Chapter 456 - 414: Seeking a New Patron

Chapter 456: Chapter 414: Seeking a New Patron

(Happy New Year to all the readers! Wishing you prosperity in the Year of the Dragon, may all your wishes come true, and may you have happiness and success in everything you do!)

In the latter part of August of the 372nd year of Jiashen, the Spirit Talisman Sect rebelled against the Xuanguang Sect and, with the help of the Yunshan Sect, escaped from Kongming Mountain.

However, it seems that shortly afterward, the Spirit Talisman Sect had a falling out with the Yunshan Sect and vanished without a trace.

This quickly caused a stir among the surrounding counties. The Xuanguang Sect jumped out with a statement, accusing the Spirit Talisman Sect of being ungrateful, colluding with foreign enemies, committing heinous acts like spirit seed theft, and ignoring the generous opportunity to mend their ways offered by the Xuanguang Sect, defiantly rebelling. They claimed there was no coercion involved.

As the spectators waited for the Yunshan Sect, one of the main players in the chaos, to express itself, an even more sensational news broke out.

They found the Spirit Talisman Sect!

Or rather, the Spirit Talisman Sect had pledged allegiance to a new patron.

Sanshan County, Liyuan Sect!

Moreover, the Spirit Talisman Sect received an exceptionally high standard of hospitality, granted with the spirit vein and ideal mortal territory they had long desired.

Their new mountain gate was—to be Fucang Mountain!

By the time this news was known, the standoff in the southern part of Chongming County had already been lifted, Yang Jiye had withdrawn from Liuhua Valley, and three elders along with six true inheritances were momentarily stunned in the council hall.

Yang Jiye cursed, Lin Le sighed, involuntarily quoting Lu Qian: "This is truly unexpected yet logical."

In a previous county war, although Sanshan County emerged victorious, the losses were severely heavy.

When launching the expedition to Chongming County, Liyuan Sect led all factions, high-spirited, under Zhenren Yeguang there were twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators, two thousand Qi Cultivation elites, and eighteen floating battleships.

However, after several brutal battles, by the time the treaty was signed, only seven Foundation Establishment cultivators, seven hundred Qi Cultivation elites, and seven floating battleships remained.

Behind this staggering loss of life were numerous Foundation Establishment sects in Sanshan County being directly removed and downgraded, with scenes of desolate family temples covered in mourning white.

Under such circumstances, although newly acquired Kong Family Castle and Fucang Mountain’s spirit veins and large tracts of land, they had not yet been fully utilized.

There simply weren’t enough Foundation Establishment cultivators to guard and utilize these spirit veins!

Even though Sanshan County had been fully recuperating and cultivating new talents for the past few years, adding three new Foundation Establishment Feather Scholars, it was like a drop in the ocean, land was vast and people were few.

Now that the Spirit Talisman Sect is willing to pledge allegiance, it makes Liyuan Sect overjoyed.

Despite once being enemies, Liyuan Sect did not mention the past grievances and directly awarded them land and people, allowing the Spirit Talisman Sect to assume their positions immediately.

"Accepting the Spirit Talisman Sect and settling them on Fucang Mountain, this move by Liyuan Sect truly is brilliant," Wang Yu said, "Since the Spirit Talisman Sect rebelled, they have become a mortal enemy of the Xuanguang Sect, and their relationship with our sect is also unfriendly."

"Settling them at the intersection of the three territories at Fucang Mountain not only avoids potential power disputes within Sanshan County due to the addition of the Spirit Talisman Sect but also finds a suitable watchdog for their southern territory."

"Taking the most unlikely scenario, even if the Spirit Talisman Sect revolts again, they are positioned on the border and cannot cause much impact."

"In this way, Liyuan Sect gains the people, while the Spirit Talisman Sect gains the land, both sides get what they need, no wonder they quickly reconciled."

