33 The Truth About The War

*Things like sexism and racism are purely for worldbuilding and to make it more realistic. Thank you for your understanding.*

The sun rose and set a total of three times before the summit of the elders concluded.

A lot of topics were discussed. Mainly, the preservation of the economy and relations of the Clan after the war had been fought. Other than that, the topics of discussion were war tactics.

Now, only six figures remained in the room on the highest floor of the main pagoda; five seated and one stood.

...

It was late at night and the moonlight shone into the room, igniting it with a deep and dark blue light. The air was warm and the night was young, it made one close their eyes as their robes felt many times more comfortable than in the day.

The two thrones on either side of the large black throne were taken by esteemed figures of the Clan who had lived for thousands of years. Currently present were the most powerful and trusted elders of the entire Qing Clan.

These figures truly pulled all of the strings.

A voice riddled with concern reverberated throughout the empty room. "My Lord, was it wise to keep the truth from the majority of the elders? I can't help but worry that if this information surfaced, trust between us will be lost."

Sat on his black throne, Qing Xie Han's brows furrowed and many black lines appeared on his forehead. He looked up at the major elder who had spoken with a ruthless gaze.

"And what would you suggest?! Tell the entirety of the Clan that I am guilty of treason?! That I would be wanted by the Heavenly Court?! Hold your tongue if you have nothing to offer!" The Patriarch spat the words like poison. However, when he mentioned the Heavenly Court, he couldn't help but lower his tone just a bit.

"Lord Father, as long as we do not sow discord, it will never come to light. There is no need to worry..." Xie Hongji spoke from behind his father's throne. His voice contained no worry and simply reassured his father that everything would be fine.

But instead of responding lightly, the Patriarch turned his head to look at his son. "You fool, the discord has already been sewn. The head of the Huoyan Clan knows. I am sure of it..." There was disappointment in his voice as he looked at Xie Hongji.

This made Xie Hongji scowl internally. "Lord Father, what I mean is that we should not make any rash decisions... The Huoyan Clan has not declared war on us nor threatened us with any information. War will take a huge toll on us, we shouldn't rush into it..." His voice softened towards the end as Xie Hongji lowered his eyes. He did not want to aggravate his father.

Hearing this, the Patriarch turned around and sank into his seat, deep in thought. The other major elders just sat there with creased brows, their faces displaying troubled expressions.

"Lord Patriarch, even though the Huoyan Clan has not taken any drastic action yet, they surely will. If you believe them to hold certain information about you, they now have a reason to use it. Not only that, we have already decided on ambushing them and have debriefed our elders on it. Taking decisive action will also dispel any thoughts of blackmail from other people holding this sensitive information." A major elder in a deep-blue robe spoke toward the Patriarch.

Stood out of sight, a disgusting expression surfaced on Xie Hongji's face. 'This elder Xuezhe... He wants war, I can feel it. Everybody knows that he believes peacetime regresses our youth. This bastard will stop at nothing to throw babies fresh out of the womb onto the battlefield.'

Peak Stage 6 Lightning path, Qing Xuezhe Mao; one of the most powerful elders in the Clan. His official role as the Academy Elder, in charge of turning mortals into cultivators with the most efficiency possible, has given him a great reputation and much political power. Not only this, his firm grasp on the title of "strongest elder" makes him a truly formidable foe.

"Academy elder, we should let the Patriarch make the final decision." Xie Hongji's voice came from behind his father's throne as a pair of cold eyes pierced the darkness and landed on the Academy Elder.

Feeling this cold gaze, elder Xuezhe only scoffed. He merely glanced at Xie Hongji with disdain. "Silence, boy. If it was up to me, you wouldn't even be allowed on this planet, let alone in this room. What does the adopted son who killed his elder brother have to say about that?" Elder Xuezhe felt the Patriarch's sharp gaze but spoke anyway. The disdain for Xue Hongji in his voice was blatant.

Xie Hongji's eyes shone with a dangerous light that he would never let his father see as he replied. "Academy elder, I don't have to tell you that this is the natural course of things, do I? My eldest brother was weak, and for that, he deserved to die. If you have any objection to that, take it up with your own brother. After all, he killed his son for the same reason, am I wrong?" His voice was lofty and aloof as he spoke down to a being that could shatter him into pieces with a gentle flare of his nostrils.

But elder Xuezhe said nothing back and only closed his eyes in annoyance. It was customary to purge weak children even in righteous forces. After all, children are the fruit of their parents' labour. For a child to disrespect his father or let him down is worthy of death in the cultivation world. In a world where there was no sympathy for the weak, children must keep in line.

Breaking the silence, another major elder raised his voice. "Ultimately, it comes down to whether we have the resolve to sacrifice lives to preserve the Clan. Lord Patriarch, if you believe sensitive information to lie in the hands of the enemy, we must strike them down with force! There are no two ways about it." His voice was justified and calm. He spoke with dignity and clear love for the Clan.

