“ zhōng yú huí lái le me ……” lǐ fán yǎn jīng wēi wēi mī qǐ 。
“终于回来了么……”李凡眼睛微微眯起。
"Finally back, huh..." Li Fan's eyes narrowed slightly.
“ zhǐ yǒu tā yí gè ？ zǐ yún xiān jūn ne ？”
“只有他一个？紫云仙君呢？”
"Is it just him? Where's Purple Cloud Immortal?"
chà nà jiān ， lǐ fán zài nǎo hǎi zhōng yǐ jīng jiāng èr rén jiàn miàn hòu de bó yì gěi yù yǎn le yī biàn 。
刹那间，李凡在脑海中已经将二人见面后的博弈给预演了一遍。
In an instant, Li Fan mentally rehearsed the confrontation that would follow their meeting. He considered various scenarios: when Primordial Harmony Immortal faced the reality of his position being hollowed out and power seized, he rose to fight back, leveraging his cultivation in Transmutation to quickly regain most of the support from cultivators.
bāo kuò dàn bù xiàn yú ： hóng xī xiān jūn miàn duì zì jǐ bèi jià kōng 、 duó quán de xiàn zhuàng ， fèn qǐ fǎn jī ， zhàng zhe zì jǐ huà shén xiū wèi de hào zhào lì ， qǐng kè jiān jiāng chóng xīn duó huí le jué dà duō shù xiū shì de zhī chí 。
包括但不限于：鸿羲仙君面对自己被架空、夺权的现状，奋起反击，仗着自己化神修为的号召力，顷刻间将重新夺回了绝大多数修士的支持。
Or perhaps, Primordial Harmony Immortal remained calm on the surface, biding his time. Once Li Fan relaxed, he would act swiftly, reversing the situation with a sudden move, only to dismiss him later under false charges.
yòu huò zhě ， hóng xī xiān jūn biǎo miàn bù dòng shēng sè 、 xū yǔ wēi yí ， zàn zuò ān fǔ 。 děng lǐ fán fàng sōng xià lái ， jiù dòng ruò léi tíng ， fā dòng fā jì ， shùn jiān wán chéng xíng shì fǎn zhuǎn 。 zuì hòu yǐ mò xū yǒu de zuì míng ， jiāng lǐ fán chè zhí 。
又或者，鸿羲仙君表面不动声色、虚与委蛇，暂做安抚。等李凡放松下来，就动若雷霆，发动发迹，瞬间完成形势反转。最后以莫须有的罪名，将李凡撤职。
But Li Fan never anticipated that when Primordial Harmony Immortal truly met him, there was no tension or hostility; instead, they laughed heartily and gave Li Fan a big hug right away.
děng děng děng 。
等等等。
Li Fan's body stiffened slightly as he felt a hint of confusion in his eyes.
dàn lǐ fán què shì zěn me yě méi yǒu xiǎng dào ， dāng hóng xī xiān jūn zhēn de jiàn dào tā de shí hòu ， bù jǐn méi yǒu shén me jiàn bá nǔ zhāng ， fǎn ér shì hā hā dà xiào 、 shàng lái jiù gěi le lǐ fán yí gè dà dà de yōng bào 。
但李凡却是怎么也没有想到，当鸿羲仙君真的见到他的时候，不仅没有什么剑拔弩张，反而是哈哈大笑、上来就给了李凡一个大大的拥抱。
"Are we familiar with each other?" he thought to himself.
lǐ fán shēn tǐ wēi wēi jiāng zhù ， yǎn shén zhōng shǎn guò yī sī bù jiě 。
李凡身体微微僵住，眼神中闪过一丝不解。
Primordial Harmony Immortal seemed oblivious to the oddity in Li Fan’s eyes, patted him on the shoulder, and expressed great satisfaction.
“ wǒ gēn nǐ hěn shú ma ？” tā xīn zhōng rú cǐ xiǎng zhe 。
“我跟你很熟嘛？”他心中如此想着。
[App Switch]
hóng xī xiān jūn zé shì wán quán méi yǒu zhù yì dào lǐ fán yǎn zhōng de yì yàng shì de ， pāi le pāi tā de jiān bǎng ， shí fēn xīn wèi 。
鸿羲仙君则是完全没有注意到李凡眼中的异样似的，拍了拍他的肩膀，十分欣慰。
"Good job! You did well! When I heard that Ten Thousand Immortals Island was almost eradicated by the Five Elders Alliance, I feared it would turn into a mess. But you came out of nowhere, and over these past few years, your performance rankings have not only stayed steady but even improved several spots!"
huàn yuán app】
换源app】
"Why didn't you wake up sooner? Otherwise, wouldn't I be dealing with all sorts of issues?"
