing as he left the prison of the Disciplinary Hall, Qiu Changtian suddenly felt somewhat melancholic.

Tsk, if I say now that I have no interest in the position of Head of the Kunlun Sect, can I stop the Zhao Family of Guyuan from troubling me? Probably not. Many times, people trouble you not because you want to confront them, but simply because you have the capacity to do so.

However, Zhao Jinghong seems to have deeper schemes than Song He, and so far, aside from revealing some intensions to Song He, he hasn’t shown any hostility towards me elsewhere.

Without verifying the truth of Song He’s words, I can’t very well cause trouble for Zhao Jinghong.

If only he would take the initiative to trouble me. That would be ideal.

Thinking this way, Qiu Changtian returned to the Golden Ridge Cave Abode and saw Xu Yinglian sitting in front of a stone table, visibly upset.

“Junior Sister Xu?” Qiu Changtian asked curiously, “Who has upset you?”

“Master said,” Xu Yinglian said sullenly, “to facilitate the management, he will assign two more assistants to you, to help with the work.”

“A Nascent Soul Elder named Jiuce will be in charge of the Nascent Soul realm. If you need to command a Nascent Soul Cultivator, you can discuss it with him.”

“For Golden Core realm True Persons, Yun Hong True Person will take charge. If you have any instructions for a Golden Core True Person, discuss it with Yun Hong True Person.”

Qiu Changtian couldn’t help but chuckle: Well, I haven’t been in position long, and they’ve already assigned me two assistants—and both of them hold more prestige and experience than I do. Are they trying to undermine me?

In the past, he might not have understood and would have just felt annoyed.

But after Song He’s reminder in the prison of the Disciplinary Hall, Qiu Changtian understood that the political factions within Kunlun were making their moves.

Luo, Zhao, Xu, Ge—the four great families of Kunlun. Qiu Changtian was probably considered part of the Xu family, while the Ziwei Master represented the authority of the Ge family.

The two of them, closely allied through the mentor-disciple relationship, necessitated a response from the remaining two families.

Elder Jiuce is the second grandfather of Luo Baiyuan, and Yun Hong True Person is a “Sect Leader candidate” meticulously groomed by the Zhao family. Appointing these two as “assistants to Qiu Changtian” was too obvious a move to divide power. It seems the Ziwei Master probably had to compromise and acquiesce, having no choice.

However… it’s rather fortunate.

Senior Brother Yun Hong, you’re the one who’s come to me on your own initiative, I’m afraid I might take advantage of that!

“`