As expected.
When the voice fell, Shi Lingkai entered Qinggui Garden with more than ten powerful Ancient Earth Immortals.
Shi Lingkai possessed Chaoyuan cultivation and was guarded by the fierce and violent Blood Fiend Dragon Elephant, making his strength extremely formidable. Among the Chixiao People within Yanluo territory, a Chaoyuan Earth Immortal like him was absolutely top-tier, second only to the two Earth Fiend Lords, Black Buddha and Blackhearted Lord.
"Are you the one who claims to be the Chixiao Monarch?"
After his appearance, his eyes swept toward the pavilion like a venomous snake.
"That's right, it's me."
And Gu Qingfeng, from beginning to end, remained sitting leisurely in his chair, leaning to one side, resting his weight on the right armrest, legs crossed, eating spirit fruits and drinking wine.
He was like this when Zhou Ting, Lü Tianze, and those other Fortune Heavenly Geniuses appeared.
He was still like this when Yanluo's Eighteen Young Masters Lan Xingyu and Xiao Zibai appeared, and when Feiyu Cloud Lord, who possessed the Human Dao Edict, arrived.
Even when Qi Mu, the Ziyun Immortal Official of the Yanluo Immortal Office—a Guiyuan Earth Immortal—arrived with a group of Starcloud Immortal Officials, and when experts from the Four Great Families and Seven Great Sects came one after another, he remained exactly the same.
Now, as the Chaoyuan Earth Immortal Chixiao Person Shi Lingkai arrived, he still showed this utterly fearless demeanor.
No.
Not fearless.
But indifferent.
As if these people were like ants in his eyes, not even worth raising any interest, let alone any desire to act, not even the slightest inclination to lift his head and look at them properly.
This attitude, like watching the clouds and wind with a smile, looking down upon all living beings, caused everyone present to feel deeply suspicious and a strange, inexplicable fear.
However, Shi Lingkai's appearance did raise a sliver of interest in him, prompting him to finally look over, though it was only a sweeping glance. "You are a Chixiao Person?"
"Indeed!"
Shi Lingkai's appearance was unremarkable, but his aura was formidable, especially the imposing might emanating from the Blood Fiend Dragon Elephant, which everyone present could clearly sense. He stared fixedly at Gu Qingfeng, as if trying to see through him, but no matter how he looked, he could discern nothing.
And precisely because he could see nothing, it made him quite wary.
Moreover, the fact that Gu Qingfeng had previously extracted the Blood Fiend Dragon Elephants from Tan Tong and more than ten other Chixiao People at the Mountain-River Branch Hall made him even more apprehensive.
Back then, after Tan Tong and the others were sent back to the branch hall, he had gone to see them. Those Chixiao People were half-dead; after having their Blood Fiend Dragon Elephants extracted, their cultivation was ruined, their life force exhausted, destined to drag out a feeble existence for the rest of their lives.
He was well aware that there were many people in the world who impersonated the Chixiao Monarch, and he also knew that among them were many mysterious, bizarre, and unfathomable experts.
However, among those impersonators, none had ever been able to command the reverence of the Blood Fiend Dragon Elephant.
It was precisely for this reason that he was wary.
Because it reminded him of a person, and a possibility.
And the reason why Blackhearted Lord Zhou Taihe had ordered everyone not to investigate this matter was also due to this.
Better safe than sorry.
After all, none of them knew for sure whether the Chixiao Monarch had truly died back then. Even if he had really died, no one could guarantee that the Chixiao Monarch had not undergone reincarnation and rebirth.
When he detected no turbid aura on Gu Qingfeng—neither a reincarnated soul nor a possession—the stone hanging in his heart settled somewhat. In his mind, since this person was not a reincarnated soul, it was unlikely he was the true Chixiao Monarch.
"Since you are a Chixiao Person, why do you look so unfamiliar to me? I have no impression of you."
Gu Qingfeng picked up a cup of wine, took a sip, and asked indifferently, "What's your name? Tell me."
"This old man does not change his name or surname! My surname is Shi, given name Lingkai. I am currently the deputy leader of the Juexin Branch Hall. In the past, I was the banner leader of the Bright Light Banner under Lord Blackhearted Zhou Taihe!"
"Shi Lingkai?"
Gu Qingfeng muttered the name, finding it somewhat familiar, yet he had no clear impression. He added, "The Bright Light Banner under Zhou Taihe? I don't recall Zhou Taihe having any Bright Light Banner."
"You impersonate the Chixiao Monarch, so how would you know about the Bright Light Banner under Lord Blackhearted!"
"Is that so..." Gu Qingfeng thought carefully again. He had no impression of either the name Shi Lingkai or the Bright Light Banner. After pondering, he felt it shouldn't be the case. He might not remember the names of all Chixiao People, but he remembered the names of all the war banners in the Chixiao Sect clearly, even to this day. Back then, Zhou Taihe had seven great war banners under him: Juexin, Mingyu, Fenglei, and so on. There was no Bright Light Banner.
"Young Master."
At that moment, Fei Kui beside him whispered a reminder, "This humble one heard that Shi Lingkai, back when he was in the Chixiao Sect, led the people of the Bright Light Banner in reckless misconduct, committed offenses, and was expelled by you. Since then, the Bright Light Banner ceased to exist."
Reminded by Fei Kui, Gu Qingfeng suddenly understood and smiled faintly. "So that's how it is. No wonder I had no impression."
Back then,
the Chixiao Sect had once experienced a severe split.
This was also something Gu Qingfeng was most reluctant to mention, and it was the only time he had ever taken action against the Chixiao People.
Even now, he clearly remembered how, as the Chixiao Sect rose, some Chixiao People gradually forgot their original intentions, becoming inflated, starting to act tyrannically, bullying others with their power, and even killing innocents indiscriminately.
Upon learning of this, Gu Qingfeng first tried persuasion.
But those Chixiao People did not restrain themselves.
Then he issued warnings.
At first, those Chixiao People did restrain themselves somewhat, but before long, they started bullying others and killing innocents again. Some even secretly colluded with the Immortal Court, betraying the Chixiao Sect.
In the end, having no other choice, Gu Qingfeng, in a fit of rage, executed several of the leading Chixiao People. Out of regard for old sentiments and the bonds forged through shedding blood together, he did not take action against the others but merely expelled them from the Chixiao Sect.
Back then, the number of Chixiao People he expelled was not small—no fewer than three thousand. Consequently, over a hundred war banners were completely stricken from the Chixiao Sect's records.
Thinking of this, he remembered that Zhou Taihe's forces indeed seemed to have had a Bright Light Banner, and he vaguely recalled that the banner leader was named Shi Lingkai.
"Back when you were in the Chixiao Sect, you were a banner leader under Zhou Taihe. After being expelled, after so many years, you've ended up mingling with Zhou Taihe again. You've played it quite slickly."
Gu Qingfeng narrowed his eyes at Shi Lingkai. "If I remember correctly, among those Chixiao People who betrayed the Chixiao Sect back then, you, Shi Lingkai, should be one of them, right? Of course, saying 'betray' might be a bit unfair to you. But at the very least, you colluded with the Immortal Court, didn't you?"
Hearing this, Shi Lingkai's expression instantly changed drastically.
In Yanluo, perhaps many people knew that Shi Lingkai had been expelled from the Chixiao Sect in his early years, and the reason for his expulsion was mostly rumored to be indiscriminate killing of innocents. Only Shi Lingkai himself knew that the real reason he was expelled back then was not merely indiscriminate killing, but also collusion with the Immortal Court. However, this matter was scarcely known, not only to outsiders but even to many Chixiao People.