Thus, a shocking, terrifying, and fear-inducing slaughter finally came to a temporary halt with Gu Qingfeng's departure.
However, many simply could not believe or accept what they had witnessed.
This was especially true for the Hunyuan Sect, the Tiger Might Wang Clan, and others who held deep-seated hatred for Gu Qingfeng. They had been eagerly anticipating the Immortal Dynasty's officials erasing Gu Qingfeng to exact their revenge. Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine that not only would the Immortal Dynasty's officials fail to eliminate Gu Qingfeng, but they would instead be beaten by him—some dead, some injured, some crippled...
It was almost a total rout.
They felt this way, and Ming Hui and the other ten who had defected to the Immortal Dynasty from the Chixiao branch helms were even more taken aback.
Why had they, earlier, braved the infamy of being called disloyal, treacherous turncoats to come and pledge allegiance to the Immortal Dynasty?
Wasn't it precisely because they believed the Chixiao was a thing of the past, and that pledging loyalty to the Immortal Dynasty was the only correct path? In their minds, once they received the Immortal Dynasty's enfeoffment, they would from then on be officials of the Northwest Immortal Office, under the Immortal Dynasty's protection. Wouldn't they then be able to do whatever they pleased in the Great Northwest?
That's why, when they came, they hadn't even left themselves a way out.
And now?
The Immortal Dynasty officials stationed in the Northwest had been completely wiped out. How could they pledge loyalty now?
How could they seek protection?
Ming Hui and the others were filled with immense regret, regretting their rashness.
But regret was already too late.
Just as the Chixiao veterans were leaving, they took all of them along. What awaited them was inevitably the judgment of the Chixiao. They struggled, they cried out, they even pleaded for help from the officials of the Northwest Immortal Office.
But.
Who dared to save them?
Even Lord Xun, Steward Bai, and the few other lucky surviving Star-Cloud Immortal Officials could only pretend not to hear, let alone the officials of the Northwest Immortal Office.
Beneath the office monument stele.
The assembled officials of the Northwest Immortal Office had long been scared out of their wits by the scene before them, collapsing to the ground, not even daring to move.
An Ran was among them. She too was badly frightened, sitting on the ground in a daze. She stared at the more than a thousand officials lying on the ground, now cripples, then looked at the severed heads of the Immortal Court Nobles beneath the monument stele. Even now, her heart was still pounding with fear. She wanted to stand up, but her legs simply wouldn't obey, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.
It was at this moment that she remembered what Wan Huaiyu and Qin Hao had said to her earlier.
They said Gu Qingfeng's existence was far more terrifying than one could imagine.
They also said the Northwest Immortal Office couldn't afford to provoke Gu Qingfeng.
The Immortal Dynasty's officials couldn't afford to provoke him.
The Immortal Dynasty's Nobles similarly couldn't afford to provoke him, and even those bearing the Immortal Dynasty's decrees couldn't afford to provoke him.
Originally.
An Ran hadn't believed it, thinking Wan Huaiyu and the others were exaggerating. Only now did she realize that Wan Huaiyu hadn't exaggerated in the slightest. Not only had he not exaggerated, but Gu Qingfeng's existence was even more terrifying than Wan Huaiyu had guessed.
As for whether those bearing the Immortal Dynasty's decrees could afford to provoke Gu Qingfeng or not, An Ran didn't know, and she didn't want to know anymore. She only wanted to leave, to escape this den of trouble that was the Northwest Immortal Office.
In the night sky.
Dark clouds gathered densely, and the wind howled.
Su Hua stood there, her white robes flapping wildly in the fierce wind, her three thousand strands of black hair flying unrestrained. On her peerlessly beautiful face, her complexion was somewhat pale, her expression incomparably complex. In her eyes, there was endless curiosity and confusion.
If it were an ordinary time, seeing Nalan Qianqiu arrive, she would certainly have been very happy, delighted to share wine and conversation with Nalan Qianqiu.
Because in their previous lives, they had been very close Senior and Junior Martial Sisters.
Although after reincarnating, they had each been busy with their own affairs, they still occasionally exchanged letters. Even if they weren't in the same world and couldn't communicate via message talismans, they could still interact through other means.
