The power balance in Lingzhou was undergoing a drastic upheaval, and after being trapped in Ten Thousand Sword City for nearly five days, Song Changsheng finally began his journey home.
The reason they were allowed to leave wasn't because the thief had been caught, but because, on the third day of the city lockdown, several imposing figures descended upon the Heavenly Sword Sect.
From that moment on, the entire sect and even the whole of Ten Thousand Sword City were shrouded in an invisible pressure. Even Song Changsheng found it impossible to settle his mind for cultivation, haunted by the constant feeling of being watched.
Fortunately, this oppressive atmosphere lasted only twenty-six hours. On the fifth day, the pressure dissipated, and the Heavenly Sword Sect announced the lifting of the lockdown.
Only then did Song Changsheng finally set out on the road back.
However, the identities of those mysterious figures remained an enigma. Song Changsheng realized that the Heavenly Sword Sect was far from as simple as he had imagined.
During his days in the city, he had struck up a friendship with Pi Xiu, a fellow wine enthusiast. The two hit it off, sharing countless treasure-appraisal insights, and through Pi Xiu's descriptions, Song Changsheng gained a better understanding of the world beyond the Great Qi cultivation realm. The experience was a great harvest indeed.
Originally, Song Changsheng had planned to invite Pi Xiu to travel with him, since Pi Xiu was also wandering the Great Qi cultivation world. But when Pi Xiu heard that a major auction was about to take place in Quanzhou, he had to politely decline and set off for Quanzhou instead.
The Black Star Ship traveled swiftly. In only nine days, they reached Xiangzhou.
Song Changsheng first stopped at Craftsman Mountain to visit the master artificer Lu Tianchou, retrieved his repaired flying boat, and even tried to entice Li Anmin and Lu Yuxiu into joining him.
Meanwhile, following the sole lead given by Peng Siying to find the information broker Shen Yin, Song Changsheng stopped at every major city along the way, visiting brothels with a feather token in hand.
By now, he was an old hand at these visits and no longer felt the awkwardness he had at first, though he still found no trace of Shen Yin. What he did notice was that the Redfire Old Ghost was looking at him more and more strangely.
One night, as the Black Star Ship entered Yangzhou under the full moon, Song Changsheng sat cross-legged on the deck of the main ship, absorbing the moon's essence.
Just as he finished, the Redfire Old Ghost sidled over suspiciously, holding something in his hand.
Before Song Changsheng could speak, the old rogue presented a porcelain vial with an obsequious grin, looking every bit like he was up to no good.
To be fair, this old fellow had a real talent for playing the lackey. In just a few months, he had completely abandoned resistance, becoming a loyal servant to Song Changsheng, his Foundation Establishment pride utterly gone.
"What's this?" Song Changsheng asked, eyeing the vial warily.
The Redfire Old Ghost's smile turned lewd as he leaned in and whispered, "For the young master, this is Huiyang Pills. Taken regularly, they have the marvelous effect of… keeping the spear from ever falling."
"What?"
It took Song Changsheng a few moments to fully grasp what he meant. So the old man thought that because Song Changsheng often visited brothels but never stayed long, his… performance was lacking and he had now offered up one of his prized possessions to "help."
Realizing this, Song Changsheng was both irritated and amused. Vulgar so vulgar! Does he think going to a brothel is only about satisfying primal urges?
Is this young master that kind of man? And besides, I'm more than capable, thank you very much!
To stop the old man from misunderstanding any further, Song Changsheng's face darkened as he scolded, "What are you doing? Put that away!
"My visits to brothels are to find someone, not to seek pleasure.
"I've already decided: once we enter Yangzhou, you'll disembark. I have two tasks for you."
The rebuke made the Redfire Old Ghost flinch. Realizing he'd flattered in the wrong direction, he straightened up quickly when he heard there was a task for him. Bowing respectfully, he said, "Please give your orders, young master. This old servant will stake his life to fulfill them."
Seeing his display of loyalty, Song Changsheng gave a cold smile and tossed him a feather. "Since you're so familiar with brothels, your first task is to take this token and find a man named Shen Yin. Buy from him information about a dragon scale.
"According to my lead, he's most likely in a brothel somewhere in the southern Great Qi cultivation realm. You'll start looking tomorrow.
"The second task is also to find someone, your old boss, the leader of the Gluttonous Fiend Monster Hunting Squad.
"I'm very interested in that treasure of his. You must do everything you can to locate him, then send word to me.
"If you do both well, I'll reward you generously. I might even return your freedom.
