"If Yu Chengbo and Mao Wuwei were to be eliminated,"
Song Changsheng's voice rang in Rong Shaoyuan's ears,
"How much would that increase the Rong Clan's chances of victory?"
Rong Shaoyuan's brow furrowed sharply at the question, but he quickly relaxed.
He lifted his cup and said calmly,
"Whether it's Yu Chengbo or Mao Wuwei, they're both veteran Foundation Establishment cultivators with a wide array of techniques.
Killing them isn't something that can be done just by talking."
Seeing Rong Shaoyuan's composed attitude, Song Changsheng felt reassured.
The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
"Fellow Daoist Rong is indeed a clever man.
The Lieyang Sect's greatest battlefield advantage lies in the Minor Four Symbols Battle Formation.
But after the recent devastating blow to their forces in Bianzhou,
Only three of their core veterans remain
not enough to form the full array.
It's like having their arm cut off."
"With the right preparation, ambushing them won't be too difficult.
After all, there's no such thing as an impossible task; it's only those unwilling to try.
For each one we eliminate, your side gains roughly a 20% edge on the battlefield."
Rong Shaoyuan gave a small scoff.
"Fellow Daoist Song, you don't think we've considered this?
It's not that we don't want to take them out.
We can't."
"Two at peak Foundation Establishment, and one late-stage
To ambush them, we'd need at least double their strength.
The Rong Clan just can't spare that kind of power right now."
He drained his cup in one go, a bitter look flashing in his eyes.
Of course, the Rong Clan had considered taking Yu Chengbo and the others out,
But with heavy commitments on the frontlines and in a certain secret operation elsewhere,
They were fighting on two fronts.
They simply didn't have the manpower to spare.
"If you had the manpower, I wouldn't have come to you in the first place."
Song Changsheng thought silently, but he didn't let it show.
Instead, he said with a meaningful smile,
"It seems Fellow Daoist Rong may have overlooked something
The Lieyang Sect hasn't only made enemies of your clan."
As one of the brightest minds in the Rong Clan, Rong Shaoyuan naturally wasn't a fool.
He quickly caught on.
While fiddling with the wine cup in his hand, he said,
"You're suggesting the Song Clan wants in on this as well?"
Song Changsheng poured him another drink and simply smiled in response.
The more eager he looked, the cheaper the offer would seem.
Right now, he wasn't the one in a rush.
Seeing that Song didn't respond directly, Rong Shaoyuan said coolly,
"It's not that I'm looking down on your Song Clan, but even the Earthfire Sect had you running ragged.
Do you have the strength to get involved in this?"
Song Changsheng ignored the jab and continued as if he hadn't heard a thing.
"Two peak Foundation Establishment cultivators, one late-stage,
plus a top-tier Tier-2 formation master.
That's enough power to decide the outcome of a minor war."
"Once they return, the skirmishes over that spirit stone vein will erupt into full-blown war.
That mine will become a black hole, constantly draining both sides of their forces.
Does your clan have the stamina to outlast that?"
Song was tactful; he didn't put it too bluntly.
But the message was clear:
With the forces the Rong Clan could currently mobilize,
unless they sent a Purple Mansion cultivator to fight personally,
They were doomed to lose.
And what if the Lieyang Sect had a Purple Mansion cultivator of their own?
If the Rong Clan wanted to secure that spirit stone vein,
They had only two options:
Abandon the other battlefield and crush the Lieyang Sect with overwhelming force.
Join forces with the Song Clan to assassinate Yu Chengbo and his companions.
There was no third option.
Rong Shaoyuan's expression darkened slightly.
The Rong Clan had already lost many people over this spirit stone mine.
Most were merely Qi Refining cultivators,
But they were still the foundation of the clan's long-term strength.
Giving up the mine was not an option.
But neither could they afford to abandon their other strategic front.
Which meant only one road was left open for alliances.
Among potential allies, the Song Clan was the best fit.
And it was obvious Song Changsheng had sought him out for this exact purpose.
What irked him was that Song Changsheng had never said it outright.
He merely laid out the situation with careful wording,
implying clearly:
"The Song Clan doesn't care either way.
The Lieyang Sect is too occupied to bother with us.
But… if you came to us for help,
Maybe we'd consider stepping in to help you through this crisis."
After a long pause, Rong Shaoyuan let out a sigh.
