Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 370 Where to go?
"What? You're not willing?" Jiang Feng glanced at him: "Actually, your manpower is not enough at all. To put it bluntly, if a real fight breaks out, you won't even be enough to fill the enemy's teeth."

"To tell you the truth, the reason our sect did this was to silence the disciples. After all, it's not honorable to give up sect resources to other forces."

“You should know that Huangyu Mountain was originally guarded by sect disciples. Now that they have been transferred away and the place has been given to you, there is a reason that can be accepted by the people.”

“If we give them to you for free, not only will our disciples complain, but other forces will also have to arrange spiritual veins for them to settle down when they come to our sect. In that case, won’t all the spiritual veins under our sect’s jurisdiction be taken by others?”

Faced with circumstances beyond his control, Song Xian had no choice but to agree: "Upon returning, I will immediately dispatch half of my disciples to the front lines to await your command."

"Once you send your people here, you can go to Huangyu Mountain."

"Thank you, Steward Jiang. If I have no further instructions, I shall take my leave." Song Xian stood up, thanked him, and turned to leave.

After leaving Tianshan, his thoughts raced, and he couldn't help but feel a little worried. He hadn't expected that the Beast Taming Sect would ask him to send half of his disciples to participate in the battle, which was a bit difficult to resolve.

The sect was already in a state of panic, and after Huang He led a group of Tianshan cultivators to escape, many people had the idea of ​​leaving as well.

He had finally managed to stabilize morale by increasing salaries, but now he wants to send them to the front lines. Who should he send?

No matter who he sent, no one would be willing to do it. Who would be willing to sacrifice themselves so that others could benefit? After thinking it over and over, he still couldn't come up with a good solution.

Upon returning to Flower Valley, George Lam immediately came to greet him and inquired about the situation.

Song Xian returned to his room without saying a word. The others looked at each other in bewilderment. They had thought he would bring good news, but his appearance suggested that things were not going well.

"Does the Beast Taming Sect not want to lend us its spiritual veins?" Lin Zixiang followed behind him, his expression shifting from anticipation to solemnity.

Song Xian entered the room, sat down in the main seat, and sighed slightly: "That's not true. The Beast Taming Sect agreed to lend us a mid-grade second-tier spiritual vein to settle down in. Moreover, it is located in the northwest, far away from the main camp of the allied forces of the Yunxuan Sect and the Murong family, so it is relatively safe."

Upon hearing this, George Lam's brows relaxed: "Then what's the problem? Why is the sect leader so sullen?"

"The Beast Taming Sect has set a condition: they require us to send half of our disciples to the front lines. I'm thinking about who should go," Song Xian said, glancing at Lin Zixiang.

George Lam's face stiffened, and he quickly looked away to avoid eye contact.

He then looked at Hu Xiaobao, who also lowered his head and stared at the ground, clearly not wanting to lead the sect disciples into battle anymore.

The others did the same, either avoiding his gaze or looking at the ground.

The room fell silent. Everyone held their breath, as if afraid of being watched.

Song Xian had expected everyone's reaction; clearly, no one was willing to join the battle.

"If we don't agree to the Beast Taming Sect's conditions, they won't lend us the spiritual vein. Is there anyone willing to lead the team?"

Everyone remained silent; the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“I intend for the disciples stationed in Huayuan Valley to participate in the battle. The disciples who participated in the battle of Humen City will be exempted this time. If there is a battle next time, we will send them.”

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the group varied; some visibly breathed a sigh of relief, while others remained stiff.

The atmosphere inside the room suddenly became subtle.

Hu Xiaobao slowly lowered his hands, his expression becoming relaxed.

George Lam's eyes flickered slightly, his hand supporting his chin, his expression somewhat unpleasant.

Those who participated in the Battle of Humen City gradually relaxed, while those stationed in Huayuan Valley, such as Lin Zixiang, Yu Lian, and Qi Xiaobai, all had solemn expressions.

"If no one objects, then it's decided. The original..."

"Sect Leader, I have something to say." Lin Zixiang suddenly looked up, interrupting Song Xian.

"Please speak, Senior Brother Zixiang."

Lin Zixiang coughed lightly: "These are all elders of the sect. All of you fellow disciples know me well. Since the sect was founded, I have participated in all the major and minor battles. You all know that I, Lin Zixiang, am by no means a coward who fears death, nor am I backing down because it is my turn to participate in the battle this time. I just feel it is not worth it, there is no need to risk my life for the Beast Taming Sect."

"The sect leader just said that those who were previously stationed in Flower Mandarin Duck Valley should participate in the battle. Although this is fair, it is not conducive to the continuation and development of the sect."

"Now that the sect has fallen to this state, in order to continue, it must preserve its elite forces in order to have any possibility of making a comeback."

“For example, Junior Brother Qi Xiaobai was also in Huayuan Valley before, but he was in charge of alchemy. After we stabilize, we need to have some income from our industries. Right now, the only thing we can make money from is the Jade Fragrance Pill. If he is sent to the front line and dies on the battlefield, it will be too much of a blow to our sect.”

