Subjugation

The crowd was visibly tempted. Dispensing with her charm arts, the alluring woman adopted a solemn tone. "Starting today, let the Five Insects Sect surrender Black Wind Valley and swear not to set foot in it for two hundred years, and we will withdraw immediately." Cui Xuanzi had never expected them to make such an outrageous demand. Thumping his wooden staff against the ground in a sudden fury, he roared, "Not enter Black Wind Valley for two hundred years? What will even be left of our Five Insects Sect by then? You want to sever our sect's very roots!" Showing no sign of backing down, the alluring woman retorted sharply, "Your Five Insects Sect has monopolized Black Wind Valley's spirit stone mine and poison spring all this time. Have you ever considered how the cultivators of our two regions have managed to scrape by? If you must blame someone, blame your own disciples for being so utterly useless! With such prime resources at your disposal, you haven't made an inch of progress! We give you two choices: either stay out of Black Wind Valley for two hundred years, or hand over all the spirit stones and poison spring yields extracted over the past century." Thunder Ghost Elder chimed in, "Old Cui Xuan, I'll give you the time of an incense stick to think it over. Once that incense stick burns down, I'd like to test just how tough your Five Insects Sect's mountain-protecting grand array really is!" Cui Xuanzi's face turned livid. Though he possessed the talisman treasure gifted by Qin Sang, facing so many experts would still end only in defeat and ruin. No matter how strong the mountain-protecting grand array was, how long could it hold out without powerful reinforcements? Returning before the Sect Master Hall, Cui Xuanzi gritted his teeth, pushed the doors open, and dropped to his knees before Qin Sang with a formal kowtow, crying out, "Senior, please save us!" Qin Sang had overheard every word of the dispute inside and outside the sect gates. He too suspected that the Five Insects Sect's Golden Core elder was almost certainly dead somewhere out in the world. In a place like the Western Frontier, the emergence of a single Golden Core cultivator was enough to shelter a sect and ensure its prosperity for three to five centuries without issue. Before departing, that person had subdued the surrounding factions and seized the seemingly resource-rich Black Wind Valley for the sect, showing he was not inherently cold or indifferent toward his lineage. Even for an ascetic cultivator, finding the time to make a single return trip over so many years should not have been difficult. Holding his teacup, Qin Sang fixed a blade-sharp gaze on Cui Xuanzi, remaining silent. The air in the hall abruptly froze. Feeling a terrifying pressure descend upon him, Cui Xuanzi was filled with utter dread, cold sweat beading and streaming down his brow. "Did you invite me into your mountain just to wait for this moment?" Qin Sang's tone was chilling, laced with underlying killing intent. Cui Xuanzi's complexion changed drastically, and he scrambled to defend himself. "Junior knew they harbored ill intentions all along, and indeed hoped to befriend Senior to deter them! But even if Junior were given a hundred times more courage, I would never dare plot against Senior! Junior truly had no idea they would launch their attack today! "Junior has done everything in his power to serve Senior, not daring to show the slightest neglect. With Senior's discerning sight, you surely can see this. Originally, Junior intended to forgo any reward from Senior, hoping only to beg for Senior's protection for our Five Insects Sect. Yet before Junior could even speak, they arrived! May Senior see the truth!" Prostrated on the floor, Cui Xuanzi did not even dare wipe away his sweat, appearing thoroughly abject. The man did not appear to be faking. Yet Qin Sang did not withdraw his aura. With a cold snort, he asked, "You still dare claim you served me with all your heart? When I asked you earlier about secret realms around the Bear Mountain region, why did you conceal Black Wind Valley and the poison spring, failing to report them?" Cui Xuanzi froze, then cried out in grievance, "Senior has misunderstood! Black Wind Valley is no secret realm at all—it merely contains a spirit stone vein, and because it is sandwiched between our three factions, it invited disputes. Nor does that poison spring possess any other extraordinary quality. The spring water it produces can only be used to nourish venomous spirit insects, helping first-metamorphosis venomous insects strengthen their