Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 157 Kill them all

Xu Zhen waited outside the mountain gate for a long time before being led to a brightly lit room. Inside sat a man named Chen Zhongwen. "Fellow Daoist Chen, I am Xu Zhen of the Hunyuan Sect. I have come to pay you a visit on the orders of our sect's headmaster."

"You're welcome, Fellow Daoist Xu. Please take a seat."

"My sect's headmaster has something to ask you, fellow Daoist. Our Chiharada was stolen last night. Was this the work of your sect?"

"Really?" Chen Zhongwen's expression remained unchanged, his eyes as calm as water. "This was not our doing, and I was not aware of it."

"Fellow Daoist Chen once made an agreement with our sect on behalf of your organization. As long as our sect did not send anyone to aid the Qingyuan Sect, your alliance would maintain a non-interference relationship with our sect. Why are you going back on your word now? I ask that you fulfill your previous agreement and return the spiritual farm to our sect."

Chen Zhongwen did not refute the incident of Hunyuan Sect assisting Qingyuan Sect last night. He simply said, "After I understand this matter, I will give your sect a reply."

"Well, we will wait for your reply. I hope your alliance can fulfill the previous agreement. In addition, the headmaster hopes to continue to maintain the agreement of non-interference with your alliance."

Chen Zhongwen said nothing, just nodded.

"I'm taking my leave." After conveying these two meanings, Xu Zhen turned around and left. After all, this was someone else's territory, and he didn't want to stay any longer.

After the monk on duty reported that he had left the mountain gate, Chen Zhongwen slowly stood up. Instead of returning to the hall where he had been drinking, he returned to his mansion to sit in meditation.

He didn't set off until someone came to tell him that the banquet was over.

In the room, Xu Quan was flirting with a woman, touching her all over. He was obviously a little drunk.

"Master Xu." Chen Zhongwen bowed slightly as usual. He was already accustomed to this scene.

"Ah!" The woman in Xu Quan's arms suddenly screamed. His big hands had already reached into her underwear and were groping unscrupulously. Her drunken eyes were a little hazy. "Zhongwen, you're here. What's going on?"

"The people from Hunyuan Sect have gone back."

"Oh! I forgot." Xu Quan smiled foolishly, even showing a bit of naivety: "What is he doing here?"

"Their Qianyuan Valley's spiritual fields have been taken away, and they're here to seek an explanation."

"Ask for an explanation?" Xu Quan laughed as if he had heard a joke.

Chen Zhongwen said slowly, "Our biggest enemy is the Qingyuan Sect. Last night, when we attacked Lingyun Mountain, the Ding family and the Hunyuan Sect came to help, but they just watched from the sidelines and didn't contribute much. This shows that they still don't want to be our enemy. If we force them completely to the Qingyuan Sect's side, the outcome will be uncertain."

"Although the Qingyuan Sect has suffered a setback and has been severely damaged, they still have strength. Once they recover, they will definitely take crazy revenge on us."

"We need to take advantage of the unprecedented unity among the independent cultivators now and concentrate our forces to eliminate the Qingyuan Sect in one fell swoop. Only then can we rest easy. Otherwise, if the situation changes in the future, it will be hard to say who will win."

"And to completely eliminate them, the Hunyuan Sect and the Ding family must do their best to win them over."

Xu Quan yawned. "You mean to return the spiritual farm to him? We didn't do that. Besides, everyone else has already swallowed it. Who would be willing to spit it out?"

After saying this, he waved his hand drunkenly: "Let's talk about this later! Hunyuan Sect actually sent people to assist Qingyuan Sect last night, so they should be taught a lesson."

……

In the dimly lit room of Qingyuan Sect, Hu Yingquan's face turned ashen, his fists were clenched, and the muscles at the corners of his eyes kept twitching. After listening to Wang Qian's report, he finally couldn't hold back his anger and grabbed the cup next to him and smashed it to pieces.

"The other disciples who escaped have returned one after another in the past two days. Now there are only forty-three disciples in the sect. There is still no news about Junior Brother Huang Qing. I think he is in great danger." Wang Qian said softly with a heavy face.

Hu Yingquan took a deep breath, his tense body relaxed, and he lay lazily on the recliner with his eyes narrowed. He went to Bianxi City originally to ask Yang Jinzhang to come forward and reconcile the relationship with the Loose Cultivator Alliance.

Unexpectedly, the task was not accomplished. When he returned, not only was Lingyun Mountain lost, but his family also suffered heavy casualties and was severely damaged.

Wang Qian continued, "The Loose Cultivator Alliance's assault on Lingyun Mountain certainly resulted in casualties no less than ours, but they are numerous and powerful, combining the strength of five clans. Each clan has its own casualties, but when the losses are shared, they are still acceptable, unlike our sect's."

"Now we need to consider what's next. The Loose Cultivator Alliance may not give up after occupying Lingyun Mountain. The current situation is that they and we are in a state of rebellion. After this crushing defeat, our sect is no match for them. We need to resolve this problem as soon as possible, otherwise we may end up like the Rising Sun Sect."

