Song Yinglong had founded Crouching Tiger Manor, generously spending his wealth in the name of righteousness and befriending "heroes and worthies" from every corner of the land. His ambitions had been lofty.
Unfortunately, his attempt to seize Linjiang Prefecture had met with unforeseen complications, leaving decades of planning short of complete success.
Truly lamentable.
Hong Yuan also felt some regret over this.
As Old Song's kindred spirit, he naturally had to fulfill the man's dying wishes.
Since Old Song had failed to unite Linjiang Prefecture while alive, the Corpse Puppet formed after his death could go and hold the fort at the Sea-Calming Alliance instead.
Hong Yuan thought little of the Hundred-Poison Corpse Puppet's fighting strength, but within the Sea-Calming Alliance, he would be their greatest hidden asset.
That could count as letting Old Song "seize" a high position in the Sea-Calming Alliance by unconventional means.
Old Song had harbored many misunderstandings about Hong Yuan during his lifetime. If he knew of this from beneath the yellow springs, he would surely feel both ashamed and gratified.
Over the next three days, Hong Yuan taught Qinglingzi to control the Corpse Puppet with bells while keeping an eye on developments in the city.
As the announced execution date approached, more and more experts poured in. Among them were disciples of prestigious sects and renowned martial artists, all eager to witness the imminent grand event of the martial world.
The Red Lotus Cult against the Myriad Calamities Daoist!
Hong Yuan found opportunities to move, planting Six Voids Force in another batch of targets.
While gathering storms swept Songyang Commandery and heroes arrived in droves, a thousand miles away, where north and south met, lay a gorge shrouded in mist year-round, never touched by daylight.
The gorge was deep, its sheer walls towering and