The vast Wuse Gardens were now deathly silent. No one dared to speak, everyone just staring wide-eyed at each other, their expressions filled with shock and awe.
Lord Kui's formidable reputation was like thunder in the ears of many. He was one of the Eight Mad Fiends under Old Master Blackwater of the Black Nether Banner of the Chixiao Sect back in the day—a man known for his crude ferocity, savagery, and violent temper. Especially when he fought, he was like a frenzied demon ghost, never stopping until death.
For a long time, people had only heard his name but never seen the man himself.
Witnessing him today, they realized the rumors were not false. This Lord Kui was truly ferocious to the extreme. Chiyu, after all, was one of the Nine Dragons of the Changhong Branch Hall and a metamorph soul daoist with spirit hues nearing great perfection. Yet he had been beaten black and blue, unable to even fight back, speak, or lift his head.
Many could see that if some elders of the Changhong Branch Hall hadn't stepped in to intervene today, who knows what state Chiyu would have been beaten into.
Even so, Lord Kui's anger didn't seem to have subsided. That aura of killing intent was truly terrifying.
After a long moment, he finally snorted coldly. Only when he turned to look at the high platform did his murderous aura gradually dissipate. He walked over and asked, "Miss Qingyan, where is Old Man Kumu?"
One had to say, Lord Kui's change of face was incredibly fast. One moment he was fierce and imposing, and in the blink of an eye, he was all smiles for Liu Qingyan, his tone becoming much more amiable.
No.
Not just amiable.
To be precise, it was a kind of respect.
And Liu Qingyan responded politely, "Reporting to Lord Kui, my martial uncle is receiving guests on the mountain."
"Aiyo! Miss Qingyan, please don't call me 'Lord Kui' or anything like that. I can't bear such a title—it'll shorten my lifespan! Call me Old Hei, or Scarface is fine too. Or even just Kui-zi. That's what the Monarch used to call me back then."
As everyone knew, Liu Qingyan was the benefactor of the Monarch in his youth. Not only that, the Monarch had once challenged the Hunyuan Sect for her sake.
Many old Chixiao members held her in great respect.
Heikui was even more so.
Regarding this, Liu Qingyan had always felt helpless and somewhat embarrassed, not knowing what to say. She simply said, "Let me escort you up the mountain."
"Don't trouble yourself! I can go up on my own. You all carry on with your business. I'm really sorry about what happened earlier—please don't mind it."
It wasn't that Liu Qingyan didn't mind.
Even if she did, facing such a ferocious Lord Kui, she wouldn't dare say it out loud.
Without saying much more, Heikui left the gardens with a group of elders from the Changhong Branch Hall, heading straight for Wuse Mountain.
Only after he had left did many people finally let out a deep breath, their tense nerves finally relaxing.
"Mother of mine!" Li Pangzi swallowed hard, his throat tight. "That Lord Kui is really terrifying! He scared me so much my legs went weak just now."
"Ignorance from lack of exposure. You youngster didn't live through that era, so naturally you don't know how fearsome the Chixiao Sect was. This old man has been through it—I'm long used to such sights. Let me tell you, kid, in the Chixiao Sect, there were plenty more savage than Lord Kui."
Beside him, Liu Laotou'er, having experienced that era, knew exactly how terrifying Chixiao members could be. Stroking his beard, he said, "These Chixiao folks followed the Monarch through southern campaigns and northern battles back then, wading through seas of blood and mountains of bones. Dragon-elephant spirits, blood-shattering auras—you think they were playing around?"
In the pavilion.
Gu Qingfeng watched Heikui's departing figure, his expression somewhat complex.
At first, he had been wondering who such a fierce person was.
Only when he heard the other mention the childhood nickname 'Kui-zi' did he remember this fellow's identity—it was that reckless youth who used to follow Er Gou.
The Chixiao Sect had many brothers.
Gu Qingfeng couldn't claim to remember every single one.
Take the brothers of the Black Nether Banner, for instance. He was only familiar with a few of the banner leaders; he didn't have much impression of others, even the incense masters.
Although Heikui wasn't a banner leader or an incense master, Gu Qingfeng's impression of him was quite deep.
Firstly, this fellow fought like his life didn't matter and was famously crazy.
But that wasn't the important part.
The important thing was, back when he first arrived in the Divine Land, he had met Er Gou and that group of old brothers.
Back then, Old Master Blackwater, who now ruled the Great Northwest, wasn't yet Old Master Blackwater. He was just a bandit named Mad Er Gou, roaming the border between the Divine Land and the Great Northwest. Mad Er Gou often led his brothers in pillaging, and on one occasion, they tried to rob Gu Qingfeng. The one leading the charge that time was that reckless youth called Kui-zi under Er Gou's command.
From what he remembered, Heikui, like Er Gou, had that fiery temper—the kind who, when enraged, wouldn't recognize even his own family and might even hit himself.
Who would have thought that after all these years, this kid Heikui hadn't changed one bit. His temper was still as damn fiery as ever.
Gu Qingfeng pondered that after meeting Old Man Kumu this time, he absolutely had to see Er Gou and that group of old brothers.
However, how to meet them gave him a headache.
Reveal his identity?
No.
Gu Qingfeng dismissed the thought without even considering it. He really didn't want to meet these brothers as Monarch Chixiao again. He understood the temperaments of Er Gou and his crew all too well. If they learned his identity, the passion that had finally calmed in their hearts would surely boil over again. These were the kind of people who felt uncomfortable if they didn't get into a fight for a day.
Gu Qingfeng didn't want to stir up trouble anymore.
Nor did he want others to follow him into pointless turmoil again.
The reason he had faked his death back then was precisely so these brothers could live some peaceful lives, free from constant fighting and killing.
Moreover, the identity of Monarch Chixiao was that of a sinner in the eyes of the Immortal Dao.
And now, Gu Qingfeng's identity wasn't just Monarch Chixiao; he was also the Nine Nethers Emperor. This identity was tens of millions of times more sinful than Monarch Chixiao. He was now very certain that those masters of the Great Dao knew he was still alive and had probably already set their sights on him. Just because they hadn't made a move yet didn't mean they wouldn't in the future.
He didn't want others to be implicated because of his affairs.
Besides, even if he revealed his identity, whether Er Gou and the others would believe him was still an unknown.
He had been gone for three hundred years, and so many impostors claiming to be him had popped up across the world.
Even Wang Pangzi couldn't determine the truth, let alone others.
The key point was, Gu Qingfeng really didn't know how to prove that he was himself. Just thinking about such a troublesome matter gave him a headache.
He'd deal with it when the time came.
In the gardens, everyone was whispering among themselves. In the distance, Chiyu, Feiying, and their group stood there. Chiyu had his eyes closed, breathing heavily, his cheeks already swollen. Suddenly, a milky white radiance enveloped him. In the blink of an eye, his swollen cheeks returned to normal. When he opened his eyes, he was startled to see someone standing before him.
It was a young man who appeared gentle and refined. Seeing this person, Chiyu seemed very excited. "Brother Wuhen!"
Just as he was about to say something, the refined young man raised a hand to stop him. "I already know what happened. I don't want to hear anything from you right now. We'll discuss everything after the Five-Color Flower Gathering."
Many in the venue recognized this young man who resembled a noble prince—Wuhen, also one of the Nine Dragons of the Changhong Branch Hall.