“ bù cuò 。” jiàn liǔ sān zì jǐ qiǎng dá le ， lǐ fán hěn shì mǎn yì 。
“不错。”见柳三自己抢答了，李凡很是满意。
"Good," Li Fan was quite satisfied to see Liu San answering on his own.
“ rú jīn de xiū xiān jiè ， jīng guò shù cì tiān dì dà jié zhī hòu ， xiū shì de shòu mìng bǐ qǐ wǒ men nà shí hòu ， yào duǎn shàng xǔ duō 。”
“如今的修仙界，经过数次天地大劫之后，修士的寿命比起我们那时候，要短上许多。”
"The cultivation world after several major calamities, the lifespan of cultivators is much shorter than when we were around."
“ gè zhǒng yán shòu bǎo wù gèng shì shǎo zhī yòu shǎo ， nǎ pà zhǐ yán shòu bǎi zài ， dōu néng yǐn dé xiū shì fēng qiǎng 。”
“各种延寿宝物更是少之又少，哪怕只延寿百载，都能引得修士疯抢。”
"There are even fewer longevity treasures now. Even a hundred years could make cultivators go crazy with desire."
“ rú guǒ wǒ men néng chóng xīn pī liàng liàn zhì 【 cháng shēng dān 】， duì huàn zú gòu quán tǐ mén rén xiū xíng de gōng fǎ ， yě jiù yǒu xī wàng le 。”
“如果我们能重新批量炼制【长生丹】，兑换足够全体门人修行的功法，也就有希望了。”
"If we can mass-produce the Elixir of Immortality and exchange it for enough techniques to cultivate for all our disciples, that would be hopeful."
lǐ fán kǎn kǎn ér tán 。
李凡侃侃而谈。
Li Fan spoke confidently.
“ bù guò chóng cāo jiù yè bà le ， zhǐ yào rén shǒu zú gòu ， bìng fēi shén me nán shì 。” liǔ sān shuō zhe ， cóng zì shēn chǔ wù jiè zhōng qǔ chū yí gè yù píng 。
“不过重操旧业罢了，只要人手足够，并非什么难事。”柳三说着，从自身储物戒中取出一个玉瓶。
"However, it's just reviving an old trade. As long as we have sufficient manpower, it shouldn't be a difficult task." Liu San took out an jade bottle from his storage ring.
“ wǒ shēn shàng jiù yǒu zōng zhǔ zhī qián shǎng cì gěi wǒ de jiǔ méi shàng pǐn cháng shēng dān ， jiē néng yán shòu liù bǎi zài zuǒ yòu 。”
“我身上就有宗主之前赏赐给我的九枚上品长生丹，皆能延寿六百载左右。”
"I still have nine top-grade Elixirs of Immortality given to me by the sect master. Each can extend one’s life for about six hundred years."
“ shǎo zhǔ nǐ qiě jiāng qù jiāng qí huàn chéng líng …… é ， xiàn zài jiào gòng xiàn dù ？”
“少主你且将去将其换成灵……额，现在叫贡献度？”
"Young Master, you should exchange them for spirit... er, now it's called contribution points?"
“ bù cuò ， suī rán huàn le gè míng zì ， běn zhì què méi yǒu biàn 。” lǐ fán suí kǒu dào ， yě bù zuò tuī cí ， dà dà fāng fāng de jiù jiāng zhè yī píng rú jīn jià zhí lián chéng de dān yào shōu xià 。
“不错，虽然换了个名字，本质却没有变。”李凡随口道，也不做推辞，大大方方的就将这一瓶如今价值连城的丹药收下。
"It's good. Although they changed the name, the essence hasn't changed," Li Fan casually said and accepted the precious elixir without hesitation.
liǔ sān zhǐ shì yǒu xiē dān yōu ：“ àn shǎo zhǔ suǒ yán ， zhè cháng shēng dān jià zhí bù fēi 。 zhǐ ǒu ěr yī liǎng cì hái hǎo ， rú guǒ pín fán ná chū qù fàn mài ， huì bú huì bèi rén dīng shàng ？”
柳三只是有些担忧：“按少主所言，这长生丹价值不菲。只偶尔一两次还好，如果频繁拿出去贩卖，会不会被人盯上？”
Liu San was a bit worried: "As Young Master says, these Elixirs of Immortality are valuable. It’s fine for occasional sales, but if we sell them frequently, won’t someone notice?"
lǐ fán diǎn tóu tóng yì ：“ liǔ lǎo nǐ suǒ yán jí shì 。 zhèng yīn wèi rú cǐ ， wǒ men cái bù fāng biàn zhǔ dòng chū miàn 。”
李凡点头同意：“柳老你所言极是。正因为如此，我们才不方便主动出面。”
Li Fan nodded in agreement: "Old Liu, you're right. That's why we can't actively take the initiative."
