lǐ fán jiǎn dān de xiàng tā shuō míng le chóng jiàn cóng yún hǎi xiān chéng de shì qíng ， bìng qiě yāo qǐng tā jiàn shàng yí miàn 。
李凡简单的向他说明了重建丛云海仙城的事情，并且邀请他见上一面。
Li Fan briefly explained to him the matter of rebuilding the Immortal City in Cunyun Sea and invited him for a meeting.
yǔ qì qīn qiè ， sī háo méi yǒu bǎi dǎo zhǔ de jià zi 。
语气亲切，丝毫没有摆岛主的架子。
His tone was warm, showing no sign of his status as an island lord. This left Gao Yuan feeling somewhat flustered.
zhè ràng gāo yuǎn bù jīn yǒu xiē shòu chǒng ruò jīng 。
这让高远不禁有些受宠若惊。
Having spent most of his life in the Ten Thousand Immortals Island, Gao Yuan knew that so-called 'deputies' or 'vice-chiefs' were often even harder to deal with than those who had received formal appointments.
zài wàn xiān dǎo nèi dǎ pīn le dà bàn bèi zi de gāo yuǎn zhī dào ， zhè xiē suǒ wèi de 「 dài 」、「 fù 」， wǎng wǎng bǐ qǐ dé dào zhèng shì rèn mìng de ， gèng jiā nán yǐ duì fù 。
在万仙岛内打拼了大半辈子的高远知道，这些所谓的「代」、「副」，往往比起得到正式任命的，更加难以对付。
Though he didn't know how a well-known immortal sect cultivator would choose him, he couldn't afford to be careless given his current position as the top direct subordinate. Gao Yuan quickly tidied himself up and rushed towards the agreed location.
suī rán bù zhī dào zhè wèi pǒ yǒu míng qì de tiān jī zōng xiū shì ， rú hé huì xuǎn zhōng zì jǐ 。
虽然不知道这位颇有名气的天机宗修士，如何会选中自己。
As for betrayal...
bù guò tā mù qián kě shì zì jǐ de zuì dǐng jí zhí shǔ shàng sī ， dài màn bù dé 。
不过他目前可是自己的最顶级直属上司，怠慢不得。
That was just venting frustration.
gāo yuǎn lián máng shōu shí yī fān ， cōng cōng cháo zhe shuāng fāng yuē dìng de dì diǎn gǎn qù 。
高远连忙收拾一番，匆匆朝着双方约定的地点赶去。
Betrayal wasn’t an option; not only was it extremely dangerous, but he was a member of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. Would his life be better if he defected to the Five Elders Association?
zhì yú pàn táo ……
至于叛逃……
He doubted it. Once all the valuable information in his head was extracted, he would likely be discarded and ignored.
nà jiù shì chún cuì de fā fā láo sāo bà le 。
那就是纯粹的发发牢骚罢了。
Gao Yuan suppressed his scattered thoughts as he traveled, pondering why this newly appointed acting island lord wanted to meet him. After a long time, he finally arrived at the agreed location—Taiyin Island.
pàn táo shì bù kě néng pàn táo de ， qiě bù shuō wēi xiǎn dù rú cǐ zhī gāo ， tā gāo yuǎn zài wàn xiān méng hǎo dǎi yě shì tǐ zhì nèi de yī yuán 。
叛逃是不可能叛逃的，且不说危险度如此之高，他高远在万仙盟好歹也是体制内的一员。
The protective array of Taiyin Island activated, revealing a passage. Gao Yuan flew into it.
zhēn pàn táo qù wǔ lǎo huì nà biān ， méi yǒu yī jì zhī cháng de tā ， huì guò de bǐ xiàn zài gèng hǎo ？
真叛逃去五老会那边，没有一技之长的他，会过的比现在更好？
Upon entering, he saw Li Fan seated in front. Zhou Qingang, the guardian of Taiyin Island, stood nervously beside him, sweating profusely and looking extremely tense.