“ hǎo a ！ nǐ zuò de hǎo a ！ zài tīng shuō wàn xiān dǎo bèi wǔ lǎo huì jī hū lián gēn bá qǐ hòu ， yuán běn wǒ hé zǐ yún hái dān xīn ， cóng yún hǎi cóng cǐ huì bèi biàn chéng yī tuán zāo 。 méi xiǎng dào ， yǒu nǐ héng kōng chū shì 。 guò qù jǐ nián ， gè zhǒng kǎo hé zhǐ biāo pái míng bù jǐn méi yǒu xià jiàng ， fǎn ér shì shàng shēng le hǎo jǐ míng ！”
“好啊！你做的好啊！在听说万仙岛被五老会几乎连根拔起后，原本我和紫云还担心，丛云海从此会被变成一团糟。没想到，有你横空出世。过去几年，各种考核指标排名不仅没有下降，反而是上升了好几名！”
"Keep up the good work! Your responsibilities for managing Cunyun Sea will continue."
“ nǐ shuō nǐ zěn me méi yǒu zǎo diǎn sū xǐng ne ？ yào bù rán ， zhè xiē nián wǒ qǐ huì bèi gè zhǒng shì qíng gǎo dé jiāo tóu làn é ？”
“你说你怎么没有早点苏醒呢？要不然，这些年我岂会被各种事情搞得焦头烂额？”
Primordial Harmony Immortal seemed particularly pleased.
“ jì xù gàn ！ jiē xià lái ， cóng yún hǎi de zhèng wù hái jiāo gěi nǐ dǎ lǐ ！”
“继续干！接下来，丛云海的政务还交给你打理！”
Li Fan fell into silence.
hóng xī xiān jūn xiǎn de shí fēn gāo xìng 。
鸿曦仙君显得十分高兴。
Dressed in white, Primordial Harmony walked as if he had no burdens, humming a tune and returned to his long table in the room.
lǐ fán bù yóu de chén mò le 。
李凡不由得沉默了。
He poured himself a cup of clear tea and sipped it contentedly.
shēn chuān bái yī de hóng xī zé shì fǎng fú yī shēn qīng sōng shì de ， zuǐ lǐ hēng zhe bù zhī míng de xiǎo qǔ ， huí dào le fáng jiān zhōng de zhǎng zhuō qián 。
身穿白衣的鸿曦则是仿佛一身轻松似的，嘴里哼着不知名的小曲，回到了房间中的长桌前。
"Seeing my achievements rise every day without moving is what life's all about," he said lazily.
yōu yǎ dì zì zhēn le yī bēi qīng chá ， měi zī zī dì yǐn xià 。
优雅地自斟了一杯清茶，美滋滋地饮下。
Noticing Li Fan still standing there, Primordial Harmony called out: "Come on, don't be so formal. Have some tea with me!"
“ měi tiān tǎng zhe bù dòng ， dōu néng kàn jiàn gōng xūn fēi zhǎng ， zhè cái shì shēng huó ma 。” tā lǎn yáng yáng dé shuō dào 。
“每天躺着不动，都能看见功勋飞涨，这才是生活嘛。”他懒洋洋得说道。
"Thank you, Your Excellency!" Li Fan did not refuse and sat down beside him.
huí tóu kàn jiàn lǐ fán shǐ zhōng zhàn lì yuán dì ， lì mǎ zhāo hū dào ：“ āi ， bú yào zhè me jū jǐn 。 yě lái hē bēi chá ！”
回头看见李凡始终站立原地，立马招呼道：“哎，不要这么拘谨。也来喝杯茶！”
After another sip of tea, Primordial Harmony continued: "Both Purple Cloud Immortal and I heard about your achievements at the Immortal Alliance headquarters. You truly are an ancient sect disciple; you're more capable than us mere cultivators."