'Of course, elder Shai would leave everything to the Patriarch. This fool acts with dignity and pride but thinks nobody can see the schemer underneath. It's repulsive.' Xie Hongji directed his gaze toward an elder in yellow robes. A long, thin beard that reached his chest was on the face of the yellow-robed major elder.

Higher Stage 6 Wind path, Qing Shai Luo; a huge figure within the Clan due to his massive responsibility as the Hall Elder of Internal Affairs. What granted him so much power was the fact that many elders also belonged to the Hall of Internal Affairs, and elder Shai had the authority to govern them. Naturally, having dozens of Stage 6s under his command to manage the Hall of Internal Affairs, this elder was someone who could not be offended. Not only this, the Internal Hall of Affairs managed the policing and punishment of clansmen among other things. Elder Shai is the elder who decides whether criminals live or die.

"I agree with elder Shai. Deceiving the other elders was a smart thing to do in order to save face. Although we will be the ones initiating the war, there is no dishonour in fighting for freedom, is there?" A silver-robed elder with a head of black hair said aloud. Although he took a neutral stance on the matter, Xie Hongji ruthlessly viewed him as a lowly sycophant.

'Elder Bao, this lowly boot-licker. It is this type of person I hate the most.' Xie Hongji was ruthless in his judgment as he looked upon the silver-robed elder with scorn.

Higher Stage 6 Metal path, Qing Bao Yan; the Hall Elder of External Affairs. Similar to elder Shai, he had dozens of Stage 6s under his command. The Hall of External Affairs mostly dealt with outside relations and supplying the Clan with trade. It could be said that elder Bao put the food in the mouths of every clansman. With his wide network of friends and acquaintances across thousands of worlds, he was a formidable character.

...

If it was not obvious already, the conflict with the Huoyan Clan was not as it seemed. Although the Huoyan Clan did indeed blame the Qing Clan for the death of Huoyan Mei, they had not declared war. However, to hide the real reason why the Qing Clan was planning to wipe out the Huoyan Clan, the Patriarch had lied to his many elders.

In truth, the Patriarch suspected the head of the Huoyan Clan to possess some very sensitive information about himself. Information so sensitive, that if it was given to the Heavenly Court which regulated the Mortal Realm, the Qing Clan would be destroyed!

The Heavenly Courts set laws to govern the Mortal Realm justly. If broken, tens of Stage 8s would descend from the skies to dispense punishment on their behalf. The Heavenly Court could be said to be the strongest righteous force throughout the entire Mortal Realm. They took it upon themselves to uphold laws to preach righteousness. Because of this, cultivators stopped viewing them as a righteous force and now saw them as the rightful governers of the Mortal Realm!

As for what law the Patriarch of the Qing Clan had broken? It was one of the most serious laws that would always result in death if broken.

And it was: utilising an "unlocked soul" to alter the minds of people.

This law was normally ignored if broken in battle, however, when used en masse upon those much weaker than the aggressor, the Heavenly Courts were extremely strict. Directly seizing the free will of another sentient being and altering their memories was a heinous sin.

It was something which the Patriarch had committed in pursuit of "vanquishing evil." Although he used it with righteous intentions, the Heavenly Courts would not spare him. If they found out, a Stage 8 would descend to completely annihilate Qing Clan.

The Patriarch believed the head of the Huoyan Clan to know of this secret. And now that the Huoyan Clan had reason to incriminate him, the Patriarch had become extremely paranoid to the point of immediately declaring war to destroy the Huoyan Clan entirely.

To keep the hearts of the elders of the Qing Clan free of doubt, the Patriarch had deceived them. He had painted the Huoyan Clan as the aggressors that were aiming to destroy them. Using their loyalty, he had bred hate for his enemies. He had convinced the Clan to strike preemptively in a war that was about to commence when there was really no war at all. It would be an unwarranted and unexpected all-out attack from the Qing Clan.

And although the Patriarch felt massive guilt from his actions that stank of the evil path, he had resolved himself in the name of protecting his Clan. He felt that if he could live on, he could save more lives than he was about to take.

The population of the Huoyan Clan was in the tens of billions.

And now, even though he had already made the decision, he sought advice from his major elders in self-doubt.

...

Xie Hongji stared at the floor as immense disdain for his father brewed within.

'Father, you had decided to save the Clan by killing our enemies. But now that the time has come to do the deed, you are fearful. I bet you are thinking about how many lives you will have to sacrifice to murder the Huoyan Clan.' The eyes of Xie Hongji shone with an undeniably insidious light. 'Even if I had to sacrifice half of the Clan, I wouldn't hesitate. That is the difference between me and you, father. I am true to myself while you can't recognise the person beneath your eyes.'

"Lord Father..? Have you decided?" Xie Hongji spoke with respect that didn't exist within him. His scheming and unscrupulous nature toward even his loving father would make even babies look at him with disdain, but he didn't care. Those people had not realised that every decision he made was out of love for the Clan.

But was it love?

"Hmmm. Hongji, about what you said... The losses? How many do you think we'd lose?" The Patriarch mumbled. He did not have the noble bearing that he normally wore. But that showed how much he trusted those present. He knew that he could show weakness before them without bearing any consequences.

