29: Chapter 29 Gu Yuan's Personal Arrival, Fragrance Spreads in the Dark Night

The morning bell of Starfall Pavilion rang three times, its lingering echo still reverberating among the mountain peaks, when a gray-robed figure stood silently beneath the flagpole in front of the new hall's main entrance.

No one had seen how he arrived.

The dozen elite guards of the Sky Mansion Alliance defending the hall felt a blur before their eyes, and suddenly, a person had appeared beside the flagpole that stood several dozen zhang high.

The man stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the three clan flags of the Ancient Clan, Lei Clan, and Yan Clan fluttering side by side at the top of the pole.

The morning breeze blew the hem of his gray robe, causing it to flutter slightly, yet he remained as motionless as an ancient tree with deep roots.

Gu Dao was the first to rush out of the hall doors.

This Chief Elder of the Ancient Clan Elder Hall actually knelt on one knee in public after recognizing the person, his aura as a Seven-Star Dou Sheng completely retracted, leaving only two words spoken with respect bordering on fear: "Clan Leader!"

Gu Qingyang followed closely behind, the sword at his waist striking the stone steps with a crisp clatter as he knelt on one knee.

The entire hall was in an uproar.

Lei Ying set down his wine bowl and stood up abruptly, while Yan Jin's knuckles tightened against the armrest.

Fairy Qing stood up from the Flower Sect's seating area, her high ponytail swinging gently with the movement, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes—she certainly recognized Gu Yuan; she had seen him from afar a thousand years ago when she followed the Flower Sect Leader during the fall of the Xiao Clan.

At that time, Gu Yuan had just experienced the heavy blow of Xiao Xuan's death and was far from possessing the composed, unadorned demeanor he had today.

Xiao Yan hurried back from the back mountain, morning dew still clinging to his robes, and stood side by side with Gu Xun'er at the hall entrance.

The moment Xun'er saw her father, her eyes reddened slightly, but she pursed her lips and did not step forward, only gently tugging on Xiao Yan's sleeve to signal him not to speak first.

"Rise, all of you."

Gu Yuan's voice was not loud, yet it clearly entered the ears of everyone present.

He turned around, his deep, dark brown eyes, calm as an ancient well, slowly sweeping across the faces of everyone in the hall.

He paused for a moment on Yao Chen, nodding slightly to this old friend with whom he had once fought side by side as a gesture of greeting; he paused for a moment on Fairy Qing, a faint hint of surprise and gentleness flashing in his gaze; he paused for a moment on Xiao Yan, his expression unreadable; and finally, he stopped on Gu Dao.

"I have read the urgent report."

"I have been to the scenes at the Ling Clan and the Shi Clan—not just a cursory glance, but I personally examined every scorch mark and every fragment."

"Let us go inside to talk."

Lei Ying strode forward, about to speak, but was stopped by Gu Yuan raising his hand.

"Brother Lei Ying, I will answer your questions later."

"Let the other allies of the Alliance take their seats first."

When everyone returned to their seats in the main hall, the atmosphere was slightly more relaxed than before.

Gu Yuan's appearance was an attitude in itself—the Ancient Clan Leader visiting in person showed that the Ancient Clan valued the Alliance far more than mere formality.

However, the heavy weight pressing on everyone's chest did not disappear, because as soon as Gu Dao handed the internal investigation results of the Ancient Clan Elder Hall to Lei Ying, Lei Ying's expression changed.

Gu Yuan sat in the main seat, without any unnecessary pleasantries, and went straight to the point: "The Sea Heart Flame scorch marks at the Ling Clan ruins are forged."

"The Sea Heart Flame is currently in the hands of Hun Feng of the Hun Clan—Yao Chen can testify to this."

"I personally examined the Dou Qi residue of the scorch marks, and a trace of extremely subtle Hun Clan soul imprint was hidden at the core of every single scorch mark."

"The technique was exquisite, but not flawless."

"The fragments of Ancient Clan cultivation techniques outside the Shi Clan ruins are forged—the opening moves of those Xuan-tier Dou Techniques indeed bear a seventy percent similarity to the Ancient Clan's secret Meteor Heart Palm, but the direction of the Dou Qi reflux at the end is reversed."

"The Ancient Clan's Meteor Heart Palm uses the heart meridian as the source to erupt outward, while the forged fragments pour from outside the body inward."

"Any Ancient Clan elder who has practiced the Meteor Heart Palm could identify the truth from the fake at a glance; it is only that outsiders cannot see it."

Lei Ying took the investigation report handed over by Gu Dao, his copper-bell-like eyes scanning line by line, his rugged brows knitting tighter and tighter.

