Bai Zihan didn’t plan to do anything to Shen Liang at the moment.
Fang Jinyan was going to inform him when Shen Liang decided to carry out the plan.
And Bai Zihan didn’t have to do much to thwart Shen Liang’s plan, which was already known to him.
Bai Zihan cultivated for the two days before Kong Zhanhong appeared with the task completed.
“Young Master, I have collected all the required information and written it in this scroll.”
Kong Zhanhong said as he handed over the scroll.
Bai Zihan took it.
“Good job! Here’s your reward,” Bai Zihan said as he handed him a jade bottle.
Kong Zhanhong caught it, then checked what it was—and was shocked when he saw it.
“This… Young Master, is it okay for me to accept this?”
Kong Zhanhong asked fearfully.
After all, what was in the jade bottle were five high-quality Golden Essence Pills, which were extremely effective for someone like him.
It was too precious. His clan could only afford to send one such pill every two months, and even that was low quality.
“Take it. Anyway, I don’t lack such things. You can cultivate for now—and remember to come when I call you.”
Bai Zihan said, not caring in the slightest about the pill he’d given Kong Zhanhong.
After all, the Bai Clan treasury had plenty of such pills, and he’d taken a bunch of them with him when he came to the Heaven Sword Sect.
“Thank you, Young Master. I will carry out your orders without hesitation.”
Kong Zhanhong said, his voice trembling with forced loyalty.
“Even if I have to walk through a thousand swords or swim through a sea of flames… I’ll do it!”
He was initially only submissive to Bai Zihan because he feared for his life, but after receiving such a reward for such an easy job, he now realized what a great opportunity this was.
Kissing Bai Zihan’s ass was a hundred times better than trying to work under Fang Jinyan or Shen Liang.
This is what a real tycoon looks like!
After giving a big bow, Kong Zhanhong left.
(What a dramatic guy.)
Bai Zihan thought, before turning his attention to the scroll.
Indeed, Kong Zhanhong had done a great job with the task he was given.
He’d written in detail about the different factions within the Heaven Sword Sect and their power levels compared to each other as well.
Kong Zhanhong might act like a clown, but when it came to information gathering, the guy didn’t mess around.
He’d written everything down—names, power levels, political leanings… even added a few notes on personal grudges and rumors.
“Faction Breakdown within the Heaven Sword Sect!”
There were several small factions, mostly led by elders who either wanted more resources or wanted to get into higher positions.
Standard sect bullshit.
But there were two factions that truly divided the sect.
One was the Anti–Sect Leader Faction, and the other was those who supported the current Sect Leader.
Bai Zihan’s brows lifted.
Shen Liang’s backing—his uncle—belonged to the Anti–Sect Leader Faction.
It seemed their primary objective was to have the current Sect Leader removed and replaced with someone they considered better: their faction leader.
And that faction leader was Elder Han, head of the Punishment Hall.
The guy was obsessed with law, order, and “restoring the sect’s former glory”—whatever that meant.
He was known to be cold, ruthless, and absolutely uncompromising.
And apparently… he wasn’t a fan of the current Sect Leader.
The scroll noted that Elder Han believed the current leadership was too soft—favoring diplomacy over strength, avoiding war, and tolerating too many internal disputes.
In short, the Sect Leader is a reasonable person who doesn’t like to abuse his power and this Elder Han didn’t like it.
(Perhaps the Sect Leader should do what Elder Han likes and use his power to teach him a lesson.)
Well, that’s what he thought—but he also knew it wouldn’t be easy, considering Elder Han held a lot of power and influence within the sect.
But if it was Bai Zihan doing it, he figured it wouldn’t be all that hard.
If there wasn’t a good excuse, then just make one—after dealing with Elder Han.
Who’d even dare protest once the guy was dead?
And even if someone did, without Elder Han to lead them, they’d fall apart faster than dry leaves in the wind.
“Is this why Shen Liang is so arrogant?”
No wonder Shen Liang was such a self-important little shit. He had backing.
And not just from anyone, but from one of the most dangerous factions in the sect.
It might not just be him Bai Zihan had to deal with—but the entire faction.
Why?
Because the Sect Leader was the one who agreed to accept Bai Zihan as a disciple of the Heaven Sword Sect.
