Message from the Main Family (Please Bookmark)

Song Changsheng scratched his head with an embarrassed laugh. "I thought I'd hidden it well enough. I didn't expect you to notice anyway."

Just as Xia Yunxue had said, when he released Chang Tianhua, he had secretly injected a wisp of Fire Energy into his body. That wisp would follow Chang Tianhua's meridians and invade his Dantian Qi Sea.

As soon as Chang Tianhua cultivated, he would feel a searing pain in his dantian, as though it were burning.

This Fire Energy was a special ability attached to the cultivation art Song Changsheng practiced. It was easy to remove only before it entered the dantian.

Once it invaded, even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would be helpless. Unless Chang Tianhua's sect master father found him some Rare Treasures, Chang Tianhua would be crippled for the rest of his life.

Mother and son truly were mother and son—their methods came from the same mold.

Using such underhanded tactics was somewhat despicable, but mercy toward an enemy was cruelty toward oneself. Their positions were simply different.

"Take these Spirit Stones and use them for cultivation." Xia Yunxue shoved the more than one thousand Spirit Stones collected by the Earth Fire Sect into Song Changsheng's hands in one go.

He did not refuse. On one hand, they were from his mother; on the other, cultivation truly consumed no small amount of resources, and he badly needed this batch of Spirit Stones.

With a single change, Song Changsheng had become a "wealthy man" carrying more than two thousand Spirit Stones.

But while this sum looked substantial, it would not last long once he started spending it. It was still far from enough if he wanted to reach Foundation Establishment...

Not long afterward, Third Elder Song Luyao also arrived. She had just slain a Second Tier Mid-Grade Demon Beast. Sensing the aura of Foundation Establishment Cultivators battling, she had feared Xia Yunxue would be unable to hold up alone and rushed over without stopping for a moment.

After Xia Yunxue explained the Whole Story to Song Luyao, she returned to the Mortal City. That was where she should have been.

After seeing Xia Yunxue off, Song Luyao glanced at Song Changhu. "Your cultivation is lacking, yet your temperament is reckless. When we return, go to the Back Mountain and reflect on your mistakes for a month."

"Yes." Before her, Song Changhu was as obedient as a rabbit, without the slightest dissatisfaction toward his punishment.

Song Luyao then looked at Song Changsheng. The icy expression on her face finally softened somewhat. "You did very well. Your sister-in-law raised a fine son. After the trial ends, I will ask the Great Elder to reward you for your merits."

"Thank you, Elder. This is merely Changsheng's duty," Song Changsheng hurriedly replied.

"Hmph. Excessively humble—just like your father in this regard." Song Luyao coldly jabbed at him, then announced the end of the trial and told them to prepare to return to the Lineage.

Three days later, within the Lineage's Council Hall.

The several elders who had remained behind, along with the highly respected Clan Elders, were Gathered Together.

The Main Seat remained vacant, indicating that Song Xianming had not emerged from seclusion. This was not good news for everyone, because today was an extremely important Lineage meeting.

The Patriarch's absence could only mean that his physical condition was far from optimistic.

"The time has come. Let us begin." Great Elder Song Xianyun swept his gaze around the room.

"Lu Ke has already sent word back. The Main Family will soon refine a batch of Foundation Establishment Pills. According to the agreement between the Main Family and us, we should be able to secure around three to five pills. This Old Man believes that the Lineage should gather Spirit Stones as soon as possible, lest a long night breed many dreams."

A white-haired Clan Elder rose to his feet and spoke solemnly.

Song Xianyun turned his gaze to Song Luzhou, whose face was as bitter as a melon. "Luzhou, you oversee the Lineage's finances and the Hall of Hundred Arts. Give This Old Man a straight answer: how many Spirit Stones can the Lineage still produce?"

"Twenty-First Uncle, it isn't that your nephew hasn't put his heart into it. It's truly that the Lineage cannot come up with many Spirit Stones now.

"The Trade Route to Sunset City has been cut off for several years. On this point alone, the Lineage loses several thousand Spirit Stones in income every year.