Looking at Song Changsheng with a wry smile, he said,
"Now I understand why you came to me first…
Rather than going directly to the elder leading our delegation."
"If you'd said all this to our family elder, he probably would've stormed off on the spot.
The clan would never bow to a mere Foundation Establishment force."
Rong Shaoyuan smiled wryly.
"But I'm different. I value practical interests more.
I admit it, Fellow Daoist, you've convinced me.
If we can take out even one of those men, our chances of winning the spirit stone mine will increase by at least 20%."
"So let's not beat around the bush, how much strength can your side contribute to the ambush?"
Song Changsheng's lips curved slightly. He held up two fingers and said:
"Two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, one of whom is a Tier-3 formation master."
Rong Shaoyuan's eyes widened in shock.
"The Song Clan Patriarch himself is going to take action?"
"Exactly."
"I agree. I'll go back and persuade the family."
Rong Shaoyuan didn't hesitate for a second. The name Song Xianming was a golden signboard.
Whether in terms of formation mastery or cultivation strength, few could match him among Foundation Establishment cultivators.
With him on their side, the odds of success would increase by at least 30%.
But just as Rong was about to leave, Song Changsheng interjected:
"Wait, Fellow Daoist Rong, let me be clear: we're not doing this for free."
Rong Shaoyuan's expression darkened slightly, but he knew this was reasonable.
After all, they were being hired, not allying.
That distinction would make it easier for him to persuade the family, too.
"What are your terms?"
Song Changsheng pulled out a list he had prepared earlier and handed it over.
Rong Shaoyuan scanned it, and everything listed was within an acceptable range.
He gave a firm nod.
"I'll convince the family. You just wait for our reply."
After exchanging marks on their communication journals, Rong Shaoyuan left in a hurry.
Watching him walk away, Song Changsheng's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Now that's what it means to give them a taste of their own medicine."
...
Back at the pavilion, Rong Shaoyuan wasted no time finding the elder leading their delegation, Rong Mingtao.
Mingtao was of his grandfather's generation and held a prominent position in the Rong Clan.
If he could be convinced, the rest would fall into place.
"Grandnephew Shaoyuan greets Sixteenth Grandfather."
"Ah, it's Shaoyuan. What brings you here so late?"
Rong Mingtao was a bit surprised.
"I've been worried about the family's war efforts and couldn't focus on meditation.
I went out to clear my mind and ended up meeting an old friend.
He inspired an idea I'd like to run by you."
"Oh? Let's hear it."
Mingtao stroked his long, one-foot beard, clearly pleased
that young people who genuinely cared about the clan were rare these days.
"With our clan fighting on two fronts, we're stretched thin.
Especially in the struggle over the spirit stone vein, we're at a severe disadvantage.
If the Lieyang Sect hadn't overreached and sent so many to chase down Song Changsheng,
Our situation would be even more dire."
"Yu Chengbo, Mao Wuwei, and the others are the core of their power on that front.
If we could eliminate even one of them, the entire battlefield situation would change."
"You're suggesting an ambush?"
"Exactly."
After hearing the full proposal, Rong Mingtao couldn't hide his disappointment.
It was the same old idea.
If it were feasible, he wouldn't be so troubled in the first place.
"Still too green," he thought to himself,
But outwardly, he offered words of encouragement.
"You're thinking in the right direction, but it's difficult to pull off."
"That's precisely why I'm here, Grandfather."
"Go on."
Mingtao responded distractedly. He wasn't expecting much.
"The problem, as you said, is a lack of manpower.
But what if I told you I've secured two late-stage Foundation Establishment experts as reinforcements?
Could the plan then work?"
That caught Mingtao's full attention.
"What? Where are they from? Can they be trusted?"
"Earlier, I mentioned meeting a friend,
It was Song Changsheng.
The Song Clan is also an enemy of the Lieyang Sect.
What if we hire their experts to assist in our ambush?"
"I brought this up with him, and he agreed on the spot.
He said they could send two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators,
one of them being Patriarch Song Xianming himself."
Rong Shaoyuan tactfully spun the truth, changing "requesting help" to "hiring assistance."
"Song Xianming is willing to take the job? Personally?"
Rong Mingtao was so startled he accidentally yanked out several strands of his gray beard.
"That's right. The Song Clan's Grand Elder will also act alongside him."
Rong Shaoyuan understood the old man's shock.
After all, this revealed a major fact: Song Xianming had recovered from his injuries.
