Welcome to Ability Store-Chapter 87 - 86: Each with Their Own Agenda
The officials seated on the upper seats erupted in discussion after hearing Marina’s presentation.
Chen Xuan also observed their reactions. With the effects of the Divine Eye Technique, none of the changes in expression on the faces of the Immortal Alliance members escaped his notice. There was suspicion, contempt, surprise, and... joy?
A man sitting to the left of the Unclear Wine Hermit seemed to be arguing with the Governor about something.
"...My lord cannot... The Immortal Alliance has never had such a precedent..."
"We must... "
"...They’re just savages..."
"...Be careful not to invite trouble."
They whispered and debated for quite some time before Xu Yuanqing quieted everyone down.
He once again looked at Chen Xuan, "The threat of the Demon Fiend is indeed undeniable. If what this young lady says is true, then the Immortal Alliance cannot sit by idly."
Chen Xuan nodded, "Lord Xu is noble." Yet, in his heart, he felt the other party was about to change course.
Indeed, the next sentence was — "However, I cannot arbitrarily decide to assist you."
Once the translation was complete, Marina looked disappointed, "Why?"
"It’s very simple, it’s not unwillingness, but inability." Xu Yuanqing stated leisurely, "Foreigners may find it difficult to understand our operation. The Immortal Alliance’s main responsibility is to reconcile the conflicts between different sects; only the Alliance Leader has the authority to command all sects under heaven. If this group of Demon Fiends invaded the Central Plains today, we could immediately sign this treaty, but similar signs have not yet been found by the Immortal Alliance. Currently, I alone cannot represent the entire Immortal Alliance."
Marina looked bewildered.
Baron Milton equally couldn’t understand what the other party meant, "But... aren’t you the leader?"
Chen Xuan, however, was quite clear about this mechanism. Because sects everywhere are highly independent, no one wants a permanent leader to exist. The Governor is the regular head of the Immortal Alliance, but he cannot take over the Alliance Leader’s duties and issue unified commands to all sects.
Since orders cannot be given, then the treaty itself cannot be implemented.
Because commanding sects and cultivators from all over to aid France is equivalent to a massive mobilization in a war scenario.
"You mean... we should negotiate with each sect?" Chen Xuan gestured for Milton to calm down and asked directly.
"Exactly, but that is not easy." Xu Yuanqing commented, "Major sects are unwilling to overly interfere in Western Regions matters, while smaller sects are eager to find opportunities, yet their own strength is quite limited. Moreover, with so many sects established in the Central Plains, even if you run around for a whole year, it’s unlikely you’d achieve much result."
"Can’t the Immortal Alliance help us spread the message? If the Governor speaks up, it shouldn’t take half a month to reach the entire Kingdom, right?"
"It’s just a barbaric land, why should we believe everything you say!" The man next to Xu Yuanqing interrupted unhappily.
According to previous introductions, his surname was Wei, given name Si, and he was not a Qi Sensing Man; his position was Grand Tutor of Chang’an, a secular official serving the Immortal Alliance.
"Regrettably, I cannot agree to this request either." Xu Yuanqing replied, "Because we have no means to verify it, and the evidence is greatly insufficient."
"I have records of live scenes!" Marina shouted.
He shook his head, "The evidence you provide is ultimately your own word. The Immortal Alliance cannot possibly mislead other cultivators without confirmed information; otherwise, if misunderstandings occur or the message is inaccurate, trust between sects will crack, which is the last thing the Immortal Alliance wants to see."
Xu Yuanqing looked at Chen Xuan, "Just like I am the current Governor, but I am also a cultivator of the Ascension Platform, you should understand my cautious reason."
Chen Xuan nodded to show he understood.
It’s very simple... Governors change every five years, but his status as an elder of the Ascension Platform is a lifetime. If other sects suffer losses due to false information, will they blame the Immortal Alliance? Of course not... They would only believe the Ascension Platform is exploiting the information disparity for its own benefit.
So will this visit end in failure?
He wasn’t overly concerned about the fate of France, as the manager of the Ability Store, his main task was to satisfy customers and further improve his performance.
Even if he returned now, he would at most lose the potential market of the Witch Gathering Hall.
Yet Chen Xuan still felt slightly frustrated.
After all, ever since he started, every deal he made was closed; his performance had never fallen short, and suddenly having a failure record would tarnish his resume’s perfection.
Is there still a way to turn the tide?
Ah, joy...
Chen Xuan suddenly realized there seemed to be a blind spot he hadn’t considered before. When Marina spoke about the Anglo-French sea battles, why did he catch a hint of joy on the faces of Immortal Alliance cultivators?
Is it schadenfreude? That’s unlikely... because they didn’t even know where France was earlier. Their joy seemed directed at the Demon Fiend.
Chen Xuan’s mind echoed those words of Xu Yuanqing —
"If what this young lady says is true, then the Immortal Alliance cannot sit idly by."
"The small sects are keen on seeking opportunities, yet their own strength is quite limited."
Could it be that for the cultivators here... the emergence of a large number of demon fiends is a rare ’opportunity’?
Following this line of thought, the Immortal Alliance is essentially hoping for this information to spread; they just don’t want to bear the risk and responsibility of the information being falsified?
Although Chen Xuan hasn’t yet figured out the intricacies here, a major direction is faintly emerging. He cleared his throat and spoke aloud, "I fully understand the Immortal Alliance’s concerns, but the threat of demon fiends is also very real. I wonder if the Governor could provide us with such an opportunity—to address the majority of sects at once, rather than visiting them one by one, leaving the promotion to us, the envoy team."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Xu Yuanqing showing a hint of appreciation in his eyes.
