Chapter 188: Second Sister Returns

More than a month later, in Changping County. It was midnight, and the night was still.

A blue light flew from a distance, soon stopping above Qinglian Mountain. It was Wang Changsheng; to avoid detection by disciples of the four major sects, he had traveled by night and rested by day, finally making it back to Qinglian Mountain.

Qinglian Mountain was enveloped in a large expanse of white mist, indicating that a defensive formation had been activated. Wang Changsheng took out a sound transmission talisman, whispered a few words into it, and then dropped it towards the mountain below. A short while later, the white mist dissipated, and Wang Mingzhan flew out.

"Changsheng, why are you back alone? Where are Second Elder Uncle and Seventh Brother?"

"Second Elder Uncle died on the front lines. Seventh Uncle and the others are still there; I snuck back. Is everything alright with the clan?" Wang Changsheng asked as he slowly descended.

"Some time ago, the market was attacked. When I went to assist, evil cultivators ambushed me midway. Fortunately, Twenty-first Brother arrived in time and eliminated the attackers."

Wang Changsheng frowned. "What? Bandits attacked the market, and even ambushed the reinforcements? Have you found out who they were?"

"We found out. It turns out that Twenty-first Brother killed this person's younger brother during a past demon beast hunt, disputing a capture. His accomplice confessed that this person had managed to acquire True Fiend Qi and achieve Foundation Establishment. He wanted to use the current war between the Wei and Song states to bring trouble to our Wang family. Thankfully, Twenty-first Brother also successfully reached Foundation Establishment. Oh, and Changsheng, I have wonderful news for you: Changxue has returned."

"Second Sister is back? Is she alright?"

Wang Mingzhan gave a wry smile. "Changxue is fine, but our Wang family is in trouble. You'll find out soon enough."

"Sixth Uncle, please inform my father and the others to prepare for a meeting in the ancestral hall. This concerns the survival of our Wang family; call all the clan elders."

Less than a quarter of an hour later, Wang Changsheng met Wang Changxue in the ancestral hall. Wang Changxue had already reached the ninth level of Qi Refinement. Besides her, there were also three Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Hundred Spirits Sect.

Wang Changxue explained the entire situation. It turned out that the Hundred Spirits Sect, upon learning that Wang Changxue hailed from Qinglian Mountain in the Song state, had accepted her as a disciple with the aim of leveraging the Wang family's influence to bring other cultivation families under their control.

The Wang family was an established cultivation family in Ningzhou, with a long history and marital ties to numerous other cultivation families. If the Wang family pledged allegiance to the Hundred Spirits Sect, it could sway other families to follow suit. Crucially, the Wang family had no direct ties to the four major sects and was not a vested interest.

"I am Su Cheng, Fellow Daoist Wang. The Song state is destined to fall. As long as your Wang family is willing to pledge allegiance to our Hundred Spirits Sect and serve us, we guarantee that we will not treat your family unfairly."

The tall, slender man, who had a refined demeanor, spoke with full confidence.

Wang Changsheng furrowed his brow. The war wasn't over yet, and defecting at this stage could lead to significant trouble if they chose the wrong side.

"Fellow Daoist Su, what if we refuse?" Wang Changsheng asked, his brow furrowed and his face showing clear vigilance.

"Fellow Daoist Wang is free to refuse; we will not compel you. However, opportunities like this are rare. What good is a sinking ship like the Song state? As far as we know, the four major sects have no connection with your Wang family. Furthermore, the Lin family, in-laws to a Core Formation cultivator from the Violet Heavens Sect, holds a private grudge against your family. If the Wang family doesn't agree, and the Song state falls, you will no longer have the right to remain here. You must consider carefully: where will hundreds of cultivators find a place to settle? If you fight with other cultivation families, can you outsiders truly defeat the local cultivators? The wisest choice is to ally with our Hundred Spirits Sect. Our disciple Wang is the best example; you can ask her if we have ever treated her unfairly."

Wang Changxue wanted to say something, but upon seeing Su Cheng and his two companions, she swallowed her words.

