Only I am Venerable

Just then, an elderly man beside Hai Jinzun coughed lightly, halting Hai Jinzun’s outburst. He smiled at Elder Yongchun and said, "Yongchun, we’ve known each other for many years. The Moon Shaking Immortal Palace and the Hai Family have always been on good terms. Is it really worth ruining our friendship over someone who has nothing to do with you?"

"Who the hell is friends with you?"

Elder Yongchun snorted and sneered, "Cut the act. I have no idea what you’re talking about!"

The old man’s smile remained unchanged as he said lightly, "Yongchun, perhaps you are unaware, but the one who gave us this information was actually a member of your own sect!"

Elder Yongchun responded nonchalantly, but inwardly she was seething. She suddenly recalled the second thing that female disciple had told her: the Saintess had been missing for many days.

As this thought crossed Elder Yongchun’s mind, she glanced at the embarrassed Mingyue Ascendant before turning to the old man. "Who said that? Have them come out and say it to my face!"

"Ancestor, I said it." A cold, slightly trembling voice echoed from the entrance to the great hall. Han Mei, the Saintess who had been missing for days, was walking slowly into the hall, accompanied by several people.

Elder Yongchun’s pupils constricted. Unseen by anyone, a flash of fury sparked in her eyes, because the people accompanying Han Mei were none other than several of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace’s old ancestors—figures whose status was equal to Yongchun’s!

At that moment, they all looked at Elder Yongchun with complex expressions. Two of them had a hint of shame in their eyes, but the others sneered at her, as if to say, ’So, Yongchun, even you have a day like this!’

There was a long history behind this. Back when Elder Yongchun was at the peak of her glory, there were several other members of her generation whose strength was nearly equal to hers. Those few centuries were the most glorious period in the history of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace.

Geniuses emerged in droves, and masters were as common as clouds.

But as the saying goes, "In scholarship, there is no absolute first; in martial arts, there is no undisputed second." In any sect, there always had to be one strongest expert to serve as its representative figure.

These contemporaries of Yongchun forged the glory of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace, but this also became their personal tragedy. Had they not been born in the same era as Yongchun, had their time in the spotlight been staggered, any single one of them would have been hailed as a peerless and breathtaking talent.

But because of Yongchun, the spotlight that should have been theirs was stolen away. In the Land of the Far West back then, Yongchun’s brilliance far outshone that of Hai Jinzun, today’s so-called peerless genius. Among the Martial Artists of her generation, no one could even come close!

Thus, her peers from that generation held deeply conflicted feelings toward Yongchun. On one hand, her presence had indeed brought immeasurable honor and prestige to the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace. On the other, they were intensely jealous, believing she had only been a fraction stronger and had merely seized the opportunity first. They were convinced that if any of them had been the face of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace instead, they could have achieved the same great glory and accomplishments for the sect.

There was no right or wrong in such matters. It was precisely for this reason that in the countless years after stepping down as Palace Master, Yongchun had always kept an extremely low profile, nearly fading from the view of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace’s younger generation. Only a few in the upper echelon knew how formidable Elder Yongchun truly was. Many new disciples had heard her name, but they had never witnessed her in action and had no concept of the true depths of her power.

Normally, one would expect that this group, who had now all become ancestor-level figures in the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace, would have long since let go of the grudges of their youth.

And for the most part, that was true. They rarely interacted, each keeping to their own affairs. They served as the silent, steadfast pillars of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace, quietly focusing on their cultivation.

But Qin Li’s arrival shattered that long-standing peace.

Han Mei never expected that Qin Li would not only arrive but also inexplicably gain the support of the Sect Leader Venerable and many of the Elders! A profound sense of crisis suddenly washed over her.

To become the Saintess of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace, one’s talent was a given, and Han Mei’s intelligence was considerable as well. Her only flaw, and her greatest weakness, was a narrow-mindedness she normally kept well hidden.

Others might not have known that Qin Li had been sent to stay with Elder Yongchun, but how could Han Mei be ignorant? At that moment, a single thought consumed her: ’I’m going to be replaced!’

Even though she knew the thought was absurd, it was by no means impossible!

The rule in the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace had always been simple: the capable rise, and the mediocre fall!

The current Sect Leader Venerable, Mingyue Ascendant, hadn’t even been the Saintess in her youth. The Saintess of that era had been corrupt, and after committing a grave error, she was expelled from the sect. Only then did Mingyue Ascendant rise to become the Sect Leader Venerable and Palace Master of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace.

Han Mei would never allow herself to end up like that previous Saintess, losing the position of Palace Master. And yet, some of the higher-ups in the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace had recently started comparing her to that very same failed Saintess in their private conversations!

