Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

"[Embroidered Banner] Song Daoling, the Supreme Elder of the Song Clan, requests an audience with the Palace Master."

At the foot of Wanxiang Mountain, Song Daoling, dragging his heavily injured body, called out loudly to the pavilion hidden in the clouds, requesting an audience.

His voice echoed among the mountains, startling many birds in the forest, which took flight in flocks and scattered in all directions.

After a while, Sword Heart Immortal floated out from the clouds and looked down at him, saying calmly, "The Palace Master is in seclusion, fellow Daoist, please return."

Song Daoling's heart sank, and he had a bad premonition: "Fellow Daoist, the Wangyue Song Clan has acted against the natural order and made outrageous remarks in public, intending to destroy our clan."

The entire cultivation world of the Great Qian Dynasty is one. As the leader of the righteous path in the Great Qian Dynasty, how can the Myriad Manifestations Palace sit idly by and allow outsiders to run rampant?

"Fellow Daoist Song, you are mistaken. The Song family of Wangyue and the Song family of Jinxiuqi share the same blood and belong to the same lineage of the Song family. This is something that you all have personally acknowledged."

As the saying goes, one cannot write two Song characters in one stroke. Whatever Song Zixu wants to do is your Song family's private matter.

Since ancient times, the Myriad Manifestations Palace has never interfered in the internal affairs of other forces, a fact that you, fellow Daoist, should be well aware of.

"Song Minghuang is going into seclusion to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, and our palace has not interfered. Song Zixu is going to engage in internal strife, and our palace will not interfere either. Neither the Palace Master nor the Supreme Elder will see you. Please leave." As Jianxin Zhenren finished speaking, he turned and disappeared into the thick fog of Wanxiang Mountain.

Her words were calm, yet they sent a chill down Song Daoling's spine from the foot of the mountain, though he felt a pang of resentment.

Sword Heart Master's attitude was very clear: Wanxiang Palace had never stopped Song Minghuang from breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, so naturally they would not interfere in their internal strife.

An internal power struggle immediately defined the nature of the matter.

He couldn't even find any reason to refute it, after all, the "legitimate" status of the Wangyue Song family was something they themselves had acknowledged, and they were... "one family".

"Damn it!" Song Daoling cursed inwardly.

He naturally dared not have any dissatisfaction with the Myriad Manifestations Palace; his target was Song Changsheng. From that time on, the other party had already been setting a trap for the Embroidered Banner!
Song Daoling returned empty-handed, and Song Jiyuan's visit to Song Minghuang also ended in failure.

It has been several decades since Song Minghuang went into seclusion. With his lifespan running out, this will be his last seclusion in this life. Therefore, he must eliminate all distractions and focus wholeheartedly on his final sprint.

His decision to go into seclusion in the small world was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. The small world was only connected by a spatial passage, and no one could disturb him without his permission.

Even if something unexpected happens and the space tunnel collapses, the impact will not be significant.

Because he had already built a guiding altar in the Purple Imperial Realm, which could help him with precise positioning, if he could break through to the Nascent Soul stage, he could tear through space and return from the vast void. Although the hope was slim, at least the possibility existed.

If the breakthrough fails, then everything will come to an end.

"The current patriarch of the family, Song Jiyuan, requests an audience with the ancestor."

Foreign invaders are rampant, and our family is in imminent danger. We respectfully beseech our ancestor to emerge from seclusion, vanquish the powerful enemy, and preserve our family's everlasting legacy!

Song Jiyuan's voice traveled through the spatial passage via a special sound transmission device, entering the small world and echoing continuously above the purple bamboo forest.

An invisible, transparent barrier enveloped the palace, shutting out all sound.

Song Minghuang sat cross-legged in the secluded room, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he sensed something, but he made no further unnecessary movements.

From the moment he learned of Song Changsheng's existence, he knew that a war between the two races was inevitable.

A legacy spanning millennia is a hurdle that often requires overcoming numerous tribulations, a feat that most forces in the world find difficult to overcome.

Song Changsheng was the calamity of the [Brocade Banner].

“A calamity descended from the heavens, a calamity descended from the heavens…” Song Minghuang sighed softly.

He bears an undeniable responsibility for how the [Jinxiuqi] has become what it is today. It is no exaggeration to call him a sinner of the family. From that initial misjudgment, he has strayed further and further from the right path.

He tried more than once to save the family he had ruined.

It sounds contradictory, but that's the truth.

But each time it ended in failure.

