Chapter 378

Chapter 378: Sect Leader’s Wisdom

Mo Wanfang said with frustration, "Some of our Mo family disciples have bought Green Fox Demons as concubines. Originally, Fang Lie didn’t know, but the Head of the Jin Family insisted on saying it in front of Fang Lie, immediately igniting his anger. He was furious and demanded that we Mo family hand over the people, or else he wouldn’t let this go!"

"What?" Mo Qianxun, usually calm, finally showed signs of anger on his face. He gritted his teeth and said, "What a Jin Min! How dare he plot against us! I helped him mediate out of kindness, yet he drags us down? He is truly heartless and ungrateful!"

"Now that we’re at this point, there’s no benefit in saying more!" Mo Wanfang said helplessly. "Fang Lie has already made it clear to me that the Fang Family rule prohibits speaking out. He would rather die than change, so we only have two choices: either hand over the people or fight to the end! There is no possibility of finding a middle ground!"

"Ah!" Mo Qianxun, so angry that his beard bristled, shouted, "I even thought highly of this brat, but he doesn’t give us any face at all!"

"He probably thinks we are involved in this matter, associating with the Jin family!" Mo Wanfang sighed. "With his temperament, once he suspects us of stirring trouble, he will surely explode! To be honest, if he hadn’t detained me, it was a sign of his restraint! All those days building a friendship with him were not in vain!"

"How is this our fault?" Mo Qianxun protested. "It’s clearly the Jin Family’s wrongdoing!"

"Cough, cough…" Mo Wanfang awkwardly cleared his throat. "If we say it has nothing to do with us, it might not be appropriate. After all, the big piece of cake that is Ten Thousand Flower Valley was swallowed by the Jin family, and we Mo family have received benefits from them. The Head of the Jin Family asking us for peace, and dragging us down at a critical moment, is related to what happened before."

"This…" Mo Qianxun’s face turned red with embarrassment. "If I had known the Jin family was so greedy and even sold someone else’s servants, I wouldn’t have agreed to let them manage Ten Thousand Flower Valley no matter how many benefits they offered!"

"It’s too late to say anything now. Regardless, you are the Sect Leader of the Mo Sect, and Ten Thousand Flower Valley belongs to the Jin Family with your approval. Now that such a scandal has occurred, can Fang Lie not feel negatively towards you?" Mo Wanfang said with a bitter smile. "Plus, our family disciples misbehaved, knowing the Green Fox Demons were problematic but still craving their beauty, buying them for their amusement. This is really a weak point. If Fang Lie makes a fuss about this, we Mo family will definitely be in the wrong!"

"That damn scoundrel!" Mo Qianxun cursed, then said fiercely, "Alright, I admit my neglect. I’ll apologize to Fang Lie afterward. At most, we can return Ten Thousand Flower Valley to him as a way to make amends. As for the Green Fox Demons bought by our disciples, they can just be returned without needing to provoke that idiot!"

"This…" Mo Wanfang said with a bitter expression, "If we had done this at the beginning, there would have been no problem. But now, it’s probably too late!"

"Why is that? They are just a few fox demons! What’s the problem? Does anyone dare disobey if I give the order?" Mo Qianxun said coldly.

"This isn’t a matter of obedience; it’s about our Mo family’s face!" Mo Wanfang lamented. "My cousin Mo Wanqing… he has taken two Green Fox Demons as concubines and has a child out of wedlock. Regardless, we cannot make the wife of the Mo family’s direct lineage a servant!"

"Mo Wanqing! How could he be so foolish!" Mo Qianxun was instantly furious!

Mo Wanqing was no ordinary person; he was the direct descendant of Mo Qianxun’s elder brother. Mo Qianxun’s mother passed away early, and his elder brother and sister-in-law raised him, treating him better than their own children, a debt of gratitude as heavy as a mountain.

It’s a pity that his elder brother and sister-in-law did not have great talent, at most achieving the cultivation of the Fire Tribulation Immortal, and had passed away together decades ago, leaving behind their only son Mo Wanqing.

Because of this relationship, Mo Qianxun viewed Mo Wanqing differently, like a child of his own. Unfortunately, Mo Wanqing’s talent was not particularly high. Although he had the cultivation of a Wind Tribulation Immortal, his Qi Sea was only about a thousand miles wide. Even so, he was fed plenty of spirit pills by Mo Qianxun.

But taking too many spirit pills caused his foundation to become unstable, making it almost impossible for him to advance to the cultivation of a Fire Tribulation Immortal. He simply gave up on cultivation, completely focused on enjoying life and being a wealthy idler.

Given these connections, how could Mo Qianxun bring himself to speak up? Even if it were Mo Wanfang, his own son, he could straightforwardly order the return of the Green Fox concubine. However, regarding Mo Wanqing, who Mo Qianxun felt guilt towards, he could not give that order no matter what!

Mo Wanfang understood his father’s dilemma, which is why he reported so painfully.

However, Mo Qianxun, being the wise leader of the Mo Sect, after experiencing the initial worries, suddenly had a brilliant idea.

