Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 377 It’s hard to protect yourself
Inside the brightly lit room, Murong Yun, somewhat agitated, drank cup after cup of spirit tea from the table, her gaze constantly drifting outside.

The news that Liu Qingyue had succeeded as the sect leader of the Qianqing Sect had been announced to the world. Although he was not clear about the specifics of the internal struggle within the Qianqing Sect, he knew that this was definitely not good news, because the Xuanyuan Sect had already taken action.

Not only did they publicly declare their intention to quell the chaos in Xijiang County, but more importantly, they also discussed the attitude of Elder Yin Ningxuan of the Xuanyuan Sect.

He knew that Qi Yunxuan had come to Xijiang County on Qi Xiaofeng's orders, and he also guessed that it was somewhat related to the internal struggles within the Qianqing Emperor's court.

Therefore, upon learning of the succession of the new leader of the Qianqing Sect, he immediately went to the Yunxuan Sect's mountain gate to inquire about the situation.

But Qi Yunxuan evaded the question, avoiding a direct answer, which made him feel uneasy.

Clearly, the newly appointed leader of the Qianqing Sect was not part of Qi Xiaofeng's faction, and subsequent events confirmed his suspicions.

After leaving Yun Xuanzong, he immediately went to Xishu County to visit Elder Yin Ningxuan of Xuanyuan Sect, but unexpectedly he was turned away. He stayed for several days but still did not see Yin Ningxuan.

The reason why the Murong family decided to get involved in helping Yunxuan Sect was not only because they coveted the territory of the Beast Taming Sect and wanted to become the boss of Xijiang County, but also because of Yin Ningxuan's attitude.

At the time, Qi Yunxuan claimed that he had the support of Yin Ningxuan, so he went to visit him and was received. Yin Ningxuan even gave him a hint.

Qi Yunxuan was originally a disciple of the Qianqing Sect and also Qi Xiaofeng's nephew. He came to Xijiang County on Qi Xiaofeng's orders. With the support of the Qianqing Sect's high-ranking officials and now the Xuanyuan Sect's high-ranking officials, he believed that replacing the Beast Taming Sect was almost a certainty.

Moreover, Qi Yunxuan made a promise that they did not care about the resources of Xijiang County and could give them to the Murong family.

Such favorable terms are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and no one would refuse them.

Everything was proceeding according to plan. The Beast Taming Sect was suffering repeated defeats and was almost doomed. It was only a matter of time before they were driven out of Xijiang County.

Who would have thought such a thing would happen? After the new leader of the Qianqing Sect took over, the attitude of the Xuanyuan Sect made a complete 180-degree turn.

Yin Ningxuan, who had been secretly supporting them, is now nowhere to be seen.

Moreover, not only did he fail to see Yin Ningxuan, but even Luo Ziquan of Yunxuan Sect was unable to meet Yin Ningxuan.

This person seemed to have suddenly disappeared.

Something terrible had happened, Murong Yun quickly realized.

After returning to Xijiang County, he received reliable intelligence.

Xuan Yun Sect will take a tough stance to end the war in Xijiang County and restrict the actions of Yun Xuan Sect.

There could be no clearer signal than this.

No matter what, with Qi Xiaofeng as his backer, Qi Yunxuan would always make the Xuan Yuan Sect somewhat wary and wouldn't dare to kill him. But the Murong family is different. Even if the Xuan Yuan Sect doesn't personally take action against them, the Beast Taming Sect won't let them off easily.

Without the help of Yun Xuanzong, the Murong family would not have been a match for the Beast Taming Sect.

So he rushed to Wei Wuyai to inquire about the situation.

Meanwhile, Murong Teng, the head of the Murong family, has personally gone to Xishu County to try to get the Xuan Yuan Sect to give them a security agreement, guaranteeing that the Beast Taming Sect will not launch an attack on them after the ceasefire.

After all, they were secretly instructed by Yin Ningxuan to get involved in this mess, and Yin Ningxuan was an elder of the Xuan Yuan Sect. Since the Xuan Yuan Sect wanted to intervene, they had to provide them with some guarantees, which was a reasonable request.

Upon arriving at Qianfeng Mountain, they heard that Wei Wuyai had gone out. Instead of leaving, they decided to wait for him to return, as they didn't have much time left.

"Has Fellow Daoist Wei not returned yet?" Murong Yun asked once more as the Xuan Yuan Sect disciple brought over another pot of spiritual tea.

"Uncle Wei may not return today. If you cannot wait that long, please return first. I will inform him when he returns."

"No, I'll stay here and wait. Please tell Fellow Daoist Wei that I have important business to discuss with him as soon as he returns." Murong Yun didn't believe that Wei Wuyai had gone out; perhaps he just didn't want to see him, like Yin Ningxuan.

No matter what, as long as he waits here, he will eventually see Wei Wuyai.

……

It wasn't until dawn the next day, after waiting all day, that Wei Wuyai finally entered from outside, unhurriedly.

