No matter how Huode tried to persuade him, Gu Qingfeng had only one response.
"You, Huode, are my savior. If it's to help you personally, I'll do anything. But this matter with Yunxia Sect is the one thing I won't do."
Seeing him so resolute, Huode grew both anxious and angry. With a slap, he punched the table and roared.
"Kid Gu, you're helping with this today whether you want to or not! If you don't help, this old man will shout it to the world that you're back, hmph!
You probably don't know this yet, do you?
The immortals of the Immortal Court have been searching everywhere for you. If they find out you've returned...
Tsk tsk!
They'll spare no effort to erase you!"
"Oh ho, Huode, I didn't see this coming—you've learned to threaten people?
You've grown some skill, huh..." Gu Qingfeng sneered, his handsome face revealing an aloof expression, his dark eyes brimming with arrogance. He raised his cup and drained the wine in one gulp, a trace of disdain curling at the corner of his mouth as he declared.
"The Immortal Court? I dared to annihilate it once, and I dare to annihilate it a second time. Not to mention the Immortal Court ruling the mortal realm—even if it were the Heavenly Court ruling the celestial realm, I'd still dare to wipe it out!"
"You damned brat!"
Huode gritted his teeth in fury but couldn't refute him.
He knew Gu Qingfeng had the capability, and even more so, the audacity. As for the Heavenly Court of the celestial realm...
Although Huode didn't know exactly what Gu Qingfeng had done up there, based on his understanding of the man, there was nothing in all heaven and earth this kid wouldn't dare to do. Since this kid had been judged by the Heavenly Dao and cast down, damn it, he might have actually done something like destroying the Heavenly Court up there!
Damn it!
This kid feared neither heaven nor earth—threatening him really was useless!
Sigh!
Huode pleaded again: "Kid Gu, just do it for my sake, help out, please? Consider it me begging you, alright?"
"Huode, it's not that I don't want to help you. I'm truly tired...
I don't want to stir up trouble anymore..." Gu Qingfeng sighed. "After being judged by the Heavenly Dao, I've just awakened. I'm very weak right now. Can't you let me rest peacefully for a few years?"
"If we could wait, I wouldn't be begging you. Those two bastards, Jin De and Shui De, are pressing harder and harder. If we wait any longer, Yunxia Sect will be snatched away sooner or later. Kid Gu, please, have a heart and help me this once."
At that moment, a stone door inside the cave abode suddenly opened, and an elderly man with white hair and beard walked out. The old man looked very weak, his complexion pale. After emerging, he gazed at Gu Qingfeng, his expression particularly agitated, and murmured: "Liege...
It's really...
you...
It's really...
you..." As he spoke, the old man thumped to his knees: "This old man, Tu De, pays respects...
pays respects to the Liege."
Hmm?
Tu De?
Gu Qingfeng glanced at Huode, as if asking why Tu De knew about his return and why he was here.
Huode scratched his head, not daring to meet his gaze, clearly somewhat embarrassed.
"What happened back then was all this old man's fault...
This old man was blind...
This old man was ignorant...
This old man kowtows here to...
to the Liege to apologize...
I beg the Liege to be magnanimous..." Seeing Tu De kowtowing to apologize, Gu Qingfeng quickly stepped forward to stop him. "Senior Tu De, what are you doing? I never took what happened back then to heart. I was just teasing Huode earlier. Please, get up..." To be honest, regarding the events at Yunxia Sect back then, Gu Qingfeng had held some resentment, but it was only resentment—he hadn't taken it to heart. Moreover, after so many years, he had long forgotten. He had only mentioned it earlier to tease Huode.
"No!
Liege...
This old man has always wanted to apologize for what happened back then, but never had the chance. Today...
no matter what, I beg the Liege to accept this old man's apology."
Tu De remained kneeling, kowtowing in apology. "Back then, the Liege knelt before this old man's door for three days and three nights. Today...
today, this old man is willing to kneel until death. I do notpresume to hope to receive the Liege's forgiveness, but only to atone for the mistakes I made back then..." Immediately, Huode also walked over and thumped to his knees: "Kid Gu, I'm going all out this time too—kneeling to you. Please, just help out."
Gu Qingfeng went to stop them, but no matter what he said, the two refused to rise. He couldn't be bothered to persuade them further and sat back in his chair. He looked at the aged and frail Sect Head Tu De, then at Huode, shook his head, and sighed.
"Alright, get up first. Let me think about it for a few days."
"Kid Gu, just agree..." Huode wanted to continue persuading, but before he could finish, Gu Qingfeng cut him off. "Huode, don't push me. I said I'll think about it for a few days. You two get up first."
"If you don't agree, my Senior Brother and I won't get up."
Gu Qingfeng stood up, picked up his wine cup, tilted his head back to drink, and said indifferently: "If you won't get up, then keep kneeling."
With that, he left.
Watching Gu Qingfeng leave without even looking back, Huode felt like crying but had no tears. He cursed: Damn it, this kid still has the same temper.
"Senior Brother, your body is too weak. You should get up first."
"Junior Brother...
just let me kneel...
Whether the Liege agrees or not, I will keep kneeling...
Expelling the Liege from Yunxia Sect back then was the biggest mistake of my life...
My time is running out...
I hope that before I die, I can receive...
receive the Liege's forgiveness..." "Sigh!"
