Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 355 Difficult Choices
Song Xian's tone softened: "I said, as long as you cooperate, I will give you a chance. Now tell me, when did you get involved with the Luoyun Sect, and when did Duan Quan give you the order?"

Zhou Hua swallowed a few times and said in a hoarse voice, "I usually like to go to gambling dens. Once, after losing all my spirit stones, a cultivator named Lin Kun, who often gambled there, lent me some spirit stones. I gradually became acquainted with him."

"Because the disciple was often short of money, he suggested that the disciple sell valuable intelligence in exchange for spirit stones. The disciple only needed not to reveal important information to the sect, so he agreed."

"After that, the information he asked for became more and more important, and the price he offered became higher and higher. Finally, one day, he told his disciple that the information was actually provided to the Luoyun Sect, and that he was also working for the Luoyun Sect. He then threatened his disciple to continue providing valuable information to the Luoyun Sect, or he would tell the sect about it."

“I was afraid of being punished, so I had no choice but to agree. The day before yesterday, he sent me a message asking me to go to Qingfeng Inn to meet him. When I arrived, I found Duan Quan waiting for me and asked me to inform the sect leader about the special flame.”

"I had no choice but to do as he said. As for what they really wanted to do, I had no idea."

Song Xian remained expressionless and calm. He did not doubt what Zhou Hua was saying. Now that things had come to this point, there was no need for him to hide anything. Logically speaking, Duan Quan would not tell him the whole plan. He was just a pawn of the Luo Yun Sect.

"Besides you, has the Luoyun Sect arranged for anyone else?"

"This disciple does not know." Zhou Hua shook his head, and fearing that Song Xian would not believe him, he quickly added, "This disciple really does not know. This disciple has always contacted Lin Kun alone, and we meet at the gambling house on the fifteenth of every month."

"What about Lu Kui? How much do you know about him?"

“I was unaware of his connection with the Luoyun Sect until Duan Quan told me. He instructed me to fabricate false information about a special flame and then asked me to report back immediately. I then asked what would happen if the sect leader kept me on Luojia Mountain at all times and I didn’t get a chance to go out. He then said I could contact Lu Kui.”

“You should know that what you have done is a grave crime of betraying the sect. Not only you, but also your wife, children and parents will be executed. But I am willing to give you a chance to redeem yourself. Go and tell Lu Kui that everything is going well.”

"Yes, the disciple understands."

"I will keep an eye on you. Don't be so clever. I have planted a heart-locking talisman in your body. As long as I chant the incantation and activate the talisman, it will immediately shatter your heart. If you don't believe me, you can check your body and see if there is a circle of black threads wrapped around your heart."

Zhou Hua's expression changed, and he swallowed hard: "This disciple knows he was wrong and will make amends for his mistakes. He will never dare to have any other thoughts."

"Alright, you can go find Lu Kui now. I'll be keeping an eye on you the whole time." Song Xian removed his handcuffs and shackles.

Zhou Hua took a few deep breaths, as if a drowning person had finally caught their breath.

"Relax, don't be nervous, stay calm and don't let Lu Kui see through your disguise. Rest here for a while and go when you're ready."

Zhou Hua rested for about fifteen minutes before his pale face regained its rosy color, and then he left the secret room.

.........

"Sect Leader, Lu Kui has left Luojia Mountain after meeting with Zhou Hua. He is probably going to report back to Luoyun Sect." Lin Zixiang strode into the room with a solemn expression.

"What did they say? Did Senior Brother Zixiang hear it with his own ears?"

“I used an invisibility talisman to follow Lu Kui into the room. I saw their conversation and actions. There shouldn’t be any problems.”

"That's good. In this way, the Falling Cloud Sect will definitely lower their guard and wait for us to go to Black Turtle Island before making a move, which will give us a few days to prepare."

"Should we immediately send someone to notify the Beast Taming Sect and ask them to send reinforcements, preferably to wipe out the Falling Cloud Sect in one fell swoop?"

"I'm afraid it's too late. Luoyun Sect isn't stupid; it won't wait that long. If we don't make a move soon, they'll suspect something's wrong and launch a full-scale attack on Luojia Mountain."

Lin Zixiang immediately said, "It might be too late to ask the Beast Taming Sect for help, but there is a large force of Beast Taming Sect cultivators in Humen City right now. I heard that the Beast Taming Sect has sent its Golden Core cultivator Zhan Yuanqiu with a large force to Humen City. Why don't we send someone to Humen City to inform Pang Tong about this and have him report it to Zhan Yuanqiu? If they know that there is trouble in Bianxi City, they will definitely spare manpower to deal with Luoyun Sect."