"Fellow Daoist Wei, I apologize for disturbing you, please don't take offense." Murong Yun quickly went up to greet him and bowed.

"I had some business to attend to yesterday, and I apologize for keeping Fellow Daoist Murong waiting." Wei Wuyai said with a smile, and after taking his seat in the main seat, he invited Murong to sit down as well.

"To be honest, Fellow Daoist Wei, I wouldn't have come here without a reason. May I ask how your sect intends to mediate the war in Xijiang County?" Murong Yun didn't beat around the bush or try to get to the bottom of things. This matter was urgent, and he didn't know much about it, so he went straight to the point.

"This isn't mediation. It's an end. Xijiang County can't continue to be in this state of chaos."

"Now that your sect has made a decision, you must have a specific plan. I wonder if Fellow Daoist Wei could inform you of it?"

“Fellow Daoist Murong has come at the right time. I was originally planning to send someone to summon you. I have already spoken with Fellow Daoist Qi Yunxuan. They will withdraw from the mountain gate and return all the occupied territories to the Beast Taming Sect without compensation. Only the original territory of the Mingxuan Sect will remain with them.”

Murong Yun was startled. This plan was completely biased, with the Xuan Yuan Sect clearly siding with the Beast Taming Sect. Moreover, Wei Wuyai's words left no room for negotiation, sounding like an order.

The key point is that he knew nothing about this matter. Regardless of whether Emperor Yunxuan agreed or not, he should at least have informed them!

"Did Emperor Yun Xuanzong agree?"

"This is an order." Wei Wuyai's smile remained unchanged, but his voice turned cold: "To tell you the truth, I went to announce this to Fellow Daoist Qi Yunxuan yesterday. The same applies to your Murong family. Within a month, all the resources and territories you occupy must be given to the Beast Taming Sect."

"This...this is not fair." Murong Yun never expected things to turn out this way. Although she was unwilling, she had no choice but to stubbornly argue.

"We have fought our way to this territory bit by bit. So many cultivators have died in our manor. How can we just hand it over to the Beast Taming Sect? Your sect is so biased. How can you convince people?"

Wei Wuyai picked up his teacup and took a sip: "Didn't I warn you not to get involved in the affairs of the Beast Taming Sect and the Yunxuan Sect? You didn't listen and insisted on following the Yunxuan Sect in their reckless actions. It's too late to regret it now. Our sect's decision has been made. I'm giving you one month. If you don't return the occupied territories, you will bear the consequences."

"Our family also received help from your esteemed senior Yin..." Murong Yun had just begun to speak when a crisp cracking sound was heard.

Wei Wuyai slammed the teacup down, his kind smile vanishing instantly. His gaze turned icy as he stared intently at Murong Yun, his voice sharp as a knife, each word distinct: "What did you just say? I didn't hear you."

Seeing his expression, Murong Yun immediately understood what he meant. Now was the time when she needed his help, so she had no choice but to swallow her words and say, "I didn't say anything."

"You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. Think before you speak from now on. Once you've said something, it's like spilled water. If it causes any trouble, don't say I didn't warn you." Wei Wuyai showed no mercy, reprimanding him in a stern tone as if he were addressing his subordinates.

When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Murong Yun could only swallow his anger and say, "Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist Wei."

"I have other matters to attend to, fellow Daoist, please leave!" Wei Wuyai directly issued an order to leave.

"I have one last question: if our mansion complies, can your sect guarantee that the Beast Taming Sect will not seek revenge later?"

"Fellow Daoist Murong, don't you understand? I am ordering you to return the resources and territory you have occupied on behalf of our sect. You have no right to bargain."

…The weather was clear and the breeze was intoxicating. On the green grassland, two children were happily chasing and swatting at butterflies, their laughter and cries filling the air.

Two women stood not far away, looking at them with loving expressions.

The two women were Jiang Zichen's wife, Hua Yuan, and Lin Zixiang's wife, Lin Huairou.

Because Jiang Zichen and Lin Zixiang were both elders of their respective sects, and both had a child with spiritual roots, their families were very close and visited each other frequently.

"I wonder when we'll be able to go back to Tianshan?" Hua Yuan sighed softly.

“My husband said we might have to leave Xijiang County,” Lin Huairou continued.

"Leave Xijiang County?" Hua Yuan asked, somewhat taken aback. "Where to?"

“Go to Changping City in Pingyuan County. Didn’t my husband and Junior Brother Jiang both migrate from the Qingyun Sect in Changping City? They want to take back the Qingyun Sect and develop there.”

"Has it been decided yet?"

“My husband has already sent two people to Changping City to gather information. If all goes well, we will most likely move to Changping City. This place is not a long-term solution.”

"Yuanyuan." As the two were speaking, Jiang Zichen walked over with a warm smile and nodded to Lin Huairou, "Junior Sister Lin is here too!"

"Why are you here?" Hua Yuan asked, turning her head.

"Senior Brother Lu is looking for you! Compile this month's sect expenditure records for him."

