Her apprehension was because of her fate as a woman of the Song Clan. She felt melancholy for the same reason. There was nothing she could do to resist; it was useless to struggle. The Song Clan’s rules had been laid down by the ancestors, and could not be changed.
The soft voice of a woman could be heard from behind her. “We’re different from the other Sects and Clans. As a girl of the Song Clan, it’s impossible to maintain your purity forever. You can’t change that, nor can I.” The voice belonged to a middle-aged woman who gazed affectionately at Song Jia.
Song Jia didn’t reply.
After a while, though, she nodded. In her mind, images appeared from the Blood Immortal Legacy tournament. She remembered looking on helplessly as her Blood Phoenix died. She could only watch through tear-filled eyes as it faded away.
“Perhaps it’s just my fate.” Her face filled with exhaustion. The exhaustion did not mar her good looks; in fact, it seemed to give birth to a tender beauty.
The woman behind her could sense what Song Jia was feeling. She stepped forward and stroked Song Jia’s long, beautiful hair. “It is fate,” she said. “But it’s not destiny, it’s a mission. A mission from the Song Clan of the Southern Domain. 3”
“The destruction of the Southern Domain. Gather a hundred Clans. Fuse their bloodlines. Evade the palace of the Heavens….” Song Jia murmured the words which she had heard people recite ever since she was young. “But father said that no power within the entire Southern Domain could bring about its complete destruction. Nothing in the Eastern Lands could do so either.” She looked back at the middle-aged woman.
“That’s a legend which has existed since ancient times. Mother doesn’t know what it means either.”
Mother and daughter were silent for a while after that.
Meanwhile, outside of the Song Clan, the sun blazed brightly in the sky. On the plains below the Song Clan, a glittering light shined out, which grew in intensity over the space of about ten breaths. Then, it gradually disappeared, revealing a dozen or more people.
Meng Hao sucked in a deep breath and rubbed the bridge of his nose. It seemed his body wasn’t really suited for teleportation. He looked around and immediately noticed that up ahead existed a world of darkness.There was a huge mountain range, hanging over which was… a moon.
He gaped at the bizarre sight.
Next to him, Chen Fan sighed with emotion. “We’re in Song Clan territory now. It’s my first time here, but I’ve heard people talk of how astonishing the Song Clan is.”
The old man lifted his gourd of alcohol and took a drink. Then he let out a loud burp and laughed heartily. His laughter filled the air, after which several beams of light shot out from the darkness of the Song Clan.
“Brandy Nose!” said a voice from within the approaching beams of light. It didn’t sound pleased. “How come the Solitary Sword Sect sent you? I can smell the stench of alcohol coming off of you from here!”
“Eccentric Song! How could I not come? This old Daoist is going to drink his fill before he leaves!” The old man suddenly shot up into the air.
Meng Hao took a deep breath. The words ‘Eccentric Song’ filled him with fear. He looked up into the sky and could just make out the image of Song Clan members within the beams of light. One of them was an old man who, although Meng Hao had never seen before, he immediately knew was the same Eccentric Song from that time in the State of Zhao.
“I just arrived and already ran into him,” thought Meng Hao. “I can’t stay here long… if Eccentric Song finds out I’m here, the consequences will be terrible….” Meng Hao was just about to try to sneak off when Chen Fan grabbed him.
“Little Junior Brother, did you see? I’m not sure of the name of that member of the elder generation, but I heard everyone calls him Eccentric Song. They say he has a very bizarre personality, and that he owns tons of wild beasts. He also likes to make bets with other Sects all the time….”
Meng Hao interrupted him with a forced smile, “Elder Brother, I really can’t proceed any further, I have to….” Before Meng Hao could finish speaking, the old man from the Solitary Sword Sect and Eccentric Song suddenly started yelling at each other.
“Your Song Clan is entirely too stingy! Ten Thousand Trees Mountain only has a single pearl as the reward? What good is a crappy pearl!? That’s the prize that my Solitary Sword Sect kids are supposed to fight for? No way!”
“It’s a Cubic Pearl that can dispel even the strangest poisons in the world,” replied Eccentric Song. “It’s a treasure refined by the Sun and Moon of the Song Clan. It can only be given as a gift to a son-in-law of the Song Clan. Even if you wanted it, you couldn’t have it. Besides, what treasures could possibly compare to a girl of the Song Clan? Your granny! Are you Solitary Sword Sect people here because of the search for a son-in-law, or just to grab treasures?!”