The investigation report detailed the Dou Qi test results of every scorch mark, the craftsmanship appraisal of every fragment, and even included an analysis of the exotic fire scorch marks signed by Yao Chen personally.

The chain of evidence was impeccable.

"The Hun Clan's move is vicious enough."

Lei Ying placed the report on the desk and picked up his wine bowl, taking a large gulp, his voice as deep as muffled thunder.

"I almost believed it."

"However, Brother Gu Yuan, I have one thing I do not understand—the Hun Clan destroyed the Ling and Shi Clans, framed the Ancient Clan, and threw the entire Alliance into chaos; what was the purpose?"

"Was it just to watch us have an internal conflict?"

"To make the Ancient Clan suffer an internal fire."

"To brand the Ancient Clan as the murderer of the exterminated clans within Hun Tiandi's grand layout."

"To make the Ancient Clan unable to stand firmly at the Pill Tower Ceremony."

"And to draw me out from the Council of Elders—this step, he achieved."

Gu Yuan's voice remained in that unhurried tone, but everyone present heard the faint, heavy weight deep in his tone.

"I came to Starfall Pavilion today not to defend the Ancient Clan—the Ancient Clan's innocence will be spoken for by evidence."

"I came because the Hun Clan's methods this time are vastly different from the past."

"In the past, the Hun Clan only used force to suppress people, high-tier crushing low-tier, Dou Sheng crushing Dou Zun."

"But this time, destroying the Ling and Shi Clans, framing the Ancient Clan, dividing the Alliance, sowing discord among the clans—every step was calculated flawlessly and interlocked; after finishing the Ling Clan, before the Shi Clan could react, the Shi Clan was already surrounded and killed."

"This kind of style is not Hun Tiandi's style."

"Hun Feng."

Xiao Yan stood up from his seat, his voice calm yet every word as hard as iron.

"Senior Gu Yuan, I have fought this person twice."

"In the Corpse Burial Mountain Range, he set an ambush in advance, used the Sea Heart Flame as bait to severely injure my teacher, and after luring me deep inside, had Yao Yao intercept my Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus; in the Demon Flame Space, he used Xiao Chen as bait to force me to reveal my trump cards, and then preemptively saved the people of the various great clans in the illusion to occupy the moral high ground; now, the destruction of the Ling and Shi Clans—using the Sea Heart Flame to create scorch marks, these interlocking methods all point to the same person."

"The Sea Heart Flame scorch marks outside the Shi Clan ruins, the one snatched by Hun Feng after Mu Gu died—only he can use it."

He paused, his calm gaze meeting Gu Yuan's eyes.

"This junior has an ungracious request."

"The battle line between the Sky Mansion Alliance and the Hun Clan should not be dragged out any longer, and I implore the Ancient Clan to take the lead, join forces with the Yan and Lei Clans, and launch a joint suppression on the Hun Clan's Northern Region Corridor to force Hun Feng to appear."

"If we can defeat the Hun Clan's main force head-on, there will be a chance to settle the debt of the Ling and Shi Clans with interest."

Gu Yuan was silent for a moment and did not answer immediately.

His dark brown eyes lingered on Xiao Yan's face for a few breaths, then turned to Lei Ying and Yan Jin.

"What are your opinions?"

"Fight!"

Lei Ying slapped the armrest, his loud voice shaking the dust off the hall beams.

"The Hun Clan is too bullying, destroying two clans and wanting to frame the Ancient Clan; the Lei Clan cannot swallow this anger!"

"Brother Gu Yuan, just say the word; the elites of the Lei Clan's three hundred Thunder Dou Qi battalions have already set up camp at the foot of the mountain and can depart at any time!"

Yan Jin was silent for a breath, his knuckles popping, and he nodded slowly.

"The Yan Clan agrees."

"The Hun Clan's methods this time are too excessive; if we let them be, the next one to be destroyed might be the Yan Clan."

Gu Yuan nodded slightly and turned to Xiao Yan.

"I agree with your proposal in principle."

"However, the Northern Region Corridor has dangerous terrain, and the Hun Clan has operated there for thousands of years; rashly attacking head-on will easily fall into a war of attrition."

"Gu Dao—" Gu Dao stood up abruptly.

"Lead the Three Immortal Guards and the main force of the Black Annihilation Army to coordinate with the Sky Mansion Alliance to feign an attack on the three passes of the Northern Region Corridor from the front; the momentum must be great, so that the Hun Clan thinks our main attack direction is here."

"Qingyang—" Gu Qingyang stepped forward.

"This subordinate is here."

"Lead the Black Annihilation Army's flank to bypass the west side of the Northern Region Corridor and cut off the Hun Clan's supply line."

"Brother Lei Ying, Brother Yan Jin," Gu Yuan turned to the two Clan Leaders.

