CHAPTER 442: CHAPTER 244: A CHICKEN STANDING AMONG CRANES, TASK ALLOCATION_2

Zhang, too, counts as half!

Together, they are almost akin to a Divinity Transformation expert, a modest understatement on their part.

If there are any doubters, they might as well interview Blood River Ancestor!

But there was one gaze he found rather strange, as if filled with deep resentment.

Turning his head, Zheng Fa saw Yan Wushuang standing rigidly behind Xie Qingxue, staring at him with a somewhat wronged expression.

...This is a true friend, who must not be aggrieved.

Zheng Fa nudged Zhang to make room and signaled to Yan Wushuang that there was space for one more to sit.

Yan Wushuang couldn’t help but chuckle, but as he lifted his foot to move, he felt a chill on his back.

Xie Qingxue glanced at him and said coldly, "My seat is quite spacious, why don’t you squeeze in with me?"

Yan Wushuang looked between Zheng Fa and Zhang, their arms and knees pressing against each other, and then at his own sect’s senior sister brimming with chilly sword energy...

He swallowed hard, and after some struggle, said, "Standing is fine for me."

...

Cheng Kong Master watched Zheng Fa chat and laugh with ease, even jesting, and revealed a hint of satisfaction, while the other Divinity Transformation experts showed a trace of respect in their scrutinizing gazes.

Even Tongming Master nodded with a smile toward Zheng Fa.

They certainly didn’t appreciate any brash actions, but the current situation was special, calling for everyone to exert their efforts, and those who were capable had a duty to lead.

If Zheng Fa seemed too timid or overly modest, it would only make him appear unfit for great responsibility.

Now, as a Golden Core sitting amongst Divinity Transformation experts, his relaxed demeanor somehow gave the impression that he had strong backing, which was somewhat reassuring.

Once Zheng Fa was seated, as if everyone had indeed been waiting for him, Tongming Master stood up from his seat and cleared his throat.

The crowd in the hall put down their wine cups and looked up at him.

"Thanks to the efforts of the five envoys, we gather here to discuss strategies for eradicating the Demon Sect, a task crucial to upholding the righteousness of the world!" Tongming Master set the tone as soon as he spoke.

The expressions of the people in the hall were complicated yet solemn, listening to his words.

"In recent times, our Hundred Immortals Alliance has been invaded, bullied, and oppressed by the Great Freedom Demon Sect, with several Nascent Soul experts perishing and countless family members of disciples losing their lives. The alliance’s resources have been plundered completely."

"The suffering of our Hundred Immortals Alliance is profound!"

As Tongming Master spoke, his eyes even reddened a bit.

The crowd in the hall remained silent.

"But with the arrival of the five envoys, things are different! Upon Cheng Kong Envoy’s arrival, two Blood Slaughter Flags of the Great Freedom Demon Sect were destroyed, saving the lives of the Xuanwei commonfolk from dire peril!"

"Today, with the envoys from Tianhe Sect, Haori Mountain, Thunder Sound Temple, and Turquoise Pool, our Hundred Immortals Alliance gains even more confidence and need no longer fear the Great Freedom Demon Sect!"

"Without the five envoys, this region might eventually become a Demon Cave."

"Here, let me first raise a toast to the five envoys!"

With that, he picked up the wine cup on the table and drank it in one gulp.

The five Cheng Kong envoys exchanged glances and also drank a cup of Spiritual Wine each.

Having said this, Tongming Master then addressed the three Divinity Transformation experts and more than a dozen Great Cultivators who had come:

"I, Tongming, am grateful to you all for coming to lend your strength. We all understand the principle of mutual support in difficult times... This righteousness I will remember in my heart."

Saying this, the others naturally responded with modest demurrals, yet their faces were softened.

Zheng Fa’s gaze was somewhat strange—he had never discovered that Tongming Master had such eloquence:

Upon entering, Zheng Fa had sensed that the atmosphere in the hall wasn’t very good.

Aside from the three Divinity Transformation experts, the expressions of the Great Cultivators who had come were hard to read as willing.

Thinking about it was clear enough, even Jiushan Sect had hesitated upon receiving the summons, so naturally other sects would feel the same. Those who came here were likely driven by fear of the Xuanwei Five Sects.

He had guessed earlier that Tongming Master’s use of Ming Dao Candles and fine wine was probably intended to reassure the crowd.

But it was Tongming Master’s speech that really dispelled that resentment—

In the open and in the dark, he spoke of three things:

Without Cheng Kong Envoy, the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor would have already attacked.

In the fight against the Great Freedom Demon Sect, these five envoys are the main force; others should not complain.

Without the Hundred Immortals Alliance, the Great Freedom Demon Sect would not spare you.

Yet he spoke these three statements very appropriately, praising both the Xuanwei Five Sects and the Great Cultivators who came to help.

With sound reasoning yet soft posture, he made everyone understand quietly.

After a moment of silence, the crowd responded in agreement, and there was even a sense of unity.

Zheng Fa looked towards Cheng Kong Master and wondered: What unique teachings of the Supreme Dao is Tongming privy to—what did he learn at the Supreme Dao, a class on politics?

After Tongming Master had finished speaking, his eyes turned to Cheng Kong Master. Clearly, his main role was ideological work; for issuing orders, his status was insufficient, leaving it to Cheng Kong Master.

Cheng Kong Master smiled, his Quiet Bamboo lightly tapping the void. Golden light fell from its leaves, coalescing into a screen with the appearance of a gold foil. On the screen was a map of Chen County.

"Currently, the disciples of the Great Freedom Demon Sect are concentrated in Chen County. According to my estimates, their number must be at least in the millions."

The crowd was shocked, but Zheng Fa had anticipated this.

That number was likely short—the Jiushan Realm alone had a population of thirty million.

Operated by the Great Freedom Demon Sect for tens of thousands of years, if only considering it was over a hundred million in population, that would be an underestimate, but the exact number would probably be better known to Cheng Kong Master than to himself.

"Of course, among them, those with cultivation levels are about one hundred thousand or so. And to wield the Blood Slaughter Flag, one must be at least at the Golden Core level or above—our estimate is at most a thousand people."