Chapter 4 Washing Face Ancient Sect (Part 2)

Chapter Four: Washing Face Ancient Sect (Part Two) Li Qiye has become the chief disciple of the Washing Face Ancient Sect, and this news spread quickly throughout the sect. For Li Qiye's ascension to the position of chief disciple, the middle and upper management of the Washing Face Ancient Sect had little complaint; faced with the Washing Face Order, they had no choice but to concede that this useless Li Qiye was simply too lucky. However, for the young third-generation disciples, the situation was different. The reason was simple: according to the customs of the Washing Face Ancient Sect, throughout the generations, the chief disciple was mostly chosen from among the young third-generation disciples. Historically, most chief disciples were those who had passed the elders' assessments and made remarkable contributions to the sect, qualifying them for the position. Becoming the chief disciple not only meant receiving teachings directly from the Sect Leader and having the opportunity to learn imperial arts but also, more importantly, throughout history, chief disciples had a very high chance of becoming the next generation's Sect Leader. In the current era, since the Washing Face Ancient Sect did not select a chief disciple from the second generation's middle and upper management, it meant that the chief disciple would emerge from the younger third-generation disciples. The greatest backlash against Li Qiye's becoming chief disciple naturally came from those talented disciples with excellent qualifications and considerable achievements. Thus, after Li Qiye became chief disciple, the Washing Face Ancient Sect was filled with uproar. "How can a mere commoner, with a mortal body, mortal wheel, and mortal fate, have the qualifications to become the chief disciple!" one talented disciple said angrily, "The ascension of such a person to chief disciple is a disgrace to our Washing Face Ancient Sect!" Although the older and more mature talented disciples felt unwilling, they could only say, "What can we do? This guy is just lucky, possessing the Washing Face Order; faced with the Washing Face Order, even the elders have no choice." "It’s just a chief disciple. A useless person with a mortal body, mortal wheel, and mortal fate has no power to compete with me for the position of Sect Leader. It’s not like being chief disciple guarantees that he will become the Sect Leader!" Another talented disciple confidently sneered, "If this useless chief disciple is too unwise, I wouldn’t mind teaching him a lesson!" For such talented disciples, even if Li Qiye was not qualified to compete with them for the position of Sect Leader, they still felt displeased because a waste like Li Qiye had become their senior brother, the eldest senior brother among the younger third-generation disciples! "Isn’t the only Washing Face Order in the hands of the Three Ghosts Master? How did it end up in this kid's hands?" Some disciples couldn’t help but be curious. It was no big secret that the Three Ghosts Master held a Washing Face Order. The Washing Face Ancient Sect had always wanted to reclaim this ancient order, but the Three Ghosts Master had never agreed. Now that it had fallen into Li Qiye's hands, of course, it raised questions. "Hey, I heard this kid has some means. I wonder how he managed to con that lecher!" a disciple sneered, "I heard that when the elders sent someone to verify, the Three Ghosts Master was having fun at the Cuihong Building. Hmph, it seems very likely that this kid treated the Three Ghosts Master to a good time!" At this point, some disciples scoffed disdainfully, even feeling disgusted. "So, he’s in cahoots with that old lecher!" Upon hearing such words, other disciples couldn't help but express their disdain. Although it was rumored that the Three Ghosts Master was the illegitimate son of the previous Sect Leader, the Washing Face Ancient Sect had always looked down on him due to his lecherous and greedy nature. Even the third-generation young disciples did not respect him. If it weren't for the Sect Leader's favor, many would have already wanted to expel the Three Ghosts Master from the Washing Face Ancient Sect. Now, with Li Qiye and the Three Ghosts Master being in cahoots, the younger generation of disciples naturally looked down on Li Qiye! However, within three days, before Li Qiye had the opportunity to pay his respects to the ancestors, the six elders of the Washing Face Ancient Sect received news from the Nine Sacred Demon Gate. "What? The Nine Sacred Demon Gate wants to assess us!" Upon receiving the news, the six elders were momentarily stunned. One elder, feeling dissatisfied, coldly snorted and said, "The Nine Sacred Demon Gate's news is a bit too quick, isn’t it? Li Qiye just became the chief disciple, and they're already eager to assess him!" Another elder said, "The Nine Sacred Demon Gate wants to go back on their promise from years ago. Li Qiye just entered the sect; a waste like him absolutely cannot pass the assessment of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate! Therefore, upon hearing that a chief disciple was born, of course, they rushed to assess him." "We have no choice," the Grand Elder said after a moment of silence, "Now the Nine Sacred Demon Gate holds the power in the Northern Frontier. Things are no longer as they were back then; what qualifications do we have to negotiate with them?" The Grand Elder's words immediately plunged the elders into silence. In the early years of the Era of Emperors, how glorious and invincible the Washing Face Ancient Sect was! They once swept through the Nine Realms, unassailable in the vast Central Region, commanding respect from all sects. However, millions of years later, the Washing Face Ancient Sect had already declined, its