Chapter 256 - 144: Ascending to the Three Halls, Taking Charge of Jade Cauldron

Chapter 256: Chapter 144: Ascending to the Three Halls, Taking Charge of Jade Cauldron

Deep within the clouds, a complex of palaces hovered in the air. A careful count revealed three upper halls, with more than a dozen lower and side halls.

These three upper halls were named the Upper Truth, Upper Dharma, and Upper Affairs Halls—collectively known by the members of the Tai Su Sect as the "Three Halls" that managed the sect’s major affairs.

To be more specific, the Upper Affairs Hall managed the sect’s business, the Upper Dharma Hall managed the sect’s resources, and as for the Upper Truth Hall, its purpose was self-evident: it represented the will of the Zhenrens—which, generally speaking, meant the will of the Sect Leader.

However, despite this, the three halls did not operate independently.

For example, the Tai Su Orthodox Sect’s grand tournament, held once every ten years, was theoretically managed by the Upper Affairs Hall. But the manpower, materials, and Magical Artifacts allocated by the sect for the tournament inevitably involved the Upper Dharma Hall. Therefore, when the Upper Truth Hall did not issue a direct decree, sect matters were handled through consultation between the Upper Dharma and Upper Affairs Halls.

As for the remaining side halls, they were all subordinate to the Upper Dharma and Upper Affairs Halls, each with its own function. Halls within the Tai Su Sect such as the Merit Hall, Celestial Craft Hall, Danxia Institute, and Ministry of Affairs Hall all fell under their jurisdiction.

On this day, however, a golden bridge extended from beyond the dense clouds. At its head stood a handsome Daoist with his hair tied up by a sword-like pin. He wore a Plain White Robe with a Crane Robe over it. Though there was no wind to stir his sleeves, he exuded an ethereal, transcendent air.

It was none other than Xuzhuang.

Xuzhuang had come to the Three Halls to assume his new post. He had already delayed the matter for quite some time and could not put it off any longer.

Therefore, at dawn, he did not rush to handle other affairs. Instead, he activated the jade tablet given to him by Daochen Zhenren for his appointment to the Three Halls. A golden bridge immediately formed and carried him here.

Passing through the dense clouds and entering this area, Xuzhuang felt his spirits lift. Although the spiritual energy in the air was not visible, it was as solid and tangible as Spiritual Truth. Clearly, in addition to being the sect’s central hub, the domain of the Three Halls was also a first-rate cultivation ground.

Before Xuzhuang could ponder for long, the golden bridge arrived before a grand hall. As he set foot on the ground, the bridge naturally dissipated. Xuzhuang looked up and saw the three words "Upper Affairs Hall" written in gold on the plaque.

A Daoist Child was already waiting in front of the hall. Seeing Xuzhuang arrive, he hurried forward, bowed, and said, "Junior Martial Uncle Xu, I have been waiting for you for some time. Please, follow me into the hall."

Xuzhuang was not surprised. He had activated the jade tablet and been brought here by the golden bridge; it was impossible that the Three Halls would not be aware. It was only natural for them to have prepared a reception.

His expression unchanged, Xuzhuang strode into the Upper Affairs Hall. Many people were already inside. The main seat at the head of the hall was empty, but beside it stood an old, white-haired Daoist holding a Duster. Next to him was a Daoist Child holding a jade plate, on which rested a golden silk scroll and a seal.

The others were seated in two rows on the left and right. Their ages varied, some old and some young, but their bearing and auras were all impressive. Among them were a few familiar faces: Zhang Tingxian, Feng Yuanliu, Han Wang, and Nangong Yang were all present.

There were empty seats among the two seated rows, though it was unclear if their occupants had not yet arrived or if the positions were simply unfilled.

As soon as Xuzhuang entered the hall, a child’s voice announced, "Venerable Dao Miao has arrived!"

In an instant, all eyes from both sides turned to look at him. Xuzhuang walked calmly into the hall and gave a slight bow to all sides. Some nodded or returned the gesture, while others simply watched with indifferent expressions, offering no response.

Xuzhuang walked to the center of the hall. The old, white-haired Daoist beside the main seat then called out, "Dao Miao."