"Master, did you achieve any results from your trip to Bianxi City? What is Yang Jinzhang's attitude?"

Speaking of the Rising Sun Sect, Hu Yingquan really regretted it at this moment. If he had not readily agreed to the Ding family's conditions in order to save a few spirit stones, the Rising Sun Sect would not have suffered a disastrous defeat in Qixia Mountain, and would not have reached such a point in such a short time.

"Yang Jinzhang has offered a sky-high price, and I haven't agreed yet. I wanted to discuss it with you and see how the situation develops before making a decision. But it's too late now. The territories under the jurisdiction of Yunfeng Trading Company have all been taken away by the Loose Cultivator Alliance. We don't have the money to negotiate with him anymore. Now we can only rely on ourselves."

Wang Qian pondered and said, "Perhaps we can ask Song Xian and Ding Wenxiang to come forward and negotiate peace with the Loose Cultivator Alliance. When the Loose Cultivator Alliance attacked Lingyun Mountain, the Hunyuan Sect and the Ding family both sent people to help. Although they didn't contribute much, it at least shows that they haven't completely sided with the Loose Cultivator Alliance."

"The reason why the Loose Cultivator Alliance came out in full force to attack Lingyun Mountain without any worries is because they have already divided the Ding Family and the Hunyuan Sect. Otherwise, they would not dare to do so."

"I believe the most urgent task is to repair the relationship with the Hunyuan Sect and the Ding family. Only by reuniting the alliance can we resist the forces of the independent cultivators."

Hu Yingquan pondered for a while and said, "Let's do as you say!"

.........

In the hall of the mansion on Solitary Peak, Song Xian and Zhong Wenyuan sat opposite each other, analyzing the current situation.

Zhong Wenyuan was originally looking for a candidate for independent cultivation, but upon hearing the news that Lingyun Mountain had been breached, he immediately rushed back.

As the two were discussing their countermeasures, the butler outside the door came to report: "Master, Immortal Xu came to report that Immortal Wang Qian from the Qingyuan Sect has arrived and requires to see you."

"Got it. Tell Xu Zhen to bring the person to the main hall and wait."

"Yes." The butler responded and left.

"Qingyuan Sect has suffered such a great defeat. If nothing unexpected happens, they are coming at this time to ask us to join forces to fight against the Loose Cultivator Alliance."

Zhong Wenyuan nodded and said, "It must be so. The Loose Cultivator Alliance cannot be trusted, as evidenced by their overnight occupation of Qianyuan Valley. Once the Qingyuan Sect is completely defeated, we will be next."

"I never expected them to keep their promise, I just didn't want to get involved. Since Qingyuan Sect has sent someone, let's see what they say. Brother Wenyuan, let's go meet him together."

Inside the main hall, Wang Qian saw Song Xian and Zhong Wenyuan walk in and quickly stood up. "Master Song, excuse me for disturbing you." "Fellow Daoist Wang, you are such a distinguished guest, I didn't have time to greet you."

After a brief greeting, the two took their seats as host and guest.

Song Xian has always had a good impression of Wang Qian. He knows that he is a mature and steady person, unlike Wu Xuan, who is always snobbish and thinks he is superior to others.

"Your sect's generous assistance in the Lingyun Mountain incident is deeply grateful to us. The headmaster has specially sent me here to express his gratitude."

"Our two sects are allies. It's our duty to help each other in times of crisis. This is nothing to worry about. It's a pity that our sect is weak and arrived too late. We were unable to help your sect defend Lingyun Mountain and lost the alliance headquarters. Speaking of which, our sect also bears some responsibility."

"The Sect Master sent me here this time, not only to express his gratitude, but also to reorganize the coalition forces. Therefore, I would like to invite your sect to send someone to join the alliance. I wonder what Sect Master Song thinks?"

Song Xian and Zhong Wenyuan couldn't help but look at each other. They had discussed before that Wang Qian might bring up the matter again this time, and it turned out to be as expected.

"If your clan is willing to rebuild the coalition, that would be a good thing. However, our clan is short on personnel and cannot send any more. As long as your clan can convince the Ding family to send someone, our clan is willing to provide some financial support."

Everything Song Xian had done so far was to avoid getting involved in the fight, so he would not give up now. Moreover, the Qingyuan Sect had been defeated and no longer had the strength it once had, so he had every reason to refuse.

Wang Qian changed the subject: "I heard that the spiritual farm in your sect's Qianyuan Valley has been seized by the Loose Cultivator Alliance? Is this true?"

Song Xian nodded and said, "On the night Lingyun Mountain was breached, the Loose Cultivator Alliance sent people to seize the place."

Wang Qian sat up straight, his expression becoming serious. "I hope to have a heart-to-heart talk with Sect Leader Song."

"Master Song should know that if we don't unite and are defeated piecemeal by the Loose Cultivator Alliance, we'll all end up like the Rising Sun Sect sooner or later. Of course, the Loose Cultivator Alliance will definitely target us first, and your sect won't be around for now. But if we fall, your sect won't be immune to their clutches either."