“I have already sent people. I not only sent someone to Humen City to inform Hu Xiaobao and Pang Tong, but also sent someone to the Beast Taming Sect's mountain gate in Xijiang County. However, distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. The Luoyun Sect may launch an attack on us at any time, so we still have to rely on ourselves here.”

Lin Zixiang's eyes shone with determination: "With this third-tier grand formation on Luojia Mountain, plus the few of us, it won't be so easy for Luoyun Sect to take it by force. We just need to wait for the reinforcements from Humen City to arrive."

"What about Tianshan? If we hand over Tianshan, there's no point in us just guarding the spiritual vein of Luojia Mountain."

Lin Zixiang paused for a moment, and his resolute eyes wavered slightly: "Then why don't we retreat back to Tianshan, hold Tianshan, abandon Luojia Mountain, and wait for the Beast Taming Sect's reinforcements to arrive before taking back this place?"

"Tianshan only has a second-tier high-grade array for defense, which is not enough to stop the Luoyun Sect's strong attack."

"Then what should we do? Does the sect leader have any good ideas?"

Song Xianxu gazed out of the house, his eyes deep, as if looking at the distant sky. His gaze was initially confused, but then gradually became firm: "Let's leave here and withdraw from Bianxi City."

"what?"

George Lam was shocked. His eyes widened instantly, and he blinked as if he had misheard.

From its earliest origins at Guzi Peak, the Hunyuan Sect has come a long way, overcoming countless hardships and dangers, including several life-or-death challenges, such as the sectarian conflict in Bianxia Town, and the attempts to seize Tianshan and Luojia Mountain.

Every step is a life-or-death gamble; the slightest mistake could lead to utter ruin, the destruction of one's sect, and the extermination of one's entire clan.

After all the hard work to get to where we are today, and with such a large foundation, are we really going to just hand it over to someone else?

Having lost the Tianshan industry and the Luojia Mountain spiritual vein, what can they do after leaving Bianxi City? Without the spiritual vein and the income from their industries, how can they cultivate? "I disagree." Lin Zixiang's blood boiled, his face changed, and he slammed his hand on his chair, abruptly standing up, his eyes fixed on Song Xian: "Does the sect leader really intend to hand over the sect's foundation, which we have painstakingly built, to the Luoyun Sect?"

"Brother Zixiang, please don't get agitated. Sit down and let me explain in detail." Song Xian spoke gently, showing no anger at Lin Zixiang's retort, or even a trace of other emotions.

Lin Zixiang's reaction was within his expectations, so he didn't take it to heart. This decision was difficult, and there were definitely a lot of people in the sect who were unwilling to give up Bianxi City just like that.

"No matter what, I absolutely refuse to give up Bianxi City." Lin Zixiang sat down as instructed, but his attitude remained firm.

"We survived those difficult times back then, and after decades of hard work, we have the foundation we have today. What is the Luoyun Sect? With our strength and the support of the third-tier formation of Luojia Mountain, we are not without a fighting chance."

"Moreover, the actions of the Luoyun Sect are treacherous. The Beast Taming Sect will definitely support us. As long as we hold out until the Beast Taming Sect provides support, we can not only defend Luojia Mountain, but also drive the Luoyun Sect out of Bianxi City and swallow up their base. I don't understand why we should withdraw from Bianxi City."

Song Xian's expression remained unchanged as he sighed softly, "Senior Brother Zixiang, do you really think I'm willing to give up the foundation we've built up over the decades? The Stone Ridge Gambling House and the Stone Ridge Market were all established by me. I poured countless efforts into them to achieve their current scale. No one in the sect is more reluctant to give up these businesses than I am."

George Lam did not reply, but stared directly at Song Xian.

“You’re right. Since we settled on Guzi Peak, we’ve faced several life-or-death challenges over the past few decades. Whether it was taking Tianshan or conquering Luojia Mountain, we were all gamblers, and we won every time.”

"The reason we were able to win, to take Tianshan, and to conquer Luojia Mountain was not because of our own strength, but because we had the upper hand. We had the support of the Beast Taming Sect behind us, which enabled us to overcome the strong with the weak."

“But the situation is different now. The situation in Xijiang County has undergone tremendous changes. The Beast Taming Sect is in dire straits. The Yunxuan Sect has the support of the Murong family and the Fengxing Sect, and the strong support of the Yunxiao Sect. In addition, the Luoyun Sect has also betrayed us. We can no longer stay in Bianxi City. Staying here will only lead to our death.”

Lin Zixiang remained stubborn: "I cannot agree with the sect leader's words. After all, the Beast Taming Sect has been entrenched in Xijiang County for many years, and it has not yet reached the point of collapsing. The outcome of Xijiang County is still uncertain. We just need to hold out for a while. Once the Beast Taming Sect's reinforcements arrive, they can drive the Falling Cloud Sect out of Bianxi City, and then Bianxi City will be ours."

