Elder Song Xiwen was not actually lacking in strength. His fourteen-level primal force cultivation placed him in the middle among the elders, and on paper, his power was comparable to that of the core members of most aristocratic clans. Moreover, he had remained at the fourteenth level for twenty years, making him, according to the Song Clan’s perspective, highly experienced.
In his usual self-aggrandizing boasts, Song Xiwen always claimed that he could hold his own for a couple of moves even against a Divine General, and below that rank, he could always escape. As for peers, he claimed to have defeated one or two, maintaining a perfect win rate. After all, there were very few things that truly required the direct intervention of a Song Clan elder; if necessary, they usually hired others to do the job.
As these claims piled up, Song Xiwen gradually came to believe them himself, and even those who heard him began to half-believe. The other elders, being roughly at the same level as Song Xiwen—some even weaker—felt naturally: “If this old man is undefeated, then I should at least be able to put up a good fight, no?”
If one were to meld the inner worlds of the Song Clan elders into a single entity, in that world, the martial might of the Song Clan would likely be at the top tier among the aristocratic clans, perhaps second only to the Zhang Clan: specifically, to Zhang Boqian.
Wasn’t it the same with the Zhao and Bai Clans? Their senior powerhouses were getting older and could die any day, while the younger ones were still just children. In terms of mid-aged pillars, the Song Clan was still ahead. As for military achievements, the Song Clan was never short on them. There were quite a few, like Duke Gu, who had accumulated enough merit to be ennobled. During major battles, the likelihood of supply transports and forward outposts being raided was the same. Those who ridiculed the Song Clan for lacking battlefield achievements were simply narrow-minded.
Qian Ye’s slap served as a wake-up call from their delusions. Some of the older elders were still confused: How did he get slapped away? That shouldn’t have happened! Xiwen was at the fourteenth level of primal force!
The Elders’ Hall fell silent, no one speaking for a moment.
Qian Ye flexed his fingers and said nonchalantly, “Is there any elder who wants to teach me a lesson? Step forward and speak. Do you think I don’t know who you are hiding among the crowd?”
An elder who had been standing in a corner pushed through the crowd, his tall figure and steel-like bones marking him as Song Tu, an elder of the Cessation Hall. He growled, “Qian Ye, no matter how powerful you are, you’re not invincible yet! The Song Clan is not a place for you to act recklessly.”
Beside him, Song Zining sighed and said, “Uncle Nine, are you siding with these people too?”
Song Tu coughed lightly, his rugged face flushing. “Little Seven, let’s discuss that later. For now, it’s not right for you to bring trouble to the Elders’ Hall. As an elder of the Cessation Hall, I can’t just sit idly by.”
Song Zining’s expression turned cold. “Can we really leave it for later? When will we discuss it, after the Song Clan falls completely? Uncle Nine, I respected you for your bravery and righteousness, but I didn’t expect this from you.”
Song Tu was silent for a moment, then smiled bitterly. “Clan rules and family laws must be followed. No matter what, the Elders’ Hall of the Song Clan is not a place where outsiders can run amok. The Cessation Hall has its duties and cannot turn a blind eye.”
With Song Tu taking the lead, the other elders felt more confident. One of them stepped forward and said, “Tugui is right, that’s the principle! Not just Qian Ye, even you, Little Seven, are no longer part of the Song Clan. Letting you enter this estate was already a favor, and you dare to cause trouble here?”
Song Zining ignored him, focusing instead on Song Tu. “Uncle Nine, what do you say?”
Song Tu frowned deeply and said in a low voice, “What do you want me to do?”
“See how the Patriarch handled it?”
Song Tu’s right hand, hidden behind his back, made a slight clench, and he slowly nodded. “Alright, today I’m unwell and resting in my room. I didn’t attend the meeting.”
With that, he turned and walked away without looking back.
“Hmph! Worthless thing! Since he dares not step in, let this old man test your skills! Let me see what you’ve got under such a grand reputation!”
From the back of the crowd emerged an elderly, tall figure: Song Zhongcheng, the former great elder of the Song Clan. Qian Ye recognized him, remembering that during the Grand Examination of the Song Clan, this old man had attacked him, disregarding his status. If not for Song Tu’s interference and the actions of the Dowager Duchess of Anguo, Qian Ye would have suffered serious injuries then.
Now, the two met again, in the same setting.
Qian Ye looked at Song Zining and asked, “What should we do?”
Song Zining’s eyes were indifferent as he murmured, “What else can we do? Your slap reminded me that sometimes, I overthink and fear too much. We’ve been cornered, so why worry about so many things?”
Qian Ye flashed a bright smile. “Understood, beat them to death?”
Song Zining rolled his eyes. “Don’t kill them for real!”
Qian Ye nodded, cracking his knuckles loudly.
The two conversed as if no one else was around, as if the entire room was filled with clay and wooden statues. Enraged, Song Zhongcheng gathered his breath and roared, “Let’s see how you two youngsters will try to kill me!”
He was one of the top experts of the Song Clan, though he had never crossed the threshold to Divine General. He couldn’t believe he would lose to a greenhorn.
Song Zining said, “You haven’t fought anyone outside the clan for a long time, have you, Elder?”
Song Zhongcheng scowled. “So what if I haven’t?”
Song Zining nodded and turned to the other elders. “I imagine all of you are the same, practicing behind closed doors and feeling proud of your levels. Qian Ye was right; compared to those who battle on the front lines, all of you here are nothing but trash!”
