"Young Clan Leader of the Wangyue Song Clan, Song Changsheng, has arrived to offer his congratulations, presenting a third-grade, low-tier demon beast core."
As the voice echoed through the hall, Hai Dongping's face stiffened. He turned toward the entrance and, sure enough, saw Song Changsheng walking in with a curious, wide-eyed follower. The boy respectfully handed a finely decorated box to Qian Duoyu.
"A third-grade demon beast core… Looks like the Song Clan still has some foundation," Old Ghost Bai stroked his beard and mused with a shake of his head.
Though a third-grade demon beast core wasn't much to a sect like Heavenly Vein Sect, it was quite precious for a mere Foundation Establishment family clan.
"In the past, Song Yungui and Song Taiyi were famous in their time. After all these centuries, it's no surprise that the Song Clan has retained some heritage," Dai Zichen commented calmly.
"Hmph! A brat from a declining clan with not even a single Purple Mansion cultivator dares to stand on equal footing with us?" Hai Dongping muttered bitterly, watching Song Changsheng enter and take his seat.
Song Changsheng's arrival stirred subtle ripples in the hall. Everyone cast glances at him, some curious, some appraising. After all, his name had been on everyone's lips recently:
First, he took first place in Zhan Tianxia's trial. Then, he was wanted by the Lieyang Sect. And just yesterday, rumors spread that he'd slain Liu Yunfeng and Qian Ming.
Naturally, everyone wanted to see what kind of man could stir up so much in such a short time.
After handing over the beast core and informing Qian Duoyu of its toxic nature, Song Changsheng was approached by a refined, noble-looking middle-aged man.
With a smile and a courteous clasp of the fists, he said warmly,
"I am Yin Shang, Yuechan's senior brother. Friend Song, you're a little late."
Song Changsheng, of course, knew the name Yin Shang; he was no ordinary figure. A direct disciple of the City Lord himself, a cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment, and a third-tier expert in musical cultivation.
It was even rumored that he was the City Lord's chosen successor.
And it wasn't baseless gossip. Mu Guibai, the City Lord, hadn't taken on any personal disciples in his youth. It wasn't until a hundred years ago that he accepted Yin Shang. Others followed, with Zhuang Yuechan being the youngest, accepted just twenty years ago.
For Yin Shang to become the first disciple, he had an extraordinary talent.
Looking at him, Song Changsheng noted that the man lacked the arrogance typical of disciples from major sects. On the contrary, he was gracious and humble, giving off a calm and refreshing presence, one that already carried a hint of the City Lord's elegance.
With a faint smile, Song replied,
"I was delayed by some minor troubles and arrived a bit late. Luckily, I still made it in time. Had I been any later, it would have been disrespectful to the seniors and the City Lord."
His words seemed to carry a deeper meaning, causing many to glance toward the Lieyang Sect's table, which remained empty.
The Lieyang Sect had originally planned for Liu Yunfeng and Qi Feiyun to represent them. But now, aside from Huang Liqun, who narrowly escaped with injuries, the rest had already fallen to Song Changsheng's blade. No one else would be showing up.
"Friend Song jests. Please take your seat, the banquet is about to begin."
Yin Shang then led him to the farthest seat on the right, at the end near the hall's entrance.
Song Changsheng had no complaints. As someone from a humble Foundation Establishment family, just being allowed into the hall was already an honor. Others were still stuck halfway down the mountain.
"Clan Leader, when will the City Lord appear?" asked Song Qingluo eagerly. He had never seen the man before.
"When the time is right, he'll come. Haven't you heard? The main character always arrives last," Song Changsheng said casually, handing him a spirit fruit while raising a white porcelain wine cup to his lips.
Just as he finished speaking, Qian Duoyu's voice rang out at the entrance:
"City Lord! Second City Lord arriving!"
The slightly noisy grand hall fell silent instantly. Everyone rose to their feet, even figures like Dai Zichen and Old Ghost Bai, and turned in unison toward the entrance.
Mu Guibai entered in his usual white robes, ethereal and elegant like an immortal. The moment he stepped inside, it was as though heavenly music filled the air.
"Wow… Big shots do enter with their background music,"
Song Changsheng couldn't help but think, reminded of Qiao Feng from novels of his past life, always accompanied by dramatic sound effects.
Mu Guibai gave the crowd a warm smile and a polite nod before heading straight to the head seat at the front. With a gentle wave of his hand, he said,
"Please, be seated, fellow Daoists."
