Chapter 118: Investigation

In the Gu Yue village, Fang Yuan stood opposite a young Gu Master while wearing a dark-blue martial robe and blue headband. The young man had a slender build and narrow eyes, with wrist guards around his arms and cloth bindings around his legs. He was Gu Yue Jiang He, the Gu Master stationed by the Gu Yue Clan in this village.

“Junior, you came here to ask about Old Man Wang’s family?” Gu Yue Jiang He looked at the unfamiliar junior with some confusion. “What happened? Did those ungrateful fellows offend you somehow?”

“Nothing like that. When I was hunting wild boars recently, I noticed that Old Man Wang’s son, Wang Er, was quite skilled. I thought about hiring him to help me and some classmates practice our martial arts.” Fang Yuan smiled sincerely. “I remembered that Senior Jiang He was stationed here, so I came to ask about Old Man Wang’s family first.”

Gu Yue Clan maintained control over several mortal villages surrounding Gu Yue Village. To strengthen its rule, guard against infiltration from Bai Clan and Xiong Clan, and protect the surrounding territory, the clan stationed a Gu Master in each important village. Gu Yue Jiang He was one of them.

He was somewhat surprised by Fang Yuan’s visit. He had naturally heard about this junior before. Fang Yuan had been praised as a prodigy since childhood, but during the Awakening Ceremony, he had unexpectedly been revealed to possess only C-grade aptitude. Later, he began beating and robbing his classmates of primeval stones, then somehow obtained a valuable Rank Mudskin Toad Gu and a Rank One Liquor Worm from the caravan’s stone gambling den.

Even Gu Yue Jiang He occasionally wondered why he had never encountered such good fortune himself. However, someone capable of shamelessly robbing his own classmates was clearly no harmless youth. Did he really come all this way just to find someone for martial arts practice, or does he have another purpose?

“Old Man Wang was once a famous hunter around here,” Gu Yue Jiang He finally explained. “He was extremely skilled, but more than ten years ago, he became careless while hunting and was dragged away by a wolf. His wife left behind three children before she died, two sons and a daughter.”

He continued, “The eldest son, Wang Da, supposedly died in a hunting accident three years ago. After hearing the news, his wife hanged herself, and the village even erected a memorial arch for her. The remaining son and daughter haven’t married yet, so only the three of them are left now.”

Fang Yuan nodded thoughtfully. So Wang Da obtained that inheritance around three years ago, then used a hunting accident to fake his death and disappear. He really is cautious. But judging from what I heard last night, I’m afraid his wife didn’t kill herself either.

Gu Yue Jiang He laughed. “Although, there’s another story about that. I heard Wang Da’s wife wanted to remarry after his death, but Old Man Wang refused to allow it and forced her to death. Afterward, the Wang family even moved away from the main village.”

So that’s why they live so far away. It makes it much easier for Wang Da to secretly return without being discovered.

Fang Yuan immediately understood the Wang family’s arrangement. To others, their actions might appear suspicious but difficult to connect, yet before his five hundred years of experience, such a simple cover was easy to see through.

“I see. Their family really has suffered quite a lot. Hopefully, fate will treat them better in the future.” Fang Yuan sighed before casually changing the subject. “Right, Senior Jiang He. I also need several mortal attendants familiar with the nearby mountains to accompany me while hunting. Could you help me find a few suitable people?”

As he spoke, Fang Yuan removed a small pouch from his waist and handed it over. Gu Yue Jiang He’s eyes flickered almost imperceptibly as he accepted it without opening it, and the smile on his face immediately became warmer.

“Since Junior has such an interest, how could I refuse to help? Don’t worry, I’ll choose several experienced hunters for you. Being allowed to accompany a Gu Master of our great Gu Yue Clan on a hunt is already their good fortune.”

________

Bai Clan Village.

The study room was spacious and elegantly decorated, with several exquisite porcelain vases placed around the room. At its center stood a desk more than ten feet long, its broad surface covered with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

Behind the desk hung a large banner bearing only four bold words: Unify Qing Mao Mountain.

The Bai Clan leader sat beneath it with a gloomy expression, clearly suppressing his anger. Before long, a slow and steady knock came from outside.

“Come in.”

He forced down his anger and kept his voice calm. The door creaked open, and Bai Ning Bing walked inside with a faint smile on his face, apparently in quite a good mood.

“What’s wrong, clan leader? Why were you in such a hurry to see me?”

The Bai Clan leader did not answer. Instead, he activated a Gu, causing an image to appear before them. Within it, Bai Ning Bing entered the clan library, took out numerous historical records, copied them, and later carried the copies to the caravan encampment before entering Lin Feng’s residence.

“I’ve been far too lenient with you!” The Bai Clan leader’s white eyebrows trembled. “I never imagined that one day, the genius our Bai Clan placed all its hopes upon would betray his own clan. Tell me, what benefits did that caravan Vice leader give you? What could possibly make you betray the family that raised you and the clansmen who share your blood?”

His anger grew with every word until his entire body trembled. He had personally raised Bai Ning Bing as his adopted son and placed nearly all his hopes for Bai Clan’s future upon him. Yet this child had casually handed the clan’s historical records to an outsider.

He had truly raised an ungrateful brat!

Faced with the clan leader’s furious questioning, Bai Ning Bing merely gave a disdainful laugh. He pulled over a chair, sat opposite him, and casually placed his legs on the desk.

“Hehehe, so those little tails following me reported everything to you? Fine, I admit it. I gave those records to Lin Feng.” Bai Ning Bing leaned back lazily. “But I didn’t betray Bai Clan, and I certainly didn’t betray you.”

Bang!

The Bai Clan leader could no longer restrain himself. He abruptly stood and slammed his palm onto the desk. With a tremendous crash, the sturdy wooden desk shattered beneath the force of his blow.

Bai Ning Bing possessed ninety-nine percent aptitude, standing above every other genius on Qing Mao Mountain. Through his astonishing cultivation speed, he had reached Rank Two peak stage in less than a year. Everyone regarded him as the hope of Bai Clan’s rise, and because of this, the clan leader had always tolerated his behavior, even to the point of spoiling him.

Now, however, he finally wondered whether that indulgence had been a mistake. Bai Ning Bing had never respected his teachers or elders, cared little for his fellow clansmen, and now had even handed clan records to an outsider without permission.

I can’t continue indulging him like this. I have to make him understand what he’s done wrong.

The Bai Clan leader took a deep breath and suppressed his fury. Despite everything, Bai Ning Bing was still the child he had personally raised, and he was willing to hear his explanation.

“Then tell me exactly what happened. What does that Gu Master named Lin Feng want with our clan’s historical records? Did he deceive you somehow?” His eyes sharpened. “Tell me everything.”