“ zhī qián gēn nǐ shuō guò ， wǒ jié shí le zhōu qīng áng dào yǒu 。 cǐ rén bèi jǐng shēn hòu ， kě yǐ quán bù jiāo gěi tā qù dǎ lǐ 。 zhǐ xū jiāng yī bù fèn lì rùn fēn gěi tā jí kě 。”
“之前跟你说过，我结识了周青昂道友。此人背景深厚，可以全部交给他去打理。只需将一部分利润分给他即可。”
"I told you before that I befriended Zhou Qingang. He has a deep background and can handle everything. We just need to share some of the profits with him."
liǔ sān wēi wēi zhòu méi ， què bìng wèi duō yán 。
柳三微微皱眉，却并未多言。
Liu San frowned but said nothing.
lǐ fán jiàn zhuàng ， yě shì jiē zhe shuō dào ：“ zhǐ shì quán yí zhī jì 。 wǎng hòu ， wǒ men kěn dìng shì yào chóng jiàn yào wáng zōng de 。”
李凡见状，也是接着说道：“只是权宜之计。往后，我们肯定是要重建药王宗的。”
Seeing this, Li Fan continued: "It’s only a temporary solution. In the future, we definitely need to rebuild the Medicine King Sect."
“ bù guò hái xū xú xú tú zhī 。”
“不过还需徐徐图之。”
"But it needs to be done gradually," Liu San nodded.
liǔ sān zhè cái diǎn le diǎn tóu 。
柳三这才点了点头。
"Old Liu, you stay in the cauldron for now. I'll go back and exchange the elixirs for techniques first. Then wake up some of our disciples."
“ liǔ lǎo nǐ xiān liú zài dǐng nèi ， wǒ xiān huí qù yī tàng ， jiāng dān yào duì huàn chéng gōng fǎ 。 xiān huàn xǐng yī bù fèn dì zǐ zài shuō 。”
“柳老你先留在鼎内，我先回去一趟，将丹药兑换成功法。先唤醒一部分弟子再说。”
Li Fan greeted them before exiting the Medicine King Cauldron.
lǐ fán dǎ le shēng zhāo hū ， biàn chū le yào wáng dǐng 。
李凡打了声招呼，便出了药王鼎。
The previous words were just to appease Liu San. He wouldn't easily sell the Elixirs of Immortality.
gāng gāng de shuō cí ， zhǐ shì yòng lái yìng fù liǔ sān de 。 cháng shēng dān zì rán bú huì qīng yì chū shǒu 。
刚刚的说辞，只是用来应付柳三的。长生丹自然不会轻易出手。
With his current contribution points, Li Fan had more than enough to gather the necessary number of disciples for the elixir production.
yǐ lǐ fán shēn shàng rú jīn de gòng xiàn dù ， còu qí liàn zhì cháng shēng dān suǒ xū dì zǐ shù liàng de gōng fǎ ， nà shì chuò chuò yǒu yú 。
以李凡身上如今的贡献度，凑齐炼制长生丹所需弟子数量的功法，那是绰绰有余。
However, after the Red Flame Devastation, "Cultivator Li Fan" would need to be discarded.
bù guò ， chì yán fén hǎi zhī hòu ，“ tiān jī zōng xiū shì lǐ fán ” zhè ge shēn fèn shì yào pāo qì de 。
不过，赤炎焚海之后，“天机宗修士李凡”这个身份是要抛弃的。
The Medicine King Sect's disciples still had their uses.
