"Hah! 'Overlooking the Firmament, Dominating the Great Wastes, reigning supreme across heaven and earth, the Great Lord'! 'Lao' is the 'lao' of 'ancestor', 'Ye' is the 'Ye' of 'Heavenly Lord', 'Da' is the 'greatest' under heaven and earth! Good!
Very good!
Excellent!"
Jinyan Xianshi stared at Gu Qingfeng and uttered three 'goods' in succession, then sneered coldly, "Your Excellency truly has an enormous mouth! I, Jin, am impressed!
Deeply impressed!"
"Can't help it. Force of habit."
"Hmph!"
Jinyan Xianshi kept his gaze fixed intently on Gu Qingfeng, while secretly unleashing his divine sense to probe him discreetly. He was certain that this boastful fellow before him indeed possessed no cultivation, no fortune, and was not some reincarnated expert. Apart from the most basic human aura, there was nothing else about him, and even that human aura was weak and feeble.
Such an existence, even if he truly had been some so-called 'Great Lord' in the past, would not be taken seriously by Jinyan Xianshi. Moreover, based on his experience, someone as frivolous and impetuous as Gu Qingfeng likely wasn't even a 'Great Lord' at all. He looked more like a swindler who mooched off others and relied on mystification.
Thinking this, the last trace of apprehension he had felt towards Gu Qingfeng's presence vanished completely at this moment.
For Jinyan Xianshi, the only remaining issue was the attitude of Lixin Xianzi and High Immortal Qingqing.
"Might I ask why Jinyan Xianshi, Wuhua Xianzi, and the esteemed seniors of the Wuling Immortal Realm have come in such force?"
Seeing that Jinyan and Wuhua, the couple, had not mentioned the purpose of their visit, Lixin Xianzi took the initiative to inquire.
Jinyan Xianshi did not respond immediately, as if pondering the intent behind Lixin Xianzi's question. After a moment's consideration, he clasped his hands and said, "To be frank, we have come for our disciple, Yuanwu."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Lixin Xianzi replied indifferently and then fell silent. Although she inwardly hoped Jinyan Xianshi would make a move to test the waters, she dared not reveal this intention in front of Gu Qingfeng.
"My disciple Yuanwu was severely injured here earlier. I wonder if Lixin Xianzi is aware of this matter?"
"I am aware."
Lixin Xianzi said, "Yuanwu spoke disrespectfully and offended You Di, the venerable one. Elder Huode could not stand by and taught him a lesson."
"Hmph! So what if my disciple offended You Di? What does that have to do with him?" Wuhua Xianzi, who had been suppressing her fury, stepped forward and shouted, "What right did he have to attack and severely injure my disciple!"
"This..." Lixin Xianzi deliberately feigned a look of difficulty.
Wuhua Xianzi was about to say more but was stopped by Jinyan Xianshi beside her. Jinyan Xianshi said, "I heard that old Taoist is currently on Lixin Xianzi's vessel. If that is true, I hope Lixin Xianzi will invite him out."
He paused briefly, then continued before Lixin Xianzi could speak, "Lixin Xianzi, High Immortal Qingqing, we have no intention of offending you. It is just that our disciple's injuries are truly too severe. When he was sent back to the Wuling Immortal Realm, he was hanging on by a single breath. Whether he can even survive is unknown. We hope you can understand our feelings and hand over that old Taoist!"
"The Eternal Life Pavilion is one of the renowned Seventy-Two Blessed Lands of the Great Wasteland. Lixin Xianzi is a famed immortal from ancient times. High Immortal Qingqing is not only a peerless High Immortal bestowed by the Nine Heavens but also a disciple of a heroic figure of the present era like Fusheng Dijun. Surely, you will uphold justice for our pitiful disciple."
One had to admit that Jinyan Xianshi truly lived up to his reputation as a famed Xianshi from ancient times. He knew that the old Taoist who injured Yuanwu was the savior of High Immortal Qingqing's Little Junior Sister, and he was most worried that Lixin Xianzi would use this as an excuse to shield the old Taoist.
Therefore, without waiting for Lixin Xianzi to speak, he first appealed to reason and emotion, letting everyone know that Yuanwu's injuries were severe and that they, as his master and mistress, had the duty and responsibility to seek justice for him. Then, he placed a lofty hat upon the Eternal Life Pavilion, Lixin, and Qingqing. The implication was simple: if your Eternal Life Pavilion shields that old Taoist, it would be bullying and oppressing the Wuling Immortal Realm.
Lixin Xianzi wore a troubled expression.
However.
Inwardly, she was very pleased, even wanting to thank Jinyan Xianshi.
She had originally wanted to distance herself and Qingqing from the matter but was afraid Gu Qingfeng would see through her intentions, so she couldn't make it too obvious. Now, with Jinyan Xianshi both placing a lofty hat on them and playing the victim, she had the perfect opportunity to extricate herself.
Of course.
Even so, she still had to put on a show. Feigning difficulty, she looked at Gu Qingfeng and asked, "Great Lord, what do you think about this matter... What should we do?"
"What do you mean, what should we do?"
Gu Qingfeng asked, "It wasn't me who hit him. What does it have to do with me? Whoever did it, you go find them. Perfect timing, I'm a bit bored right now, looking for some entertainment. Hurry up and call Huode out. Tell him someone's here for revenge."
"But... Elder Huode is in seclusion."
"Right, you reminded me. I'd almost forgotten about this whole thing. That old fellow is useless. He ate too many fruits and has a bit of indigestion. I'm afraid he won't be coming out for a while."
Gu Qingfeng said with a chuckle, "How about you wait a few days? Wait until that old fellow comes out, then go cause trouble for him?
Don't worry, he won't run away."
"Your Excellency's words are utterly unreasonable! That old Taoist beat my disciple to the brink of death, leaving him with only a single breath. Today, we have come to seek justice for our disciple. Are we supposed to wait for him to finish his seclusion just because he's in closed-door cultivation? What kind of logic is that in this world?"
"Hearing you say that, it does make sense."
Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin and nodded, saying, "Revenge is all about swift satisfaction. Who waits until their enemy finishes seclusion to take revenge? Even the broadest-minded person isn't that magnanimous. Forget you, even if it were me, I wouldn't be happy about it either. Why not just strike while he's in seclusion? Isn't that better? As the old saying goes, 'Kick a man when he's down.'"
Hearing Gu Qingfeng's words, everyone was stunned, including Lixin Xianzi and High Immortal Qingqing.
In their impression, Gu Qingfeng and Huode were allies. Others might not know, but they were clearly aware that the reason Huode attacked Yuanwu was precisely because Yuanwu spoke disrespectfully and offended You Di. After beating him, Huode even asked this fellow to deal with Yuanwu. So now, when Yuanwu's master came knocking, and Huode was in seclusion, not only did this fellow not help Huode face the situation, but he actually added insult to injury, urging Jinyan Xianshi and the others to seek revenge on Huode, even saying things like 'kick a man when he's down'?
At this moment.
Lixin Xianzi and High Immortal Qingqing grew even more suspicious about whether this fellow was truly You Di.
Wasn't this too shameless?
Even if they weren't friends, someone stood up to defend your reputation and help you. You can't stab them in the back like this!
Was this fellow really You Di?
As everyone knew, although You Di's sins were monstrous, he had always been open and aboveboard, daring to take responsibility for his actions. Perhaps he wasn't a heroic figure of boundless righteousness, but he was undoubtedly a man of integrity.
How could the real You Di engage in such shameless acts of betraying a friend!
Fake!
Absolutely fake!