Chapter 664: Black Gold (2)

The only reason he chose the Song Clan over the Celestial Sword Sect was that the Songs already had a knife to his throat. He simply had no other choice.

And just like that, the Wang Clan, which had originally planned to submit to the Celestial Sword Sect, was snatched up by the Song Clan.

Afterward, to show the Wang Clan’s sincerity and to seek help, Wang Mingren came to Vast Mist Peak alone.

After speaking with Song Luzhou, he finally realized how big the misunderstanding had become. The Song Clan had no idea about the Spirit Stone Vein; they had attacked simply because the seven great families needed to perform a meritorious service to atone for their crimes.

And the Wang Clan was the “Merit” in their eyes.

When he came to this conclusion, Wang Mingren felt like crying but had no tears to shed.

But he had to walk the path he’d chosen, even if it was with tears in his eyes. He had already sworn allegiance to the Song Clan. If he tried to switch sides again, never mind whether the Celestial Sword Sect would accept him—the Song Clan certainly wouldn’t.

The seven great families were stationed right in the Cyan Ape Mountain Range. With a single order from the man before him, they would come howling to breach Cyan Ape Mountain and trade the Wangs’ heads for Merit.

Therefore, the Wang Clan’s only path to survival was to cling tightly to the Song Clan’s leg and have them mediate with the Celestial Sword Sect on their behalf.

But he also knew that Song Luzhou couldn’t make the final call on such a major issue. That was why he’d been lingering on Vast Mist Peak, refusing to leave—all for a chance to meet Song Changsheng.

Hearing Song Changsheng’s question, Wang Mingren immediately declared with an air of righteous indignation, “Since the Sect Leader has asked, then I will be so bold as to speak frankly. The reason I chose the Song Clan is that I despise the Celestial Sword Sect’s methods. To threaten to annihilate an entire clan over a small amount of wealth—is that the way of the Righteous Dao? The Wang Clan will never associate with such people!”

Listening to Wang Mingren’s righteous declaration, the expression on Song Changsheng’s face didn’t change in the slightest. He merely tapped his fingers quietly on the armrest of his chair.

Seeing this, Wang Mingren’s heart began to sink. Just as he thought Song Changsheng was about to cast them aside, Song Changsheng’s steady voice sounded in his ear.

“Then, how would you have me help you?”

At some point, Song Changsheng had stood up. He now watched him quietly with his hands clasped behind his back.

Wang Mingren was overjoyed. He quickly bowed and said, “I ask for nothing more than to preserve my clan. As for the Spirit Stone Vein, I will leave it to the Sect Leader to dispose of as you see fit.”

“Hmm… That simplifies things.” Song Changsheng nodded slightly. ‘At least this Wang Mingren knows his place.’

“Since you insist that the Hengyang Lum Clan was acting under the Celestial Sword Sect’s orders, then you will bring forth their Chief Steward. I will mediate on your behalf. If we succeed, it will be a happy outcome for all, and the past will be forgotten. If we fail, as long as you are resolute, I can still ensure the Wang Clan’s safety.”

“Thank you, Sect Leader! Thank you, Sect Leader! I’ll see to it at once, at once!” Wang Mingren bowed repeatedly, then rushed out in a great hurry.

Just then, Song Luzhou walked in from outside. Watching the departing Wang Mingren, he asked in surprise, “Clan Leader, did you agree to his request?”

“I can’t just sit by and do nothing, can I?” Song Changsheng shook his head slightly. “Everyone knows the Wang Clan has become our underling. If they were to meet with disaster while we did nothing, who would dare to follow the Song Clan in the future?”

Seeing the worried look appear on Song Luzhou’s face, Song Changsheng smiled and said, “Fifth Uncle, there’s no need to worry too much. The Celestial Sword Sect might be coveting the Wang Clan’s Spirit Stone Ore, but the threat to annihilate their entire clan might not have come from the Celestial Sword Sect itself. The Celestial Sword Sect isn’t composed of arrogant fools. I’ll go and mediate for them this time and clear up the misunderstanding. That should be all.”

“Mmm, I hope so. It’s fine if the talks fall through. Just make sure to protect the people of the Wang Clan. It doesn’t matter if we have to give up all the benefits, but the clan must not enter into a direct conflict with the Celestial Sword Sect right now,” Song Luzhou gently reminded him.

“Don’t worry, I understand,” Song Changsheng replied with a smiling nod.

Wang Mingren was very efficient. He had everything sorted out in just five days.

After receiving the news, Song Changsheng also personally set out for the Cyan Ape Mountain Range.

The meeting place was Celestial Profound Mountain, eight hundred li from Cyan Ape Mountain.

