Ning An's Wild Wish System

Xu Qinglai’s expression remained calm as he watched the few people who entered the room, showing no signs of anger.

The debate just now was about the long-standing rivalry between the Zhengyi and Quanzhen sects, a topic as old as the hills, having been argued for over a thousand years without a clear victor, and only growing fiercer.

"Brother, your Daoist heart is resilient, I truly admire you."

Xu Qinglai waved his sleeve and bowed.

But as his sleeve fluttered, a gentle breeze arose, heading toward the door. In the blink of an eye, the mild breeze transformed into a raging wind, charging at the people by the door.

"Come now, brother, no need for such politeness."

Zhang Yuanyi smiled, appearing unhurried, as he raised his hand and nodded calmly.

As he raised both hands, another mysterious breeze began to blow, with a strange whistling sound, directly neutralizing the raging wind.

"Brother, it seems your Jade Emperor Skill has made significant progress," Zhang Yuanyi bowed slightly, as if returning the courtesy.

"Not at all, not at all, but your skill in Huajin, brother, even if I pursue it for another ten years, I fear I won’t be able to match it," Xu Qinglai replied with a smile.

"Well, shall we eat? Let’s not let other Daoist friends watch us put on a show."

"Indeed, indeed, please."

The few of them flattered each other and then took their seats. The people in the dining hall found nothing amiss with the situation.

The Zhengyi and Quanzhen sects constantly clashed. If their leaders treated each other with perfect courtesy, it would indeed be quite peculiar.

Earlier, Xu Qinglai and Zhang Yuanyi were considered the strongest forces from both sects.

While everyone’s thoughts were racing, their faces betrayed nothing as they quietly ate their vegetarian meals.

The entire table consisted of dishes, whether the purely vegetarian of Quanzhen or the mixed offerings of Zhengyi, but the focus was on the small bowl of corn porridge each person had.

Compared to the bland broth of the Yang Family, this porridge was much thicker, truly deserving the name porridge.

For these people cultivating the Dao, the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi could barely meet their needs for practice.

To accelerate their cultivation, they needed these external spiritual objects for assistance.

It can be said, with or without such spiritual assistance, the speed of cultivation is worlds apart.

As the meal was about to end, a young man walked in through the dining hall door and said, "I apologize for interrupting. Daoist Masters Xu Qinglai, Zhang Yuanyi, Ren Shuyun, Tian Dian..."

In one breath, he named nine Daoist Masters, then instructed, "After your meal, please come to the side hall for a discussion."

Having said that, he bowed and promptly left.

After his departure, everyone in the dining hall appeared unchanged, continuing to eat silently, but their subtle expressions were undeniable.

Within the Daoist School, besides these cultivators, there were also official personnel present.

Though they had been there for days, they did not share living quarters, maintaining peace without much interaction.

Now, this would be their first confrontation with the official representatives.

The Daoists named were immediately preoccupied and headed directly to the side hall.

Once they had left, the dining hall broke into soft murmurs.

"What do you think the officials want, showing up all of a sudden?"

"There’s no need to guess. They must be planning to elect the head of the school. We are so numerous and none acknowledge each other. Should something happen, they can’t keep relying on the officials to suppress us, right?"

One Daoist spoke calmly, eating his meal.

"But that shouldn’t be. Wasn’t it said the head has already been appointed to someone?"

"Indeed. Rumor has it not only the head but the dean of the Talisman College has been decided long ago. What is going on now?"

"Is it possible those two don’t want to come?"

"Haha."

The Daoist eating put down his utensils, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and said with a sly smile, "Naturally, someone must believe they are capable."

"Jingye, stop speaking nonsense!"

Lin Nanbei quickly stepped in to smooth things over, "Those two are accustomed to being reclusive wanderers. Moreover, we are not initiated, they wouldn’t teach us anyway."

Though his explanation was a bit strained, it at least provided a way to pacify the situation.

The Daoists present, even if their potential wasn’t extraordinary, had no problems with emotional intelligence, except for a few who were particularly straightforward.

In common parlance, they were all making a living among mortals, who pretends to be noble?

Once everyone’s attention shifted, Lin Nanbei turned to Li Jingye with frustration, "Are you mad? This matter, regardless of the circumstances, is beyond our concern!"

"Don’t use that attitude with me."

At this moment, Li Jingye was no longer his usual honest self, instead speaking sullenly:

"We are all official personnel, both the Zhengyi and Quanzhen are aware of this."

"On the Zhengyi side, they adhere to the principle of Natural Daoist Skill and live comfortably, but on the Quanzhen side, cold stares and contempt are the norm, and even basic respect is absent!"

"If by chance, an old Quanzhen jerk becomes the head, my days will be even more difficult..."