Yao Pei submitted the draft list to the field camp, explaining her idea that Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu should fill the gap for this mission. In truth, many observant people understood that the reason Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were granted leave was mainly because their military achievements shone too brightly. If they continued fighting , beyond exchanging their merits for semi-immortal objects and higher posts, they would also accrue immense prestige. Thus, the only way to halt them was under the pretext of granting them leave. As the carefully groomed eighth-generation leader of the Quanzhen Sect, Yao Pei did not fail to grasp such a simple truth. Despite this, she still put the proposal forward. One could say she was acting purely for the public good or that she was deliberately opposing Sage Qingwei. After all, Sage Donghua was both Yao Pei’s uncle and master, and his greatest rival was Sage Qingwei. From Yao Pei’s standpoint, letting Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu rest was to her benefit, but opposing Sage Qingwei also aligned with her interests. Many suspected that the upper echelons of the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect had secretly reached an agreement to fully block the Taiping Sect from further advancement. In this generation, both sects would wholeheartedly back Sage Donghua, and in the next generation, the Quanzhen Sect would return the favor and back Zhang Yuelu. The price would be “sacrificing” Sage Cihang and Yao Pei. However, the goal was to prevent Sage Qingwei and Li Changge from becoming the Grand Master. Many dismissed Zhang Yuelu, saying she came from a minor branch of the Zhang family and that she had been a discarded pawn at the start, and so on. But this view was shortsighted. Since nothing in this world was ever constant, one’s development was most important. Being a discarded pawn in the past did not mean remaining one forever. Some could not see this, especially the noble scions who forever looked down on the low-born. Even if Zhang Yuelu became the emperor, they would still look down on her. But such contempt was nothing but their own misfortune. To this day, Zhang Yuelu still holds her position as the foremost of the three prodigies. Most in the Daoist community also acknowledged her as such. This was not judged by cultivation level alone, but also by office, rank, seniority, and intangible prestige. The Heavenly Preceptor had also helped resolve the issue of Zhang Yuelu being from the minor branch. In truth, apart from the Zhang family themselves, most of the Daoist Order cared little for distinctions between the main and minor branches of the family. After all, lineage was not everything, and there was no rule prohibiting orphans from becoming the Grand Master. More crucially, Zhang Yuelu was not just a descendant of the Zhang family but also the successor to the Cihang lineage. The Zhengyi Sect’s two main pillars of support were the Zhang family and the Cihang lineage. Both Zhang Jucheng and Sage Cihang could never truly gain the support of the two. Many also called Zhang Yuelu radical, but that was only because they were too conservative. At her core, Zhang Yuelu belonged to the reformist camp, yearning for change and reforming the Daoist Order. For over two centuries, the Daoist Order had accumulated too many ills and was now at the point where change was unavoidable. It required someone to step forth and give the Daoist Order new life. Since ancient times, reformers who touched on the entrenched interests of the elites rarely met a good end. Only those of great ambition, strong resolve, and outstanding ability could successfully enact change. The true radicals of the Daoist Order advocated splitting the three Daoist sects apart, while others called for violent means to overthrow the current Daoist system. There were even visions like those the Heavenly Preceptor once saw in the Guizang Lantern of the crown falling, the monarch’s dream shattered, blood staining the realm, heaven collapsing, and the world told anew. So long as one was radical enough, everyone else appeared conservative. This, ironically, became Zhang Yuelu’s advantage. However, the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect had never responded to such rumors. Apart from a select few at the top, most could not confirm whether such an agreement truly existed. At the very least, Qi Xuansu had no idea. If such an agreement did exist, then Yao Pei’s move was very telling. The Quanzhen Sect had cultivated Qi Xuansu for a marriage alliance to reassure the Zhengyi Sect. They only lamented that Zhang Yuelu was not a man. Otherwise, it would have been more fitting for Zhang Yuelu and Yao Pei to marry each other. When the list was submitted, Sage Qingwei did not oppose it outright. He said, “In principle, I do not agree. The field camp has already granted them leave, so we shouldn’t go back on our word. However, if they both consent, I will not object. Let Mansion Master Jing and Deputy Hall Master Yao discuss and decide.” Clearly, Sage Qingwei disapproved of the arrangements but did not wish to play the villain. So he left the role to Jing Tianming to stop Yao Pei in his stead. However, Yao Pei, being as decisive as ever, acted on it first. She skipped the discussion with Jing Tianming and contacted Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu directly, informing them of the matter. At that time, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu had already left Iino District and gone to Mount Suzuka to recuperate. There, they had taken the chance to consult