Chapter 21: The Wrath of Xia Yunxue
“Song Changsheng! How dare you treat this young master like this? I swear I’ll tear you to pieces!!” Chang Tianhua let out a shrill howl.
But the next moment, Song Changsheng slapped him twice more, and Chang Tianhua's roar was immediately cut off.
“Shut your filthy mouth. Say one more word and I’ll cut out your tongue.” Song Changsheng’s tone was as cold as the wind in the twelfth lunar month.
His eyes were filled with endless killing intent. Chang Tianhua trembled inwardly and ultimately succumbed to his overbearing might.
Everyone looked at Song Changsheng as if they had seen a ghost. He actually dared act so recklessly in front of a Foundation Establishment cultivator?
The elder from the Earthfire Sect’s expression also turned dark, emitting a terrifying pressure. But Song Changsheng remained unmoved, standing straight-backed, meeting his gaze without fear.
The atmosphere instantly sank into an eerie silence.
Finally, Song Changsheng was the first to speak: “May I ask for Your Excellency's name?”
“Hmph, I am Qu Jinsheng. Boy, my patience has limits. Release Tianhua, Release Tianhua, or else, every so often, I will kill one member of your Song clan!”
Qu Jinsheng glared at Song Changxiu and the others, blatantly threatening them.
“If you so much as touch a single hair on their heads, I’ll immediately send your young master to the underworld.” Song Changsheng instantly tightened his grip, refusing to back down.
Qu Jinsheng found himself in a dilemma and couldn’t help but feel some regret. He had only stepped away for a short while to drive away some demonic beasts, who would’ve thought Chang Tianhua would get captured?
“Why don’t you just die already!” Qu Jinsheng looked at Chang Tianhua with eyes full of hatred and disappointment. If only he had just died outright, today’s mess would’ve been much easier to handle.
But not only did he not die, he became a prisoner!
“Young man, speak. What will it take for you to release him?” Qu Jinsheng finally gave in.
Song Changsheng slightly loosened his grip and said, “Your Earthfire Sect trespassed onto Song Clan territory and even injured our clansmen. You must pay appropriate compensation!”
Qu Jinsheng suppressed his rage and said, “One hundred spirit stones.”
Song Changsheng sneered, looked at the captive Chang Tianhua, and said, “I thought he’d be worth more, but only a hundred spirit stones? For a hundred, I’ll give you back just one of his hands.”
As he spoke, he moved to break his arm. Chang Tianhua’s eyes filled with terror, and he screamed, “Elder Qu, save me! Elder Qu, give him whatever he wants! My father won’t treat you badly!”
Qu Jinsheng shouted, “Enough! A thousand spirit stones. If you continue to be greedy, I’ll kill you even if it means facing punishment back home!”
Song Changsheng knew to strike while the iron was hot. He nodded and said, “Let me inspect the goods first. If it’s all good, I’ll release him.”
“Hmph, aren’t you afraid you’ll burst from greed?” Qu Jinsheng barely suppressed his urge to slap Song Changsheng. He pulled out a storage pouch and tossed it over.
Song Changsheng used spiritual energy to pull it toward him and was about to open it for inspection. As soon as he saw a glimpse of the spirit stones, the long-prepared Qu Jinsheng shot a beam of spiritual energy straight at Song Changsheng’s head.
“Shameless!” Song Changhu and the others cried out in shock. Just as they thought Song Changsheng was doomed, a figure appeared in front of him. With a wave of her delicate hand, she blocked the attack.
“It’s the Fifth Elder!” Upon recognizing the newcomer, the Song Clan members were overjoyed. Now they were evenly matched.
Seeing his spiritual attack blocked, Qu Jinsheng immediately realized, this situation had become troublesome.
When Song Changsheng saw the figure standing in front of him, a slight smile appeared on his face. He had long suspected the Earthfire Sect might bring a Foundation Establishment cultivator, so he had already requested aid from Xia Yunxue on the way.
Xia Yunxue had in fact arrived a while ago. But since only the younger generation had been involved so far, she had stayed hidden nearby to protect him from the shadows.