ér yào wáng zōng zǐ dì men ， réng rán yǒu lì yòng de jià zhí 。
而药王宗子弟们，仍然有利用的价值。
How to wash away their identities without connecting them with this new identity was a problem.
zěn me zài bù ràng liǎng zhě chǎn shēng lián xì de qíng kuàng xià ， bǎ yào wáng zōng dì zǐ men de shēn fèn quán dōu xǐ bái ， zé shì gè wèn tí 。
怎么在不让两者产生联系的情况下，把药王宗弟子们的身份全都洗白，则是个问题。
After some thought, Li Fan decided to use the method of breaking down into smaller parts.
lǐ fán xiǎng le xiǎng ， jué dìng cǎi yòng “ huà zhěng wéi líng ” de bàn fǎ 。
李凡想了想，决定采用“化整为零”的办法。
He impersonated Zhou Qingang and found Gao Yuan.
fēn shēn zhōu qīng áng ， zhǎo dào le gāo yuǎn 。
分身周青昂，找到了高远。
"Gao Daoist, what do you think?" Gao Yuan was surprised.
“ zhōu dào yǒu yǒu hé jiàn jiào a ？” gāo yuǎn yǒu xiē chà yì 。
“周道友有何见教啊？”高远有些诧异。
Since Zhou Qingang became the voice of his secret master, he had become the de facto ruler of the Cunyun Sea region.
zì cóng zhōu qīng áng chéng wéi le mì shǐ dà rén de chuán shēng tǒng zhī hòu ， tā jiù yǐn yǐn chéng wéi le cóng yún hǎi dì qū shí jì shàng de zhǔ zhèng rén 。
自从周青昂成为了秘使大人的传声筒之后，他就隐隐成为了丛云海地区实际上的主政人。
Both Gao Yuan and He Zhenghao needed Zhou Qingang's approval for important matters.
wú lùn shì gāo yuǎn hái shì hé zhèng hào ， yù dào zhòng yào zhī shì ， dōu xū yào dé dào zhōu qīng áng de shǒu kěn 。
无论是高远还是何正浩，遇到重要之事，都需要得到周青昂的首肯。
He was a person that made High and He feel scared with his diligence.
ér tā bù kuì shì mì shǐ dà rén kàn zhòng de rén wù ， qín miǎn dào le ràng gāo 、 hé gǎn dào hài pà de chéng dù 。
而他不愧是秘使大人看重的人物，勤勉到了让高、何感到害怕的程度。
Gao Yuan rarely saw him outside; he spent all day in the Office of Administration, handling every detail personally.
jī hū hěn shǎo kàn dào tā wài chū ， chéng rì dài zài bù zhèng táng zhōng ， shì wú jù xì 、 yī yī qīn zì chǔ lǐ 。
几乎很少看到他外出，成日待在布政堂中，事无巨细、一一亲自处理。
His sudden visit today caught Gao Yuan off guard.
jīn tiān tū rán shàng mén bài fǎng ， shí zài yǒu xiē chū hū gāo yuǎn de yì liào 。
今天突然上门拜访，实在有些出乎高远的意料。
Zhou Qingang smiled: "Don't be nervous. It's just some small matters I need your help with."
zhōu qīng áng xiào le xiào ， dào ：“ gāo dào yǒu bié jǐn zhāng 。 bù guò shì yǒu xiē xiǎo shì ， yào qǐng dào yǒu bāng máng bà le 。”
周青昂笑了笑，道：“高道友别紧张。不过是有些小事，要请道友帮忙罢了。”
Gao Yuan looked puzzled. If his position was higher than his, why would he need his assistance?
gāo yuǎn miàn sè gǔ guài ， xīn xiǎng nǐ zhí wù kě shì bǐ wǒ hái gāo ， shén me shì hái xū yào wǒ bāng máng ？
高远面色古怪，心想你职务可是比我还高，什么事还需要我帮忙？
Zhou Qingang continued: "I have a friend who discovered a hidden secret realm by chance. Inside were frozen and dormant cultivators. After waking them up and questioning them, we learned that they had entered the secret realm to avoid being hunted by the Ten Sects of Immortals due to certain reasons. They accidentally fell into a deep sleep..."