“ nà jiù duō xiè chéng zhǔ dà rén le ！” lǐ fán bìng méi yǒu jù jué ， shàng qián yě zuò le xià lái 。
“那就多谢城主大人了！”李凡并没有拒绝，上前也坐了下来。
"What's your current cultivation realm? Foundation Establishment or Transmutation?" Primordial Harmony glanced at Li Fan before shaking his head.
hóng xī yòu yǐn le yī bēi chá hòu ， fāng cái yòu shuō dào ：“ wǒ gēn zǐ yún ， zài xiān méng zǒng bù dōu tīng shuō nǐ de shì jì le 。 zé zé ， bù kuì shì shàng gǔ zōng mén dì zǐ ， jiù shì bǐ wǒ men xiàn zài zhè xiē xiū shì néng nài qiáng diǎn 。”
鸿羲又饮了一杯茶后，方才又说道：“我跟紫云，在仙盟总部都听说你的事迹了。啧啧，不愧是上古宗门弟子，就是比我们现在这些修士能耐强点。”
"I can't see through it, I just can't!"
“ huà shuō nǐ xiàn zài xiū wèi huī fù dào shén me jìng jiè le ？ yuán yīng ， huà shén ？” hóng xī xiān jūn kàn le lǐ fán yī yǎn ， suí jí yòu yáo le yáo tóu 。
“话说你现在修为恢复到什么境界了？元婴，化神？”鸿羲仙君看了李凡一眼，随即又摇了摇头。
Li Fan remained composed: "No matter what my cultivation is now, I am still subordinate to the city lord."
“ kàn bù tòu ， kàn bù tòu a ！”
“看不透，看不透啊！”
Primordial Harmony smiled. "I'm no different; First Canon is also a subordinate of the transmitters of teachings."
lǐ fán zé shì dàn dìng dì shuō dào ：“ wú lùn shén me xiū wèi ， rú jīn yě bù guò dōu shì chéng zhǔ xià shǔ ér yǐ 。”
李凡则是澹定地说道：“无论什么修为，如今也不过都是城主下属而已。”
"What difference does that make? We all serve the Immortal Alliance."
hóng xī xiān jūn xiào le xiào ：“ nà wǒ yě zhǐ bù guò shì dì yī jīng lún de xià shǔ ， tā dì yī jīng lún yě bù guò shì chuán fǎ zhě dà rén men de xià shǔ 。”
鸿羲仙君笑了笑：“那我也只不过是第一经纶的下属，他第一经纶也不过是传法者大人们的下属。”
Li Fan's expression turned serious. "Your Excellency, your thoughts and vision are truly remarkable. I am humbled!"
“ dōu shì wèi le xiān méng xiào lì ， yòu yǒu shén me qū bié ne ？”
“都是为了仙盟效力，又有什么区别呢？”
Seeing Li Fan still so formal, Primordial Harmony’s face fell. He shook his head and sighed: "You're a real old-fashioned one! Boring, really boring."
lǐ fán dùn shí liǎn sè sù rán ：“ dà rén sī xiǎng jìng jiè ， guǒ rán bù fán 。 shǔ xià pèi fú ！”
李凡顿时脸色肃然：“大人思想境界，果然不凡。属下佩服！”
"Alright, as long as you continue to handle the affairs as usual."
kàn zhe lǐ fán hái shì zhè me yī bǎn yī yǎn ， hóng xī xiān jūn dùn shí liǎn sè yī kuǎ 。 yáo yáo tóu ， tàn le kǒu qì ：“ guǒ zhēn shì lǎo gǔ dǒng ！ méi yì si ， zhēn méi yì si 。”
看着李凡还是这么一板一眼，鸿羲仙君顿时脸色一垮。摇摇头，叹了口气：“果真是老古董！没意思，真没意思。”
Li Fan looked at Primordial Harmony's attitude; it seemed genuine. He asked, "Do you not wish to rule again?"