pà bú shì nǎo zi lǐ yǒu jià zhí de xìn xī bèi tāo gàn zhī hòu ， zì cǐ jiù huì bèi pāo zhī yī páng 、 wú rén lǐ cǎi le 。
怕不是脑子里有价值的信息被掏干之后，自此就会被抛之一旁、无人理睬了。
They seemed to be discussing something sensitive. When Gao Yuan arrived, they abruptly stopped talking.
tā cái méi nà me shǎ 。
他才没那么傻。
Seeing this scene, Gao Yuan felt a sudden jolt. The guardian of Taiyin Island was one rank higher in position than himself. His nervous behavior before Li Fan suggested that this ancient immortal sect cultivator wasn’t easy to deal with.
jiāng nǎo hǎi zhōng luàn qī bā zāo de niàn tou yā xià ， gāo yuǎn zài gǎn lù de guò chéng zhōng ， sī suǒ zhe zhè wèi xīn jìn dài lǐ dǎo zhǔ xiǎng yào jiàn zì jǐ yí miàn de yuán yīn 。
将脑海中乱七八糟的念头压下，高远在赶路的过程中，思索着这位新晋代理岛主想要见自己一面的原因。
With his extensive experience, Gao Yuan straightened up and bowed respectfully.
guò le xǔ jiǔ ， tā zhōng yú dá dào le shuāng fāng yuē jiàn de dì diǎn 。
过了许久，他终于达到了双方约见的地点。
"Met the island lord!"
tài ān dǎo 。
泰安岛。
"You're here," Li Fan said with a kind smile as he looked at Gao Yuan.
hù dǎo dà zhèn kāi qǐ ， lù chū yī tiáo tōng dào ， gāo yuǎn suí zhī fēi rù zhèn zhōng 。
护岛大阵开启，露出一条通道，高远随之飞入阵中。
"Why have you called me here?" Li Fan asked.
rù mù suǒ jí ， dài dǎo zhǔ lǐ fán zuò zài qián fāng 。
入目所及，代岛主李凡坐在前方。
Gao Yuan's mind raced but replied quickly: "Your servant doesn't know."
ér tài ān dǎo zhèn shǒu zhōu qīng áng què shì jū jǐn de zhàn zài yī páng ， hàn rú yǔ xià ， kàn shàng qù miàn sè shí fēn jǐn zhāng 。
而泰安岛镇守周青昂却是拘谨的站在一旁，汗如雨下，看上去面色十分紧张。
"I heard that you stood guard outside the Administrative Hall before?" After a moment of silence, Li Fan asked when Gao Yuan felt uneasy.
èr rén sì hū shì zài jiāo tán zhe xiē shén me mǐn gǎn huà tí ， jiàn gāo yuǎn dào lái ， hū de zhǐ zhù 。
二人似乎是在交谈着些什么敏感话题，见高远到来，忽的止住。
"Yes, your island lord," he replied respectfully despite knowing it was a rhetorical question.
jiāng zhè yí mù kàn zài yǎn zhōng ， gāo yuǎn xīn zhōng bù jīn gē dēng yī xià 。
将这一幕看在眼中，高远心中不禁咯噔一下。
"How long have you been in service?"
zhè tài ān dǎo zhèn shǒu ， zài zhí wù pǐn jí shàng ， hái shì yào gāo guò zì jǐ yī jí de 。
这泰安岛镇守，在职务品级上，还是要高过自己一级的。
"More than ninety-eight years."
tā jū rán zài lǐ fán miàn qián dōu biǎo xiàn de rú cǐ shī tài ， kàn lái zhè wèi shàng gǔ tiān jī xiū shì ， hái zhēn bú shì nà me róng yì yìng fù de 。
他居然在李凡面前都表现的如此失态，看来这位上古天机修士，还真不是那么容易应付的。
"A century has passed swiftly. You must be tired..."
yuè rén wú shù de gāo yuǎn dāng xià jiāng xīn tí qǐ ， shàng qián gōng shēn xíng le yī lǐ 。
阅人无数的高远当下将心提起，上前躬身行了一礼。
"You served for a hundred years without changing positions; did you ever harbor any grievances?" Li Fan asked.
