It wasn’t that he didn’t want to make more friends, but he understood a simple truth: you can’t force your way into a circle where you don’t belong.
’Everyone present is either from a Purple Mansion Influence or a disciple of a Purple Mansion Independent Cultivator. Compared to them, I’m simply not in the sa league. Why go out of my way to be friendly just to get the cold shoulder?’
’Even if my talent surpasses most of the people here, it doesn’t change a thing. Only soone like Old Ghost Bai, who wants to recruit , would give a second glance. In everyone else’s eyes, I’m a nobody.’
A quarter of an hour after the banquet began, Yu Chengbo and his companions finally made their belated entrance.
"Elder Yu, please, take your seat." Yinn Shang was still the one to receive them, but his tone was noticeably less enthusiastic. After all, they had arrived on the mountain months in advance; to be this late was a clear sign of disrespect toward his master.
Yu Chengbo had his own unspoken grievances. After giving up their pursuit of Song Changsheng, they had rushed to Luoxia City with all haste, finally arriving that morning.
But it was only as they were ascending Celestial Sound Mountain that they rembered the birthday gift for the Great City Lord had been with Liu Yunfeng. Now that Liu Yunfeng was dead, the gift was naturally gone as well.
They couldn’t very well show up to a birthday celebration empty-handed, could they?
So, he had to pull various strings to procure a new gift worthy of the Lieyang Sect’s status. This inevitably caused a delay, but it couldn’t be helped.
The mont he sat down, Yu Chengbo saw Song Changsheng across from him, raising his cup with a wide grin. He was instantly overco with a towering rage.
When enemies cross paths, their eyes burn with hatred. If not for the occasion, Yu Chengbo would have charged over and twisted Song Changsheng’s head right off his shoulders.
Seeing Yu Chengbo’s murderous glare, Song Changsheng gave a cold smirk. ’I just love seeing you look like you want to kill but can’t do a single thing about it.’
Counting the one he had killed with the Godslaying Flying Knife and the one killed with Dongtian Xie’s help, the number of Lieyang Sect’s Foundation Establishnt Cultivators he had taken out now reached five. This included one at Foundation Establishnt Great Perfection and one at Late-stage Foundation Establishnt.
Even for the Lieyang Sect, which could refine its own Foundation Establishnt Pills, such a loss was difficult to bear. Their influence had shrunk considerably as of late.
After all, the Song Clan was not the Lieyang Sect’s only enemy.
’If I can find a way to eliminate all three of these old geezers, even the Lieyang Sect will be reeling for a long while, won’t they?’ Song Changsheng gently swirled the wine in his cup, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
A Foundation Establishnt Great Perfection cultivator was an absolute pillar in any Purple Mansion Influence. In the Lieyang Sect, you could count the number of cultivators at this level on one hand, and Dongtian Xie had already taken care of one of them.
If he could also eliminate Yu Chengbo and Mao Wuwei...
Song Changsheng was tempted. Although the three old-tirs were formidable, it wasn’t an impossible task with a proper plan. It was ti to give them a taste of their own dicine!
At this thought, Song Changsheng’s eyes shifted. He looked at Song Qingluo, who was feasting heartily beside him, and secretly sent a voice transmission. "Qingluo, go down the mountain at once. Find a Clan Elder and send a ssage to the clan. Tell them..."
Song Qingluo was montarily stunned, but despite his youth, he was quick on the uptake. He suddenly said to Song Changsheng, "Young Clan Leader, I just rembered! The Clan Leader sent a letter for you. I’ll go get it for you now."
"Why are you only telling about sothing so important now? Go on, and be quick about it." Song Changsheng feigned anger, but inwardly, he was praising the boy’s quick thinking.
’What I’m planning now concerns the future of the clan. I can’t afford to reveal any weaknesses!’
After leaving the main hall, Song Qingluo raced back to the general store as fast as he could.
Because of Song Changsheng, Song Xiantu and Sunx Chuanming had been on edge for days. Seeing Song Qingluo rush back alone and in such a hurry nearly gave the old n a heart attack.
Sunx Chuanming quickly grabbed Song Qingluo and asked anxiously, "Did sothing happen to the Young Clan Leader?"
After half a lifeti of stagnation, he was counting on Song Changsheng to carry on his legacy. At the very least, he needed him to find a suitable successor. If Song Changsheng died, his lineage would essentially be cut off, sothing he could not bear to see.