He immediately said to Mo Wanfang, "You go secretly investigate the situation of our Mo family’s Green Fox Demons, whether they are loyal to the master or not, and if they wish to return to Fang Lie or settle down here. Especially the fox demons beside Wanqing; they are the top priority!"

"Yes!" Mo Wanfang nodded, then frowned. "So you mean, if the Green Fox Demons are unwilling to leave, we can negotiate terms with Fang Lie?"

"Exactly!" Mo Qianxun smiled confidently. "Fang Lie can only be moved by emotion and reason. Being too harsh will achieve the opposite result. Although this matter seems to lead us to a dead end, there is still a way to turn things around, key to that lies with those fox demons. If they are willing to serve as concubines in the Mo family, even though Fang Lie is the master, he cannot forcibly stop them, right?"

"Right! Fang Lie values reason the most. If those fox demons willingly choose to stay, he definitely wouldn’t act rashly against them!" Mo Wanfang exclaimed in surprise, "This is the solution!"

"Don’t celebrate too soon; things aren’t so simple!" Mo Qianxun said worriedly. "The current issue is how to make those fox demons willing to stay. Using force is definitely not feasible. If Fang Lie sees through it, it will definitely lead to a bloody disaster! Therefore, we must appeal to their emotions and reason. If they really don’t want to stay, it’s better to send them back peacefully than to force them. You can manage the situation with others, but with Wanqing, you must first check the situation, and then I’ll personally talk!"

"Sigh…" Mo Qianxun sighed heavily. "My elder brother and sister-in-law have treated me like a mountain of kindness; unless absolutely necessary, I truly don’t want to make things difficult for this nephew!"

"Father, there’s no need to struggle so much. Qing is always respectful towards you, and he listens to your words. What’s more, he is a sensible person, not like those reckless family disciples. Treating the two Green Fox Demons as concubines means they are living well, so they are likely to choose to stay. Hence, Qing shouldn’t have too much objection."

"That would be best!" Mo Qianxun nodded and waved for Mo Wanfang to leave.

As the successor to the Mo Sect’s leadership, Mo Wanfang carried great prestige. He acted swiftly and soon received the necessary information from the lower ranks.

Afterward, he hurried back to see Mo Qianxun again, and not even an hour had passed.

After they met and followed the usual greetings, Mo Wanfang said directly, "The news is almost all gathered. The Mo family disciples have bought a total of 56 fox demons; three took their own lives due to humiliation, 12 have been raised as concubines, 22 are personal maids, and the rest are ordinary singers. I specifically inquired about your two Green Fox concubines; they are cherished by you and have been rewarded with many good things. They seem to deeply care for you and are even willing to bear you a son and a daughter, and the children are already eight years old now."

"Very good!" Mo Qianxun immediately said. "Now go and ask each one how many are willing to leave and how many wish to stay. Also, bring your cousin here; I need to discuss things with him in detail."

"Yes!" Mo Wanfang responded and then stepped back.

A day later, after some operations, Mo Qianxun and Mo Wanfang met again.

Mo Wanfang reported, "Father, I have compiled the statistics; all 12 concubines are willing to stay, and 18 personal maids would also like to remain. The others are all willing to return to their origins."

"Your cousin also has good news; he is willing to accompany you to apologize to Fang Lie personally and present gifts, proposing to take two Green Fox Demons as concubines. With this, we might turn an enemy into a family connection!" Mo Qianxun laughed heartily. "A difficult situation has finally turned into a happy one!"

"It’s all thanks to your strategic planning, Father!" Mo Wanfang sincerely praised without flattery.

They had been pushed to a dead end by Fang Lie, on the verge of a bloody conflict, yet the situation was turned around dramatically. This method and wisdom were beyond description.

"Hehe, don’t be too happy yet!" Mo Qianxun smiled faintly. "Although our Mo family is out of trouble, the entire Mo Sect is still in crisis. As the leaders of the sect, we cannot just look out for ourselves and ignore the Mo Sect. Therefore, I will call together the clan leaders of the major families soon to discuss this matter, so they can handle it accordingly. This way, we can at least avoid a catastrophe of internal strife for the Mo Sect!"

"Exactly!" Mo Wanfang’s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said, "This not only helps us avoid a disaster but also strengthens our ties with Fang Lie. He will suddenly become related to so many great families; how could he not feel ashamed to act harshly in the future!"

"Hehe, with Fang Lie’s strong temper, if he crosses our path, he’s likely to face dire consequences. However, at least with this relationship, he cannot slaughter his own people as he did before; he should hold back a bit," Mo Qianxun replied with a smile. "Regardless, anything that can lessen that kid’s murderous intent is good!"

"Precisely!" Mo Wanfang said eagerly. "Then I’ll delay a few days before setting off; everything relies on you, Father!"

"A few days delay is fine, but first, give Fang Lie a heads-up, let him know that we’ll be giving him a response in a few days!" Mo Qianxun smiled wryly. "I’m worried that reckless scoundrel might be too impatient and kill all the captives from the Jin family before we come!"

"Yes, yes! I’ll send the message right away!" Mo Wanfang was startled and quickly agreed, turning to leave.