Qin Feng smiled warmly at Lin Caiwei, whom he hadn't seen in several days. Instead of first asking if she had uncovered the Lin family's conspiracy, he simply hugged her tightly and kissed her passionately—had it not been daytime, he would have taken his beautiful wife straight to the peaks of Wushan. After a French-style, lengthy wet kiss lasting over ten minutes, Lin breathed heavily and said, "Bad husband, I'm nearly out of breath!" "Heh, it's been several days since I last saw you—I've missed you so much," Qin said, then asked, "Lin Fenglei, that old man, hasn't shown up here yet. The grand assembly officially starts tomorrow. What's he up to?" The woman replied, "He indeed has a scheme, but not against you. Previously, the Lin family ranked thirty-eighth. He used that as an excuse to eliminate Lin Gao and reclaim the headmaster's position. However, through his recent efforts, he's managed to raise their rank all the way to twenty-first—quite unexpected!" "Qin Feng furrowed his brow: 'The rankings can be advanced—this is the first time I've heard of it. Isn't it possible that the old man has been behind the scenes, deliberately keeping the rankings lower at first, and only after securing the Lin family's support did he raise them, thus gaining broader approval!' Lin, the beautiful woman, nodded: 'You're absolutely right. That's exactly what happened. There's actually another sect actively advocating for its own ranking—something you must have sensed!' 'The White Crane Sect.' He guessed it perfectly. 'Yes, they've been placed at twenty-second. Initially, the members were satisfied with this position. But upon hearing that the Lin family's ranking has advanced by twenty spots, they've become restless and uneasy.' She said. Honestly, the guy's rivals are quite numerous—Lin family, White Crane Sect, the host sect, the Xiao Yao Sect, and the Jin Long and Yin Hai Sects, among others, who never lift their eyes. Well, as the saying goes, 'when there are many lice, they don't bite; when one has many debts, one doesn't worry.' 'By the way, where is Qing sister?' Lin Beauty noticed that He Muqing wasn't here—she should have been with Qin Feng, after all. Qin, a bit helpless, said, "Ling'er has been out on a trip with her. You don't know who Ling'er is, right? She's the young apprentice from the neighboring Tongling Sect, with a sweet, childlike face. We met on the way, and now she treats Qingqing like a sister!" "Ling'er of the Tongling Sect—I remember her well," Lin Beauty replied promptly. "Back then, many people said that if she hadn't maintained such youthful beauty so early, she would have surely claimed the title of the number one beauty in the cultivation world. After all, I'm nearly eight or nine years younger than her—when she rose to fame, I was just becoming a cultivator!" "Indeed, now she calls Qingqing 'Sister Qing' all the time, with such warmth and affection," Qin added, growing more helpless. As for He Muqing, she adores her younger sister even more—every day, the two of them walk together, forming a striking and charming sight. Lin Caiwei stared at his face for several seconds, then said in a rather puzzled tone, "Husband, if you were with Ling'er, I wouldn't be surprised—every time you see a beautiful woman, you're like a wild dog spotting pork. But now it's Qingjie and her together? Are you sure?" Hearing this, he immediately frowned, looking deeply troubled: "What do you mean, a wild dog spotting pork? Have you ever heard such a comparison? Shouldn't I have a bit more patience? Even if Ling'er is as beautiful as a goddess, she'll still have to be my favorite first!" "Really?" Lin, with a long, drawn-out tone, replied, "I think you simply haven't found the right opportunities to attract a partner. It's said Ling'er is clever and full of charm—she must be deliberately keeping her distance from you, doesn't she?" Well, how come all the girls around Woge are so sharp, always guessing right? Can I even have a bit of privacy? Can I even keep a secret? But the rebuttal must be met with rebuttal. Given Ling'er's exceptional intelligence and her genuine reserve toward Qin the Younger, he had indeed missed his chance to act. Yet Qin the Younger had already devised a strategy—once he set his eyes on someone, no one would ever manage to escape his grasp. Besides the two who were flushed with anger due to their dispute, the remaining six found it hard to remain neutral—each had to choose between the two, which meant inevitably offending one of them. Someone proposed, "Why not follow the practice of anonymous voting in the secular world? The one with more votes shall become the host!" The Elder Flame Daoist countered, "Why complicate things? A simple show of hands would suffice—how much faster! Anyone supporting me, please raise your hand. Allow me to emphasize that you all surely will choose me, and I promise to repay you generously!" With confidence in his character and the promise of future rewards, he believed he would secure the majority's backing. Yet, no one raised their hand. The Elder Flame stood dumbfounded. The Ethereal True Person, however, was delighted, exclaiming, "Since none of you support him, that means you all support me! Hahahaha! I'm truly grateful—my hosting position has been approved by an outright majority. The Flame Daoist, it's time to accept your fate!" The Fire God Monks grew red in the face, utterly surprised that everyone had been so unceremonious—had he perhaps said something wrong earlier? Suddenly, he noticed a fellow abbot with whom he had a close relationship giving him a subtle signal. Instantly understanding, he cleared his throat and said, "Master Qiao Miao, don't get too excited yet—those supporting you, please raise your hands!" Indeed, no one raised their hand. The ones seated here were all seasoned and experienced; someone had already proposed a secret ballot, so how could they possibly raise their hands in a straightforward vote? Now it was Master Qiao Miao who was at a loss. He smoothed out his earlier confident demeanor, his face now drawn taut. Dong Qinkuan felt even more pleased—seemingly, none of you had any ideas left, and now it was finally my turn to speak. He cleared his throat and said, "I think the anonymous voting method is quite good. What do you all think? Well, since everyone agrees, let's proceed with anonymous voting. To ensure fairness, I'll write the ballots, and you just need to check the corresponding names. Now, gentlemen, when you make your selections, please be careful not to let others see, so as not to create any additional concerns for yourselves."