"Isn't the battle at Lingyun Mountain the best proof? After the Loose Cultivator Alliance took over Lingyun Mountain, they couldn't wait to seize your sect's territory."

"Our sect understands your reluctance to be drawn into this conflict, and therefore has never pressured you to send anyone to join the coalition. However, given the current situation, I'm afraid your sect's continued attempts at compromise and tolerance will be futile."

"The Qianyuan Valley Spiritual Field is just the beginning. If our sect is destroyed, your mainstay industry, the Jade Fragrance Pill, will probably be lost too. They are bound to interfere. Your sect may not care about that one piece of low-grade first-level spiritual field, but if they interfere with your Jade Fragrance Pill industry, will your sect be able to tolerate it?"

Seeing him speak so openly and analyze so thoroughly, Song Xian stopped beating around the bush. "Since Fellow Daoist Wang has made it clear, I won't hide it. My sect has never considered betraying the alliance, nor do we wish to see your sect overwhelmed by the Loose Cultivator Alliance. However, we are powerless. This is the truth, not an excuse."

"Asking our sect to send personnel to join the coalition is completely impossible. We don't have anyone to send, and we can't afford casualties."

"Besides that, if your sect has any requests or needs any assistance, our sect will do its best to meet them."

Wang Qian nodded and said, "With Sect Leader Song's words, we feel relieved. Does Sect Leader Song agree that the top priority is to curb the expansion of independent cultivators and maintain peace in Bianxia Town?"

"Of course, maintaining peace is what our sect wishes."

"Given the current situation, I'm afraid the independent cultivators won't necessarily stop their attacks on our sect. To maintain peace, we must show them our unity, or at least let them know that we still have the strength to fight. Otherwise, peace will be a fleeting illusion. Does Sect Leader Song agree?"

"Fellow Daoist Wang is speaking the truth."

"Our sect wishes to organize a negotiation with the Loose Cultivator Alliance. We request that your sect, the Ding family, and the Rising Sun Sect send representatives to participate."

"That's no problem. Our sect will definitely send someone to participate. If we can negotiate peace with the Loose Cultivator Alliance and stop offending each other, that would be the greatest good."

"The Loose Cultivator Alliance is not stupid. Furthermore, our sect has just suffered a defeat, and their morale is high. Words are not enough. We must take some action to deter them and reach a peace agreement. We must send a signal of our unity to the outside world before negotiating with them. Otherwise, simply sending a few people will probably have no effect."

"So what does Fellow Daoist Wang mean?"

"My sect wishes to reorganize the coalition forces and requests that your sect send personnel to join. Of course, this is just a show. My sect promises that we will not send your disciples to participate in the war. Your disciples will only need to guard the coalition headquarters and will be able to leave once negotiations are concluded. During this period, your disciples do not need to obey orders from anyone else."

After all, we still have to send people to join the coalition. Although the words sound good, I'm afraid the situation will be different when the time comes. Even if Qingyuan Sect keeps its promise and does not send disciples to join the coalition to attack the loose cultivator alliance, if they encounter an attack from the loose cultivator forces, won't they still have to go into battle?
Song Xian knew what he said made sense, but he hesitated when he thought about it: "Let me think about this matter again! Has your clan discussed this with the Ding family? What is their attitude?"

"I haven't been to the Ding family yet."

"How about this! After you go to the Ding family, let's see what they think and then we can make a plan."

"Well, I won't bother you anymore. Goodbye."

Song Xian personally saw him off from the mountain gate, and only returned to the main hall after seeing him ride away on the magic weapon.

"Brother Wenyuan, what do you think?"

Zhong Wenyuan pondered, "The Qingyuan Sect has suffered such a great loss, yet they're actually thinking of seeking peace. It seems they're truly afraid. Achieving peace would certainly benefit our sect. I think we can consider the conditions proposed by the Qingyuan Sect."

"Yeah." Song Xian nodded and pondered without saying anything.

.........

As the sun sets, a team of camels carrying numerous wooden boxes and cloth bags of various sizes are moving slowly across the yellow sand. It is the hottest time of the year in Bianxia Town, and everyone is sweating profusely.

The leading disciple of the Qingyuan Sect sat upright on a camel, drinking sake and constantly shouting at the team to move faster.

Suddenly, two flying magical weapons appeared in the distance and rushed towards this side.

The leading disciple of Qingyuan Sect narrowed his eyes, and when he saw clearly that the person standing on the magic weapon was a member of the independent cultivator force, his expression suddenly changed.

With a panicked shout, the two Qingyuan Sect disciples immediately rolled off the camel and ran away.

The two flying magic weapons chased them relentlessly and soon caught up with the two fleeing people. After a fight, the two Qingyuan Sect disciples were killed.

Several monks from the Loose Cultivator Alliance came to the camels, checked the supplies loaded on them, and then ordered the servants following the camel caravan to lead the caravan back home.

The same thing happened in other places. The Loose Cultivator Alliance launched a net-style hunt against the Qingyuan Sect. All the Qingyuan Sect disciples who were active outside were hunted down.

(End of this chapter)