226: Grandmother, is my acting really that bad?

One month later.

Liu Xuan kept a low profile every day. Apart from caring for his Concubine at night, he was rarely seen during the day, claiming to be in the Cultivation Chamber for hard practice.

In reality, he was using the Puppet Gu to study Xiao Changfeng's memories, making it easier to take his place later.

It would take over ten years for the Puppet Gu to completely control Xiao Changfeng, but Liu Xuan had no need to wait that long.

He could use the illusory god treasure robe to perfectly disguise his Aura as Xiao Changfeng. Now that Xiao Changfeng himself was not around to question it, as long as he operated well, who would dare to doubt him?

Compared to the gifts Xiao Changfeng brought, his identity as a Golden Core True Person was actually more valuable.

Xiao Changfeng was 886 years old this year. Nearly nine hundred years of time meant his memories were incredibly complex.

Moreover, his cultivation was profound, and many memories were incomprehensible to the Puppet Gu, consisting entirely of extremely blurry images.

There was no other way! Liu Xuan had to let the Puppet Gu list the important memories first, and then he would check and study them one by one.

Xiao Changfeng originally came from a small Family within the Heavenly Sword Sect. Because of his extremely high talent, he was directly accepted into the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Later, because of his superb talent in the Dao of the sword, he entered the Sword Pavilion to be nurtured as a Core Disciple.

He achieved Foundation Establishment at the age of fifty-one, comprehended Killing Sword Intent, created the Red Pine Sword Technique, and was invincible among his peers in the Sect.

He achieved Core Formation at the age of 190. His Killing Sword Intent advanced into a Divine Ability of the sword, and he nurtured his own invincible Aura with the souls of living creatures.

It wasn't until he was injured by a Golden Core True Person who self-destructed, damaging his Foundation, that he settled down and became the Sect Master of the Red Pine Sect, beginning his retirement life.

For these hundreds of years in the Red Pine Sect, he had been contemplating the true essence of the Killing Sword Dao, hoping to have an Epiphany one day and use the Divine Ability to mend his injuries.

Unfortunately, he failed! Ever since his Origin was damaged, fate no longer favored him, and everything went wrong.

He originally planned to fight with his life when his time was up, attempting a forced Breakthrough to the Mid Golden Core Stage.

Until he met Liu Xuan...

After a rough look at his life, Liu Xuan focused on Sect affairs.

The Red Pine Sect needed to hand over two million Spirit Stones in fixed taxes to the Heavenly Sword Sect every year!!

The Red Pine Sect had eighteen counties, plus Red Pine City near the Sect. The total annual tax revenue was just over two million. Adding the various industries and the Merchant Alliance, the total income was only a little over three million.

Three million! Two-thirds of it had to be handed over to the Heavenly Sword Sect.

This year's tax hadn't been handed over yet, which meant that of the more than 3.5 million Spirit Stones in that Storage Ring, two million could not be touched.

'No wonder I felt the amount of Spirit Stones was off!'

With one million Spirit Stones left each year, the Sect's various expenses required hundreds of thousands, and the Xiao Family took another portion. In the end, only about 340,000 fell into Xiao Changfeng's hands.

He needed to consume a portion for Cultivation, a portion for the third-grade red pine tree, a portion for his natal Red Pine Sword, and a portion needed to be kept as Sect inventory. In reality, not much was left.

He had four Magic Treasures in total, three of which were earned from fighting in the Heavenly Sword Sect long ago. During his hundreds of years guarding the Red Pine Sect, he only bought that wooden hairpin Magic Treasure.

Although the position of branch Sect Master was carefree and comfortable, it could basically only maintain expenses. It was not easy to make progress.

It was only because he had increased taxes in the last ten years or so that he seemed wealthier. Otherwise, a million Spirit Stones—even a Golden Core True Person doesn't always have that much.

But increasing taxes meant squeezing the Sect's potential in advance. Tax revenue was continuously decreasing every year, while internal Sect expenses were rising. Once the income fell below two million Spirit Stones, he would have to pay out of his own pocket.