Xuzhuang responded to the call with a customary acknowledgment. The old Daoist nodded slightly, picked up the golden silk scroll from the jade plate held by the Daoist Child, unrolled it, and read, "By decree of the Upper Truth Hall, True Disciple Dao Miao is appointed as an elder of the Upper Affairs Hall and will concurrently serve as the Master of the Jade Cauldron Hall."

There was no hierarchy among the elders of the Upper Affairs Hall, but their responsibilities differed, as each was in charge of various lower halls. Naturally, the power and duties varied depending on the hall one supervised. At the same time, each lower hall also had positions for a Hall Master and a Vice Hall Master.

The Jade Cauldron Hall supervised the Daoist Soldier Hall and the Warrior Hall, which managed the training and deployment of the Tai Su Orthodox Sect’s Dao Soldiers and Warriors. Not only did this involve deployment for combat, but every hall and institute in the sect required Dao Soldiers for patrols and Warriors for assistance. In a sense, it was a position of great power.

Although all duties in the Upper Affairs Hall were assigned by the Upper Truth Hall, such a powerful position was naturally a focus of attention. No one had expected that after being vacant for so long, it would fall to Xuzhuang—and as the official Hall Master, no less. This immediately drew all sorts of looks from the crowd.

Xuzhuang clearly heard a soft snort from behind him and to his right. Still, his expression remained unchanged. He bowed to the elder at the head of the hall and replied, "Disciple Dao Miao accepts the decree of the Upper Truth Hall."

The elder said, "Good," and placed the decree back on the jade plate. The Daoist Child understood, stepped down from the dais, and presented the plate to Xuzhuang, saying, "Venerable Dao Miao, please accept the decree from the Upper Truth Hall and the seal of the Jade Cauldron Hall."

Xuzhuang took the decree and the seal and put them away carefully. Seeing the handover was complete, the elder stepped down from the dais, gave a slight bow, and said, "Now that the decree and seal have been delivered, this old Daoist will take his leave."

Xuzhuang returned the bow and offered his thanks. The elder nodded with a smile and led the Daoist Child out of the hall, presumably returning to the Upper Truth Hall.

The Upper Truth Hall was different from the Upper Affairs Hall. It represented the will of the Zhenrens, and although it had elders, they held no real power and were generally of a more senior generation. The Upper Affairs Hall was another matter. Its positions were typically filled by Nascent Soul Third-Level Cultivators in their prime. There were not many of them, but with a group of True Disciples now taking up posts, the hall was starting to look more impressive.

After the elder from the Upper Truth Hall left, a middle-aged Daoist from one of the front seats stood up, walked over to Xuzhuang, and gave a single-handed bow. "Jade Cauldron Hall Master, I am Wang Chong. I have the honor of presiding over the Celestial Craft Hall."

"So you are the Celestial Craft Hall Master." A thought flickered through Xuzhuang’s mind as he replied, "How may I be of service?"

"We are colleagues in the Upper Affairs Hall; there is no need for such formalities." The Celestial Craft Hall Master smiled. "There is no agenda in the Upper Affairs Hall today. I only came to observe the ceremony. Since it has concluded and I have matters to attend to in my hall, I will take my leave now."

"I see. Please, feel free, Hall Master." Xuzhuang returned the bow. The Celestial Craft Hall Master gave a slight nod and left the hall.

After the Celestial Craft Hall Master departed, two other Hall Masters came forward to greet Xuzhuang. Others simply nodded to him before leaving one by one.

There weren’t many people observing the ceremony to begin with, and soon only two remained. Both were familiar faces. One was Han Wang, and the other was Zhang Tingxian, whom he had met outside Dongzhen Hall. As for Feng Yuanliu, he had already slipped away from his seat without a sound.

Seeing the two of them still there, Xuzhuang smiled and walked over to Han Wang, who spoke first. "Junior Brother Xu, I didn’t expect the position of Jade Cauldron Hall Master was being held for you. Congratulations."

Xuzhuang and Han Wang were old acquaintances, so he casually thanked him and then asked, "Senior Brother Han, you haven’t introduced me to this senior brother yet."

Han Wang just smiled at his words, but Zhang Tingxian spoke up first. "Junior Brother Xu, you may not know me, but I have long admired your reputation." He then clasped his hands in a small bow and smiled. "Zhang Tingxian. I have the honor of being the Hall Master of the Merit Hall."

