Song Clan . . .
Cha Eun Xiao noticed that Xuan Bing wasn't in the best of moods. Had it not been for Song Jue's situation, she might have been tempted to wipe out all the people in Song Clan in one fell swoop. But she had to consider Song Jue's circumstances. She wanted those men dead, yet it seemed wiser to let Cha Eun Xiao make the final decision.
Cha Eun Xiao appeared serious and took a moment to observe Xuan Bing. Then, with a smile, he said, "You certainly seem to know me quite well. You seem to know everything about me."
Xuan Bing couldn't help but sneer internally. [Of course, I do! I can recognize you by the ashes of your bones! Is there anyone in the world who knows you better than I do? From the inside out, no one knows you better than I do!]
She had no clue what Cha Eun Xiao was thinking. He believed that Bing Xinyue and Wenren Chuchu had shared many details about him with Xuan Bing. But in reality, Xuan Bing knew him far better than anyone else in the world. She was the sole person who understood him inside and out.
"Very well. I'll leave this matter to you," Xuan Bing agreed.
"Good. However, these men must die, regardless of what plan you have in mind. There will be no negotiation," Xuan Bing declared, her eyes filled with an unmistakable killing intent as she looked at the men who knelt before her.
"Certainly. I won't let them escape justice," Cha Eun Xiao nodded resolutely, his chest brimming with anger. [A group of spineless individuals, weak and oppressive, daring to cause havoc in this place?]
[Is no one brave enough to challenge them? This is infuriating!]
[Song Jue's nephew was bullied, and this is unacceptable.]
[If I didn't have a certain connection to the Misty Cloud Palace, Xuan Bing would have undoubtedly annihilated the entire Song Clan for what they did to her. Even if Xuan Bing were merciful, the Misty Cloud Palace wouldn't tolerate such an incident. This region is under the control of the three palaces, and no one—not even the local powers—can trifle with their elder. The Song Clan should have been obliterated.]
[The Song Clan is both unfortunate and fortunate.]
...
"My friend, are you Song Xuan?" Cha Eun Xiao asked, looking at the rapidly approaching Song Xuan with a smile.
"Yes, I am," Song Xuan responded, not in the mood for idle chatter. He appeared nervous. "You all have made a grave mistake. You should leave now. Once our senior cultivators from the clan arrive, you won't be able to escape. You must exit the Oracle District as quickly as possible. Go. The people in this region have an innate fear of the outside world. As long as you can get out of this area, you'll have a chance to survive."
Then, he sighed. He was taken aback and felt helpless.
He initially considered the entire situation to be a prank targeted at him. He was prepared to endure the humiliation, believing that things would eventually settle down. However, lives had been lost. It had taken him by surprise. Song Fei had repeatedly caused problems for him, and he didn't wish for his father and uncles to become embroiled in the matter. He had been enduring it all this time.
However, he never expected that Song Fei would land himself in such a dire predicament, even though his initial intention was merely to humiliate Song Xuan.
The true issue on Song Fei's mind was...
He wondered what the fate of the three innocent individuals would be as they grappled with this dilemma.
He had urged them to leave as swiftly as possible to escape the Oracle District because he believed it was the only way to keep them safe.
In Song Xuan's view, the outside world was fraught with uncertainties for the native Oracle District residents. As long as the three of them managed to reach the outside world, they would have a chance at survival.
The world was vast, and Song Clan was too small in comparison. Song Xuan didn't believe that the three outsiders could defeat the entire Song Clan, as he had confidence in his clan's strength. He didn't think the outsiders stood a chance.
Above all, he didn't want any harm to befall these three innocent individuals who had been drawn into the situation due to his actions.
"Thank you for your concern, but we won't leave," Cha Eun Xiao responded warmly. "We will await the arrival of your people. We can't let this matter be resolved so easily."
He smiled. "We need an explanation, both for ourselves and for others."
Song Xuan was left stunned, unable to form a response.
[You've already killed three guards, and you've forced the son of our leader to kneel in a pool of blood. It's a massive humiliation for them as it is. What explanation could you possibly want?] Cha Eun Xiao half-closed his eyes and patted Song Xuan's shoulder. "Don't worry. Everything is under control."
Certainly, everything appeared to be going well. There seemed to be nothing amiss with the three of them. After all, within the confines of the Oracle District, the presence of Han Bingxue alone was sufficient to assert dominance and conquer all adversaries, not to mention the formidable Xuan Bing.
However, Cha Eun Xiao had no intention of revealing his true strength. He had no plans to take action unless he caught sight of Song Jue, who must have been encountering quite a few challenges since his return to Song Clan. Cha Eun Xiao believed it was a golden opportunity to capitalize on the current situation, leveraging the power of Xuan Bing and Han Bingxue to bring about changes within Song Clan.
[This might just be the perfect beginning], Cha Eun Xiao pondered.
Meanwhile, in Song Clan, Chief Song Wuyang found himself in a state of constant busyness. Over a year had passed since they last acquired truly valuable medicinal materials. Without these resources, they couldn't obtain the necessary cultivation materials. Their clan's tens of thousands of members had been dispatched to gather medicines, yet none of them had been successful in obtaining anything of real value. Without these cultivation materials, the clan faced the risk of collapse, with a gradual decline being the only outcome.
The problem lay in the fact that these materials were under the control of the three palaces, powerful forces within the realm. To acquire the resources they required, Song Clan had to exchange valuable medicinal items with the three palaces. Otherwise, the palaces wouldn't readily part with the cultivation materials.
Song Clan possessed vast land spanning thousands of miles within the Oracle District, making it a substantial clan. Over the years, they had accumulated an immense quantity of materials from their mountains. However, they soon realized that these resources weren't inexhaustible. Over thousands of years, the mountains had been depleted of their value. In the past, they could find ample spiritual medicines just by wandering through the mountains. Now, they had to venture deep into forests and cliffs to discover what they needed. The majority of their land could no longer provide what they sought.
This situation drove Chief Song Wuyang to the brink of madness.