Chapter 466: Do One's Best

In an open space on the top of the Song family mountain, Song Qingming and Huang Siyuan were trying to drive dozens of small golden insects dancing in the air.

These small golden insects were precisely the "Golden Illusion Butterflies," spirit insects obtained from a Foundation Establishment old man after Song Qingming participated in a Tiandan Alliance auction and killed him on the road together with Xu Ziyuan.

Because those "Golden Illusion Butterflies" could not be re-bound to a new master back then, Song Qingming could only temporarily hand them over to the family's Beast-Taming Pavilion for feeding. Now that more than twenty years had passed, the Golden Illusion Butterflies fed in the Beast-Taming Pavilion finally produced their first batch of new spirit insects a year ago.

Although these newly born "Golden Illusion Butterfly" larvae currently had no combat ability, according to the records in the "Golden Hearing Beast-Taming Record" that Song Qingming obtained from that old man, as long as one was willing to spend some resources to cultivate them properly, these spirit insects could mature to a certain degree in about four or five years and could unleash their innate divine abilities. By then, they would be of some help to cultivators.

However, to reach the level of the "Golden Illusion Butterflies" cultivated by that Foundation Establishment old man back then, which could contend with late-stage Foundation Establishment powerhouses without falling behind, it would require more resources and time investment. It was certainly impossible to achieve in a short time.

Since seeing Song Qingming learn the insect-driving technique to control these "Golden Illusion Butterflies" a few days ago, Huang Siyuan was also very interested in these spirit insects. Not long after, under Song Qingming's guidance, she planted restrictions on a portion of the "Golden Illusion Butterflies" and learned this secret insect-driving technique.

Anyway, there were still some mature "Golden Illusion Butterfly" spirit insects in the Song family's Beast-Taming Pavilion, and new spirit insects could continue to be cultivated in the future. Giving a portion of the spirit insects to Huang Siyuan would not have much impact on Song Qingming's future research and cultivation of "Golden Illusion Butterflies."

Just as Song Qingming and Huang Siyuan were still practicing controlling the "Golden Illusion Butterflies" on the mountain top, Song Qingyu, who had hurried over, smiled at the two of them, "Seventh Brother, Sister-in-law, on such an important day, I didn't expect you two to still be in such a leisurely mood. The banquet hall is all prepared, and everyone is waiting for you. Why not come back later to study these spirit insects slowly!"

Song Qingming smiled upon hearing this, quickly cast a spell to put the "Golden Illusion Butterflies" that were still dancing in mid-air into a spirit beast bag, and led Huang Siyuan over together.

"Qingyu, has Senior Chu arrived yet?"

After the two Jin Dan cultivators entered and took their seats, Song Qingyu at the side officially announced the start of the banquet. Soon, Song family cultivators brought up plate after plate of delicious spirit food and fine wine.

After Song Qingming and Chu Fengping drank two cups, they stood up, raised their wine glasses to the crowd, and said loudly, "Everyone being able to come to my Mount Funiu today is giving face to Song. I will toast everyone a cup first, and I hope that everyone can work together in the future to protect this territory of the sect together with my Song family!"

"Senior Brother Chu, Qingming pays his respects!"

After the two exchanged a few polite words, Song Qingming led Chu Fengping into the banquet hall. This very spacious banquet hall was actually the Song family's original family council chamber, which had been renovated and decorated for the occasion.

Because Song Qingming intentionally did not want to hold a grand event, for this celebration of the family's promotion to a Jin Dan immortal family, the Song family only invited the Foundation Establishment families from Qinghe and Pingyang counties to come, as well as some Xiaoyao Sect Foundation Establishment cultivators who were stationed in nearby markets and mineral veins all year round.

Seeing Song Qingming stand up to toast, the Foundation Establishment cultivators present stood up respectfully one after another and drank the spirit wine in their cups.

The twenty-plus Foundation Establishment cultivators sitting in the banquet hall, seeing Song Qingming and Chu Fengping walk in, hurriedly stood up to pay their respects.

"Senior Brother Chu being able to condescend to come to my small Mount Funiu can already be considered giving my Song family immense face. Today, Song will definitely accompany Senior Brother to drink a few more cups. Please, come in quickly!"

The three walked down from the mountain top. Just as they arrived at the entrance of the banquet hall, Chu Fengping, dressed in a gray Daoist robe, walked toward them with two disciples.

After Song Qingming and Chu Fengping nodded slightly and greeted everyone present, they walked directly to the seats of honor in the banquet and sat down.

"Many thanks for the senior's favor!"

Song Qingyu nodded and said, "Senior Chu has already arrived at the foot of the mountain. I asked Yuanli to go down first to welcome him. By the time we arrive at the banquet hall, I reckon Senior Chu should also be about to arrive on the mountain."

Just as Song Qingming sat down, Chu Fengping at the side also stood up, raised his wine glass, and faced the crowd with a solemn face, "Now the situation in the north of the sect is turbulent. Fortunately, Junior Brother Song has successfully formed his core. This matter is the sect's fortune, and it is also the good fortune of all of you present."

Chu Fengping smiled, stepped forward, and returned the salute with cupped hands, "Today, Senior Brother comes here only to ask for a cup of spirit wine. Junior Brother Song, please don't be overly polite."

"Now that Junior Brother Song has assumed the position of guest elder of the sect, all affairs of the sect in Qinghe and Pingyang in the future will all be handled by Junior Brother Song. In the future, if any of you dare to disobey Junior Brother Song's orders, you will all be treated as betraying the sect. I hope everyone is aware of this matter."