Only after everyone had taken their seats did he sit down himself.
A step behind him was Zhan Tianxia, who for once wore a formal brocade robe, making him look slightly less intimidating. As he entered the hall, his gaze briefly swept over Song Changsheng, and then he silently took the seat beside Mu Guibai.
Shortly after, Zhuang Yuechan, Niu Dazhuang, and the other personal disciples entered the hall, more than a dozen in total.
The moment Zhuang Yuechan stepped into the hall, she spotted Song Changsheng seated at the far end. Seeing him safe and sound, she finally let out a breath of relief.
Sensing her gaze, Song Changsheng smiled faintly and raised his wine cup in greeting, only to receive a roll of the eyes in return, leaving him a little confused.
Once everyone had taken their designated seats, the birthday banquet officially began. Compared to the mundane world, the celebration rituals in the cultivation world were far simpler.
After the eldest disciple Yin Shang gave a thank-you speech on behalf of Mu Guibai, the call to "begin the banquet" was made.
Banquets like this were prime opportunities for expanding social circles, and the hall soon buzzed with lively conversation as everyone mingled and networked except for Song Changsheng, who sat quietly at his seat, drinking alone, seemingly indifferent to everything around him.
It wasn't that he didn't want to make friends, but he understood a simple truth:
"If you don't belong to a circle, don't force your way in."
Everyone present either hailed from Purple Mansion-level sects or were disciples of powerful rogue cultivators. Compared to them, he was simply not in the same league. Why waste his energy forcing friendly smiles on people who couldn't care less?
Even if his talent outshone most in the room, it changed little. Only someone like Old Ghost Bai, who had an interest in recruiting him, would look at him with any respect. To the rest, he was a nobody.
About a quarter of an hour into the banquet, Yu Chengbo and the others finally arrived, fashionably late.
"Elder Yu, please take your seat," said Yin Shang again, this time with notably less enthusiasm. After all, everyone had come up the mountain months ago to prepare. For someone to arrive this late showed clear disrespect to his master.
Yu Chengbo had his reasons, though. After abandoning their pursuit of Song Changsheng, they rushed to Luoxia City and only arrived that very morning.
But as they ascended Tianyin Mountain, they suddenly remembered something crucial: the birthday gift for the City Lord was with Liu Yunfeng, who was now very much dead. Naturally, the gift was gone with him.
They couldn't possibly show up empty-handed.
So Yu Chengbo pulled some strings and scrambled to assemble a new birthday offering worthy of the Lieyang Sect's status, but that cost them precious time. There was nothing more they could do.
The moment Yu Chengbo sat down, he caught Song Changsheng smiling and raising his cup at him from across the hall, which made his blood boil.
"If looks could kill,"
Song Changsheng thought with a smirk, enjoying the sight of Yu Chengbo glaring daggers at him, furious but helpless.
Including the one he killed with the Slaughter God's Flying Dagger, and another eliminated with Dong Tianxie's help, Song Changsheng had now taken out five Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Lieyang Sect, including a late-stage and a peak-stage expert.
Even for a sect capable of refining its own Foundation Establishment Pills, such losses were not easy to bear. Their influence had already shrunk significantly of late.
After all, the Song Clan wasn't their only enemy.
"If I could somehow take out the three elders here today, even the Lieyang Sect would bleed."
Song Changsheng mused, swirling the wine in his cup. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
A peak-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was considered a core pillar in any Purple Mansion-level force. Even the mighty Lieyang Sect had barely a handful, and one had already been eliminated by Dong Tianxie.
If he could bring down Yu Chengbo and Mao Wuwei too…
He was tempted. Though these three were powerful, a carefully laid plan might just make it possible.
Use their tactics against them!
With that thought, Song Changsheng's eyes turned toward Song Qingluo, who was happily gorging himself beside him. Through a voice transmission, he instructed,
"Qingluo, leave the mountain now. Go find the elders and relay a message to the clan. Tell them…"
Song Qingluo blinked in surprise, but being sharp-witted, he quickly caught on. He stood up and said aloud:
"Young Master, I just remembered the Clan Leader sent you a letter. I'll go fetch it right away."
"Such an important thing, and you only remember now?"
Song Changsheng feigned irritation.
"Hurry up and get it."
But inside, he was impressed.
"Smart kid."
The matter he was planning concerned the future of the entire clan. He couldn't afford to tip his hand too soon.
As soon as he left the hall, Song Qingluo raced down the mountain and headed straight for the general store.
