Chapter 640: Re-establishing the Daoist Palace

Chapter 640: Chapter 120: Re-establishing the Daoist Palace

Wang Ping did not join their squabbling. In fact, while he appeared to be present for all matters concerning the Daoist Palace’s expansion, he was merely a silent observer, never uttering a word during the discussions.

The Daoist Palace’s position in the south was currently rock-solid, and he lacked the power to expand its influence into other regions. After all, if even Xiao Shan Lord had failed at this, what chance did he have? Therefore, he was content to remain a spectator and wait to reap the rewards.

The squabbling was intense. Three days later, one evening when Wang Ping was at his leisure and about to invite Ruan Chunzi and Yuan Zheng over for drinks under the moon, Hua Yun Daoist of the True Yang Sect suddenly arrived, requesting an audience.

After a lengthy exchange of pleasantries in a pavilion at the edge of the garden, Hua Yun Daoist finally steered the conversation toward the matter at hand. “Fellow Daoist, have you been to see Shangjing City since the battle there ended?”

“I’ve been tied up with trivial matters and haven’t had the time to visit,” Wang Ping replied nonchalantly, his gaze on the Calico Cat playing with Yu Lian nearby. “But I have a general understanding of the current situation in the Shangjing Region.”

“Qingpu Road and the Yunhai Grassland outside Beiguan are now the True Yang Sect’s Preaching Areas,” she said. “If you have your sights set on the contest for the Zhongzhou Divine Artifact, my True Yang Sect can lend you its strength!”

Wang Ping pulled his gaze away from the Calico Cat and Yu Lian. He picked up a teacup from the Stone Table beside him and chuckled. “Could the world’s Divine Artifact really fall into the hands of a third party?”

Hua Yun Daoist’s expression remained cool upon hearing his words. In an airy, nonchalant tone, she said, “Fellow Daoist, you shouldn’t underestimate the Cultivators of this world. They may not be able to achieve great things, but they are more than capable of spoiling them.”

Wang Ping set the cup down without drinking from it. He had to agree with her. The world had no shortage of madmen, and even more so, people who refused to play by the rules. Such individuals might not be able to achieve anything themselves, but they could certainly ruin a favorable situation.

“What do you have in mind?” Wang Ping asked directly.

“With your foundation and cultivation, it will surely be no difficult task for you to advance to the Fourth Realm. When that time comes, the True Yang Sect will enshrine your divine effigy and aid your cultivation of Divine Techniques. All we ask in return is a major Daoist Palace station in the northern Preaching Area!”

Wang Ping understood. “You mean to establish several main Daoist Palace stations, one for each key territory, as a way to balance the power of the various factions?”

Hua Yun nodded. “If you agree, Fellow Daoist, leave it to me to persuade the others!”

Wang Ping picked up his teacup, considering her proposal carefully. This plan wouldn’t negatively affect him. After a moment, he looked at Hua Yun and said, “I have no objections, but wouldn’t this render the Daoist Palace a mere figurehead?”

“Don’t we still have the seats for each tier?” Hua Yun must have anticipated this question, for she replied rapidly, “We can establish seven tiers of seats, add a seat for the world’s Qi Cultivators, and then create a more detailed delineation of duties for the Third Tier.”

She paused for a moment before continuing, “The Daoist Scripture Hall’s main problem was that the duties of the Third Tier were too vague, which led to administrative chaos. Of course, there were historical reasons for that at the time, but we don’t face those same obstacles now. Why not subdivide the Third Tier’s responsibilities more clearly? I also propose we abolish positions like the Pacification Envoy to prevent regional infighting.”

Wang Ping nodded along as he listened. Hua Yun’s ideas were sound, but a sense of wariness grew within him. ‘The True Yang Sect is far too invested in the Daoist Palace’s expansion,’ he thought. ‘They must be planning to use it for something in the future.’

For some reason, his thoughts suddenly turned to Lieyang True Monarch. According to Xiao Shan Lord, Lieyang True Monarch had been a participant in every major event during the several-thousand-year rise of the Human Dao, yet had remained a mere spectator most of the time.

‘A dangerous man indeed.’

But if Lieyang True Monarch truly was scheming, Wang Ping knew he would be powerless to resist. So, after Hua Yun finished her lengthy explanation, he feigned deep thought for a moment before responding, “In principle, I agree with and support your proposal.”

