Chapter 601: Zong Heng's Discussion Rules

E Yun found himself in a very difficult situation.

He was a prominent figure in the Eastern Wilderness. As the lord of Beiyuan City, guardian of Yan Kingdom, and a direct descendant of Chen Mobai, he was considered one of the top cultivators, second only to the few Core Formation grand elders. Yet, on this day, he was stumped by a dispute involving two Qi Cultivation cultivators.

Wang Juyuan of Liudan Pharmacy had filed a complaint against Han Tingfeng for defaulting on spirit stones, which led to Wang Juyuan breaching his own contract. He was demanding that Han Tingfeng's descendants pay three times the original debt in compensation. Had it been anyone else, E Yun would have immediately dispatched cultivators from the Hall of Punishment to the Han family's residence, compelling them to settle the debt as per the agreement. If they were genuinely destitute, he would simply reclaim their cave-dwelling property, auction it off at market value, and use the proceeds to settle the outstanding debt.

The crucial point, however, was that among Han Tingfeng's children, there was Han Zhiling. She was the top graduate of Changsheng Academy, having only recently received her graduation certificate and a Foundation Establishment Pill directly from Chen Mobai himself. Given her talent, once she entered the Divine Wood Sect, she was sure to become a future true disciple, and possibly even the next sect leader.

Upon learning of the situation, E Yun immediately summoned Wang Juyuan, subtly hinting that he should not escalate the matter publicly. However, Wang Juyuan, appearing utterly naive, failed to grasp the hint and stubbornly insisted that Han Zhiling pay the spirit stones. Although E Yun knew Wang Juyuan was merely after the Foundation Establishment Pill, faced with the rules established by Chen Mobai, he could only suppress his anger and instruct Wang Juyuan to return and await a decision.

If you can't deal with the small fry, go after the big fish!

E Yun waited for a long while before Yu Lian entered, accompanied by a Foundation Establishment cultivator who wore a bitter smile. This was none other than Wang Xuanming, a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Wang family of Liudan Mountain.

“Brother Wang, a member of your family has been quite impudent.”

Wang Juyuan viewed this as his sole opportunity to achieve Foundation Establishment, having staked everything on it, even disregarding E Yun's influence. The Wang family of Liudan Mountain, however, could not afford such defiance. Despite being a prominent local power in Yan Kingdom, they had no choice but to humble themselves before a formidable entity like the Divine Wood Sect.

“Guardian E, I spoke with that individual before coming here. He stated that even if he is disowned by the Wang family, he is determined to obtain that Foundation Establishment Pill.”

Upon hearing Wang Juyuan's words, Wang Xuanming's hand instinctively rose, as if he wanted to strike down this wayward descendant on the spot. However, within Beiyuan City, he truly dared not commit murder. He could only reprimand Wang Juyuan, disown him from the Wang family as the youth desired, and then promptly follow Yu Lian to explain the situation to E Yun.

“Hmph, your Wang family is truly something!”

Seeing that even involving the family elder had proven fruitless, E Yun's expression immediately hardened. Nevertheless, he knew he had to handle this matter impeccably. After all, Han Zhiling was the chief disciple personally selected by Chen Mobai. If word got out that she was a defaulter, it would bring immense shame upon the Divine Wood Sect.

After some thought, he decided to personally advance the spirit stones for Han Zhiling, hoping to resolve the matter quietly. Over the years, E Yun had diligently served as the guardian of Beiyuan City. While he always upheld his duties impartially, his position made it quite easy for him to accrue a considerable amount of legitimate spirit stones. He had accumulated over a hundred thousand spirit stones. Though it pained him to part with ten thousand to clear Han Tingfeng's debt, he considered it a worthwhile investment in a genius like Han Zhiling. The primary reason, of course, was to prevent any damage to Chen Mobai's reputation.

With this in mind, E Yun produced his Heavens-Connecting Instrument. Since its invention, this artifact had been unanimously praised by all cultivators for its convenience. Consequently, after Chen Mobai assumed leadership, he commissioned the Artifact Forging Department to produce many, equipping each guardian with one. Cultivators in Beiyuan City took pride in possessing the authority to use the Heavens-Connecting Instrument for communication, and throughout Yan Kingdom, even across the entire Eastern Wilderness Plateau, it had become a symbol of status.

