After Transmigrating as an Immortal Master, I Hold a Group Meeting - Chapter 106

When Ning Mingmei arrived at Eternal Spring Peak, the place was bustling.

The grand tournament between the Supreme Clarity Sect and the Smoky Cloud Tower had been going on for three days and both sides were burning with competitiveness. As the host, the Supreme Clarity Sect, especially with its sect master just ascended, was determined to take first place.

Meanwhile, the Smoky Cloud Tower, having lost its home-field match seven years ago, was equally desperate to win this time.

The moment Ning Mingmei entered, he heard the main hall erupt in argument over the pipa cultivator incident. The elder backing the pipa player was passionately defending him, saying he had acted purely for the sake of the sect. The debate went back and forth, neither side conceding. Sitting among the elders, Lu Mengqing rubbed her temples, clearly suffering a pounding headache from the noise.

“…We of the Smoky Cloud Tower are a righteous sect. Since when have we stooped to such disgraceful methods?”

In the end, the dispute concluded with the pipa cultivator being punished. Everyone dispersed, leaving Lu Mengqing alone in the hall, still nursing her headache. Her personal disciple brought her a steaming cup of Old Platinum.

She took a sip and felt a little better.

“Master, you’ve worked hard,” said the disciple softly.

Lu Mengqing only gave a weary smile. Worked hard? How could she not be exhausted? Ever since the Smoky Cloud Tower had fallen into her hands, she knew she had no choice but to make it flourish.

Her rise to the position of Tower Master hadn’t exactly been legitimate. Hundreds of years ago, the former Tower Master hadn’t chosen her, the zither cultivator from Silk Island, as his successor. Instead, he had favored a bell cultivator from Gold Island.

In truth, Lu Mengqing had seized her position rather than inherited it. Even a century after her enthronement, murmurs of dissent still lingered within the sect.

To this day, the Smoky Cloud Tower was far from unified.

Only by making the Smoky Cloud Tower renowned and letting the world know it now stood as the number one sect in the Immortal Realm could she silence those dissenters and make those old relics finally admit defeat.

So, Lu Mengqing had to win.

“Master need not worry. We currently hold the advantage in the tournament,” her disciple assured.

However, Lu Mengqing’s frown didn’t ease.

That was when Ning Mingmei arrived. He wore a light blue outer robe with a snow-white inner layer, his presence clean and serene, like a clear breeze under the moonlight.

He smiled. “Tower Master Lu.”

Lu Mengqing’s fondness for Ning Mingmei was like a college student at the end of finals, craving a grape milk tea after a week of no sugar. She straightened up, gathering her composure to respond.

Besides, Ning Mingmei always brought good things, whether Old Platinum or Sprite. Every time she saw him, she could practically feel her blood sugar rising in delight.

Just as he had done with the Supreme Clarity Sect’s peak lords, Ning Mingmei introduced FaceScroll and LinkedU Forum to Lu Mengqing. Unsurprisingly, she was just as intrigued as the Supreme Clarity Sect elders had been, and quickly registered an account.

Another major influencer had joined FaceScroll.

Yet Ning Mingmei didn’t leave right away. He chatted with Lu Mengqing for a while and after some casual small talk, he remarked lightly, “In these days’ matches, everyone seems to be fighting quite strenuously.”

Lu Mengqing immediately went on business alert, smiling with polite charm. “I imagine Peak Lord Ning must also be well-prepared. I’ve heard that even within the Supreme Clarity Sect, the twelve peaks have some friendly competition. I wonder, what ranking is Peak Lord Ning aiming for this time?”

Ning Mingmei merely shook his head. “The tournament is important, of course, but for me, it’s just a sect duty, nothing more.”

“Oh?” said Lu Mengqing, clearly skeptical. “So Peak Lord Ning has no desire to win?”

Ning Mingmei smiled faintly. “What difference does it make, winning or losing? Speaking of which, I just came from visiting Senior Brother Qi.”

His ‘Senior Brother Qi’ could only refer to Qi Miancheng, the Supreme Clarity Sect Master. Lu Mengqing hadn’t expected him to be so direct and was caught off guard for a moment.

And a little embarrassed, too.

After all, ethically speaking, the Smoky Cloud Tower hardly held the moral high ground today.

