After forty or fifty breaths, the Third Elder was the first to speak.
"Is there a need to be in such a hurry? The Great Elder and the others are still confident of a successful sealing. Fifth Elder has just returned, and you are rushing over again. It will give the other party the wrong impression, as if we are desperate to relocate."
"Even in a normal negotiation, a proper plan must be made. Otherwise, I feel the initiative will be completely in their hands. In such a rush, it will be very difficult to negotiate a good outcome!" the Third Elder said with a serious expression.
The Second Elder's sudden decision was truly not the best way to negotiate. Even if the Tianli Clan were to relocate, they should still wear down the other party's edge to create more room for negotiation.
"Hehehe… I don't see it that way. We are currently in an unknown phase. In the end, the sealing of the fifth-rank Wind Beast underground is just a guess. Whether it's good or bad could change in an instant."
"We can take advantage of the fact that Yan San and his group haven't turned on us again to free up manpower to go out."
"In addition, we also need to further investigate the Qionglin Sect's true strength. The next time the Great Elder goes, he will have a better grasp of both sides' bottom lines!"
At this moment, the Fourth Elder chuckled and began to refute the Third Elder. Now everyone understood: the faction led by the Second Elder had already made their stance very clear.
The Second Elder no longer spoke, his gaze merely shifting from the Great Elder to Gong Shanhe, and then from Gong Shanhe back to the Great Elder.
"In that case, Second Elder and Fifth Elder, please be careful. I won't say more, but after all, we are of the same clan!"
Just as a strange silence began to descend upon the hall, Gong Shanhe's gaze fixed on the Second Elder. He spoke with a grave expression, and his last sentence was delivered with great solemnity.
"Thank you, Clan Head!"
The Second Elder bowed slightly to Gong Shanhe. Then he turned, without looking at anyone else, and strode out of the hall. The Fourth Elder also smiled faintly and followed the Second Elder out.
"If anything comes up, you may notify this poor nun again!"
As Hong Yin's voice echoed in the hall, her figure had already vanished. Her purpose here was to confirm the sealing. She couldn't care less about the internal struggles of the Tianli Clan.
However, if something were to truly happen, she would of course only follow the orders of Gong Shanhe's side. Even if she were asked to deal with the Second Elder, she would not hesitate in the slightest. What was killing, after all?
She hated getting bogged down in such matters. According to her temper, in a sect, if someone was disobedient, you simply cleaned up the house.
"I will personally deliver the sixth layer of the cultivation method to you in a moment!"
Gong Shanhe nodded at Li Yan. By now, Gong Chenying had also stood up and moved to Li Yan's side. Without another word, the two of them left Tianli Hall together.
Reading between the lines, Gong Shanhe wanted to have a private conversation with the Great Elder and the others, and he didn't want Li Yan or Hong Yin to be part of it.
In reality, with their intelligence, both Hong Yin and Li Yan could basically guess what they were going to discuss. Like Hong Yin, Li Yan also disliked being dragged into such boring struggles and was eager to leave as soon as possible.
…
In a secret chamber within the Tianli Clan, seven softly glowing night-luminescent pearls on the ceiling brightly illuminated the room.
The Second Elder, Fourth Elder, and Fifth Elder were seated together. The light stretched their shadows long and slanted, all the way to a wall at the rear, where they bent at an angle and were cast upright in a strange, distorted manner.
"Second Brother, what are your thoughts on the sealing?" the Fourth Elder looked at the Second Elder. Privately, they addressed each other more intimately.
The Second Elder was leaning back in a large armchair, holding a massive water-pipe . This kind of water-pipe was a favorite of many in the Tianli Clan since their youth. It could both dispel dampness from the body and refresh the mind.
The environment where the Tianli Clan resided was somewhat damp year-round, but this no longer had any effect on cultivators.
However, the Second Elder had developed this habit in his youth. Even after reaching the Nascent Soul Realm, he would still take it out for a few puffs when contemplating a problem or when he was alone.
"Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle…"
After a series of sounds, the Second Elder slowly exhaled a mouthful of milky white smoke.
"When it comes to controlling the overall situation, none of you are his match. Neither am I a match for Gong Shengguang!"
"He would not joke with the lives of his clansmen. Although I was not present at the time of the sealing, Gong Shengguang would certainly have been wary of Li Yan and would have repeatedly confirmed the result!"
"And after fighting with the three Wind Beast clans for so many years, what kind of cunning does Yan San possess? Do you think he's easy to fool? This person's schemes are the most insidious of any Wind Beast we have seen in generations!"
Having said this, he pressed his mouth to the opening of the large bamboo pipe and again made a "gurgle, gurgle, gurgle…" sound.
"Does this mean that the sealing by that brat surnamed Li was really successful? But Second Brother, your meaning… why does it seem like the clan still needs to relocate? The Qionglin Sect's intentions are certainly not pure!"
The Fifth Elder had by now taken a pill and his complexion had returned to normal. His tone was filled with doubt.
He wasn't truly stupid. When he was negotiating with the Qionglin Sect, he had also seen through their intentions and had been carefully on guard against them.
It was just that he had just returned today and, after a voice transmission with the Second Elder, the latter had demanded that no matter what the Great Elder's side said, he was to refute the results of the sealing and at the same time show an extreme desire to relocate.
This had forced him, having just returned and not yet understanding the sealing matter, to start acting according to instructions. However, his dislike for Li Yan was also real. This person, with his own power, had blocked the development of the other branch lineages.
"Fifth Brother, the reason is precisely because of this!"
The Fourth Elder had already discerned the Second Elder's view from his words and sighed deeply in his heart. He understood the Second Elder's intention today. One word: "balance!"
"Fourth Brother, be more specific!"
Although the Fifth Elder was not stupid, when he was with the Second Elder and the others, he didn't like to think too much. Both of them were smarter than him; they could just give him the answer.
"The sealing was successful. Li Yan is a 'Qing A Wang', Gong Shanhe's son-in-law, and a great benefactor of the Tianli Clan. This outcome can only enhance Gong Shanhe's prestige and make his position more and more stable. It will be even more difficult for us to reclaim the position of Clan Head."
"So, Second Brother had you act that way to downplay the effect of the seal. Later, we can even secretly release news that there are problems with the seal."
"That way, not only will the impact of the sealing be greatly reduced, but it will also arouse all sorts of suspicions among the clan members."
"There is another point: we cannot let Li Yan easily obtain the last three layers of the cultivation method. That requires entering the ancestral land to inherit and comprehend."
"Each time one enters to comprehend, it consumes the Power of Faith on 'Qiongqi'. Every shred of faith power lost requires tens of millions of clan members to spend countless years in devout prayer to accumulate again."
The Fourth Elder said with a sigh.
They fought back and forth with the other side, competing for all sorts of resources within the clan, including the hearts and minds of the people.
"Hmph, Li Yan!"
Upon hearing the Fourth Elder's explanation, especially the name Li Yan, the Fifth Elder couldn't help but snort heavily.
He couldn't beat him, but the Tianli Clan's character was to practice harder if you lose, and sooner or later beat the opponent to a pulp. It was impossible to make him submit so easily.
"So, are we really going to negotiate the relocation with the Qionglin Sect again?" the Fifth Elder then asked. He had already thought of a possibility, but the outcome shocked him.
At this moment, the Second Elder raised his head again.
"We must go and talk, and strive to get some islands in the inner circle of the Qionglin Sect. The willingness they conveyed to you means there is room for negotiation."
"And we have reached a point where we have no choice but to talk. The biggest reason I want to go and talk personally is that Li Yan gave the manual for sealing the fifth-rank Yin Mountain Beast only to Gong Shengguang and Gong Shanhe."
"This point is the most crucial and the most important. The biggest hidden danger here now is that fifth-rank Wind Beast, and the means of control are all in their hands."
