Chapter 989
Seizing Power
As a leading large-scale chamber of commerce in the border region, the Peng family itself has produced many talented individuals, making it no less than a large family with a profound heritage.
In addition, the systematic talent cultivation system, built over tens of thousands of years, has produced a large number of Golden Core cultivators of different surnames.
Fourteen people—this is the conclusion reached by outsiders after careful calculation.
In addition, the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce has an even larger group of guest elders developed through various means. Although most guest elders enjoy privileges without contributing anything, a small number of independent cultivators or cultivators from poor backgrounds choose to serve the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce.
After all, the treatment offered by the Bandung Chamber of Commerce has always been among the best in the border regions, second only to the Vientiane Palace, and it is also more free, with members able to decide whether to stay or leave as they please.
Speaking of which, Song Changsheng himself was one of them. His original silver VIP waist token was automatically upgraded to a gold VIP waist token after he broke through to the Golden Core stage, putting him at the same level as the old man blocking his way.
He hadn't investigated this before, and only now did he realize that the number of monks choosing to serve the Bandung Chamber of Commerce far exceeded his expectations.
However, the extent of these people's loyalty to the Bandung Chamber of Commerce remains questionable.
Bandung is less a chamber of commerce and more a loose alliance brought together by shared interests.
This model allowed the Bandung Chamber of Commerce to grow stronger, but it also became its shackles. Despite its great strength and wealth, it was never able to truly rule a region.
Because they lack the most important thing: cohesion.
Sects rely on cultivation methods and lineage as the foundation for inheritance, families rely on blood ties as the bond of inheritance, and even religious sects, despite their members coming from all over the world and cultivating different cultivation methods, will unite as one because they believe in the same doctrine.
This is cohesion.
While the Bandung Chamber of Commerce is indeed powerful, second only to the Vientiane Palace in terms of sheer strength on paper in this remote region, its influence is far inferior, mainly due to its lack of cohesion.
This is also the main reason why Peng Zhengxiong was determined to replace the Bandung Chamber of Commerce with the Peng family's name.
Unfortunately, the Bandung Chamber of Commerce was too deeply entrenched in problems. Peng Zhengxiong moved too quickly and too hastily, but he lacked the strength to suppress everything, which led to the current situation.
Nobody is a fool. Even if they didn't see Peng Zhengxiong's intentions at first, they should have realized it when Peng Zhengxiong kept strengthening the Peng family's influence in the Chamber of Commerce and weakening the power of the elders from other families.
However, thanks to Wanlong's characteristics, even though they knew all this, they did not take any major action. After all, Peng Zhengxiong did not have the strength to suppress everything, nor did he have a qualified successor.
It wasn't until Peng Siying broke through to the Golden Core stage and Peng Zhengxiong went into seclusion that they, who had been a disorganized group, finally felt a sense of crisis, which led them to unite together for the first time ever.
The facts proved the power of cohesion. When a large number of elders from other clans and guest elders united, the Peng clan, which Peng Zhengxiong had supported with all his might, was no match for them. Now they have even lost the inner city.
These were all things he could have foreseen, but what he hadn't anticipated was that the Peng family wasn't a monolithic entity either. In the end, Peng Siying could only rely on a few outsiders who served as retainers, which was quite ironic.
"It won't be easy to control Wanlong like this. If Siying is willing, let's take her away first," Song Changsheng thought to himself.
Although he wanted to use Peng Siying to gain the support or even control of the Bandung Chamber of Commerce, he was more concerned about Peng Siying's feelings.
At this moment, a gray-robed cultivator who was hiding in the shadows and responsible for monitoring the pavilion suddenly spoke up: "Young friend, I advise you not to get involved in this mess."
Song Changsheng's eyes shifted, his gaze sweeping over the crisscrossing crowd on the street, precisely locking onto the person transmitting the message. With just one glance, the other person felt a slight loss of composure.
"I also advise you not to get involved in this mess. Don't say I didn't warn you."
After the telepathic message ended, Song Changsheng withdrew his gaze. Since the other party still had some kindness left, he didn't mind giving them a chance.