This was not a good omen.

In her heart, Han Mei was certain that Qin Fang was Qin Li. How could there be so many peerless geniuses in the world? They weren’t soybeans you could plant by the handful and harvest by the bushel. Thus, on one hand, she had her trusted subordinates secretly relay news of Qin Li’s presence in the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace to the Hai Family. On the other, she quietly slipped out of the palace to tattle to the old ancestors on their mountain peaks.

It had to be said, Han Mei’s move was nothing short of brilliant.

These old ancestors from Yongchun’s generation had spent centuries waiting for her to make a single mistake, but she never had. And now, she had brought someone who not only had a feud with the Hai Family but was also possibly the new king of the Purple-eyed Race into the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace, even letting him stay in her private grotto.

While Yongchun’s seniority was so great that no one would dare accuse her of impropriety with a man, the fact that she was teaching Qin Li Martial Arts was undeniable. There was no escaping that.

Upon learning of this, they were immediately incensed and prepared to march over to demand an explanation from Yongchun. However, Han Mei persuaded them to wait. She was waiting for this very day, for the Hai Family to arrive and force the issue!

This time, she would send Qin Li plunging into an abyss from which he could never return!

She had changed her mind. She no longer wanted to keep someone as dangerous as Qin Li by her side, not even as the most menial servant! ’That’s because Qin Li was born to be a lowly servant! Why else would he pose as a simple firewood delivery boy?’

She decided then and there that Qin Li must die. Utterly annihilated! Only then could she rest easy. And only then would no one be left to challenge her claim to the position of Palace Master of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace!

Han Mei had successfully swayed these old ancestors of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace. They decided to back her, telling her not to be afraid. No matter how strong Yongchun was, her power was only comparable to theirs. There were many of them and only one of her! Besides, would Yongchun really come to blows with all of them for the sake of an outsider?

In Han Mei’s narrative, Mingyue Ascendant and the other Elders were painted as poor judges of character, making them unsuitable to remain in their positions.

These old ancestors promised Han Mei that once the matter was settled, they would make her the Palace Master of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace!

With this guarantee from the old ancestors, Han Mei was so excited she nearly fainted. She had originally just wanted to kill Qin Li by any means necessary; she never dreamed the reward would be this great.

More importantly, these ancestors saw Han Mei as a prodigy in the making, with talent no less than Yongchun’s in her prime. They resolved to mentor her together and mold her into a supreme expert who would one day surpass Yongchun!

To forge a new icon for the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace!

Han Mei’s voice trembled, not with fear, but with excitement!

She ignored the disappointed look from her master, Mingyue Ascendant, thinking, ’Master, you’ve really gone senile to value low-born scum like Qin Li. You were once the person I respected most, but now... sigh. I suppose I’ll just have to be a good, filial disciple to you in your old age.’

As for Elder Hu, Elder Mo, and the other Elders of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace, Han Mei didn’t spare them a single glance. ’A new ruler means a new court,’ she thought. ’Once I take power, they can just go be Supreme Elders in retirement! Then, over the next few thousand years, they can slowly fade away and die in obscurity. No one will give them a second look!’

Behind Han Mei and the old ancestors of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace stood her two personal maids, Gu Yu and Fang Xiang. Gu Yu’s eyes, fixed on Qin Li, were filled with hatred and venom. She sneered inwardly, ’You mutt. Let’s see how you die today!’

It was Gu Yu who, carrying Han Mei’s token, had notified the Hai family. She also knew that her lady was on the verge of taking power. Her lady had promised that once she became Palace Master, Gu Yu and Fang Xiang would be made Guardians. Once they reached the Shattered Void realm, they would immediately be promoted to Elders!

It was safe to say their futures were limitless—a smooth and open road lay before them!

The humiliation she had suffered at Qin Li’s hands could finally, today, be unleashed in full!

Yongchun glanced coolly at Han Mei, her face devoid of expression. "You, a traitor to the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace, dare to return?" she said flatly. "You’ve got some nerve!"

Han Mei froze, staring at Elder Yongchun in utter disbelief.

Everyone else, including the members of the Hai family who had been enjoying the spectacle, was also stunned into silence.

A bewitchingly beautiful young woman beside Han Mei curled her lip and giggled flirtatiously. "Hee hee, Yongchun, still as fiery as ever. This child, Han Mei, is the Saintess of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace. Since when did she become a traitor? How is it that we knew nothing about this?"

Elder Yongchun shot a cool glance at Mingyue Ascendant, then said, "Have you all lived for millennia for nothing? What are the rules of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace?"

Han Mei froze. At Elder Yongchun’s words, the color drained from her face, and her lips began to tremble. Her pretty features were now a mask of pure terror.