Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 346 Solution
After returning to Luojia Mountain, Song Xian immediately sent people to Tianshan to invite Zhong Wenyuan, Lin Zixiang, Lu Yuan, Zhang Ningyuan, and Huang Ye.

Inside the spacious and bright hall, several people gathered together, and he repeated Jiang Feng's words.

Upon hearing this, the men reacted with varying expressions, all finding the situation troublesome.

Lin Zixiang spoke first: "We don't need to worry about this. With the current strength of our sect, even Jiang Feng wouldn't dare to do anything to us easily, let alone Pang Tong, whose seniority and strength are not as good as his. If he proposes to share the profits in the gambling city and the market, then let him go to Jiang Feng and let them fight among themselves."

Song Xian glanced at him. His words were as good as nothing. If it were so easy to solve, he wouldn't have gathered everyone together for such a serious discussion.

Zhong Wenyuan said slowly, "The most urgent thing is to find out who this Pang Tong is. If he has a deep background in the Beast Taming Sect, then we have no choice but to make concessions. Otherwise, the Stone Ridge Market that we have worked so hard to build may really be destroyed because of this, which would be too much of a loss."

“In my opinion, this might not be a bad thing,” Zhang Ningyuan suddenly said.

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at him, including Song Xian, who saw that he was calm and composed, appearing confident and in control.

"Senior Brother Ningyuan, what do you mean by that?"

Zhang Ningyuan slowly said, "I think the key to the problem actually lies with Jiang Feng. The higher-ups of the Beast Taming Sect must have known about Shitouling Market for a long time. It's just that Jiang Feng hasn't officially reported it because he wants to monopolize 40% of the market's revenue. If he had reported it and the Beast Taming Sect had officially approved it, the revenue would have had to be handed over to the sect."

"Because of their conflict with the Yunxuan Sect, the Beast Taming Sect has long been unable to control the cities of Xijiang County, which is why they turn a blind eye to the Stone Ridge Market."

“Things are different now. If the Beast Taming Sect wants to control Bianxi City, they have to rely on us. Otherwise, the Luoyun Sect might side with the Yunxuan Sect at any time and establish an independent alliance in Bianxi City. In that case, the Beast Taming Sect will lose Bianxi City.”

"Therefore, I dare say that even if the newly appointed Pang Tong formally reports the illegal construction of markets in Tianshan, the Beast Taming Sect will not take any action."

"Let's take this opportunity to solve this problem completely, otherwise such troubles will keep happening in the future."

"Now is the time when the Beast Taming Sect is at its weakest. If this matter is not formally brought up after the war, the Beast Taming Sect might get involved."

“Jiang Feng was the one who kept it a secret and didn’t report it. Now that a new person in charge has arrived, we’ll use him to get the Beast Taming Sect to recognize the market’s official status. Anyway, we’re going to give Jiang Feng 40% of the revenue, so it’s the same if we give that money to the Beast Taming Sect.”

"After Pang Tong reported it, Jiang Feng couldn't blame us."

Song Xian nodded secretly. These words made perfect sense. Zhang Ningyuan had been in charge of the sect's external affairs for many years and had a clear understanding of both the sect's business and the overall situation in Xijiang County.

Zhong Wenyuan frowned deeply: "Isn't doing this too risky? Although given the current situation of the Beast Taming Sect, it is highly unlikely that they will intervene, it's always better to be safe than sorry. Even if there is only a 10% chance, what if the Beast Taming Sect really wants us to close the Stone Ridge Market? This market is the core of the sect's industry."

Zhang Ningyuan and Zhong Wenyuan were not on good terms. Seeing that Zhong was so hesitant and opposed his proposal, Zhang Ningyuan said to save face, "If the sect leader trusts me, I am willing to go to Xijiang County and find the Beast Taming Sect cultivator in charge of this matter to smooth things over. I guarantee that the Beast Taming Sect will agree after Pang Tong officially reports it in the future."

“Alright, then I’ll leave this to Senior Brother Ning Yuan. As for how many spirit stones you need, just ask Senior Brother Lu Yuan directly.” Song Xian made the decision.

"Huang Ye, from now on, you will organize the disciples of the sect's intelligence peak to collect information on Pang Tong, and thoroughly investigate his past in the Beast Taming Sect, the more detailed the better."

"Yes."

After some discussion, the group decided on a strategy.

More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and as night fell, the stars filled the sky.

In the brightly lit hall of Qiyuan Mountain, Song Xian entered from outside, his gaze sweeping over a bearded man sitting below, before bowing to Jiang Feng, who was seated in the main seat: "Greetings, Master Jiang."

"Fellow Daoist Song, let me introduce you. This is our sect's junior brother, Pang Tong, who has come to take over the position of head of Bianxi City."

"Fellow Daoist Pang, I have long admired your name. It is a pleasure to meet you. It is a great honor for Bianxi City that you have come to this city to take charge of the overall situation." Song Xian then turned to the big man and bowed respectfully, his posture very humble.

