Summoners: One Golden Term per Level

Lie Mountain Tribe.

The place of council.

Sitting on a huge stone chair at the head, Shennong was seated on the ground.

Beside him sat a woman, and on both sides were also stone chairs where various beings were seated.

Chi Songzi, who had hurried back from the Mountain Crow, stood with a face full of shame and resentment in the center of the crowd.

Shennong looked at the standing Chi Songzi with furrowed brows, his face somewhat pale, occasionally coughing.

He spoke in a stern voice: ”Do you have evidence to accuse Gonggong as a spy within Jiu Li?”

The many tribe elders sitting beside nodded, and one of them, a burly man with fiery red hair, coldly said: ”You were the commander at Mufu Camp.

It was your incompetence in battle, and now you want to blame Gonggong?”

”Alas, Clan Leader Zhurong, those words are misguided.

Chi Songzi isn’t wrong either; at the time, Gonggong was clearly captured.

How did he suddenly return? That in itself is a point of suspicion, and haven’t you heard the rumors circulating among the various tribes recently?”

One of the Daoists said in a soft voice, his name was Ma Shihuang, also a Tier Ten Medicine Immortal.

The first true disciple of Shennong.

Back before Shennong achieved Tier Ten, he had already followed Shennong, who had once apprenticed under Chi Songzi.

And Ma Shihuang, having followed Shennong in those years, naturally had some connections with Chi Songzi.

He was part of his faction.

Chi Songzi spoke with a pained expression: ”Common Lord, I have known you for a long time, and in those days, I shared all my knowledge with you.

When have I ever deceived you...”

”Chi Songzi, personal relationships aside, official matters...” Zhurong, hearing Chi Songzi bring up past issues again, made Shennong, who was initially somewhat angry, soften his expression.

He promptly reminded loudly.

But Shennong waved his hand, interrupting Zhurong, ”In that case, when Gonggong returns, won’t everything become clear?

Whether he returned safely from the Jiu Li Tribe, and whether the ongoing rumors within the tribe are true...”

”If true, he’s highly suspect of betraying the tribe; if not true,

then the strength of the Jiu Li Tribe is likely beyond our imagination, considering even two Human Immortals couldn’t stop their assault...”

Zhurong looked troubled; Shennong’s words were quite clear.

At least Chi Songzi couldn’t bear all the blame this time.

Shennong’s holy virtue, yet now too soft-hearted.

”Is the special weapon of the Jiu Li Tribe replicated?”

Shennong turned his gaze to the woman beside him.

”Common Lord, no. Although we have some research on witchcraft, it’s mostly solidified in the smelting of divine gold.

Learning anew from the witch pattern on that weapon requires time.”

”Moreover, some parts are hidden within, intermittently; dismantling it disrupts the power continuity, making further research difficult.”

”Furthermore, the metal’s uniqueness affects the engraving of the witch pattern...”

”So we can only advance gradually.”

Hearing this, Shennong could only shake his head and say, ”As soon as possible, the Jiu Li Tribe comes menacingly!”

At this moment.

Everyone’s expression changed slightly because they all felt Gonggong had returned.

”Common Lord, Minister Gonggong requests an audience!”

Outside.

Someone reported.

”Let him in, just in time to confront him.”

Shennong nodded decisively.

Gonggong stepped in with steady steps, and upon seeing Chi Songzi, coldly said, ”Chi Songzi, you actually fled from battle!”

”Common Lord, I accuse Chi Songzi of fleeing from battle, causing Mufu Camp to fall into the hands of the Jiu Li Tribe!”

Shennong’s face showed a hint of pallor, his eyes cloudy, yet he hadn’t spoken.

Ma Shihuang, however, spoke up, ”Gonggong, Senior Chi Songzi told us you were captured by the Jiu Li Tribe, yet returned unharmed.”

Gonggong furrowed his brow slightly, ”So what?”

”Why did the Jiu Li Tribe let you go? Did you agree to become their traitor?

How did Mufu Mountain Range fall so quickly into their hands, was it due to your internal communication with them?”

Ma Shihuang aggressively pressed, speaking rapidly.

Gonggong coldly interrupted, ”This time it was Chi Songzi’s strategic mistake, what does it have to do with me?”

”Then explain, it couldn’t be the Jiu Li Tribe had a lapse in judgment, capturing you and then releasing you.”

Chi Songzi, who had remained silent since Gonggong’s entrance, suddenly spoke, ”Gonggong told me he once accompanied the High Priest of the Jiu Li Tribe and traveled throughout Jiu Li.”

”And from the news I heard in other tribes, Gonggong once praised Jiu Li Tribe as the foremost tribe of the Human Race.”

”Gonggong spoke highly of them.”

Shennong’s hand, which was resting on the armrest, paused briefly, his voice hoarse, ”Is there such a thing?”

Gonggong, hearing Shennong’s words, couldn’t help but say, ”I was merely forced to accompany the Jiu Li High Priest through Jiu Li.

Those words back then were just in praise of Jiu Li’s construction for the people’s livelihood...”

”So are you saying our Lie Mountain Tribe is inadequate?”

Ma Shihuang said in a soft voice.

’Cough, cough!’

Shennong suddenly coughed twice fiercely, as Ting Yao beside him patted his back, then looked at Gonggong, ”You are a minister of Lie Mountain, how can you elevate others while diminishing your own presence.”

”The Common Lord has dedicated his life to contributing to the Human Race; he calls Jiu Li Tribe tyrannical, do you think he’s lying?”

Gonggong was taken aback, his lips moved slightly, as he lowered his head and said, ”Common Lord, why did you designate Xuanyuan as the successor...”

”Outrageous!”

Zhurong and Ma Shihuang both shouted together, Zhurong coldly said, ”Gonggong, are you questioning the Common Lord’s decision?”

His eyes gestured for Gonggong to say no more.

”Gonggong was merely provoked by Chi Songzi’s words for a moment, think nothing of it, Common Lord!” Zhurong hurriedly explained.

Shennong looked at Gonggong, his voice carrying a tinge of anger, ”Do you think I erred?”

Gonggong was silent, merely looking at Shennong, who appeared as an angry lion.

For the first time, he felt Shennong had aged; once, this man roamed the Great Wilderness, compiling the ’Hundred Herbs Scripture’ for the Human Race, identifying every toxin across the Wilderness.

He even created the path of the ’Medicine Immortal,’ yet now Shennong seemed aged.

Although today’s plight of the Lie Mountain Tribe certainly wasn’t solely due to Shennong.

He was, however, the main cause.

Now, he treated his past glory as an inviolable domain; whenever something or someone surpassed his past achievements.

It would greatly discomfort him.

Just like with Jiu Li.

Whether Jiu Li was really tyrannical was uncertain; even the Lie Mountain Tribe had resorted to violence in subjugating other tribes.

Otherwise, their territory would not have expanded to such extent.

And Shennong’s so-called ’Holy Virtue’ Xuanyuan, his ambition was no less than Jiu Li’s.

Only the power structure differed between Jiu Li and the Lie Mountain Tribe, hence the comparison.

Inexplicably.

Gonggong recalled the scenes he witnessed in Jiu Li Tribe.

Is the current Lie Mountain still the tribe dedicated to the safety of the Human Race as it once was?