"Who is that person?"
Gu Qingfeng glanced at the handsome man, feeling rather surprised.
"His name is Wei Qing, he's from the Nine Hua Alliance. Everyone calls him Lord Wei."
Ouyang Feiyue thought for a moment, then added, "No one knows his true cultivation level or strength. He has never fought anyone personally, but he is always surrounded by countless experts, and...
It's said that a few years ago, he was one of the perpetrators who killed that reincarnated individual in the Qi-Yan region. Of course, that's just hearsay. Whether it's true or not, I'm not sure."
Gu Qingfeng shifted his posture, picked up a cup of wine, squinted his eyes as he observed for a while, nodded, and asked again, "So, that old man beside him is also one of his people?"
"Are you referring to Elder Hui, Young Master?
He indeed always follows Wei Qing's orders. Many matters are handled by him personally."
"I see."
During his stay at the Spirit Seclusion Garden in the back mountains, people would often sneak in to investigate every few days. Gu Qingfeng couldn't be bothered to deal with them. He knew that the so-called Elder Hui had spent a full ten days lurking in the Spirit Seclusion Garden recently, and in the filthiest latrine at that. Gu Qingfeng thought he had it rough, so he didn't disturb him.
"Kid Gu."
A slovenly old man suddenly walked over—it was Huode.
"Early in the morning, you pushed me here alone and slipped away yourself."
Gu Qingfeng said irritably, "What's the matter?
What shady business have you been up to?"
"What shady business? None at all."
Huode sat down, picked up a bowl of wine, and gulped it down in one go. He replied, "Today is a big day for the Yunxia Sect. Almost every notable figure in the Qingyang Region has come, including many of my old friends. I was just greeting them earlier."
It was true that he was greeting them, but Huode was mostly trying to persuade them—persuading his old comrades not to get involved in the Yunxia Sect's affairs. Unfortunately, it wasn't very effective. Only a handful listened to his advice. The others said they wouldn't get involved, but when push came to shove, they would likely step forward.
Huode had said all he needed to say and advised all he could. Whether others listened or not, he couldn't be bothered to keep trying.
Perhaps he had talked too much while persuading earlier, as his mouth felt dry and parched. He drank half a jar of the Millennium Ice-Fire Aged Brew before finally catching his breath. He asked, "Kid Gu, I heard earlier that Wen Jingshan came. You didn't do anything to him, did you?"
Gu Qingfeng sat there listlessly, yawned, and shook his head. "Don't worry. I said I'd follow your lead today. See, when that guy surnamed Wen came over earlier, I didn't even dare let out a fart."
Ouyang Feiyue had been wondering why Gu Qingfeng remained silent when Wen Jingshan approached. Now, hearing their conversation, she finally understood—it seemed Elder Huode had given him strict instructions beforehand.
"Good! Let's stick to my plan for now. If my plan doesn't work, then..." Huode didn't finish the sentence, but Ouyang Feiyue across from him seemed to catch a hint of what he meant.
Inside the hall.
With Wei Qing's arrival, the previously lively banquet suddenly fell silent. The leaders who had been laughing and chatting earlier now spoke in hushed tones, for everyone knew that behind Wei Qing stood the giant that was the Nine Hua Alliance.
Nearly all the guests invited to the banquet had arrived—close to a thousand people. And that was just those attending the banquet inside. Who knew how many troops were gathered outside?
As the time for the banquet to begin drew nearer, Yunhe, Yunfa, Yunzheng—the Three Elders of Yunxia—also appeared in the hall.
The Three Elders had cultivated for nearly a millennium and held high prestige in the Qingyang Region. Most crucially, all three had survived their lifespan tribulations. In other words, although the Golden Cores within their dantian and purple palaces could not be called absolutely pure or true Golden Cores, they were tens or even hundreds of times purer than the Golden Cores Jin De and Shui De had formed by pill-forging. Their strength reflected this as well.
Today, the Yunxia Sect's ability to rally such a response was due to three factors: first, Jin De's behind-the-scenes maneuvering; second, Wen Jingshan's immense potential; and third, the presence of the Three Elders of Yunxia—three Golden Core experts who had survived their lifespan tribulations.
The Three Elders of Yunxia were greeting the guests at the banquet. Not far away, Wei Qing sat upright in a chair, with four mountain-like giants standing imposingly behind him, hands on the large blades at their waists, glaring vigilantly in all directions.
Elder Hui was brewing tea beside him, seemingly whispering something. Wei Qing nodded in acknowledgment, then slightly raised his head to look into the distance, his gaze falling on the white-robed man who was half-reclining in a chair, drinking wine.
At first glance, Wei Qing couldn't help but let out a soft sound of surprise.
Looking again, his brows involuntarily furrowed.
Continuing to look, his frown deepened, and the confusion in his deep eyes grew more intense.
At that moment, the white-robed man in the distance, who was leaning lazily in his chair, suddenly looked up and glanced in this direction.
It was just a casual glance, but Wei Qing's expression changed drastically, and he quickly turned away.
"Young Master, you..." Elder Hui asked cautiously.
Wei Qing did not respond immediately. It took a long while for the panic on his face to gradually fade, but his brows remained deeply knitted, his expression no longer calm. His deep eyes now held a mix of suspicion and apprehension. He picked up his teacup, brought it to his lips, pondered for a moment, and said, "Cancel the original plan."
"What! Cancel the plan?"
Elder Hui was shocked. "How will you explain it to the Alliance then?"
Wei Qing did not respond.
Elder Hui asked, puzzled, "Young Master, did you notice something?"
Wei Qing closed his eyes, shook his head, and took a deep, silent breath. "I can't read him, can't understand him, can't see through him..." This was the first time Elder Hui had heard his Young Master evaluate someone like this, and he couldn't help but frown as well. He couldn't imagine what kind of existence someone even his Young Master couldn't read or see through would be.
"But... that look in his eyes just now... it was truly... too..." Wei Qing didn't know how to describe the white-robed man's gaze. He didn't even understand why, with just a casual glance from the other party, he felt as if he had fallen into an abyss. What frightened him even more was that with that casual glance, it seemed as if all his secrets had been laid bare, even his soul seemed to have been seen through completely.
How could this be?
Wei Qing didn't know and couldn't figure it out.
"Hahaha! Congratulations on coming out of seclusion, my three old friends!"
"Long time no see, you three."
Two resonant voices rang out as two old men appeared. One was a gray-haired old man who looked spirited and vigorous, and the other was a rather plump old man.
Almost everyone in the hall recognized these two old men—they were True Being Hong Xuan and True Being Nanji. Like the Three Elders of Yunxia, both were Golden Core experts who had survived their lifespan tribulations and were among the nine renowned grandmasters of the Qingyang Region.
"Brother Hong Xuan, Brother Nanji, it's been a while."
True Being Yunhe cupped his hands and laughed heartily.
The Three Elders of Yunxia, True Being Hong Xuan, and True Being Nanji had all been among the nine grandmasters of the Qingyang Region back in the day and maintained a fairly good relationship.
True Being Hong Xuan looked around as if searching for someone, then turned to Li Changxin and asked, "Changxin, your old father has also come out of seclusion. Why hasn't he come today?"
"Senior Hong Xuan, my father just emerged from seclusion not long ago. He went out to visit a few old friends and will arrive shortly... If nothing unexpected happens, my father will bring his friends along as well."
Clearly, Li Changxin's words were not just meant for True Being Hong Xuan. They also seemed directed at the Three Elders of Yunxia, Wei Qing representing the Nine Hua Alliance, and Huode, Gu Qingfeng, and the others sitting in the distance.