But.
Right now, she really wasn't in the mood to chat idly with Senior Martial Sister Nalan. She only wanted to know Gu Qingfeng's true identity.
"Senior Martial Sister Nalan, can you tell me, just who is Gu Qingfeng?"
"I don't know."
Nalan Qianqiu's figure remained as ethereal and indistinct as ever, swaying gently in the night wind like mist or flame.
"Senior Sister, please tell me, alright?"
Su Hua felt like crying but had no tears. Although Nalan Qianqiu repeatedly denied it, she could sense that Nalan Qianqiu definitely knew Gu Qingfeng. Even if she didn't know him personally, she absolutely knew his true identity. She just couldn't understand why Nalan Qianqiu refused to tell her.
"Hua'er, do you trust your Senior Sister?"
"You're my dear Senior Sister. If I don't trust you, who else would I trust?"
"If you trust your Senior Sister, then stop asking about his identity. More importantly, don't provoke him. Stay as far away from him as possible."
Nalan Qianqiu turned, gazing intently at Su Hua, and said solemnly, "You can't afford to provoke him. Your Senior Sister can't afford to provoke him. Our few Martial Sisters, and even our Master...
None of us can afford to provoke him..." "Senior Sister Nalan, you..." Su Hua felt like she was going crazy. She simply couldn't imagine just how terrifying Gu Qingfeng's identity must be for Nalan Qianqiu to utter such bone-chilling words. In her impression, this Senior Sister of hers had never been afraid of anyone, not even back in the Celestial Realm's Great Wilderness. Why was she now so apprehensive of Gu Qingfeng alone, even saying that she, their Martial Sisters, and even their Master couldn't afford to provoke him...
Wasn't that just too exaggerated?
"Could it be... he is the Chixiao Monarch?"
Su Hua tentatively inquired.
"Heh...
Hua'er, do you think your Senior Sister would fear a mere Monarch?"
Su Hua opened her mouth, then closed it, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Indeed.
In her mind, this Senior Sister of hers had slain countless Monarchs from both the Immortal and Demonic paths back in the Celestial Realm. Why would she fear the Chixiao Monarch?
Although the Chixiao Monarch's existence was extremely unique, his destiny utterly heaven-defying, when all was said and done, he was still just a Monarch. Senior Sister Nalan wouldn't even bat an eye at him, and her other Martial Sisters certainly wouldn't either. As for their Master...
That went without saying.
But if it wasn't the Chixiao Monarch, then who else could Gu Qingfeng be?
"Could Gu Qingfeng's previous life be..." Just as she was about to ask again, Nalan Qianqiu cut her off, saying, "He has no aura of turbidity about him. How could he have a previous life?"
Hearing this.
Su Hua was stunned for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. Perhaps Nalan Qianqiu's words were too frightening, making her mind somewhat muddled and her thoughts chaotic. She had actually forgotten that Gu Qingfeng wasn't a reincarnated person at all.
She pondered.
If Senior Sister Nalan wasn't apprehensive of Gu Qingfeng's identity from a previous life, then what was she apprehensive of?
Could it be she was apprehensive of Gu Qingfeng's current life?
Although that fellow's strength was mysterious and bizarre, to say it made Senior Sister Nalan apprehensive...
That was still far from it.
Seeing that Su Hua still refused to give up, Nalan Qianqiu said, "Hua'er, don't ask anymore...
It's useless even if you ask. I truly don't know who he is. I only know that person is someone we cannot afford to provoke. This is what Eldest Senior Sister told me."
"Eldest Senior Sister?"
Hearing about Eldest Senior Sister, Su Hua's eyes lit up with pleasant surprise. "You've seen Eldest Senior Sister?
When? Where?
Was it in this world?"
"A few years ago, but not in this world."
"Ah!
I thought Eldest Senior Sister had come here!"
"Soon. When you meet Eldest Senior Sister, you can ask her yourself."
Nalan Qianqiu looked at Su Hua, noticing her suspicion, and said, "What?
You don't believe me?"
"It's not that, I just..." Su Hua did indeed feel somewhat doubtful, because she felt that today's Nalan Qianqiu was so very different compared to usual.