The elders’ faces darkened, but before they could react, Qian Ye let out a hearty laugh and launched into action!
Taking a step forward, the entire hall shook as he struck Song Zhongcheng with a simple punch to the chest.
This punch was plain and ordinary, neither fast nor heavy, but it quivered mysteriously. Though Song Zhongcheng was stubborn, Qian Ye’s formidable reputation made him cautious. With all his might, he crossed his arms to block the punch.
At the moment of impact, a mysterious smile spread across Qian Ye’s lips. With a sudden roar, eight blasts of thunder echoed from his body, and the ancient vampire’s immense strength, bolstered by the Eightfold Mountain Cleaving Force, surged into Song Zhongcheng like a tidal wave!
In an instant, Song Zhongcheng’s arm bones shattered, and he was flung back, crashing through the wall and three more, until he finally landed outside the courtyard, spent.
Only then did he spit out a mouthful of blood, splattering like a flower.
The elders were dumbfounded, while Song Zining was exasperated. “Oh! You’ve made another hole! I was planning to just block the door, what do we do now?”
Many of the elders went pale, realizing that the young master intended to trap them like dogs. He was as ruthless as they feared.
Qian Ye chuckled. “I’ll handle this side; you block the main entrance.”
As he spoke, he took a sidestep, and a semicircular shield of primal force appeared before him, sweeping over a dozen elders!
A dull thud rang out, and half of the elders were sent flying, while the rest staggered back, some spitting blood.
Turning, Qian Ye unleashed a crescent-shaped blade of primal force, sending seven or eight elders flying. Thankfully, the blade’s edge was dull, or some would have been cut in half.
Qian Ye continued with shoulder charges and elbow strikes, each attack imbued with the Eightfold Mountain Cleaving Force and backed by a solid primal shield. The elders were hammered and battered, collapsing like dominoes. Each blow of Qian Ye’s either sent several flying or felled a group.
In the heat of battle, a bloodlight flickered around Qian Ye, revealing countless fine threads of blood!
“Hey, hey, hey!! What are you doing?!” Song Zining’s voice rose higher.
Qian Ye retracted the blood threads, looking slightly embarrassed. “Got carried away. It’s just instinct, haha, hahaha!”
“Instinct, my foot!” Song Zining pointed at Qian Ye. “You got carried away, but what am I supposed to do now?”
Qian Ye then noticed that all the elders were rolling on the ground, none of them able to stand. Feeling a bit sheepish, he quickly said, “It’s okay, it’s okay. At least half of them are probably faking it. Just stab each one a few times to see who’s pretending, then beat them up again.”
Song Zining snorted. “Too much trouble. Fine, since you’ve beaten them all, I’ll just tear down the house.”
He stomped the ground several times, and the entire hall started to shake, swaying more and more violently. In moments, it collapsed with a thunderous roar, burying the elders in the rubble.
Naturally, Qian Ye and Song Zining escaped first. The elders scrambled to free themselves from the debris, some immediately helping their friends and comrades. Despite their dusty and bruised appearance, most were still mobile and dexterous. It seemed Qian Ye was right; many had indeed faked their incapacitation.
By this point, the situation was clearly beyond verbal resolution. Many elders were desperate, and one called out, “This brat is arrogant! Only the Great Elder can deal with them! Where’s Lu Elder? Why isn’t he here?”
An elder nearby, looking somewhat embarrassed, quietly reminded, “Lu Elder is, after all, an outsider. Even though he’s the Great Elder, it’s not appropriate for him to participate in our current elders’ council. You understand, right?”
The elder finally understood, and, raising his voice again, shouted, “Someone, help! Someone is trying to assassinate the elders! Come quickly and catch these assassins!”
His voice, imbued with deep primal force, carried far and wide. Many guests, still in the estate, heard the commotion and rushed over, arriving even faster than the Song Clan guards.
The guests of Lianxin Cottage were all of high status, and the Song Clan servants, well-instructed, recognized every noble guest. They dared not hinder them in the slightest, allowing them to rush to the scene.
Many of these guests were keen-eyed and quickly recognized Qian Ye, staring in disbelief. Those who didn’t know him hastily inquired, and after some whispered exchanges, they stared at Qian Ye as if he were a rare, priceless treasure.
An impatient soul among them muttered, “What audacity…”
A close friend tugged at his sleeve, shushing him and whispering, “Be careful, this Qian Ye is untouchable!”
The first man, startled, eagerly sought advice. “Why untouchable?”
The friend, with a pained look, rebuked, “Even if you haven’t seen him in action, haven’t you heard of his feats? He’s a monster. Even below Divine General, who would dare to touch him? Escaping alive would be lucky! Moreover, I’ve heard he has ties to some major figures. Whether they’re on the same side or not, it’s best to avoid such murky waters. Sigh, you’re usually so smart, why are you acting as foolish as a Song Clan elder now?”
The first man hurriedly thanked him, lamenting, “Lately, I’ve been feeling muddled. Perhaps my rapid primal force advancement has destabilized my realm. But don’t worry, brother, no matter how foolish, I won’t stoop to that level.”
“Alright, no more talk. Let’s watch the show!”
The two stood side by side, craning their necks, fully prepared to enjoy the spectacle, utterly unconcerned about whether their actions were appropriate given their high status.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage