High Martial Arts: Invincible Starts from Basic Archery Chapter 777 - 609: The Song Family’s People Have Arrived_2

At that precise moment, the Su family Elder finally broke his silence.

Could it actually be?

A faint, knowing smile played on the Su Elder's lips as he spoke. "Indeed, your suspicions are correct. Gong Bo is a piece nurtured in secret by our Su family."

The room was filled with the sound of sharp, collective gasps.

"Brother Su, isn't this scheme of yours crossing the line?"

Zhao Chunyuan spoke through clenched teeth, his voice trembling. "That monster has consumed the superpowers of countless victims; he surely abandoned his humanity long ago. Furthermore, he has already reached the Quasi-S-Class level. Do you not fear the day he turns his fangs against you?"

"He won't dare."

The Su Elder’s smile turned smug. "Back when his strength was merely at C-Class, our family patriarch personally placed a restriction upon his Divine Soul. Provided he remains a loyal dog to the Su family, he shall remain unharmed. However, should even a single thought of betrayal cross his mind, his death will be agonizing beyond imagination. And he is not the only one—the Ogre, Yu Jianqiao, is bound by the same shackles."

Once again, the room fell into a stunned silence as everyone inhaled sharply.

Of the three most wanted Quasi-S-Class Awakeneds in existence, two were actually secret agents of the Su family?

Zhao Chunyuan and Elder Yan traded glances, cold sweat drenching their backs.

The Su family’s schemes ran far deeper than anyone had dared to imagine.

The fact that he was revealing this so openly meant he had no fear of them leaking the secret. After all, even if the news spread, what could be done? Their family possessed Divine Cultivation Realm Martial Artists, but the Su family had them as well—along with two Quasi-S-Class Awakeneds as hidden blades!

"Brother Su, is it possible that woman is also one of yours?" Xu Hu couldn't resist asking.

Among the trio of Quasi-S-Class fugitives, there was a woman named He Xiaoqin. Capable of summoning Evil Demons, her reputation was equally bone-chilling.

The Su Elder shook his head slowly.

"She is the exception; tracking her down is an exercise in futility. However, since she only causes chaos in the peripheral regions, it isn't worth the immense resources required to eliminate her."

"That makes sense."

The others nodded, finding his logic sound.

That woman restricted her sabotage to medium-sized cities, keeping a respectful distance from the major hubs. As for the super-large metropolises where they resided, she wouldn't dare approach even if her courage were multiplied a hundredfold.

"In truth, the motive for grooming them is quite straightforward."

The Su Elder narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning cold. "The Awakened Association’s influence is expanding too rapidly. Those two leaders, in particular, have begun to treat our Elder Council with increasing contempt. If this trend persists, Yan Country will slip through our fingers entirely."

"Exactly! Those two are nothing but ungrateful ingrates!"

Xu Hu slammed his fist onto the table in a rage. "They ought to remember that without our backing, they would be nothing. Now that they've grown wings, they think they can ignore us."

The remaining three nodded in fervent agreement.

Originally, Yan Country had been firmly under their jurisdiction.

However, the rapid proliferation of the Awakened Association had severely eroded the Elder Council's authority.

They had been forced to rely on those two powerhouses simply to hold the line against the three Beast Emperors.

"So, Brother Su, you nurtured these two Quasi-S-Class Awakeneds so they could eventually replace those two defiant fools?" the black-robed elder inquired.

"Precisely."

The Su Elder nodded. "The current beast tide is unprecedented, and whispers suggest a fourth Beast Emperor level Fierce Beast is emerging. It is the perfect opportunity for the Awakened Association and the Fierce Beasts to bleed each other dry. Ideally, they will destroy one other. Even if a Beast Emperor survives, it will create the perfect vacuum for Gong Bo and Yu Jianqiao to seize power as the new successors. In that scenario, the Awakened Association falls under our thumb, and Yan Country returns to our absolute command."

The listeners were left speechless.

None of them had suspected the Su family was playing such a high-stakes game in the shadows.

Calling it 'Elder Council control' was a polite fiction; it would be Su family control. They even began to doubt if the Elder Council would be allowed to exist at all once the plan succeeded.

But the dice had been cast.

As they had realized, Su Ming only revealed this because he knew they were powerless to stop him.

"Hahaha!"

Xu Hu was the first to break the tension, giving a thumbs-up in praise. "As expected of Brother Su! Your foresight is truly peerless. You have my utmost admiration."

"Indeed. If Brother Su hadn't enlightened us, I would still be wandering in the dark, feeling quite foolish," the black-robed elder sighed.

Secretly, he resolved to report this to his own patriarch immediately upon his return.

Zhao Chunyuan also forced a flattering smile.

Inwardly, however, he was consumed by dread.

If the Su family became the sole hegemon, the lives of the other great families would become increasingly miserable.

Yet, the Su family's foundation was already set; it was far too late for opposition.

Unless the four families formed a united front—but was such a thing even possible?

The Qin and Xu families were already firmly in the Su family's pocket. Even if they weren't, the Su family would surely use a mix of bribes and threats to keep the families divided.

Elder Yan shared this deep anxiety, but he was more concerned with the immediate task the Su family required of them.

The Su Elder had previously stressed that maintaining the Elder Council’s prestige was a shared duty they could not abandon.

"Brother Su," the black-robed elder spoke up again, "that youth surnamed Chen possesses no ordinary strength. Dispatching only one of the two might not guarantee a victory, and securing a kill would be even more difficult."

"Brother Qin is correct."

Su Ming gave him a nod of approval. "To ensure absolute success, we shall deploy both of them. Furthermore, we cannot allow anyone from the Jiangnan Martial Arts Association to escape. However..."

He let his voice trail off.

His gaze swept across the men sitting before him.

"Brother Su, if there are hurdles, please speak freely. If it is within our power, we shall not decline," Xu Hu declared immediately.

The victims of the recent incident were his kin.

If Chen Fan wasn't torn limb from limb, Xu Hu wouldn't be able to face his family again.

"Indeed, Brother Su, do not hesitate to tell us," the black-robed elder added.

The others quickly followed suit, voicing their cooperation.

"It is nothing too taxing, really."

Satisfied with their compliance, the Su Elder nodded. "The primary concern is the compensation. After all, such men require significant motivation to perform their duties with diligence. Without proper incentives, they might lack the necessary drive. As I mentioned, this is a collective endeavor, not merely a Su family matter. Therefore, the burden of this reward should be shared by all of us. Do you agree?"

"Of course."

Everyone felt a wave of relief.

Paying a bit of gold was a small price to pay.

Suddenly, the Su Elder’s brow furrowed as his phone began to vibrate.

"What is it?"

He answered the call, his tone sharp.

The call originated from the guards stationed outside the sanctum.

They knew better than to interrupt a high-level meeting unless the matter was of dire importance.

"Elder, representatives from the Song family have arrived..." An anxious voice stammered through the speaker.

Su Ming cut him off mid-sentence.

"They are here and you didn't turn them away? Inform them that we are in session and will notify them of our decision later."

"Elder, they claim that Chen Fan visited the Song family personally and tasked them with delivering a message to you. I felt it necessary to call once I heard this," the guard explained hurriedly.

"What?"

Su Ming was visibly stunned.

"What did he have to say?"

"The messenger refuses to disclose it to us; he insists on speaking with you directly."

"Hmph."

Su Ming let out a cold, derisive snort.

"Bring him in."

"Understood, Elder."

The line went dead.

"The Song family has arrived."

Su Ming looked at the gathered elders and explained, "That brat Chen went to the Song family and sent them here to deliver a message to us."

"What!"

The shock on their faces was even more profound than his own.