Song Xian shook his head: "You underestimate the Luoyun Sect. I've met Tao Jinyuan many times. He's a cautious and steady person. He won't do anything he's not sure of. Since he's determined to deal with us, he must have made ample preparations."

"Senior Brother Zixiang, do you really think we can defend Luojia Mountain? Luoyun Sect currently has more than 1,500 disciples and eleven Foundation Establishment cultivators. If they all go out to defend it, how can we possibly hold it?"

"Even if we manage to hold out, can we guarantee that the Beast Taming Sect will send troops to wipe out the Falling Cloud Sect in time? The Falling Cloud Sect dared to launch a sneak attack while the Beast Taming Sect was dealing with the Wind Riding Sect, so they must have reached an agreement with the Wind Riding Sect and the Cloud Propagation Sect."

“I guarantee that if the Beast Taming Sect sends a large force here, the Yunxuan Sect will definitely not stand idly by. And given the status and prestige of the Luoyun Sect in Bianxi City, those sects will definitely side with them. In the end, we still won't be able to protect these assets, and we might even lose our lives.”

"Even if we manage to hold Luojia Mountain through a direct assault on Luoyun Sect, we will suffer heavy casualties, and you and I may both die in this battle."

"What's the use of leaving only a name when the person is gone?"

"If you save people but lose land, you can save both people and land. If you save land but lose people, you can lose both people and land."

"As long as we are still alive, we have a chance to make a comeback."

"Let's take a step back and assume that the Luoyun Sect didn't make sufficient preparations, nor did they reach an agreement with the Yunxuan Sect and the Fengxing Sect, and just recklessly betrayed the Beast Taming Sect. We will hold out until the Beast Taming Sect's reinforcements arrive and drive the Luoyun Sect out of Bianxi City."

"If that's the case, why should we stubbornly resist the Luoyun Sect's frontal assault? Wouldn't it be better to withdraw from Bianxi City first, and then attack Bianxi City together with the Beast Taming Sect? This way, we can reduce casualties and achieve our goal. In the end, Bianxi City will still be ours. It's just a temporary withdrawal, so what's the harm?"

Song Xian's decision was not made on a whim. He had been thinking of a countermeasure since he learned from Zhou Hua that Luoyun Sect was going to take action against him.

After much deliberation and considering several possibilities, the final conclusion was that holding Luojia Mountain and confronting Luoyun Sect head-on would not yield good results, which is why the decision was made to evacuate Bianxi City.

This decision was incredibly difficult for him. No one understood the importance of Tianshan to the entire sect better than him. He had built Tianshan Market step by step, and had already planned its future development countless times in his mind.

He was the least willing to give up Tianshan, but as the sect leader, he had to be responsible for the survival of the sect and the lives of all his disciples.

There's no way we can hold onto Tianshan. Rather than fighting a desperate battle while defending Luojia Mountain, it's better to completely withdraw from Bianxi City. Being outside will allow us to better plan for a future counterattack against Bianxi City.

His words were eloquent and well-reasoned, leaving George Lam with no choice but to remain silent.

Neither of them spoke again, and the room fell into a long silence.

After a while, George Lam suddenly looked up, as if he had suddenly thought of something.

"Sect Leader, I have a plan. We can retreat to Guzi Peak. Our sect has a three-hundred-year protection period, and Luoyun Sect will certainly not dare to violate the rules of Qianqing Sect to launch a strong attack on Guzi Peak. Once the reinforcements from Yushou Sect arrive, we can then break out from Guzi Peak and coordinate with them from the inside."

Song Xian shook his head: "Retreating to Guzi Peak would be like we've spun our own cocoon. If Luoyun Sect sees us retreat and realizes that our plan has been exposed, they will surely unite with various sects to form the Bianxi City Independent Alliance. If Yushou Sect leads troops to attack, Yunxuan Sect will definitely provide support, just like Anyuan City back then."

"When the entire Bianxi City sects surrender to the Luoyun Sect, what use will it be for us to guard Guzi Peak? If the Luoyun Sect surrounds Guzi Peak, our two hundred men will not be able to hold out for more than a year or two due to lack of food and water."

"If the Beast Taming Sect is determined to reclaim Bianxi City regardless of the cost, we can temporarily withdraw and quickly make a comeback. If the Beast Taming Sect is unwilling to pay too high a price, we will be trapped on Guzi Peak and become like turtles in a jar."

"We only need to leave a few people to garrison Guzi Peak for the long term. Everyone else should withdraw from Bianxi City. In the current situation, preserving our own strength is the most important thing."

George Lam remained silent for a long time, ultimately unable to offer any rebuttal.

(End of this chapter)