His willpower oscillated between family interests and personal interests.

"This is the last time. If we succeed, everything will be over!" Song Minghuang opened his eyes, and a golden lotus flower appeared in front of him.

The lotus flower is only the size of a fist, with nine petals arranged tightly in a circle, surrounding the golden lotus heart in the center, and a few delicate lotus seeds can be vaguely seen.

Strands of primordial energy swirled around it, exuding an aura of mystery that jolted Song Minghuang awake, and a deep greed surfaced in his eyes.

Song Minghuang reached out, his hand trembling uncontrollably, and slowly placed it on the golden lotus. A strange power surged wildly into his body.

The golden lotus's luster dimmed at a visible speed, and its primordial yellow aura was tinged with a hint of red...

At the same time, all the cultivators of the [Jinxiuqi] group felt mentally disoriented.

The feeling came and went quickly, and most people didn't take it seriously. Only a few cultivators with keen senses noticed the anomaly.

"How is this going……"

Song Yuqing, who was in seclusion, frowned. He felt as if something had been stolen from him, and he felt inexplicably uneasy.

At this moment, Song Changsheng had just returned to the Twin Islands with Song Yuchun, who was being used as a scapegoat. As soon as they landed, he sensed that a certain power within Song Yuchun was quietly dissipating.

He observed for a while and finally determined that what was being lost was his "luck".

The power of destiny is ethereal and elusive, yet it truly exists. Song Changsheng mastered the [Law of Destiny] in his early years. Although he dared not delve too deeply into it, he had no problem with simple aura observation and directly identified the problem.

This surprised him. Although a person's luck is constantly fluctuating, it has always been maintained within a reasonable range. The rate at which this energy is being lost has clearly exceeded this range.

"Could it be because of taking the blame?" Song Changsheng wondered to himself, but he quickly dismissed the thought.

When a person faces a life-threatening crisis, their luck may indeed be greatly diminished. Once such a situation occurs, it is a certain death, and even the heavens will no longer favor them.

Song Yuchun was pushed out to take the blame by Song Jiyuan and others, and in principle, he was indeed doomed to die. But the key point is that Song Changsheng did not want to kill him.

Everyone knows he was pushed out to take the blame. Killing him would not only be pointless, but would also leave him with a blood debt, which would be a losing proposition.

If we don't kill him, things will be different. He will become a powerful tool for undermining people's morale in the future. Even if we don't have to use him, he can still demonstrate his extraordinary magnanimity, which is beneficial and harmless.

In this situation, the idea of ​​certain death is nonsense. So what about the constantly draining "power of fortune"?
At this moment, Song Youlin, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, interrupted his thoughts: "Clan leader, what should be done with this person?"

"Find a place to place him under house arrest, and provide him with the same food, clothing, and daily necessities as before," Song Changsheng said casually.

Song Youlin was not surprised by the result. After agreeing, he turned his gaze to the person behind him and found a somewhat reserved middle-aged woman standing there. He asked, "This... could she be Madam Yu?"

"This humble servant, Li Xinrou, greets the elder. I wonder what my husband is like now..." On the way back, Song Changsheng had already told him the truth. At this moment, she felt both relieved and fearful.

She knew that Song Jiyuan's confinement of her was definitely to force Yu Xinchou to do something very dangerous, but she didn't expect it to be so perilous. Anyone else would have died under such circumstances, let alone be able to reunite the couple.

“Madam, there’s no need to worry. Fellow Daoist Yu is currently recuperating. Please sit for a moment. If he knows you are here, he will definitely come immediately.”

As Song Youlin said, the moment Yu Xinchou sensed Li Xinrou's presence, he abandoned his healing and rushed over immediately.

"Xinrou!" Yu Xinchou disregarded his own injuries and immediately checked on Li Xinrou's body. He breathed a sigh of relief after finding that she was alright.

"Husband, you..."

Before she could speak, tears welled up in her eyes. Seeing the haphazard injuries on Yu Xinchou's body, Li Xinrou's eyes were already brimming with tears, and she threw herself into Yu Xinchou's arms.

The two embraced and wept, releasing all their worries and concerns through their tears.

Song Changsheng and the others exchanged glances and tacitly left the couple alone.

After a long while, the couple calmed down and poured out their hearts to each other.

"What conditions did you agree to?" Li Xinrou asked with a worried expression. Although she hadn't witnessed Song Changsheng's single-handed subjugation of the [Jinxiu Banner], the result spoke for itself.