Xiao Changfeng originally planned to use the resources in his hand to quickly recover his cultivation after taking Possession of Liu Xuan, and then restore tax revenue and recuperate.

"Now that I am the Sect Master, if I want stable development, the tax must also be restored to its original state!"

It wasn't actually difficult to replace Xiao Changfeng. The Red Pine Sect had a total of nine Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

The heads of the seven halls—Alchemy, Artifacts, Talismans, Formations, Spells, spirit plants, and Dual Cultivation—plus Wang Qiao and a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Xiao Family in the Law Enforcement Hall, made nine in total.

Except for Su Wan and Xiao Mingcheng, the other seven were nominally Xiao Changfeng's Disciples.

Ever since Xiao Changfeng took over the Sect, the Red Pine Sect had always had nine Foundation Establishment Cultivators. After Xue Hu died, someone immediately filled the position.

The Red Pine Sect had eighteen counties plus Red Pine City, with dozens of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, all of whom were nominally Xiao Changfeng's Disciples.

In Liu Xuan's view, they didn't look like Disciples; they looked more like ministers. Being able to hold a position in the Sect meant being a central minister; in essence, they were all just working for Xiao Changfeng.

In the entire Sect, only Su Wan understood Xiao Changfeng the best. Even the only Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Xiao Family, Xiao Mingcheng, only had awe for the Immortal Master.

As long as he handled Grandmistress Su Wan, Liu Xuan's disguise as Xiao Changfeng would be mostly complete.

"This is hard to handle!"

Killing her directly was definitely not appropriate. If Su Wan's soul lamp went out, and given Xiao Changfeng's personality, if there was no reaction, it would inevitably arouse suspicion.

If the commotion caused was too big, it would also expose flaws.

According to Xiao Changfeng's memory, half of the Sect's affairs were handled by Su Wan—she was smart and capable!

Trying to fool her would be extremely difficult.

The only good news was that her relationship with Xiao Changfeng was not too deep; there might be a possibility of turning her.

After some consideration, Liu Xuan wrote a secret letter to Su Wan in Xiao Changfeng's tone, asking her to come to White Crane Lake once, leaving Xiao Changfeng's Aura on the letter.

Sending the letter was simple. Among the Law Enforcement Team Disciples on the island, there were several secret agents of the Xiao Family, and even Bai Shan was one of Su Wan's people.

Bai Shan was originally Su Wan's person, but had been genuinely conquered by Liu Xuan over the past few years. Now, she was a double agent who would still send some unimportant news to Su Wan.

...

Half a day later.

The sky grew dark, and the bright moon hung high.

Su Wan stepped on a snow-white Flying Sword and arrived above White Crane Lake.

Because the letter said it was urgent, she came in a hurry and did not take a Flying Boat, but flew directly on her sword.

In the hazy moonlight, Su Wan stood in the air. The perfect sense of blurriness made her look like a goddess descending to earth.

The Formation automatically opened a passage. Xiao Changfeng, wearing a black blood-patterned treasure robe, sat by a pavilion waiting for her.

"Sect Master, you called me here so urgently, is there some emergency?"

Su Wan landed gracefully and sat down opposite Liu Xuan, with three parts of confusion on her pretty face.

For so many years, Xiao Changfeng had always spoken directly when he had something to say; he had never played riddles like this.

On the way over, she guessed that Xiao Changfeng might have succeeded in the Possession of Liu Xuan, but his strength hadn't recovered, so he asked her to come over to protect him.

But now it looked like she had guessed wrong; he shouldn't have acted yet.

"Nothing much, I just haven't chatted with you for a long time, so I asked you to come over for a drink!" Liu Xuan picked up the wine pot and poured a cup of spirit wine for Su Wan.

Su Wan's expression became increasingly suspicious. A moment later, she suddenly lashed out, but was blocked by a layer of starlight barrier.

"You are not Xiao Changfeng. Who exactly are you?!!"

Seeing that she couldn't escape, she took out a Talisman and clutched it in her hand. The snow-white Flying Sword at her side bloomed with three feet of sword light.

"Uh..."

Liu Xuan's hand pouring the wine paused in place.

"Grandmistress, is my disguise really that bad?"