Watching Grand Steward Guang Yuan being tossed out like a chick by Elder Huode, everyone else was left wide-eyed, their hearts filled with both shock and endless bewilderment.
Especially Yun Hong, Tan Siru, and Ye Hui. They had thought that following Grand Steward Guang Yuan and Elder Li would allow them to seek revenge and restore their dignity. Never did they imagine things would turn out this way. Not only did they fail to get revenge, but even the Grand Steward and Elder Li had been utterly humiliated.
As Li Ziheng left with Li Sen, crestfallen and covered in dust, the others dared not linger any longer and quickly dispersed.
They were all gone.
And Gu Qingfeng was still leisurely reclining in the grand tutor's armchair, sipping his wine, as if what had just happened had nothing to do with him. Throughout the entire incident, he hadn't even stood up, nor had he furrowed his brow even once.
Elder Huode stood beside him, smiling and fanning him like a servant, and asked, "Young Gu, when did you become so merciful? Just now, this old man thought you were going to kill Guang Yuan."
"You think too highly of yourself. If I killed him, wouldn't that be playing right into your hands? Then, even if I didn't want to, I'd have no choice but to get involved in your Yunxia Sect's mess."
If he really had killed Guang Yuan, his master, True Person Jinde, would surely come looking for him. Of course, Gu Qingfeng wasn't afraid, but that would inevitably force him to meddle in Yunxia Sect's affairs.
Most importantly, his issues with Guang Yuan were from five hundred years ago. Although Gu Qingfeng had plenty of free time, he wasn't so idle as to dwell on childhood grievances.
Elder Huode grinned and said, "You little brat, you're way too cunning."
"Between the two of us, who's more cunning?"
Gu Qingfeng shot him an extremely disdainful glance. "Do you think I couldn't tell what you meant by deliberately throwing Guang Yuan in front of me just now? Wasn't it just to make me take action? I'm telling you, Huode, you're quite the actor, old man. Too bad your acting skills are really lousy."
"This old man wasn't acting! I... I genuinely couldn't stand that brat Guang Yuan!"
Huode spoke with righteous indignation, but his evasive eyes betrayed him.
Because when he threw Guang Yuan over earlier, he indeed wanted Gu Qingfeng to take action. In his mind, as long as Gu Qingfeng made a move, he would have no choice but to get involved in Yunxia Sect's affairs. He hadn't expected to be seen through.
Perhaps feeling somewhat guilty and uncomfortable under Gu Qingfeng's gaze, Huode cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject.
"I say, little girl Ouyang, why are you still standing there dazed instead of leaving?"
"I..." Ouyang Ye was indeed standing there dumbfounded, her eyes wide, her brow deeply furrowed. Her exquisite face was full of shock, and her heart was filled with countless doubts. She asked, "Elder Huode... you... you two really know each other?"
Previously, when Gu Qingfeng said he knew Huode, she hadn't believed him. But after what just happened, she couldn't help but doubt.
"What do you mean 'really know'? Little girl Ouyang, that's a strange question to ask!"
"I... Elder Huode, he... who is he?"
At this moment, Ouyang Ye desperately wanted to know just what identity this guy possessed.
She couldn't imagine what kind of status would make Elder Huode serve someone like that. Moreover, what the old man said earlier—that if it were in the past, the entire Li family, old and young, would have long been dead—was clearly referring to Gu Qingfeng.
"You're asking who Young Gu is... He's the one you've always..." Elder Huode originally wanted to tease the little girl. He knew Ouyang Ye had always idolized Gu Qingfeng. But as the words reached his lips, he thought better of it and stopped.
Gu Qingfeng's existence was far too complicated. Once his identity was exposed, the world would undoubtedly descend into chaos.
This was no exaggeration. Ever since Gu Qingfeng was judged by the Heavenly Dao, many suspected he hadn't died and had been searching for him all along. With the Great Calamity of the Heavens and the storm of reincarnation, many great powers had reincarnated, and far too many people were scouring the world for Gu Qingfeng's reincarnated self—his enemies, his sworn brothers, and his women.
Whether they were his enemies, his brothers, or his women, they were all overlords in their own right in this world.
If they knew Gu Qingfeng was still alive...
Huode couldn't imagine how chaotic the world would become.
"That's a question this old man can't answer. You'd better ask him yourself."
Ouyang Ye exclaimed in surprise and looked at Gu Qingfeng.
After draining his cup of wine, Gu Qingfeng stood up, stretched lazily, and asked with a smile, "Girl, you really want to know who I am?"
Ouyang Ye nodded vigorously.
"Come closer, I'll tell you secretly."
Ouyang Ye quickly leaned her head in. Then, Gu Qingfeng's voice reached her ears.
"Actually, I'm a god."
A god?
Ouyang Ye's expression froze, as if she couldn't comprehend the meaning of the word 'god' for a moment. When she finally reacted, she realized this guy was playing her.
"Hahaha! Girl, I'm going to rest now. Go play by yourself."
Watching Gu Qingfeng stride away, laughing heartily, Ouyang Ye ground her teeth in frustration. Just as she was about to chase after him, Huode stopped her.
"I say, little girl Ouyang, Young Gu is going to rest. Don't bother him."