zhōu qīng áng zì gù zì dì shuō zhe ：“ wǒ yǒu gè péng yǒu ， ǒu rán jiān fā xiàn le yī chù yǐn cáng mì jìng 。 zhè mì jìng lǐ miàn ， jū rán bīng fēng chén mián zhe yī qún xiū shì 。 jiāng tā men huàn xǐng 、 yī fān xún wèn zhī hòu ， fāng cái dé zhī 。 tā men dāng chū yīn wèi mǒu xiē yuán yīn ， wèi le duǒ bì xiān dào shí zōng de zhuī bǔ ， zhè cái duǒ jìn mì jìng zhī zhōng 。 què yīn yì wài ， xiàn rù le chén mián ……”
周青昂自顾自地说着：“我有个朋友，偶然间发现了一处隐藏秘境。这秘境里面，居然冰封沉眠着一群修士。将他们唤醒、一番询问之后，方才得知。他们当初因为某些原因，为了躲避仙道十宗的追捕，这才躲进秘境之中。却因意外，陷入了沉眠……”
Gao Yuan listened intently at first but his expression became increasingly strange as Zhou Qingang spoke.
gāo yuǎn qǐ chū tīng de shí fēn rèn zhēn ， dàn suí zhe zhōu qīng áng de jiǎng shù ， liǎn sè biàn dé yuè lái yuè gǔ guài 。
高远起初听的十分认真，但随着周青昂的讲述，脸色变得越来越古怪。
When he heard that Zhou wanted to "arrange" these cultivators into the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, Gao Yuan's face turned red with anger.
zuì hòu ， dāng tā tīng dào zhōu qīng áng xiǎng yào jiāng zhè qún xiū shì “ ān pái ” jìn wàn xiān méng zhī hòu ， dùn shí bó rán sè biàn 。
最后，当他听到周青昂想要将这群修士“安排”进万仙盟之后，顿时勃然色变。
But as a versatile person, he didn't immediately question him. Instead, he said hesitantly: "Isn’t it too coincidental?"
bù guò tā bì jìng shì bā miàn líng lóng zhī rén ， méi yǒu dāng chǎng zhì wèn ， ér shì miàn lù miǎn qiǎng zhī sè ：“ shì bú shì yǒu diǎn tài qiǎo le 。”
不过他毕竟是八面玲珑之人，没有当场质问，而是面露勉强之色：“是不是有点太巧了。”
"Do you know who your friend is? Can I trust them?"
“ bù zhī zhōu dào yǒu zhè ge péng yǒu ， shì shén me shēn fèn ？ kào pǔ me ？”
“不知周道友这个朋友，是什么身份？靠谱么？”
"Aren’t these people spies sent by the Five Elders Association..." He pointed towards the Five Elders Association and asked tentatively.
“ zhè xiē rén ， bú huì shì nà biān pài lái de jiàn dié ba ……”
“这些人，不会是那边派来的间谍吧……”
Zhou Qingang laughed derisively: "Don't worry, High Daoist. I swear on my life that they are not from the Five Elders Association!"
tā zhǐ le zhǐ wǔ lǎo huì de fāng xiàng ， shì tàn xìng de wèn dào 。
他指了指五老会的方向，试探性的问道。
"Trust me!"
zhōu qīng áng shěn rán yī xiào ， zhǎn dīng jié tiě dào ：“ gāo dào yǒu duō lǜ le ， wǒ zhōu mǒu rén yuàn yòng zì shēn xìng mìng fā shì ， zhè xiē rén jué duì bù kě néng shì wǔ lǎo huì de jiàn dié ！”
周青昂哂然一笑，斩钉截铁道：“高道友多虑了，我周某人愿用自身性命发誓，这些人绝对不可能是五老会的间谍！”
"But my friend doesn’t want his secret realm to be known. If these cultivators join the alliance in a normal way, this would definitely leak out. That's why he asked me..." Zhou Qingang gave him a knowing look.
“ nǐ dà kě fàng xīn ！”
“你大可放心！”
Of course, there were benefits too. I know you almost emptied your treasury for the technique exchange and are struggling with thespirit awakeningstate recently. This is such a good opportunity; don't miss it."
“ zhǐ bù guò ， wǒ nà wèi péng yǒu bù xiǎng zì jǐ dé dào yī chù mì jìng de xiāo xī zǒu lòu 。 ér ruò shì zhè xiē xiū shì yǐ zhèng cháng de fāng shì jiā rù xiān méng ， cǐ shì kěn dìng yǐn mán bú zhù 。 suǒ yǐ cái wěi tuō wǒ ……” zhōu qīng áng lù chū yí gè nǐ dǒng de biǎo qíng 。
“只不过，我那位朋友不想自己得到一处秘境的消息走漏。而若是这些修士以正常的方式加入仙盟，此事肯定隐瞒不住。所以才委托我……”周青昂露出一个你懂的表情。
Gao Yuan was slightly moved by this explanation. It made sense.