internal toxins and advance their cultivation a bit faster. It has no effect whatsoever on non-venomous spirit insects. Even for venomous insects, the boost becomes utterly negligible once they reach the second metamorphosis." Qin Sang naturally knew what a poison spring was. Records in the Yuling Sect mentioned that such poison springs were naturally formed, peculiar toxic spots. The water carried potent venom that could aid in rearing venomous insects, but it provided no assistance in facilitating metamorphosis. Poison springs were also graded; one that was only effective on insects that had undergone their first metamorphosis was of the lowest grade. Among the insect-rearing methods Qin Sang knew, pulling out virtually any one of them would be more efficient than this poison spring. However, whether in the Five Insects Sect or the other two factions, Foundation Establishment cultivators were a tiny minority; the core force consisted entirely of Qi Refinement cultivators. Since the poison spring could help Qi Refinement disciples enhance their natal insect gu, it was no wonder they valued it so highly. "If Senior does not believe me, you may visit Black Wind Valley after this matter is resolved to see for yourself." Cui Xuanzi kowtowed once more. "Please, Senior, for the sake of Junior's diligent service, aid Junior this once! Junior is willing to lead the entire Five Insects Sect to submit beneath Senior's banner and enshrine Senior as our patron!" Qin Sang sneered inwardly. As a dignified Core Formation cultivator in a barren place like the Western Frontier where he had no intention of lingering, wouldn't becoming a patron of the Five Insects Sect be demeaning himself? However, on second thought, it might not be entirely useless. Over the past month and more, Qin Sang had scoured more than half of the Bear Mountain region, even searching the subterranean rivers, yet he had still failed to locate the ancient teleportation array. If he continued to come up empty-handed, gathering a few native factions to keep collecting information before he left would not be a bad alternative. Cui Xuanzi was a clever man; if he submitted wholeheartedly, he could be of some help, not to mention that Yagu was still cultivating in the Five Insects Sect. Seeing that Qin Sang had not directly refused and appeared to be contemplating the matter, Cui Xuanzi was overjoyed, hurriedly swearing solemn oaths and pledging spirit stones and treasures. Qin Sang was already swayed, but he knew full well he could not remain here to keep watch, so it was best not to let Cui Xuanzi hold unchecked sway. Bringing the people outside under his control alongside the Five Insects Sect so they could keep each other in check would maintain stability and ensure they served him with all their effort. In any case, Qin Sang had no intention of contesting their interests; he looked down on both the spirit stone vein and the poison spring of Black Wind Valley. If these factions ever brought him trouble, he could simply walk away at any moment. With this in mind, Qin Sang inquired in detail about the backgrounds of Jinglei Stockade and Hundred Flowers Palace. Cui Xuanzi knew them intimately and wished nothing more than for Qin Sang to eradicate them, so he explained everything thoroughly, reassuring Qin Sang that there was no need for concern. Given how remote this place was, outside factions could not even be bothered to glance this way; neither Jinglei Stockade nor Hundred Flowers Palace possessed any backing. After understanding the situation thoroughly, Qin Sang nodded and said, "Open the mountain-protecting grand array and let them in." "Yes! This disciple will bring them in at once!" Overjoyed and quick to curry favor, Cui Xuanzi went so far as to refer to himself as a disciple, only to be sternly rebuked and stopped by Qin Sang. *** "Old Cui Xuan, how is your contemplation coming along?" Seeing Cui Xuanzi return, Thunder Ghost Elder shouted loudly. Confident of victory, he was certain Cui Xuanzi would yield. While Cui Xuanzi had left wearing a face full of sorrow, he returned radiant and smiling. Coming back to the edge of the mountain-protecting grand array, he dispersed the formation and sneered, "If you have the guts, come inside to talk!" Thunder Ghost Elder and the alluring woman exchanged a glance, convinced Cui Xuanzi was merely bluffing. Thunder Ghost Elder spat. "Still playing mystery games at a time like this!" With that, Thunder Ghost Elder took the lead, and the crowd filed in after him, swaggering into the Five Insects Sect and heading straight for the Sect Master Hall.