Today at noon, everyone at Blood Lion Helm was very angry.
The Blood Lion Ancestor was furious because he felt his subordinates were very disobedient.
Especially that leader named Song Qingpao.
He went a bit too far, failing to understand his spirit, and did not grasp the scale of his orders.
This kid wiped out the entire Scorpion Foot Sect in three days and even made a fortune from it, though Song Qingpao made his offerings on time after he was done. But the Blood Lion Ancestor was very disgusted by this culture of unauthorized actions.
So he decided to summon Song Qingpao back and give him a good interrogation.
Just like now, he scolds first to enjoy himself before anything else.
Song Qingpao was also very angry.
He thought the Blood Lion Ancestor was truly stupid, unable to understand such a simple truth.
Truly has a body full of cultivation and a head full of red hair for nothing.
He had explained for a long time since the morning, yet he still couldn't understand.
Moreover, he had said it was the messenger's order, but the old dog still didn't believe it.
Truly a disgrace to the Demon Path, incomparable to that gentleman.
"Heh, one day I shall take his place."
Song Qingpao hung his head, enduring Blood Lion Ancestor's spitting rage, sneering coldly in his heart.
Qiu Jidan was even angrier.
Because he felt that all his surroundings were full of dumb pigs, a bunch of stupid pigs infected by that old red-haired Blood Lion.
The subordinates following him were all idiots.
The woman he was holding was also an idiot (but with a big chest).
The red-haired guard at the door was the biggest idiot of all, unable to recognize any token other than the ancestral command of his house.
He was holding the woman, coughing up phlegm while walking towards the depths of the Blood Lion Helm.
Although all three were very angry, the angriest today was actually the red-haired guard.
In the morning, the Blood Lion Ancestor was in a bad mood and found an excuse to scold him.
Such hatred.
In the morning, the leader named Song Qingpao strutted in like a big shot and stepped on him while passing by.
Such hatred.
At noon, that sickly person called something like Rotten Egg, holding an unfamiliar token, scolded him again.
Such hatred.
"I, Chen Xiao'Er, will make you all regret one day."
The guard named Chen Xiao'Er secretly swore.
...
In the discussion hall.
The Blood Lion Ancestor was still scolding Song Qingpao. Perhaps because he had lived long, his repertoire of insults had not run out after a full two-hour.
But he was also tired; the Blood Lion Ancestor snorted coldly, sat down, and took a sip of water.
His trusted aide on duty at the door also happened to enter the hall at this moment, jogging over to whisper into the Blood Lion Ancestor's ear.
Song Qingpao glanced up at the Blood Lion Ancestor and noticed his expression was indecisive, sneering coldly in his heart.
"Heh, falls short of the seniors, unable to keep his emotions from showing, unable to keep his thoughts hidden."
Then, he continued to hang his head, plotting the grand plans of the seniors, planning where to double-cross others tomorrow.
"Let the messenger enter," the Blood Lion Ancestor said to his trusted aide, then glanced at Song Qingpao, "You stand aside."
At this moment, Qiu Jidan entered uninvited, stepping into the discussion hall with one hand holding the female demon cultivator and the other holding up a token.
A black token with a Beast Head Ghost Head engraved on it, antiquated, rustic, and even somewhat ordinary.
The Blood Lion Ancestor took one look, almost wetting himself.
That was the highest-level token of the Hundred Demons Sect, held only by a few Grand Elders, the Black King Order.
"This messenger is not simple, probably a relative of a Grand Elder."
The Blood Lion Ancestor forced a smile, bending over to welcome Qiu Jidan, "Messenger, your arrival is most welcome; forgive our lacking hospitality, pray forgive us."
Song Qingpao glanced, sneered coldly once again in his heart.
"Heh, this token falls far short of the senior's."
"The senior's token even glows!"
"That woman is also unworthy; compared to the one beside the senior, it is like comparing clouds to mud."
"Probably just the senior's subordinates clumsily imitating him."
"Pathetic."
Qiu Jidan didn't know that Song Qingpao had already made a judgment about him in his mind, furiously scolding the Blood Lion Ancestor.
Scolding the Blood Lion Ancestor's subordinates, saying they couldn't even understand words.
Scolding the Blood Lion Ancestor's subordinates for having no smart people among them.
Scolding the Blood Lion Ancestor's subordinates for failing to execute a single plan properly.
The Blood Lion Ancestor could only listen, though he wished to crush this sickly person, he feared that Black King Order.
Yet the more he heard, the stranger it became; he turned to glance at Song Qingpao, his emotions fluctuating.
"Was Song Qingpao really executing the messenger's plan?"
"Could he have connected with the messenger long ago?"
"That's why he's so unruly?"
"Could the messenger have come because of Song Qingpao?"
After Qiu Jidan finished scolding, the Blood Lion Ancestor wiped the spittle from his face, and secretly gave Song Qingpao a look.
The Blood Lion Ancestor thought his message was very clear.
This was my mistake; I'll apologize later. Don't complain to the messenger, I'm at least a Nascent Soul cultivator, don't push me.
Though Song Qingpao completely didn't understand, the Blood Lion thought he did.
"Messenger, it's due to my inability to manage my subordinates, but our helm still possesses capable people."
"This Song Qingpao has already completed the tasks you arranged..."
Listening to the Blood Lion Ancestor's words, Qiu Jidan appraised Song Qingpao, quite satisfied.
"How rare, to find someone in Blood Lion Helm without dyed red hair, and with intact intelligence."
"To think he thought along the same lines as me, a rare soulmate."
Qiu Jidan walked over to Song Qingpao, patted his shoulder, and began spinning his tale of grand schemes.
The intention to recruit was quite apparent.
The Blood Lion Ancestor watched, already considering Song Qingpao as Qiu Jidan's man.
In his heart, he cursed, these two actually conspirated to embarrass me, just to teach me a lesson.
Tsk.
Song Qingpao felt Qiu Jidan's words were nothing but hot air, yet although this person lacked skill, he thought again that he was also executing the senior's orders.
Thus, Song Qingpao's expression improved somewhat.
The hall, just moments ago filled with tension and foul words, now seemed harmonious.
The Blood Lion Ancestor was contemplating how to compensate Song Qingpao without losing face.
"Better not let him secretly badmouth me in front of the messenger."
Qiu Jidan was delighted to finally have found a capable subordinate, so delighted that he squeezed the female cultivator he was holding again.
"This person can be invested in and groomed."
Song Qingpao feigned interest, yet in his heart, he thought about the dispositions of these two.
"Heh, one day I shall take their place."
"Today's events definitely need to be reported to the seniors."
"This senior's subordinate was still a bit dumb."
In Blood Lion Helm, each of them had a bright future.
Today, late.
Seventh Sword Pavilion, Celestial Driver Valley.
[Subordinate factions: Blood Lion Helm Southern Base, Cyan Robe Vineyard, Control Rising]
Zhang Ze glanced at the popped-up system message, then at the token in his hand, and at the short essay sent by Song Qingpao.
Utterly puzzled.
Half of the essay was flattery, the other half various analyses, about the senior's subordinates' discord with the Blood Lion Ancestor, that person imitating the senior, blah blah...
Couldn't make sense of it, couldn't make sense of it at all.
Zhang Ze thought for a moment and simply replied with a single word.
"Hmm."
This is how you should treat sycophants.
Let Song Qingpao fill in the gaps himself, Zhang Ze still had important matters to attend to.
Zhang Ze had to find Liu Lili.
Liu Lili was missing, gone for several days now.
"""