Sipping the tea that Gui Hai Long had prepared for him, he couldn't help but laugh.
It was as he had expected, Gui Hai Long was Xing Mian.
However, most of the time, he appeared as Xing Mian. As for Gui Hai Long, it was basically just a name. Even Du Gu Sheng had never seen his true face.
Only Xiao Yin knew!
Mo Qi was very curious and asked, "Why do you do this?"
Xing Mian said smugly, "Because I'm invincible. I feel that the people below are too insignificant, and the gap between us is too large. I don't want to interact with them."
Mo Qi stared blankly at Xing Mian, unable to believe that this arrogant and condescending person before him was the timid Dean of the Heavenly Steps Academy.
Xing Mian smiled, "I was just kidding. How could I be so arrogant?"
You know you're arrogant?
Xing Mian's expression turned serious, and he continued, "Actually, I wanted to give the younger generation sufficient training."
He then sighed, "Who knew that my letting go would directly lead to some people becoming lawless and committing all sorts of evil deeds."
Mo Qi comforted him, "It's not your fault. Some people are born with a cheap bone; being a scoundrel is only a matter of time."
Xing Mian suddenly turned cold, "Don't talk about me. I haven't even talked about you yet. Every time you appear, you cause chaos in the Qionglu Realm. Look at this time, whether it's the Steps or the various sects, you've turned everything upside down. Are you satisfied now?"
Mo Qi smiled, "You should thank me for clearing the Steps of rebels. I contributed so much and sacrificed so much, yet you still criticize me."
"It's a good thing that I criticize you first and then heavily rely on you," Xing Mian said with a smile.
"Whether I'm relied upon or not is irrelevant," Mo Qi said nonchalantly. "What about Du Gu Sheng? How do you plan to deal with him? If he's not killed, he'll be a threat sooner or later."
Xing Mian took a sip of tea, his expression solemn. "Killing him is easy, but how will we deal with the questioning from the upper realm, and how will we face the doubts from our colleagues in the Steps? He's the Deputy Lord of the Seventh Step, after all. Without conclusive evidence of him colluding with the enemy, how can we dare to kill him on a whim?"
"Moreover, what if we kill the wrong person?"
Mo Qi was somewhat speechless. Doing things within the "Imperial Court" always required careful consideration; it was truly troublesome!
After a moment of contemplation, he stared at Xing Mian and said, "A few years ago, the Steps sent Wan Bei Feng to lead a team on a mission in Hong Meng South, but they ambushed their own people with a sinister scheme. Was this your instruction or Du Gu Sheng's?"
Xing Mian's heart remained unmoved, "Of course not me. I'm telling you, I haven't inquired about the affairs of the Steps for a long time. Now that I've discovered it's gradually deviating from the right track, I intend to come back and manage it."
"As for whether Du Gu Sheng did it, you'll have to verify that yourself."
When Mo Qi returned to the Fourth Step, he had just entered the main hall when a new appointment was issued.
Mo Qi was appointed Deputy Lord of the Seventh Step!
This appointment not only drove others mad but also greatly surprised Mo Qi himself.
He had originally thought that he would move up step by step, perhaps becoming a Deputy Lord of the Fifth Step at most, but he never expected to reach such a high position so quickly.
However, he felt no joy in his heart.
He knew the current situation within the Steps. To describe it in one word, it was internal turmoil and external threats. If another word were added, it would be a state of ruin and a need for revitalization.
The Deputy Lord of the Seventh Step actually exercised the powers of a Lord.
This was because Xing Mian did not manage affairs at all.
Therefore, he felt immense pressure. It wasn't a lack of ability, but a lack of energy!
Moreover, he felt that Xing Mian was deceiving him.
If they were going to appoint a Deputy Lord of the Seventh Step, why not inform him in advance?
Furthermore, did the former Deputy Lord of the Seventh Step, Du Gu Sheng, have no objections?
He actually had no objections!
After hearing that he was demoted to the position of Hall Master of the Divine Wood Hall in the Seventh Step, Du Gu Sheng showed no dissatisfaction. On the contrary, when others spoke up for him, he said that this was the punishment he deserved because he had not managed his family well, leading to a traitor within the clan. He felt extremely ashamed.
His magnanimity earned him widespread praise. People said he was noble, upright, and honorable, a true man!
In contrast, the discussions about Mo Qi were the opposite. Some called him shameless, others said he used underhanded tactics, but in short, he was considered worthless!
Mo Qi did not wish to accept the position of Deputy Lord of the Seventh Step. He immediately went to the Lord's residence of the Seventh Step to confront Xing Mian, but Xing Mian was not there.
He then went to the Academy.
Xing Mian was still not there!
He encountered Xiao Yin, who said she also didn't know Xing Mian's whereabouts. Mo Qi was speechless, on the verge of tears!
Since he was at the Academy, he went to visit Du Gu Jun. Du Gu Jun was indeed still at the Academy, in the same dormitory, still as effeminate. Mo Qi said he wanted to return Qian Rong Yi Mian to him, but he refused to accept it.
He said he wanted to give Qian Rong Yi Mian to Mo Qi!
Mo Qi was very surprised. Why were good things happening one after another since his return to the Southern Continent, if the promotion to Deputy Lord of the Seventh Step could be considered a good thing.
The two chatted for a long time, discussing their experiences and future plans, but they carefully avoided any mention of family matters.