Hearing such stern words from Chu Fengping, the Foundation Establishment cultivators below could not help but feel a bit surprised in their hearts and hurriedly nodded in agreement.

After Chu Fengping finished speaking, the atmosphere at the banquet scene also became a bit awkward, especially for those Xiaoyao Sect cultivators who had rushed over from nearby markets and sect mineral veins, a trace of confusion also appeared on their faces.

After the Song family was promoted to a Jin Dan family, they were assigned two counties, Qinghe and Pingyang. It is reasonable and expected for the Foundation Establishment families present to listen to Song Qingming's orders.

But the Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed by the sect in the two counties were all directly appointed by the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall and the Law Enforcement Hall to execute sect missions here. Logically speaking, even if Song Qingming became a guest elder of the sect, he would have no right to mobilize them at will.

Chu Fengping saying these words just now clearly also represented the sect's meaning. Not only the Xiaoyao Sect disciples present, but even the Song family members and Song Qingming himself had a trace of doubt in their hearts, not knowing what the Xiaoyao Sect's intention was in doing this.

After the banquet ended, everyone left one after another. Song Qingming also took the opportunity of seeing Chu Fengping off to directly ask, "Senior Brother Chu, yesterday I heard Qingyu tell me that among the congratulatory gifts sent by the sect, there was actually a Foundation Establishment Pill."

"Junior Brother has just joined the sect and has not yet made any contribution to the sect, yet I have already received such heavy gifts one after another. My heart truly does not know why the sect favors me so much. Can Senior Brother give me a hint now, so that Junior Brother can have fewer doubts in my heart?"

Upon hearing Song Qingming ask about this matter, Chu Fengping hurriedly raised his hand slightly to cast a sound-insulation secret technique around the two of them, and only then did he smilingly reply:

"Junior Brother Song, you have now joined the sect, and all matters in the sect should have been made known to you in a timely manner. It is just that now the beast turmoil is approaching, and there is some panic within the sect. Some things are indeed inconvenient to say now, for fear that it will affect the sect's handling of the northern beasts next. I hope Junior Brother can understand."

"As for the spirit items recently gifted to Junior Brother, these are all the sect's good intentions. You can rest assured and accept them. Next, we must immediately deal with the beast turmoil. By then, I reckon we will still have to rely on Junior Brother to lead everyone to guard Pingyang County."

After hearing Chu Fengping's answer, Song Qingming nodded calmly and said, "I hope Senior Brother and the sect can rest assured. The beast turmoil concerns the survival of our human race. Qingming will naturally do my best."

"Then I will have to trouble Junior Brother!" Chu Fengping bowed to Song Qingming with a solemn face.

Watching the few rays of spiritual light disappear into mid-air, Song Qingming stood where he was and fell into deep thought.

After the conversation with Chu Fengping just now, although he did not directly answer Song Qingming's question, Song Qingming had already heard some subtext.

From the Xiaoyao Sect being in such a hurry to pull him into the sect before, Song Qingming had already vaguely felt that this matter was a bit suspicious. Then, the Xiaoyao Sect not only sent such precious spirit items as a Foundation Establishment Pill, but also handed over all the sect cultivators in Qinghe and Pingyang to his command.

The Xiaoyao Sect's intention was now very clear: they intended to hand over the defense of the vast area of Pingyang County in northeast Wei Guo against the beasts directly to Song Qingming and did not intend to send other Jin Dan cultivators to support them here.

A hundred years ago, during the last beast turmoil, two Jin Dan beast kings suddenly appeared in Pingyang County, catching the human side off guard, and even Jin Shan Market and half of Pingyang County fell into the hands of the beasts.

Although Song Qingming was only a small Qi Refining cultivator during that great battle, he was also a personal witness to the entire battle. He saw with his own eyes the miserable state of Pingyang County after Jin Shan Market was breached by the beasts, and the memory is still vivid to this day.

If it hadn't been for the timely reinforcements of the two Jin Dan ancestors of the Xiaoyao Sect, Lu Boyang and Chu Fengping, who held the Huoyun Mountain defense line, I fear the entire northeast of Wei Guo might have fallen into the hands of the beasts.

The Xiaoyao Sect actually dared to hand over such a vast defense line to Song Qingming, a person who had just broken through to the Jin Dan realm. It can be seen that something truly bad might have happened within the sect, forcing them to choose to do so.

"It seems I really didn't guess wrong. Among Yao Ganshu and Bai Yuxian in the Xiaoyao Sect, at least one of them must be unable to participate in this beast turmoil. Otherwise, it would be impossible for the Xiaoyao Sect to entrust such an important matter to me."

After Song Qingming returned from the Xiaoyao Sect this time, he had already vaguely felt that something was wrong. He also did not expect that he would have to shoulder such a heavy responsibility just after successfully forming his core. Thinking of this, Song Qingming also felt a bit helpless in his heart.

According to the situation of the last beast turmoil, this time in Pingyang County, it is highly likely that there will still be third-tier beast kings coming to attack with a large number of beasts, and it is possible that more than one beast king will appear.

If this situation truly occurs, relying on Song Qingming alone to lead the cultivators of the two counties to hold Jin Shan Market and Pingyang County would indeed be very difficult. However, this is also the worst-case scenario that Song Qingming estimated in his heart.

As long as the Song family is still in Qinghe County, no matter what, Song Qingming cannot avoid this beast turmoil. Even if he is somewhat unwilling to shoulder this heavy responsibility in his heart, for the sake of these clansmen under the mountain, and for the sake of the millions of lives in northeast Wei Guo, Song Qingming must also do his best.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 467 =====