Chapter 150 Do You Know Li Cunxu, the Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang?

However, Xie Yuan remained extremely firm. He was a grandmaster with principles, a man of the martial path who viewed money and power as mere dirt and dedicated himself entirely to the pursuit of the ultimate Dao. This, he believed, was what a true supreme expert ought to do.

It had to be said that for Xie Yuan to have reached the peak grandmaster realm as a rogue cultivator made a certain kind of sense.

As he whispered back and forth with Xiao Kaitian for quite some time, Bai Kou in the distance let out a sigh. Although she could not hear their conversation, judging by the smile lingering at the corners of Xiao Kaitian's mouth, Xie Yuan's satisfied expression, and Zhuang Dongze covering his face in despair, she could pretty much guess what had happened.

"I think in the future, it's best not to get involved with Xiao Kaitian if I can help it," Bai Kou muttered to herself, wondering just how thoroughly Xie Yuan had been fleeced. "Xiao Qi, this husband of yours is definitely like a rat, always hoarding food back into its nest by nature."

Regardless of how it came about, this appraisal duel had finally drawn to a successful close.

Zhuang Dongze sent the results of the duel to Zhao Liangping via video. The formal issuance of the Dao-entry certificates and other related documents and qualifications would still take time.

However, these matters were of no concern to Xiao Kaitian. He had never had any interest in the martial arts world to begin with, so he simply let them handle it however they pleased.

His only purpose in participating in the martial arts world was single-minded: from now on, the information, intelligence, and resources of the martial arts community had to be shared.

His biggest harvest this time was bagging a head of security. Xie Yuan's strength was beyond question, cementing his position as the undisputed top expert within Qingting Tianxia.

Fortunately, Xie Yuan had no understanding of corporate job titles; his position as head of security was technically still under the management of Bai Kou, the security director. If he ever found out, the two of them would surely come to blows.

For this old man who was utterly devoted to martial arts, Xiao Kaitian made very thoughtful arrangements, directly assigning a villa and transferring the deed to Xie Yuan and Zhuang Dongze for their residence. Having never stepped foot into such a high-end residential complex before, the two of them felt like country bumpkins entering the Grand View Garden, their eyes dazzled by everything they saw.

"Dongze," Xie Yuan said, sitting on the sofa with a look of satisfaction, "people of our generation must strictly remember never to be seduced by material things. Do you know about Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang, Li Cunxu?"

"Your disciple is ignorant; I hope Master will enlighten me." Zhuang Dongze grabbed a handful of melon seeds, cracking them open with loud snaps while staring at the large television, which was playing the currently popular drama *Joy of Life*, sending bits of spit flying.

"Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang, Li Cunxu, worked diligently in his youth to govern the state, expand territories, and vanquish the Later Liang and Shu states." Xie Yuan picked up the air conditioner remote control and turned on the unit, instantly filling the room with warmth. "Yet, once he achieved a modicum of success, he indulged in sensual pleasures, heavily favored actors and eunuchs, and ultimately brought about his own death and the ruin of the state. These are lessons we must draw upon as warnings."

"Yes, Master," Zhuang Dongze said, his eyes glued to the television screen. "We practitioners of the martial path must ultimately exercise self-restraint and endurance; the Great Dao is arduous, and our hearts must be as steadfast as rock."

"Mm." Xie Yuan was satisfied. What he feared most was his disciple getting lost in worldly temptations. With such a mindset and awareness, he could finally rest at ease. As for Xiao Kaitian's entry into the martial arts association, he would still need to keep a tight rein on things when necessary.

*Brother Xiao, talented though you are, the path of martial arts is not as simple as you imagine.*

At the Haidu Martial Arts Bureau, the reports regarding the duel between Xiao Kaitian and Xie Yuan arrived here first. Cheng Zhe and Chen Tongren sat inside the office, smoking cigarettes one after another.

Logically speaking, since the Yinshan Martial Arts Bureau had taken over the matter, it had nothing to do with them. However, Xiao Kaitian's base of operations was located right under the jurisdiction of the Haidu Martial Arts Bureau. To put it bluntly, they were the local authorities; if any disturbance occurred, they would be inextricably linked to it.

