Chapter 608 84: Coercing the Rong Clan, Scheming in Secret

"I assure you, that is not my intention. I have the utmost respect for the Golden Crow Sect. However, I am here today simply to demand justice for the hundreds of Cultivators from Ling Province who perished in the great war."

Song Changsheng also adopted a humble posture, but his attitude was incredibly firm. No matter what, the Rong Clan had to pay the price.

Chen Mingzhao was about to speak again, but Rong Mingtao held out a hand to stop him. He took a deep breath, looked at Song Changsheng, and said, "This matter must be resolved, one way or another.

I will place myself at Clan Leader Song's disposal to appease the Song Clan's fury."

The moment he said this, all the Rong Clan Cultivators paled in shock.

"Grand-uncle?"

Rong Xingzhou gritted his teeth and stepped forward from the crowd. "I was the clan's commander-in-chief for the battle in Ling Province. Although my grand-uncle ambushed you, you escaped unharmed, and he has already paid the price. If you harbor hatred and resentment, direct it at me. I won't so much as frown."

Song Changsheng gazed at him coldly and said with indifference, "You alone are not enough to atone."

"You!" Rong Xingzhou's eyes went wide with fury, his face flushing a deep, purplish red.

"Clan Leader Song, what is it that you want? State your terms," Rong Mingtao said in a low voice. By now, he could see that Song Changsheng had no intention of destroying the Rong Clan. His refusal to relent was merely a tactic to raise the stakes of the negotiation.

Seeing his opening, Song Changsheng stopped beating around the bush. "For Mr. Chen's sake," he said in a chilling voice, "I have four conditions. If you agree, we can consider all previous grievances settled."

"Please, Clan Leader Song, state them clearly." Rong Mingtao breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they could negotiate, there was hope.

"First, every member of the Rong Clan who has blood on their hands must be handed over to me for judgment. Not a single one can be left out. This includes Rong Xingzhou."

As Song Changsheng finished speaking, an uproar erupted among the Rong Clan. The condition was simply too harsh.

"Song Changsheng, you want us to betray our own people? Impossible!" Rong Shaoyuan roared furiously. "If you want a war, you'll get one!" For any clan, such a condition was the ultimate humiliation.

If the Rong Clan actually did this, their morale would shatter. Once the people's hearts are scattered, it's nearly impossible to unite them again.

"Shut your mouth!"

But unexpectedly, Rong Xingzhou backhanded Rong Shaoyuan across the face, restrained him with Magic, and tossed him aside. "I agree to your condition," he announced loudly.

"Clan Leader?"

In an instant, every member of the Rong Clan fell silent, staring at him in shock. No one had imagined that Rong Xingzhou would actually agree to such a harsh condition—one that included himself.

"Everything is for the clan. Say no more. Bring them forward," Rong Xingzhou ordered sharply.

A short while later, five Rong Clan members were brought forward under guard, among them an Elder at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

"Everyone, I have failed you. If you must hate someone, then hate me. It is all due to my incompetence as Clan Leader." Rong Xingzhou's eyes were bloodshot; at that moment, his heart was bleeding.

"Clan Leader, you needn't say more. To sacrifice ourselves for the clan is a worthy death." The Elder grinned, his face showing no fear of death, but rather an acceptance of his fate. The others were the same. To them, this was an honor, and it was worth it.

With that, the six of them removed their Storage Bags and clan tokens, then walked out from the protection of the Clan Protection Array.

At once, the members of the Rong Clan broke down, weeping uncontrollably.

Rong Mingtao squeezed his eyes shut in anguish and said through gritted teeth, "Clan Leader Song, we have fulfilled the first condition."

"Second, I demand the Rong Clan compensate us for all losses caused by this war."

"No problem." Rong Mingtao agreed without hesitation.

Compared to the other harsh conditions, this was the easiest to accept. The Rong Clan had built up a considerable reserve over the years.

"Third, I need to know the identities of the other two Purple Mansion Cultivators who appeared outside Vast Mist Peak."

Rong Mingtao hesitated for a moment before replying, "I was not the one who invited them, so I'm not entirely clear on their identities. I only know it was a man and a woman. The man's surname is Zhang, and he's skilled with an Iron Fan.

The woman's surname is Xu, and she is a Tier Three Array Master.

They were always evasive about their true identities, but during one argument, Hex Tai accidentally let slip that they were from some kind of... Alliance."

