Chapter 120: The Song Family's Upheaval!

"Old Three, Second Uncle, what do you intend to do?"

Song Tianhao's smile faded from his eyes, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity.

He had a vague suspicion in his heart, yet still could not believe that a collateral branch would turn on each other over the position of Family Head.

After all, the prefectural city is not dominated solely by the Song Family.

If they turn on each other, no matter who wins, the Song Family will inevitably suffer grave harm to its vitality.

The remaining branch alone cannot withstand the pressure and attacks from other families.

The ultimate outcome can only be mutual destruction.

On this point, both he and Second Elder Song Ci are fully aware.

Therefore, no matter how much the collateral branch dislikes the main line, they can only hold their noses and gradually erode and dismantle the main line's industry and authority through marriage alliances with the Tian Family.

And he himself, having seen this clearly, had initially acquiesced in the Elder Council to Song Yan taking in a son-in-law, Tian Bai, to buy time for the main line to accumulate strength.

These past three years, he has trained day and night, constantly raising his cultivation realm.

At the same time, he widely recruited talents and brought in Guest Ministers, finally gaining some confidence to stand against the collateral branch.

Yet he never expected that, on the eve of his success, the collateral branch would strike first.

Moreover, judging by their posture, it is not merely a simple pressure to abdicate, forcing him to yield the Family Head position, but they come with killing intent.

They... want to kill me!

As this thought arose, Song Tianhao's heart, which had still been burning hot, instantly sank to the bottom of a valley, as if fallen into an icy abyss.

"As you said, once that Qin-surnamed returns to the prefectural city, he will surely settle accounts with us of the collateral branch. Since that is the case, we can only strike first."

Song Ci's voice was low and deep, his eyes firm and resolute, clearly having made up his mind before coming here.

"You want to kill me and seize the Family Head position?"

Song Tianhao's gaze sank and hardened, his voice cold: "Never mind whether you can kill me or not; even if you did, just the two of you, father and son, could you withstand the Fang Family's attack? Could you withstand Qin Shuo's retaliation?"

"You are bringing about your own destruction!"

As he spoke these last words, his tone suddenly rose, his breath terrifying, his two eyes like a fierce tiger about to devour someone, fixed firmly on Song Ci.

"Family Head Song is joking; we of the Fang Family and the Song Family are allies—how could we possibly attack each other?"

At this moment, a gentle voice came from outside the courtyard, like a basin of ice water, dousing the momentum Song Tianhao had just raised.

"Fang Yongping?"

Song Tianhao's pupils contracted sharply, his gaze fixed on the figure slowly entering the courtyard, his face full of astonishment and shock.

Then he turned fiercely toward Song Ci, shouting angrily: "Song Ci, what do you intend to do?"

"Do you intend to betray the ancestors of the Song Family? You actually colluded with the Fang Family for the Family Head position?"

Murderous fury blazed in Song Tianhao's eyes.

Fang Yongping's appearance shattered the last sliver of hope in his heart and simultaneously enraged him completely.

How many years have the Song and Fang Families feuded? Casualties on both sides are countless; they have long been mortal enemies.

Now, Song Ci and his son, for the sake of the so-called Family Head struggle, actually do not hesitate to ally with their mortal enemy—this is something Song Tianhao cannot accept no matter what.

If Song Ci and his son had defeated him openly and honorably, he would die without complaint.

Victory to the king, defeat to the bandit—such has always been the way.

But the other side actually abandoned ancestral teachings, colluded with external enemies, and joined forces with age-old foes to attack their own household—this Song Tianhao cannot accept at all.

The flames of anger burned fiercely in the depths of Song Tianhao's eyes.

His gaze swept over Song Ci and his son; at this moment, only one thought filled his heart: the Song Family may perish, but those who abandon the family must die!

"Song Ci, you and your son actually colluded with the Fang Family to deal with Second Uncle—are you still members of the Song Family?"

Song Yan was equally trembling with rage.

His father, his grandfather, for the family, all died in the struggles against the Fang Family.

And now, Song Ci and his son have actually joined forces with the Fang Family to attack their own main line—how could Song Yan not be angry?

Even the gentle woman beside them now had a face as cold as frost, her chest heaving violently, clearly also greatly angered.

"Hmph! The Song Family has come to this pass entirely because of you forcing it."