“There are others, but I won’t list them all. Many of them are elites from their respective sects. We can’t let them die on the battlefield between the Beast Taming Sect and the Cloud Propagation Sect.”

"Therefore, I suggest that we retain the sect's elite forces and send disciples with lower cultivation levels instead. In any case, the Beast Taming Sect only allows us to send half of our people, and it hasn't specified the individual cultivation levels."

After George Lam finished speaking, the room fell silent again. No one echoed his words, nor did anyone object.

Yu Lian, Qi Xiaobai, and the others who were originally to be sent to the front lines were delighted, but they were too embarrassed to agree. They just secretly watched Song Xian's reaction.

The others, such as Hu Xiaobao and Lu Yuan, were not involved and, regardless of their own opinions, were unwilling to offend Lin Zixiang by openly expressing their opposition. Therefore, they remained silent and waited for Song Xian to make a decision.

Seeing that everyone was silent and Song Xian didn't say anything, Lin Zixiang felt very awkward, so he looked at the silent Lu Yuan and asked, "Junior Brother Lu, what do you think?"

The reason he asked Lu Yuan instead of others was firstly because the two were close and he knew Lu Yuan would definitely support him.

Secondly, Lu Yuan was not one of the disciples stationed at Huayuan Valley, so his voice of support showed his selflessness.

Thirdly, Lu Yuan is an elder of the sect. Although he has not yet reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he holds a high position and has a significant voice in both the sect and among Song Xian.

Lu Yuan, having been questioned by name, naturally understood his intention and chimed in, "Senior Brother Lin's words are wise and insightful. I also believe that the sect should preserve its strength and retain elite disciples to prepare for a future comeback."

Song Xian's gaze swept over the group: "Does anyone object to Senior Brother Zixiang's suggestion?"

No one spoke.

"Since everyone agrees, let's do it this way! Senior Brother Zixiang, you'll be in charge of this matter. You'll select half of the disciples to go to the Beast Taming Sect to participate in the war. In addition, the salary of each of these disciples who participate in the war will be doubled."

"Yes," Lin Zixiang readily agreed.

.........

Huangyu Mountain is located in the northwest of Xijiang County. When viewed from above, the entire mountain range resembles a flying bird. The layers of mountains show varying shades of blue in the morning light. The nearby mountains are dotted with verdant pines and cypresses, while the distant peaks are shrouded in a light blue mist, like a landscape scroll painting that gradually fades into color.

When the spirit ship came to a steady stop on that towering mountain peak, everyone in the Hunyuan Sect showed expressions of satisfaction and joy.

It was as if a wandering vagabond had finally returned home.

"Fellow Daoist Song, I am here to await orders from my sect. From now on, this Imperial Jade Mountain is in your hands." A slender middle-aged man led several disciples of the Beast Taming Sect to him and bowed expressionlessly.

This person is Cheng Jian, the person in charge who was previously stationed here, and he is also a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Cheng, and thank you, Your Excellency." Song Xian returned the greeting with a broad smile.

"This place has alchemy rooms, weapon-refining rooms, cultivation rooms, and so on. Fellow Daoist and disciples of your sect may use it as you please, but you must maintain it regularly, and also..."

Cheng Jian explained the various facilities here to him, and the next day he led the people of the Beast Taming Sect away from the spiritual vein.

As night fell, several core members of the sect gathered together. Song Xian sat in the main seat and said, "I don't need to say much about the sect's current situation; everyone is well aware of it. Although we are not facing any financial difficulties for the time being, we cannot afford to live off our savings. After all, we don't know when we will be able to return to Bianxi City, so we must prepare for a protracted war."

"Junior Brother Qi, immediately organize the disciples who are good at alchemy to start refining the Jade Fragrance Pill."

"Junior Sister Feng, you need to rebuild the sales network for Jade Fragrance Pills, with the main focus on the various markets and towns in Xijiang County."

"Yes." Both of them nodded in agreement.

Qi Xiaobai then added, "Currently, the sect is short of alchemists. Could we recruit some independent cultivators with basic alchemy skills?"

"The Jade Fragrance Pill should still be refined by selecting disciples from within the sect, and we should try to keep the recruited rogue cultivators out of it. If we are really too busy, we can reduce the production. Right now, the sect is short of manpower in all aspects, so we need to find ways to replenish our manpower. Senior Brother Lu, I'm leaving this matter to you. You will be in charge of recruiting cultivators."

Lu Yuan frowned slightly: "Now that we don't even have our own sect, and this place is borrowed from the Beast Taming Sect, it won't be easy to recruit people."

"If we relax the conditions appropriately, I believe there will be people willing to join. What we need are not disciples who can immediately join the battle, but reserve personnel, so that we will have no one to use when we return to Bianxi City in the future. We can promise these recruited cultivators that we will not require them to participate in the war."

"How many people does the sect leader want to recruit?"

