In the magnificent and imposing council chamber of the Song Household, numerous members of its upper echelon sat along either side.
When they heard that the Song Household patriarch planned to send people to Zichuan City and accept the Zhao Household's request, quite a few of them immediately voiced their opposition.
"Patriarch, I believe this matter requires careful consideration..."
"The Zhao Household has dozens of immortal cultivators and an Organ Refining Perfection cultivator holding the fort, yet it still can't stop the Lin Household... Clearly, the Lin Household's foundations and strength are anything but weak!"
"Especially now, when the Su Household has been stirring restlessly..."
"In these troubled times, wading into the Zhao Household's muddy waters would do our Song Household no good."
The speaker was a tall, thin old man dressed in a purple robe.
The old man radiated the presence of the Late Organ Refining Realm, pressing down on the many Song Household elders at the Skin Refining and Blood Refining levels until they could scarcely breathe.
Every word and gesture carried an air of authority and dominance. Standing there, he was like a savage beast in human form, capable of cowing all around him...
This old man was none other than the Song Household's third elder, Song Shanhe!
The Song Household had four factions in all.
The faction represented by the patriarch was the strongest of the four.
Song Shanhe also had a faction behind him.
Besides Song Shanhe, the Song Household's first and second elders... each had a faction of their own.
The four factions had long fought openly and schemed in the shadows, each seeking control of the entire Song Household.
Thus, the seemingly flourishing Song Household was in fact deeply divided... This was also because the Song Household's Spirit Nourishing Realm ancestor had fallen, leaving no great disparity in strength among the four factions.
Though the Song Household patriarch had always wanted to mend the divisions within the household, he had never been able to do so.
The forces behind the Song Household patriarch were indeed the strongest, but compared with the other three factions... they were only slightly stronger, nowhere near enough to suppress them completely.
As soon as Song Shanhe finished speaking, the Song Household's upper echelon from his faction stepped forward one after another to voice their agreement.
"I also oppose interfering in the Zhao Household's affairs!"
"The Lin Household managed to drive Zhao Long into a desperate situation. Even if its foundations are inferior to our Song Household's, it isn't entirely powerless to fight back..."
"Besides, given our Song Household's circumstances, ruling a territory of two thousand li and holding three cities with populations exceeding a hundred thousand is already our limit..."
"If the Su Household weren't watching like a tiger eyeing its prey, our Song Household could naturally expand as it pleased."
"But lately, the Su Household has been sharpening its weapons and feeding its horses, expanding its armored guard legions... It's clearly preparing to make trouble for our Song Household!"
Hearing the voices of opposition throughout the council chamber, the Song Household patriarch kept a calm expression, but deep down, he was furious beyond measure.
What threat from the Su Household... The third elder's faction is opposing me only because the patriarchal election is about to begin!
If I really succeed in taking the Purple River City Zhao Household's accumulated foundations and sphere of influence, I'll surely be elected again in the next Song Household patriarchal election.
Neither the Song Household's third elder nor the other factions wanted to see such an outcome.
Faced with the factions' deliberate obstruction, the upper echelon of the patriarch's faction began speaking on his behalf.
"Third elder, you worry too much."
"Preserving the Zhao Household's legacy and taking its accumulated foundations would be a trifling matter for our Song Household, something we could do in passing..."
"Whether it's the Zhao Household or the Lin Household, who would dare defy our Song Household's absolute strength?"
"As for the Su Household? It has been stirring restlessly for years, but a mere Su Household... isn't qualified to fight our Song Household!"
Smack!!
The speaker from the patriarch's faction was halfway through when the Song Household's second elder interrupted him.
The second elder slammed his hand heavily on the table. He was powerfully built, his muscles gleaming bronze, and the presence of the Late Organ Refining Realm likewise erupted from him.
"Enough!"
"I, Song Huaixin, firmly oppose going to Zichuan City to protect the Zhao Household's legacy!"
"Our Song Household may be strong, but the old saying is right: those who love to fight are bound to perish."
"Our Song Household hasn't even thoroughly investigated the Lin Household. Going to Zichuan City rashly will surely bring disaster!"
The Song Household's second elder spoke harshly, giving the patriarch no face at all.
As for the first elder's faction, it neither chose to support the patriarch nor directly opposed him... It simply watched the show in silence.
Seeing this, the Song Household patriarch fell silent for a moment before finally losing his temper.
The presence of the Organ Refining Realm Perfection erupted from him, sweeping through the entire Song Household council chamber.
In an instant, the previously noisy chamber fell silent.
"Everyone, quiet!!"
"I am still the patriarch of the Song Household! I still sit in this seat..."
"As long as I lead the Song Household, I will still have the final say in its affairs."
"Our Song Household must take the Zhao Household's accumulated foundations and its sphere of influence spanning a thousand li around Zichuan City."
"The matter is settled."
"Anyone who objects will be treated as a traitor to the Lineage."
The Song Household patriarch's face was full of murderous intent, and his voice carried an unmistakable firmness.
Yet the other three Song Household factions paid it no mind!
The second elder in particular glanced at the patriarch, then turned and walked straight out of the council chamber, showing him no regard whatsoever.
After the second elder left, the Song Household's upper echelon from his faction also departed one after another.
"Patriarch... I hope everything goes smoothly for you."
"Let's hope you don't botch things and make our Song Household lose face."
The Song Household's third elder spoke with a sneer.
Immediately afterward, he too left the council chamber in carefree fashion, taking the upper echelon of his faction with him.
"Hah~"
"I'm getting old. I get sleepy in the middle of the night."
"It's time for this old man to leave too..."
Soon, the first elder also rose lazily to his feet and departed at a leisurely pace, supported by members of his faction's upper echelon.
Just as he was about to leave the council chamber, he suddenly stopped, turned to look at the patriarch, and spoke somewhat meaningfully.
"That patriarch's seat isn't so easy to hold on to!"
"Heh heh heh..."
Once the upper echelons of the Song Household's three factions had all departed, three-quarters of the seats in the council chamber were suddenly empty.
Looking around at the empty tables and chairs, the Song Household patriarch felt stifled beyond measure, but he still reined in his emotions and spoke with great calm.
"We must take Zichuan City."
"As long as we can take Zichuan City, our faction's strength will surely soar, relying on the Zhao Household's accumulated foundations and the various resources within a thousand li of the city."