"The opportunity you are asking for... there might just be one."
"In two months, the Immortal Alliance will hold the annual cultivation competition, and disciples from various sects will participate. It not only provides an opportunity for cultivators to learn from each other but also serves as a platform for sects to enhance their reputation, making it a big event for the Immortal Alliance!"
Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow, "Can we promote it during this opportunity?"
"No, because this is an internal competition of the Immortal Alliance, and outsiders are not allowed on stage. Unless..." The Unclear Wine Hermit deliberately paused, "Unless you also establish a sect and participate in this competition. Many geniuses in the past have gained fame here, going from unknown to world-renowned overnight. If you want to gain the attention of many sects, it’s your best opportunity."
Wei Si snorted softly and shook his head helplessly.
Wait a minute, Chen Xuan thought, could the ’unprecedented within the Immortal Alliance’ argument they were just arguing about be referring to this?
Why does it feel like I’ve been misled?
"Of course... two months is very tight, and you are newcomers, so capturing this opportunity will be fraught with difficulties. Since you’ve presented a generous gift, it’s reasonable for the Immortal Alliance to offer some support in return." Xu Yuanqing said, taking a jade token from his waist and handing it to the servant behind him.
The servant then brought it to Chen Xuan.
"With this jade token, you are equivalent to guests of the Immortal Alliance, and you may visit the outer courtyards or recruitment platforms of other sects, where they usually screen disciples and recruit talents. To participate in the competition, you need at least ten people. As for whether you can secure a few outstanding candidates, that will depend on your own abilities."
"If you encounter other troubles, you can use this token to seek help from the local Immortal Alliance Mansion, provided it does not involve disputes with other sects. Also, I will personally support you with a hundred thousand jade coins as the startup fund for the sect." He finally gave Chen Xuan a slight smile, "I hope to hear good news from you at the cultivation competition in two months."
...
After the envoy team and other Immortal Alliance officials left the banquet hall, Wei Si approached Xu Yuanqing alone, "Governor, I still think this move could be inappropriate. Doesn’t this make it seem as though you’re placing too much focus on this envoy team? So many foreigners come to Chang’an for an audience; the Immortal Alliance can’t respond to all their requests. If you don’t keep things balanced, it will surely attract criticism!"
Xu Yuanqing nonchalantly said, "Your concerns are not wrong, but that’s merely considering it from a governance perspective. If you add the cultivation perspective, the situation cannot be summed up in one way."
"A cultivation perspective?"
"That’s right. That young man named Chen Xuan used spiritual Qi to scan all of us as soon as he entered the hall."
"This... Why didn’t you inform me at the time?" Wei Si was slightly taken aback, his brow furrowing, "This young man is too bold, daring to be so disrespectful to you!"
"Well, ignorance is no crime. He grew up outside and it’s normal not to know the customs of the Central Plains. If I bicker with him over this, wouldn’t it make the Immortal Alliance look petty?" Xu Yuanqing waved his hand, "But the point is not that—I am very sensitive to changes in spiritual Qi, so when he probed me, I also detected that his Qi moved in a way I had never seen before. Although it was only a brief moment, it left a deep and marvelous impression."
He did not fully express his feelings.
Because the other party is just an ordinary person, unable to comprehend the world seen through the eyes of a cultivator.
Not just at the Ascension Platform, but stretching across the entire Immortal Alliance, Xu Yuanqing considered his Qi-sensing ability as one of the best. The spiritual Qi that seems ethereal and elusive to other cultivators can form picture scrolls under his insight.
Xu Yuanqing felt that Chen Xuan’s spiritual Qi was incomparably pure and solid, a scenery he had never seen before—if most cultivators’ Qi were like the wind, being either gentle and lively or violent and fierce, then the other party’s Qi was like the Milky Way traversing the sky at night.
If it weren’t for other sect cultivators nearby, he would have wanted to keep the young man privately for a discussion.
"Without a doubt, the cultivation technique he practices isn’t something that was spread by the Immortal Alliance; it is likely an entirely new technique." Xu Yuanqing continued, "Just for this alone, he is worth considering with new eyes."
Wei Si suddenly realized, "Could it be that your exception of allowing foreigners to establish a sect is to let him propagate his technique?"
"Yes. There’s a saying that the more truth is debated, the clearer it becomes. I believe the same applies to the cultivation path. Compared with the cultivation dharma methods of the Tang Kingdom, the techniques today are no less than a hundredfold more profound. It’s precisely through mutual exchange and refining the essence that allowed the Immortal Alliance to develop to its current state. Isn’t the annual cultivation competition held for this very purpose?"
Grand Tutor Wei, convinced, bowed and said, "What you say is right, my vision was too short-sighted."
"You are an ordinary person, and cannot sense spiritual Qi, so it’s understandable." Xu Yuanqing said indifferently, "Also, that young lady named Marina, the way her inner spiritual Qi operates is also very peculiar, unlike the characteristics of people from the Western Regions; perhaps this is a good window for us to observe the unknown world. Don’t underestimate them just because they are foreigners, the cultivation path has always revered the strong."
"When the Moon Gazing Tower receives this person’s sect establishment application, notify me immediately," he ordered lastly.
"Yes," Wei Si responded.
Even if this brings him criticism, it is limited to the five years he serves as Governor.
But those who benefit from this decision are the entire Immortal Alliance.