"You have six months. If you can't complete even one… You know the consequences."
At first, the Redfire Old Ghost was secretly pleased that being sent away from Song Changsheng was as good as freedom. Finding someone was like searching for a needle in a haystack; once he was far enough away, he could play as he pleased.
As for the promise of freedom, he didn't take it seriously. In his years in the underworld, he'd heard plenty of empty promises.
Besides, though he couldn't beat Song Changsheng, he was still a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. No one would willingly give up such a strong fighter.
But Song Changsheng's final words made him break out in a cold sweat. He did not doubt their truth promises could be broken, but threats like that would be carried out.
Scooping up the feather, he said hastily, "This old servant will do his utmost and will not fail your trust, young master!"
"Good. Make your preparations, you'll set out tomorrow. And take that human-skin mask with you. The Redfire Old Ghost is already 'dead.' Don't reveal your identity."
Song Changsheng waved his hand, dismissing the Redfire Old Ghost.
Truth be told, sending him to carry out those two tasks wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision; he had planned it for some time.
Once he returned to the clan, Song Xianming would almost certainly go into seclusion to assault the Purple Mansion stage. At that time, the weight of the clan's responsibilities would fall squarely on his shoulders, leaving him no time to deal with these two matters.
It would also be inappropriate to assign such work to the clan's elders.
The Redfire Old Ghost, however, was a perfect choice wandering through brothels while searching for people, which was practically tailor-made for him.
And since he and his former employer were already mortal enemies, Song Changsheng wasn't worried about him slacking off.
Half a month more and I'll be home… I wonder how the clan is faring now. Did Cousin Chang'an and Cousin Changxue succeed in breaking through?
Gazing at the star-filled sky, Song Changsheng's thoughts drifted toward Cangmang Peak…
Nearly two months had passed since Song Chang'an's Foundation Establishment breakthrough. Just as they had barely stabilized their cultivation, a troubling report came from the Wind Whisper Hall's scouts.
"Everyone, take a look," Song Xianming said gravely, having summoned the clan's senior members. "Aside from the Luoxia Mountains and a handful of isolated powers, most of Bianzhou's territory has already fallen. The Silvermoon Demon Wolf clan has split into two forces and is marching toward Lingzhou. They'll arrive before long.
"Let's discuss what we should do?"
The Grand Elder, Song Xianyun, turned to Song Luoyao, who oversaw intelligence.
"How strong are these two forces? And where are they headed?"
"According to our reports," Song Luoyao said coolly, "the first force has nearly three thousand first-tier demon wolves and over a dozen second-tier wolves, a force not to be underestimated. Judging by their direction, they seem intent on attacking the Liuyun Mountains."
At those words, everyone's expression darkened. This force was strong, but on paper, the Wuling Sect and Liuyun Sect were no weaker. Even if they couldn't repel them, they should at least be able to defend themselves.
The real danger lay with the other force led by a Great Demon. That was the true main army. Since the vanguard was headed for the Liuyun Mountains, it didn't take much thought to realize that the main force was coming straight for the Song clan.
After all, in all of Lingzhou, the Song clan was the hardest bone to crack with deep foundations, and a record of having defeated a Purple Mansion cultivator.
If the Silvermoon Demon Wolves wanted to sweep Lingzhou clean, they would have to destroy the Song clan first.
Reading the unease in everyone's faces, Song Luoyao continued, "The other force, the one led by the Great Demon, has close to twenty second-tier demon wolves and over a thousand first-tier wolves."
On paper, this seemed smaller than the first force, but a single Great Demon was worth an entire army by itself.
Only now did the clan truly grasp the Silvermoon Demon Wolves' terrifying strength. If not for Bianzhou acting as a buffer, the enemy's numbers might well have been doubled.
Once they understood the scale of the threat, Song Xianyun immediately turned to Song Xianming.
"Elder Brother, our top priority should be to recall all disciples from outside and concentrate our strength at Cangmang Peak. We must use the clan's grand protective formation to fend off the invasion.
"Also, all spiritual herbs and plants from the surrounding Lingxiu Mountain, Lingzhi Mountain, and Yuzhu Mountain must be harvested immediately, lest they fall into the beasts' hands."
"Yes. Time is of the essence, Twenty-First Brother, see to it at once, and be quick about it," Song Xianming agreed without hesitation, recognizing the wisdom of the plan.
With his lead, the others began voicing their suggestions.
Then, a gentle voice raised an issue no one had considered:
"Father, I believe we should quickly send manpower and formation masters to guard the clan's mortal domain. Demonic beasts are not like cultivators. If the mortal lands are breached, tens of thousands of our people will become nothing but food."