Rong Mingtao stopped there, saying nothing more.

But a thought struck Song Changsheng, and he blurted out, "The Vast Alliance?"

"Perhaps," Rong Mingtao answered ambiguously.

But Song Changsheng was already piecing things together. "One last thing," he said grimly. "The Rong Clan must seal its mountain for one hundred years. During this time, you are forbidden from taking a single step off Celestial South Peak!"

"I agree." Rong Mingtao sighed deeply. This meant they would be abandoning all their territory except for Celestial South Peak.

'In truth, he would have done this even if Song Changsheng hadn't demanded it. With the Rong Clan's current strength, they were no longer capable of defending such a vast territory. Sealing the mountain to recover their Primordial Qi was the top priority.'

"I will remain here for three days. Once the compensation has been delivered, I will leave immediately."

The negotiations had gone more smoothly than expected. Song Changsheng said no more, turning to return to the Black Star Ship and taking Rong Xingzhou and the others with him.

Rong Mingtao descended from the sky. His body swayed, and he suddenly coughed up a large mouthful of blood.

"Supreme Elder!" The Elders paled, rushing to crowd around him in a panic.

Seeing this, Chen Mingzhao sighed softly. "Fellow Daoist Rong, there was no need for this. With me here, I could have surely protected you."

"Of course I trust you, Mr. Chen, but the Song Clan has Luoxia City backing them. If the Rong Clan were to cause Luoxia City and the Golden Crow Sect to become adversaries, I could never atone for it, not even in death."

Rong Mingtao's face was a mask of sincerity, but inwardly he saw the truth with perfect clarity. 'The Golden Crow Sect would never truly break ties with Luoxia City just for the Rong Clan. It would be foolish to pin all my hopes on Chen Mingzhao.

And taking it a step further, so what if the Golden Crow Sect did go to war with Luoxia City?

By then, the Rong Clan would be gone. What meaning would such a war hold for him?

That's why he never counted on the Golden Crow Sect from the start. He had planned everything long ago.

He knew Song Changsheng couldn't possibly make a real move against the Rong Clan.

First, unlike the Lieyang Sect, the Rong Clan's feud with the Song Clan wasn't nearly as deep.

Second, aside from providing an outlet for his anger, destroying them would offer the Song Clan no real benefit. It would not only offend the Golden Crow Sect but also provoke a united backlash from the other Purple Mansion Influences.

Unless Song Changsheng had completely lost his mind, he would never make such a move.

Furthermore, not only would Song Changsheng not destroy the Rong Clan, he couldn't afford to have him die. As long as he, Rong Mingtao, remained alive, the Foundation Establishment Families of Xiang Province would be kept in check, allowing the Song Clan to slowly chip away at the province.

It was with this in mind that he made a strategic retreat. On the surface, he appeared ready to sacrifice himself fearlessly for the clan, but in truth, he knew Song Changsheng would not kill him.

Song Changsheng needed him to keep the Foundation Establishment Families of Xiang Province suppressed.'

And just as he had predicted, Song Changsheng had no intention of dealing with him.

So, he had subtly pushed Rong Xingzhou out to face Song Changsheng's wrath.

Rong Xingzhou played his part perfectly. He shouldered all the blame and even took on the sin of abandoning his clansmen, thereby preserving Rong Mingtao's authority in the clan.

With this series of maneuvers, Rong Mingtao had preserved the Rong Clan at minimal cost, all while successfully cultivating a glorious image in front of his people and consolidating his own power.

'Now, his plan was just one final step away from perfection.'

He coughed violently a few times, then gripped Chen Mingzhao's hand and said with great sincerity, "Mr. Chen, my foundation is damaged, my path of cultivation is severed, and I do not have long to live. I can only ask that your esteemed Sect looks after the Rong Clan after I am gone. Otherwise, the Three Southern Provinces will fall entirely into the hands of the Song Clan… COUGH, COUGH, COUGH…"

Hearing his last sentence, a grim expression appeared on Chen Mingzhao's face. He patted Rong Mingtao's withered hand and said, "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Rong. The Rong Clan has suffered a great calamity, and the Golden Crow Sect will not stand idly by.

I will report this to the Sect at once and request a Green Sky White Jade Pill to restore your foundation. Xiang Province still needs you watching over it for us to be at ease."

…