South Yue City, deep into the night. In the residence of the Situ Family, there appeared an elderly man with white hair. He sat at the table, his expression solemn; the tea on the table had cooled, yet he hadn’t had the chance to take a single sip. Situ Fang, with her eyebrows slightly furrowed, asked, "Elder Wang, what did the clan say?" The old man, known as Situ Wang, frowned and sighed, "The clan can’t spare any manpower..." Situ Fang furrowed her brows and said, "Our Situ Family is, after all, a Third-Rank Clan; it’s impossible that they can’t even spare over ten Foundation Establishment cultivators. Could it be that the clan doesn’t believe it?" Elder Situ Wang nodded his head, "That’s part of the reason." He let out a sigh, "Eighty Iron Corpses, tens of thousands of Walking Corpses, this... it’s preposterous..." The entire Second-Grade Prefecture Boundary might not be able to muster the strength to combat such a force. Situ Fang let out a small sigh. She didn’t quite believe it either, or rather, she didn’t dare to. But this news had been scouted by Mo Hua and was delivered by the siblings of the Bai Family; even if she didn’t dare believe it, she also knew it was highly unlikely to be false. Mo Hua’s actions were always unexpected. Though young, he was sometimes audaciously bold. Yet, his actions were often well-calculated and thought-out. Since knowing Mo Hua, the words he spoke and the actions he took were always reliable, and they shouldn’t be false. It’s just that others might not believe... Situ Wang said, "I heard that this news was scouted by a young cultivator?" Situ Fang nodded her head. "How old is he?" There was a pause from Situ Fang before she responded in a low voice, "Thirteen..." Situ Wang looked somewhat at a loss, helplessly saying, "Thirteen years old... Even if I believed it, the clan wouldn’t... Thirteen years old..." Situ Wang shook his head. Cultivators have long lifespans. Cultivators from clans are even more so wealthy in reserves and advantageous in conditions. Generally, cultivators under the age of twenty all look quite young and are still considered children. A thirteen-year-old child uncovering such a major incident, even Situ Wang was uncertain. However, he and Situ Fang shared the same lineage, and he had watched her grow up since she was a child; knowing her character, he had made this trip personally to assess the situation. Situ Fang had no choice but to say, "Mo Hua is a First-Grade Formation Master." Situ Wang was startled, "Who?" "The young cultivator you mentioned." Situ Wang’s palm trembled, "Thirteen years old? A First-Grade Formation Master?" Situ Fang nodded. Situ Wang, having lost his Elder’s composure, couldn’t help but ask in a low voice, "Is that true?" Situ Fang helplessly replied, "Would I really lie to you? If you don’t believe me, you can ask Elder Jin." Mo Hua was young, and his talents were too high, which easily attracted envy and hatred. Situ Fang chose not to spread word about it widely; within the Situ Family, only Situ Fang and two Elders who had seen Mo Hua were aware of this. Situ Wang appeared somewhat lost in thought, then muttered to himself, "Thirteen years old, a First-Grade Formation Master... How on earth is that young cultivator’s mind constructed..." Situ Fang said, "Now, his words should carry some weight, right..." Situ Wang, with furrowed brows, pondered for a moment before he slightly nodded, "If that is indeed the case, then we cannot regard him as any ordinary young cultivator. A First-Grade Formation Master, even in the Second-Grade Prefecture Boundary, is still a person of stature and wouldn’t joke about such matters..." Situ Fang’s eyes brightened slightly, "Then Elder..." But Situ Wang shook his head, "I can only do my best to argue for it, but whether the clan agrees or not, it’s not for me to decide." "Is it because of the Undead Calamity?" Situ Fang frowned and asked. Explore new worlds at empire "Correct..." Situ Wang sighed, "This matter is too dangerous..." "Iron Corpses so strong, and that many Walking Corpses, if they are manipulated to form a Corpse Tide, it would be extremely terrifying." "Zombies are unlike ordinary cultivators..." "Facing cultivators in battle, being injured is usually not a big concern; find some way to treat it and usually, it’s okay." "But fighting against zombies, once injured and bleeding, contaminated by Corpse Qi and the heart attacked by Corpse Poison, if it spreads, the consequences become completely uncontrollable..." There was a deep horror in Situ Wang’s eyes. Situ Fang fell silent too. "Moreover, there’s another most important issue..." Situ Wang looked at Situ Fang, hesitant to speak, but after some thought, he still spoke bluntly, "This matter, for our Situ Family, holds no benefits." Situ Fang’s expression turned stagnant upon hearing this. Situ Wang said in silence, "The Situ Family, generation after generation has been in charge, with ancestors starting from the Demon Suppressing Court of the Taoist Court, firm and upright in conduct, incorruptible..." "But no matter what, a clan is still a clan, and its interest must come first..." "This matter has few benefits." Situ Wang paused, then added, "At least, in the face of risk, this benefit is not significant..." Truly exterminating the Corpse Mine and suppressing the thousands of zombies does indeed confer great merit. But the cost and risk involved are manifold. In the Corpse Tide commanded by the Corpse King and the Iron Corpses, the cultivators sent by the Situ Family could completely perish—it’s a possibility. The Situ Family cannot afford this risk. "Then the Taoist Court..." Situ Fang frowned. "The Taoist Court is the same," Situ Wang said, "Even if the Taoist Court is aware and believes it, after weighing the pros and cons, they also might not take significant action." Situ Wang spoke gravely, "The Taoist Court is more complicated than our Situ Family, with the distribution of power, entanglement of interests, too convoluted to sort out..." Seeing that Situ Fang didn’t quite understand, Situ Wang clarified, "In terms of principle, according to the Taoist Law, annihilating zombies and eliminating demons is obligatory." "But practically speaking, this matter is fraught with difficulties."