Is It Reasonable for Me to Start a Sect at 12?

After Governor Tong Shuzheng finally managed to organize the recent workload and handle all the day's various tasks, his aide, Xue Chengfeng, entered the tent to report.

Upon entering, Xue Chengfeng saw Governor Tong sitting exhausted in his chair, sipping plain water from the table. He knew that in the rush of leaving for the dam repairs, Tong Shuzheng had only packed a few changes of clothes, forgetting to bring any tea leaves. Having come to his post without family, and accompanied only by two attendants and this aide who had served him for over ten years, there had been no one to think of such details for him.

"Governor, though repairing the dam is urgent, you must also take care of your health," Xue Chengfeng said as he bowed respectfully.

Tong Shuzheng took a large gulp of water and waved his hand dismissively. "Chengfeng, how many times have I told you? When there are no outsiders, there's no need for such formalities. It's not that I don't care about my health, but this matter concerns the lives of thousands of our people here!" He sighed, knowing that if he fell ill, there would be no one to oversee things.

Glancing outside and noticing that the moon was already high in the sky, he asked, "What brings you here at this hour? Is there something urgent?"

Xue Chengfeng sat down at a lower seat. "It's not exactly urgent, but I just heard from Head Constable Huang that as of half an hour ago, none of the laborers sent to the dam today were missing."

"Oh?" Tong Shuzheng's fatigue was instantly lifted, and his eyes brightened as he looked at Xue Chengfeng. "I expected there to be some casualties on the first day, with everyone still unfamiliar with the work, but to think we've had no losses! It seems the constables have done an excellent job this time. Issue my order—each constable is to be rewarded with an additional fifty copper coins today!"

The latter half of his statement was directed in a louder voice towards the outside of the tent. An attendant outside acknowledged the order and left to carry it out.

Xue Chengfeng did not object. After the attendant left, he turned to Tong Shuzheng and said, "Governor, there's something unusual about this."

Curious, Tong Shuzheng asked, "What do you mean?"

"Although the constables were meticulous in ensuring safety today, I heard that some laborers did encounter danger—some fell from the dam, and others tumbled into the river. In total, about a dozen people. But those who fell into the river were later found on the shore, and those who fell from the dam returned unharmed."

Surprised, Tong Shuzheng asked, "Is that even possible?"

Xue Chengfeng nodded. "At first, I didn't believe it either, but many people witnessed it. And, Governor," he added with a peculiar expression, "some of them claimed they were saved by an immortal. However, this immortal vanished right after saving them, without leaving a name."

"An immortal?" Tong Shuzheng was stunned, thinking of the letter he had sent to the Yangmen Sect's station in Lake Province five days ago. "If an immortal had come, why wouldn't they make their presence known?"

After years in office, dealing with the three major sects was nothing new to him. Whenever a problem beyond human capability arose, he would promptly seek assistance from the local sect responsible. But more often than not, his requests would go unanswered.

If the situation was serious enough, they might send an immortal, but it usually took a month or so to get a response. And when they did come, these immortals were often aloof and demanding, expecting grand treatment. Hosting them always drained his personal savings significantly. Without the government-funded assistance and contributions from wealthy families hoping to curry favor with the immortals, Tong Shuzheng would have long retired to a life of farming.

Xue Chengfeng leaned in closer and whispered, "Governor... I suspect there may be another immortal among us."

Shocked, Tong Shuzheng asked in a hushed tone, "What makes you think that?"

Xue Chengfeng continued in a low voice, "Do you remember the explanation that Golden Immortal gave us when we were searching for the missing children?"

Tong Shuzheng, puzzled, replied, "What about it?"

At the time, he had been solely focused on finding the children. Once they were safely recovered, he hadn't given much thought to the immortal's words. After all, the affairs of immortals rarely concerned him directly.

Xue Chengfeng explained his reasoning, "I felt something was off when I first heard it. After thinking it over carefully, I found several inconsistencies. But since the children were found alive, I didn't delve into it further. Now, combining today's strange events, I have a bold guess: we might have another immortal in our region, one who is kind-hearted but prefers to remain hidden. What do you think, Governor?"

Tong Shuzheng fell into deep thought.

To be honest, his past dealings with so-called immortals had never been pleasant. After all, who enjoys constantly bowing and scraping before others, especially when one is a well-educated scholar and a top graduate of the imperial exams? Naturally, he had his pride.

But often, for the sake of the well-being of the people under his governance, he had to swallow his pride.

So if today's events were truly the result of an immortal from the Yangmen Sect rushing to his aid, and they didn't even seek recognition or demand any grand gestures of respect, he found it hard to believe.

But what if there was another immortal, one who didn't belong to the three major sects?

Reflecting on the inconsistencies from the previous encounter with the Golden Immortal, Tong Shuzheng's seasoned mind quickly spotted the loopholes.

And when he had asked for the remains of the criminals from the immortal's companion, the immortal had hesitated and evaded the request.

Could it be true?

If it was, then the lives of the laborers had an additional layer of protection!

The thought of this possibility filled Tong Shuzheng with joy, and his fatigue seemed to vanish. He looked at Xue Chengfeng with a broad smile, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Chengfeng, if that's true, then this is excellent news!"

Unable to contain his excitement, he stood and began pacing the tent, continuing, "But this is all just speculation for now. Let's observe for a couple more days. If it turns out to be true, we must respect the immortal's wish for anonymity. When the time comes, we'll quietly prepare a token of gratitude and leave it somewhere the immortal can find it."

Watching the governor, whom he had served for over ten years, pacing with joy, Xue Chengfeng nodded and smiled, "The Governor's words are wise."