A short while later, Jiang Zongheng and Ding Ying arrived, having received E Yun's message via the Heavens-Connecting Instrument. E Yun explained the situation to them.

“Junior Brother Jiang, Junior Sister Ding, what do you think about resolving this matter in this way?”

E Yun was no saint. If he was going to pay ten thousand spirit stones to settle Han Tingfeng's debt, he certainly intended for the involved parties to be aware of his generosity. At the very least, Han Zhiling should acknowledge this favor from him!

“Senior Brother E, your generosity is truly commendable. I thank you on Zhiling's behalf.” Upon hearing this, Ding Ying instinctively gave E Yun a thumbs-up and offered her gratitude.

“After all, it was the Sect Master himself who…”

“I object!”

Before E Yun could finish, Jiang Zongheng shook his head with a stern expression, indicating that the approach was unacceptable.

“Junior Brother Jiang, are you concerned that Zhiling and the others might shoulder too great a debt of gratitude at such a young age, creating excessive pressure that could hinder their future cultivation?”

Ding Ying's words prompted Jiang Zongheng to shake his head once more, and he posed a counter-question. “Today, Senior Brother E Yun is prepared to pay ten thousand spirit stones to resolve an issue for Han Zhiling, an uninitiated disciple. What if tomorrow a formal disciple of our sect were to accrue even greater personal debts outside, and the creditors came knocking? How would Senior Brother E Yun handle that situation?”

“Well… Junior Brother Jiang and Junior Sister Ding, since we are all trusted colleagues, I will be frank. The main reason I am willing to pay the spirit stones to resolve this is because Han Zhiling's situation touches upon the Sect Master's reputation. For other sect disciples, I would naturally not intervene.” E Yun answered Jiang Zongheng with utmost sincerity.

“The concern is not scarcity, but inequality. If Senior Brother E Yun helps Han Tingfeng, an outsider, settle a debt today, but then refuses to assist a sect disciple in a similar situation tomorrow, by comparison, you will be seen by other disciples as merely someone who curries favor with those above. With such a reputation, do you believe, Senior Brother, that you could still ascend to the position of Sect Master once our Master steps down?”

Jiang Zongheng's words caused E Yun to break out in a cold sweat instantly.

“Thanks to your timely reminder, Junior Brother, otherwise I would have committed a grave error today.” E Yun abruptly rose to his feet, grasping Jiang Zongheng's hand and expressing his gratitude repeatedly. He was well aware that although he was a direct descendant of Chen Mobai and widely regarded as the primary successor to the Sect Master position, Zhou Wangshen in Xiao Nation remained a formidable contender, keenly watching from the sidelines.

In recent years, he knew that Zhou Bingyan frequently traveled to Giant Wood Ridge, either assisting the Sect Master in acquiring Vitality Stones or helping Zhuo Ming gather various ores. Her recent arrival alongside the Sect Master via a teleportation array further indicated her deep connections with the Little South Mountain lineage.

Furthermore, E Yun was acutely aware that Chen Mobai's constant mantra was "integrity above all else." A sterling reputation can take centuries, even millennia, to build, yet it can be ruined by even the most trivial oversight. From its very founding by Chen Mobai, Beiyuan City had consistently elevated the moral standards of the Eastern Wilderness, becoming the region's benchmark to this day. Precisely for this reason, numerous rogue cultivators placed their trust in Beiyuan City, which in turn led them to genuinely regard the Divine Wood Sect as the foremost sect in the Eastern Wilderness! Achieving all this had taken Beiyuan City a full twenty-four years. If twenty-four years of established reputation were to be ruined under his watch, not only would the position of Sect Master be out of reach, but he would likely lose his standing even within the Three Halls and Twelve Departments in the future.