Song Xiantu was equally nervous. As the Song Clan’s first Young Clan Leader in a hundred years, Song Changsheng represented the clan’s hope for the next century.
After learning that the Lieyang Sect had a bounty out on Song Changsheng, Song Xiantu had sent a ssage to the clan while also gathering Spirit Stones to hire Loose Cultivators to rescue him.
Unfortunately, the funds he could mobilize were far too limited. The two people he hired never even caught a glimpse of Song Changsheng.
Song Qingluo gasped for a few breaths and quickly waved his hands. "The Young Clan Leader is fine! He’s at the Great City Lord’s banquet right now."
Hearing that Song Changsheng was safe, the two old n exchanged a look and both breathed a sigh of relief.
Song Xiantu, however, put on a stern face and admonished him, "If the Young Clan Leader is fine, why aren’t you by his side attending to him? What are you doing rushing down the mountain?"
Song Qingluo glanced around furtively and said in a low voice, "The Young Clan Leader ordered to co down. I have an urgent ssage to send back to the clan."
Seeing his solemn expression, Song Xiantu imdiately understood the gravity of the situation. "Follow ."
Song Qingluo followed Song Xiantu to a hidden corner. Song Xiantu reached out and tapped a spot, and a section of the wall slid open silently, revealing a pitch-black corridor.
The two walked down the corridor and eventually arrived in a sealed secret chamber. In the center of the chamber was a ten-foot-square White Jade Altar, and at its heart, a small cluster of ethereal blue flas burned quietly.
"This is the clan’s Communication Altar. It only takes a single day for a ssage to reach the clan. Carve the Young Clan Leader’s words into this Crystal Stone."
Song Xiantu carefully took a fist-sized Transparent Crystal Stone from a small shelf to the side and handed it to Song Qingluo.
"Why do I have to carve it into this?" Song Qingluo asked, puzzled.
"Because our altar requires a special dium to transmit ssages, and this Crystal Stone is that dium. Be careful with it. This one piece is worth one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones," Song Xiantu instructed.
"So you’re saying one ssage costs one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones?" Song Qingluo was inwardly astonished. ’That’s outrageously expensive. No wonder they rarely use it.’
He quickly carved Song Changsheng’s ssage into the stone, word for word. Song Xiantu then placed it in the center of the altar. He ford a few spell seals and muttered an incantation. The small cluster of flas suddenly flared violently, instantly engulfing the Crystal Stone.
When the flas returned to normal, the altar was empty.
"Will you wait here for the clan’s reply, or...?"
"I have to get back imdiately. Once the clan responds, please pass the ssage to the Young Clan Leader." Firmly rembering Song Changsheng’s words, Song Qingluo once again rushed back as fast as he could...
"Is it done?" Song Changsheng asked via a secret voice transmission as he accepted the "letter" Song Qingluo handed him.
Song Qingluo blinked, indicating that everything had gone smoothly, then said in a low voice, "The Clan Elder told to tell you that the Grand Elder is unhard and has already returned safely to the clan. He said not to worry."
This was indeed sothing Song Changsheng had been worrying about recently. Hearing the news, he instantly felt a great sense of relief.
’The clan definitely won’t pass up such a good opportunity. In that case, I can start contacting our allies.’ Song Changsheng drained the wine from his cup in one go, a cold glint in his eyes.
’To take down those three old n, the Song Clan’s current strength isn’t enough. I have to find a reliable temporary ally.’
And he had already selected his target: the Xiang Province Rong Clan, separated from Ling Province by only a single province.
The Rong Clan bordered the Lieyang Sect, and the two had been fighting both openly and in the shadows for centuries. Crucially, they were of roughly equal strength, so neither had ever been able to gain the upper hand.
If there was anyone besides the Song Clan who most wanted to see the Lieyang Sect crushed, it would undoubtedly be the Rong Clan. The two had nurous conflicts of interest.
As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. If the Rong Clan hadn’t been keeping the Lieyang Sect in check all these years, the Song Clan’s situation would have been far more difficult.
As long as it ant striking a blow against the Lieyang Sect, the Rong Clan would surely not refuse.
’Three Lieyang Sect Elders as the prey... that should be enough to entice you to make a move, right?’
...
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