“When I arrived, Martial Niece Chen was crying,” Ning Mingmei continued, sighing. “Really, over a mere duel. It’s all become so unsightly. With so many spectators present, including the Brilliant Blossom Valley, the Ice Quenching Pavilion, and the Embracing Simplicity Temple, it only made us all look foolish.”

Yet his tone carried no reproach, no bias. He was calm, objective, aloof even. He spoke as though from a lofty vantage point, with benevolent concern for all sects, thinking of the greater harmony between the two ‘number one’ sects under heaven.

At least, that’s how it sounded to Lu Mengqing.

Indeed, the grand tournament was supposed to be a showcase for both sides. For it to descend into ugliness was undignified.

But if they won in the end…?

That flicker of doubt passed through Lu Mengqing’s mind and then she quickly hid it, taking another sip of Old Platinum. “What does Peak Lord Ning think?” she asked casually.

“It’s no great loss to lose a tournament,” Ning Mingmei said evenly, “but letting the third-rank sects laugh at us is what truly matters. Besides, a single contest is nothing more than a passing moment on the journey of life; hardly the destination for my disciples.”

That line made Lu Mengqing’s heart give a sudden thump.

“But then again,” Ning Mingmei added smoothly, “even if those third-rank sects laugh, it hardly matters. You and I both know that our two sects are already acknowledged as the top under heaven. The others can’t even hope to compare.” Then, almost as an afterthought, he said, “Speaking of which, Tower Master, the FaceScroll you praised so highly was actually developed with help from disciples of the Ice Quenching Pavilion.”

Lu Mengqing blinked. “How could that be…?”

Didn’t FaceScroll have the Supreme Clarity Sect’s logo all over it?

“Ice Quenching Pavilion admires the reputation of the world’s number one sect,” Ning Mingmei explained mildly. “They sent two disciples to Misty Peak to study under me. I guided them in developing this tool. When I praised them as ‘worthy indeed of a third-rank sect,’ they were overjoyed. FaceScroll has brought great convenience to the Supreme Clarity Sect disciples already… If it’s ever expanded across the cultivation world, the potential benefits would be enormous.”

There was something more behind those words. Unconsciously, Lu Mengqing sat up straighter.

“In the end,” Ning Mingmei continued, “our duels and rivalries in these tournaments, all for the sake of the title ‘Number One Under Heaven,’ isn’t the real goal simply to make our sects more renowned, to bring them more benefit? But must ‘Number One’ be the only way to gain benefit?

“After all, even among the so-called ‘third-rank sects,’ we have four: the Ice Quenching Pavilion, the Brilliant Blossom Valley, the Truth Seeker Gate, and the Embracing Simplicity Temple. They already acknowledge the gap in strength between us, yet you never see them fighting each other to the death for the title of ‘Third.’

“Sometimes I think, since the Supreme Clarity Sect and the Smoky Cloud Tower are both ranked first in the world, why must we fight each other like this?”

If both are the best in the world, shouldn’t we join forces to dominate the third place together?

We should be earning fame and profit from the third place, not wasting strength fighting each other!

Why should those in power dirty their own hands?

There are four sects ranked third in the world; whoever lets us profit most, we’ll acknowledge them as number three. That way, the four will compete among themselves for our approval and we’ll sit back and reap the rewards. Isn’t that a double win?

The implications behind those words left Lu Mengqing speechless for a moment.

That feeling…

It was like a traveler lost in a fog-filled forest, whose mind had long been trapped in a maze, suddenly seeing a door appear in the mist. The door was slightly ajar and faint light spilled through.

However, it was a green light. An ominous glow.

Seeing Lu Mengqing’s expression, Ning Mingmei knew that this kind of vision was still too avant-garde for someone as fiercely ambitious as her, someone whose heart was set solely on being number one.

At this moment, Lu Mengqing still wanted the title of ‘First Under Heaven’ more than anything. And, she somewhat suspected Ning Mingmei’s motives. In her eyes, perhaps he had come merely to shake her confidence before the competition.

Lu Mengqing finally said, “…Then I look forward to seeing Misty Peak’s performance in the tournament.”

What kind of ‘double win’ did he mean? What would Misty Peak actually do? How would Ning Mingmei implement this plan?

He knew that if he wanted to get the Smoky Cloud Tower aboard his ship, he’d have to show something real. But Ning Mingmei was never the type to rush things. After chatting a little longer, he gracefully took his leave.