“Then how should this matter be resolved?” After Jiang Zongheng concluded his argument, Ding Ying, looking worried, interjected. She was very fond of Han Zhiling, a talented, obedient, and innocent child. Her allegiance was firmly with her student. In any other place, she would have secretly dealt with an insignificant figure like Wang Juyuan for daring to act in such a manner long ago. But this was Beiyuan City, bound by the rules established by Chen Mobai!

“Perhaps I could take Zhiling and the others away from Beiyuan City for a while? With the creditors absent, Senior Brother E would have a plausible excuse to keep delaying.” Ding Ying pondered for a moment and proposed a solution, but both E Yun and Jiang Zongheng rejected it at the same time.

“Absolutely not. That would be a dereliction of my duty. Furthermore, if the creditors were to leave, I would be compelled to auction off Han Ronglu's third-tier cave-dwelling property, which would mean he loses his Foundation Establishment Pill – an even greater and more regrettable loss.”

“Then what exactly should we do? We can't possibly allow Wang Juyuan to succeed and seize Zhiling's Foundation Establishment Pill. Where would that leave the Divine Wood Sect's prestige?” In her youth, Ding Ying had been a cold and stern beauty. It was only after Chen Mobai's sudden emergence, and a decade and a half of continuous anxiety, that her temperament had mellowed. Yet, at this moment, she too was growing visibly annoyed. That they, dignified Foundation Establishment cultivators of a prominent sect, were stumped by a mere ninth-level Qi Cultivator like Wang Juyuan, would surely become a laughingstock among other major sects of the Eastern Wilderness if word spread.

“And why not?” However, Jiang Zongheng countered Ding Ying's statement with a question, leaving her stunned on the spot.

“Junior Brother Jiang, what do you mean?” Had she not been intimately familiar with Jiang Zongheng's character, Ding Ying might have suspected he had been bribed by Wang Juyuan.

“Thank you for your guidance, Junior Brother Jiang. Should I ever ascend to the position of Sect Master, I will forever remember your words from today.” E Yun, however, instantly grasped Jiang Zongheng's meaning. He solemnly bowed to his junior brother, who was only half his age. It was at this very moment that he finally understood why, when the monument was erected at Changsheng Academy, among all the attendees, the Sect Master had uniquely chosen Jiang Zongheng, even taking the unprecedented initiative to invite him as a disciple.

“What cryptic game are you two playing?!” Ding Ying, still bewildered, frowned and asked.

“We operate according to the rules of Beiyuan City. If Han Zhiling is unable to repay the spirit stones and must forfeit her Foundation Establishment Pill to Wang Juyuan, Junior Sister, how do you think others will perceive this?”

“They’ll call us incompetent. The chief disciple of Changsheng Academy, personally chosen by the Sect Master, brought to such a pass by a minor ninth-level Qi Cultivator, one even disowned by his own family. To think she can’t even hold onto a Foundation Establishment Pill personally bestowed by the Sect Master, and all this in Beiyuan City, personally established by the Sect Master…” Halfway through her statement, Ding Ying suddenly had a realization. She froze in place, her eyes gleaming with comprehension.

After a long moment, she exhaled slowly, finally grasping Jiang Zongheng’s intent. “After this matter, everyone will understand that Beiyuan City’s rules supersede all else! Even we, Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Divine Wood Sect, even chief disciples personally appointed by the Sect Master, must diligently abide by the rules if we transgress! It is regrettable, however, that Zhiling will become the very example to propagate these stringent rules, and this reputation will accompany her for the rest of her life! I just hope this child can endure it!” As she spoke the last words, Ding Ying, as a female cultivator, felt a pang of softness.

“All things require the constraint of rules to establish order. It is precisely the absence of a unifying power in the Eastern Wilderness capable of establishing rules and ensuring universal compliance that has led to so many years of conflict and death. I joined my Master's tutelage precisely because I wish to follow him in establishing a set of rules that all living beings across the entire Eastern Wilderness must abide by! For this cause, let alone a mere student like Han Zhiling, even if it demands my own sacrifice, I will advance unflinchingly, without hesitation!”

Jiang Zongheng, holding his Way-Measuring Ruler, spoke of his ideals with a serene expression.