Chapter 1318: Chips

"If the sect restructuring truly happens, the best scenario is that they remain one of the Four Great Sects."

"But if an unforeseen accident or upheaval occurs, and they lose their position, falling out of the Four Great Sects, wouldn’t that be a great joke?"

"For such a critical matter, they would not be so careless, nor would they treat it as child’s play."

"Therefore, there must be some deeper meaning behind all this..."

Xun Ziyou said in a low voice.

Elder Master Xun seemed somewhat surprised, silently observing Xun Ziyou, then asked in his aged voice:

"What do you think?"

Xun Ziyou gave a bitter smile, "I’m unsure, which is why I wanted to ask you..."

"Speak your mind," Elder Master Xun’s tone softened slightly, "there’s no need to hold back."

After brief contemplation, Xun Ziyou slowly said:

"In my view, the Four Great Sects seem to be planning to... ’reshuffle’ all the sects?"

Elder Master Xun’s brows lifted slightly.

Seeing that the elder did not reprimand him, Xun Ziyou continued:

"Recently, I’ve taken some time to discreetly probe a few old friends within various families and sects."

"Based on the information I’ve gathered..."

"It seems the Four Great Sects intend to reshuffle the entire sect structure within the Qian Learning State Boundary—from the Eight Major Gates, the Twelve Streams, the Qian Learning Hundred Gates, all the way down to the medium and small sects beneath them."

"Those who comply will prosper; those who resist will perish."

"Sects that refuse to heed their command will be ousted from key positions, replaced by those who are obedient."

"By restructuring everything from top to bottom, the Qian Learning State Boundary will be established under a new sect order, with the ’Four Great Sects’ at its core."

"The Four Great Sects would become the sect overlords, a dominating force."

"Meanwhile, the Eight Major Gates, Twelve Streams, and all other Qianxue Sects would be relegated to subordinates, under their thumb, without the slightest room for defiance."

Xun Ziyou sighed, "In this world, most powerful forces, once they grow strong, inevitably monopolize and become oligarchies, ruling unilaterally. This is an inevitability."

"But there are two problems with this approach..."

Xun Ziyou’s expression turned perplexed, "First, how can the Four Great Sects be certain they won’t fail during this sect restructuring or the upcoming Dao Conferencing, and risk falling from their position as the Four Great Sects?"

"Second, if they’re truly aiming for a reshuffle, then first to be implicated would be our Taixu Gate, as well as..."

Xun Ziyou paused and gravely said, "Two other sects from the same lineage as us... the Tai’a Sect and the Rushing Void Sect!"

"Yet the Tai’a Sect and the Rushing Void Sect seem entirely oblivious to this. Not only do they not oppose the restructuring, but they’re actively supporting its implementation."

"They even appear to be thinking of using this sect restructuring as an opportunity to climb higher, aspiring to become one of the Four Great Sects..."

Xun Ziyou’s face was filled with worry.

Elder Master Xun nodded slightly, and his gaze toward Xun Ziyou carried a hint of approval.

Learning to think critically wasn’t a bad thing. At least it spared him some concern.

"You’re partially right, but also not entirely," Elder Master Xun said.

"The Four Great Sects undoubtedly aim to become sect overlords—true ’Four Great Sects,’ dominating a region, commanding thousands of sects, leaving none daring to defy them."

"But behind this, there must be deeper, more terrifying secrets, shrouded in darker, more sinister intentions..."

Elder Master Xun’s eyes grew profound before he sighed, "But such matters aren’t for me to explain further."

"As for the Tai’a Sect and Rushing Void Sect, even if they remain unaware of these hidden machinations or the far-reaching consequences, they should at the very least be aware of the Four Great Sects’ schemes."

Xun Ziyou frowned, "Then why would they..."

Elder Master Xun shook his head, "The fisherman casts the bait, and the fish bites willingly."

"How can you tell, until the very end, whether it’s the fisherman who catches the fish, or the fish that swallows the bait, snaps the line, and drags the fisherman into the water?"

"For the Four Great Sects, this is a gamble."

"If it succeeds, they will wield supreme authority, commanding an entire state boundary with a thousand sects under their decree."

"But for the Tai’a Sect and Rushing Void Sect, this is just as much a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"If they seize the chance and push forward courageously, they could soar to the top and truly become ’premier’ sects."

"Everyone is gambling."

"But..." Xun Ziyou furrowed his brows, "Gambling with the future of one’s sect—isn’t that too reckless? It feels somewhat..."

Xun Ziyou fell silent for a moment but eventually voiced the words:

"Foolish..."