“ dāng rán ma ， hǎo chù yě shì shào bù liǎo de 。 wǒ zhī gāo dào yǒu wèi le duì huàn gōng fǎ ， jī hū tāo kōng jiā dǐ ， zuì jìn lián 【 qǐ líng 】 zhuàng tài dōu kuài kāi bù qǐ le 。 zhè me hǎo yí gè jī huì sòng shàng mén ， dào yǒu kě bù néng cuò guò a 。”
“当然嘛，好处也是少不了的。我知高道友为了兑换功法，几乎掏空家底，最近连【启灵】状态都快开不起了。这么好一个机会送上门，道友可不能错过啊。”
But he still had some reservations: "What about the secret master..."
gāo yuǎn wén yán ， wēi wēi yǒu xiē yì dòng 。 zhōu qīng áng de zhè fān jiě shì ， yě miǎn qiǎng shuō de tōng 。
高远闻言，微微有些意动。周青昂的这番解释，也勉强说的通。
Zhou Qingang waved his hand dismissively: "Such small matters, there's no need to trouble the secret master. He just regained his yuanqi cultivation and is preparing for a breakthrough."
bù guò ， tā zhōng jiū hái shì yǒu diǎn gù lǜ 。
不过，他终究还是有点顾虑。
Gao Yuan was startled by this news.
“ mì shǐ dà rén nà biān ……”
“秘使大人那边……”
This was significant; the higher the secret master’s cultivation, the more stable their position would be. But he and He Zhenghao were unaware of it, so Zhou Qingang must have been trusted more in the secret master's heart.
zhōu qīng áng bǎi le bǎi shǒu ：“ zhè děng xiǎo shì ， jiù wú xū jīng rǎo mì shǐ dà rén le 。 zuì jìn dà rén tā gāng gāng huī fù le yuán yīng xiū wèi ， zhèng zhǔn bèi yī gǔ zuò qì ， zài dù chōng jī gèng gāo jìng jiè ne 。”
周青昂摆了摆手：“这等小事，就无须惊扰秘使大人了。最近大人他刚刚恢复了元婴修为，正准备一鼓作气，再度冲击更高境界呢。”
If the secret master knew that Zhou Qingang had been doing these things behind his back...
gāo yuǎn wén yán yī jīng 。
高远闻言一惊。
This thought flashed through Gao Yuan's mind and wouldn't go away.
zhè kě shì jiàn dà shì ， mì shǐ dà rén xiū wèi yuè gāo ， tā men de dì wèi yě jiù yuè wěn gù 。 bù guò tā yǔ hé zhèng hào duì yú cǐ shì jiē bù zhī qíng ， kàn lái zài mì shǐ dà rén xīn zhōng ， hái shì zhōu qīng áng gèng shòu xìn rèn diǎn 。
这可是件大事，秘使大人修为越高，他们的地位也就越稳固。不过他与何正浩对于此事皆不知情，看来在秘使大人心中，还是周青昂更受信任点。
"Since Daoist Zhou says so, I can’t refuse," Gao Yuan said with a sly look. "You notify me before bringing those cultivators here. I will personally handle their alliance entry."
rú guǒ mì shǐ dà rén zhī dào ， zhè zhōu qīng áng bèi zhe tā gàn zhè xiē gòu dàng ……
如果秘使大人知道，这周青昂背着他干这些勾当……
"Good! Good!" Zhou Qingan left satisfied.
gāo yuǎn xīn zhōng dùn shí shǎn guò yí gè niàn tou 。
高远心中顿时闪过一个念头。
Gao Yuan seemed to be struggling and paced back and forth.
yī chū xiàn ， jiù zài nán yǐ yā xià 。
一出现，就再难以压下。
Finally, he gritted his teeth and made up his mind.
“ jì rán zhōu dào yǒu dōu zhè me shuō le ， nà me wǒ yě bù hǎo jù jué le 。” gāo yuǎn yǎn jīng yī zhuǎn ， mǎn kǒu yīng xià 。
“既然周道友都这么说了，那么我也不好拒绝了。”高远眼睛一转，满口应下。
Using the spirit fragment jade slip left by the secret master, Gao Yuan contacted Li Fan.