Song Changsheng had received her subtle signal, knowing his strongest support was nearby. Otherwise, he would never have made such a rookie mistake and get distracted.
“You old bastard! You’re shameless enough to strike a junior? Is that the virtue of your Earthfire Sect?” Xia Yunxue’s beautiful eyes burned with killing intent as she scolded Qu Jinsheng.
Qu Jinsheng’s face darkened, and he said coldly, “Elder Xia, don’t speak so harshly.”
But to his misfortune, Xia Yunxue became even more furious upon hearing this. Pointing at his nose, she shouted, “Old bastard, you dare act but won’t let me speak? Come here and let me take your dog life!”
Everyone present felt a strange sense of déjà vu. Just moments ago, someone else had said almost the exact same thing.
“You think this old man is afraid of you? Let’s fight!” Qu Jinsheng was a renowned figure in Ling Province. Being insulted like this, he couldn’t hold his face anymore.
“Then get up here!” Xia Yunxue turned into a streak of rainbow light, flying sword in hand, and soared into the sky. The enraged Qu Jinsheng followed after her.
Soon, loud booms echoed from above. People on the ground looked up and saw only two streaks, one blue and one red colliding again and again. Everything else was obscured.
Having somewhat recovered, Song Changhu nudged Song Changxiu beside him and whispered, “Didn’t they say the Fifth Elder was the gentlest of all clan elders? Why does she seem even fiercer than the Second Elder?”
Song Changxiu rolled her eyes at him. “Changsheng is the Fifth Elder’s reverse scale. Anyone who dares touch him, she absolutely won’t let them go.”
Song Changhu nodded in understanding and sighed to himself, “Having a good mother really is different.”
The same words now carried a very different feeling than last time.
Song Changsheng anxiously watched the battle in the sky. Both were in early Foundation Establishment, who would win was truly hard to say.
But he had completely underestimated the power a mother can unleash when she’s truly enraged. After half an hour of fighting, a brilliant flash of light suddenly streaked through the sky.
A figure fell from above like a rag doll, slamming heavily into the ground. Everyone’s eyes followed it. When they saw who it was, the Song Clan side erupted in cheers.
On the Earthfire Sect’s side, everyone looked like their father had just died.
Xia Yunxue descended gracefully, her breathing slightly heavy but without any visible wounds. It was clear she had won completely.
Cough cough cough. Qu Jinsheng, supported by disciples, struggled to stand and said bitterly, “They all say the Fifth Elder of the Song Clan is just a pretty face, good to look at but useless. Turns out that rumor was way off.”
“Hmph, old bastard, you better give me an explanation today or I’ll bury all of you here and turn you into fertilizer!” Xia Yunxue said domineeringly.
“I already gave you a thousand spirit stones!” Qu Jinsheng said angrily.
“That was to ransom this brat. Now you have to ransom your own lives.”
In the end, under Xia Yunxue’s intimidating might, Qu Jinsheng and the others scraped together another thousand spirit stones and even pledged most of their valuables as collateral. Only then did they manage to flee with their lives, not daring to utter a single threat.
Xia Yunxue distributed some of the spoils to the others, keeping the majority for herself. As for the thousand spirit stones in Song Changsheng’s hand, that naturally remained his.
While Song Changxiu and the others treated Song Changhu’s injuries, Song Changsheng said discontentedly, “Mother, why did you let them go? If Qu Jinsheng died here, it would’ve been a huge blow to the Earthfire Sect, far more valuable than those spirit stones.”
Xia Yunxue poked his forehead with a jade-like finger, rolled her eyes, and said, “Now you're lecturing your mother? Killing Qu Jinsheng would’ve been easy but have you considered the consequences? Our clan needs stable growth right now. This isn’t the time to stir up a big war.
Besides, I already damaged his vital energy this time. He won’t be of much use in the future. And that Earthfire young master, didn’t you already lay a hidden hand on him?
Today, we’ve taken full advantage. Let them keep their dog lives.”
(Chapter End)