Song Changsheng and Wang Mingren arrived first. They didn’t have to wait long before they saw a streak of light approaching from the distance.

When the streak of light dissipated, two figures were revealed. One of them looked relatively young, with a Cultivation at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection realm. This must be Lum Zhenghui, the Clan Leader of the Hengyang Lum Clan.

Beside him was a middle-aged Cultivator in a Profound Robe. He was thin, with a pale, clean-shaven face. His eyes seemed to reflect a sharp Sword Light, and his entire being exuded a dangerous aura.

Song Changsheng took the initiative to step forward, cupping his hands slightly toward the middle-aged Cultivator. “May I ask which Fellow Daoist I have the pleasure of meeting?”

“Celestial Sword Sect, Ling Jiuxiao.” The middle-aged man was a man of few words. His attitude toward Song Changsheng wasn’t cold, but it held little warmth.

“So it is Fellow Daoist Ling. I am sure you are already aware of the purpose of my trip, so I was wondering…”

“Clan Leader Song, there is no need to say more.” Ling Jiuxiao cut Song Changsheng off directly and looked at Lum Zhenghui. “I tasked him with collecting Black Gold for the Sect in Xiang Province, but I didn’t expect him to use my name to run amok. After I learned of this, I already administered a severe punishment. If Clan Leader Song is here to call me to account, you may as well turn back now.”

Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow. ‘Things are just as I expected. The Celestial Sword Sect knew nothing about this.’

‘However, the fact that they were collecting Black Gold was an unexpected piece of news.’

Black Gold was a Tier Two Spiritual Material with few uses. It was pitch-black, its quality far surpassed Gold but was inferior to Profound Gold. It was rarely used in Artifact Refining, seeing more use in Arrays instead, but even then, not much was ever needed.

‘From what Ling Jiuxiao said, it seemed the Celestial Sword Sect was acquiring Black Gold on a large scale. This piqued my interest, but judging by the other man’s demeanor, he certainly wouldn’t be willing to explain why.’

‘But no matter. At least now I know how to proceed with the negotiations. After all, the Wang Clan’s Spirit Stone Vein was accompanied by a large Black Gold Mine Vein.’

“So it was all a misunderstanding. I was just thinking that, given the Celestial Sword Sect’s code of conduct, it would be impossible for them to engage in such blatant extortion. Since Fellow Daoist has already administered punishment, I won’t overstep my bounds. With this lesson learned, I trust such a wicked affair won’t happen again in the future.”

Ling Jiuxiao glanced at Song Changsheng, his expression softening slightly. He said flatly, “It is good that you understand, Fellow Daoist.”

With that, he made no mention of the Spirit Stone Vein and prepared to leave with Lum Zhenghui.

Song Changsheng quickly asked them to stay.

“What, is Clan Leader Song still not satisfied?” Ling Jiuxiao asked, his tone turning cold and hard.

“Of course not,” Song Changsheng said with a smile. “It’s just that I heard you mention you’re acquiring Black Gold in large quantities. As it happens, the Wang Clan has a large Black Gold Mine Vein. If you are interested, Fellow Daoist, perhaps we could establish a mutually beneficial partnership.”

“How so?” Ling Jiuxiao stopped and looked at Song Changsheng.

“You must be aware, Fellow Daoist, that Black Gold is not popular on the market. The available supply is quite low. The amount you require is vast, and it will be difficult to reach your goal through scattered acquisitions alone. Our Song Clan is willing to provide the manpower to mine the Black Gold. All you need to do, Fellow Daoist, is receive the shipments on schedule. As for the price, we are willing to offer a thirty percent discount on the market rate. What do you think?”

Hearing this, a look of interest immediately appeared on Ling Jiuxiao’s face. The amount they needed was immense, but since Black Gold had few uses and fetched a low price, few were willing to mine it. Now that Song Changsheng was offering a stable supply channel with a good discount, there was no reason to refuse.

“On this matter, I will need to consider it carefully. I will give you a reply within ten days, Fellow Daoist,” Ling Jiuxiao answered, then turned and left with Lum Zhenghui.

“The Celestial Sword Sect really does things with lightning speed.”

Song Changsheng hadn’t had many dealings with the Celestial Sword Sect, but from his few encounters, he had managed to glean some insights.

Cultivators from the Celestial Sword Sect were mostly stubborn and ill-tempered, but they acted with integrity and honor. It was hard not to admire that about them.

“Let’s go. We’ll go take a look at that Spirit Stone Vein,” Song Changsheng said to Wang Mingren, who stood beside him with a somewhat dazed expression.