Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

It finally dawned on Liu Hongye. He sneered, ”Quite the scheme you’ve got there. You want us to fight the Earth Fire Sect to the death so your clan can just sit back and reap the rewards.”

Song Changsheng nodded bluntly. ”That’s right,” he said. ”That is my plan. To plant you like a thorn in the Liuyun Mountain Range and create trouble for the Earth Fire Sect.”

”Heh... In that case, why not just join us and wipe them out?” Liu Hongye said menacingly.

Song Changsheng said nothing, merely giving him a detached look.

’He had always wanted to destroy the Earth Fire Sect, but Liu Hongye and his men were far more dangerous. Letting them tear each other apart like dogs was more in the clan’s interest.’

Liu Hongye knew his subtle ploy had been seen through. He remained outwardly impassive, but his mind was racing. As things stood, the situation was extremely disadvantageous for them; they could be wiped out at any moment.

They desperately needed to rest and recuperate. If the Song Clan could really help them gain a foothold in Ling Province, then temporarily becoming their pawns was not entirely unacceptable.

In the face of profit, there was no such thing as irreconcilable hatred. If the Song Clan could ally with them against the Earth Fire Sect today, then they could ally with the Earth Fire Sect against the Song Clan in the future!

At this thought, a smile touched Liu Hongye’s lips. He sent a voice transmission to Song Changsheng: ”I agree. But you must let us leave and help us establish a foothold in Ling Province.”

Song Changsheng nodded. ”That’s all fine. But hasn’t Clan Leader Liu forgotten something? A deal is a two-way street. My Song Clan has shown its good faith, but I have yet to see yours.”

Liu Hongye frowned. ”Isn’t dealing with the Earth Fire Sect for you enough? You’re being far too greedy.”

”Of course it’s not enough. You and the Earth Fire Sect are already locked in a life-or-death struggle. That can’t be your bargaining chip.”

”Then what do you want?” Liu Hongye suddenly became wary.

A perfectly harmless smile spread across Song Changsheng’s face. ”It’s simple. Your forces are too strong—strong enough to make me uneasy. It would be better if that strength were cut in half.”

”You!” Liu Hongye had considered many possibilities, but he had never imagined that Song Changsheng could be so malicious. He actually wanted him to betray some of his own allies!

”That’s impossible!”

Song Changsheng’s brow furrowed slightly, his patience wearing thin. ”You don’t have a choice,” he said coldly. ”Cooperate, and both you and your clansmen will live. You’ll even get your foothold in Ling Province.

If you don’t want to cooperate, then I guarantee that even if it costs us, we will bury you all here today. I’ll tell you the truth: the only reason the Earth Fire Sect hasn’t made a move yet is that they want to preserve their strength.

But the moment we go all out, I guarantee they will rush out and tear you to shreds!”

The atmosphere suddenly froze. Looking at the young man before him, Liu Hongye felt an inexplicable chill. His reason told him that Song Changsheng was telling the truth.

’If I refuse to cooperate, he really will bury us here at any cost.’

’The Song Clan obviously had that kind of strength.’

’And Song Changsheng was right—I have no choice at all.’

He sighed deeply. ”What do you need me to do?”

”It’s simple. Gather the people you want to take with you. I will order my men to open a path for you. Remember, you can only take four Foundation Establishment Cultivators.”

”What about my clansmen!”

”Have your clansmen stop resisting. As long as you don’t play any tricks, I’ll guarantee their safety.” Song Changsheng smiled. ’How could I not take hostages in a situation like this?’

Suppressing the rage in his heart, Liu Hongye said through gritted teeth, ”I agree. But you must send them back afterward!”

”Rest assured. I give you my word, on the honor of the Song Clan.”

Liu Hongye gave him a deep look. The next moment, he quickly broke away from the fray and began sending out voice transmissions.

He had long since decided who to take and who to abandon. Four people: two of them were his clansmen, and the other two were Loose Cultivators close to him.

By the time the four received Liu Hongye’s transmission, Song Changsheng had already given his own men their instructions.