"There are only two Monster Hunting Teams left now, bringing in merely a few hundred Spirit Stones each year—enough to be better than nothing. As for the Spirit Stone Mine, we ceded ten percent of the profits to those Five Families, losing several thousand more Spirit Stones every year..."

Song Luzhou began by pouring out his bitterness, embellishing the Lineage's income and expenditures over the years. With that posture, that expression, and that tone, it was as though the Lineage were about to go bankrupt.

Bang

A Clan Elder immediately slapped the table and rose, pointing at Song Luzhou with flared beard and glaring eyes. "Brat, you make the difficulties sound bigger than the sky! This Old Man only wants to know: exactly how much money can you produce? The Lineage has painstakingly operated for so many years—I refuse to believe it cannot produce it! If it cannot, then you've been lining your own pockets!"

Song Luzhou immediately shrank his neck and cried injustice. "Clan Uncle, you are wronging your nephew with those words."

"Then tell me, how many Spirit Stones can you produce?"

"One hundred thousand. At most one hundred thousand Spirit Stones—not a single coin more." Song Luzhou stiffened his neck as he spoke.

"One hundred thousand? Can one hundred thousand secure five Foundation Establishment Pills?" The Clan Elder slapped the table with repeated bangs.

The people around him hurriedly began to soothe him, afraid that this Clan Elder, who was over a hundred years old, would drop dead from anger right there.

Only after the Clan Elder had been pacified did Song Xianyun clear his throat. "Luzhou, although the Main Family sells us Foundation Establishment Pills at a low price, each one still costs at least thirty thousand Spirit Stones. One hundred thousand truly is not enough. See whether you can squeeze out a little more from somewhere."

Song Luzhou still held his neck stiff. "Unless we borrow money from the entire Lineage, I cannot produce A Single Word more."

"Alas..." Song Xianyun sighed deeply. He knew Song Luzhou was speaking the truth. Though he was stingy by nature, he had never been vague when it came to major Lineage affairs.

If he said he could only produce one hundred thousand, then he must already have compressed the Lineage's funds to their absolute limit.

"Prepare the notice. This Old Man will cast aside this old face and borrow Spirit Stones from the Clan Members," Song Xianyun said in a low voice.

"Alas, I'll contribute three hundred." A Clan Elder stood up.

"I'll contribute two hundred."

"I'll contribute four hundred."

One Clan Elder after another rose to their feet. In a few words, they gave everything they had. They were merely Qi Condensation Cultivators, and what they brought out was nearly all their spare money.

"This Old Man will contribute three thousand." Song Xianyun also stated his position.

Song Luzhou said with a pained expression, "I'll contribute two thousand five hundred."

When it came to Third Elder Song Luyao, however, she said coldly, "Everyone, I believe it is still somewhat too early to gather money now."

The moment her words fell, Song Luzhou was the first to jump up. "Ninth Sister, I've already dug out my coffin money. Don't tell me you're reluctant to part with yours?"

Song Luyao cast him an unfriendly glance. "Not everyone is as obsessed with money as you. Twenty-First Uncle, your niece has grounds for saying this."

Song Xianyun nodded. "Explain in detail."

"The last time we obtained Foundation Establishment Pills from the Main Family was eight years ago. That time, we should have received six Foundation Establishment Pills, but the Main Family withheld three of them under all sorts of excuses.

"In the end, those three Foundation Establishment Pills produced two Foundation Establishment Cultivators: my sister-in-law and Twelfth Younger Brother.

"We all know that the reasons given by the Main Family were merely excuses to fob us off. In truth, they gave the three pills that belonged to us to other branch lines.

"The reason was simple. After that battle, the Patriarch lost his chance to break through to the Purple Mansion, and the Lineage suffered severe losses as well. The Main Family had already lost the importance they once placed on us, because we had declined into a Foundation Establishment Family.

"Which is to say, this time, we may theoretically secure at most five pills, but in reality, whether we can even keep the Bottom Line of three will be difficult to say. I have finished."

Song Luyao's words cast a shadow over everyone present, because the situation she described was highly likely to occur.