Chapter 313: Our Country (1/2)

[Volume 5 – A Distance Within Reach]

The final assessment was quite simple. Every contestant would compose a political strategy for ruling the country and governing one’s house. He would then be interviewed by the various elders and finally be given a score by the elder group.

This part of the examination was the most transparent because all examinees could listen during the interview. However, it was also one of the most debatable areas. Everyone had different opinions and points of view—some advocated for defense, some supported radical expansion, while others wanted to maintain a middle ground. In order to gain the recognition of most of the elders, one had to have the appropriate ability.

Song Zining was quite relaxed and contented. He casually produced a strategy and dealt with the interview and, without even waiting for the results, ran back to his own courtyard to enjoy warmth and tenderness. Someone had recently gifted him two little beauties who were reportedly rare experts in roomcraft.

Qianye was no longer willing to accompany Song Zining in fooling around and seized the available time to browse through more ancient martial arts classics. His scope of study had already expanded to the various entry-level melee combat techniques.

Hence within Deep Cloud Hall, Song Zining was unrestrainedly hugging the two newly arrived beauties while Qianye sat within the study, going through ancient books. Number seventeen, who had once shared a brief night of fateful grace with Qianye, waited upon him in silence, pouring him a new cup of tea periodically.

Qianye suddenly felt that such silence and comforting moments were indeed a type of enjoyment. He could single-mindedly push forward on the dao of martial arts and had no need to think about the troubles of the secular world.

At this time, the study door was pushed open and Song Zining walked in with a relaxed expression. “Your simple life isn’t so bad, I see!”

Qianye looked up at him and said, “You’re like this every day. Aren’t you afraid your cultivation will fall into neglect?”

Over ten days had passed since the two arrived at the Song clan up until the end of the examination. During this period, he had never seen Song Zining cultivating. He went out to meet friends almost every day and returned late at night, suffused with the scent of alcohol and cosmetics.

Song Zining sat down on a wide ceramic couch facing the desk and leaned on the backrest in a semi-reclining position. Only after making himself comfortable did he say, “Following one’s nature is also one of the great daos. Moreover, I’m only like this when I return to the clan. I’m very restrained normally.”

Qianye sighed. Even back in their days at the Yellow Springs Training Camp, no emotions could be found on that young Song Zining’s face. Back then, there was a certain coldness and pride between his brows, befitting of a person born to the highest order of society. He also possessed a certain ruthlessness and wouldn’t allow anyone to offend him—he had definitely killed more students than Qianye.

Song Zining had already transformed into a different person when they met again several years later. He almost seemed like a standard clan descendant—bright, cheerful, and gentle. But this was merely a mask with which to hide his emotions—his delight, his fury.

Only after coming to the Song clan did Qianye understand why this clan descendant of noble bloodline turned into such a person. He had wanted to talk to Song Zining since the end of the martial assessment, but he wasn’t quite adept at expressing himself and never found a way to bring this up.

Qianye put down the jade scroll in his hand and shot a glance at Number Seventeen. The clever girl immediately understood—she withdrew from the study and carefully closed the door.

Song Zining was resting silently with his eyes half closed. A moment of silence pervaded the study.

“Zining, it seems you’re about to go through a period of trouble. Do you have any plans?”

Song Zining didn’t open his eyes and replied carelessly, “After this examination, my successor rank will be entering the top three. This is a wonderful development. What trouble can there be?”

“Will Song Zian and his elder generation endure such a loss?” Qianye believed that the great elder Song Zhongcheng had really wanted to kill him at the scene. Duchess An punishing the entire branch of his family would only serve to deepen his enmity and make it difficult to resolve.

Song Zining laughed lightly. He raised his hand to cover his eyes, which also conveniently concealed his expression and said indifferently, “So what if they’re not willing? They only have those few bargaining chips. The Yin family and Yin Qiqi will have to try much harder if they want to occupy the leading position. The Wei family and Marquis Bowang definitely won’t care about such matters. As for that boar, it’s not even sure whether he can leave the battlefield alive…”

Song Zining’s voice suddenly stopped here after noticing he had spoken too much.

He lowered his hand to glance at Qianye’s expression and said with a laugh, “Twenty days ago, the Wei clan suffered a crushing defeat on the Far East frontline, and Wei Potian was reportedly in the army at the time. The situation there is quite tense at the moment. It’s likely Wei Bainian will be summoned back to the main family when you return to Blackflow City in a few days.”

Qianye was astonished. The Wei clan’s Far East Province, as a frontier fortress, had been campaigning against the dark races year round.

Within the information Song Zining had just revealed, the most important detail for Qianye wasn’t Wei Potian’s safety since there would definitely be safety measures to protect the Wei clan successor on the battlefield. But Wei Bainian’s departure meant that the expeditionary army would dispatch a new division commander to take office.

Regarding the previous incident involving Wu Zhengnan, it was unsure whether the expeditionary army headquarters knew of Qianye’s involvement in the matter. However, just from the Dark Flame Mercenary Corps’ closeness with the Wei clan, Qianye’s relationship with the new division commander might not be that great.

But Qianye wasn’t distracted by Song Zining’s words. “Even if you feel Song Zian isn’t a threat, then what about Song Ziqi? Isn’t he the one after your life since the beginning?”

Song Zining’s lazy attitude completely disappeared at this point. He sat up straight and said with a calm expression, “Don’t worry about me. The old ancestor won’t let him act too excessively within the clan. As for incidents outside of the clan, why would I have to be afraid of him?”

“Why is that?”