Chapter 48 : Chapter 48
Chapter 48: The Song Clan’s Old Ancestor Leaves Seclusion, The Song Clan’s Choice!
“Family Head, the Li Clan already has three Qi-Blood Realm cultivators, along with the unfathomable Li Xingge. If we continue waiting, then we will simply be sitting still and awaiting death.”
The Song Clan’s Second Elder analyzed the situation calmly.
“And in your opinion, what should we do?”
Song Tianbo rubbed his temples irritably.
“Strike first, or be the one struck later. Rather than watching the Li Clan continue to grow stronger, it would be better to move first and wipe them out!”
The Second Elder said with killing intent all over his face.
Song Tianbo gave a bitter smile. “Though I do not wish to admit it, the Li Clan’s overall strength has already surpassed ours. Even if we launched a surprise attack, we would still have little chance of victory.”
“Who said we have to rely on our own clan alone?”
A sharp gleam appeared in the Second Elder’s eyes.
“With the strength of our Song Clan alone, destroying the Li Clan is naturally unrealistic. But what if our Song Clan joins forces with the other great Qi-Blood Realm families?”
Song Tianbo shook his head. “Our situation is different from theirs. They bear no deep grudge against the Li Clan and will not fight them to the death.”
“Family Head, that is where you are mistaken.”
The Second Elder waved his hand.
“Family Head, that Li Clan Family Head has always acted in an arrogant and overbearing manner. How long has it even been since he took the position? And yet he has already wiped out several major powers in Baihe County. He is still young, and in the future he will certainly lead the Li Clan in further expansion. But Baihe County’s territory is only so large, and it is currently divided among our Eight Great Families. When that day comes, will the Li Clan spare them?”
Hearing those words, Song Tianbo suddenly raised his head, and a glint of light flashed through his eyes.
But then he shook his head again. “There is some truth in what you say. But if that alone is our reason, I fear it still will not be enough to persuade them to join forces with our Song Clan.”
After dealing with those old foxes for so many years, how could he not know what sort of people they were? Not one of them would move unless profit was set right in front of their eyes.
“That is why we must offer up a portion of the clan’s interests, along with the gains they would obtain after the Li Clan is destroyed. I refuse to believe they would not be tempted.”
The moment those words were spoken, all the elders glared furiously at the Second Elder. The Grand Elder was the first to rebuke him outright. “Second Brother, what exactly are you trying to do? The Song Clan’s century-old foundation was built generation after generation with blood and blades. And now you want to hand it over to others? I am the first to refuse!”
“Exactly. Second Elder, you want us to sell out the clan’s interests. What are your true intentions?”
Someone immediately echoed him.
“I refuse as well!”
“That’s right. Otherwise, when I die, I will have no face to meet the Song Clan’s ancestors.”
The elders all spoke one after another, pressing the Second Elder from every side. The Second Elder merely sneered. “You can stop pretending to be so righteous. Do you think I do not understand? You are only afraid the knife will cut into your own flesh.”
Several elders’ faces flushed red, and they hurriedly shot back, “Second Elder, stop spouting nonsense. You are the one with ill intentions, trying to shake the very foundation of the Song Clan.”
“My conscience is clear!”
“You—”
“That is enough! Do any of you still put me, the Family Head, in your eyes at all?!”
Seeing the argument grow more and more heated, Song Tianbo finally could not endure it any longer and shouted them down.
As one of the Song Clan’s only two Qi-Blood Realm cultivators, his words could not be defied. The entire hall fell silent at once.
“At a time like this, you are still fighting among yourselves!”
Song Tianbo laughed coldly again and again as he looked over the crowd.
“One by one, you are all shortsighted, caring only for the interests before your eyes. If the Song Clan falls, then what use will any amount of interests be?”
None of the elders dared meet Song Tianbo’s gaze. One after another, they lowered their heads.
