Chapter 160: A Handsome and Talented Gentleman

Peak!

Her words sounded quite reasonable and logical, but the three of them were a little confused. Wasn't the difference between major and minor sects precisely this way? When did compassion become the way to solve problems in the cultivation world? Mortals, immortals, deities, and spirits have always been categorized into different ranks. If all were equal, what incentive would there be to strive for advancement? The three of them still didn't quite understand what she was trying to say. Tang Zhen asked again, "How exactly does 'blocking is worse than guiding' apply here?"

Mulan Qingqing replied, "The more than two thousand people from Chao Zhilin and Huyan Dao's side will no longer have their commanders reappointed. Instead, the more elite portions will be retained, while the less skilled ones will be set aside. All other units will be similarly distinguished, and the forces will be re-contracted and reorganized."

"In short, the more than seven thousand people gathered in Xuanzhou will be divided into two. The elite portion will remain under our control, while the less skilled will be regrouped into a separate faction. They claim they're risking their lives for us, but we don't necessarily need them to. Didn't they say that no matter how hard they fought, we would take all the benefits? Then let them see for themselves what they are without us, and what benefits they can achieve without us. The forces will be equally divided, and the previously harvested Insect Core Crystals will also be split evenly. Each group will work independently, and the final distribution of benefits will be determined by their respective achievements. This will allow them to clearly see whether they truly deserve the benefits they desire and if they are qualified to receive them."

The three exchanged glances. Although her words held some truth, they still felt that this woman was acting somewhat impulsively, yet they couldn't directly object.

Lu Zhenhao frowned and said, "Xuanzhou, let me first state that we do not agree with your proposal. We don't think there's any need to take these people's words seriously. This rabble, if truly disbanded, would be nothing but a disorganized mob, unable to accomplish anything."

"Even if they outwardly accepted under your pressure, they would still secretly try to harm Shi Chun. Whether they could win or not was another matter; they would certainly not agree so easily. Major sects all have their own influence, and there are countless ways for them to feign compliance while secretly acting against you."

Mai Zhanchang interjected, "We'd lose half our manpower instantly, making it hard to manage everything comprehensively. Control over the movements of major forces across continents would become prone to loopholes."Mulan Qingqing added, "That's right! Under our control, with our pressure, they can still be somewhat effective. But once they're given free rein, they'll immediately become lazy and apathetic. To expect them to work hard is just empty talk from them; their previous efforts and risking their lives were actually forced out of them by us."

What she said also seemed to make sense, but the three of them felt they had indeed been prejudiced, believing this woman had truly racked her brain for her man.

However, doubts remained. Mulan hesitated, saying, "Is it really necessary to give them half of the Insect Core Crystals?"

Xuanzhou Qingqing responded, "Previously, everyone had their own arguments about who contributed more or less, and it was unclear. Since we're dividing, let's make it clear and give it to them, so they can't say we took advantage of them. That half isn't much, only a dozen or two pieces. If Shi Chun ultimately needs those one or two thousand pieces to win the championship, then we really need to re-evaluate ourselves." She added, "Insect Core Crystals! Isn't it good to let them see their reality through facts?"

The three people acknowledged this, but still grumbled inwardly, thinking that woman truly went to great lengths for her man. Of course, they were also convinced by her. If they truly lost this way, then she would accept it. They wanted to remind her that even so, after the grand meeting concluded, people would still point fingers behind his back; his actions were something she couldn't erase.

Despite this, it still took almost two full days to sort out this trivial matter. Clarifying personnel was the most time-consuming task.

***

Two days later, Tong Mingshan, the leader of the Hundred Refinements Sect on lookout duty, suddenly rushed into Tang Zhen's cave and urgently shouted, "It's bad! A large group of people is charging towards us!"

With that, Mulan Qingqing stood up and went outside to see, not even bothering to say a single superfluous word. Tang Zhen calmly said, "What's the rush?"

When they ran to the nearby hilltop to look, vast numbers of people, who had flown in from afar, were already descending like raindrops, landing around them. Too many people arrived, making too much noise, startling all the sects hiding there.

