Chapter 174: Politics Are Lame

Chapter 174: Politics Are Lame

Song San stared at me, his gaze unreadable, a small smile gracing his lips. He looked as calm as always. Though my words might have cut deep, revealing his hidden desires, he no longer appeared like an ambitious man.

But I could sense his greed for the Clan Leader position. After all, why else would he have agreed to send me to the Sect Leader back then, knowing what I intended to do? At the time, I had wanted to release Song Song and success in that meant the Sect Leader would have to metaphorically butt heads with the Song Clan Leader—Song San's father.

A poison recipe had been a cheap payment; he wanted chaos in the Song Clan. I thought back on those days, trying to determine his true intentions—not by what he said, but by what his actions revealed.

He raised a questioning brow as if inviting me to speak. We didn't have much time; the monstrous beast was captivating, yet some might notice us. The more perceptive Core Elders likely already noticed but simply didn't care.

Perhaps when he had helped me meet the Sect Leader, he wanted to force the Song Clan Leader to choose a successor soon, with himself as the most likely candidate now that Song Song no longer had support. Or it could be something along those lines. Perhaps he just wanted me to believe that all along. Either way, it didn't matter as long as he accepted.

I didn't want his untrustworthy self around, either. But the people backing him were another issue entirely.

Only one group in the Blazing Sun Sect could completely erase its presence, like Song San. It was probably a technique similar to that used by the swamp people, though more refined and effective anywhere.

We already knew who his father was, and Song Song no longer had the same support. She didn't have the technique he did, either. So, it was safe to assume he had backing from his mother's side.

"What can be given can also be taken," Song San said, breaking the silence. "If Song Song hands me the Clan Leader position, she can take it away just as easily."

Though greedy and ambitious, he wasn't stupid by any means. I didn't enjoy clashing wits with others; I'd rather face a dumb opponent, easily angered, than deal with this. But people rarely got to choose their battles.

Without waiting for me to respond, Song San smiled, his eyes lighting up like green fire. "My dear sister might just decide to destroy the Song Clan when she gets that power. I can't be a Clan Leader with no one to lead."

"I think you're overstating Song Song's sense of justice here," I said, trying to play his words off like a joke.

Song San met my jest and added, "Well, perhaps she might have a righteous hero whispering in her ear."

For every secret he revealed, he kept back five. But no matter how much it annoyed me, this was not the place to show such emotions.

"I'll give you my word that she won't do that as long as you're the Clan Leader," I said. He surely caught the play on words, but that was exactly what I wanted.

“Your word? What does your word even mean?” Song San asked, his gaze drifting toward the corpse of the monstrous beast.

“Song Song hasn’t killed anyone since she’s been out of prison.”

“Except for that one guy she absolutely butchered in the tournament, that girl she maimed, and a couple of other people,” he added.

“You know what I mean. She hasn’t gone on a blind rampage. Because I gave my word to the Sect Leader and others that she wouldn’t immediately revert to her old habits once she was out. My word means something,” I refuted calmly.

I knew I was taking too much credit, but I needed Song San to believe my word carried weight.

An eerie calmness settled between us for a few seconds before he shrugged.

“Perhaps the Sect Leader decided to trust you, and maybe he was right. But your words and promises don’t mean anything to me,” he said, shrugging. “I can’t base my future on the hot air you spew out.”

The smile slipped from his face, and his eyes darkened. For a split second, his gaze flickered toward his sister. It was no surprise—Song Song was staring straight at us, meeting his gaze.

“Let’s talk seriously now. Give me some actual guarantees that you won’t annihilate the Song Clan and kill me as soon as you’re in a position of power,” he said, his voice deeper, more serious now that the false smile was gone.

“You mean as soon as your sister is in a position of power, right?” I asked, taking his stance and smiling to hide any betraying thoughts that might be written on my face.

Song San mirrored my smile. “Of course, just a slip of the tongue. You’re clearly sticking by my sister out of sheer devotion and nothing else.”

What a dick.

But I wasn’t here to engage in pointless arguments. It was clear he wouldn’t be convinced by just my word. He needed a logical reason. If he wanted logic, I would give it to him.