Elder Master Xun smiled faintly, "Don’t view it from an outsider’s perspective. The so-called clarity of a bystander is often an illusion."

"Most bystanders who think themselves clear-headed only turn out to be more foolish than the players once they enter the game."

"The Tai’a Sect is gambling, the Rushing Void Sect is gambling, and do you think our Taixu Gate doesn’t want to gamble?"

"Our Taixu Gate simply lacks the chips. If we had them, we would’ve laid out our game long ago."

"What’s more, history tends to judge the merits and faults of a gamble after the fact."

"If the Tai’a Sect and the Rushing Void Sect win, it will be praised as foresight and strategic brilliance."

"If they lose, it will be derided as greed and overreach."

"For now, the dust has not settled, the outcome remains undetermined. How can you judge whether their actions are ’strategic brilliance’ or ’overreach’?"

"And who’s to say they will lose?"

"What if they win?"

Elder Master Xun’s gaze burned with intensity, piercing through.

Xun Ziyou froze, rendered speechless by the elder’s questions.

Only now did he realize how easy it was to presume clarity when looking at matters unrelated to oneself.

But when faced with solving the challenges directly, the fog thickened, the links became unfathomable, and decisions turned extraordinarily difficult.

Xun Ziyou let out a deep sigh, unable to utter another word.

After a moment, he softly asked, "Then, elder, what should our Taixu Gate..."

Elder Master Xun replied, "Given the shallow foundations of our Taixu Gate, we should remain docile, observe the shifting tides, and adapt accordingly..."

Xun Ziyou sighed inwardly.

It was no surprise—such sage words from the elder made perfect sense yet also gave no clearer direction when examined in detail.

Elder Master Xun fell into silence for a moment before sighing again:

"The Tai’a Sect seeks to advance boldly, while the Rushing Void Sect hopes to maintain stability through progress. On the surface, they seem far stronger than our Taixu Gate."

"But in truth, we’re all just grasshoppers tied to the same rope—none of us fares much better than the others."

"This sect restructuring may appear as mere waves on the surface, but beneath lies a surging tide of blood and chaos..."

"Our Taixu Gate struggles to protect itself, and they can only seek their own fortunes. Whether they can win their gamble will depend on their own providence."

...

Xun Ziyou furrowed his brows tightly, a weight pressing on his heart.

The matters the elder had to contemplate far surpassed those of the sect elders like him...

Though Elder Master Xun’s expression remained placid, his heart carried its own weight of concern.

For all they spoke of seeking their own fortunes, the Taixu, Tai’a, and Rushing Void Sects shared a lineage. In the eyes of elders with such extended lifespans, they remained bound by blood and kinship.

With storm clouds brewing, he couldn’t bear the thought of seeing any among the three sects falter or meet calamity.

But such significant affairs were beyond his control...

Elder Master Xun’s thoughts were heavy as he raised his gaze and saw the troubled expression on Xun Ziyou’s face. Shaking his head slightly, he said:

"Don’t concern yourself too much. Just remember my instructions—take good care of Mo Hua; leave the rest alone."

Xun Ziyou sighed in resignation, cupping his hands, "Understood."

Elder Master Xun nodded slightly and, as if recalling something, asked, "You mentioned that Mo Hua has connections with disciples from both the Tai’a Sect and the Rushing Void Sect?"

"Yes." Xun Ziyou nodded. "Their relationships seem quite good."

"The sword prodigy from the Rushing Void Sect and Mo Hua became acquainted in a rather unconventional way. Though it was their first meeting, they conversed quite a bit afterward."

"As for the Tai’a Sect, the Ouyang family’s young disciple has an even closer relationship with Mo Hua. He’s been helping Mo Hua craft swords daily and even greets Mo Hua as ’senior brother’ whenever they meet..."

"Senior brother?" Elder Master Xun was momentarily taken aback.

"Senior brother," Xun Ziyou confirmed.

Elder Master Xun nodded.

Mo Hua, that child, truly had a knack for forging connections—even a disciple from the Ouyang family in the Tai’a Sect called him ’senior brother’...

Elder Master Xun pondered for a moment before pausing abruptly.

An audacious idea suddenly surfaced in Elder Master Xun’s mind.

So daring, even Elder Master Xun involuntarily drew in a sharp breath.

Calming himself, he thought carefully, his feelings an ocean of turbulence. Inwardly, he muttered:

"It seems our Taixu Gate might not be entirely without ’chips’..."

"What if we... place an even bigger bet?!"

His gaze flickered with astonishment, then slowly deepened in resolve.