"In the future, even if we take the position of Clan Head, as long as our cultivation doesn't surpass Gong Shengguang's, the sealing manual will, in all likelihood, still not be in our hands."
"To put it bluntly, without the sealing manual, Yan San will only join forces with them. The true power of the clan will still be in their hands."
The Second Elder put down his water-pipe, his eyes like a hawk's.
"Therefore, we must be the ones to go and negotiate with the Qionglin Sect, and Fourth Brother, you must stay in the clan and watch Gong Shengguang and their every move."
"Once I've settled things over there, a lot of the initiative and resources will be in our hands. If we can then gain the support of the Qionglin Sect, we will have the capital to come back and negotiate terms with Gong Shengguang."
"At that time, if Gong Shengguang releases the resources we want, then we will continue to stay. Otherwise… otherwise, we will lead our own people and leave this place!"
When he said the words "our own people," his tone had become heavy.
Although the Fifth Elder had already guessed, hearing it confirmed still left his eyes wide with horror. The Fourth Elder, however, wore a faint smile.
…
In another secret chamber, the Great Elder, Gong Shanhe, the Third Elder, and the Sixth Elder were also gathered.
"They intend to split the clan. If the Great Sacrificial Priest knew the Tianli Clan had come to this, he would surely suppress Miao Youxian on the spot!" The Third Elder's face was cold, and her body faintly pulsed with magical power.
"First, the Second Elder only requested to go and talk with the Qionglin Sect himself; he did not clearly state his attitude, so we cannot label him unjustly."
"Second, even if he proposes to leave with his clansmen, at most we can only place some restrictions on the allocation of resources; we cannot stop him at all."
"Without the Great Sacrificial Priest, the various branch lineages of the Tianli Clan cannot be completely unified. Even the Great Elder and I combined cannot do it. That is the will of the people, the will of a clan lineage. They are not surnamed Gong, nor Sikou, nor Kuaye."
Gong Shanhe frowned. They had, of course, already guessed the Second Elder's intentions. After so many years of scheming against each other, they understood one another all too well.
"What I'm worried about is that the Second Elder is too eager for quick success and might fall into their trap. Why don't you, Shanhe, accompany them?" The Great Elder's old brows were also tightly knitted. He looked up at Gong Shanhe.
"Don't even mention me. Even if you sent the Sixth Elder with them, they would refuse. The Second Elder will not let us accompany him, lest we interfere with his plans."
"However, I can try to ask. If he really agrees, then I will accompany them on this trip."
Gong Shanhe shook his head. He had also already considered this, and the possibility was extremely slim.
…
On a mountain peak at the rear of the Tianli Clan's territory, Li Yan and Gong Chenying were sitting side-by-side under a large tree. The tree reached for the sky, its massive canopy like a giant umbrella, swaying only slightly in the mountain wind.
After leaving Tianli Hall, Li Yan had suggested a casual walk.
Gong Chenying immediately agreed. Since coming to the Tianli Clan a few years ago, Li Yan had been constantly busy, and the two of them had not had much time to be alone.
The rare times they were together were always about how to deal with the Wind Beasts. It was a rare moment of temporary leisure.
The last time Li Yan tested his prayer bead magical treasure, he had gone to the back mountain of the Tianli Clan and had taken a liking to it. It was vast and sparsely populated, very quiet and secluded.
Li Yan still preferred an environment like Little Bamboo Peak , a quiet place to live where there was no such struggle for power among the martial brothers.
Soon, they chose a spot on the precipice of a cliff. Looking down from the mountaintop, one could see a sea of green trees, rising and falling like waves in the mountain wind.
The wind blew across their faces. From time to time, a few birds of prey would circle in the sky, but after sensing the auras of Li Yan and his companion, they would let out a few cries that echoed through the heavens and earth, then flap their wings and fly far away!
Gong Chenying rested her head on Li Yan's broad shoulder.