These past few days, Song Xiantu and Sun Chuanming had been on edge due to all the news about Song Changsheng. When they saw Qingluo return alone, in such a rush, the old men nearly had a heart attack.
Sun Chuanming immediately grabbed him and asked,
"What happened? Did something happen to the young master?!"
He'd spent his whole life hoping to pass his legacy to Song Changsheng. If anything had happened to the boy, his entire lineage would likely fade into obscurity, a fate he refused to accept.
Song Xiantu was equally anxious. As the first Young Clan Leader of the Song Clan in over a century, Song Changsheng represented the clan's hope for the next hundred years.
After learning that the Lieyang Sect had placed a bounty on Song Changsheng, Song Xiantu immediately contacted the clan and began scraping together spirit stones to hire rogue cultivators to rescue him.
Unfortunately, the funds at his disposal were far too limited. He managed to hire two men, but they didn't even catch a glimpse of Song Changsheng.
Song Qingluo, panting heavily, quickly waved his hands and said,
"The Young Clan Leader is safe. He's attending the City Lord's banquet right now!"
Hearing that Song Changsheng was fine, the two old men exchanged glances and both let out a sigh of relief.
But Song Xiantu still scolded sternly,
"Since the Young Clan Leader is safe, why aren't you attending to him? What are you doing rushing down the mountain?"
Song Qingluo discreetly glanced around and replied in a low voice,
"The Young Clan Leader sent me. He has an urgent message to transmit back to the clan."
Seeing his serious expression, Song Xiantu immediately grasped the importance of the matter and said,
"Come with me."
Following behind Song Xiantu, they entered a hidden corner of the shop. With a single touch from Song Xiantu, a section of the wall silently opened, revealing a dark, narrow passageway.
They followed it down into a sealed chamber, where a square white jade altar sat at the center. At its core burned a small, steady blue flame.
"This is the clan's transmission altar. It only takes one day to send a message to the main family. Engrave the Young Clan Leader's words into this crystal."
Song Xiantu carefully took a transparent crystal the size of a fist from a nearby shelf and handed it to Song Qingluo.
"Why do I have to engrave it in this?"
Song Qingluo asked, puzzled.
"Because this altar requires a special medium to send messages. This crystal is that medium. Be careful, it's worth one hundred low-grade spirit stones," Song Xiantu warned.
"So, just sending a message costs one hundred spirit stones?"
Song Qingluo was stunned.
"No wonder it's rarely used."
He quickly etched Song Changsheng's message into the crystal, word for word. Then Song Xiantu placed it in the center of the altar, forming a series of hand seals while chanting an incantation. The small flame suddenly roared to life, swallowing the crystal in a burst of blue fire.
When the flame calmed once more, the altar was empty.
"Will you wait here for a reply from the clan, or…?"
"I need to head back right away. Please inform the Young Clan Leader once you receive their response."
Song Qingluo remembered Song Changsheng's instructions clearly and immediately rushed back at top speed.
...
"All done?"
Song Changsheng took the "letter" handed to him by Song Qingluo and asked via voice transmission.
Song Qingluo gave him a quick blink, signaling that everything went smoothly. Then he added quietly,
"The clan elder asked me to tell you: The Grand Elder is safe and has returned to the family estate. You don't need to worry."
This had been one of Song Changsheng's lingering concerns. Hearing this, he finally felt a weight lift from his heart.
"If the clan won't let such a golden opportunity slip by, then it's time for me to reach out to an ally."
Downing the wine in his cup, Song Changsheng's eyes flashed with cold resolve.
Taking down the three elders from the Lieyang Sect was beyond the current power of the Song Clan alone; he would need a reliable temporary ally.
And he had long since chosen a target:
The Rong Clan of Xiang Prefecture, just one province away from Lingzhou.
The Rong Clan bordered the Lieyang Sect. The two had been locked in conflict, both open and covert, for centuries. Their strength was roughly equal, making it difficult for either to gain a clear upper hand.
If anyone besides the Song Clan had the strongest desire to bring down the Lieyang Sect, it was without doubt the Rong Clan. Their interests clashed frequently and deeply.
It was thanks to the Rong Clan constantly restraining the Lieyang Sect that the Song Clan had even survived this long.
As long as it meant damaging the Lieyang Sect, the Rong Clan wouldn't hesitate to act.
"Three Lieyang Sect elders as prey... Surely that's a tempting enough offer for you to take the bait, isn't it?"
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