"I must trouble you both to lead your elites to exert pressure from the east and south sides of the Northern Region Corridor simultaneously to form an encirclement."

"But remember—do not advance rashly."

"The Hun Clan's Four Demon Saints have not yet appeared, and Soul Yuan Tian and Elder Hun Tu are both Eight Star Dou Shens; it would be difficult to retreat unscathed if you face either of them head-on."

"The purpose of this battle is not to capture the Northern Region Corridor, but to force Hun Feng to take the field."

"As long as we can force him to appear, leave the rest to me."

He paused, not saying the second half of the sentence—Hun Feng was a late-stage Six-Star Dou Sheng, and the only one in the entire Alliance who could steadily win against him one-on-one was himself.

But if he personally made a move against a junior, it would inevitably be rumored as bullying the young with the old.

Moreover, that old fox Hun Tiandi must be watching covetously in the Soul Realm at this moment; once he exposed his position in the Northern Region Corridor, Hun Tiandi would very likely take the opportunity to sneak attack the Ancient World.

Therefore, he could only use Gu Dao and the Three Immortal Guards, and could only deploy a strategy of encirclement and pressure, rather than personally taking the field to crush them.

"Xiao Yan," Gu Yuan finally looked at Xiao Yan, a rare flash of deep meaning in his gaze.

"Your task is to find Hun Feng's exact location."

"You possess four kinds of exotic fires, and your sensing range for the Sea Heart Flame and the Purification Lotus Demon Flame far exceeds ordinary perception."

"Once you discover Hun Feng, do not fight alone; notify me immediately."

"Understood."

Xiao Yan replied with folded fists.

But he added silently in his heart—I will not wait for you.

Medusa and Xiao Xiao are still in the Soul Realm, and what Hun Feng owes him, he will take back with his own hands.

Meanwhile, the bedroom in the Soul Realm.

The door closed slowly behind Yao Yao, and seventy-two soundproofing restrictions lit up simultaneously, isolating the inside and outside of the hall into two worlds.

The soul-devouring iron embedded in the hall walls emitted a very faint dark red fluorescent light, enveloping the entire bedroom in a hazy, warm darkness.

The ice-blue faint light on the cold jade bed intertwined with the red light on the walls, casting flowing ripples on the hall ceiling, like a silent sea of stars.

Yao Yao leaned against the door panel, her peach-blossom eyes half-closed as she looked at the cold jade bed in the hall, a satisfied smile hanging on the corners of her lips.

The black long dress she was wearing was the same one she wore during the day when she followed Hun Feng to the Hall of Hun Tiandi; the high-slit hem still retained the aura of the spatial turbulence from the Void Ferry, and the red mark on her collarbone scratched by Ling Yuan's soul impact had already formed a very thin scab, which was barely visible in the dim light.

She had casually placed the bone whip on the weapon rack beside the door, the ghostly green light on the seventy-two skulls flickering in the darkness as if they were also holding their breath and waiting for something.

Hun Feng sat on the edge of the cold jade bed, his mysterious black tight-fitting outer robe already removed, leaving only a close-fitting inner robe with dark patterns, the collar slightly open, revealing several faint red scratch marks below his collarbone—those were left from last night.

In one hand, he was still holding the Northern Region Corridor defense map he had just brought back from the Hall of Hun Tiandi, and the other hand rested on his knee, his fingertips tapping unconsciously.

Hearing the sound of the door, he raised his head and saw Yao Yao leaning against the door, staring at him with a very subtle look, the thin layer of moisture in her peach-blossom eyes shining shockingly in the dim candlelight of the bedroom.

He threw the defense map onto the head of the bed and raised an eyebrow at her: "Stood in the Hall of Hun Tiandi for two hours today, not tired?"

"Not tired."

Yao Yao stepped toward him step by step in her thin-strapped sandals, the silver bells on her ankles ringing crisply and slowly with every step, like some kind of very patient countdown.

She stopped when she was less than a step away from him, looking down at Hun Feng sitting on the edge of the bed, the smile in her peach-blossom eyes both seductive and triumphant, her drawn-out ending tone soft and sweet as if it had just been scooped out of a honey jar.

"Young Master has done such a big thing, turning the entire continent upside down, and even forced Gu Yuan to come out in person—must I not properly reward our Hun Clan's Young Clan Leader?"

"Reward?"

Hun Feng stretched out his arm to wrap around her waist and pulled her forward.

Yao Yao fell onto his lap, her hands resting on his shoulders, her fingertips intentionally or unintentionally playing with the hair ends at the back of his neck, her peach-blossom eyes staring at his eyes at close range, the breath she exhaled carrying a very faint floral fragrance.