The rest was simple.

Three days after their conversation, a Loose Cultivator from the north proposed establishing several Daoist Palace branch stations across the different regions, while shelving the decision on the main headquarters’ location for the time being.

The proposal gained widespread approval. After another two days of deliberation, they decided to establish four Daoist Palace branches: one in northern Zhongzhou, one in the Northwest, one in the South, and one in the Southeast Sea Region. The True Yang Sect had also suggested establishing a branch in Zhongshan Country, the home of Vajra Temple, but Monk Mingxin from the temple rejected the idea.

Next, they settled on the Daoist Palace’s internal structure. The many convoluted departments of the old Daoist Scripture Hall were streamlined into six: Major Crimes, Investigation, Operations, Oversight, Defense, and Patrol.

The Patrol division was to be staffed by members of the lowest-ranked Seventh Tier, but their responsibility was immense. They could investigate any Cultivator within their jurisdiction and report any discovered issues directly to their region’s Chief Director.

The original Pacification Envoy position was abolished, replaced by the new ‘Chief Director’ system. Furthermore, local seats were retained, existing in parallel with the Daoist Palace’s seven tiers. A Chief Director was required to be at least a Third Realm Cultivator but could not simultaneously hold a position in the Third Tier.

Furthermore, the authority of the Third Tier was now clearly defined, no longer ambiguous as it had been in the era of the Daoist Scripture Hall. The Hall’s thousand-year history had proven that excessive checks and balances could lead to major problems.

First, the Third Tier was established with nine Permanent Seats. Seven of these were fixed: the Five Profound Sects and two sects from the Heavenly Gate. The remaining two seats would be held by sects elected once every hundred years, not by individuals.

It was worth noting that Qianmu Temple replaced the Taiyan Sect as one of the seven permanent member sects. None of the other powers objected. For one, Wang Ping was currently qualified for such a position. For another, he was destined to attempt ascension to the Fourth Realm; if he failed, they could divide the spoils, and if he succeeded, they would suffer no loss.

Additionally, through Wang Ping’s maneuvering, the Nine Tripods Sect became one of the nine Permanent Seat holders. The Six Heart Sect, on the other hand, was demoted to a Second-Class Chief within the Third Tier. There were twenty-one of these Second-Class Chief positions in the Third Tier, and they rotated on a sixty-year cycle.

The nine Permanent Seats held the power to appoint and dismiss regional Chief Directors, convene Third Tier meetings, and access case files across regions. The duty of the twenty-one Second-Class Chiefs was to assist the nine Permanent Seat holders. The remaining seats within the Third Tier were primarily responsible for monitoring regional Chief Directors for any misconduct.

As for the lower Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Tiers, their powers were also clearly delineated. They were no longer the lofty-sounding but effectively powerless vanity titles of the past. The greatest power granted to the Fifth and Sixth Tiers was the ability to mobilize a portion of the Daoist Palace’s combat forces within their respective regions to investigate suspicious cases.

As mentioned earlier, the main power of the Seventh Tier was oversight. This primarily involved reviewing the case files from investigations conducted by the Fifth and Sixth Tiers.

Finalizing these details and their associated regulations wasn’t the end of it. An altar had to be built to offer incense and prayers to the various True Monarchs and Lords. Only by gaining their permission would the Daoist Palace become truly legitimate. Otherwise, it would be doomed to operate on a small, insignificant scale as before.

The prayer ceremony was presided over by Monk Mingxin, Li Miaolin, Jiangcun, Hua Yun Daoist, and Liu Shibin, who represented the Five Profound Sects. Wang Ping, for his part, continued to play the role of an observer.

Before the prayers began, over a hundred Third Realm Cultivators had gathered at Qianmu Temple. All of them were vying for a position in the new Third Tier. It was an unprecedentedly grand occasion for Qianmu Temple, one that might never be seen again.

The prayers continued until the morning of the ninety-ninth day, when a steady voice echoed in everyone’s minds. The voice uttered a single word: “Granted!”

「One day later.」

Wan Zhi Daoist personally descended upon Qianmu Temple. As over a hundred Third Realm Cultivators knelt in reverence, the Daoist handed a list to Wang Ping. It detailed the True Monarchs and Lords the future Daoist Palace would be required to worship.