Pang Tong neither rose to return the greeting nor made a response; he merely nodded slightly, appearing quite aloof.

"Fellow Daoist Song, please have a seat!"

Song Xian took his seat as instructed: "Fellow Daoist Pang, if there is anything my sect may need in the future, please feel free to ask."

Pang Tong then replied expressionlessly, "Fellow Daoist Song, there's no need to be so polite. I've long heard of your sect's reputation. You all contributed a lot to eliminating the Kong family, and the stability of Bianxi City will depend on your assistance in the future."

"Without your esteemed sect's support, our sect would not be where it is today. Assisting your sect in maintaining the stability of Bianxi City is our sect's bounden duty. Without needing Fellow Daoist Pang's instructions, our sect will certainly do its utmost."

“Junior Brother Pang, Hunyuan Sect and Fellow Daoist Song have always been loyal to our sect and are absolutely trustworthy. If you need assistance in Bianxi City in the future, just ask them for help,” Jiang Feng chimed in from the side.

"Yes, Senior Brother Jiang." Pang Tong was very respectful to him, unlike the arrogant attitude he had towards Song Xian, and nodded sincerely in agreement.

"Although the Kong family has been eliminated, the hidden dangers in Bianxi City have not been eliminated. The Luoyun Sect has always been hesitant and ambivalent. Previously, they were even flirting with the Yunxuan Sect. However, because I was wary of the strength of the Luoyun Sect and its influence in Bianxi City, I did not take action against the Luoyun Sect. Instead, I used the Kong family as a warning to others. After the Kong family was destroyed, the Luoyun Sect became much more obedient, but we still need to be on high alert."

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Jiang."

As soon as he finished speaking, a disciple walked in, bowed to Jiang Feng, and said, "Uncle-Master Jiang, the banquet is ready."

"Junior Brother Pang, Fellow Daoist Song, please!" Jiang Feng stood up and walked out, the two following behind him as they left the main hall.

During the banquet, Song Xian frequently toasted Pang Tong to show goodwill, but Pang Tong remained expressionless, offering no kind words and maintaining a consistently indifferent attitude.

In recent days, the intelligence team of Hunyuan Sect has gathered a considerable amount of information about Pang Tong.

Pang Tong was a second-generation disciple of the Beast Taming Sect. His father was also a disciple of the Beast Taming Sect, while his mother was a mortal.

Although he did not have the same powerful background as Yang Jinzhang, he enjoyed good treatment within the sect because of his dual spiritual root aptitude.

Before being assigned to Bianxi City, he had been working at the Beast Taming Sect's mountain gate, serving in the Beast Taming Sect's military camp.

He later joined the Beast Taming Sect's allied forces and performed outstandingly in the battle against the Yunxuan Sect. It is said that he was extremely brave in battle and killed three early Foundation Establishment cultivators and one mid Foundation Establishment cultivator.

In one of the battles, he single-handedly fought against two mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators, resulting in one death and one injury. This earned him a reputation within the Beast Taming Sect, with some even praising him as the Tiger of the Beast Taming Sect.

Given his cultivation level and lack of a strong background, he shouldn't have been in a position to take over the post of head of Bianxi City. This position is usually held by cultivators in the late Foundation Establishment stage.

The reason is that the Beast Taming Sect has suffered heavy casualties and a depletion of talent due to its years of fighting with the Yunxuan Sect.

He also distinguished himself in battle and was appreciated by the higher-ups of the Beast Taming Sect, thus obtaining this position.

Unlike Yang Jinzhang and Jiang Feng, this man was not adept at interpersonal relationships or business matters. He had never had any experience in governing specific affairs, and was rumored to be somewhat inflexible. Therefore, Song Xian did not take his blunt attitude to heart or feel worried, because according to the intelligence he had, this was just the kind of person he was, and he was not from Yang Jinzhang's faction, nor was he deliberately targeting him or Hunyuanzong.

.........

In April, Bianxi City is bathed in warm spring sunshine and blooming flowers, a truly beautiful season.

Although the turmoil in Xijiang County had lasted for many years, the once-a-decade Foundation Establishment selection competition of the Beast Taming Sect was still held as scheduled, and was even more lively than before.

Because Anyuan City and Yongning City betrayed the Beast Taming Sect, the selection was no longer held in these two places, and the quotas were instead given to the other three cities.

Previously, only the top-ranked contestant could go to the Beast Taming Sect's mountain gate to establish their foundation. Now, as long as you enter the finals, you can get a foundation establishment spot.

At the first peak, in the competition arena, two men are engaged in a fierce battle.

One of them was Hu Xiaobao from the Hunyuan Sect. He put his hands together, and a giant, vigorous tree broke through the ground and rose straight up into the blue sky, growing to a height of more than ten zhang before stopping.

The giant tree's branches and leaves spread out, almost completely obscuring the entire competition area.