The other party is a dignified Golden Core cultivator; there's no way he would go to such lengths for Yu Xinchou without a reason.

"The real man wanted me to serve the Song family of Wangyue. In exchange, he would bring you back to my side. I never expected that he would actually do it."

“Serving…wouldn’t that mean following the same path as the [Brocade Banner]?” A look of worry appeared on Li Xinrou’s face.

The profession of sorcerer has always been shady, and killing with sorcery carries a heavy karmic burden.

Therefore, she has always disagreed with Yu Xinchou's excessive use of magic, fearing that he might embark on a path of no return.

“The Master is magnanimous and does not require me to kill people with curses. He only asks me to break the curses and teach disciples. We can regain our freedom after serving him for 150 years.”

"Although you do not shed blood, the disciples you teach will always shed blood."

Yu Xinchou was silent for a moment before saying, "Some things are beyond our control. It's enough for us to do our best and have a clear conscience."

Song Changsheng's willingness to go to such lengths for him was already an immense act of kindness; he could not ask for more.

"You've worked so hard all these years, my husband."

All those words ultimately boil down to this one sentence.

From the time she fell into a coma due to the death curse to her awakening, Yu Xinchou spent the last few decades running around for her, trying all sorts of methods to break the curse.

Having just succeeded, she was immediately placed under house arrest by Song Jiyuan, and now she has been "sold" to the Wangyue Song family for 150 years. The hardships and bitterness she has endured are unimaginable. She said softly, "Husband and wife are of one mind and body. Why say such things? It's just that I can't fulfill the promise I made to you in the short term."

"Clan leader, according to intelligence, after you left the Embroidered Banner, Song Daoling also rushed to the Myriad Elephant Palace, but was turned away."

"I reached an agreement with the Palace of Myriad Phenomena long ago. This is an internal matter of our family, and they naturally cannot interfere."

"From now on, surveillance of the [Brocade Banner] needs to be even tighter. Before the official roundup, I don't want any of them to slip through the net," Song Changsheng said coldly.

"Don't worry, your grandson has already made the arrangements."

What should be done with Yu Xinchou's future?

"Let him rest for a while and recover from his injuries before he teaches the clan's cultivators how to use spells. Before that, we need to do some preliminary screening to select clansmen who are truly talented in spells, so as not to waste time and gain nothing."

Among the various arts of cultivation, some have extremely low entry barriers, and almost anyone can cultivate them. Through continuous practice and effort, one can even achieve a certain level of proficiency.

For example, plant growers and winemakers belong to this category.

In contrast, some professions have extremely high learning thresholds, and ordinary cultivators may waste half their lives without even being able to get started.

The sorcerer is a very typical example of this profession.

Therefore, Song Yuqing said that Yu Xinchou was exceptionally gifted and a talented person because he was self-taught and had cultivated to the third level in just a few decades.

"Ninth Grand Uncle, Song Yuqing requests an audience."

"Bring it in."

The moment Song Changsheng saw Song Yuqing, his brows furrowed sharply, because he could clearly see that the "power of fortune" on his body was also dissipating at a very slow rate.

At this moment, he finally understood.

The problem doesn't lie with any one of Song Yuchun or Song Yuqing, but rather with the [Splendid Banner] itself, causing a collective decline in the power of fortune.

This phenomenon usually only occurs when an entire clan is wiped out.

【The Embroidered Banner】We haven't reached that point yet, but our fortune is already showing signs of decline, which is truly perplexing.

However, this situation also suggests that the fate of the "Brocade Banner" has indeed come to an end.

Faced with this situation, he didn't know how to stop it for a moment, as he hadn't studied the Dao of Destiny in depth.

Fortunately, Song Yuqing is a person with great fortune, and she cannot affect him for the time being.

"Yuqing, apologize to the Master."

Song Yuqing bowed deeply to the ground, her tone somewhat bitter.

He already knew about Song Daoling's sneak attack and his shameless act of pushing someone else to take the blame.

In contrast, Song Changsheng's actions were extremely restrained, and he did not cause any bloodshed.

He felt a chill in his heart; Song Daoling didn't care whether he lived or died.

"You have been a hostage of our people, what crime have you committed?"

Song Changsheng walked up to him, helped him up personally, and said earnestly, "The Brocade Banner needs a more responsible and wise clan leader, and I hope that person is you."

……

P.S.: I'm visiting my great-uncle today, and there are still some places to go, so the update will probably be a little late. Thank you for your understanding, fellow cultivators... (End of Chapter)