「 jiàn guò dǎo zhǔ ！」
「见过岛主！」
"I dare not," Gao Yuan quickly shook his head, showing his loyalty.
「 nǐ lái le 。」 lǐ fán kàn zhe gāo yuǎn ， lù chū gè hé shàn de wēi xiào 。
「你来了。」李凡看着高远，露出个和善的微笑。
"Good."
「 nǐ kě zhī ， wǒ wèi hé huì zhǎo nǐ lái cǐ ？」 lǐ fán wèn dào 。
「你可知，我为何会找你来此？」李凡问道。
Li Fan praised him before getting to the point: "Every time a cultivator joins the system, they must undergo an examination at the White Jade Heart Examination Platform in the Administrative Hall. Daily affairs also require frequent visits there. You should have some understanding of the Immortal City's internal cultivators, right?"
gāo yuǎn xīn zhōng yī zhèn dī gū ， zuǐ shàng què shì bù màn ：「 xiǎo rén bù zhī 。」
高远心中一阵滴咕，嘴上却是不慢：「小人不知。」
"Yes, your island lord," Gao Yuan said, lifting his head to look at Li Fan. "While I can't claim to know everything, I do understand basic things. At least I don’t make mistakes in recognizing people. And which ones have good temperaments or strong backgrounds that shouldn’t be offended."
「 tīng shuō nǐ zhī qián ， zài bù zhèng táng mén kǒu zhàn gǎng ？」 chén mò le piàn kè ， děng gāo yuǎn gǎn dào yǒu xiē bù ān de shí hòu ， lǐ fán fāng cái wèn dào 。
「听说你之前，在布政堂门口站岗？」沉默了片刻，等高远感到有些不安的时候，李凡方才问道。
"Being in this line of work, our status is lowly. If we offend the wrong person without realizing it, there will be no good outcome."
「 huí dǎo zhǔ ， zhèng shì rú cǐ 。」 suī rán zhī dào duì fāng shì míng zhī gù wèn ， gāo yuǎn què yī rán gōng jìng de wèn dá 。
「回岛主，正是如此。」虽然知道对方是明知故问，高远却依然恭敬的问答。
"Well then, let’s see who among these cultivators can be useful to you!" Li Fan waved his hand, and a multitude of cultivator portraits appeared before Gao Yuan like stars.
「 nǐ rù zhí yǐ yǒu duō jiǔ le ？」
「你入职已有多久了？」
"Useful people?" Gao Yuan was initially stunned.
「 jiǔ shí bā nián yǒu yú 。」
「九十八年有余。」
But remembering the grand task this island lord had mentioned earlier—rebuilding the Immortal City—he felt his heart pounding with excitement.
「 bǎi nián shí guāng ， cōng cōng ér shì 。 nǐ xīn kǔ le ……」
「百年时光，匆匆而逝。你辛苦了……」
"I know that I just woke up recently and am not very familiar with Cunyun Sea's internal affairs," Li Fan said quietly in front of him.
「 nǐ rù zhí bǎi nián ， gǎng wèi méi yǒu diào dòng guò ， xīn zhōng shì fǒu yǒu guò yuàn yán ？」
「你入职百年，岗位没有调动过，心中是否有过怨言？」
"Taking on such a heavy responsibility, I was quite nervous. I feared making mistakes."
「 xiǎo rén bù gǎn 。」 gāo yuǎn xīn zhōng yī jǐn ， lián máng yáo tóu ， biǎo shì zì shēn zhōng xīn 。
「小人不敢。」高远心中一紧，连忙摇头，表示自身忠心。
"Those who wish to do good work must first sharpen their tools. To complete this task successfully, we need a capable team."