Mo Qi believed that Du Gu Jun was not involved in the Du Gu family's treasonous dealings, and Du Gu Jun felt there was no need to explain himself to Mo Qi, so neither of them mentioned it.
Mo Qi said, "You don't plan to stay in the Academy forever, do you? You have to make room for other new students."
Du Gu Jun smiled, "They asked me to be the Deputy Leader of the Divine Capital Sect. What do you think?"
"That's fine," Mo Qi said without hesitation. "At least you can safeguard a family business."
"Never mind, I'll find an opportunity to go out and train. If you approve of something, it's definitely not a good thing," Du Gu Jun said, pointing at Mo Qi with his orchid finger.
Mo Qi rolled his eyes. So, he was asking for advice in reverse!
In an underground palace, countless earthlings were still arguing incessantly.
Shui Yin, Shi Sheng, and the other earthlings who had interacted with humans were describing the fragility of human cultivators. They suggested breaking through the Seventh Step immediately, charging into the Southern Heavenly Gate, and directly attacking the Ling Xiao Palace!
However, General Duan said, "Breaking through the Seventh Step is easy, but successfully entering the Southern Heavenly Gate is too difficult. We have an agreement with the Asura clan, and we support and coordinate with each other. When the heavenly tribulation arrives, if we both attack together, our chances of success will be much greater."
Wang Kui's elder brother, Wang Xing, quietly withdrew after hearing these arguments.
He didn't want to get involved in this endless bickering; it was meaningless.
They had been arguing about this issue for a long time without reaching a conclusion.
But that was their business.
He was different from them.
He still carried the hatred of his younger brother, Wang Kui.
He didn't care about the Southern Heavenly Gate or the Ling Xiao Palace. He only wanted to ascend to the Seventh Step and kill Mo Qi.
He had asked Shui Yin and others about the overall strength of the people in the Steps.
They all said that from the First Step to the Seventh Step, one person was enough!
Therefore, he planned to go alone!
Revenge!
After Mo Qi left Du Gu Jun's dormitory, he went to Tong Wu Qi's dormitory.
Upon inquiring, he learned that Tong Wu Qi had already left the Academy.
Further questioning revealed that the Tong family had recently encountered some trouble, and their situation had deteriorated drastically. Even though he had the intention to continue progressing, he no longer had the financial support from his family, so he had returned home.
It was rumored that he had become quite dejected.
The Tong family was indeed facing a crisis at this time.
The Tong family owned several mountains used for growing alchemy ingredients. After the ingredients matured, they were sold to the alchemy association in the city. The Tong family relied on this business to support its entire clan.
However, recently, for some unknown reason, the alchemy association suddenly stopped purchasing ingredients from the Tong family. Whatever they sent was returned. They also claimed that the Tong family's ingredients had quality issues.
They had always cultivated them in the same way. There were no quality issues before; why were there suddenly quality issues now?
This drove the Tong family to distraction.
Tong Tong, Tong Wu Qi's father, had also repeatedly sought out Manager Yao of the alchemy association, but Manager Yao claimed to be powerless and always rudely rebuffed them.
The economic lifeline of the entire clan was severed, and they soon found themselves in dire straits.
The expenses for hundreds of people in the clan were not small, and even a mountain of gold was quickly depleted.
Even though most people had achieved辟谷 (bì gǔ - the ability to abstain from grain), they still needed money for clothing, food, and cultivation resources.
The family's situation grew increasingly difficult.
When it rains, it pours. Here, survival itself became a problem, and the bank came knocking, demanding the repayment of previous loans within a deadline. The Tong family had no money to repay, so the bank threatened to confiscate their mountains.
This was an attempt to drive them to their doom!
The Tong family felt they were at their wits' end.
Tong Wu Qi felt an unprecedented sense of helplessness. He had cultivated his skills in vain and was powerless to help his family through its crisis.
What was the use of this cultivation?
Most importantly, this cultivation was not even enough to deal with the people from the bank.
At this moment, the bank, accompanied by some people dressed in soldier's uniforms, arrived at the Tong family's estate, intending to forcibly seal it.
Those soldiers were from the Steps' city patrol teams, specifically responsible for regulating the cultivation atmosphere and investigating lawbreakers. Yet, today, they had become the thugs of the bank.
However, they did not take action.
There was no need. The bank's chief manager, Ma Shang Jie, rushed forward, and no one could stop him. He had already taken down several elders of the Tong family, and even the patriarch, Tong Tong, had been defeated.
Tong Wu Qi could no longer bear it and rushed forward, only to be knocked down with a palm strike, spitting blood.
He struggled to get up, only to be knocked down again.
Ma Shang Jie had initially just wanted to teach them a lesson and drive them away, but he hadn't expected them to be so stubborn and ignorant, and a killing intent arose in his heart.
At this moment, a red light emanated from his hand, and his eyes showed a bloodthirsty glint. He looked at Tong Wu Qi and said, "You truly don't know what's good for you. I've already given you a chance to live, and you didn't cherish it. Now, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Tong Wu Qi showed no fear and looked at Ma Shang Jie indignantly, "You group of bandits, if you want to break into my Tong family, then step over my corpse."
"Corpse? I'll make sure you have no remains," Ma Shang Jie said coldly. As he spoke, the red light in his hand suddenly surged, striking towards Tong Wu Qi.