"Senior Brother Su, let Fellow Daoist Wang consider it carefully. Let's go back and rest," a woman in a blue dress tactfully suggested.

"We will go back and rest first. Disciple Wang, please try to convince Fellow Daoist Wang." Su Cheng and his two companions then departed.

Soon after, Wang Yaozu and other clan members arrived at the ancestral hall, followed by Wang Mingjiang.

Wang Changsheng briefly recounted the situation on the front lines. Learning of Wang Yaozong's death in battle, all the clan members present were filled with sorrow and indignation.

Wang Changsheng activated a sound-insulating barrier, enveloping everyone, and then turned to Wang Changxue. "Second Sister, there are no outsiders here now. Please speak freely."

"The Wei and Shu states have allied, and the Song state is undoubtedly doomed to defeat. The sect doesn't want us to defect immediately; rather, they hope that after Song's defeat, we can persuade other cultivation families to remain. The sect is concerned that if Song falls, other cultivation families will flee the state. They seek not only territory but also population, as population is the most crucial resource. The sect has promised that if our family agrees to this, once the task is complete, they will reward me with a Foundation Establishment Pill, designate Changping County as our Wang family's territory, and the Hundred Spirits Sect can assist us in annexing the Chen and Huang families. If we refuse, they will simply support other cultivation families instead. After the Wei state conquers Song, its territory will expand significantly, and they won't have enough power to control such a vast area. This presents an opportunity for our Wang family."

Wang Changxue said slowly, then her tone shifted. "If we refuse, I'm afraid our clan's annihilation won't be far off."

"If we refuse, the Hundred Spirits Sect will destroy our Wang family?" Wang Changsheng's expression immediately turned grim. This feeling of being threatened was deeply unsettling.

"The Hundred Spirits Sect wouldn't even need to act. If the Song state falls, a single word from the Hundred Spirits Sect would be enough for other cultivation families to eagerly carry out their wishes. Big Brother is also being held by the sect. There's absolutely no benefit in refusing the Hundred Spirits Sect. Ninth Brother, Twenty-first Uncle, I think we should agree."

If they agreed to the Hundred Spirits Sect's demands, Wang Changxue would receive a Foundation Establishment Pill, and the family would gain control of an entire county afterward. If they refused, the annihilation of their clan would merely be a matter of time. The Wang family had no real choice.

Wang Changsheng looked at Wang Mingjiang. "Twenty-first Uncle, what are your thoughts?"

"I agree. The Medicine King Valley and the other three sects have offered us no benefits whatsoever; why should we risk our lives for the Song state? Of course, we absolutely cannot declare our stance now. If the four Song sects were to learn of this, it would be disastrous. It won't be too late to declare our position after the four Song sects are defeated. Fellow Daoist Su and his companions understand this; they are not pressuring us to make a decision immediately."

"To be safe, I suggest we send some clan members away from Qinglian Mountain to find a place to lay low," Wang Yaozu proposed after a moment's hesitation. "That way, even if we choose wrongly, our entire clan won't be annihilated."

"We could have done that before, but not now. It's incredibly chaotic outside. While the four Song sects are busy fighting against the Wei and Shu states, some cultivators are taking advantage of the chaos to raid markets and attack cultivation families. I've heard that two cultivation families have already been wiped out by evil cultivators. Even with Foundation Establishment cultivators as escorts, it's not safe out there. What if they accidentally encounter disciples from the four Song sects and are conscripted to the front lines? Will they go or not? Furthermore, the clan needs strong figures to remain here. Previously, Sun Ping's subordinates attacked the market, resulting in three clan members' deaths. If another Sun Ping emerges, it would be disastrous. Aren't Changfeng and Changxing doing well in White Dragon Valley? Even if something happens to us, we still have them. Besides, we also have clan members in Yunzhou."

After three hours of deliberation, most agreed to ally with the Hundred Spirits Sect, but only after the four Song sects had been defeated. Once the Song state falls, the Wang family would then step forward to persuade other cultivation families to remain. Aligning with the Hundred Spirits Sect was the Wang family's best option. Retreating with the four Song sects offered no benefits and could even lead to harassment from the Lin family.