The bow of the Hei Feng Eight Fiends left the entire hall deathly silent.
Their kneeling sent the crowd into a panicked uproar.
And now, as they kowtowed one by one, the sound of their foreheads hitting the floor sent a shiver down everyone's spine.
Especially their words, which upon closer thought, filled everyone with a creeping dread.
It seemed that the masters of the Hei Feng Eight Fiends, the infamous Hei Feng Twin Fiends, had offended Young Lord Chiyan some days ago.
And because of this offense, the Hei Feng Twin Fiends had sent their disciples, the Hei Feng Eight Fiends, to kowtow and apologize?
If not for seeing it with their own eyes, no one would dare believe this was true.
Everyone knew that the Hei Feng Twin Fiends were notorious evil cultivators in the Great Northwest, their names thundering across the land. Their strength was unfathomable, and they had rampaged across the Great Northwest for thousands of years, with no one daring to provoke them.
Offended?
Who in the Great Northwest hadn't those two old monsters offended?
It was no exaggeration to say that disciples of nearly every sect in the Great Northwest had been robbed by the Hei Feng Twin Fiends in the past.
The Hunyuan Sect, Yaoyue Palace, even Wuse Mountain, including the Chizi Head, and even people from the Immortal Manor—all had suffered their plunder.
Had anyone ever seen them apologize like this?
Never!
Forget apologizing.
Forget even expressing regret—the Hei Feng Twin Fiends had never shown a shred of remorse.
They were, after all, ruthless evil cultivators and desperadoes. How could they possibly apologize?
Yet now, merely because they had offended this Young Lord Chiyan, the Hei Feng Twin Fiends had actually sent their disciples, the Hei Feng Eight Fiends, to personally come—bowing, kneeling, and kowtowing.
This scene inevitably made people think of one question: perhaps Young Lord Chiyan was not a fake as the rumors claimed, but the real deal!
If not, why would the ever-fearless Hei Feng Twin Fiends apologize so profusely?
However, there was one problem that puzzled everyone.
Even if the Hei Feng Twin Fiends had truly confirmed Young Lord Chiyan's identity, given their temperaments, they would absolutely never apologize like this.
Could it be that they had witnessed Young Lord Chiyan's strength?
That also seemed unlikely!
Even if they were truly no match for him, the Hei Feng Twin Fiends wouldn't need to apologize like this, would they?
Or was it that the Hei Feng Twin Fiends not only confirmed Young Lord Chiyan was real, but also confirmed he was the successor of the Chixiao Monarch?
That was even more impossible!
This world was full of swindlers impersonating the Monarch's successor. Even those close to the Monarch couldn't confirm it, so how could the Hei Feng Twin Fiends?
Why!
Just why were the Hei Feng Twin Fiends so terrified of Young Lord Chiyan?
No one knew.
No one could figure it out.
They only felt it was utterly bizarre.
Especially Ouyang Ye. She had originally thought the Hei Feng Eight Fiends had crossed paths with the real Gu Qingfeng three years ago, which was why they came to apologize today. But hearing it just now, that wasn't the case—it was because the Hei Feng Twin Fiends had offended Young Lord Chiyan some days ago.
Some days ago?
Ouyang Ye was absolutely certain that ever since this Lao Jiu fellow started impersonating Young Lord Chiyan, she had been by his side without leaving for a moment. When he was in seclusion, she had sealed the manor tightly, and he hadn't gone out either. So how could the Hei Feng Twin Fiends have offended him?
And to be scared into such a state, so fearful that they made the Hei Feng Eight Fiends kowtow and kneel?
What in the world was going on?
It made no sense!
No matter how hard Ouyang Ye racked her brains, she couldn't figure out the situation.
"Big Brother, did their masters offend you?"
Little Jin'er inquired.
"It wasn't really an offense, and I didn't take it to heart."
To be honest, Gu Qingfeng truly hadn't expected the Hei Feng Twin Fiends to send their disciples to apologize. Looking at the eight kowtowing figures, he said, "You've bowed, you've kowtowed, you've apologized. All of you, get up."
"Many thanks for Young Lord's magnanimity!"
"May Young Lord live ten thousand years!"
The Hei Feng Eight Fiends hurriedly expressed their gratitude. Then, Blackheart Dao Venerate, the leader of the eight fiends, focused his mind, and a brocade box appeared in his palm. Cupping his hands, he said, "This is a small token from our masters. We hope Young Lord will accept it."
"What is it?"
Gu Qingfeng took the box. When he opened it, inside lay a gem the size of a thumb, radiating dazzling seven-colored light and containing an exceptionally pure aura of colorful spirit.
A treasure!
This was a Natural Order Treasure Gem!
Seeing this gem, the eyes of many in the hall nearly popped out. They knew that chaos had recently erupted in the Peach Blossom Secret Realm, unearthing many rare treasures, among which was an invaluable Natural Order Treasure Gem. And that very treasure had fallen into the hands of the Hei Feng Twin Fiends.
It was said many sect elders had coveted it, offering generous terms to exchange with the Hei Feng Twin Fiends, but all were refused. Rumor had it that even the Chizi Head and the Immortal Manor had tried to broker an exchange, but were also rejected.
Who would have thought that now, to apologize to Young Lord Chiyan, the Hei Feng Twin Fiends would give away such a rare treasure!
Heavens!
Were the Hei Feng Twin Fiends fools?
No!
Absolutely not!
Not only were they not fools, they were crafty old monsters who had cultivated for thousands of years.
Yet no one knew, nor could they imagine, why the Hei Feng Twin Fiends were so terrified of Young Lord Chiyan that, for a minor offense, they would not hesitate to offer a Natural Order Treasure Gem as apology.
At this moment.
Everyone in the hall stared, dumbfounded, their expressions shocked and horrified, eyes wide with disbelief.
Gu Qingfeng held the crystal, glanced at it casually, then lost interest. He merely nodded and said, "Well, this master didn't really care about the matter to begin with. Since they feel bad about it, what can I say? Fine, I accept their sentiment. As for the item, this master will take it. Go back and tell your masters to rest easy. Consider this matter closed. This master won't hold it against them. That's that."
"Many thanks for Young Lord's mercy! Our masters will surely pay a personal visit in the future!"
Gu Qingfeng waved his hand, as if he couldn't be bothered.
The Hei Feng Eight Fiends were also very tactful. After bowing their thanks, they retreated nine steps before turning to leave.
Silence.
A soundless silence.
Everyone just stood there, watching, shocked, horrified, puzzled, curious, wary, and panicked.
Whether it was the people from Yaoyue Palace, the Tiger Might Wang Family, the Hunyuan Sect, or even the Chizi Head's Changhong Branch—all were the same.
Han Dong and Ouyang Ye stood on either side of Gu Qingfeng, staring at him with mouths agape as if looking at a ghost or deity.
Even Qian Shan was no exception.
Throughout the entire hall, only two people remained unaffected, still chatting and laughing. One was that Young Lord Chiyan, the other was Little Jin'er.
Young Lord Chiyan sat lazily in his chair, holding a wine cup, a smile on his face as he looked at Little Jin'er.
Little Jin'er held the Natural Order Treasure Gem, examining it carefully against the sunlight. She seemed to really like this crystal radiating seven-colored light from the brocade box, looking very excited. "Wow! Big Brother, what kind of crystal is this? It's so beautiful! Is it very precious?"
"Precious isn't quite the word, but it's passable. If you like it, take it to play with."