Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1400 - 1400 794 Celebrated Too Soon (Part 2)

Chapter 1400: Chapter 794: Celebrated Too Soon (Part 2) Chapter 1400: Chapter 794: Celebrated Too Soon (Part 2) Xiao Xiaowu’s voice was very calm as he spoke, “Where is Guan Xun? I heard Qi Tian praising you all the way here, saying that you’ve managed the Imperial Master Mansion in perfect order, that you are a rare talent. Now that I’m back, why are you hiding and not willing to see me? Do you feel that I am not as wise and mighty as the legends suggest?”

The elders and hall masters kneeling on the ground were all silent; none of them had expected that the first thing the Mansion Master would say upon his return was to ask for Guan Xun.

Xiao Xiaowu furrowed his brows even deeper, his voice growing heavy, “Can anyone explain to me? Where has Guan Xun gone? I can understand that he might not come out to meet me, but has he also not met with Qi Tian?”

Qi Tian had not spoken yet, but he had already released the sensing function of the Heavenly Dao Engine with respect to Spirit Qi, conducting a search over the widest possible range within the Imperial Master Mansion, hoping to find Guan Xun’s whereabouts. However, he found nothing, and his face instantly darkened.

The Imperial Master Mansion had now been built very expansively, both in length from east to west and in width from south to north, surpassing the limits of Qi Tian’s sensory range. Yet, when Qi Tian had initially planned the layout for the Imperial Master Mansion, the main buildings were all within a certain range from the gate, never exceeding the limits of Qi Tian’s sensory range. Guan Xun, as the acting Mansion Master, should have been in one of those important buildings even if he didn’t come out to greet them, but he was not there.

Seeing that no one was answering his question, Xiao Xiaowu said, “Originally, when Qi Tian told me there was a problem with our Imperial Master Mansion, I didn’t quite believe it. But now, not only has Guan Xun not come out to meet me and Qi Tian, but none of you seem to know Guan Xun’s whereabouts. I don’t know if you genuinely don’t know or are pretending not to know, but it is clear that there is a problem. I was planning to completely delegate my powers, but now I see that I cannot relinquish that authority. For the coming period, I will properly rectify the Imperial Master Mansion. We must ascertain where the problems lie and how to correct them. I am laying down the gauntlet here; if anyone becomes a problem for the Imperial Master Mansion, then I will personally deal with them.”

Having dropped this ultimatum, Xiao Xiaowu no longer paid any attention to the people kneeling on the ground, flicking his sleeve and walking into the Imperial Master Mansion with his head held high.

Qi Tian acted as a guide on the side, swiftly leading Xiao Xiaowu to the Mansion Master’s grand hall. Initially, when Qi Tian decided to move the Imperial Master Mansion out of the Capital City, he requested to take everything that could be moved, including the Mansion Master’s grand hall. Qi Tian had personally dismantled and brought back this hall, and it had even caused quite a conflict between him, the Great Elder of the Imperial Master Mansion, and Xiao Xiaowu’s disciples.

Qi Tian stood outside the grand hall, pointed to it, and said to Xiao Xiaowu, “Mansion Master, now you can personally verify whether your grand hall has changed in any way, other than its location being different from when you left. Has it suffered any damage? Has any of the prohibitions you set in the hall undergone any changes? If there are any, please point them out and I will apologize to you. If not, I ask that you clear my name.”

Xiao Xiaowu really wanted to immediately tell Qi Tian that his grand hall was unharmed, but instead, he inspected the entirety of the hall inside and out in front of both Qi Tian and the elders and hall masters who had followed them. Then he walked out of the grand hall and announced loudly, “I hereby formally announce that my grand hall has not changed in any way since I left. Nothing has been damaged or lost, and for this, I must express my gratitude to Qi Tian in person.”

With that, Xiao Xiaowu bowed deeply to Qi Tian in front of everyone.

Qi Tian quickly stepped aside, saying, “Mansion Master, now that you have confirmed that your grand hall is safe and sound, I am relieved.”