“ yě bà ， zhǐ yào nǐ jiē xià lái ， zhào cháng bāng wǒ chǔ lǐ zhèng wù 、 yī qiè zhào jiù jiù xíng 。”
“也罢，只要你接下来，照常帮我处理政务、一切照旧就行。”
Primordial Harmony laughed heartily: "That's what you don't understand. But never mind, you'll see in time. I can tell you now."
lǐ fán kàn zhe hóng xī xiān jūn de tài dù ， sì hū bù xiàng shì yǎn de ， bù jīn wèn dào ：“ dà rén nín jiù zhè me bù xiǎng chóng xīn zhí zhèng ？”
李凡看着鸿羲仙君的态度，似乎不像是演的，不禁问道：“大人您就这么不想重新执政？”
"I've managed Cunyun Sea for nearly two hundred years, always diligently working but without any significant achievements or mistakes."
hóng xī xiān jūn zài dù hā hā dà xiào ：“ zhè jiù shì nǐ bù dǒng le 。 bù guò méi guān xì ， nǐ yǐ hòu jiù huì míng bái le 。 xiān jiǎng yǔ nǐ tīng yě wú fáng 。”
鸿羲仙君再度哈哈大笑：“这就是你不懂了。不过没关系，你以后就会明白了。先讲与你听也无妨。”
"This kind of life is coming to an end. Want to take it further?"
“ wǒ zhǔ guǎn cóng yún hǎi yǐ jīng yǒu jìn liǎng bǎi zài le ， yì zhí jīng jīng yè yè 。 méi yǒu lì guò shén me gōng láo ， què yě méi yǒu fàn guò shén me chā cuò 。”
“我主管丛云海已经有近两百载了，一直兢兢业业。没有立过什么功劳，却也没有犯过什么差错。”
Primordial Harmony sighed: "It's tough!"
“ zhè yàng de rì zi ， yě jiù dào tóu le 。 xiǎng zài jìn yí bù ？”
“这样的日子，也就到头了。想再进一步？”
"There are so many Transmutation cultivators in the Immortal Alliance. Without joining the Path of Union, competing with them..."
hóng xī xiān jūn wēi wēi tàn le kǒu qì ：“ nán a ！”
鸿羲仙君微微叹了口气：“难啊！”
"Ha! It’s better to be free and easy here than to struggle."
“ xiān méng huà shén xiū shì ， hé qí duō yě 。 bù rù hé dào ， xiǎng gēn nà xiē rén qù jìng zhēng ……”
“仙盟化神修士，何其多也。不入合道，想跟那些人去竞争……”
"You can handle all these matters year after year, even decade after decade, with great care."
“ hē hē ， hái bù rú zài wǒ zhè cóng yún hǎi lái de xiāo yáo zì zài 。”
“呵呵，还不如在我这丛云海来的逍遥自在。”
"But what about a hundred years or two?"
“ zhè yī zhuāng yī zhuāng de zhèng wù ， nǐ yī nián 、 liǎng nián ， nǎ pà shí nián 、 sān shí nián ， dōu néng shèn zhòng duì dài 。”
“这一桩一桩的政务，你一年、两年，哪怕十年、三十年，都能慎重对待。”
"I’ve grown tired of it but can’t bear to give up my position. Handing over the affairs to subordinates? They’re just good-for-nothing drunkards and gluttons; I wouldn't trust them."
“ dàn ruò yì bǎi nián 、 liǎng bǎi nián ne ？”
“但若一百年、两百年呢？”
"Finally, after so many years, you came along!"
“ wǒ zǎo jiù fán tòu le 。 dàn shì yòu shě bù dé cí guān bù gàn 。 jiāo gěi shǒu xià ba ， dōu shì xiē jiǔ náng fàn dài ， wǒ yòu bù fàng xīn 。”
“我早就烦透了。但是又舍不得辞官不干。交给手下吧，都是些酒囊饭袋，我又不放心。”
"And here I am, leaving Purple Cloud Immortal behind for a friendly exchange meeting in the inland. I’m too eager to return and see you instead of attending that rare event."
“ duō shǎo nián le ， zhōng yú chū le gè nǐ zhè yàng de rén wù ！”
“多少年了，终于出了个你这样的人物！”
"You didn’t let me down!" Primordial Harmony sighed.
“ zhè bù ， zǐ yún tā liú zài nèi lù yào qù shén me 【 yǒu hǎo jiāo liú huì 】 cháng cháng jiàn shí 。 wǒ lián nà shù bǎi nián nán dé yī jiàn de shèng huì dōu lǎn de cān jiā ， jiù pò bù jí dài de pǎo huí lái jiàn nǐ le 。”
“这不，紫云她留在内陆要去什么【友好交流会】长长见识。我连那数百年难得一见的盛会都懒得参加，就迫不及待的跑回来见你了。”
"I heard you were worried about me taking your power when I returned? No need! I wish to hand over all these messes to you!"