One thing was bringing in support from outside, like the Liu Clan. Involving outsiders like the other great Sects was something else entirely. We might end up making an enemy of the Sect Leader—the last thing we needed.

As I thought of the Sect Leader, my gaze drifted again to the dead monstrous beast.

The massive crow-like creature sprawled across the ground, its body a stark contrast against the barren landscape. Its four large, mangled and tattered wings fanned out awkwardly, draping over the crater's edges. Dark, thick blood seeped from numerous wounds, pooling into a small lake. Its four crimson eyes—two of which were still intact—were now dull and lifeless, staring blankly into the void. But not for long, as the eyes were plucked out and the beast was cut up, the Core Elders took what they wanted and stored it in their rings.

Honestly, I didn't have any grand dreams for this alliance either. Song Song's brother would stab us in the back the moment the other side offered him more benefits. We weren't much better—it would be pointless to go above and beyond for someone like that. He wouldn't reciprocate the effort.

The Core Elders seemed to have decided while I was talking with Song San on what to do with the old swamp guy. The nonchalant brutality inflicted upon the old swamp man was chilling. They had severed his legs and arms, plucked out his eyes, and even cut out his tongue. He was left helpless, with no will to fight.

The casual display of cruelty left me a bit queasy. But I knew when my opinions were pointless to voice.

I understood why they had done it. They were cautious, ensuring that the technique he was planning to use wouldn't activate if they killed him. They placed a strange artifact on him near one of the few monstrous beasts that had survived.

They wanted to kill the man and be far away in case the sacrificial technique was dangerous. Most suspected it was meant to summon the crow-like monstrous beast, but with so many techniques out there, no one was taking chances. The crow-like beast could have had a mate, or perhaps another monstrous beast could be summoned with a sacrifice.

After that, it was another stretch of traveling—this time uninterrupted. As we journeyed, I couldn't help but dwell on the brutal manner in which we had left the old man.

When it came to killing, I always tried to do it quickly. But at the same time, I understood where the Core Elders were coming from.

The rest of the trip wasn’t as idyllic as it had started, and we finally reached a jungle. Within that tapestry of trees and vines lay old ruins, stones covered in algae, and vines wrapped around them like ancient scars.

It was at that moment that Song Song’s brother decided it would be a good idea to travel next to us. He had a smile on his face and said nothing at first. From an outside perspective, it might even seem like he was a supportive older brother.

Song San spoke as we ducked and dodged branches that seemed poised to snag our clothes.

“Do you know why this joint expedition even happened?” he asked, drawing the attention of my cousins and some others nearby.

“Obviously not,” Song Song replied. “It’s supposed to be a secret. Wouldn’t be much of a good secret if everyone knew about it.”

Song San ignored his sister’s confrontational tone. He looked around, and when no one else answered, he continued, “Some strange pulse of Qi has been stemming from this place, almost like a smoke signal, but with the rhythm of a heartbeat.”

That description made no sense under normal circumstances, but it was perfect when it came to Qi and how it felt.

“Many assumed it was an immortal who wanted his tomb found at this exact time,” Song San continued. “You know, immortals have strange powers, like how the Blazing Sun Immortal can see the future in the fire.”

What? Obviously, no one would know that.

After that, he didn’t say much more, letting the others discuss his revelations.

We traveled deeper into the jungle until we saw what looked like a statue.

It was a large head, structured in such a way that suggested the statue was much larger, but everything below the neck was buried deep underground.

The statue depicted a handsome man, his features carved with meticulous attention to detail. It was an almost lifelike piece of art. However, the passage of time had left its mark. Fine cracks meandered across the edges of his forehead, tracing lines that spoke of age and exposure. These imperfections added a layer of fragility to the statue—it looked like one good hit would shatter it to pieces.

Suddenly, a shuddering sound emanated from the statue, and everyone went on guard, their Qi flaring as they prepared for a fight.

But then, the statue turned almost lifelike as it opened its mouth, saying, “Welcome, tomb raiders.”

Its voice was deep and gravelly, like a man who hadn’t drunk water in a while.

Well, the voice suited a statue.