It was times like these that Guan Feng thought about handing over his position of Sect Master and living his life purely for pleasure. It was all he wanted to do, even hundreds of years ago when he was first elevated to an Elder of the Outer Court. Though his strength and position changed over the centuries, that desire stayed the same.

It would be a dream come true if there were no Sect politics, Empire shenanigans, and, most importantly, no Grand Elder Lian Xue to be wary of.

The past week had not been one that had been comfortable for Guan Feng. In fact, the last time it came somewhat close to this level of stress was nearly a century ago when he had been a mere Elder of the Inner Court.

The Emperor had demanded his services to heal a prized son of his favorite Imperial Concubine, and while that wasn’t an issue in itself, his success in bringing the Imperial Prince back to full health had been his downfall.

The Council of Elders started to pay far too much attention to Guan Feng, making it clear to him that he would be groomed to be the next Sect Master.

If it hadn’t been for the promise his beloved master had drawn from him, Guan Feng would have escaped the sect and lived happily in some mortal city in luxury until his death.

Unfortunately, that same promise stopped him from following his instinct to leave his position and flee to some corner of the world.

Perhaps it would be possible if Yu Yanhua broke through to the Spirit Severing realm in the next century. He could then rest easy knowing that the Jade Healing Sect would be in good hands.

Until that time, Guan Feng would have to accept that he was stuck dealing with the mess hoisted on him. Speaking of dealing with unpleasantness, he slowly walked up to the highest peak in the sect, where Grand Elder Lian had resided for well over five centuries.

Who told that little brat, Wei Liang, to get sucked into the Imperial family’s secret realm? Who gave him the right to be so troublesome?

Guan Feng resisted the urge to show his frustration. It was entirely possible that the Grand Elder was keeping an eye on him at the moment.

He regretted giving Yu Yanhua the go-ahead to take Wei Liang back to Xuanjing City. He should have insisted on keeping the brat within the sect walls.

The entire reason Wei Liang was sent to a mortal city was to avoid the attention of the Grand Elder’s faction. Instead of accomplishing that, this drew the attention of the Grand Elder himself.

Yu Yanhua was already working with the Imperial Protectors that arrived from the capital since this could be considered an unauthorized entry into one of the Empire’s most important assets. Two of the Jade Healing Sect’s disciples being involved mandated a representation, and since she had been the highest ranking member closest to the event, it was her the Imperial Protectors asked for.

Guan Feng wasn’t sure if keeping Wei Liang was possible after this, and even if it was, perhaps it wouldn’t be wise to do so.

When Yu Yanhua brought his attention to the brat, all his decisions were based on the assumption that his background wouldn’t cause an issue.

It was true that she reported strange findings that suggested either a true genius of Space Dao or a pillar in the Dao Seeking realm helped Wei Liang in the past. Still, Guan Feng didn’t put too much importance on that.

While rare, it was not entirely unheard of for high-realm cultivators to help mortals in peril. However, if they intended to take a deeper interest in an individual, it generally didn’t involve leaving them alone.

That was why Guan Feng didn’t care too much about Wei Liang possibly having been helped by a Dao Seeker.

However, the fact that the brat had been allowed entrance into the Empire’s secret realm meant that the relationship with the Dao Seeker was not as shallow as Guan Feng had hoped and assumed.

Again, he hid his increasing frustration as he approached the Grand Elder’s dwelling.

It was a simple structure compared to the rest of the sect, but that wasn’t much of a surprise since the Grand Elder had simple tastes.

This is the complete opposite of Guan Feng and another reason he disliked visiting this peak.

“Come in.” A voice gently welcomed him.

Guan Feng let a small smile show on his lips and stepped past the entrance. “Thank you, Grand Elder Lian.”

“Nothing to thank me for,” a well-manicured hand waved him off elegantly, “I was the one that troubled you to meet me, Little Feng.”

Guan Feng chuckled happily, though his stomach turned at the lack of respect for his position. The Grand Elder always seemed kind, but centuries of hidden warnings from his predecessor and first-hand evidence proved that Grand Elder Lian hid his true intentions beneath endless kindness.

“It’s no trouble at all,” Guan Feng’s smile dimmed, “After what Yu Yanhua informed me, I’m not surprised.”

The Grand Elder hummed before shaking his head slightly. It attracted Guan Feng’s eyes to his long, cascading silver hair that reached his waist. It was neatly kept in order with jade pins, so not even one strand was out of place.

For someone Guan Feng suspected to be over millennia in age, it was nearly unfair how perfect the Grand Elder looked.

If seen at a distance, the silky silver hair, flawless porcelain skin, and lithe body could be easily mistaken as belonging to a young woman. Even if one saw the Grand Elder’s face, the high cheekbones, soft jawline, and lips with a hint of red would reinforce that assumption.

It was no wonder why most would describe the Grand Elder as beautiful as a rose. And it wouldn’t be wrong.

“Those children are far too young to be thrown into such a place,” the Grand Elder frowned softly, “It might be designated for cultivators in the Qi Gathering realm, but the Empire does not have full control over what they might encounter in the secret realm.”

Guan Feng nodded, not feeling the need to add anything. This was well-known by cultivators in any position of power.

“What made me curious was how they entered,” the Grand Elder's blue eyes met Guan Feng’s, “None from the branch in Xuanjing City opened the path.”

This was the real reason Guan Feng was called here.

“I have my suspicions, Grand Elder. However, I’m lost on what to do if my fear turns out to be true.”

“Oh?” The Grand Elder tilted his head slightly, waiting for him to explain further.

“Before I jump to conclusions, how confident are you that the princess with our disciples had no part in this happening?”

“You can take my word that the young Princess Jin is not at fault,” the Grand Elder said confidently, “But you already know that.”

“I did,” Guan Feng confirmed before sighing, “But I still had hopes that I was wrong. This means one of our two disciples has the mark of a Dao Seeker.”

There was a brief silence where the Grand Elder didn’t respond. All he did was stare intently into Guan Feng’s eyes. The tension was snapped when he finally replied.

“That is the most obvious conclusion from this,” the Grand Elder stood smoothly, “I have already ruled out the other possibilities, as rare as they are. Having such a disciple in our sect is considered a great honor, but the Emperor…”

Guan Feng nodded as the Grand Elder trailed off, sneering inwardly at the concern he was showing. This was the man some considered the Emperor’s dog.

“Come, Little Feng,” the Grand Elder patted his shoulder with a gentle smile, “I’ve called for a meeting with the Elders. We must discuss the disciples in the secret realm with them and hear any worries. More importantly, we must decide what to do with them.”

“Now?” Guan Feng blinked, “Most Elders have been sent to mortal cities.”

“I have called them back,” the Grand Elder chuckled at his alarmed expression, “It was at the Empire’s behest. They have come to the same conclusion and want to find the best way forward.”

“I see,” Guan Feng nodded, finding it unsurprising. He chuckled after a second and said, “I never thought the first time the Elders get recalled would be due to a couple of brats.”

The Grand Elder shared his amusement, adding, “Blame the Dao Seeker that made it happen.”

Guan Feng didn’t dare to even think of doing that. After all, he wasn’t like the Grand Elder, who could protect himself after saying a suicidal sentence such as that.

As they left the Grand Elder’s peak, Guan Feng started to draw up plans to make sure Wei Liang would spend most of his time with Yu Yanhua. Of course, that was assuming the Empire didn’t take him away.