Back then, Qing State was still suffering from a severe drought. Leaving the Cyan Yuan Sect would have meant an incredibly difficult life, one most would likely not survive.
The situation for these Servant Disciples taken by Lü Zhenghai was similar to Yang Chan’s back in the day.
Unless one of them stumbled upon some heaven-defying opportunity, their futures were easy to predict—they had virtually no potential for growth.
Even so, the fact that Lü Zhenghai and his group took these people was thought-provoking.
Yang Chan refused to believe Lü Zhenghai’s group was acting out of pure benevolence. They had to have some other purpose.
Yang Chan had his suspicions about the situation but couldn’t confirm them. He decided he could ask Gu An about it later.
"In total, more people left this time than were taken away by Sect Leader Liu."
"I heard Sect Leader Gu has already arranged for the Elders to recruit Servant Disciples in massive numbers—twice as many as before."
"The criteria for recruiting Official Disciples from the major Noble Families in Qing State have also been relaxed. We should be able to bring in quite a few new Official Disciples!"
Han Bingyu continued to share what she knew.
For example, the Han Family, one of the eight great merchant families of Qing State, was also a Noble Family within the state’s borders. As an Affiliated Force of the Cyan Yuan Sect, the Han Family would also be sending some of its own scions to join the sect.
This served to strengthen the relationship between the two sides, as well as to secure another backer for the family.
For someone like Han Bingyu, having a figure like Yang Chan backing her was a powerful form of support in itself.
The Han Family, to solidify their relationship with Han Bingyu, had provided her with a considerable amount of Cultivation Resources. In turn, they had also used her as an intermediary to trade for many exceedingly rare Elixirs from Yang Chan.
It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Thanks to her, Han Bingyu’s relatives within the Han Family were granted the status of the direct bloodline and received a great deal of Cultivation Resources. As a result, Han Bingyu had become something of a legendary figure within her family.
Many wanted to follow in her footsteps.
"This recruitment drive is really on a massive scale!"
Yang Chan remarked, impressed.
But he understood the reasoning. When a sect’s power wanes, the first priority is to bring in more people. From that pool, they could select individuals with decent Talent to become disciples, replenishing the Cyan Yuan Sect’s losses.
Cultivation Resources were only useful when consumed and converted into actual strength.
Normally, a sect would accumulate a surplus. But in the face of a major crisis, those very resources would be spent to resolve it.
"I didn’t get a clear look at the people from the Merak Sacred Land who were heading to White Jade City. They gathered at the foot of the mountain and left immediately without stopping!"
"We should know the details in a few days."
Han Bingyu had excellent eyesight, but she could only make out their figures from behind and couldn’t see their faces clearly at all.
However, now that they had entered Qing State, it wouldn’t be long before the details could be investigated. So, for Han Bingyu, this wasn’t a major issue.
She only brought it up because Yang Chan had just mentioned it, so she felt she should report what she knew.
"Mm."
Yang Chan nodded.
’The person heading to White Jade City probably isn’t from the Cyan Yuan Sect,’ Yang Chan surmised. ’Otherwise, Lü Zhenghai and his group might have stayed at the sect for another day. At the very least, they would have come up the mountain to meet with Gu An and the others. The fact that they left without even coming up the mountain suggests they have no connection to the Cyan Yuan Sect.’
After Han Bingyu finished her report, Yang Chan resumed his Martial Arts Cultivation. ’Can’t break the daily routine.’
’It’s a good habit, so I have to stick with it.’
...
「White Jade City.」
「Imperial Palace.」
’The Supreme Sect, the Celestial Fragrance Sect, the Merak Sacred Land...’
’These Holy Lands are truly determined not to get entangled in the karma of the Emperor Dao!’
’When I brought up the matter of the Dragon Slayer, every single one of them dodged the subject and refused to engage!’
The Old Emperor, Yang Yu, set down the document in his hand and sighed softly.
Before the major Holy Lands arrived in White Jade City, he had hoped to use their power to find the Dragon Slayer hidden within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty and eliminate this threat to himself.
He saw it as a Sharp Sword hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment. It was best to deal with it sooner rather than later.
But to his surprise, every one of the Holy Lands had refused him outright.
This reminded the Old Emperor, Yang Yu, of the warning his Grand Ancestor, Yang Sheng, had given him on his deathbed.
Never think of relying on the Holy Lands. The people of the Holy Lands cannot be trusted.
One should only engage in necessary exchanges of benefits with them; nothing more should be expected.
The people of the Holy Lands won’t interfere in the power struggles of the Imperial Dynasty; they will only watch from on high. Therefore, when negotiating an exchange of benefits, one should argue one’s case forcefully.
Every word Grand Ancestor Yang Sheng had told him felt chillingly true.
This feeling was especially strong after he had personally dealt with the people from these Holy Lands.
Before, when he was just the Emperor of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, the people of the Holy Lands had never sought him out. It was only after he broke through to the National Guardian Martial Saint Realm that they came to him.
The purpose of their visit was simple: to make a pact.
Each major Holy Land would leave some of their Affiliated Forces to develop within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, and the Imperial Dynasty simply had to let them be. In exchange, the Holy Lands would provide the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty with Cultivation Resources, including Elixirs suitable for raising a Martial Saint’s Cultivation.
It was a blatant, transactional exchange, with no other strings attached, as if they were intentionally keeping their distance.
It wasn’t until the Old Emperor Yang Yu learned of the Emperor Dao National Fate that he understood why.
The Holy Lands feared being implicated by the Emperor Dao National Fate, which could drag them down to ruin along with the dynasty. That was why, even when they engaged in trade, they insisted on an equivalent exchange—to draw a clear line and avoid being swept up in the Imperial Dynasty’s affairs.