Starting Cultivation During a Trip

”Shh...”

Zhang Fan made a gesture for silence, lowering his voice, ”Try saying that even louder.”

”Actually, you don’t need to worry at all. With your family’s background, once it’s revealed, it’ll be even more dangerous for you than for me. I’m actually afraid of getting mixed up with you...”

”By then, whether it’s the Daoist Sect or the Wuwei Sect, people lining up to kill you will be more than you can count.”

”...”

”Thanks for the reminder.” Zhang Fan shot her a glare.

”In fact, your family’s main enemy isn’t in Wuwei Sect, nor in the Daoist Sect. It’s up north.”

As soon as she said this, Zhang Fan’s face changed sharply, his eyes flickering with a frightening light.

This was something he’d only learned half a month ago, from a phone call with Zhang Lingzong.

”How do you know?” Zhang Fan asked.

”Zhao Jie Xuan told me,” Lin Jianyue replied softly and seriously. ”Before I came, he told me, if you want to escape your predicament and carve out a good future, there’s actually a good method.”

”What method?” Zhang Fan asked.

”Drag others in with you,” Lin Jianyue spoke four words.

”What do you mean?” Zhang Fan didn’t understand.

”Look, these days, the Daoist Sect is powerful. The Wuwei Sect seems able to compete, but only hides in the shadows...”

”Within the Daoist Sect, it seems there are many sects, but really, it’s the Ten Great Taoist Sects and their sacred mountains in charge. If you pull the leaders down with you, regardless of whether they’re enemies in the Daoist Sect or adversaries in Wuwei, neither will be worth worrying about.”

”You’re good at peeling away the layers,” Zhang Fan gave her a sidelong glance, knowing these words probably came straight from Zhao Jie Xuan.

”But how exactly?”

”Of course you target the heirs of the Ten Great Taoist Sects and their sacred mountains. They’re the foundations of those sects.” Lin Jianyue said with gravity.

The incense and candle inheritance—it’s what every mountain and temple treasures most. Bringing forth a talented inheritor can prolong the tradition and secure a century of fortune. Just look at Zhenwu Mountain—when Chu Chaoran emerged, they shot to prominence, standing above the rest.

That’s why the dharma lineage inheritors are what every major sect values the most.

”Ten years ago, the battle under Dragon Tiger Mountain, it was White Crane Temple that led the Daoist Sect’s hunt against your entire family...” Lin Jianyue continued.

White Crane Temple, despite not being among the Ten Great Taoist Sects’ sacred mountains, wields immense influence—even at the Daoist Alliance Headquarters, their say is huge.

”White Crane Temple’s status is high, but they still seek the support of the Ten Great Taoist Sects...” Lin Jianyue sneered coldly.

”If you can get all the heirs of those Ten Great Sects in your grip, ha, the landscape of the Daoist world will have to change. Even if things blow up, anyone wanting to make a move against your family will have to think twice...”

Here, Lin Jianyue chuckled lightly, ”By then, you’d be part of the Daoist mainstream. You wouldn’t need to worry about Wuwei Sect anymore.”

At that point, Zhang Fan’s family would represent justice—they would go from having the world as enemy, to being invincible.

”That’s a solid plan.” Zhang Fan’s eyes lit up at her words.

Zhang Lingzong’s getting on in years, spent a decade at construction sites. Now, with White Crane Temple and the Daoist Sect eyeing them, Wuwei lurking in the shadows—not to mention that northern enemy he spoke of.

Not long ago, after Zhang Fan got a call from Zhang Lingzong, he felt ashamed for being weak, hating that he couldn’t make it to Ailao Mountain to help his father.

Now it seems, Jianyue’s idea isn’t bad at all. As long as they get entangled with the heirs of the Ten Great Taoist Sects, tie themselves together, even if those sects won’t overtly help their family, they’ll hesitate, keep their stance ambiguous—and that creates plenty of room for survival.

”Right now, Zhenwu Mountain’s definitely on your side.”

Lin Jianyue glanced meaningfully at Zhang Fan.

She didn’t actually know why Zhenwu Mountain was backing Zhang Fan—it was puzzling given how sensitive Zhang Lingzong’s and Li Linglong’s identities are.

”Probably,” Zhang Fan nodded.

Just look at the Jade Scroll that’s the Zhenwu Mountain’s incense inheritance—it’s in Zhang Fan’s possession now. Hard not to be tied together.

”Laojun Mountain’s Qi Delong and Qi Dongqiang, those two are in Zhao Jie Xuan’s hands now. Winning them over is only a matter of time,” Lin Jianyue said seriously.