"Who is this person? Why did I feel so disoriented just from his glance? Could he be a Nascent Soul True Monarch?" The gray-robed cultivator was filled with shock. He glanced at Song Changsheng's tall and straight back, secretly wiping away cold sweat, and a sense of retreat began to creep into his heart...
At this moment, Hongluan, who had received the news, walked down from the pavilion with high expectations. When she saw that it was an unfamiliar young cultivator, a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes. She questioned him with displeasure, "Who are you? Why did you lie and say that you are an old friend of Miss? And why do you have Miss's token in your hand?"
Upon hearing this, the white-haired old man guarding the pavilion's entrance noticed his gaze sharpen.
Song Changsheng smiled slightly, took out Peng Siying's waist token and waved it, saying, "Fellow Daoist Hongluan, you really have a bad memory, you don't even remember me?"
Hongluan immediately recognized it as the waist token given to Peng Siying by the black market. This waist token had been given away a hundred years ago, and the identity of that person was well-known in the border region.
"It's you!" Hongluan's face immediately lit up with surprise, and she quickly went to greet Song Changsheng.
After entering the pavilion, Song Changsheng also removed his disguise and revealed his true colors, jokingly saying, "It's truly rare to see Fellow Daoist Hongluan showing such an expression upon seeing me."
Unexpectedly, Hongluan, who was always strong-willed, burst into tears upon hearing his words.
"What is the reason for this?" Song Changsheng frowned and looked her over, full of doubt. "Could you be Qingluan?"
“You’ve been in seclusion all these years, and Miss doesn’t want us to disturb you. If you hadn’t come today, I… I really wouldn’t know what to do.”
"How is Chairman Peng doing now?"
"The president is in seclusion in the inner city's secret realm, with Sixth Master and Fifth Master protecting him. Some people in the guild colluded with the Ancient God Pavilion and the Xuanling Sect to harm the president, but they were blocked by the formation and failed."
However, the inner city is now completely under their control, and they also want to control the young lady. Fortunately, Elder Quan remembered the guild leader's past kindness and protected the young lady as she escaped; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"If that's the case, why don't you just leave the city? Staying inside is just waiting to die."
“Miss said that leaving Sifang City is easy, but it will be difficult to come back later. Moreover, if we leave, the guild leader, Sixth Master, and Seventh Master will be in danger, so she chose to stay. She believes that the guild leader can successfully break through and lead us to take back everything.” Hongluan’s eyes were red, and it was clear that she was pessimistic about the matter.
"If Chairman Peng succeeds in breaking through, then everything will be fine. But what if he fails? Wouldn't he be left here like a fish to be slaughtered?"
"Once you join the Great Qi, even if I'm in seclusion, no one can threaten you."
"We've all tried to persuade you, Miss, but you don't want to get involved. After all, you're only at the late Golden Core stage, and no matter how strong you are, you can't withstand the combined power of those people."
The young lady said that if the president failed to break through, she would perish together with them.
"Sir, we can't persuade Miss. Please, please take her away. Those people are running out of patience. If she stays here, she'll fall into their hands sooner or later."
Hongluan, with tears streaming down her face, knelt directly in front of Song Changsheng.
When they first met, Hongluan, as Peng Siying's personal maid, was so arrogant. Now she has become like this, which shows how dangerous Peng Siying's current situation is.
"Why bother? Siying and I are close friends. Now that we're here, we must not only protect her, but also relieve her of any worries." With that, Song Changsheng revealed his Golden Core Perfection cultivation level.
This immediately reassured Hongluan. Song Changsheng was already invincible in the late Golden Core stage, and now his cultivation has advanced even further, making him invincible below the Nascent Soul stage. Perhaps he really can turn things around.
“Take me to see Siying.”
"Please, Master." Hongluan hurriedly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, her attitude becoming increasingly respectful.
"Squeak..."
Peng Siying reached out and pushed open the door. She was visibly stunned when she saw him, and subconsciously stood up and said, "Why are you here?"