“The Family Head is correct. At a moment when the clan stands on the brink between life and death, so long as it can buy us even the slightest chance of survival, everything may be sacrificed.”
An aged voice sounded from behind the crowd.
Everyone hastily turned around and saw a thin, elderly figure, frail in appearance yet possessed of unfathomable presence, slowly walking toward them with his hands clasped behind his back.
Song Tianbo’s eyes lit up. He hurried over and respectfully said, “Old Ancestor, you have emerged from seclusion?”
The newcomer was none other than the Song Clan’s Old Ancestor, the pillar holding up the heavens of the Song Clan—Song Zhong!
Song Zhong cast him a glance and gave a cold snort. “If this old man had not come out now, your hundred-year Song Clan would have been destroyed by your own hands.”
With that, he turned and sat down in Song Tianbo’s Family Head seat.
“I have already heard about the matter with the Li Clan from Chunhua.”
Everyone’s gaze turned toward the Second Elder, while Song Tianbo frowned and said, “Second Elder, why did you disturb the Old Ancestor’s seclusion?”
“He did nothing wrong. Family Head, let me ask you this. Has our Song Clan not already reached its most dangerous hour?”
Song Zhong asked.
Song Tianbo clenched his fists and did not dare hide the truth. “Old Ancestor, it is because I am incompetent that I have disappointed you.”
“In my view, your greatest mistake was when the Li Clan attacked the Mangshan Su Clan. You chose to sit atop the mountain and watch the tigers fight, which led to the Su Clan’s destruction and the Li Clan’s rise.”
Song Zhong said flatly.
Song Tianbo sighed, his tone full of regret. “The Old Ancestor’s words cut straight to the heart. If I had helped the Su Clan back then, perhaps our Song Clan would not have fallen into such peril today.”
“What is done is done. Regret is useless now. There is bound to be a battle sooner or later between our Song Clan and the Li Clan. The Li Clan annexed the Su Clan and obtained vast resources. The longer this is dragged out, the more unfavorable the situation becomes for our Song Clan.”
As he spoke, he beckoned to the Song Clan’s Second Elder. “Chunhua, in my name, go and pay visits to the Lu, Yuan, Shen, and Chen families. Invite their Family Heads to come secretly to our Baibo Song Clan. Tell them that this old man has an important matter to discuss.”
“Understood, Supreme Elder. I will go at once.”
The Second Elder cupped his fists and left with decisive speed.
“And what about the Shangguan family?” Song Tianbo asked.
“That old ghost of the Shangguan family is on good terms with that one from the Zheng family, while the Zheng family is close to the Li Clan. If we invite them, I fear news may leak out and we would only alert the enemy.”
Song Zhong shook his head.
Song Tianbo pondered for a moment, then asked, “Old Ancestor, the Zheng family head and Li Xingge are bound by deep friendship. If we destroy the Li Clan, would that not anger the Dongjiang Zheng Clan?”
Song Zhong sneered. “I know that one from the Zheng family all too well. The reason the Zheng family head has drawn close to the Li Clan was most likely his doing. That man values actual interests above all else. His friendship with the Li Clan is nothing more than his regard for Li Xingge’s talent. So long as we remove Li Xingge, then given that man’s temperament, he will most likely smooth things over and let the matter rest.”
Song Tianbo nodded thoughtfully, then asked again, “Old Ancestor, did this round of seclusion bring any gains?”
As far as he knew, the Old Ancestor’s closed-door cultivation this time had been an attempt to break through into Major Accomplishment in the Qi-Blood Realm. If the Old Ancestor succeeded, then the Qingfeng Li Clan could be destroyed with a mere snap of the fingers!
Song Zhong gave a bitter smile and sighed. “How could Major Accomplishment in the Qi-Blood Realm be so easy to attain? This old man estimates that I have only ten years of life left. As for that barrier, I fear I will never cross it in this life. With only eighth-grade talent, every step beyond this point is too difficult. The road of cultivation is as hard as ascending to heaven.”