The pale-blue figure drifted away. Lu Mengqing sat in thought for a while before summoning a disciple.

“When is Misty Peak’s next match?”

“Uh…” The disciple hesitated. There were too many matches, so who could remember all of them?

The disciple hurried off toward Radiant Valor Peak to check the schedule. Lu Mengqing sipped her Old Platinum (her favorite drink) and suddenly heard a light ‘ding’ beside her.

…Right, her bamboo slip still had the FaceScroll spell activated. She hadn’t turned it off.

Lu Mengqing glanced at it casually.

[Tomorrow’s Radiant Valor Peak schedule:

Arena A1: The Supreme Clarity Sect, Jade Pavilion Peak’s late-Foundation Establishment cultivator Jiang Chennian vs. the Smoky Cloud Tower, Golden Isle’s late-Foundation Establishment musician Ming Ruyue.
Arena A2: …
Arena C5: The Supreme Clarity Sect, Misty Peak’s early-Foundation Establishment swordsman Pei Shiqi vs. the Smoky Cloud Tower, Bamboo Isle’s mid-Foundation Establishment musician He Yin.]

Concise and clear.

Posted by @Supreme Clarity Sect Radiant Valor Peak Official V.

Lu Mengqing: ?

She picked up the bamboo slip and carefully read through it again from top to bottom.

At the bottom, @Ning Mingmei V had retweeted it under the popular forwards.

[@Ning Mingmei V: My seventeenth disciple is competing tomorrow. Please support him.]

Several others had reshared it.

[@Xiang Wuxing V: Spread the word //@Bai Ruoru V: Support our junior~ //@Qi Miancheng V: Retweeting from FaceScroll //@Ning Mingmei V: My seventeenth disciple is competing tomorrow. Please support him.]

[@Yin Xisheng V: Looking forward to it //@Ning Mingmei V: My seventeenth disciple is competing tomorrow. Please support him.]

Lu Mengqing: ??

Four out of the Supreme Clarity Sect’s F5, all gathered in one thread (except Fang Wuyu). The sight was almost surreal.

In just a few days, several core disciples had already joined FaceScroll. Lu Mengqing saw the comments below, the Supreme Clarity Sect disciples calling on friends to cheer, organize support, or plan attendance.

Wait.

No wonder in every match lately, the Supreme Clarity Sect’s members showed up in full force and their chants were perfectly coordinated, while the Smoky Cloud Tower’s disciples arrived in dribs and drabs, except for the most popular ones.

No wonder her sect’s morale had been flagging.

So this was the Supreme Clarity Sect’s secret weapon!

If before, Lu Mengqing had only thought of FaceScroll as a novelty, now, as the Tower Master of the Smoky Cloud Tower, she truly grasped its potential and importance. Registered users could invite new ones based on level. As Tower Master, her rank was just below the administrator level. After thinking for a while, she summoned another disciple.

“Bring in the elders and their bamboo slips. Also call in my personal disciples.”

In the battlefield of public opinion, whoever enters first wins. They couldn’t let the Supreme Clarity Sect monopolize the platform! The Smoky Cloud Tower disciples couldn’t be silenced or invisible there.

They must make the Smoky Cloud Tower great again!

While waiting, Lu Mengqing browsed ‘The Supreme Clarity Sect Radiant Valor Peak Official’ page, then checked its mutual followers. They were the various Supreme Clarity Sect peak lords. Since each new user’s first task on FaceScroll was to post something, each peak lord had made at least one post.

[@Bai Ruoru V: @Liu Mingxiang, great match today, keep it up!]

Lu Mengqing opened Liu Mingxiang’s page. She was apparently invited by Bai Ruoru today, with only one introductory post so far.

The personal introduction read: [Personal disciple of Jade Maiden Peak, Liu Mingxiang. Contestant in the Smoky-Clarity Debate Conference, Year XX.]

Lu Mengqing had never even heard of this disciple’s name before but that unknown disciple’s post on FaceScroll had over a hundred comments.

Over a hundred! That meant over a hundred disciples and peak lords had replied!

Lu Mengqing was stunned.

What kind of propagation speed was this?

At that time, she still didn’t understand that this was what people called influencer traffic.

