Chapter 613: Hongxi Returns to Congyun

“So, he’s finally back...” Li Fan’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Only him? Where’s Immortal Lord Ziyun?”

In an instant, Li Fan had already mentally rehearsed the power dynamics between them after their meeting. This included, but was not limited to, Immortal Lord Hongxi, confronted with his authority being undermined and usurped, fighting back. Leveraging the influence of his Soul Transformation cultivation, he would instantly reclaim the support of most cultivators.

Alternatively, Immortal Lord Hongxi might feign calmness and act compliantly, offering temporary reassurance. Once Li Fan relaxed, Hongxi would strike like lightning, initiating his plan and instantly reversing the situation. Finally, he would dismiss Li Fan on trumped-up charges. And so on.

However, Li Fan never expected that when Immortal Lord Hongxi actually saw him, there would be no tension at all. Instead, Hongxi burst into laughter and immediately gave Li Fan a big hug. Li Fan’s body stiffened slightly, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. *Are we that familiar with each other?* he wondered to himself.

Immortal Lord Hongxi, seemingly oblivious to Li Fan’s odd expression, patted his shoulder, looking very pleased. “Excellent! You’ve done a splendid job! After hearing that Myriad Immortals Island was almost completely uprooted by the Council of Five Elders, Ziyun and I were worried that Cloudsea would descend into chaos. Unexpectedly, you emerged out of nowhere. Over the past few years, not only have the rankings for various performance indicators not declined, but they’ve actually risen by several places!”

“Why didn't you awaken sooner? Otherwise, I wouldn't have been so swamped with all these matters over the years! Keep up the good work! From now on, the administrative affairs of Cloudsea will remain under your management!” Immortal Lord Hongxi seemed extremely delighted.

Li Fan fell silent.

Hongxi, dressed in white, seemed completely at ease. Humming an unknown tune, he returned to the long table in the room. He elegantly poured himself a cup of clear tea and savored it with contentment. “Lying around all day and watching my merits soar—now *this* is living,” he said lazily.

Turning around, he saw Li Fan still standing rooted to the spot and immediately called out, “Hey, don't be so formal. Come have some tea!”

“Then I thank you, Lord City Master!” Li Fan didn't refuse, stepping forward and taking a seat as well.

After drinking another cup of tea, Hongxi continued: “Ziyun and I have heard about your deeds at the Immortal Alliance headquarters. Tsk, tsk, as expected of a disciple from an ancient sect—you're just more capable than cultivators like us today. By the way, what level of cultivation have you recovered to now? Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation?” Immortal Lord Hongxi glanced at Li Fan, then shook his head. “Can't tell, can't tell at all!”

Li Fan calmly replied, “No matter my cultivation level, I am merely a subordinate of the City Master now.”

Immortal Lord Hongxi smiled. “Then I am merely a subordinate of the First Grand Councillor, and he, the First Grand Councillor, is merely a subordinate of the Great Dhamma Transmitters. We all serve the Immortal Alliance, so what’s the difference?”

Li Fan's expression immediately turned serious. “Your Lordship's philosophical realm is truly extraordinary. Your subordinate is impressed!”

Seeing Li Fan's stiff and formal demeanor, Immortal Lord Hongxi's face immediately fell. He shook his head and sighed, “Truly an old-fashioned fuddy-duddy! So boring, truly boring. Well, never mind. As long as you continue to handle the administrative affairs for me as usual, everything will be fine.”

Observing Immortal Lord Hongxi's attitude, which didn't seem feigned, Li Fan couldn't help but ask, “Your Lordship, do you truly not wish to resume governing?”

Immortal Lord Hongxi burst into laughter again. “This is something you don't understand yet. But that's alright, you'll understand later. There's no harm in telling you now. I've been in charge of Cloudsea for nearly two centuries, diligently working all this time. I haven't made any significant achievements, but I haven't made any major mistakes either. Such days are coming to an end. Want to advance further?”

Immortal Lord Hongxi sighed faintly, “It's difficult! There are so many Soul Transformation cultivators in the Immortal Alliance. Without entering the Dao Integration realm, trying to compete with those people... Heh, it's better to be carefree here in my Cloudsea. These administrative tasks, one after another—you might treat them cautiously for a year, two years, even ten or thirty years. But what about a hundred, two hundred years? I've long been utterly fed up with them. Yet, I can't bear to resign. Handing them over to my subordinates isn't an option either; they're all incompetent good-for-nothings, and I don't trust them. After all these years, someone like you has finally appeared! Look, Ziyun stayed on the mainland to attend some friendly exchange meeting to broaden her horizons. I couldn't even be bothered to attend that rare event, seen only once every few centuries; I just rushed back to see you. As expected, you haven't disappointed me!” Immortal Lord Hongxi exclaimed.

“I heard you might have been a bit worried that I'd reclaim power upon my return? No need! I'm practically desperate to hand all these messy affairs over to you! Don't worry, tomorrow I'll gather everyone and make this clear. You will continue to be in charge from now on!”

Li Fan's face twitched involuntarily. Still, he clasped his hands and bowed. “In that case, I thank Your Lordship for your great favor.”

Immortal Lord Hongxi patted Li Fan's shoulder again. “Keep up the good work! Although the merits you receive annually as a 'Secret Envoy' might be less than mine, compared to those cultivators who painstakingly complete merit tasks every year, you're already in a different league. And, I hear that during your time as acting island master and overseeing the construction of Cloudsea City, your position was equivalent to that of a City Master. Calculating it this way, your merit rank must have increased very quickly over the years.”

This time, it was Li Fan's turn to be stunned. “Merits are distributed every year? Why haven't I received any?”

Immortal Lord Hongxi, who was drinking tea, spat out the tea in his mouth, staring at Li Fan in utter shock. “No way! You haven't received any merits? Then what have you been working so hard for all these years?”

“I...” Li Fan hesitated, then stopped. He suddenly realized there was a profound generational gap between them, and so he could only remain silent.

“You haven't been participating in the annual settlement in the Heavenly Profound Mirror all this time, have you?” After a long pause, Immortal Lord Hongxi looked at Li Fan with a very strange gaze.

Li Fan shrugged. “No one ever mentioned it to me.”

Immortal Lord Hongxi slapped his forehead. “Ugh...” He said weakly, “Well, then you should go check it quickly. You might find some surprises.”

Li Fan nodded, bowed, and then hastily departed.

Watching Li Fan's disappearing back, Immortal Lord Hongxi shook his head. “Ah, true to the Myriad Immortal Alliance—no one bothers with things that don't directly concern them.”

When Li Fan returned to the Heavenly Profound Mirror and made some inquiries, he finally understood what the so-called annual settlement was all about. It turned out that, in addition to their annual "salary" in contribution points, the chief administrators of each state territory also received "performance" rewards based on their state's overall ranking within the entire Immortal Alliance. This was settled once a year and, besides contribution points, included a large amount of merits.