With Zhao Jie Xuan’s methods, bringing those brothers under his wing was just a matter of course, already a done deal.

”If that’s the case, my relationship with Maoshan is pretty good too,” Zhang Fan said.

His ties with Jiang Hu need not be mentioned, and Qi Ji counted as a good friend. Not to mention, he’d just recently saved Jifeng Pavilion of Maoshan.

Such connections mean his relationship with Maoshan can’t be called shallow.

”Maoshan seems withdrawn, but their influence in the Free Shipping Area is huge. If you win Maoshan’s support, at least in the Yangtze River Delta, you can run rampant—even White Crane Temple would have to think twice,” Lin Jianyue said coolly.

”That impressive?” Zhang Fan was stunned.

He’d been in Yujing City for so long and had never seen any real experts from Maoshan.

As for Qi Ji, Jiang Hu, and Jifeng Pavilion—talented as they might be, in terms of strength they’re far behind Zhang Fan.

”Don’t think that knowing a few Maoshan disciples means you have Maoshan’s support,” Lin Jianyue shook her head softly.

The Ten Great Taoist Sacred Mountains won’t gamble on or state their support for someone simply because of a few talented disciples. Only the one true heir can affect their stance.

It’s like Zhenwu Mountain’s Xia Weisheng, Zhongnan Mountain’s An Wuyang, Laojun Mountain’s Qi Delong and Qi Dongqiang.

Qi Ji, Jiang Hu, Jifeng Pavilion—for Maoshan, they’re just top disciples, nothing more.

They can’t sway Maoshan’s will. At a crucial moment, they can be abandoned.

”Who’s Maoshan’s inheritor? Is there such a person? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of him,” Zhang Fan couldn’t help but ask.

Maoshan, despite being in Jiangnan Province, kept such a low profile it was as if it didn’t even exist—true ’Great Dao has no form’ vibes.

”Of course there is...” Lin Jianyue was indeed the Rabbit, knowing far more about all the sects than Zhang Fan.

”Maoshan’s inheritor is named Fang Changle.”

”He’s probably six or seven years older than you. At your current age, he was already at High Skill rank,” Lin Jianyue said solemnly.

”Fang Changle?!” Zhang Fan repeated the name, chewing it over.

”Supposedly, the guy was gifted from birth. When he entered Maoshan, there were omens; at thirteen, won favor with the Ancestral Master and inherited Maoshan’s Red Dragon Fire Talisman, the peerless treasure of their lineage. He’s said to be the strongest of his generation.”

”If he’s so exceptional, how come I’ve never heard anything about him?” Zhang Fan asked, surprised.

”He disappeared five years ago.”

”Huh?!” Zhang Fan was taken aback.

”Supposedly, Maoshan’s still looking for him,” Lin Jianyue replied softly.

”If you can find him and pull him in, you’ll get Maoshan’s backing.”

The two chatted the afternoon away in the café.

Lin Jianyue was sharp and analytical, giving Zhang Fan an entirely new approach, and deepening his understanding of the Ten Great Taoist Sects.

Zhao Jie Xuan called his plan ”stealing the house”—since there are too many enemies, just drag all their heirs into your camp, and steal their house. Then everyone’s family—who’d attack who?

A fortress is always easiest to crack from within. When a new Daoist force rises led by Zhang Fan, even White Crane Temple would hesitate, let alone Wuwei Sect.

This way, Zhang Fan’s family avoids the constant risk of disaster, of having all the world as enemy.

”Good idea. Just immeasurably hard to execute.”

Leaving the café, Zhang Fan looked at the descending night, took a deep breath.

The chill of early winter cleared his head.

Just Maoshan alone already felt hard to even start with. And what about all Ten Great Taoist Sects?

”Dad’s dad is a demon, dad’s mom is a demon...”

Just then, a sweet and melodious ringtone sounded—Zhang Fan pulled out his phone, saw the caller: Sui Chunsheng.

”Hello?”

”Are you free now? Come help me with something, how about it?” Sui Chunsheng’s voice came through the line.

”What’s up?”

”Go with me to the prison and pick up a criminal,” Sui Chunsheng replied.

”Pick up a criminal? The Daoist Alliance deals with that?” Zhang Fan asked, puzzled.

”He’s a major criminal, and also a Daoist, so I have to go myself...” Sui Chunsheng sounded a little unsure.

”He’s quite powerful, so I want you to back me up.”

”A Daoist in prison? And a major criminal? What’s his story?”

Zhang Fan grew curious, interest spiking.

”You probably haven’t heard of him...” Sui Chunsheng lowered his voice, paused briefly.

”His name is Fang Changle!”