Xiao Xiaowu snorted coldly and said, “They are all petty and suspicious, those who measure the heart of a gentleman with the heart of a scoundrel. Qi Tian, do not take their words to heart.”

Qi Tian laughed, “Of course I didn’t take their words to heart, nor did I consider their words worth bothering about. Alright, Mansion Master, I’ve safely escorted you back, and I have also returned your grand hall intact. My business at the Imperial Master Mansion has come to an end, and I have some matters to attend to in the Capital City, so I won’t linger before your eyes anymore.”

Xiao Xiaowu knew that Qi Tian’s departure from the Imperial Master Mansion was to allow him to fully extend his influence without any reservations. He didn’t try to retain Qi Tian, nor did he make any promises, saying, “You go with peace of mind, and once I have reformed the Imperial Master Mansion, I will specifically send word to you. When that time comes, you must return, and I will surely show you a new vista of the National Master Manor.”

Qi Tian said, “Then I wish you swift and complete success, Mansion Master. Jin Mei, let’s go.”

Qi Tian did not linger at the Imperial Master Mansion; taking Gao Jinmei with him, he left without looking back.

Watching Qi Tian’s retreating figure, Xiao Xiaowu was filled with regret. He knew that his capabilities were incomparably lackluster compared to Qi Tian’s. If Qi Tian was willing to take control of the Imperial Master Mansion, then under Qi Tian’s leadership, the Imperial Master Mansion would surely have a splendid future. Even he would bask in considerable glory. However, clearly, Qi Tian’s ambition lay elsewhere. On one hand, the stage provided by the Imperial Master Mansion was too small for Qi Tian; it neither offered sufficient cultivation resources nor enough opportunities for Qi Tian to utilize his talents. On the other hand, the memories that the Imperial Master Mansion held for Qi Tian were too complex, filled with too much heartache, and naturally, he was reluctant to stay.

Thinking of this, Xiao Xiaowu’s face turned extremely grim. He had put his heart and soul into founding the Imperial Master Mansion over a hundred years ago. If it weren’t for Qi Tian, it would have almost been destroyed. Now, he found that some were still treading that path. If this continued, the demise of the Imperial Master Mansion was inevitable, a situation he absolutely could not tolerate.

This time, he was determined to completely reshape every level of the Imperial Master Mansion, to cut to the bone, to turn the knife inward, just as he had proclaimed at the mansion gates. Whoever became a problem, he would resolve, with absolutely no room for mercy.

After Qi Tian left the Imperial Master Mansion, he took Gao Jinmei and headed straight for Great Zhao Nation’s Capital.

Nearly a year ago, the Capital of Great Zhao was bustling with prosperity. At that time, the three great Master Mansions stood in the Capital of Great Zhao, and one could easily encounter cultivators. But now, after the relocation of the Imperial Master Mansion and the complete decline of the other two mansions, although cultivators could still be seen in and out of the Capital City, both their numbers and their quality had greatly diminished.

Initially, most of the Capital’s citizens and officials were thrilled with this development. When the three great Master Mansions were present, they felt suffocated by their presence. The disappearance of the three great mansions was like the lifting of three huge mountains off their shoulders; how could they not rejoice at this?

Yet their joy did not last long. Soon after, the Capital’s citizens and officials realized they had celebrated too early. With the disappearance of the three great Master Mansions, they indeed had three fewer mountains weighing them down, but the number of mountains above them not only didn’t drop to zero, it was actually increasing. Now, the Capital had become a gathering place for dozens of cultivator forces. Various sects and families, like flies smelling blood, had quickly integrated into the Capital. If they conducted themselves like the three great Master Mansions had, the Capital’s citizens and officials could have endured it, but the problem was that these cultivator forces, seizing the opportunity to enter the Capital, were not here to be philanthropists; they were all driven by profit.

And from where did these profits come? Primarily, of course, from the Capital’s citizens and officials. Without exploiting them, could they still be called cultivators?