"The ultimate goal is fifty to one hundred people. Recruiting too few is useless, and recruiting too many will be a burden on the sect's finances. There's no need to rush this matter; we can proceed gradually."

"I try my best."

"The recruited cultivators will be handed over to Hu Xiaobao, who will be responsible for their command and training."

"Yes."

Song Xian made arrangements for future matters one by one, and after the meeting, everyone dispersed.

.........

Under a bright moon and sparse stars, in the brightly lit hall of Luoyun Sect in Bianxi City, Duan Quan entered from outside and bowed: "Sect Leader, I have just received news that Fengxing Sect has once again assembled the Anyuan City Allied Forces and is heading towards Humen City."

"So fast." Tao Jingyuan's eyes narrowed slightly. It had only been less than two months since the Fengxing Sect withdrew from Humen City, but they had already gathered troops again to prepare for an attack. It seemed that they were determined to take Humen City.

"What's the situation in Xijiang County?"

"The fighting has already started, but the situation is still unclear. It is said that although the allied forces of Yunxuan Sect and Murong family have won a small victory, their advance is very slow, and the Beast Taming Sect is putting up a very strong resistance."

"What about the Hunyuan Sect? Have they been sent to the battlefield?"

"I heard that the Beast Taming Sect gave them a spiritual vein."

Tao Jinyuan stroked his chin gently and pondered for a moment: "Those Hunyuan Sect cultivators who surrendered should be put to use."

Duan Quan frowned slightly. He had never understood why Tao Jinyuan cared so much about the Hunyuan Sect. In his opinion, the Hunyuan Sect had already died in name only after fleeing Bianxi City in such a sorry state, so why bother with them?

"Does the Sect Leader intend to wipe out the Hunyuan Sect? Forgive my bluntness, but the Hunyuan Sect is nothing but a stray dog. Not to mention that they have lost everything now, with their members scattered, some dead and some fleeing, even in their heyday, they posed little threat to our sect. Why is the Sect Leader so concerned about them?"

“As long as Song Xian is still alive, he will remain a threat. I cannot rest easy until he is eliminated.”

"Even if Song Xian had three heads and six arms, he couldn't possibly fight against us. We're at a critical juncture in the war, so why waste our energy on them? Besides, they're currently on the territory of the Beast Taming Sect, so our reach can't extend that far."

Tao Jinyuan's eyes flashed with a sharp light: "We don't need to do it ourselves; there are plenty of people who want to deal with them."

Duan Quan was puzzled: "Besides us, who else has a grudge against them? Could it be the Kong family?"

"A common man is innocent, but he is guilty of possessing a treasure. The Hunyuan Sect is at its weakest point right now, and it is carrying a huge sum of money. If this news gets out, how many people will want to take advantage of them?"

Duan Quan nodded thoughtfully: "I understand."

As soon as he finished speaking, a disciple hurried outside: "Sect Leader, Yunxuan Sect Master Ma Quan has arrived and says he wishes to see you. Elder Jin is already receiving him and sent me to inform him."

Tao Jinyuan pondered for a moment, then nodded and got up to go to the sect's council hall. Inside, Jin Yuanxing was talking with Ma Quan. When he saw Tao Jinyuan enter from outside, he immediately stood up and bowed.

"Fellow Daoist Ma, your presence is an honor. I am deeply sorry for not welcoming you properly."

The visitor was Ma Quan, who was in charge of foreign affairs for Emperor Yunxuan. He remained seated until Tao Jinyuan bowed, at which point he rose to return the greeting.

"Sect Leader Tao, I have come here with a purpose. I presume you are already aware of the news that our sect and the Murong family's allied forces are at war with the Beast Taming Sect. Our sect needs your assistance, and I hope Sect Leader Tao will not refuse!"

Tao Jinyuan glanced at Jin Yuanxing, understanding immediately, and replied, "Fellow Daoist Ma, what are you talking about? We agreed that we would establish the Bianxi City Independent Alliance and no longer assist the Beast Taming Sect. If the Beast Taming Sect sent troops to attack, your sect would provide us with protection. But we never said that we would contribute manpower and resources to help your sect fight against the Beast Taming Sect."

As the sect leader, Tao Jinyuan couldn't say certain things. To avoid conflict with Yun Xuanzong, he had Jin Yuanxing deliver the refusals, leaving room for reconciliation.

Ma Quan said expressionlessly, "Did I ever say that I wanted you to send troops to help my sect deal with the Beast Taming Sect?"

"What does Fellow Daoist Ma mean?"

"I need you to send troops to assist the Fengxing Sect and help them take Humen City."

Tao Jinyuan then spoke: "I presume that your sect's agreement with the Fengxing Sect is to help the Fengxing Sect take Humen City, and in return, the Fengxing Sect will provide full assistance to your sect, is that correct?"

Ma Quan remained noncommittal: "The Bright Moon Sect is a staunch supporter of the Beast Taming Sect, and keeping it around is a potential threat. If you take Tiger Gate City, you can share its territory with the Windwalking Sect. This will be entirely beneficial to you."

(End of this chapter)