"Given that we are mobilising a large force to undergo a surprise ambush on their home planets, we should have to mobilise at least one-hundred-million warriors of the Clan as well as all of the elders for assurance. Of those, since we're on the offensive in the enemy's territory, we would lose about forty per cent of our forces." Xie Hongji responded to his father.

It took a form of cruelty to lead people into war. The Academy Elder and Xie Hongji certainly had it. Beneath the Hall Elders' pious faces was a scary impartiality for lives beneath theirs. The final elder that had remained silent all this time, elder Li Shan, was notorious for his business-like approach to war.

With that, the final person who may not have the cruelty to send his clansmen to war was the Patriarch himself. Everyone present knew where the hesitation within the room was originating from. And yet, none spoke out. Mostly out of respect, but also due to pity. The fact that someone had come this far in life and was still pure of heart, it was saddening in a strange way.

"Lord Patriarch, Xie Hongji's number was an extremely safe estimate. If we strike with force and mercilessness, thirty per cent is a more realistic number." The Academy Elder, elder Xuezhe, said while directing an eerie smile toward Xie Hongji, making the Stage 5's face contort.

The Patriarch was deep in thought, his eyes darting around the room and his jaw clenched. Although the elders wanted to make the decision on his behalf, the final say could only come from the Patriarch himself. The Clan was a dictatorship after all.

The air halted as the moonlight seemed to float in the air, weaving itself into the fabrics of space. The thick and overlapping robes of all those present draped over the body like a warm blanket, an extremely comfortable and warm blanket. At this stage, these six cultivators had been within this room for over three days consecutively, and comfort seemed to be shared in a sense.

Elder Li Shan looked out of the window just beneath the mosaic on the ceiling. His eyes seemed to stare a million miles away as countless thoughts swirled within his head. He had been mostly silent during the meeting as he had a lot on his mind. His darling wife, Ruo Nan, was currently in labour with their youngest child.

Thinking of his children, Li Shan smiled as he thought of his eldest son, Li Guan. The seventeen-year-old was already showing cultivation talent and had made his father proud. Not only this, the boy wasn't rebellious at all. There was a real bond between them and Li Shan already knew that Li Guan would be his successor.

But all that would come crashing down if the Heavenly Courts descended from the sky and destroyed everything.

Elder Li Shan looked at the Patriarch with flashing eyes. He glanced at the other elders who were similarly looking toward the Patriarch. And then, Li Shan glanced at the figure behind the large black throne, veiled in darkness.

And there, he saw a pair of eyes meet his. They were cold and uncaring, with their motives hidden from sight. He had seen these eyes many times before, and it always ended in blood and pain.

'This child is dangerous. Well, no matter. It shouldn't be difficult to keep him out of power. People like him always fall the hardest when their true colours are shown. He might think he has some sort of power, but all of that is nothing before heavenly judgment.' Li Shan thought as his eyes boredly met those of Xie Hongji.

Getting bored of this silence, Li Shan spoke toward his Patriarch.

"In other words: the crueller and more ruthless we are, the less we will suffer."

These words quietly spoken by elder Li Shan seemed to awaken the Patriarch from his stupor. He looked around at his elders and then finally at his son.

"Alright. The Huoyan Clan must vanish, no matter the cost."

...

The next day.

Within a shack in Qingshan City, a youth with short, black hair and empty eyes sat on his bed in the lotus position.

'It's no use, I have been stuck at Stage 3 for four years now. The only future I have is through expensive resources that can help me pass the tribulation.' Deep within those empty and dark eyes, helplessness arose.

Qing Fang's cultivation had been stagnant at peak Stage 3 for a few years now.

He managed to cultivate Stage 2 at eighteen-years-old, which was the standard age, even without any affinity toward Water path. Then, his rate of cultivation and absorbing Law fragments slowed tremendously, signifying that his talent for cultivation was running out.

By natural means, his cultivation journey would've ended there. However, by exchanging contribution points for rare Water path resources, he could increase his cultivation speed once again.

Although such treasures were wasted on someone like him that couldn't put it to its maximum use, Qing Fang couldn't care less. By using this method of cultivation which was, quite frankly, unnatural; Qing Fang managed to reach Stage 3 at nineteen-years-old.

But, once again, his cultivation speed slowed tremendously. It was almost as if heaven was gently coddling him, telling him he wasn't good enough and should just give up and save himself the torment.

Qing Fang could not accept this.

He once again swallowed Water path resources in huge quantities, is being funded by his assassination missions that paid well. With this, he managed to become peak Stage 3 at twenty-one years old. He should've welcomed the tribulation by now, but it just wouldn't descend.

The only thing Qing Fang could do was just keep on swallowing Water path treasures until Heaven relented.

It was at this moment, however, that a knock came from Qing Fang's door and caused his eyes to open.

Alighting from his bed and walking up to the door, Qing Fang opened it to see a disciple from the Internal Hall of Affairs. After a brief exchange of words, Qing Fang closed his door once again.

After which, a smile appeared on his face.

'War?'

*3,161/3,000 words*