"Hmm, reward."

There was no need to say another word.

Hun Feng held the back of her neck with one hand and pulled her face close, kissing her.

It was not the kind of eagerness from last night that had been suppressed for a long time and finally found a vent, but a deeper kiss that was more composed, more lingering, and carried a clear sense of control.

Yao Yao let out a very light murmur as he kissed her, her fingers resting on his shoulders slowly tightening, gripping the collar of his inner robe.

The thin silver chain around her waist was hooked by the fingertips of his other hand and loosened with a gentle pull, the silver chain sliding onto the edge of the cold jade bed with a crisp, delicate sound.

The coolness of the cold jade bed seeped into her back through the thin clothing, and Yao Yao took a light breath, but this bit of coolness was quickly covered by his body temperature.

She reached out to tear open the collar of his inner robe, her fingertips lightly grazing the few faint red scratch marks below his collarbone, a flash of mischievous and satisfied light flickering in her peach-blossom eyes.

He lowered his head and bit her collarbone lightly, not with heavy force, just enough to let the moisture in her peach-blossom eyes condense into substance and slide from the corner of her eyes.

The tip of his nose brushed against her jaw, and his thin lips moved down along the side of her neck, every light touch making her breathing more rapid.

When the silver soul bell was carefully removed from her ankle and placed on the pillow, it made a very light crisp sound, and she reached out to grab his wrist and pressed his hand against her heart, under her palm was the rapid and powerful heartbeat in her chest.

She tilted her face up to meet his downward gaze, the moisture in her peach-blossom eyes trembling as if about to shatter.

He leaned over and left a very light kiss on her brow, then leaned down to cover her lips.

The silver bell was knocked over and rolled twice on the pillow, making a series of delicate low sounds, and was immediately drowned out by the surging night wind.

The shadows on the wall sometimes separated, sometimes stuck together more tightly, like two trees growing on the edge of a cliff, their roots intertwined underground for twenty years, and the branches and leaves finally found each other's direction.

The night was still long.

East Courtyard.

The night wind leaked in through the gaps in the bamboo curtain, blowing the uneaten plate of dark orchid honey cakes on the stone table slightly dry.

Xiao Xiao was already fast asleep, clutching the soul bell Hun Feng had given her in her arms, a satisfied smile on her small face, not knowing what sweet dream she was having.

Before going to sleep tonight, she had asked at least five times "When will Daddy come back," and when Yao Yao came to deliver desserts, she casually said "Your daddy has to approve many war reports tonight, play with you tomorrow," and she obediently left half of the honey cakes, saying "Save them for Daddy to eat tomorrow."

Medusa leaned on the soft couch by the window, her matte white long dress emitting a soft shimmer in the moonlight, her pitch-black long hair already loose and hanging down to her shoulders like a waterfall.

She held the material list newly sent by the Hun Hall External Affairs Department today, her purple eyes scanning the words line by line—five hundred additional bone-shaping pills, one thousand additional pieces of cold-proof fabric, three hundred loads of red flame ore, and twenty square meters of warm jade bed material, a specialty of the Hun Clan, with a note saying "Exclusively for the Snake-People Tribe's Elder Hall to keep warm in winter."

These numbers were a full thirty percent more than the previous batch, and the line of small vermilion script attached to the end of the list made her brows twitch imperceptibly— "The above materials are personally approved by the Young Master, no need to go through the review of the Hun Hall External Affairs Department, direct delivery to the Snake-People Tribe."

Personally approved.

Direct delivery.

This lecherous fellow did not even bother with superficial work anymore, directly bypassing the approval authority of the Hun Hall External Affairs Department.

She placed the list on the low table and picked up the cup of Soul Origin Tea that had long since cooled, but did not drink it, her purple eyes looking through the half-covered bamboo curtain toward the stone path outside the courtyard leading to Hun Feng's bedroom.

The end of the road was pitch black, and the mysterious black figure who came to accompany Xiao Xiao to play every day at a set time did not appear tonight.

She set the teacup down, the bottom of the cup hitting the tabletop with a very light crisp sound, which was exceptionally clear in this quiet night.

Outside the window, the night wind brushed over the canopy of the dark osmanthus trees, blowing a few withered leaves onto the stone table.

She raised her hand to gently brush away a fallen leaf on her knee, her movements very slow, as if brushing away some emotion that should not exist.

"Lecher is a lecher."

She hummed softly, withdrew her gaze, got up and walked to Xiao Xiao's bed to tuck in the corner of the quilt for her daughter, and then lay down gently and closed her eyes.

But the faint reflection of the string of silver bells on Xiao Xiao's pillow still reflected on her slightly furrowed brows, lingering and not dispersing.