With a soft shout, Hu Xiaobao sent the giant tree's branches and leaves shooting towards the opponent like tentacles.

The man opposite him retreated rapidly, his hands forming a hand seal, and black energy emanating from his body condensed into a huge black spear.

The spear, shrouded in thick black mist, struck the countless tentacle-like wooden branches. Before the spear even touched the branches, the black mist had already begun to corrode them.

All the giant tree branches and leaves near the spear were visibly rotting. Seeing this, Hu Xiaobao clenched his fists, and wooden strips grew all over his body. Soon, his entire body was wrapped in crisscrossing wooden branches, turning him into a wooden figure.

He slapped his hands on the ground, and the ancient, powerful tree emitted a faint red light. Its branches and leaves fell one after another, and then one after another, delicate red petals grew from it. In the blink of an eye, the tree was covered with flowers.

The next moment, red leaves detached from the giant tree, intertwined, and formed a red tornado that swept towards the man, clashing with the spear that emitted a thick black mist.

A series of crackling sounds rang out, and the red petals burst open one after another. In an instant, a huge burst of flames erupted, and the black mist on the spear was melted in the flames.

The red sea of ​​flowers continued its tornado-like momentum, and seeing this, the man decisively admitted defeat.

As the referee announced the winner, Song Xian, who was in the attic, smiled.

The end of this competition means that Hu Xiaobao has secured a Foundation Establishment spot at the Beast Taming Sect.

After the competition, the group returned to Luojia Mountain. As Song Xian returned to his residence, Qi Ming came to greet him, presented him with a jade slip with both hands, and bowed, saying, "Reporting to the Sect Leader, a disciple of the Beast Taming Sect came and said that he was acting on the orders of Senior Pang Tong."

Song Xian took the jade slip, probed it with his divine sense, and then nodded.

…………

In the spacious and bright hall of Qiyuan Mountain, Song Xianhou waited for a long time before Pang Tong finally entered from outside.

"Master Pang, what brings you here?"

Pang Tong walked expressionlessly to the main seat and sat down, giving him a cold glance: "Why are there no records of the Stone Ridge gambling city and the market in the account books you sent?"

Upon hearing this, Song Xian was not surprised at all; on the contrary, he felt relieved.

Jiang Feng has been away from Bianxi City for two months. Before he left, Song Xian had sent all the accounts of Tianshan to Pang Tong and had been waiting for him to inquire about the gambling city and market at Shitouling, but he had not heard from him for a long time.

This made him somewhat worried that the other party harbored resentment and was plotting revenge, just like when Tianshan sent Jiang Feng fake account books back then.

Jiang Feng had been holding back his anger, but in reality, he had already made up his mind to eliminate the Tianshan Sect.

The Hunyuan Sect's strength is certainly incomparable to that of the Tianshan Sect, and the current situation is vastly different from that of the past. The Beast Taming Sect also lacks the domineering presence and control it once had, which is the source of its confidence.

Seeing Pang Tong's cold expression and questioning tone, he felt relieved. Some things would be very serious if they were brought to the forefront.

But some things are no longer a problem once they are brought to the forefront and spoken out.

Just like when friends have a conflict, if they don't talk about it and keep it to themselves, their relationship will inevitably drift apart.

Pang Tong's statement at this point proves that he wasn't secretly plotting something malicious, but rather that he hadn't noticed the problem until recently.

This is not surprising. Since Jiang Feng instructed Song Xian to conceal the income from the gambling city and the market, he must have already used some means to destroy the past accounts in this regard.

However, this still shows that Pang Tong was not good at handling affairs. If a smarter person had been in his place, they would have discovered the matter in a few days, but he only found out two months later.

“This…” Song Xian pretended to be embarrassed, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Pang Tong's eyes flashed with a cold light, and his voice was as cold as a knife: "Fellow Daoist Song, do you think I'm easy to fool because I'm new here?"

“I had no such intention. Since you ask me, I have no choice but to tell you the truth. This matter was entrusted to me by you, Jiang Feng.”

"Senior Brother Jiang?" Pang Tong stared at Song Xian, already guessing that Jiang Feng was behind it all. "What did he instruct you on?"

"I cannot say. Unless Manager Pang agrees not to disclose it to outsiders, especially Manager Jiang."

"Just tell me. I'll agree."

"Master Jiang explained that the gambling city and the market were not required to pay taxes to your clan, so there was no need to report to Master Pang."

"How much of it did Senior Brother Jiang take?"

"Thirty percent of the profits from the gambling city and forty percent from the market belong to Steward Jiang. Steward Jiang has instructed our sect to continue sending him these spirit stones as usual."

Pang Tong's eyes flickered slightly. Jiang Feng had now been promoted to a cabinet member and might even advance to the Golden Core realm in the future. If he forcibly withheld it, he would surely offend Jiang Feng. But if he ignored it, he was somewhat unwilling. After a moment of silence, he said, "What Senior Brother Jiang wants, I only need half of."

(End of this chapter)