626: Chapter 625 An Family Clan Gathering 626: Chapter 625 An Family Clan Gathering The ornate ship made a round of the Three Rivers Prefecture, and many Daoists hesitated.
Hou Niao noticed this and teased,
“Fairy, if you have something to say, just speak up.
With the relationship between you and me, is there anything you can’t say?”
The Daoist looked at him, her mind made up.
“Hou Niao, be frank with me.
Are you in cahoots with one of the Golden Core elders from the upper echelons of North An?
I’ve always felt that your relationship with Chong Ling is somewhat strange.
It seems more complicated than I imagined.
Over the years, your actions have exceeded what a member of the Anhe should do…”
“I will only ask this once.
If you do not speak now, I will never bring it up again.”
Hou Niao sighed inwardly.
After all these years, the crevices in his actions were still apparent to those who truly cared for him; the Daoist was right.
Numerous Anhe Cultivators had ventured to the Outer Path, but none had worked as devotedly for Anhe as he had.
Truthfully, what he had done greatly exceeded the expectations of a friendship with an Anhe Daoist—it was a bit too much.
“It’s not a Golden Core!”
The Daoist’s lips parted slightly in surprise, “Could it be…”
“This concerns the position of Anhe Daoist Sect’s True Inheritor.
Some believe I could represent Anhe Daoist Sect to obtain one of these positions to make up for the weakness of this generation’s Tongtian disciples.
That is the intention, but I have not decided yet.
The matter is still unresolved…”
The Daoist breathed a sigh of relief, “No wonder, no wonder the family patriarch asked me to invite you…”
Now Hou Niao was the one puzzled, “What do you mean?”
The Daoist’s beautiful eyes danced, “The An family of Sanjiang will soon hold a Daoist discussion in the prefecture, inviting the young and talented of Anhe Daoist Sect.
But I can’t understand why the family patriarch mentioned you to me?
The family patriarch didn’t know you before and never even heard of you, so, was it Master Xiao…”
A thought flickered in Hou Niao’s mind, and he roughly understood the crux of the matter.
Master Xiao intended to pull him into the fray of True Disciples within Anhe Daoist Sect because he considered the lack of competitiveness among the North An cultivators, especially against the South An lineage, which had the robust backing of the Wu Sect.
He might not be the only Daoist from outside being brought in, but he was certainly one of the most important; for such a significant decision, Master Xiao could not act alone.
He must have an ally who supported him.
It was unrealistic to seek out the Nascent Transformation old patriarch from South An—he could only turn to another Nascent Transformation old patriarch—Master An from the same North An lineage.
That was the patriarch of the An family.
“What kind of gathering is it?
Will I attend simply as a member of the Shan Sect of sword cultivators?”
The Daoist examined the man before her again, carefully.
Over the years, she thought she understood him quite well, but now she realized he had kept many secrets.
Heaven help her; when he first entered the path, she had tried everything to pull him back into Anhe Daoist Sect, but in reality, he had long been entangled with her Sect in a hazy, unresolved way.
She had thought it was merely a favor from Daoist Chong Ling, but it seemed there was much more to it.
For Master Xiao, the most independent and unique member of Anhe Daoist Sect, to take an interest and extend an invitation, the relationship must be complex.
How significant is a True Disciple in a sect?
Is it something that can be easily handed over?
But personally, she wasn’t against such a proposal.
In her eyes, his actions since he began his cultivation made him appear as one of their own, except for his ludicrous aspirations to marry above his station; everything else seemed quite suitable.
“It’s not that complicated.
It’s a regular exchange gathering for the younger generation of the An family.
Such intrinsic evaluations have been held every few years in the past as a norm; but since issues arose within the Anhe Daoist Sect, some typical Daoist exchanges stalled.
An internal exchange has not occurred for over a decade.
Reinstating it now, besides the An family’s young descendants, also invites all potential and powerful Tongtian Realm fighters of the Anhe Daoist Sect, without distinction between the North and South Veins, to gather together.
The pretext is a family exchange but what’s really being tested is the competition for the True Disciples—everyone understands this.”
Hou Niao was slightly startled.
“It seems that within the Anhe Daoist Sect, the divide between North and South is not yet irreconcilable?”
Especially among the lower Tongtian Realms, everyone tacitly refrains from taking a clear stand, instead following their Sect elders.
This adheres to the Daoist approach of careful planning before taking action.
Premature involvement in factional strife is very detrimental to a cultivator’s progress.
This family gathering for exchange ostensibly aims to confirm the True Disciple title within the An family, but in reality, it’s an internal push to select the True Disciple candidate for the entire North An lineage.
This includes not only cultivators genuinely from the North An lineage but also many from the South An, harboring much competitive intent…”
I thought it was a martial contest for marriage.
Speaking of which, couldn’t one take care of personal and public interests at the same time?
Killing two birds with one stone is only natural.”
The Daoist’s gaze shifted, not replying, not out of embarrassment but because the An family patriarch indeed harbored such intentions.
At her level, many decisions were out of her hands.
The future of Anhe Daoist Sect, the future of the family, these were concerns of the An clan.
With Anhe Daoist Sect weathering hard times, everyone was making their final preparations, and bringing in additional external support was of utmost importance.
While the South An lineage could unashamedly leverage the Wu Sect cultivators for support, North An could naturally turn to other forces for backing.
Formerly, a slightly foolish, low-level cultivator by the river was now always thinking about how to take advantage of her, which she found utterly nonsensical.
“I’m not holding you up, am I?
I heard from Lan Re that you were planning to stay here for three days before leaving?”
Hou Niao shook his head.
“If I don’t see you, of course, I would leave, but if there’s official business, such as meeting a future father-in-law…”
The Daoist ignored his banter.
“I heard about the two concubines you took in Fufeng City after that battle?
It’s alright; I can decide on this matter.
After all, you are a Capital Commandant of a city now, and having two to fold your blankets and make your bed isn’t unreasonable.”
Hou Niao gazed steadily at her.
“Are these the advance party of maids for the dowry?
If so, I wouldn’t refuse.
I just wonder when the young lady will come over?”
The Daoist looked at the thick-skinned man before her, unable to understand why she hadn’t established authority over him during their first encounter decades earlier, allowing him to entertain inappropriate thoughts.
Yet, deep down she was very clear: never underestimate him because of his shamelessness.
This man caught up to her realm in just sixty years, and his power was unfathomable.
Below the surface of casual indifference lay a heart capable of ruthless decisions.
This was a man who couldn’t be controlled!