A figure emerged from the dense crowd. Wan Daoxuan, identifying himself from Wu Wu Sect, cupped his hands towards the few people, saying, "May I ask who is Brother Lu Zhen from Youxia Mountain?"

Tang Zhen was a little confused, but still stepped forward to acknowledge, saying, "That would be me, may I ask..." He then naturally asked, "What is this?"

Seeing that the commotion was endless, Wan Daoxuan also felt jostled. He suddenly raised his hand and shouted, "Stop! Everyone, don't push, don't argue, we're talking about serious matters!"

Wan Daoxuan pointed to the group, saying, "Brother Wang, on Wang Sheng's side, we're all together now! We've come to seek refuge with you!" A group of people responded, all talking at once, clamoring vociferously, insisting that it was unacceptable unless Shi Chun became their leader.

"That's right, no matter who comes to lead us, I won't accept it!" Their hearts also felt a pang of bitterness. How could such a good woman be out of reach, and how could Shi Chun, that scoundrel, be worthy of her? This was fate!

It was clearly something Tang Zhen and Mulan Qingqing had discussed and planned in secret, yet Tang Zhen now wore a look of surprise, as if he had just found out and had nothing to do with it. He pushed the Insect Core Crystal pouches back, saying, "You just keep them; there's no need to give them to me. No, no, why are you running here?" At a glance, it was clear these were bags for Insect Core Crystals. Shi Chun muttered inwardly, "Mulan Qingqing hadn't said these Insect Core Crystals were specifically meant for me."

Only then did the scene quiet down. Lu Zhenhao gestured for everyone to clear some space, then waved a few fellow disciples over and had them hand several bulging black pouches to Tang Zhen.

"Brother Wang is indeed a man of outstanding talent... Oh, what a pleasure to meet you, what a pleasure..." They introduced themselves to Shi Chun and the others, saying, "These are all Lu Zhen's own people. It must be Brother Wang. As for the division, they must also accept a condition: the final distribution of benefits for both sides will be determined by their respective final achievements. The side with fewer achievements will keep silent, and all Insect Core Crystals will be handed over to the side with more achievements to determine the ranking."

This was clearly not a decision made by Shi Chun out of boredom. Only someone with too much time on their hands would take such a convoluted route. His agreement with Mulan Qingqing was that the people and things would be transferred, and he would handle the rest himself. The crucial point was that she couldn't possibly come back here to also manage affairs on this side. If that were the case, what would be the point of the division?

"They also said that those rabble, whom they looked down upon, would become a roaring army in Shi Chun's hands." This was not only to persuade the three people present but also to satisfy an inner curiosity about Lu Zhen. Mulan Qingqing really wanted to know where Shi Chun got the confidence to dare to compete with a group of rabble against her side's elite Wang Sheng forces.

Mulan Qingqing also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. There were some things Shi Chun didn't know. She personally didn't want to bear the reputation of being an engaged couple, but there was no other way. The concept of 'legitimate status' was a panacea for many problems. If Shi Chun hadn't had the status of her fiancé, there would have been no way to so easily persuade these people. Shi Chun now truly understood what Mulan Qingqing meant by 'status' or 'title.' The status of 'fiancé' really saved a lot of trouble. On the surface, it seemed to be because Shi Chun was Mulan Qingqing's fiancé. In reality, it wasn't just that reason; the underlying meaning was different.

If this rabble could indeed play a huge role, then Wang Sheng winning the championship would be almost guaranteed. The equally divided Insect Core Crystals would ultimately be counted towards Wang Sheng's total score. Anyway, they couldn't achieve much and couldn't transform their situation, so there was no need to struggle; it was enough to just get by until the grand meeting began. Only a fool would risk his life. Some things were for grumbling, and complaining that the major sects hogged their achievements was one thing, but if they were truly given an equal opportunity to compete, they would feel they couldn't handle the burden and were incapable. Shi Chun had even prepared a bunch of strategies to subdue those people, but it was all wasted; they weren't needed.

The grand meeting was not far from starting. The final battle would still rely on their main forces. Those who were slow in charges, who shirked work, or who only cheered from the sidelines, whether they were present or not, no longer mattered. Streamlining personnel might not necessarily be a bad thing.