If they were targeting the Sect Leader, there’s no way they wouldn’t target him too.
Perhaps the Sect Leader was being criticized for accepting him. It might not seem important, but they’d definitely use it as ammunition.
Bai Zihan tapped his chin.
So that’s how it was.
“Interesting!”
Bai Zihan smiled as he thought of what action to take in the future.
Bai Zihan wasn’t scared—he actually found it intriguing.
He wasn’t sure whether Shen Liang’s moves were directly ordered by the faction, but either way, they were his enemies.
Reason being, the Sect Leader is Father’s friend—or at least that’s what he knows.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have accepted Bai Tianheng’s request to admit him as a disciple.
Moreover, the Sect Leader wasn’t powerless.
He had his own supporters—known as the Sect Leader’s Faction.
They mostly existed to resist the Anti–Sect Leader Faction and prevent them from achieving their goals.
They also helped stabilize the Sect Leader’s position both within and outside the sect.
Looking at the power scale, the two factions were equally powerful. It didn’t seem like the Anti–Sect Leader side had a real advantage.
Unless, of course, there were hidden forces not visible to the general public—and Kong Zhanhong didn’t know.
After all, it would be tough for just an Inner Disciple to know everything about the sect’s true power, even after years.
There was even a list showing which Peak Masters supported which faction—including Mystic Moon Peak.
As expected, Mystic Moon Peak was labeled “Neutral.”
It was also stated that Elder Qinglan didn’t give a damn about sect politics.
She cultivated, taught her disciples, and stayed the hell out of the mess. Her status and power was also so high that no one dared provoke her.
Moreover, both factions wanted Elder Qinglan on their side—because her support could tip the balance in their faction’s favor.
Of course, she wasn’t interested. If she was, she could’ve easily become the Sect Leader herself.
And although she didn’t side with either faction, she was considered to lean slightly toward the Sect Leader’s faction.
After all, she gave up her right to become Sect Leader in favor of her senior brother—who is the current Sect Leader.
So, Bai Zihan came to a simple conclusion—there were three major factions in the sect.
One that supported the current Sect Leader, one that wanted to replace him, and the neutrals who wanted no part in the power struggle.
Bai Zihan realized that the neutral group might actually be the most powerful of the three.
After all, to resist pressure from both major factions, these so-called “neutrals” had to be strong enough that no one dared mess with them—Elder Qinglan being the perfect example.
If you added up all the neutral elders, their collective influence could easily surpass either faction.
Of course, whether they were truly neutral or quietly backing someone behind the scenes was another matter entirely.
Not everyone plays their cards out in the open.
Anyway, Bai Zihan kept that information tucked away. It might come in handy later.
Now for the next scroll—the one about his second task: tracking down the whereabouts of other Bai Clan members in the sect.
“Hmph! These rebellious Clan members!”
Bai Zihan knew they were all hiding from him. Otherwise, he would’ve seen at least one of them by now.
And it’s not like they didn’t know he was here.
As the Heir of the Bai Clan and their future Clan Leader, they should’ve been the first to greet him when he arrived.
Bai Zihan wasn’t planning to let those clan members off easy.
Names, locations, excuses. It was all written out, but the moment he started reading, his frown deepened.
One Bai Clan disciple was “in seclusion for a critical breakthrough.”
Another had been “assigned to a long-term mission outside the sect—expected to return in four months.”
One had “suffered severe injuries during training” and was “currently recovering in the Medical Pavilion under Elder He.”
(Seriously?)
How convenient.
Every single one of them had some reason—some bullshit excuse—that made them “unavailable” for the next few months.
Bai Zihan scoffed.
“Hiding like rats.”
It was all done professionally, too—just enough detail to sound legitimate, giving each of them a solid excuse to avoid him for the next couple of months.
But did Bai Zihan need a reason to unleash his anger?
Hell no!
The moment he laid eyes on them, he was going to let them have it—no holding back.
He was the Heir of the Bai Clan. Their future Clan Leader. And instead of supporting him, they were scrambling to stay out of his way—as if he were some plague.
He continued to read the names on the scroll then his eyes stopped on a particular name.
“Bai Xinyue!”