Each peak lord’s personal page had its own distinct flavor. For instance, Chang Feichang had only posted a single [.]

The ultimate display of couldn’t care less.

His first personal disciple, Mu Hanshan, on the other hand, had posted: [I am Mu Hanshan, sword cultivator and personal disciple of Hidden Sage Peak. This is my master @Chang Feichang V.]

Who on earth tags their master in their own introduction?

Fu Weidao, the most old-fashioned and hierarchy-obsessed among all the Supreme Clarity Sect peak lords, was famous for his rigid discipline. Rumor had it that his disciples weren’t even allowed to eat at the same table as him.

And yet, even he had joined FaceScroll and had posted multiple updates.

For example, the first one read: [@Workers Hall Official V: The gate of Golden Pavilion Peak has been broken by some reckless sword cultivator for three days! When are you coming to fix it?!]

[@Discipline Hall Official V: Inner sect disciples singing loudly at midnight and disturbing others. How will this be resolved? I saw you replying under Radiant Valor Peak’s FaceScroll post!]

It looked like he was treating the platform as a public complaint board.

Compared to these peak lords, Ning Mingmei’s FaceScroll was almost the most proper one. He reposted tournament schedules and made a few original posts.

[@Ning Mingmei V: The first batch of invitation codes has been sent out. On a moonlit night, among blooming flowers, enjoy a cup of Sprite, cool and refreshing, uplifting and delightful. @Supreme Clarity Special Drinks]

That was his latest post, evidently made right after leaving Lu Mengqing’s place.

There were already several replies below it.

[@Bai Ruoru V: Indeed, Sprite is the best.]

[@Xiang Wuxing V: Not drinking Cola?]

[@Jiang Ying V: Of course Sprite tastes better~]

[@Zheng Heguang V: Peace brings prosperity, don’t fight, guys.]

[@Ning Mingmei V: You’re all right. I’ll host a Cola vs. Sprite popularity contest later.]

…

It was lively.

After browsing all the peak lords’ pages, Lu Mengqing’s expression grew solemn. She hadn’t even checked the affiliated forum, LinkedU, yet one question remained.

The Supreme Clarity Sect had twelve main peaks and one sect master’s peak.

So among all these accounts…

Why was there no Fang Wuyu?

Thinking this, she opened the side panel under her profile page. Besides the link to LinkedU, there was another entry labeled ‘Under Construction.’

Its name was ‘KnowledgeNet’.

Lu Mengqing: …?

What on earth was this supposed to be?

***

Meanwhile, on Misty Peak…

“Getting Lu Mengqing involved is crucial,” Ning Mingmei said. “The joint monopoly of the Supreme Clarity Sect and the Smoky Cloud Tower will form the foundation for my next phase. The highest echelon that hold supreme discourse power must unite. Only then can we create laws everyone else must obey. And only then can we stop appearing as individual sects like ‘Supreme Clarity Sect’ or ‘Smoky Cloud Tower’ and start appearing under one name: the Celestial Academy Association.”

The system: […But isn’t this ‘Celestial Academy Association’ still just the two sects in disguise?]

It really just sounded like a joint platform for the two most powerful sects to monopolize profit under a fancy new label.

Ning Mingmei sipped his tea. “Yes. But putting an official skin on it makes all the difference.”

The system: …

Ning Mingmei: “Besides, we’re the strongest. Who dares say we aren’t the official authority?”

The system: […Go on.]

It wanted to hear just how far Ning Mingmei would take this.

“First, we start from patents, copyrights, and academic prestige,” Ning Mingmei said. “The third rank sects will compete to earn recognition as officially acknowledged ‘third,’ paying or working for us in the process.”

The system: [Wouldn’t those four sects resist?]

Ning Mingmei replied, “Just as the third-rank ones seek our recognition, they’ll soon find that the fifth-rank sects will seek recognition from them and from us. Just as we collect patent fees from the thirds, the thirds can collect from the fifths. Then it’s just recursion.”

The system: …

Ning Mingmei smiled faintly. “As long as the pie is big enough, everyone gets a slice. Every power that truly matters will get its own dividend from the system. So why would they resist? What if someone new rises and flips the system? Then they’d be under the new rules. No one wants that.”

The system: [You make it sound way too perfect.]

Ning Mingmei took another sip of tea. “Anyway, that’s not the focus right now.”