Chapter 250: Chapter 181: An Exorbitant Demand (Part 2)
Abandon our own territory to defend the Earth Fire Sect’s? If I dared to do that, my ancestors would roll over in their graves.
Either we defend everything together, or we all go down together. No one is getting out of this unscathed.
Du Huating felt himself laugh in exasperation. He asked himself, in all honesty, had he proposed this plan out of selfish motives? Not really. The Earth Fire Sect’s Defensive Array was a Chain Array composed of three Tier Two Top-Grade Arrays. It integrated offense and defense, making it no weaker than a Tier Three Array.
If they concentrated their forces at Baiyun Peak, they could rely on the Array to fight the enemy. They would essentially be in an invincible position, and might even have a chance to counterattack.
But if they kept hiding out at Cliff Peak, defeat would only be a matter of time.
"Since neither Clan Leader is willing, then please, tell me, is there a better way?" Du Huating stared at them coldly.
Li Siyang and Qiu Tianyang were speechless. It would have been a miracle if they’d had a solution.
Just then, Clan Leader Yu, Yu Chengshan, stood up. "Have you all forgotten something? Ling Province doesn’t just belong to our four families. While we’re here fighting to the death, someone else might just swoop in and reap the rewards."
"Hmph. You think the Song and Wang Clans will help? We’ll be lucky if they don’t kick us while we’re down," Du Huating snorted.
Yu Chengshan shook his head. "Though our relationship with the Song and Wang Families is like fire and water, if we are defeated, they will be next."
"Wang Qingquan and Song Xianyun are smart men. It’s impossible for them not to realize this. They’re holding back now simply to wait for us to compromise. As long as we pay a certain price, they will naturally make a move."
"Then, even if we can’t annihilate these invaders, forcing them out of Ling Province will be no problem."
Hearing this, the several Clan Leaders exchanged glances and fell silent.
In their hearts, they understood this better than anyone.
Twenty years ago, when the Song Clan requested their help, these four families had instead carved up a third of the Song Clan’s assets.
It had been an enormous fortune. Now, being asked to spit it back out was more painful than death itself.
"Let’s set this matter aside for now," Du Huating said placidly after a long silence.
"That’s right. We haven’t reached the end of our rope yet," Qiu Tianyang immediately agreed.
Seeing this, Yu Chengshan sighed deeply. ’Men die in pursuit of wealth as birds die in pursuit of food. Disaster was imminent, yet these people still clung to their material possessions, refusing to let go.’
’This alone showed the gap between the Song Clan and them. The two sides were simply not on the same level in terms of vision.’
Having realized this, Yu Chengshan instantly gave up any thought of persuading them further. In any case, the Yu Clan’s foundation was not here.
Events unfolded just as Yu Chengshan had predicted. After the initial probing, the enemy launched a full-scale assault.
In just five days, the Guardian Array of Cliff Peak was breached by the enemy using an Array-Breaking Talisman. Although Du Huating managed to repel them with a Tier Three Talisman in the end, their losses were catastrophic.
Among the casualties, Li Siyang was severely injured. Li Guangzong, an Earth Fire Sect Elder who had only broken through two years prior, had fallen. Qu Jinsheng was grievously wounded, and Qiu Tianxing, a Qiu Clan Elder, had also fallen.
Nearly a hundred elite disciples from the various families perished, a truly devastating blow to their vitality.
After that one battle, neither Du Huating nor Li Siyang could hold out any longer. They had no choice but to send Li Tiancheng as a representative of the four-clan alliance to the Song Clan to plead for aid...
As Li Tiancheng gazed upon the serene Vast Mist Peak, his heart filled with bitterness. After this war, no matter the outcome, the Song Clan was destined to be the biggest winner.
"Who goes there?"
"Li Tiancheng of the Earth Fire Sect requests an audience with your clan’s Grand Elder!" Li Tiancheng adopted a very humble posture. He had no choice; circumstances forced his hand.
After leaving him to wait for one ancient hour, Song Xianyun finally granted his request.
Once the two parties met, Li Tiancheng didn’t beat around the bush in the slightest. "As long as you agree to help, we are willing to return all the resource points and shops that originally belonged to your Song Clan. We will also pay you in cultivation resources equivalent to their value back then."