Soon, the four had discreetly gathered by Liu Hongye’s side. Though they were confused, their trust in him kept them from asking questions.

”Clan Leader Liu, take your people and break out to the southwest. And remember, no funny business.”

Liu Hongye’s expression was grim. He said nothing. He knew his earlier hopes had been completely dashed. ’Five Foundation Establishment Cultivators... Not a huge number, but not insignificant either.’

’They couldn’t compare to the four-clan alliance or the Song Clan, but with the help of an Array, self-preservation wouldn’t be a problem.’

’But it meant they couldn’t make any significant moves for decades. Even if they teamed up with the Earth Fire Sect, they wouldn’t be able to threaten the Song Clan!’

’At least we have a place to establish ourselves.’ Liu Hongye could only offer himself this small comfort before leading his men to break out toward the southwest.

Song Changsheng and his men only put up a token resistance before letting them go.

Watching their retreating figures, Song Luhuai sighed deeply. ”I just hope this action of ours today doesn’t come back to bite us.”

Song Changsheng’s expression was as calm as still water. He said lightly, ”They had no choice, and neither did we. Without the Earth Fire Sect’s cooperation, it would have been very difficult to annihilate them. Even if we succeeded, the cost would have been more than we could bear.

The Earth Fire Sect was treacherous, so why should we play fair?”

In truth, this wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. It was something they had all discussed and agreed upon before setting out.

If the Earth Fire Sect had cooperated fully, they would have joined forces to annihilate Liu Hongye and his people.

If they didn’t, they would release the tiger back into the mountains.

Song Luhuai nodded helplessly. ”I understand. I just feel a little uneasy, that’s all.”

”Don’t worry, Twelfth Uncle. The clan is prospering. It won’t be long before we reclaim our former glory. When that time comes, these people will be nothing more than worthless rabble.

Alright, it’s time for us to clean up this mess. The Earth Fire Sect must be getting antsy.” Song Changsheng smiled confidently, then charged toward the remaining enemies on the battlefield...

”Liu Hongye, FUCK YOUR ANCESTORS!” a large, long-bearded man fighting Song Xianyun suddenly roared. If he still didn’t understand that he’d been sold out, then he’d lived his two hundred years for nothing.

Song Xianyun’s spirits soared. He knew Song Changsheng had succeeded. ’It’s time for this battle to end!’

With Liu Hongye leading his men in retreat, the tide of battle turned in an instant. The scales of victory began to tip toward the Song Clan.

At that moment, Li Siyang and the others, who had been observing the battle from Baiyun Peak, could no longer sit still.

”What’s wrong with the Song Clan? How could they let those people escape? Useless, absolutely useless!” Li Siyang’s eyes were bloodshot as he paced frantically around the meeting hall.

Unfortunately, no one responded. They all just watched him coldly, as if looking at a clown.

Ever since the Li Clan was destroyed, Li Siyang had grown increasingly extreme. At first, people would offer a few words of comfort, but now, they simply chose to ignore him.

”I told you, the Song Clan aren’t fools. Clearly, your wonderful dream of having both sides wipe each other out has fallen through. Now their remaining forces are down to five Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and they’re outnumbered nearly two-to-one.

It won’t be long before the Song Clan annihilates them. Gentlemen, are we going to just keep watching?” Du Huating said coldly, his gaze sweeping over the others.

The Song Clan’s intention in releasing the tiger back to the mountains was far too obvious. With his intelligence, he quickly recognized the hidden dangers planted by this move.

’None of this should have happened.’

’But because of these short-sighted, idiotic allies, I could only watch it all unfold, powerless to do anything.’

’Now, all I can do is lead this pack of idiots to try and salvage the situation. I was worried that if we didn’t act now, the Song Clan would let the remaining few escape as well.’

Once Du Huating led his men into the fray, the outcome of the battle was no longer in doubt. It ended in an almost complete rout.

It looked like a victory, but Du Huating knew in his heart that the only true winner of this battle was the Song Clan. The four-clan alliance had been utterly defeated...