Chapter 1011 - Neither Side Would Yield

“Grandpa, you’re back?” Song Yunshu pushed open the door, then paused at the sight of a white-robed figure seated with his back to her.

Dressed in a black-and-gold embroidered qipao, she gave Gu Yong a questioning look before hurrying to the desk, her hips swaying. Then, locking eyes with Li Guanqi, she murmured, “It really is you...”

Li Guanqi turned toward her with a smile. “Miss Song, it’s been a long time.”

“It really has!” Song Yunshu said with a sigh. “There hasn’t been any news of you in the Six Territories for years. Where did you go?”

“Old Gu should know,” Li Guanqi said teasingly. “Didn’t he tell you?”

Song Yunshu glanced at Gu Yong in confusion. He smiled and waved a hand. “All right, I have a few things to discuss with my young friend here. Go take care of your own affairs.”

Song Yunshu completely ignored him. She reached behind her waist with both hands to straighten her fitted clothes, then sat down with her legs angled slightly to one side.

Li Guanqi and Gu Yong faced each other across the table, with Song Yunshu seated between them. At the sight of the spirit tea, she gave a slight smile. “Go ahead and talk. I’ll make you some tea.”

Gu Yong couldn’t persuade Song Yunshu to leave, so he let her stay. She prepared their tea with gentle, practiced movements.

Li Guanqi didn’t mind. Gu Yong had known he was coming and presumably had a few things he wanted to clear up as well.

Li Guanqi got straight to the point. “Old Gu, we’ve known each other for some time, and I’d like to think fate had a hand in bringing us together. My people don’t always know where to draw the line. I hope you can show them a little leniency.”

He was giving Gu Yong a graceful way out. After all, Li Guanqi’s side had come off worse in the conflict between their pavilions.

However, Gu Yong tucked his hands into his sleeves and slowly raised his head to look at him.

Li Guanqi frowned. For no apparent reason, the old man had begun to exude an immense amount of pressure. Early Mahayana Realm. After all this time, Gu Yong seemed to have finally stabilized his cultivation. Nearly everyone who broke through to the Mahayana Realm had reached the peak of the Spirit Comprehension Stage, and the pressure such experts exerted was overwhelming.

“Yes, we’ve known each other for a long time,” Gu Yong said calmly. “We’re friends despite the difference in our ages. Otherwise, I would never have let you take charge of the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion, even temporarily. You killed three of the Four Tower Lords and even took one of my most capable men with you. Heh.”

Gu Yong kept both hands tucked inside his sleeves, his unreadable gaze fixed on the hands preparing tea before him. “I thought that Guanyun Pavilion of yours was just a small undertaking. I never expected Ji Yuchuan to be so capable. Seems like his talents were wasted under me.”

Li Guanqi’s expression shifted several times. Gu Yong was implying that, however close they were, their friendship was no reason to let the Guanyun Pavilion grow so powerful.

It seemed Gu Yong intended to set their friendship aside. Li Guanqi sneered inwardly. Clearly, the old man wanted to treat him as another pavilion master rather than as a friend.

Song Yunshu’s hand trembled as she held the teapot. She frowned and glanced between them in confusion, only then noticing the tension in the study. Their exchange had far-reaching implications, and her grandfather was showing no regard for his friendship with Li Guanqi.

Li Guanqi sat perfectly upright and met Gu Yong’s gaze. Gu Yong’s slightly clouded eyes revealed nothing. His gaze was as deep and still as a frozen lake.

Gu Yong clearly regretted letting Ji Yuchuan go. In his eyes, the Guanyun Pavilion owed its entire success to Ji Yuchuan.

“All right,” Li Guanqi said softly, his expression calm. “Then let’s set our friendship aside and keep this formal.”

Since Gu Yong had laid his cards on the table, why should Li Guanqi keep offering him a graceful way out?

“Pavilion Master Gu, what are your intentions? With our two pavilions operating side by side, perhaps you could tell me what you have in mind.”

Gu Yong’s eyes flashed at Li Guanqi’s directness. “Heh. You don’t mince words, Pavilion Master Li. Very well. Since you’ve put it so directly, I’ll be frank too.”

Gu Yong picked up two teacups and set them side by side, then stacked one atop the other. ℯ

Immediately after, he shattered one with a flick of his finger.

“They’re both for drinking tea,” he said calmly. “But there’s only one of me, so I only need one cup. It doesn’t matter which.”

Li Guanqi’s expression remained unchanged, but his heart was already churning with shock. Gu Yong was telling him that only one of their pavilions could remain.

The Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion and the Guanyun Pavilion served exactly the same purpose. Plenty of other intelligence organizations had appeared before, but none had offered any advantage over Gu Yong’s Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion. Moreover, Gu Yong would never stand by and let such organizations grow unchecked.

The Guanyun Pavilion, however, had expanded far too rapidly. Both the Daxia and Divine Treasure Territory Lords backed it, owing to their close ties with Li Guanqi. Then there was Qian Ze, owner of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion. As a result, cooperation between the Hundred Treasures Pavilion and the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion had all but ceased.

If this continued, the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion’s commercial empire would soon collapse. Gu Yong would never let the pavilion he had built with his own hands fall into ruin. That was what had brought them to this point.

Song Yunshu listened anxiously beside them. She knew about the conflict between the two pavilions from helping manage the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion’s affairs. She had come to help ease the tension, expecting the men to find an arrangement that suited them both. Song Yunshu had never expected things to take this turn.

“Grandpa... you two really—”

“Be quiet.” Gu Yong turned to her, his voice firm and grave.

He looked back at Li Guanqi and slid the remaining teacup toward him, his face blank. “What do you think?”

Li Guanqi picked up the teacup and met his gaze calmly.

Gu Yong took Song Yunshu’s hand and made her pour tea into the cup Li Guanqi was holding. The tea flowed so quickly that it filled more than seven-tenths of the cup in an instant.

Li Guanqi remained perfectly composed. He could clearly feel the tea’s heat through the cup against his thumb and forefinger. “I disagree.”

Seeing that the tea was about to overflow and scald Li Guanqi, Song Yunshu tried to pull her hand back. “Grandpa, the tea... It’s going to spill.”

But Gu Yong seemed not to hear her. His withered hand stayed clamped over Song Yunshu’s, forcing her to keep pouring.