After escorting Song Zining into the reception hall and introducing each other, Qian Ye was startled to find that this old man, who had been left to his own devices for hours, drinking several pots of tea until they were just plain water, was actually an elder of the Song Clan.
Compared to other noble families, the power held by the Song Clan’s elders was significantly greater. Especially now, with the Lady of Anguo Duke in seclusion and the current patriarch not holding much real power, any member of the Council of Elders essentially wielded significant influence over clan affairs.
This elder, named Song Qisi, was from the same generation as the Lady of Anguo Duke. In terms of seniority, he ranked above the patriarch, Song Zhongnian, and was three generations older than Song Zining. Thus, when meeting him, Song Zining had to respectfully address him as “Great-uncle.” Even the two nieces and nephews Song Qisi brought along were two generations older than Song Zining, and all were direct descendants of the main family.
But Qian Ye found the scene inexplicably odd and even somewhat amusing.
Song Zining was perfectly polite in front of Great-uncle, showing utmost respect, but in reality, he had left this elder cooling his heels while he went to the study to paint ink-wash landscapes. If not for Qian Ye’s timely return, who knew how long this old gentleman would have waited, and throughout the entire wait, apart from a few pots of clear tea, there was no other form of hospitality.
The politeness was indeed intriguing.
Qian Ye roughly guessed what Song Zining was up to and didn’t say anything, simply finding a seat and quietly observing what would happen next.
“Zining! I’m not trying to criticize, but you handled this matter very inappropriately! How can a young man be so disrespectful to his roots and ungrateful?” The elder began with a stern rebuke.
Song Qisi was at least in his eighties, and with his seniority and age, it seemed not out of place for him to scold Song Zining. However, Qian Ye, who was watching, frowned slightly. He could see that Song Qisi’s original force was only around level twelve or thirteen. At his age, such meager strength, given the Song Clan’s resources, was truly mediocre.
The Song Clan, after all, was one of the Four Great Clans, a thousand-year-old aristocratic family. Their bloodline might not be as strong as the Zhang and Zhao Clans, which were established alongside the Empire, but it was certainly no less than that of a top-tier family. Talents like Song Zining appeared in every generation. However, having talent was one thing; growing to realize it was another.
After participating in the Song Clan’s Decennial Examination, Qian Ye had a clear understanding of the Song Clan’s members. Apart from a few, like Song Zining, most Song Clan members lived in luxury, lacking the drive to strive for excellence, yet were obsessed with fame and profit. With their secret martial techniques and abundant resources, their ranks were still acceptable, but their true combat strength rarely exceeded their rank, which for a distinguished clan was, in fact, a sign of incompetence.
Given Song Qisi’s level of strength, Qian Ye felt he could easily take him down. He couldn’t understand where the old man’s confidence came from in scolding Song Zining. Was it really just the accumulated authority of the Song Clan? What kind of authority did the Song Clan have now, anyway?
Qian Ye’s change in expression was immediately noticed by Song Qisi and the others. They noticed it, but Qian Ye didn’t feel the need to hide anything.
However, one of the people standing beside Song Qisi immediately grew angry. “How dare a mere war soldier like you make faces while the Song Clan’s elder is lecturing! Slap him in the face!”
Before he finished speaking, the person actually raised a hand to slap Qian Ye across the face!
Not only Qian Ye, but even Song Zining was stunned. This person was a direct descendant of the main family, an eleventh-level war general, and was two generations senior to Song Zining. According to the strict hierarchy within the clan, scolding and beating lower-ranking members or subordinates was a common occurrence.
However, this was not within the Song Clan’s territory.
A sharp smack echoed, and the person who lashed out was the one who flew through the air, spitting out a dozen teeth. Qian Ye’s slap was not light! Then, he extended his hand, and the flying figure suddenly stopped mid-air, as if slapped by an invisible hand, and slammed onto the floor, spewing a mouthful of blood before passing out.
Qian Ye’s hand hovered in the air, and he was stunned, as if he couldn’t believe his own strength. He turned to Song Zining, puzzled, and asked, “This… Is this really a war general of your Song Clan, being so weak?”
Song Zining covered his face with a fan, unable to bear the sight, and sighed, “It’s not that he’s too weak, it’s just… Sigh! You just needed to slap back, why did you use that… What’s the name of that technique?”
Qian Ye then realized, “Ah, it just came naturally.”
He had always honed his skills in battle, and after each advancement, he solidified his realm through combat. It was no different after obtaining the Taixuan Bingfa Jue inheritance. Now, it had become a part of his combat instinct, activated at the mere thought. When attacked, he reacted instinctively without even thinking.
But Qian Ye frowned again, still feeling that this person was too weak, almost unbearably so. Not only was he far inferior to a war general of the same level from the Nan Gong Clan, but even a decent knight from the Dark Nation might be stronger.
Song Qisi and the other nephew were frozen in shock, having never experienced such a situation. They were both shocked and furious, and it took them a while to react. Song Qisi stood up abruptly and shouted, “You brat, daring to act so brazenly on our Song Clan’s territory! With a single palm, I will…”
Song Qisi’s sentence was cut off as a fan suddenly unfolded in front of him, blocking his view. All he saw was a beautifully painted Spring Outing of Ladies. Song Qisi’s face turned beet red, and he stared intently at one of the maidens.