“ guǒ rán méi yǒu ràng wǒ shī wàng a ！”
“果然没有让我失望啊！”
"Don't worry, I'll gather everyone tomorrow to clarify this. You will still be in charge!"
hóng xī xiān jūn gǎn tàn dào 。
鸿羲仙君感叹道。
Li Fan’s face twitched.
“ wǒ tīng shuō nǐ zhī qián huò xǔ hái yǒu xiē dān xīn ， wǒ huí lái hòu duó nǐ quán ？ méi bì yào ！ wǒ bā bù dé jiāng zhè xiē làn tān zi ， quán dōu jiāo gěi nǐ ne ！”
“我听说你之前或许还有些担心，我回来后夺你权？没必要！我巴不得将这些烂摊子，全都交给你呢！”
But he bowed: "Thank you for your generosity, Your Excellency."
“ fàng xīn ， wǒ míng tiān jiù zhào jí zhòng rén ， bǎ zhè ge shì qíng jiǎng qīng chǔ 。 yǐ hòu réng rán shì nǐ zhǔ zhèng ！”
“放心，我明天就召集众人，把这个事情讲清楚。以后仍然是你主政！”
Primordial Harmony patted Li Fan's shoulder again: "Work hard! Although the secret word you use each year earns fewer achievements than mine, compared to those who struggle every year to earn their achievements, you're in a different league."
lǐ fán liǎn bù jīn chōu le chōu 。
李凡脸不禁抽了抽。
"And I heard that during your tenure as acting island lord and overseeing the construction of Cunyun City, your position was on par with that of the city lord."
dàn hái shì gǒng le gǒng shǒu ：“ rú cǐ ， duō xiè chéng zhǔ dà rén hòu ài le 。”
但还是拱了拱手：“如此，多谢城主大人厚爱了。”
"So over these years, shouldn't your achievement ranking have risen quickly?"
hóng xī xiān jūn zài dù pāi le pāi lǐ fán de jiān bǎng ：“ hǎo hǎo gàn ！ suī rán nǐ zhè ge mì zì shǐ měi nián huò dé de gōng xūn bǐ wǒ yào shǎo yī xiē ， dàn gēn nà xiē xīn xīn kǔ kǔ měi nián qù zuò gōng xūn rèn wù de xiū shì xiāng bǐ ， yǐ jīng bú shì tóng yī gè dàng cì de le 。”
鸿羲仙君再度拍了拍李凡的肩膀：“好好干！虽然你这个秘字使每年获得的功勋比我要少一些，但跟那些辛辛苦苦每年去做功勋任务的修士相比，已经不是同一个档次的了。”
This left Li Fan speechless.
“ ér qiě ， wǒ tīng shuō ， nǐ zài dài lǐ dǎo zhǔ 、 dū jiàn cóng yún chéng qī jiān ， zhí wù yě shì àn zhào chéng zhǔ tóng gé de 。”
“而且，我听说，你在代理岛主、督建丛云城期间，职务也是按照城主同格的。”
"Are achievements distributed every year? Why didn’t I receive any?"
“ zhè me suàn xià lái ， zhè xiē nián nǐ de gōng xūn děng jí yīng gāi zhǎng de hěn kuài ba 。”
“这么算下来，这些年你的功勋等级应该涨的很快吧。”
Primordial Harmony, who had been sipping tea, spat it out in shock as he looked at Li Fan.
zhè xià lún dào lǐ fán lèng zhù le 。
这下轮到李凡愣住了。
"It’s impossible! You never received any achievements? Then what were you working so hard for all these years?"
“ měi nián dōu yǒu gōng xūn fā fàng ma ？ wǒ zěn me mò shōu dào ？”
“每年都有功勋发放嘛？我怎么没收到？”
"I..." Li Fan hesitated.
zhèng zài hē chá de hóng xī xiān jūn yī kǒu jiāng zuǐ lǐ de chá shuǐ pēn chū ， mǎn shì zhèn jīng de kàn zhe lǐ fán 。
正在喝茶的鸿羲仙君一口将嘴里的茶水喷出，满是震惊的看着李凡。
He suddenly realized the deep generational gap between them and remained silent.