Huode sighed and didn't try to persuade him further. He knew this matter had been tormenting his Sect Head Senior Brother for years. For so many years, Senior Brother had been filled with self-blame. If he could obtain Kid Gu's forgiveness, it would at least fulfill Sect Head Senior Brother's wish.
...
Yunxia Sect.
Within a courtyard residence.
Ouyang Ye sat in a pavilion, head bowed, hands clutching her hair. Her exquisite, pretty face now looked utterly haggard.
Yes.
Haggard.
She hadn't slept for two days and was on the verge of collapse.
The events at Redleaf Valley two days ago had already spread throughout Yunxia Sect.
Two outer disciples had dislocated arms; eight disciples still had swollen faces.
Inner disciples Yun Hong and Ye Hui had suffered internal injuries, their bone foundations fractured.
Li Sen's wrist bones were shattered, his dantian in chaos, vomiting blood incessantly, his magical treasure seized.
Tan Siru's flying sword was destroyed, her dantian impaired.
The higher-ups of Yunxia Sect were furious, especially Li Sen's master, Grand Steward Guang Yuan. Upon learning of this, he had immediately taken many stewards to the Rear Mountain's Spirit Seclusion Garden that very day. Unfortunately, they hadn't found Gu Qingfeng.
According to the laborers at the Spirit Seclusion Garden, Gu Qingfeng had returned and then left with Elder Huode.
Some speculated that Elder Huode had probably dragged Gu Qingfeng off to test formations.
No one knew where Elder Huode had gone.
Even if they knew, no one dared to disturb him.
After all, everyone knew Elder Huode was not someone to be trifled with.
They could only wait—wait until Elder Huode finished his experiments before dealing with that Gu Qingfeng.
Ten outer disciples beaten, four inner disciples injured—this was absolutely a major incident. Especially since the four injured inner disciples were all outstanding talents under key cultivation. Now they had been beaten by an outsider—how could the Yunxia Sect higher-ups tolerate this? Moreover, among the beaten was Li Sen.
As everyone knew, Li Sen was the young master of the prestigious Fengying Li Family. The Li Family was a renowned and influential great clan in the Qingyang Region. Li Sen's older brothers included one who was a Chief Disciple and another a Direct Disciple. His master was a Grand Steward of the sect, his grandfather an Outer Sect Elder, and his uncle the leader of a subordinate gang.
Now that Li Sen had been beaten like this, one could imagine how furious the Li Family must be.
What to do?
Ouyang Ye didn't know what to do.
If she knew, she wouldn't have gone two days and two nights without sleep.
Did she regret it?
She regretted it deeply.
She regretted ever finding Gu Qingfeng to impersonate Lord Chixiao. Otherwise, none of this would have happened.
But what was done was done—what use was regret now?
She didn't know who Gu Qingfeng really was, and at this moment, she didn't want to know.
She only wanted Gu Qingfeng to leave alive.
Sensing someone enter the courtyard, Ouyang Ye looked up to find a woman walking in.
It was none other than Tan Siru.
"Senior Martial Sister, you...
are you alright?" Ouyang Ye asked apologetically. Even though she felt her Senior Martial Sister had brought this upon herself, Tan Siru was still her Senior Martial Sister. Deep down, she still felt somewhat sorry for her.
"Hmph!
You still have the face to call me Senior Martial Sister?
Sorry, but I dare not have a Junior Martial Sister like you."
Tan Siru glared viciously at Ouyang Ye and sneered. "How impressive you are...
with such a powerful Daoist companion...
How would I dare to be your Senior Martial Sister? This time I was lucky to survive. If there's a next time...
who knows, I might be beaten to death by your Daoist companion someday."
"Senior Martial Sister, you..." Ouyang Ye's willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed deeply. Since Tan Siru spoke like this, she responded without courtesy: "Senior Martial Sister, if you hadn't struck first, why would Gu Qingfeng have beaten you? This is entirely your own doing—you brought it upon yourself!"
"Heh!
I brought it upon myself?
Heh heh..." Tan Siru laughed, a very sinister laugh, then stared at Ouyang Ye, gnashing her teeth. "Let me tell you, Ouyang Ye, don't get cocky. When Elder Huode brings that guy surnamed Gu back, he'll die a miserable, miserable death. Grand Steward Guang Yuan and several other Grand Stewards, along with Li Sen's grandfather, are all furious. They've sworn to tear that guy surnamed Gu to pieces...
Just you wait!"
Suddenly, a young girl rushed in, flustered: "Senior Martial Sister Ouyang, it's bad..."
"Xiao Tao, what's wrong?"
The girl called Xiao Tao said anxiously: "Elder Huode...
has already...
already brought...
brought Lord Chixiao...
back...
and moreover...
moreover Grand Steward Guang Yuan...
they...
they've all gone to the Spirit Seclusion Garden, and also...
also Elder Mu De...
Elder Mu De has gone too..."
What!
Hearing this, Ouyang Ye's expression changed drastically. Without thinking, she immediately ran out.
She was going to save Gu Qingfeng.
Even though she didn't know how to save him.
But she had to go.
Ouyang Ye understood clearly in her heart that, when it came down to it, all of this was her fault. It had started because of her. If Gu Qingfeng died here just like that, she would never forgive herself for the rest of her life.