"Elder Huode, just who is he?" Ouyang Ye was practically on the verge of a breakdown, especially since Huode had spoken to her so seriously about not disturbing Gu Qingfeng. This made her even more curious about Gu Qingfeng's identity. She had never seen Elder Huode so seriously tell her not to disturb someone.
"Why are you so eager to know his identity, little girl?"
"I just want to know! Elder Huode, please tell me, okay?"
Ouyang Ye shook Huode's arm, pouting and acting coquettishly. "Elder Huode, I know you're the best... Please tell me!"
"Be a good girl and go back to cultivate. This old man has important matters to attend to."
Shaking Ouyang Ye off, Huode vanished in a flash, disappearing without a trace.
"Elder Huode!"
Ouyang Ye called out a few times, but there was no response. As she turned to leave, she suddenly noticed a woman standing at the entrance of the Spirit Seclusion Garden.
The woman was as beautiful as a flower, dressed in a fiery red gown that made her look incredibly alluring. Her entire body exuded a mature charm, like a woman of the pleasure quarters. However, her stunningly beautiful face was currently filled with a look of shock and bewilderment, and her eyes were full of confusion as she gazed at the Spirit Seclusion Garden, as if there were many things she couldn't figure out.
"Aunt?"
Seeing the beautiful woman, Ouyang Ye couldn't help but be taken aback and asked in surprise, "You... when did you get here?"
This beautiful woman was none other than Ouyang Ye's aunt, Ouyang Feiyue. Not only was she the master of First-Class Manor, but she was also a guest elder of Yunxia Sect. In the Qingyang region, she was a famous great beauty, known as True Person Feiyue.
"I rushed over as soon as I received your message."
"My message?"
Ouyang Ye thought for a moment and remembered that when she learned Grand Steward Guang Yuan was coming to cause trouble for Gu Qingfeng, she had sent someone to notify her aunt, hoping her aunt would intervene and take Gu Qingfeng away.
"It's been two whole days... If I'd waited for you to come save him, he'd be dead..."
"Your aunt was tied up with something! Something happened at the manor, and it delayed me for a long time. Otherwise, as soon as I learned your sweetheart could play 'Drunken Chanting of the Blue Sea' with such artistic conception, I would have come..." Ouyang Feiyue looked Ouyang Ye up and down and teased, "Your aunt thought this 'Lord Chiyan' of yours was just made up. I didn't expect there really was such a person. Well done, little girl, you've hidden him deep..."
"Aunt! It's not at all what you think..."
Ouyang Ye carefully recounted the entire story of how she met Gu Qingfeng from beginning to end. As she listened, Ouyang Feiyue frowned deeply—meeting in the mausoleum of Lord Chixiao, seeing him fail at Foundation Establishment and feeling sorry for him, then bringing him to First-Class Manor; if she hadn't been pestered by Li Sen, she wouldn't have asked Gu Qingfeng to impersonate Lord Chiyan.
"Aunt, I regret it so much... What should I do now? Now when I say he's not Lord Chiyan, no one believes me. He's offended the Li family now, and I'm worried the Li family will..."
"You didn't know before that he was acquainted with the old master?"
"He... he said so a long time ago... But I thought he was lying to me... Now it seems he really does know the old master."
"It's more than just knowing... Their relationship is definitely more than just 'knowing' each other."
Ouyang Feiyue had arrived a while ago. She had seen everything that happened in the Spirit Seclusion Garden clearly earlier. Whether it was what the old master said or Gu Qingfeng's composed, leisurely, and carefree demeanor, everything left her utterly confused. This was also the first time she had seen the old master be so courteous to a young man!
No.
That wasn't courtesy.
It was more like a casualness, the kind of casualness between friends.
And that Gu Qingfeng—the profound tranquility about him was absolutely not an act. When Steward Guang Yuan came, he remained reclined in the grand tutor's armchair from start to finish. He seemed not to care in the slightest, not to mind at all.
And the old master's warning to Li Ziheng, saying that if it were in the past, the entire Li family, old and young, would have long met King Yama.
Was that referring to Gu Qingfeng?
What gave him the right?
The right not to care?
And what made the old master say such a thing?
"Aunt, what kind of person do you think that Gu Qingfeng is? This guy seems so mysterious."
"His aura is profound and tranquil, his demeanor composed and at ease, carefree and content. His words are light as the breeze, and his actions may seem frivolous, but they are trulyfree and unrestrained."
Recalling the scene just now, Ouyang Feiyue murmured, "Such a person is absolutely extraordinary, not an ordinary existence. His family background and status might be even more formidable than you imagine."
"His family background and status are extraordinary?"
Ouyang Ye tilted her little head and thought, then said doubtfully, "Aunt, it's not like I haven't seen the scions of great families. They all carry a certain arrogance and noble air to some extent, even those from millennium-old families are no exception. But he doesn't look or act like a family scion at all."
"That's true too!"
Ouyang Feiyue ran the largest pleasure manor in the Qingyang region and often dealt with great families. She had come into contact with all sorts of people, from scions of millennium-old families and disciples of great sects to all kinds of people from the three paths. In her memory, she had never encountered someone as peculiar as Gu Qingfeng.
"Aunt, if he's not a family scion, then what kind of person could he be?"
Ouyang Feiyue pondered for a moment and murmured, "If... if he's not from a great family... then... that would be too terrifying!"