Chapter 567 - 63: Crisis (2)

This was also the main reason Hex Tai had refused the man in the black robe.

It was true he wanted to exterminate the Song Clan, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t see the situation clearly.

Blood Eye’s gaze flickered. What Hex Tai said was indeed a major problem, but it wasn’t without a solution—it would just come at a considerable price.

He looked at Hex Tai and said, "I’ll take care of Luoxia City and the Space Transmission Array. You just need to focus on dealing with the Song Clan."

Upon hearing this, Hex Tai gave him a surprised look. Seeing that he didn’t seem to be bluffing, Hex Tai stroked his beard in contemplation before gritting his teeth and saying, "Alright. But the Lieyang Sect’s strength alone is not enough."

"I’ve already found helpers for you. You can take off your mask," Blood Eye said, looking at the other black-robed man behind him.

At these words, the man in the black robe slowly reached up and removed the mask from his face, revealing his true appearance.

Hex Tai gasped in astonishment. "It’s you? You’re still alive!"

"So many of my enemies are still alive. How could I bear to die?" the man in the black robe said with a cold sneer.

"Besides him, there are other helpers. You can take a look at this." Blood Eye took a black iron token from his robes and placed it before Hex Tai.

Hex Tai’s pupils contracted sharply. "They’re with you, too?" he asked in disbelief.

"It’s a matter of mutual use. Their side will send at least one Purple Mansion Cultivator and one Tier Three Array Master to assist you. With this, you should be at ease, right?" Blood Eye said coolly.

He hadn’t wasted the past few years. When he chose not to act, he remained still, but when he did act, it had to be foolproof!

Hex Tai quickly calculated the forces at his disposal. Realizing the odds were high, he gritted his teeth and asked, "When do we make our move?"

Hearing this, a satisfied smile spread across Blood Eye’s face. "The sooner, the better, of course. Once I’ve handled things on Luoxia City’s end, you can make your move."

With that, Blood Eye turned and left with the black-robed man.

After the two had left, Hex Tai paced back and forth in the secret chamber, his hands clasped behind his back. After a long moment, he sent a voice transmission to an Elder, saying, "Make a trip to Xiang Province yourself. Pay a visit to that old fossil of the Rong Clan and tell him that I have a matter of life and death for both our sides to discuss.

"As for the meeting place... let that old fossil decide!"

The Elder was stunned, asking in confusion, "Supreme Elder, what has happened?"

Hex Tai shot him an icy glare.

A chill ran down the Elder’s spine. He didn’t dare ask any more questions, merely bowing before leaving as if he were fleeing.

’This time... it should be foolproof. Song Xianming, let’s see you escape death this time!’ Hex Tai thought, his hands still clasped behind his back as he gazed toward Ling Province, his killing intent flaring to life.

---

"Fifth Grand-Uncle, this is a message the Wind Language Hall just gathered. Please take a look."

Inside the Minor Affairs Hall, a steady-faced, middle-aged Cultivator walked over quickly, respectfully handing the jade scroll in his hand to Song Luzhou.

Song Luzhou looked up from a mountain of jade scrolls and smiled. "Ah, Qingyang. Just put it there for now. I’ll look at it after I finish the one I’m on."

"As you command." Song Qingyang kept his eyes forward, placing the jade scroll on the table and preparing to leave, but Song Luzhou suddenly stopped him.

"By the way, Qingyang, didn’t I tell you yesterday to put aside your clan duties and go home to be with Qianqian during her pregnancy? Why haven’t you gone back yet?" Song Luzhou asked, putting down the jade scroll and frowning.

Song Qingyang scratched his head and gave a simple, honest smile. "Qianqian still has several months before she’s due. I thought it was a bit too early to go back now.

"Besides, I’m just a rough country oaf. I don’t know the first thing about taking care of someone."

Hearing this, Song Luzhou shook his head. "What am I going to do with you?

Twenty-first Uncle only had two sons. The elder one has already passed away, leaving behind just one son, who remains unmarried to this day.

Your grandfather had two sons and one daughter, but the daughter died young, and your uncle never married. That left only your father, who had you, the sole heir.

Your branch of the family... the bloodline is just too thin.