“ nǐ dài nà qún xiū shì lái zhī qián ， zài gēn wǒ dǎ gè zhāo hū 。 wǒ qīn zì wèi tā men bàn lǐ rù méng shǒu xù 。”
“你带那群修士来之前，再跟我打个招呼。我亲自为他们办理入盟手续。”
"Secret Master, I have something to report," Gao Yuan said with flattery.
“ hǎo ！ hǎo ！” zhōu qīng áng xīn mǎn yì dé zǒu le 。
“好！好！”周青昂心满意得走了。
"Speak." Li Fan's tone was cold, making Gao Yuan feel uneasy.
gāo yuǎn zé fǎng fú zài jiū jié zhe shén me ， lái huí duó bù 。
高远则仿佛在纠结着什么，来回踱步。
But he had no choice. He reluctantly reported Zhou Qingang's actions.
zuì zhōng ， hái shì yǎo le yǎo yá ， xià dìng le jué xīn 。
最终，还是咬了咬牙，下定了决心。
However, there was silence in response.
tōng guò mì shǐ dà rén liú xià de fēn shén yù jiǎn ， lián xì shàng le lǐ fán 。
通过秘使大人留下的分神玉简，联系上了李凡。
This made Gao Yuan even more anxious: "I understand."
“ mì shǐ dà rén ， xiǎo rén yǒu yī shì yào xiàng nín huì bào 。” gāo yuǎn mǎn shì chǎn mèi dào 。
“秘使大人，小人有一事要向您汇报。”高远满是谄媚道。
After a long time, Li Fan finally spoke: "But, Gao Yuan..."
“ shuō bà 。” lǐ fán de yǔ qì zé yǒu xiē bīng lěng ， ràng gāo yuǎn xīn zhōng gē dēng yī xià ， yǒu zhǒng bù xiáng de yù gǎn 。
“说罢。”李凡的语气则有些冰冷，让高远心中咯噔一下，有种不详的预感。
"Zhou said correctly; don't bother me with such trivial matters again."
bù guò jiàn zài xián shàng bù dé bù fā ， tā zhǐ dé yìng zhe tóu pí dǎ qǐ le zhōu qīng áng de xiǎo bào gào 。
不过箭在弦上不得不发，他只得硬着头皮打起了周青昂的小报告。
Gao Yuan's heart sank.
dàn dé dào de ， què shì chén mò yǐ duì 。
但得到的，却是沉默以对。
"And I hope you understand that unity is most important," Li Fan added.
zhè ràng gāo yuǎn yù fā tǎn tè 。
这让高远愈发忐忑。
Silence followed his words.
“ wǒ zhī dào le 。” xǔ jiǔ zhī hòu ， lǐ fán zhōng yú chū shēng 。
“我知道了。”许久之后，李凡终于出声。
Leaving Gao Yuan standing there, helpless and uncertain.
"Good," Li Fan was quite satisfied to see Liu San answering on his own.
"The cultivation world after several major calamities, the lifespan of cultivators is much shorter than when we were around."
"There are even fewer longevity treasures now. Even a hundred years could make cultivators go crazy with desire."
"If we can mass-produce the Elixir of Immortality and exchange it for enough techniques to cultivate for all our disciples, that would be hopeful."
Li Fan spoke confidently.
"However, it's just reviving an old trade. As long as we have sufficient manpower, it shouldn't be a difficult task." Liu San took out an jade bottle from his storage ring.
"I still have nine top-grade Elixirs of Immortality given to me by the sect master. Each can extend one’s life for about six hundred years."
"Young Master, you should exchange them for spirit... er, now it's called contribution points?"
"It's good. Although they changed the name, the essence hasn't changed," Li Fan casually said and accepted the precious elixir without hesitation.
Liu San was a bit worried: "As Young Master says, these Elixirs of Immortality are valuable. It’s fine for occasional sales, but if we sell them frequently, won’t someone notice?"
Li Fan nodded in agreement: "Old Liu, you're right. That's why we can't actively take the initiative."
"I told you before that I befriended Zhou Qingang. He has a deep background and can handle everything. We just need to share some of the profits with him."
Liu San frowned but said nothing.
Seeing this, Li Fan continued: "It’s only a temporary solution. In the future, we definitely need to rebuild the Medicine King Sect."
"But it needs to be done gradually," Liu San nodded.