“ bù kě néng ba ？ nǐ méi yǒu shōu dào gōng xūn ？ nà nǐ xīn kǔ gàn le zhè me xiē nián ， shì wèi le shén me ？”
“不可能吧？你没有收到功勋？那你辛苦干了这么些年，是为了什么？”
"Didn't you participate in the annual settlement through the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror?" After a while, Primordial Harmony looked at Li Fan with an odd expression.
“ wǒ ……” lǐ fán yù yán yòu zhǐ 。
“我……”李凡欲言又止。
Li Fan shrugged: "No one mentioned it to me."
hū rán fā xiàn ， liǎng zhě zhī jiān cún zài zhe hěn shēn de dài gōu ， yú shì zhǐ néng chén mò bù yǔ 。
忽然发现，两者之间存在着很深的代沟，于是只能沉默不语。
Primordial Harmony rubbed his head.
“ nǐ bú huì yì zhí méi yǒu qù tiān xuán jìng zhōng cān yù nián dù jié suàn ba 。” guò le bàn shǎng ， hóng xī xiān jūn yòng yī zhǒng shí fēn guǐ yì de mù guāng kàn xiàng lǐ fán 。
“你不会一直没有去天玄镜中参与年度结算吧。”过了半晌，鸿羲仙君用一种十分诡异的目光看向李凡。
"Um..."
lǐ fán sǒng le sǒng jiān ：“ méi yǒu rén gēn wǒ tí qǐ guò zhè jiàn shì 。”
李凡耸了耸肩：“没有人跟我提起过这件事。”
He said weakly: "Go check then. There might be some surprises!"
hóng xī xiān jūn pāi le pāi nǎo dài 。
鸿羲仙君拍了拍脑袋。
Li Fan nodded and bowed before hurrying away.
“ é ……”
“额……”
Watching Li Fan disappear, Primordial Harmony shook his head: "Ah, true to form of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance—ignoring matters that don’t concern you."
tā yǒu qì wú lì dào ：“ nà nǐ gǎn jǐn qù kàn kàn ba 。 shuō bù dìng huì yǒu xiē jīng xǐ ne 。”
他有气无力道：“那你赶紧去看看吧。说不定会有些惊喜呢。”
When Li Fan returned to the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror, he learned what the annual settlement entailed. It turned out that each region’s main administrators received not only an annual contribution-based salary but also a performance bonus based on their state's ranking in the entire Immortal Alliance. This was settled annually, with significant achievements beyond just contributions.
"Finally back, huh..." Li Fan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Is it just him? Where's Purple Cloud Immortal?"
In an instant, Li Fan mentally rehearsed the confrontation that would follow their meeting. He considered various scenarios: when Primordial Harmony Immortal faced the reality of his position being hollowed out and power seized, he rose to fight back, leveraging his cultivation in Transmutation to quickly regain most of the support from cultivators.
Or perhaps, Primordial Harmony Immortal remained calm on the surface, biding his time. Once Li Fan relaxed, he would act swiftly, reversing the situation with a sudden move, only to dismiss him later under false charges.
But Li Fan never anticipated that when Primordial Harmony Immortal truly met him, there was no tension or hostility; instead, they laughed heartily and gave Li Fan a big hug right away.
Li Fan's body stiffened slightly as he felt a hint of confusion in his eyes.
"Are we familiar with each other?" he thought to himself.
Primordial Harmony Immortal seemed oblivious to the oddity in Li Fan’s eyes, patted him on the shoulder, and expressed great satisfaction.
[App Switch]
"Good job! You did well! When I heard that Ten Thousand Immortals Island was almost eradicated by the Five Elders Alliance, I feared it would turn into a mess. But you came out of nowhere, and over these past few years, your performance rankings have not only stayed steady but even improved several spots!"
"Why didn't you wake up sooner? Otherwise, wouldn't I be dealing with all sorts of issues?"
"Keep up the good work! Your responsibilities for managing Cunyun Sea will continue."
Primordial Harmony Immortal seemed particularly pleased.
Li Fan fell into silence.