After saying that, she seemed to have thought of something and turned her sharp gaze to Hongluan.
Hongluan quickly explained, "Master Zixu came on his own; we did not invite him."
“I just came out of seclusion and heard from Yuechan that the Chamber of Commerce had encountered some trouble, so I thought I would come and see if there was anything I could do to help. I never expected that your situation would be so difficult. You should have sent someone to find me sooner,” Song Changsheng said softly.
“This is an internal matter of the Chamber of Commerce, it’s not very convenient for you to come.” Peng Siying turned her head away, not wanting Song Changsheng to see the tears she was holding back in her eyes.
"Have you forgotten that I am also a guest elder of the Chamber of Commerce? You personally handed me this badge. How come you're an outsider now?"
Peng Siying shook her head and said, "Most of the elders have stood against me. They have also colluded with the Xuanling Sect and the Ancient God Pavilion. You are the head of a clan. Why should you get involved in dangerous situations because of my affairs?"
As long as you don't give a clear answer, they won't dare to do anything to you. Leave quickly.
"A perilous situation? You overestimate them." Song Changsheng smiled slightly, gestured for Hongluan to leave, and then waved his hand to set up a barrier to isolate everyone from detection.
He directly revealed his true cultivation level.
Peng Siying felt an extremely powerful pressure emanating from Song Changsheng, almost making it hard for her to breathe.
This discovery shocked her. It would have been one thing if it had happened before, but now that she was a Golden Core cultivator, it was unbelievable that she was being suppressed by the aura released by Song Changsheng and could hardly breathe.
"Golden Core Perfection? No, that's not right. It's not just that. There are other forces mixed in with it." Peng Siying's eyes were full of doubt. She felt a powerful force from Song Changsheng's body that she had never felt before.
"Do you know about the Realm of the False Infant?" Song Changsheng asked in a deep voice.
"Of course I know. It is a transitional realm between the Golden Core stage and the Nascent Soul stage. It requires not only extraordinary talent but also profound good fortune. Throughout history, there have been fewer than two dozen cultivators who have been able to reach this realm."
At this point, Peng Siying suddenly realized something, lightly covering her red lips, and said with infinite shock in her heart, "Could it be that...you have already reached that level?"
Song Changsheng remained silent, but instead of answering, he used his actions to reveal the fake infant. Nothing could be more convincing than that.
"Before coming to Sifang City, I had sparred with Tianxiang Zhenjun of Wanxiang Palace. I was outmatched. Those below the Nascent Soul stage are just numbers to me. So what if they joined forces? They are just a rabble, relying on numbers to embolden themselves."
"If you wish, I can eliminate these problems for you on this trip and help you take control of the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce. If you don't wish for that, and simply want to live a carefree life, I can still take you away and provide you with a stable environment for cultivation."
Song Changsheng's tone was full of confidence, even a bit arrogant, but Peng Siying didn't think he was exaggerating; cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage certainly had the credentials to back it up.
She didn't contact Song Changsheng because she didn't want him to get involved in this mess. Only now did she realize that she had underestimated Song Changsheng. He had already quietly risen to a position that everyone in the southwest had to look up to.
Peng Siying gently bit her red lips and said, "Wanlong Chamber of Commerce is the foundation of the Peng family and the result of my father's hard work. If possible, I don't want to give it up."
"If you can help me take control of Wanlong, I can give you all the True Monarch's legacy and secret treasures that my father entrusted to me."
Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng shook his head and said, "There's no need for treasures. I returned from the Myriad Manifestations Palace with a mission. In the coming period, I need to integrate the major forces in the cultivation world of the southwest, form a united front, and resist the demon race."
This is no small matter, and the resistance will inevitably be significant. I hope you can support me on behalf of Bandung.
"If I can control Bandung, I will be the first to respond."
"Since that's the case, let's make a good plan now and try to resolve this as quickly as possible to avoid future troubles!" Song Changsheng's tone was resolute, filled with a chilling aura!
Just as the two were discussing the specific details, a conspiracy against Peng Siying was brewing...
...(End of this chapter)