「 hěn hǎo 。」
「很好。」
"You know them well enough; help me with some advice."
lǐ fán diǎn tóu chēng zàn yī fān ， suí hòu jiāng zhuǎn rù de zhèng tí 。
李凡点头称赞一番，随后将转入的正题。
"After the Immortal City is established, your contributions will not be forgotten!"
「 tǐ zhì nèi měi cì xiū shì rù zhí ， dōu xū yào jīng guò bù zhèng táng nèi bái yù wèn xīn tái de kǎo yàn 。 píng rì lǐ shì wù wǎng lái ， yě yào bù shí qù wǎng bù zhèng táng 。 xiǎng bì nǐ duì yú cóng yún hǎi tǐ zhì nèi de xiū shì ， duō duō shǎo shǎo dōu yǒu xiē liǎo jiě ba ？」 lǐ fán wèn dào 。
「体制内每次修士入职，都需要经过布政堂内白玉问心台的考验。平日里事务往来，也要不时去往布政堂。想必你对于丛云海体制内的修士，多多少少都有些了解吧？」李凡问道。
Hearing this, Gao Yuan felt his throat go dry.
「 huí dǎo zhǔ ， dà huà zán bù gǎn shuō 。 bù guò jī běn xìn xī ， zán hái shì qīng chǔ de 。」 gāo yuǎn wēi wēi tái tóu ， dǎ liàng le yǎn lǐ fán ， zhè cái bǔ chōng dào ：「 zuì qǐ mǎ de ， rén bù néng rèn cuò 。 zài zhě ， nǎ xiē rén pí qì hǎo ， nǎ xiē rén yǒu hòu tái bèi jǐng 、 bù néng dé zuì ， zhè xiē mén mén dào dào ， wǒ dōu shì yào nòng míng bái de 。」
「回岛主，大话咱不敢说。不过基本信息，咱还是清楚的。」高远微微抬头，打量了眼李凡，这才补充道：「最起码的，人不能认错。再者，哪些人脾气好，哪些人有后台背景、不能得罪，这些门门道道，我都是要弄明白的。」
Looking at those cultivators he once had to carefully address, now within his reach to choose, he realized how much power he held. He could decide their fates with a single word. They would join the new island lord's team and contribute to its success.
「 zán zhè yī xíng ， dì wèi dī wēi 。 ruò shì bù zhǎng yǎn ， dé zuì le bù gāi dé zuì de rén ， nà kě méi yǒu shén me hǎo xià chǎng 。」
「咱这一行，地位低微。若是不长眼，得罪了不该得罪的人，那可没有什么好下场。」
...
「 nà hǎo ， nǐ lái bāng wǒ kàn kàn ， zhè xiē xiū shì zhōng ， yǒu nǎ xiē kě yòng zhī rén ！」 lǐ fán méi yǒu lǐ huì gāo yuǎn huà zhōng de láo sāo ， ér shì dà shǒu yī huī ， dùn shí rú tóng qún xīng bān de 、 mì mì má má de xiū shì tóu xiàng ， shà shí chū xiàn zài gāo
「那好，你来帮我看看，这些修士中，有哪些可用之人！」李凡没有理会高远话中的牢骚，而是大手一挥，顿时如同群星般的、密密麻麻的修士头像，霎时出现在高
"Is this what power feels like?"
yuǎn miàn qián 。
远面前。
His heart raced uncontrollably, his face flushed, and Gao Yuan felt somewhat light-headed from the temporary honor.
「 kě yòng zhī rén ？」 gāo yuǎn xiān shì yǒu xiē lèng zhù 。
「可用之人？」高远先是有些愣住。
But he didn’t let it cloud his judgment. He knew that all this 'power' was granted by Island Lord Li. Before the Immortal City in Cunyun Sea was built, everything was just an illusion—beautiful but fragile, liable to collapse at any moment.
bù guò lián xiǎng dào zhè wèi dǎo zhǔ xiān qián gēn zì jǐ tí dào de ， chóng jiàn xiān chéng de dà yè ， xīn zhōng dùn shí pēng pēng zhí tiào qǐ lái 。
不过联想到这位岛主先前跟自己提到的，重建仙城的大业，心中顿时砰砰直跳起来。
However...
