Shang Qing Qing's will was present there. She offered Fang Yuan's will a gentle smile as he approached. Roughly one-thirds of those in attendance belonged to the Shang Clan by blood. About one-third to a half were closely allied clans and external Supreme Elders. The rest were individuals like Fang Yuan - those seeking to align themselves with the clan though not as close as the external elders, and who were looking for the opportunity to perhaps join those ranks.
Fang Yuan wanted to speak to Shang Qing Qing before the main proceedings began.
"Ah, junior brother," she greeted. "Have you heard the recent news from Yellow Treasure Heaven?"
"Of course," Fang Yuan replied casually.
"Have you considered constructing a Blood Chariot yourself?" she asked, batting her eyelashes.
Fang Yuan snorted. "What? Of course not! I despise blood path cultivation. Blood path cultivators are the lowest of the low - how could I associate with them? If I were to encounter the one who released that inheritance, I would strike him down without hesitation." There was not the slightest trace of irony in his voice.
He sounded completely sincere.
Truly, Fang Yuan was simply too shameless.
In truth, Shang Qing Qing wasn't surprised by his denial. They had only just met - she had no expectation he would reveal anything like that so easily.
But even if he had, she would not have rejected him outright. Someone like Fang Yuan could be useful as an asset... at a distance.
"I understand how difficult it is for lone cultivators," Shang Qing Qing continued with a soft sigh. "Survival often requires… flexibility. Not that I endorse such methods - but I can understand."
"I would never," Fang Yuan said firmly. "I hate Blood Path Cultivators - as a mortal, I killed a notorious demonic Gu Master known as the Blood Tiger when he had threatened my village. I saw how he slaughtered my beloved clansmen with so much glee... after enduring that kind of tragedy I could never adopt those kinds of methods."
Shang Qing Qing had never heard of the Blood Tiger in question, though a quick search through the Shang Clan's records confirmed who this was and that Fang Yuan had indeed killed this person. 'I guess he isn't just saying that for show then... he may truly be sincere. From what I can tell he seems to be quite the idealist. Heh... but this Fang Yuan is a bit too naive. He only thinks that he can avoid Blood Path methods right now because he hasn't come face-to-face with what a threat calamities and tribulations are. The cold reality of this world will soon hit him right in the face. I'll see how quickly he builds a Blood Chariot once that time comes! You'll be knocked off of your high horse soon enough!'
As it was said, 'a thief justifies stealing by thinking that everyone is a thief.' In the same way, Shang QIng Qing thought that Fang Yuan was just like her - that his morals and his attitude were malleable to the whims of the world. If Shang Qing Qing were in his shoes, she would eventually change her morals as well if the situation got sour enough.
What she didn't understand is that Fang Yuan was not like her. Fang Yuan was a true person; one whose personality did not change like the seasons as per the environment around him.
"Well, I am glad to know that junior brother is truly devoted to the righteous path," Shang Qing Qing said.
After a brief pause, Fang Yuan added, "Fairy... there is something I hoped you might assist be able to assist me with."
"Oh?" she said, intrigued.
Fang Yuan explained his request. After listening, Shang Qing Qing weighed his request. It was not a big one necessarily, then again, Fang Yuan had not done anything particularly praiseworthy yet. He was just a greenhorn Rank 6 and getting him to any point where he would actually be useful would probably require far more of an investment than it was worth. That said, he did seem to have some sort of potential. And she was mildly curious as to what he would do. After weighing the scales in her mind she nodded.
"I'll bring it up during the meeting," she said.
Then, the meeting began.
The First Supreme Elder of the Shang Clan, Shang Wu Jie was there. Shang Guai Li, a Rank 7 Supreme Elder who Shang Qing Qing thought might be interested in Fang Yuan's tea experiments was also there, though the man said nothing to Fang Yuan.
The meeting began and was mostly just drabble to start. Most meetings were like this. This time, however, something significant had come up.
"There has been some trouble brewing recently." Several people were now on edge.
Fang Yuan smiled inwardly. He already knew the reason - it was the aftermath of his own earlier actions.
Shang Hu Zhang, another Rank 7 Supreme Elder, spoke. "I'm sure all of you have heard about the inheritance left behind by this... so-called Blood Sea Ancestor Junior in Yellow Treasure Heaven."
A ripple of unease passed throughout the assembly. But no one was pretending to be ignorant or to not have heard of it - that would've immediately been called out as being facetious. Fang Yuan had personally disseminated the information, and knew how many copies had been made. It was almost certain that at least eighty to ninety percent of those present had acquired one - even if only out of curiosity. After all, who would refuse free information? Moreso within the Shang Clan.
This was precisely why Fang Yuan had chosen to ingratiate himself with the Shang clan rather than the other two major super forces of the Southern Border - the Wu clan and the Tie clan.
The Tie clan, in particular, would have had a lower uptake. Their members genuinely upheld their ideals of righteousness and would be more cautious with this kind of information. The Wu clan was less rigid, but still restrictive and stressed on their own clan members more than the Shang Clan which was friendlier to outsiders. The Shang Clan, while they maintained a public facade of righteousness, they also conducted business with demonic and lone cultivators behind the scenes. This was true both at the mortal and immortal levels.
As above, so below. As in heaven, so on earth. As within, so without. And as the universe, so the soul - the mortal and Immortal worlds were in many ways mirror images of one another.
Thus, although the Shang clan had to publicly denounce blood path practices as merely being associated with them could damage their reputation; they would without a doubt be delving deep into the matter behind the scenes.
At that moment, Shang Wu Jie spoke, surprising Fang Yuan slightly. He had expected the matter to cause waves in Yellow Treasure Heaven - but not to the extent that even top-tier Rank 8 Gu Immortals would address it so directly.
"For those unaware - though I doubt there are many - someone has released detailed information in Yellow Treasure Heaven regarding a Blood Path Gu House," Shang Wu Jie said. "Despite being constructed entirely from mortal materials, it possesses offensive power comparable to an Immortal Gu. Such a thing is nearly unheard of."
"Indeed," Shang Hu Zhang said. "Anyone with access to Yellow Treasure Heaven, as in, everyone here would know of it."
Someone interjected, "They put up the information, but how can we believe it? Is it truly functional? Could this be a trap?"
"Why do you sound so eager to know whether it works or not?" another retorted.
"I'm not eager," the first replied quickly. "I'm just concerned about the... ah, risks involved."
"Rest assured, I have personally verified that it works," Shang Wu Jie stated calmly.
A wave of shock spread through the gathering.
Though unspoken, everyone had reached the same conclusion; no one here was an idiot. They would have to investigate this matter themselves, perhaps even make use of the Blood Chariot. Of course, it would all be done discreetly.
Such matters had to be handled indirectly. The Shang Clan would assign expendable lone cultivators to conduct research on their behalf, distancing themselves from any consequences. Fang Yuan could've been such a potential candidate hence why Shang Qing Qing had been probing him earlier. In exchange, those individuals would receive resources and opportunities. If caught, the Shang Clan would naturally deny any links to these people.
But to see the Rank 8 1st Supreme Elder admit to using it openly like this?