You’re sixty-two this year. You’ve been married to Qianqian for nearly five years, and she hadn’t gotten pregnant this whole time. Twenty-first Uncle has grumbled to me about it more than once.

Now that you finally have a sprout, you don’t even know how to pay more attention to it. If anything were to happen to Qianqian, your father would skin you alive.

Drop what you’re doing and go back to take care of your wife and child. If this child is born safely, Twenty-first Uncle will be happy for a good while. You’ll be a hero to the clan. Now hurry up and go back."

At the mention of the family line, Song Qingyang’s expression also grew somber. He cupped his hands and said, "I was wrong. I’ll head back right away."

After watching Song Qingyang leave, Song Luzhou picked up the jade scroll he had brought. He scanned it quickly, and his brows immediately furrowed. He muttered under his breath, "Since when did those two old rivals, Hex Tai and Rong Mingtao, get mixed up together?"

The jade scroll in his hand recorded none other than the news of Hex Tai’s secret meeting a few days prior with Rong Mingtao, the Supreme Elder of the Xiang Province Rong Clan.

With Song Changsheng’s unwavering and vigorous support, the Wind Language Hall had now grown to a considerable scale, having planted numerous agents in the surrounding provinces. Naturally, the Lieyang Sect, their sworn enemy, was not overlooked.

Although Hex Tai had acted secretively, he still couldn’t escape the eyes and ears of the Song Clan. In just a few days, the news had been relayed back to the clan.

Although he didn’t know why the two had met or what they had discussed in private, he could guess with his eyes closed that it was definitely nothing good.

After all, the Lieyang Sect and the Rong Clan had never gotten along. Their disciples frequently clashed, and over the years, they had fought with lethal intent over the spirit stone vein at the border of Xiang Province and Yang Province, a conflict that had cost countless lives.

Song Changsheng had even used this conflict to cooperate with the Rong Clan, ambushing and killing a Lieyang Sect convoy as it returned from the Great City Lord’s birthday celebration.

There was no way those two groups would ever see eye to eye.

In fact, their relationship was no better than the one between the Song Clan and the Lieyang Sect.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Song Luzhou could already smell a conspiracy.

"Under what circumstances would two sworn enemies sit down and talk peacefully?" Song Luzhou muttered to himself, his fingertips unconsciously tapping against the jade scroll.

Putting himself in their shoes, he soon had an answer.

"Of course, when faced with a common interest... or rather, a common enemy. These external factors would temporarily make them set aside their past grievances and unite against a shared foe.

So, which one could it be..."

Song Luzhou frowned in thought and first ruled out "common interest."

Given the Lieyang Sect’s usual way of doing things, even if they encountered a prize too big for them to swallow alone, they would pull in the Golden Crow Sect, not the Rong Clan.

After all, no one would be foolish enough to fund their own enemy.

With that, his line of thought became clear.

But it also made Song Luzhou realize that trouble was coming.

There were only four powers bordering both the Lieyang Sect and the Rong Clan: the Golden Crow Sect, the Celestial Vein Sect, the Celestial Sword Sect, and the Song Clan.

Three of them were factions that neither of the two clans would dare to provoke, which made it obvious who their joint target was.

Song Luzhou wasn’t naive enough to think that just because the Song Clan had once cooperated with the Rong Clan against the Lieyang Sect, the Rong Clan was now on their side.

He had long understood that there were no unbreakable alliances in this world. Besides, the Song Clan and the Rong Clan weren’t even allies to begin with, so there was no question of betrayal.

At this thought, Song Luzhou broke out in a cold sweat. If everything was as he suspected, the Song Clan was likely about to face a brutal war.

Of course, this conclusion wasn’t necessarily correct.

After all, he still couldn’t think of a reason why the Rong Clan and the Lieyang Sect would team up to deal with the Song Clan.

But did that matter?

To Song Luzhou, it didn’t.

As the clan’s current de facto Pilot, he had to prioritize the family’s safety. Musing on their motives wasn’t his job. As long as the possibility existed, he couldn’t afford to be complacent.

He immediately summoned a Steward and said in a grave voice, "Send word: all clan Elders are to return to Vast Mist Peak at once for a clan meeting!"

...