「 nǐ yě zhī dào ， wǒ gāng gāng sū xǐng bù jiǔ ， duì yú cóng yún hǎi nèi rén shì ， bù shèn shú xī 。」 lǐ fán zài qián fāng qiǎo rán shuō dào 。
「你也知道，我刚刚苏醒不久，对于丛云海内人事，不甚熟悉。」李凡在前方悄然说道。
If the city were successfully established, power would have a real chance of becoming his. The ability to manipulate fate felt too good for Gao Yuan to resist.
「 dǒu rán jiē cǐ dà rèn ， wǒ xīn zhōng yě shì tǎn tè de hěn nà ， shēng pà bǎ zhè jiàn shì gǎo zá le 。」
「陡然接此大任，我心中也是忐忑的很那，生怕把这件事搞砸了。」
He silently vowed to seize this rare opportunity and transform his career. He began introducing each cultivator one by one as Li Fan listened patiently, feeling increasingly pleased with Gao Yuan's insights.
「 suǒ wèi gōng yù shàn qí shì bì xiān lì qí qì ， xiǎng yào shùn lì wán chéng zhè jiàn rèn wù ， jiù xū yào zǔ jiàn yǒu shí lì de bān dǐ 。」
「所谓工欲善其事必先利其器，想要顺利完成这件任务，就需要组建有实力的班底。」
"Even small people can have their uses."
「 nǐ jì rán duì tā men dōu yǒu xiē liǎo jiě ， bù fáng bāng wǒ cān móu cān móu 。」
「你既然对他们都有些了解，不妨帮我参谋参谋。」
"And that’s where I find my chance to break the deadlock."
「 rì hòu xiān chéng diàn jī ， dìng rán bú huì wàng jì nǐ de gōng láo ！」
「日后仙城奠基，定然不会忘记你的功劳！」
One by one, suitable cultivators were selected by Li Fan and noted down in his mind.
gāo yuǎn wén yán ， dùn shí gǎn dào hóu lóng yǒu xiē fā gàn 。
高远闻言，顿时感到喉咙有些发干。
...
kàn zhe xī rì nà xiē zì jǐ xū yào xiǎo xīn yì yì zhāo hū de yí gè gè xiū shì ， rú jīn jiù zài zì jǐ miàn qián ， réng yóu zì jǐ tiāo xuǎn 。
看着昔日那些自己需要小心翼翼招呼的一个个修士，如今就在自己面前，仍由自己挑选。
Half a month later, all surviving internal cultivators of Cunyun Sea received messages from the acting island lord. Seven days later, the reconstruction ceremony for the Immortal City would be held at the original Ten Thousand Immortals Island location. All personnel must attend on time.
Li Fan briefly explained to him the matter of rebuilding the Immortal City in Cunyun Sea and invited him for a meeting.
His tone was warm, showing no sign of his status as an island lord. This left Gao Yuan feeling somewhat flustered.
Having spent most of his life in the Ten Thousand Immortals Island, Gao Yuan knew that so-called 'deputies' or 'vice-chiefs' were often even harder to deal with than those who had received formal appointments.
Though he didn't know how a well-known immortal sect cultivator would choose him, he couldn't afford to be careless given his current position as the top direct subordinate. Gao Yuan quickly tidied himself up and rushed towards the agreed location.
As for betrayal...
That was just venting frustration.
Betrayal wasn’t an option; not only was it extremely dangerous, but he was a member of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. Would his life be better if he defected to the Five Elders Association?
He doubted it. Once all the valuable information in his head was extracted, he would likely be discarded and ignored.
Gao Yuan suppressed his scattered thoughts as he traveled, pondering why this newly appointed acting island lord wanted to meet him. After a long time, he finally arrived at the agreed location—Taiyin Island.
The protective array of Taiyin Island activated, revealing a passage. Gao Yuan flew into it.