might gone. Now, they could not even aspire to control the ancient nation, let alone consider themselves heroic lords! "What do we do now?" one elder asked helplessly. Everyone knew that a waste like Li Qiye, who had just entered the sect with a mortal body, mortal wheel, and mortal fate, could not possibly pass the assessment of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate. "We’ll treat this dead horse as a living one!" Finally, one elder said, "If this matter really succeeds, then we can form a marriage alliance with the Nine Sacred Demon Gate. If that happens, even the Heavenly Saint Sect and the Precious Holy Kingdom would not dare to provoke us!" Upon hearing such words, the other elders could only force a smile; it was a matter with no chance of success. However, despite this, the elders still wanted to give it a try. On the solitary peak, Li Qiye had not yet awaited the day of the ancestor worship ceremony when he was visited by Nan Huairen. "Senior brother, the elders want you to go to the ancestral hall," Nan Huairen said upon seeing Li Qiye, who was at ease. "Is it something big?" Li Qiye glanced at Nan Huairen's expression and casually asked, appearing nonchalant. Nan Huairen was surprised but did not hide it, nodding and saying, "To be honest, the Nine Sacred Demon Gate has sent news." At this point, he looked at Li Qiye strangely and said, "I heard that your fiancée wants to assess you." "The Nine Sacred Demon Gate." Upon hearing this name, Li Qiye couldn’t help but recall some dusty memories. Fearing that Li Qiye might not know the Nine Sacred Demon Gate, Nan Huairen explained, "The Nine Sacred Demon Gate is a well-known major sect in the current Central Region. They control the ancient Niujiang State and bestow titles of nobility. Speaking of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate, there is a significant connection with our Washing Face Ancient Sect. The founder of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate, the Nine Sacred Sage, was once the first general under our ancestor, the Mingren Immortal Emperor, and swept through the Nine Realms alongside him. Back in the day, when our Washing Face Ancient Sect held the ancient country, the Nine Sacred Demon Gate came to pay respects to us." "I’ve heard of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate," Li Qiye smiled calmly, unfazed. Of course, he was familiar with the Nine Sacred Demon Gate and the Nine Sacred Sage. In the early years of the Era of Emperors, when he guided the Mingren kid in cultivation, he had spent a lot of effort. He had subdued the old monster Nine Sacred Sage with his strategy, protecting the Mingren kid’s path! "What’s this about a fiancée?" Li Qiye looked at Nan Huairen and asked. Nan Huairen replied, "It is said that when our ancestor, Ming, achieved the Immortal Emperor by carrying the destiny, the Nine Sacred Sage made an agreement with our Washing Face Ancient Sect that if their disciple was female, they would form a marriage alliance with our chief disciple." He then quietly added, "At that time, they were somewhat of a climber looking up to us." "The old rooster seemed to have a female disciple back then," recalling Nan Huairen's words, Li Qiye remembered some things. In his impression, the Nine Sacred Sage seemed to have taken in a female disciple later on, but after that, he had fallen into slumber and did not inquire about such trivial matters. "What do you mean, senior brother?" Nan Huairen asked upon hearing this. Li Qiye came back to his senses, shook his head, and said, "Nothing. So, the current disciple of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate is a female?" Nan Huairen replied, "I heard that the Washing Face Ancient Sect hasn’t had a marriage alliance with the Nine Sacred Demon Gate for a very long time. Their current disciple just so happens to be a female." At this point, he glanced at Li Qiye and said, "I heard that the disciple of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate, Li Shuangyan, is even a natural emperor body!" Upon hearing this from Nan Huairen, Li Qiye immediately understood. The current Washing Face Ancient Sect had already declined, and the Nine Sacred Demon Gate would certainly not want to marry such a potential successor to the Washing Face Ancient Sect! "Interesting," Li Qiye chuckled, suddenly realizing the various connections. Nan Huairen was surprised; Li Qiye's composure and ease made him seem far from a waste. Strangely, although he was clearly around thirteen years old, his calm demeanor made him seem like a seasoned lord! In Nan Huairen's view, if it were anyone else, upon hearing such news, they would surely be flustered. Yet, Li Qiye before him didn’t seem to care at all, which made Nan Huairen feel somewhat strange. "Did Huairen explain the specifics to you?" When Li Qiye arrived at the ancestral hall, all six elders were present. The Grand Elder coldly spoke up. Frankly speaking, the six elders did not think much of Li Qiye as a waste. However, today, they had some hope that Li Qiye was not a true waste, hoping he could pass the Nine Sacred Demon Gate's assessment. The current Washing Face Ancient Sect desperately needed a behemoth like the Nine Sacred Demon Gate for a marriage alliance! Of course, the elders knew that the chances of this were zero, but they still held on to hope and wanted to try. "Elder, I understand," Li Qiye nodded and said. "Very good. As long as you can pass the assessment of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate, the sect will greatly reward you," the Grand Elder said coldly. Li Qiye smiled and replied leisurely, "I am willing to take the assessment, but I have three conditions!" "Impudent—" another elder present coldly shouted, "Do you think you can negotiate conditions in front of the elders?"