Faced with the loud questioning from Song Tianhao and the others, Song Ci's expression showed no ripple; he said coldly: "If you had not forcibly dragged that Qin-surnamed rustic into the Earth Cave dispute, how could my Song Family have fallen into today's situation?"

"If it were merely for the Family Head position, I would naturally be willing to proceed slowly."

"But now, saying anything is too late!"

"If blame is to be assigned, blame you for meddling with the wrong person and provoking a great disaster star."

"It is that rustic, it is he who has caused my Song Family's present plight—not me!"

Song Ci spoke confidently and without regret about the alliance with the Fang Family.

They and that Qin-surnamed are already mortal enemies; given that youth's habit of crippling people's arms with ruthless viciousness, reconciliation with him is utterly impossible.

Therefore, they can only strike first.

Fortunately, that rustic possesses divine ability relics; now he is everyone's target, and those who wish to take his life are many, among whom there are certainly those who can counter his divine ability.

Thus, they dare to resort to a risky move and strike first.

As long as they control Song Yan, who has the best relationship with that Qin-surnamed, they gain an additional safeguard.

"You secretly attacked that young Qin brother?"

Song Tianhao's thoughts were extremely sharp; he quickly seized the key information.

Song Ci's action today is not to seize the Family Head position, but for self-preservation.

Why self-preserve?

Even if initially Qin Shuo and the collateral branch had conflicts over the Earth Cave dispute, it did not reach the point of life-and-death enmity.

After all, the Tian father and son have already had their arms crippled by Qin Shuo.

Although there were conflicts between the two sides, even considering his relationship with Song Yan, Qin Shuo could not possibly act against Song Ci and his son.

And he, from beginning to end, only wanted to reclaim the authority belonging to the direct line, and did not truly wish to fight his own kin.

Because no matter how great the conflict between the direct line and the collateral branches, it remains an internal affair of the Song Family.

For the Song Family to develop and survive in the prefectural city, they cannot do without the military support of the collateral branches; cutting off their own wings is something he would naturally never do.

And from Song Ci's words, it seems the other party has formed an irreconcilable grudge with Qin Shuo.

Then there is only one possibility……

The other party has acted against Qin Shuo!

That is why Song Ci said there is no longer any room for maneuver between the two sides.

"If I had known today would come, I should have spared no expense to keep that mud-leg in Erlong Mountain."

Song Tianlin spoke, his eyes surging with fierce light, clearly regretting that he had not been ruthless enough to eliminate Qin Shuo in Erlong Mountain back then.

"Now that it has come to this, Elder Brother Tianlin need not be angry; bring us to capture Song Yan, and that mud-leg will have no choice but to submit."

Fang Yongping smiled and spoke.

Although the Fang Family also offended Qin Shuo, they now still have a chance of victory.

Once that Qin surname is eliminated and the Song Family is greatly weakened, then the Fang Family will become the greatest victors.

"You overestimate my standing in Junior Brother Qin's heart." Song Yan coldly snorted.

Although she knew she likely could not escape death today, her eyes showed not the slightest fear, but instead ignited a lofty fighting spirit, a posture of preferring to be shattered jade rather than intact tile.

A flash of resolve crossed her eyes as she coldly laughed: "Junior Brother Qin has already attained divine powers; as soon as I die, you will have no leverage left to restrain him."

"Then I would like to see how your Fang Family and the collateral branches will withstand the wrath of a divine power wielder."

Before her words finished, she suddenly raised her fair right hand and struck her own temple.

It was she who, to break off her engagement with Tian Bai, dragged Qin Shuo into this mire of the Song Family.

On that day at Yingti Mountain, she had already made up her mind: if Qin Shuo fell into danger because of Song Family affairs, she was willing to sacrifice her life for him.

Today, the collateral branches and the Fang Family have joined forces, merely intending to use her to threaten Junior Brother Qin, making him hesitant to act, and possibly even having laid a trap and killing formation, waiting for Junior Brother Qin to walk into it.

Although she does not know whether Junior Brother Qin would risk himself for her sake.

But she cannot gamble, and she will not gamble!

She does not want to give these people even the slightest chance to use her to threaten Junior Brother Qin.

If she must become the knife to kill Junior Brother Qin, then she……

Would rather die!

"Attack!"

Almost at the moment Song Yan raised her hand, Song Ci, who had been closely watching the two, suddenly shouted violently.

The next second, several waves of mighty qi erupted simultaneously in the small courtyard, colliding with each other and producing a rumbling sound.

Thus, the internal strife of the Song Family officially began!