Normally, during council meetings, Xia Yunxue would keep her mouth shut. As someone from an outside family, even though she had been granted the rare honor of joining the clan's decision-making council, she avoided overstepping into internal affairs.
Under her tenure, the Law Enforcement Hall had become the most low-profile it had ever been.
But this time, she knew she could no longer remain silent.
She had once garrisoned the mortal domain for years and knew well how weak its defenses truly were, only a single Foundation Establishment cultivator and some thirty overlooked clan cultivators.
If not for the protection of a third-tier formation, the Song clan's hundreds of thousands of mortals would have long been coveted by countless monsters and fiends.
When the demon wolf army arrived, the cultivators could turtle up on Cangmang Peak and rely on stored provisions to weather the siege.
But what about those mortals?
In the eyes of the demon wolves, those mortals were nothing but a juicy feast, and sending just a small detachment would be enough to claim them.
This was indeed something no one had considered before. After a brief pause for thought, Song Xianming nodded.
"You speak well. The mortal domain is the clan's foundation; it cannot be lost.
"Yunxue, you will lead fifty Law Enforcement Hall disciples, along with Changxuan, Luhen, and Changyun, to the mortal domain to join up with Lu Tong.
"When war breaks out, the demon wolves will certainly cut off communications from the battlefield. In that case, you will have full authority over all matters there. The safety of our seven hundred thousand clansmen will be in your hands."
Xia Yunxue was momentarily stunned before quickly replying,
"Your daughter-in-law accepts the order."
This deployment would remove two Foundation Establishment cultivators, two second-tier lower-grade formation masters, and over half of the Law Enforcement Hall's elite. Including Song Lu Tong, this was nearly one-third of the Song clan's fighting strength.
Song Yulong and Song Yushi had already returned to the main bloodline; Song Changsheng was still away; Song Luoyao's legs were crippled, leaving her unfit for battle.
That meant the clan would have only five Foundation Establishment cultivators left: Song Xianming, Song Xianyun, Song Luzhou, Song Luhuai, and Song Chang'an to face the demon wolves' overwhelming assault.
Could they hold?
Everyone's eyes turned to Song Xianming. He was the one who had once pulled the Song clan back from the brink. Could he work another miracle this time?
Song Xianming's expression was calm, without the slightest trace of panic, as he spoke evenly:
"The demon wolf invasion concerns all of Lingzhou. It is something everyone must face together.
"Send messages to Du Huating and Liu Hongye. At this moment, with Lingzhou at the brink of life and death, everyone should set aside past grievances and unite against the enemy.
"All I need from them is to hold the Silvermoon Demon Wolves' vanguard at the Liuyun Mountain range. As for the main force, the Song clan will take them on alone."
"This…" Song Luhuai's face showed hesitation; such a move would put tremendous pressure on the clan.
But Song Xianming continued without pause:
"Also, send word to all subordinate forces of the clan. In this battle, they will not be required to send men to aid us. But if they are attacked by demon wolves, they must hold them off. Those who do well will be heavily rewarded."
Song Luhuai's brow twitched, refraining from mobilizing even the subordinate forces? Wasn't that taking things too lightly?
"And send word to the Wang and Yu clans. Though they remain in their corners, the principle of 'when the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold' needs no further explanation from me.
"I do not require them to face the demon wolves head-on only to tie down some of their forces as best they can."
With eyes like twin blades, Song Xianming issued one seemingly baffling order after another, deliberately abandoning all outside reinforcements.
On the surface, it seemed unwise, yet this was where his hope for breaking the deadlock lay.
Take the Wuling Sect and Liuyun Sect, for example; between them, they held three-fifths of Lingzhou's power, but they were too mired in internal constraints. Against a vast horde of demon wolves, they would be lucky to protect themselves, let alone help others.
The clan's subordinate forces were no different. Mostly Qi Refining families, they would already be terrified out of their wits. Forcing them into battle would be useless.
If the demon wolves split their forces to sweep the Wangyue Mountains, these subordinates would worry about their own families, becoming ticking time bombs within the ranks.
It was better to let them defend their territories, as this not only tied down part of the demon wolves' strength but also left them grateful to the main clan. Why not do it?
The Wang and Yu clans were the same. Rather than dragging them into direct combat, it was better to have them hover on the fringes of the battlefield, constantly threatening the demon wolves' flanks.
So long as they remained in play, the demon wolves could never commit their full strength against the Song clan.
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