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 family Elder’s lips as he spoke, "Indeed, it is exactly as you suspect. Gong Bo is a piece nurtured in secret by our Su family."

A collective gasp filled the room as everyone sucked in a breath of cold air.

"Brother Su, isn't this strategy of your Su family going a bit too far?"

Zhao Chunyuan spoke through clenched teeth, "That individual has consumed the superpowers of countless victims; he likely 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 cannot."

The Su family Elder smiled with smug confidence, "Back when he was merely at C-Class strength, our family patriarch personally placed a restriction upon his Divine Soul. Provided he remains a loyal servant to the Su family, he will come to no harm. However, should he harbor even a single thought of betrayal, he will suffer a most gruesome death. And he is not the only one—the Ogre, Yu Jianqiao, is under the same control."

Shock rippled through the room once more as they inhaled sharply.

There were only three Quasi-S-Class Awakeneds on the entire wanted list, and two of them were actually pawns of the Su family?

Zhao Chunyuan and Elder Yan traded looks, both of them breaking into a cold sweat.

The Su family’s hidden depths were far more profound than anyone imagined.

The fact that he dared to reveal this so openly meant he had no fear of them spreading the information. After all, even if the secret leaked, what could be done? Their family possessed Divine Cultivation Realm Martial Artists, but so did the other side—and they had two Quasi-S-Class Awakeneds to boot!

"Brother Su, could it be that woman is also a product of the Su family?" Xu Hu couldn't resist asking.

Among the three Quasi-S-Class fugitives, there was one more named He Xiaoqin. She possessed the terrifying ability to summon Evil Demons and was just as formidable as the others.

The Su family Elder shook his head in denial.

"She is the exception; tracking her down is an immense challenge. However, she only causes minor disturbances on the fringes, so it isn't worth the massive resources required to eliminate her."

"That makes sense."

The group nodded their heads in collective agreement.

At most, that woman targeted medium-sized cities; she stayed well away from the major hubs. As for the super-cities where they resided, she wouldn't dare approach even if she were a hundred times bolder.

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

The Su family Elder narrowed his eyes and continued, "The Awakened Association’s influence is expanding rapidly. Specifically, those two leaders are showing less and less respect for our Elder Council. If things continue this way, Yan Country will slip from our grasp entirely."

"Exactly, those two are nothing but ungrateful ingrates!"

Xu Hu slammed his hand onto the table, "They ought to remember that without our backing, they never would have achieved their current status. Now that they've grown wings, they think they can ignore us."

The other three nodded in fervent agreement.

Originally, Yan Country had been entirely under their jurisdiction.

However, the Awakened Association had cropped up everywhere, causing the Elder Council's authority to dwindle significantly.

They had been forced to rely on those two leaders just to hold their ground against the three Beast Emperors.

"So, Brother Qin, you raised those two Quasi-S-Class Awakeneds so they could one day replace those two defiant ones?" the black-robed elder inquired.

"Precisely."

The Su family Elder nodded, "The current beast tide is exceptionally violent, and there are whispers that a fourth Beast Emperor-level Fierce Beast is emerging. It is the perfect opportunity for the Awakened Association and the Fierce Beasts to inflict heavy losses on one another. The ideal scenario is for both to be destroyed. Even if the Beast Emperor survives, it will provide the chance for Gong Bo and Yu Jianqiao to seize power as successors. In that way, the Awakened Association will be under our thumb, and Yan Country will return to our command."

The room fell into a stunned silence.

None of them had anticipated the Su family was harboring such a massive, secret ambition.

To say Yan Country would be under the Elder Council’s control was an understatement; it would clearly be under the Su family’s thumb. They even began to doubt if the Elder Council would still exist when the dust settled.

But it was far too late to voice any objections.

Just as they suspected, since Su Ming was willing to disclose this now, he wasn't worried about them talking.

"Hahaha."

Xu Hu was the first to show his support, giving a thumbs-up as he praised, "As expected of Brother Su, your foresight is truly remarkable. You have my deepest admiration."

"Indeed, if Brother Su hadn't explained, 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 smile and offered quick flatteries.

Internally, he was riddled with anxiety.

If the Su family became the sole dominant power, life would get much harder for the other great families.

Yet, the opposition's influence was already cemented; there was nothing left to say.

Unless the four families formed a coalition—but was that even feasible?

The Qin and Xu families were already practically joined at the hip with the Su family. Even if they weren't, the Su family would surely anticipate a revolt, drawing in some allies while crushing others.

Elder Yan was also deeply troubled, but more than that, he was anxious about what the Su family expected of them now.

After all, the other side had stated that upholding the Elder Council’s authority was a shared duty that none could avoid.

"Brother Su," the black-robed elder spoke up again, "that youth named Chen possesses no ordinary strength. Dispatching only one of the two might not be enough to take him down, and killing him would be even more difficult."

"Brother Qin is correct."

Su Ming gave him an approving look, "To ensure success, it is best to send both. Furthermore, besides that boy Chen, we cannot allow anyone from the Jiangnan Martial Arts Association to escape, but..."

He let his voice trail off.

He glanced at the others in the room.

"Brother Su, if there are obstacles, just say the word. As long as it is within our power, we will not decline." Xu Hu was the first to volunteer.

The members of his family were the ones who had been killed.

If he didn't rip Chen Fan to pieces, he wouldn't be able to face the rest of the Xu family upon his return.

"Indeed, Brother Su, please speak freely." The black-robed elder followed suit.

Seeing the trend, the other two quickly chimed in to express their support as well.

"In truth, it isn't anything too difficult."

Seeing that everyone was being cooperative, the Su family Elder nodded with satisfaction, "The primary concern is the bounty. After all, people require sufficient motivation to work diligently. Without proper compensation, they might not give their full effort. As I mentioned, this isn't just a Su family matter—it concerns everyone. Therefore, this reward shouldn't be the Su family's burden alone. What do you all think?"

"That is only fair."

Everyone felt a sense of relief.

Parting with some wealth was a small price to pay.

Just then, the Su family Elder frowned and pulled out his phone.

"What is it?"

He answered the call with a question.

The call was from his subordinates stationed outside the meeting hall.

They knew he was in an important meeting and wouldn't dare interrupt unless the situation was dire.

"Elder, the Song family representatives have arrived..." a nervous voice reported over the line.

Su Ming cut him off mid-sentence.

"They are here and you didn't turn them away? Inform them we are in a meeting and will notify them of the results later."

"Elder, they claim that Chen Fan visited the Song family and requested they deliver a message to you. I only called after hearing this." The subordinate spoke quickly.

"What?"

Su Ming was stunned.

"What did he have to say?"

"He refused to tell us, insisting on speaking to you directly."

"Hmph."

Su Ming let out a cold snort.

"Send him in."

"Understood, Elder."

The subordinate ended the call.

"The Song family has arrived."

Su Ming looked at the group and clarified, "That youth Chen went to the Song family and has sent them to bring us a message."

"What!"

The shock on their faces was even more dramatic than before.