"What do you make of this situation?" Cheng Zhe was younger than Chen Tongren, but his cultivation realm surpassed Chen's. Although he was the bureau chief, he still frequently sought Chen Tongren's advice, recognizing that ginger grows hotter the older it gets.

"I still cannot see through this man, Xiao Kaitian," Chen Tongren said, pinching a Double Happiness cigarette and exhaling a cloud of smoke. "Have you noticed the information transmitted over? Xie Yuan and the others have not left Qingting Tianxia."

Cheng Zhe frowned, flipping open the documents to examine them once more. "You mean..."

"There are two possibilities. One is that Xiao Kaitian talked Xie Yuan into submission, and the submitted data has been doctored," Chen Tongren said, proving his shrewd and calculating nature as he narrowed his eyes. "And the other possibility is that Xiao Kaitian completely subdued Xie Yuan."

"Impossible," Cheng Zhe immediately dismissed the idea. "Xie Yuan is the foremost rogue cultivator of the Yinshan lineage, and he is proud by nature. There is no way he would hole up under Xiao Kaitian."

"Bai Kou is even prouder than Xie Yuan, yet isn't she working under Xiao Kaitian?" Chen Tongren sneered. "There is clearly something fishy going on here."

These words left Cheng Zhe in silence. He took a hard drag from his cigarette, which had already burned down to the filter. "Your suggestion is..."

"We cannot touch Xiao Kaitian. For now, seeing that the Yinshan Martial Arts Bureau is willing to take the fall, we should hold back and wait," Chen Tongren said, stubbing out the cigarette butt. "Behind the Haidu Xue family stands the Shangjing Xiao family, and behind the Du family stands the Bian family. I reckon these families will all make their moves."

"That is one thing. Xiao Kaitian has also offended the Su family and the Qin family. Half of the Eight Great Families of Shangjing are hostile to him, and the relationships between these noble houses and the martial arts world are intricately tangled. At a time like this..." He gestured with his right hand like a gun pointing right at his own forehead.

Cheng Zhe understood. He understood the principle that the bird that sticks its head out gets shot, which was also the reason he had consistently evaded the matter of Xiao Kaitian joining the martial arts association. He simply could not judge whether Xiao Kaitian's entry into the association would be a blessing or a curse.

"Are we just going to stand idly by regarding Xiao Kaitian's affairs?" Cheng Zhe felt this was not a good strategy, especially since Xiao Kaitian operated within his sphere of influence.

"I think not. On the contrary, we should actively intervene further," Chen Tongren's eyes gleamed. "Judging by current appearances, Xie Yuan and the others have already joined Xiao Kaitian, alongside Bai Kou. There is definitely something wrong here. My meaning is..."

"Should Yan Xuan and Lin Dandan go over there as well?" Cheng Zhe frowned. Doing so would be equivalent to hollowing out a considerable portion of the Haidu Martial Arts Bureau's core strength.

"They should go and observe, without committing to any stance. I reckon there won't be a shortage of people coming to cause trouble for Xiao Kaitian next," Chen Tongren said with absolute confidence. "不说别的, letting those two go and gain some real-world experience will also have its benefits."

"Allow me to consider it further." After all, they were the core pillars of the martial arts bureau, and Cheng Zhe always had the lingering sensation of a meat bun tossed to a dog. This Xiao Kaitian was simply too bizarre; anyone who went near him seemed destined never to return.

Xiao Kaitian was unaware of the ripples stirring within the Haidu Martial Arts Bureau. He understood that through this realm appraisal, his current strength and hidden cards had, to a large extent, been somewhat exposed.

However, he did not care much. For instance, the "Blazing Heavenly Blade" he had executed by transforming his hand into a blade—when the day came that the connection between his divine source and his true form grew strong enough, he would simply pull the actual weapon out from within his divine source to unleash this technique. Forget Xie Yuan; even the entire Earth would melt away.

There was no need to rush that. Looking at the overall picture for now, he was quite satisfied. The roster of Qingting Tianxia could be said to be growing increasingly formidable.

Leaving everything else aside, purely in terms of martial might: Security Director Bai Kou was a Grandmaster, Head of Security Xie Yuan was a Grandmaster, and Security Captain Zhuang Dongze was at the mid-stage Earth Realm.

He pinched his chin thoughtfully. *It would be even better if a few more joined!*