Chapter 501 - 250: Fiery Tempers! Kneel, Madam

Chapter 501: Chapter 250: Fiery Tempers! Kneel, Madam

「A short while earlier.」

At the very moment Chen Sheng and Sun Yuzhi entered the Poison Flame Cave, preparing to claim the Gu King, the atmosphere inside the Grand Conference Hall of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect was as heavy as iron.

The Sect Leader, Lady Lan, had summoned all the powerful elders of the sect to discuss an alliance with the Nie Family.

Although she was the Sect Leader, she was far from having absolute authority.

The Ten Thousand Poisons Sect had a history spanning several hundred years. It had grown vast and sprawling, but also tangled and complex, with various factions holding each other in check.

As the number one Major Sect in Nanzhao Prefecture on the surface, its foundation was unfathomably deep. It boasted as many as seven experts in the Mystic Realm alone—a frightening number.

Among them, Great Elder Song Zhe held the most power.

He was the junior martial brother of the previous Sect Leader, his seniority was immense, and his Cultivation had reached the late stage of Profound Mastery. His connections within the sect ran deep.

The other three elders from different families all followed his lead.

In contrast, the only ones who clearly supported Lady Lan were Elder Ouyang Li of the Ouyang Clan and the Young Master, Ouyang Ke.

However, among the mid- to low-level disciples and the Innate Stewards of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, the Ouyang Lineage enjoyed greater prestige, so the two sides maintained a delicate and fragile balance.

However, the sudden, aggressive pressure from the Profound Yin Valley was pushing this balance to the brink of collapse.

Lady Lan had previously received a secret report that someone within the sect was colluding with the Profound Yin Valley.

Her first suspect was this very Great Elder, with his immense power and authority.

Inside the great hall, the faces of the attendees showed a variety of expressions.

"The matter of negotiating with the Nie Family can be set aside for now."

Song Zhe’s gaunt fingers tapped neither lightly nor heavily on the ebony tabletop, making a dull thud. He was the first to make a move:

"I have heard that the Ning’an Inspector, Chen Sheng, came to our Ten Thousand Poisons Sect as a guest yesterday. This morning, he was even personally escorted by the Young Master into the Poison Flame Cave."

"The Poison Flame Cave is a forbidden area of the sect, a place of utmost importance. Sect Leader, with this action, is it that you no longer have any regard for us old fossils? You couldn’t even be bothered to inform us?"

As soon as Song Zhe’s voice fell, the other three elders at the table immediately chimed in.

"Indeed. This matter was handled improperly."

"Shouldn’t the Sect Leader give us an explanation?"

Seated in the main seat, Lady Lan’s expression suddenly darkened, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

’How could I not see Song Zhe’s true purpose in this? The Poison Flame Cave is just a pretext. His real goal is clearly to obstruct the alliance with the Nie Family.’

"Hmph!"

Ouyang Li snorted coldly at once, his face ashen:

"Great Elder, your words are rather laughable. Years ago, when you recommended a friend to enter the Poison Flame Cave to collect the Seven-Heart Begonia, did you report it to the Sect Leader beforehand?"

"Now you’re the one lecturing about rules? Could it be that in your hearts, the Sect Leader’s orders are already meaningless?"

Song Zhe’s eyelids lifted slightly, his icy gaze scraping over Ouyang Li like a razor’s edge:

"Elder Ouyang, we are discussing the matter at hand. Why bring up old scores?"

KNOCK. KNOCK.

Lady Lan bent her finger and tapped twice on the tabletop. The crisp sound suppressed the explosive atmosphere.

Immediately after, she met Song Zhe’s gaze calmly, her voice clear and carrying an undeniable force:

"Elder Song, Inspector Chen is not only Ke’Er’s sworn brother, but also the de facto controller of Ning’an Prefecture and a prodigy whose name is on the Dragon and Tiger List."

"Befriending such a person brings a hundred benefits and no harm to the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect."

"If the sect is to stand firm in these turbulent times, how can we lack powerful external support? I do not believe there was anything wrong with this decision. Are you satisfied with this explanation?"

Song Zhe let out a disgruntled snort through his nose but didn’t reply, choosing to temporarily avoid a direct confrontation.

Lady Lan no longer looked at him, her gaze sweeping over everyone present:

"Since no one has any objections to this, let’s discuss official business. The situation in Nanzhao Prefecture has been turbulent recently. On the surface, the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect is glorious, but in reality, our position is as perilous as a stack of eggs."

"We are being pressured step by step by the Profound Yin Valley from the outside, while various forces eye us covetously from within. At this critical juncture of survival, I have fortunately made contact with the Nie Family of Yunzhou."

"In the future, even if we lose the protection of the Profound Yin Valley, we will have the Nie Family to back us up. What’s more, the Young Master will marry the legitimate daughter of the Nie Family. This relationship will be much closer and more solid than the one with the Profound Yin Valley. And most importantly..."

Lady Lan paused briefly, her tone becoming heavier:

"Previously, relying on the Profound Yin Valley required us to offer up forty percent of our resources. But if we switch our allegiance to the Nie Family, we only need to provide thirty percent. You should all be able to calculate the pros and cons here."

Lady Lan deliberately exaggerated the benefits of aligning with the Nie Family.

As for the condition that they would have to do everything in their power to help the Nie Family establish a foothold in Nanzhao, she temporarily kept it to herself.

Because if she mentioned it now, she would surely be met with fierce opposition.

But even so, the reaction in the hall remained cold.

Aside from Ouyang Li, who immediately voiced his agreement, the other elders, including Song Zhe, all remained silent, their expressions grave.

"Regarding this matter, I believe it is improper."

Song Zhe finally spoke again, his voice solemn.

"What part is improper?" Lady Lan’s tone was flat.

"The Profound Yin Valley has protected the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect for decades. Without their support, how could our sect have achieved its current status as the number one Major Sect in Nanzhao?"

"To now abandon an old ally for a bit of profit—if word of this gets out, what would become of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect’s reputation? Where would our credibility be?"

Song Zhe spoke with righteous conviction, his gaze like a torch:

"Furthermore, the Nie Family is powerful, but they are far away in Yunzhou. How can their promises be trusted so lightly? I do not believe the Nie Family would help us so readily without reason. There must be a deeper plot."

"Rather than scheming with a tiger like this behemoth, we should stick to our duties and maintain the status quo."

"The Great Elder’s words are absolutely right."

"The Nie Family is likely not a good choice. We hope the Sect Leader will reconsider."

The other elders chimed in one after another in agreement.

Lady Lan sneered inwardly, but her expression didn’t betray a thing. She merely locked her icy gaze firmly on Song Zhe’s face:

"The Profound Yin Valley’s ambition—are you all truly unaware of it? They are no longer satisfied with the tribute of the past. What they want is to completely swallow the foundation our Ten Thousand Poisons Sect has built over centuries!"

"If I weren’t forced into a corner, why would I need to seek help from the distant Nie Family?"