"Old Liu, you stay in the cauldron for now. I'll go back and exchange the elixirs for techniques first. Then wake up some of our disciples."
Li Fan greeted them before exiting the Medicine King Cauldron.
The previous words were just to appease Liu San. He wouldn't easily sell the Elixirs of Immortality.
With his current contribution points, Li Fan had more than enough to gather the necessary number of disciples for the elixir production.
However, after the Red Flame Devastation, "Cultivator Li Fan" would need to be discarded.
The Medicine King Sect's disciples still had their uses.
How to wash away their identities without connecting them with this new identity was a problem.
After some thought, Li Fan decided to use the method of breaking down into smaller parts.
He impersonated Zhou Qingang and found Gao Yuan.
"Gao Daoist, what do you think?" Gao Yuan was surprised.
Since Zhou Qingang became the voice of his secret master, he had become the de facto ruler of the Cunyun Sea region.
Both Gao Yuan and He Zhenghao needed Zhou Qingang's approval for important matters.
He was a person that made High and He feel scared with his diligence.
Gao Yuan rarely saw him outside; he spent all day in the Office of Administration, handling every detail personally.
His sudden visit today caught Gao Yuan off guard.
Zhou Qingang smiled: "Don't be nervous. It's just some small matters I need your help with."
Gao Yuan looked puzzled. If his position was higher than his, why would he need his assistance?
Zhou Qingang continued: "I have a friend who discovered a hidden secret realm by chance. Inside were frozen and dormant cultivators. After waking them up and questioning them, we learned that they had entered the secret realm to avoid being hunted by the Ten Sects of Immortals due to certain reasons. They accidentally fell into a deep sleep..."
Gao Yuan listened intently at first but his expression became increasingly strange as Zhou Qingang spoke.
When he heard that Zhou wanted to "arrange" these cultivators into the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, Gao Yuan's face turned red with anger.
But as a versatile person, he didn't immediately question him. Instead, he said hesitantly: "Isn’t it too coincidental?"
"Do you know who your friend is? Can I trust them?"
"Aren’t these people spies sent by the Five Elders Association..." He pointed towards the Five Elders Association and asked tentatively.
Zhou Qingang laughed derisively: "Don't worry, High Daoist. I swear on my life that they are not from the Five Elders Association!"
"Trust me!"
"But my friend doesn’t want his secret realm to be known. If these cultivators join the alliance in a normal way, this would definitely leak out. That's why he asked me..." Zhou Qingang gave him a knowing look.
Of course, there were benefits too. I know you almost emptied your treasury for the technique exchange and are struggling with thespirit awakeningstate recently. This is such a good opportunity; don't miss it."
Gao Yuan was slightly moved by this explanation. It made sense.
But he still had some reservations: "What about the secret master..."
Zhou Qingang waved his hand dismissively: "Such small matters, there's no need to trouble the secret master. He just regained his yuanqi cultivation and is preparing for a breakthrough."
Gao Yuan was startled by this news.
This was significant; the higher the secret master’s cultivation, the more stable their position would be. But he and He Zhenghao were unaware of it, so Zhou Qingang must have been trusted more in the secret master's heart.
If the secret master knew that Zhou Qingang had been doing these things behind his back...
This thought flashed through Gao Yuan's mind and wouldn't go away.
"Since Daoist Zhou says so, I can’t refuse," Gao Yuan said with a sly look. "You notify me before bringing those cultivators here. I will personally handle their alliance entry."
"Good! Good!" Zhou Qingan left satisfied.
Gao Yuan seemed to be struggling and paced back and forth.
Finally, he gritted his teeth and made up his mind.
Using the spirit fragment jade slip left by the secret master, Gao Yuan contacted Li Fan.
"Secret Master, I have something to report," Gao Yuan said with flattery.
"Speak." Li Fan's tone was cold, making Gao Yuan feel uneasy.
But he had no choice. He reluctantly reported Zhou Qingang's actions.
However, there was silence in response.
This made Gao Yuan even more anxious: "I understand."
After a long time, Li Fan finally spoke: "But, Gao Yuan..."
"Zhou said correctly; don't bother me with such trivial matters again."
Gao Yuan's heart sank.
"And I hope you understand that unity is most important," Li Fan added.
Silence followed his words.
Leaving Gao Yuan standing there, helpless and uncertain.