“Finally back, huh…” Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Is he alone? Where is Immortal Lord Ziyun?”
In an instant, Li Fan had already played out the possible scenarios of their confrontation in his mind.
These included, but were not limited to:
1. Immortal Lord Hong Xi, facing the reality of being stripped of power and authority, launching a vigorous counterattack. Relying on the influence of his Soul Transformation cultivation, he could instantly regain the support of the majority of cultivators.
2. Alternatively, Immortal Lord Hong Xi might appear calm and cooperative on the surface while secretly biding his time. Once Li Fan relaxed his guard, he could strike swiftly and decisively, reversing the situation. In the end, Li Fan could be removed under a trumped-up charge.
However, what Li Fan never anticipated was that when Immortal Lord Hong Xi actually met him, there was no tension or hostility. Instead, Hong Xi burst into hearty laughter and gave him a big hug.
Li Fan’s body stiffened slightly, and a trace of confusion flashed in his eyes.
“Are we even that close?” he thought to himself.
“Good, very good! You’ve done well! When I heard that the Five Elders Association had nearly uprooted Ten Thousand Immortal Island, Ziyun and I were worried that Congyun Sea would descend into chaos. Who would have thought that you’d emerge out of nowhere? Over the past few years, not only did various evaluation metrics not decline, but they even rose by several ranks!”
“Why didn’t you wake up earlier? If you had, I wouldn’t have been overwhelmed with all those issues over the years.”
“Keep it up! From now on, the administration of Congyun Sea is yours to manage!”
Immortal Lord Hong Xi appeared genuinely pleased.
Li Fan fell silent.
Dressed in white, Hong Xi exuded a carefree aura. Humming an unknown tune, he returned to the long table in his quarters.
Gracefully pouring himself a cup of tea, he sipped it with evident contentment.
“Now, this is the life—lying back, watching achievements roll in without lifting a finger,” he said lazily.
Seeing Li Fan still standing stiffly, Hong Xi called out, “Hey, don’t be so uptight. Have some tea with me!”
“Thank you, Lord City Master!” Li Fan didn’t refuse. He stepped forward and took a seat.
After finishing another cup of tea, Hong Xi said, “Ziyun and I have heard of your deeds from the headquarters of the Immortal Alliance. Remarkable, truly remarkable. As expected of a disciple from an ancient sect, far more capable than us modern cultivators.”
“By the way, what’s your current cultivation level? Nascent Soul? Soul Transformation?” Hong Xi glanced at Li Fan, then shook his head.
“I can’t see through you at all!”
Li Fan replied calmly, “Regardless of my cultivation, I’m merely a subordinate under the City Lord’s command.”
Immortal Lord Hong Xi chuckled. “And I am but a subordinate to the Lord Jinglun, who himself is under the Law Enforcers’ command. We all serve the Immortal Alliance—what difference does it make?” Ṛα𐌽ÖꞖЕ𐌔
Li Fan’s expression grew solemn. “Your wisdom and perspective are indeed extraordinary. I am in awe!”
Seeing Li Fan’s formal demeanor, Hong Xi’s smile faded slightly. Shaking his head, he sighed. “Truly an old relic—so dull, so boring.”
“Fine, as long as you continue to handle the administration and maintain the current state of affairs, that’s all I ask.”
Noticing Hong Xi’s seemingly genuine attitude, Li Fan couldn’t help but ask, “Do you really have no intention of reclaiming power?”
Hong Xi burst into laughter again. “That’s where you don’t understand. But it’s okay; you’ll figure it out eventually. I might as well explain a bit.”
“I’ve been managing Congyun Sea for nearly two centuries now, always diligent and cautious. While I’ve made no great achievements, I’ve also committed no serious errors.”
“But such days have reached their end. Advancing further?”
Hong Xi sighed softly. “It’s difficult!”
“The Immortal Alliance has so many Soul Transformation cultivators. Competing with them without reaching Dao Integration…”
“Hehe, isn’t it more carefree and comfortable staying here in my Congyun Sea?”
“All these administrative affairs—sure, you can handle them carefully for a year, two years, even ten or thirty years.”
“But what about a hundred years, or two hundred years?”
“I’ve long grown tired of it. Yet, I can’t bring myself to resign. Handing it over to my subordinates? They’re all just incompetent fools, and I wouldn’t trust them with it.”
“For so many years, finally, someone like you has appeared!”
“Just look at this—Ziyun has stayed inland to attend some so-called ‘Friendly Exchange Meeting’ to broaden horizons. I couldn’t even be bothered to attend that rare grand event, held only once every few centuries. Instead, I couldn’t wait to return here to see you.”
“You didn’t disappoint me!”
Immortal Lord Hong Xi sighed deeply.
“I heard you might have been worried earlier, afraid I’d return and seize your authority? That’s unnecessary! I’m eager to hand over all these messes to you!”
“Rest assured, tomorrow I’ll summon everyone and make it clear. You’ll still be in charge from now on!”
Li Fan’s face twitched slightly but still cupped his hands respectfully, saying, “In that case, thank you for your generous favor, City Lord.”
Immortal Lord Hong Xi patted Li Fan’s shoulder again. “Do a good job! Even though the merit points you earn annually from your secret title are slightly less than mine, compared to those cultivators who toil away every year on merit tasks, it’s an entirely different league.”
“Moreover, I’ve heard that while you served as acting Island Lord and supervised the construction of Congyun City, your position was equivalent to that of a City Lord.”
“If we calculate it this way, your merit rankings should have increased quickly over these years.”
This time, it was Li Fan’s turn to be stunned.
“Merit points distributed annually? Why haven’t I received any?”
Immortal Lord Hong Xi, who was sipping tea, spat it out in shock, staring at Li Fan in disbelief.
“Impossible! You didn’t receive any merit points? Then what have you been working hard for all these years?”
“I…” Li Fan hesitated, words failing him.
Suddenly, he realized a significant generational gap between them and could only remain silent.
“You haven’t been participating in the annual settlements through the Tianxuan Mirror all this time, have you?” After a long pause, Immortal Lord Hong Xi looked at Li Fan with an exceptionally peculiar expression.
Li Fan shrugged. “No one ever mentioned it to me.”
Immortal Lord Hong Xi smacked his forehead.
“Ah…”
With a weary tone, he said, “You’d better go check it out quickly. Maybe you’ll find a surprise.”
Li Fan nodded, saluted, and left in a hurry.
Watching Li Fan’s figure gradually fade away, Immortal Lord Hong Xi shook his head. “Sigh, as expected of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance. When it’s not their concern, they completely ignore it…”
When Li Fan returned to the Tianxuan Mirror and inquired further, he finally understood what the so-called annual settlement was about.
It turned out that the primary administrators of each province not only received an annual contribution as their “salary.”
They were also awarded “performance” rewards based on their province’s overall ranking within the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.
This was settled annually, and in addition to contribution points, a large amount of merit was distributed.