These words made Song Changsheng laugh with derision. With a look of contempt, he said, "You’ve got some nerve. Those resource points have been mined by you for twenty years. How could their value possibly be the same as before?"
"Besides, the Liuyun Marketplace is now a pile of rubble. And you’re still using those shops as bargaining chips? Have you no shame?"
"We were inconsiderate. What are your terms?" Although Li Tiancheng was furious, he showed no sign of it on the surface. His tone remained calm, befitting his reputation as the Smiling Tiger.
"It’s not about what we want, but about your sincerity." Not knowing the other party’s bottom line, Song Changsheng naturally wouldn’t be the first to state his terms.
Li Tiancheng pondered for a moment before gritting his teeth. "We’ll give you a ten percent share of the Spirit Stone Vein, cede two large Profound Iron Ore mines, three Glazed Ore mines, and one Cyan Nether Steel Ore Vein to you, and pay you resources equivalent to the original value!"
This was no small sum. Even for a clan the size of the Song, it would take a long time to absorb. The offer was certainly sincere, which only went to show how critical the situation in the Liuyun Mountain Range had become.
But Song Changsheng was still not satisfied.
Seeing Song Changsheng shake his head, even with his deep-seated composure, Li Tiancheng couldn’t hold back his anger. "This still isn’t enough? This is our final offer! I advise you not to push your luck, or we’ll all go down together!"
Faced with his threat, Song Changsheng was completely unmoved. He gave Li Tiancheng a cool glance. "In terms of value, it is certainly enough, and we can see your sincerity. But these things are not what we want."
"What do you want?" Li Tiancheng had already regained his composure. As long as negotiations could continue, there was still hope.
A slight smile touched the corners of Song Changsheng’s lips.
"First, we redivide the shares of the Spirit Stone Vein. The Song and Wang Families will take sixty percent, and you can divide the rest among yourselves."
"Second, we don’t have enough manpower to develop those other mines you offered, so convert them into two hundred thousand Spirit Stones or resources of equivalent value."
"Third, forget the resources from back then. Instead, we want the Li Clan’s Dragon Blood Ginseng."
"These are our three conditions. When they are met, the Song and Wang Families will go to war. Otherwise, the deal is off."
"What? A sixty-percent share and two hundred thousand Spirit Stones’ worth of resources?" Li Tiancheng almost couldn’t believe his ears.
Splitting the two hundred thousand Spirit Stones in resources among the four families was barely acceptable, but he could not accept the new division of the Spirit Stone Vein.
That Spirit Stone Vein produced nearly one hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones annually and could be mined for at least another century.
The Earth Fire Sect currently held a thirty-percent share, netting them thirty thousand Spirit Stones a year. After redividing it according to Song Changsheng’s terms, they would get at most fifteen percent. Their losses would far exceed two hundred thousand Spirit Stones!
Song Changsheng sneered, "The Song and Wang Families currently hold a combined forty-six percent. You can’t possibly be thinking of fobbing us off with a total of fifty percent, are you?"
"We’ll add resources worth another fifty thousand Spirit Stones. How about you take a fifty-five percent share?" Li Tiancheng said through gritted teeth.
Two hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Stones’ worth of resources... Even split between four families, they would have to tighten their belts for the next few years. They were truly bleeding themselves dry to get this aid.
"This matter is not up for negotiation. If you can accept our terms, we will join the war. If you cannot, you may leave now," Song Changsheng said coldly, flicking his sleeve.
Li Tiancheng’s eyes became bloodshot. He struggled to calm himself before finally forcing the words out through gritted teeth, "Fine. We’ll do it your way. When will you join the battle?"
"Didn’t I just tell you? We join the battle when the conditions are met."
’Was he joking? If he didn’t secure the benefits now, it would be much harder to collect after the war was over. After all, the debtor is king.’
With things having come to this, Li Tiancheng knew he couldn’t change Song Changsheng’s mind. He could only say coldly, "I will deliver everything as soon as possible. I hope you will keep your promise!"
"Heh. Do you think my Song Clan is like your Earth Fire Sect?" A trace of disdain appeared on Song Changsheng’s face. "The Song Clan’s reputation is solid throughout the entire Daqi Cultivation World. We wouldn’t destroy our good name over something so trivial."
"I certainly hope so!" Li Tiancheng snorted, then turned and stormed away.
...