Speaking of Liyuan Sect, this powerful neighbor hidden in the northern shadows gives the people of Yunshan Sect quite a bit of pressure. Fortunately, according to the peace treaty between Liyuan Sect and Xuanguang Sect, Mingsha Bay, Golden Dawn Peak, and other lands are Xuanguang Sect’s territory, and the occupation by Shuangye Alliance is just a rebellion within Chongming County, meaning Liyuan Sect cannot intervene in any form.

Although this clause was set up by the Xuanguang Sect to protect its interests, it provides Yunshan Sect and Shuangye Alliance with a chance to breathe. If Xuanguang Sect and Liyuan Sect were to jointly attack Shuangye Alliance’s territory, even with Master Cangfeng’s protection, it would be hard to sustain.

From this perspective, since Spirit Talisman Sect offered allegiance to Sanshan County’s Liyuan Sect, under the treaty, no matter how close they were, they could not start a fight for now.

The matter is thus settled, and this turmoil sparked off by Lu Qian and further designed into chaos by Wang Yu has reached a relatively clear outcome.

Without a doubt, the greatest loss falls on Xuanguang Sect. Although superficially the battle loss doesn’t seem significant, it only cost the life of one Foundation Establishment Honored Guest and several dozen disciples to exchange for a mid-tier Level Two spirit vein.

However, in reality, what was lost was an entire subordinate sect!

Now Xuanguang Sect only has four of its own Foundation Establishment cultivators left, one Foundation Establishment Honored Guest, and two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Kong Family, making a total of seven people. Such decline in strength is worse than some newly established Golden Core sects.

It’s unknown how much Master Fengfeng lost his temper, but it is known that in the end, Elder Wang Hao and Honored Guest Liang Zhixing led their army to garrison Kongming Mountain, guarding against Shuangye Alliance.

At the same time, they increased the territories and population of the subordinate Kong Family, seemingly spooked by the precedent set by the Spirit Talisman Sect.

At least on the surface, Spirit Talisman Sect has profited greatly, only losing a few dozen disciples to gain a new spirit vein, territory, and the protection of a Golden Core sect, allowing them to recuperate in peace.

In reality, Liyuan Sect is quite wary of them as well, what it feels like to change patrons is something only they can know.

For the Yunshan Sect and Shuangye Alliance, it seems like there is neither a loss nor gain on the surface, and they even leaked some hidden intelligence without really gaining any advantage.

The central area was abandoned at Kongming Mountain, and the southern standoff ended with no results.

Since Liangxiang County’s action this time was entirely in response to Yunshan Sect’s request. With northern conflict halted, the stationed Cangfeng Zhenren in the south quickly returned to Liekong Mountain, breaking off the distant stalemate with Master Fengfeng, while Liangxiang County’s military force experienced only symbolic maneuvers without actual attacks.

Under such circumstances, Yang Jiye and Tong Youx in Liuhua Valley, unable to hold out alone, seeing no opportunity for advancement, Yang Jiye then withdrew to Lingsha City.

However, comparing the two, the enemie’s decline is the biggest victory.

Furthermore, Master Cangfeng is very satisfied with the outcome of this battle. After all, Liangxiang County did not pay much, but the reduction in Xuanguang Sect’s power moves him one step closer to his secret goal.

Sighing that he saw the Yunshan Sect correctly, a handwritten commendation letter from Master Cangfeng praised them, urging the Yunshan Sect to act boldly, with his full support promised.

Whereupon, time passed smoothly over more than a month, autumn faded away, and early winter arrived.

In Lingsha City, the disciples started getting busy again, decorating with festive lanterns and banners.

For by the timeline, the Yunshan Sect Leader Lu Qian should be coming out of seclusion!

Yet counting to the exact one-year mark, the quiet room where Lu Qian was in seclusion remained silent, the talisman and array on the door as calm as always.

Jiang Qingfeng, who had been eagerly anticipating from dawn to dusk, sighed wistfully.

Accompanying her for a while, Jiang Baitao said nonchalantly, "Sister, have some confidence, will you? When cultivators go into seclusion, it’s never that precise, being off by ten days or half a month is quite common. Just rest, or you’ll become like a widow stone."