Suzuka Gozen about the demonic fire. Upon receiving Yao Pei’s message, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu discussed briefly and decided to participate. After all, advancement within the Daoist Order was like rowing upstream—one either moved forward or was swept back. When Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu returned to the camp, Sage Jing Tianming was infuriated at Yao Pei for bypassing him and summoning Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu without first consulting him. This was outright disrespect and disdain toward him as a Mansion Master. If he wanted, he could very well spin this into a considerable crime. Even so, Yao Pei still wore her listless, drowsy expression, showing not a trace of fear or concern toward Jing Tianming. That was because Yao Pei had the backing of the Quanzhen Sect. She was the Earthly Preceptor’s grandniece but was from the main branch of the Yao family, similar to Zhang Yuyue’s noble birth. She was also Sage Donghua’s niece and favorite disciple. By lineage, Yao Pei’s standing was the highest of them all. The Quanzhen Sect’s three generations were bound far more tightly than the Zhangs or Lis. On this point, the Earthly Preceptor would not be as restrained as the Heavenly Preceptor. After all, the Earthly Preceptor was the current Great Sage Lunzhi. Zhang Juquan’s case was a good example. He was dead, yet Li Changge remained safe and sound. Thus, this assignment was a trivial matter in comparison. When the time came, one could simply wave it off, saying that it was an oversight. Of course, Jing Tianming understood this reasoning, so he could only rage helplessly. He had no authority to punish Yao Pei and could only report it upward. However, Sage Qingwei’s position was too sensitive. If he were to deal with Yao Pei, it would be tantamount to offending Sage Donghua, sparking unpredictable consequences. If he reported it to the Golden Tower Council, the outcome was obvious. They would never approve it and instead accuse Sage Qingwei of making a fuss over nothing. After Jing Tianming vented his anger, Yao Pei finally spoke, calm and unhurried. “This matter was my oversight. As the Mansion Master, you are in charge of this mission, and I have failed to seek your instructions beforehand. I won’t deny my mistake. You may request the field camp to punish me or report me to the Golden Tower Council and forbid me from taking part. You can also send Deputy Hall Master Qi and Deputy Hall Master Zhang back immediately.” She paused slightly before continuing, “Then please slay the Yamato-no-Orochi with the manpower you have, Mansion Master. It’s no big deal.” This was Jing Tianming’s fatal weakness. Three Pseudo-Immortals could contend against a Longevity-stage Immortal. However, that did not guarantee victory. It was merely the ability to strike back and survive. If they fought to the death, the result could be three Pseudo-Immortals slain or mutual destruction, making it a dangerous task. With four Pseudo-Immortals facing a Longevity-stage beast rather than a Longevity-stage Immortal, they could perhaps gain the upper hand, but it was still not foolproof. After all, a final counterattack from a Longevity-stage beast could still drag one or two Pseudo-Immortals down with it. In this Fenglin campaign, the loss of even a single Pseudo-Immortal would be intolerable because Sage Qingwei’s efforts in this campaign would be all but wasted, his contributions greatly diminished. Even if the Golden Tower Council did not hold Jing Tianming accountable for the death of a Pseudo-Immortal, Sage Qingwei surely would. So Jing Tianming dared not take such a risk. Thus, Yao Pei’s plan was to pile on the numbers. If they had too few Pseudo-Immortals, they could supplement with Zaohua-stage Heavenly Beings. If even those were insufficient, they could add Wuliang-stage cultivators like Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu. This way, they could ensure absolute certainty. If Yao Pei, Qi Xuansu, and Zhang Yuelu all refused to participate, then Jing Tianming would be left with only six people plus Li Changge. They could still slay the Yamata-no-Orochi, but it would be hard to guarantee no casualties. The question was whether Jing Tianming dared to wager his career on such odds. Moreover, if, by misfortune, Li Changge died, he would be in great trouble. With the Li family’s temperament, Jing Tianming would face more than just the loss of his position. Original content can be found at novel•fire.net Being an Omniscient Sage, Jing Tianming did not fail to understand this. In the end, he swallowed his anger and was forced by Yao Pei to approve the plan. This was a method only Yao Pei could employ because of her lineage. At the very least, Qi Xuansu could not pull this off because Madam Qi was not the Earthly Preceptor. After the roster was finalized, Jing Tianming convened a brief council. He laid out the significance and details of the serpent-slaying mission and asked if anyone had any objections or additions. However, Yao Pei’s plan was highly detailed, needing little modification. At most, people raised questions, which she answered one by one. Once the plan was fully settled, the group boarded a flying ship bound for Izumo Province. Besides these main forces, several Spirit Guards and Daoist priests had already gone ahead to prepare formations. Some of them were Heavenly Beings. Not long after the Ise battle, Izumo’s daimyo had pledged allegiance to the Chancellor’s Office. Since then, the Chancellor’s Office had ordered local lords to cooperate with the Daoists in evacuating civilians to avoid accidental casualties.