Xuzhuang was surprised again. The Merit Hall’s jurisdiction was vast; the Merit Hall itself was one of its subordinate arms. This was another position of real power. ’It seems that although the True Disciples are seated in the back rows in the Three Halls, they are the ones who actually wield significant authority,’ he thought.

Xuzhuang returned the gesture and said, "Senior Brother, you jest. I have also heard of your great name for a long time. We simply had not been formally introduced, which is why I hoped Senior Brother Han would make the connection."

Zhang Tingxian responded with a smile. Xuzhuang then asked, "And what position does Senior Brother Han hold?"

Han Wang shook his head with a look of mock helplessness. "I am also a Hall Master in the Merit Hall."

"Hey!" Zhang Tingxian disagreed. "The *Vice* Hall Master."

Xuzhuang understood at once. No wonder the two of them were together. After a few more words of small talk, a thought suddenly struck him, and he asked, "Senior Brother Han, do you know who the Hall Master of the Dharma Hall is?"

The Dharma Hall was the one that oversaw the sect’s laws. The Law Enforcement Hall, the Hall of Punishments, the Prison of Suffering, and so on all fell under its jurisdiction.

Han Wang raised an eyebrow. "Junior Brother, do you have business with the Master of the Dharma Hall? The main Hall Master is a junior martial uncle named Zhangsun Lv, who is not a True Disciple. The Vice Hall Master, however, is our Senior Brother Feng, Feng Yuanliu."

"Feng Yuanliu?" Xuzhuang murmured the name, his face unreadable. He had an impression of the man; like Zhang Tingxian, he had seen him outside Dongzhen Hall. He had also been at the ceremony in the Upper Affairs Hall just now, but had left his seat without greeting Xuzhuang.

Xuzhuang pondered for a moment, then asked, "Senior Brother Han, I still need to head to the Jade Cauldron Hall. Why don’t you come with me and have a seat there?"

"Oh?" Han Wang considered for a second, then smiled. "That sounds good. Besides, there isn’t much going on in the Merit Hall today. Having Senior Brother Zhang handle things is more than enough."

Hearing this, Zhang Tingxian, who was standing nearby, smiled and said, "In that case, I’ll head back to the Merit Hall first." Privately, however, he made a gesture to Han Wang and sent a voice transmission: "Remember to bring out the good wine tomorrow."

Han Wang couldn’t be bothered to respond and simply gestured for Xuzhuang to follow him. Xuzhuang smiled at the exchange, clasped his hands in a farewell to Zhang Tingxian, and then walked out of the hall side-by-side with Han Wang.

Xuzhuang took out the seal and shook it. A golden bridge instantly appeared before them, extending down toward a palace complex below—the Jade Cauldron Hall, where Xuzhuang was now Hall Master.

Xuzhuang gestured to Han Wang. "Senior Brother, please."

Han Wang didn’t stand on ceremony and stepped onto the golden bridge. As soon as Xuzhuang was on, the bridge began to retract toward the Jade Cauldron Hall. Han Wang suddenly remembered something and said, "Junior Brother Xu, you’re new here, so you should know about the attitude of the Jade Cauldron Hall’s Vice Hall Master."

"Oh?" Xuzhuang raised an eyebrow. "What’s this Vice Hall Master’s background? Is he likely to cause trouble for me?"

Han Wang frowned. "I’ve only seen the Vice Hall Master of the Jade Cauldron Hall a few times. He isn’t a True Disciple, but seems to be an elder from the Yun Family. He’s been in that position for several hundred years."

"After the previous Master of the Jade Cauldron Hall stepped down, he was supposed to be the one to take over. But then the Upper Truth Hall suddenly issued a decree appointing us True Disciples to the Three Halls. The position of Jade Cauldron Hall Master remained vacant for over ten years, and this Vice Hall Master was never promoted. It’s hard to say if he bears a grudge over it."

"So that’s how it is." Xuzhuang nodded thoughtfully, then smiled. "No matter. Even if he does hold a grudge, can he really defy a decree from the Upper Truth Hall?"

"Of course not," Han Wang said, shaking his head. "But if he feigns compliance while secretly undermining you, he could still be a real headache, given the influence he’s built up over the years."

Hearing this, Xuzhuang just smiled slightly. "If an elder of the Upper Affairs Hall were so foolish, I would be quite disappointed."

Han Wang, on the other hand, laughed heartily. "You have a point, Junior Brother."