Or at least nearly so.
And thinking back, wasn't the Azure Sky White Jade Pill tailor-made for him?
Song Xianming had once led an entire generation in the Great Qi cultivation world.
He was widely seen as one of the most promising candidates to break through to the Purple Mansion stage.
If he was truly recovered, then…
"Looks like the 'Seven Prospects' might soon become Eight.
With him involved, this has real potential."
"What do they want in return?"
Rong Mingtao's thoughts were racing.
Song Xianming and the Song Clan's Grand Elder together would equal Yu Chengbo and his lot in strength.
Add in their forces, and the odds of a successful ambush rose to 80%.
Rong Shaoyuan quickly handed him the list Song Changsheng had given.
"I've already itemized their terms."
"Excellent."
Rong Mingtao gave him an approving look before accepting the list and studying it intently.
At the very top of the list was the clause: equal division of the spoils.
Rong Mingtao had no objections to that.
Next came the demand for 100,000 spirit stones, which he also found acceptable.
Finally, there was a list of cultivation resources, including spirit herbs, spiritual plant seeds, and other odds and ends, altogether roughly valued at another 100,000 spirit stones.
Truth be told, the price wasn't cheap, but it was worth it.
These were two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, one of whom was Song Xianming, a certified Tier-3 formation master.
"Acceptable," Rong Mingtao agreed almost without hesitation.
In the grand scheme of things, 200,000 spirit stones was a small price compared to the value of the entire spirit stone vein, especially with someone like Song Xianming backing the plan.
"Shaoyuan, you've done the clan a great service today. I'll report your merits to the family elders.
For now, go and contact the Song Clan. Let them know we'll be dispatching two late-stage and two mid-to-late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.
We'll meet at Mount Wuyi to finalize the ambush details."
"Yes, Grandfather!"
Rong Shaoyuan was overjoyed not only because of the recognition,
But more importantly, because earning the favor of such a respected elder would greatly improve his standing in the future struggle for clan heir.
After receiving Rong Shaoyuan's reply, Song Changsheng finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
His first diplomatic mission on behalf of the Song Clan had gone off without a hitch.
Early the next morning, he sent Song Qingluo down the mountain to relay their response,
and then began a long, quiet wait…
...
After the three-day lecture concluded, the City Lord himself sat before the crowd and played the zither.
That day, the entire Luoxia City was bathed in a sea of elegant, resonant music, which lingered for days without fading.
Some even broke through cultivation bottlenecks simply by listening; this wasn't exaggeration.
Song Changsheng saw it with his own eyes.
"Dong..."
The final note faded, signaling the end of the grand gathering.
The next morning, cultivators began bidding farewell to the City Lord one by one.
After all, most had been away from home for quite some time.
Watching the people from the Lieyang Sect disappear into the distance,
Song Changsheng folded his hands behind his back, the corners of his lips curled into a cold smile:
"There's a surprise waiting for you all along the way..."
"Time to head home. That little brat must be getting impatient by now..."
A cold and ruthless face emerged in his mind.
He figured that youth had grown stronger since they last met.
"What's on your mind, Fellow Daoist Song?"
Zhuang Yuechan had somehow appeared beside him.
"I was just wondering... which road is safest for the trip back?"
Once bitten, twice shy.
Plenty of people still wanted him dead; he had to be careful.
"Already planning to leave?"
"It's been over a year since I've been home. It's time I went back."
Zhuang Yuechan's beautiful eyes flashed with sly amusement.
"I'm afraid that won't go as you wish. My master wishes to see you."
Song Changsheng blinked in surprise.
"The City Lord wants to see me?"
...
At the border between Bianzhou and Yangzhou, a nameless area lay in ruins
The aftermath of a brutal battle.
Collapsed peaks and shattered terrain whispered of the fierce conflict that had just ended.
"Never expected him to detonate his spirit energy.
If not for the Clan Leader's quick reaction, I'd be lucky to escape with my life."
Staring at the massive crater before them, Rong Mingtao shuddered in lingering fear.
"We fought side by side, just lending a hand,"
Song Xianming said calmly with a wave of his hand.
"Now that Mao Wuwei is dead, and Yu Chengbo and He Beishui have fled with serious injuries,
Our strategic goal has been achieved.
Let's retreat before the Lieyang Sect lashes out in desperation."
"Agreed."
That very day, a fresh wave of shock swept through the Lieyang Sect.
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