Upon entering, he saw Li Fan seated in front. Zhou Qingang, the guardian of Taiyin Island, stood nervously beside him, sweating profusely and looking extremely tense.
They seemed to be discussing something sensitive. When Gao Yuan arrived, they abruptly stopped talking.
Seeing this scene, Gao Yuan felt a sudden jolt. The guardian of Taiyin Island was one rank higher in position than himself. His nervous behavior before Li Fan suggested that this ancient immortal sect cultivator wasn’t easy to deal with.
With his extensive experience, Gao Yuan straightened up and bowed respectfully.
"Met the island lord!"
"You're here," Li Fan said with a kind smile as he looked at Gao Yuan.
"Why have you called me here?" Li Fan asked.
Gao Yuan's mind raced but replied quickly: "Your servant doesn't know."
"I heard that you stood guard outside the Administrative Hall before?" After a moment of silence, Li Fan asked when Gao Yuan felt uneasy.
"Yes, your island lord," he replied respectfully despite knowing it was a rhetorical question.
"How long have you been in service?"
"More than ninety-eight years."
"A century has passed swiftly. You must be tired..."
"You served for a hundred years without changing positions; did you ever harbor any grievances?" Li Fan asked.
"I dare not," Gao Yuan quickly shook his head, showing his loyalty.
"Good."
Li Fan praised him before getting to the point: "Every time a cultivator joins the system, they must undergo an examination at the White Jade Heart Examination Platform in the Administrative Hall. Daily affairs also require frequent visits there. You should have some understanding of the Immortal City's internal cultivators, right?"
"Yes, your island lord," Gao Yuan said, lifting his head to look at Li Fan. "While I can't claim to know everything, I do understand basic things. At least I don’t make mistakes in recognizing people. And which ones have good temperaments or strong backgrounds that shouldn’t be offended."
"Being in this line of work, our status is lowly. If we offend the wrong person without realizing it, there will be no good outcome."
"Well then, let’s see who among these cultivators can be useful to you!" Li Fan waved his hand, and a multitude of cultivator portraits appeared before Gao Yuan like stars.
"Useful people?" Gao Yuan was initially stunned.
But remembering the grand task this island lord had mentioned earlier—rebuilding the Immortal City—he felt his heart pounding with excitement.
"I know that I just woke up recently and am not very familiar with Cunyun Sea's internal affairs," Li Fan said quietly in front of him.
"Taking on such a heavy responsibility, I was quite nervous. I feared making mistakes."
"Those who wish to do good work must first sharpen their tools. To complete this task successfully, we need a capable team."
"You know them well enough; help me with some advice."
"After the Immortal City is established, your contributions will not be forgotten!"
Hearing this, Gao Yuan felt his throat go dry.
Looking at those cultivators he once had to carefully address, now within his reach to choose, he realized how much power he held. He could decide their fates with a single word. They would join the new island lord's team and contribute to its success.
...
"Is this what power feels like?"
His heart raced uncontrollably, his face flushed, and Gao Yuan felt somewhat light-headed from the temporary honor.
But he didn’t let it cloud his judgment. He knew that all this 'power' was granted by Island Lord Li. Before the Immortal City in Cunyun Sea was built, everything was just an illusion—beautiful but fragile, liable to collapse at any moment.
However...
If the city were successfully established, power would have a real chance of becoming his. The ability to manipulate fate felt too good for Gao Yuan to resist.
He silently vowed to seize this rare opportunity and transform his career. He began introducing each cultivator one by one as Li Fan listened patiently, feeling increasingly pleased with Gao Yuan's insights.
"Even small people can have their uses."
"And that’s where I find my chance to break the deadlock."
One by one, suitable cultivators were selected by Li Fan and noted down in his mind.
...
Half a month later, all surviving internal cultivators of Cunyun Sea received messages from the acting island lord. Seven days later, the reconstruction ceremony for the Immortal City would be held at the original Ten Thousand Immortals Island location. All personnel must attend on time.