Dressed in white, Primordial Harmony walked as if he had no burdens, humming a tune and returned to his long table in the room.
He poured himself a cup of clear tea and sipped it contentedly.
"Seeing my achievements rise every day without moving is what life's all about," he said lazily.
Noticing Li Fan still standing there, Primordial Harmony called out: "Come on, don't be so formal. Have some tea with me!"
"Thank you, Your Excellency!" Li Fan did not refuse and sat down beside him.
After another sip of tea, Primordial Harmony continued: "Both Purple Cloud Immortal and I heard about your achievements at the Immortal Alliance headquarters. You truly are an ancient sect disciple; you're more capable than us mere cultivators."
"What's your current cultivation realm? Foundation Establishment or Transmutation?" Primordial Harmony glanced at Li Fan before shaking his head.
"I can't see through it, I just can't!"
Li Fan remained composed: "No matter what my cultivation is now, I am still subordinate to the city lord."
Primordial Harmony smiled. "I'm no different; First Canon is also a subordinate of the transmitters of teachings."
"What difference does that make? We all serve the Immortal Alliance."
Li Fan's expression turned serious. "Your Excellency, your thoughts and vision are truly remarkable. I am humbled!"
Seeing Li Fan still so formal, Primordial Harmony’s face fell. He shook his head and sighed: "You're a real old-fashioned one! Boring, really boring."
"Alright, as long as you continue to handle the affairs as usual."
Li Fan looked at Primordial Harmony's attitude; it seemed genuine. He asked, "Do you not wish to rule again?"
Primordial Harmony laughed heartily: "That's what you don't understand. But never mind, you'll see in time. I can tell you now."
"I've managed Cunyun Sea for nearly two hundred years, always diligently working but without any significant achievements or mistakes."
"This kind of life is coming to an end. Want to take it further?"
Primordial Harmony sighed: "It's tough!"
"There are so many Transmutation cultivators in the Immortal Alliance. Without joining the Path of Union, competing with them..."
"Ha! It’s better to be free and easy here than to struggle."
"You can handle all these matters year after year, even decade after decade, with great care."
"But what about a hundred years or two?"
"I’ve grown tired of it but can’t bear to give up my position. Handing over the affairs to subordinates? They’re just good-for-nothing drunkards and gluttons; I wouldn't trust them."
"Finally, after so many years, you came along!"
"And here I am, leaving Purple Cloud Immortal behind for a friendly exchange meeting in the inland. I’m too eager to return and see you instead of attending that rare event."
"You didn’t let me down!" Primordial Harmony sighed.
"I heard you were worried about me taking your power when I returned? No need! I wish to hand over all these messes to you!"
"Don't worry, I'll gather everyone tomorrow to clarify this. You will still be in charge!"
Li Fan’s face twitched.
But he bowed: "Thank you for your generosity, Your Excellency."
Primordial Harmony patted Li Fan's shoulder again: "Work hard! Although the secret word you use each year earns fewer achievements than mine, compared to those who struggle every year to earn their achievements, you're in a different league."
"And I heard that during your tenure as acting island lord and overseeing the construction of Cunyun City, your position was on par with that of the city lord."
"So over these years, shouldn't your achievement ranking have risen quickly?"
This left Li Fan speechless.
"Are achievements distributed every year? Why didn’t I receive any?"
Primordial Harmony, who had been sipping tea, spat it out in shock as he looked at Li Fan.
"It’s impossible! You never received any achievements? Then what were you working so hard for all these years?"
"I..." Li Fan hesitated.
He suddenly realized the deep generational gap between them and remained silent.
"Didn't you participate in the annual settlement through the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror?" After a while, Primordial Harmony looked at Li Fan with an odd expression.
Li Fan shrugged: "No one mentioned it to me."
Primordial Harmony rubbed his head.
"Um..."
He said weakly: "Go check then. There might be some surprises!"
Li Fan nodded and bowed before hurrying away.
Watching Li Fan disappear, Primordial Harmony shook his head: "Ah, true to form of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance—ignoring matters that don’t concern you."
When Li Fan returned to the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror, he learned what the annual settlement entailed. It turned out that each region’s main administrators received not only an annual contribution-based salary but also a performance bonus based on their state's ranking in the entire Immortal Alliance. This was settled annually, with significant achievements beyond just contributions.