Although Hundred Ghost Sect had accepted her full commission, they were clearly embellishing the truth.
Still, knowing they likely had more moves planned, Song Wanníng accepted the arrangement for now. Hundred Ghost Sect was usually swift and ruthless, yet this time they were taking their time, releasing one detail at a time. Clearly, they had ulterior motives.
New pieces of the scandal surfaced daily, keeping public attention locked on the matter. With everyone discussing it constantly, the pressure on Wangshan Sect only grew worse. At this rate, they would have to bleed heavily to appease the situation.
Song Wanníng had already written Liu Yao's ending. As for Liu Yiyi—whether she would get dragged down with him depended on her own choices. That was something Song Wanníng could not control.
Just as she was thinking this, the street suddenly erupted into noise.
"Look, look! It's a merfolk!"
"What? There are still merfolk around? I thought they were wiped out after the Blood Sea War!"
"Yeah, but rumor has it this one was discovered in the Wuyou Sea!"
At the mention of the long-lost merfolk, people craned their necks and jostled for a look.
Song Wanníng's curiosity was piqued as well. She spread out her spiritual sense and quickly located the merfolk in question.
It was a female. Her upper body was human, her lower body that of a fish. Shimmering scales glowed with dreamy hues, and her slim figure was accentuated by a close-fitting white silk robe.
Her long, seaweed-like hair flowed behind her, and her upturned eyes gleamed with a tinge of blue.
A stunningly beautiful and delicate mermaid.
According to legends, merfolk could manipulate water and some even possessed healing abilities. In ancient times, they had once ruled the seas.
After several oceanic wars, the merfolk were believed to be extinct.
But now one had appeared in Wuyou Sea.
For the merfolk, though, this was no good news.
Song Wanníng scanned her once more before withdrawing her gaze. In her past life, she had never heard of merfolk resurfacing.
Was it because news had been tightly controlled, or had something changed in the cultivation world?
Frowning slightly, she sank into thought.
Just then, Feng Lanxi sent her a voice transmission.
"Song Daoyou, I asked around. No one has Western Wind Sand, but a Senior Brother of mine once saw some in Wuyou Sea."
"Why don't we go check it out together? I wanted to gather some myself for reforging my life-bound artifact."
Artifact refiners loved tinkering with their life-bound treasures. Not only did new materials improve their quality, they also served as test cases. If successful, their artifact's power could double.
Feng Lanxi was the type who loved experimenting. Now that she'd heard about Western Wind Sand, she wouldn't let the opportunity slip.
Song Wanníng paused, her spiritual sense once again locking onto the merfolk.
"Wuyou Sea... definitely an interesting place."
After a moment of thought, she replied to Feng Lanxi, agreeing to the journey.
They planned to set out together in three days.
By now, the street had grown even livelier. People surrounded the merfolk, utterly fascinated by this legendary species.
"Take a good look at her, folks! Legend says merfolk possess healing powers. If you contract her as a spiritual companion..."
The speaker gave a suggestive look everyone understood.
"She'll be auctioned at Baixiang Pavilion tomorrow. If you've got coin, come spend it. If not, come watch!"
With that, the man pulled the merfolk along and disappeared down the street.
The crowd slowly dispersed, but many were visibly tempted.
The healing ability of merfolk was especially desirable.
It was like carrying a portable medicine pouch—a life-saving talisman in critical moments. How could cultivators not be tempted?
"Tomorrow at Baixiang Pavilion?"
Song Wanníng raised an eyebrow and looked in the merfolk's direction.
If she remembered correctly, Baixiang Pavilion belonged to the Mo Clan...
Back when the Song Clan was surrounded, the Mo Clan had been among the most aggressive attackers.
At that time, the old Mo patriarch had died, and Mo Wentian had taken over as head of the clan.
If memory served, that very patriarch would soon meet her end...
Mo Wentian was known for his violent nature, though he was also very powerful. He held considerable influence within the Mo Clan.
It was said the old patriarch left behind final words, appointing Mo Wentian as successor before her death...
The matter had caused internal strife within the Mo Clan. The former patriarch had shown clear dislike—even loathing—toward Mo Wentian.
Their factions were irreconcilable. It was obvious something shady had happened.
Yet in the end, Mo Wentian's faction suppressed all opposition. The Mo Clan changed hands, and the former patriarch's loyal aides were exiled one after another, gradually pushed out of the clan's inner circle.
Recalling Mo Wentian's arrogant face during the Song Clan siege, Song Wanníng's gaze sharpened.
A merfolk... the Mo Clan patriarch's death...
There was likely a connection.
If the merfolk had killed him, Mo Wentian would want her destroyed—and would definitely silence anyone who knew the truth. That would explain why Song Wanníng never heard of merfolk resurfacing in her past life.
"Heh, looks like Mo Wentian can't wait to act."
Song Wanníng lowered her gaze.
Every family had dissenters. The Song Clan was no different.
But once she had grown strong and become a renowned alchemy master, those voices quieted down. Sure, people still questioned her now and then. But when the Song Clan was besieged in her past life, no one fled. Everyone had fought to defend the clan.
Because of that, she had always been willing to tolerate their flaws.
Even Song Qingyun had changed after learning the truth. The Song Clan was much more united now.
So the Mo Clan's turmoil wasn't surprising. In the end, all that mattered was who emerged victorious.
History is always written by the winners.
A glint passed through her eyes as she turned and went upstairs.
"Big Sister, are you planning to get involved in the Mo Clan's internal war?"
The golden flying sword appeared at once. It could always sense her intentions immediately. But its master was never one to meddle without reason, and the Mo Clan's inner struggle wasn't without risk.
"Yes. I'm not possessed, but I still feel uneasy. Especially with the Heavenly Dao watching closely, I can't rule out other pretexts they might use against me. To be safe, the Song Clan needs to secure more allies."
No matter how strong Song Wanníng was, she couldn't face a joint assault from multiple clans and sects. If they used numbers and Divine Transformation cultivators to pin her down, the Song Clan would be left vulnerable.
Which meant trustworthy allies were more important than ever.