The painting was exquisitely detailed, with each young maiden moving gracefully, their garments flowing, as if they were alive. But that wasn’t the issue. The key was that the maidens wore very little, revealing much. This wasn’t a spring outing, but more like a post-bath scene. The second key point was that one of the maidens, with her lotus-like face, bore a striking resemblance to Song Qisi’s great-granddaughter.
Song Qisi finally understood that his most beloved great-granddaughter likely had some unspeakable entanglements with Song Zining. He had originally hoped to send her to the Imperial Palace for a better future, but seeing this painting, he knew all his efforts were in vain.
“You, you…” Song Qisi pointed at Song Zining, too enraged to speak.
Song Zining folded his fan, half-smiling, and pointed at Qian Ye, saying, “Great-uncle, I introduced Lord Qian Ye as the deputy commander of the Dark Flame Independent Brigade, but you may not know that he is the true owner of Blackflow City. My business here is merely a small part of his operations.”
Song Qisi listened, uncertain, his eyes flickering.
The Song Clan had not known about Song Zining’s external enterprises. They only learned of his investment in the Blackflow City war zone through the case of Ye Mublue, and the confirmation of his ownership of Blackflow City came when he openly clashed with the Nan Gong Clan.
Of course, the Song Clan had also done their research. The current commander of the Blackflow Expeditionary Force was Zhao Yuying from the Zhao Clan. However, in the Empire, it was common for a noble family to register their assets under the name of a clan member. Since Zhao Yuying and the Zhao Clan had never appeared during the entire Blackflow conflict, it was clear that this was an insignificant detail.
Song Qisi also thought the same way, and his face revealed his thoughts.
Song Zining glanced at him and smiled, “Great-uncle, not long ago, Lord Qian Ye personally killed the Dark Army’s commander, the First-Class Viscount Lud, of the demon race. This man was a bit heavy-handed, so don’t take it to heart.”
Song Qisi’s cheeks twitched, unsure whether to laugh or cry. He understood Song Zining’s meaning. If Qian Ye could kill a First-Class Viscount of the demon race, wouldn’t it take just a few moves to deal with an old man like him? Further, among the countless warriors in the Empire, those whose combat strength far exceeded their rank were mostly from noble families. So, what background did Qian Ye have?
Song Qisi’s hand, which was halfway up, prepared to “with a single palm” teach Qian Ye a lesson, but the hand was flipped over, and the lesson was not dared.
However, he was a seasoned old man, and his expression changed instantly. He shouted at the other person, “What are you waiting for? Quickly drag your cousin out! We’ll deal with him when we get back!”
The person, startled, quickly carried his unconscious cousin out.
When Song Qisi turned back, his face was filled with a radiant smile, addressing Qian Ye, “Indeed, a young hero, a worthy friend to our Zining.”
His quick change of expression left Qian Ye amazed. They sat down again and resumed their conversation. This time, Song Qisi was much more restrained, realizing that neither Song Zining nor Qian Ye respected his status, so he didn’t dare to act condescendingly and directly stated his purpose.
Song Qisi’s visit was not spontaneous but was representing the Council of Elders. The resolution had two main points: first, to severely reprimand Song Zining for arbitrarily attributing the Blackflow Battle’s military merit to the Zhao Clan, and to impose corresponding penalties.
Qian Ye’s expression changed again, confirming that the Council of Elders had indeed taken punitive measures against Song Zining. First, his position in the line of succession was demoted by three places, all clan responsibilities were revoked, and his annual stipend was cut for a year. Additionally, all private assets related to the Song Clan were frozen, to be returned after the punishment period.
The reduction in annual stipend could be ignored, and the demotion in the line of succession wasn’t a big deal, as Song Zining wasn’t interested in that. However, the frozen assets were substantial, including a mine and two large factories on Song Clan territory.
Fortunately, Song Zining’s Ningyuan Heavy Industries relied little on the Song Clan, and he had recently moved a significant portion of the production base to the Evernight Continent. Otherwise, not only the assets related to the Song Clan, but perhaps even the majority of his visible properties would have been seized.
Qian Ye looked at his friend’s unchanged expression but clearly sensed the heavy gloom behind the calm. This former classmate from the Underworld River School was never an easy target, but the bonds of blood ultimately bound him. Even someone as free-spirited as Song Zining struggled.
As if sensing Qian Ye’s gaze, Song Zining looked up, smiled, and shook his head slightly.
Qian Ye understood. The Song Clan’s actions had already crossed Song Zining’s line, and he was not one to submit. But he allowed Song Qisi to finish speaking, to see where the Song Clan’s bottom line lay.
Song Qisi, perhaps accustomed to his high position, didn’t notice the changes in their expressions and continued speaking.
The second point of the Council of Elders’ resolution was to formally establish the Blackflow War Zone as the Song Clan’s blood battle zone, with Song Zining continuing to lead the Dark Flame in combat. All military merits in the Blackflow War Zone would henceforth be attributed to the Song Clan, and not privately given to outsiders. Additionally, the three Song Clan squadrons nearby would be incorporated, and the Song Clan members responsible for these squads would assist Song Zining in commanding military affairs.
“Assist?” Song Zining asked, a cold smile on his face.
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