"Go ahead! I'll look after the child." Lin Huairou gently patted the fluffy hairs stuck to her shoulder.

“Alright, I’ll head over there first.” Hua Yuan mounted her flying magical artifact and headed towards the mountain gate.

"You must know that the sect is relocating to Changping City in Pingyuan County, Junior Brother Jiang?"

"I've heard about it, but I haven't decided whether I'll go or not yet. Why did you ask about this, Junior Sister Lin? Is it because you don't want to go?"

"That's not true. For me, it's all the same wherever I go. I wanted to ask Senior Brother Jiang about the Qingyun Sect. Senior Brother Jiang came from the Qingyun Sect, so he should know a lot about it. Could you tell me about it? I've heard my husband and Senior Brother Zhong Wenyuan mention it before, but I didn't pay much attention. Since we're going to move there in the future, I want to find out more about it first."

Jiang Zichen smiled slightly: "That's not certain yet! But if Junior Sister Lin wants to know about the past of Qingyun Sect, I can certainly tell you. It's just that when I left Qingyun Sect, I was still young and didn't understand many things about Qingyun Sect very well."

"Junior Brother Jiang, do you think Qingyun Sect is better, or is the present situation better?"

“Of course, now is the best time.” Jiang Zichen said without hesitation: “Even if the sect is in its current state, it is still much better than the Qingyun Sect.”

.........

The moon was high in the sky. In the dimly lit secret room, Song Xian sat upright with his eyes closed. Dark blue, golden, and black flames appeared around him, the three different colors of flames flowing around him like clearly defined rivers. Yet he remained seated, unmoved.

After an unknown amount of time, the three different flames faded from his body.

Song Xian suddenly opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and a look of joy flashed in his eyes.

He finally broke through to the fifth level of the Profound Heaven Fusion Fire Technique he had been cultivating.

After leaving the secret chamber, a disciple quickly approached him and bowed: "Sect Leader, Senior Brother Huang Ye requested an audience three hours ago, saying he had important matters to report."

“Summon him to the mansion to wait.”

"Yes." The disciple responded and left.

Before long, Huang Ye was led to a brightly lit hall.

"I've met the headmaster."

Song Xian waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down: "What is it?"

"According to the latest news, the allied forces of Emperor Yunxuan and the Murong family have withdrawn from the front line."

A glint flashed in Song Xian's eyes, and his mind raced. This coincided with his previous guess.

This shows that Emperor Yunxuan's good days have truly arrived.

Xuan Yuan Sect had previously declared its intention to quell the unrest in Xijiang County. Now, the fact that Yun Xuan Sect and the Murong family have taken the initiative to withdraw their troops indicates that Xuan Yuan Sect is serious and is putting pressure on them.

Otherwise, they would not have given up those occupied territories.

"Is there any explanation for their sudden withdrawal?"

"No, it's just that the outside world generally speculates that it's the result of pressure from the Xuan Yuan Sect."

"What about the Beast Taming Sect? Have they made any moves?"

"Not yet, but their troops have not withdrawn from the front lines of the standoff."

Song Xian suddenly stood up. Huang Ye, seeing him stand up suddenly, wondered what had happened and quickly stood up as well. He noticed that Song Xian's eyes were darting around, and he didn't know what Song Xian was thinking.

At this moment, Song Xian was having a brainstorming session, his heart brimming with barely suppressed excitement. He knew that the opportunity to reclaim Bianxi City was right in front of him.

The fact that the powerful backer behind Yun Xuanzong has lost power and that Xuan Yuanzong's strong intervention in the war in Xijiang County is a clear signal is that, despite this, Xuan Yuanzong may not necessarily send troops to help Yu Shou Zong eliminate Yun Xuanzong.

It is highly likely that the two sides will eventually cease hostilities under the mediation of the Xuan Yuan Sect.

The key is the conditions for a ceasefire. Now, the allied forces of Yunxuan Sect and Murong family have not only occupied most of the local resources and territory of Xijiang County, but the sects in the five cities under their jurisdiction have also submitted to them.

If the ceasefire agreement maintains the current situation or only returns a portion of the resources and territory, then he will never have the chance to return to Bianxi City.

If the ceasefire agreement only preserves the territories of Yunxuan Sect and Murong Family, while returning the ownership of other cities to Yushou Sect, then they are very likely to return to Bianxi City.

It mainly depends on the attitude of the Xuan Yuan Sect. According to Song Xian's previous speculation, the Xuan Yuan Sect will definitely side with the Beast Taming Sect this time. Even if they don't settle scores with the Yun Xuan Sect, they shouldn't allow it to act recklessly.

With Yun Xuanzong and the Murong family struggling to survive, they certainly couldn't care less about the fate of the five cities and sects under Xijiang County.

When those sects learned of this news, they would not sit idly by and wait for their doom; they would surely surrender to the Beast Taming Sect.

Therefore, what he needs to do now is to persuade the Beast Taming Sect not to accept the Falling Cloud Sect's request to surrender.

(End of this chapter)