Translator: AnubisTL
Great Chu Ancestral Land!
"Youhuan, how do you feel now?" Gu Feng withdrew his palms from Chu Youhuan's back, his voice low.
"I... I think I'm fine," Chu Youhuan whispered, turning her head to see a pair of crimson eyes burning like a night wolf's, their pupils glowing faintly. Startled, she gasped, "Gu Feng, what's wrong with you?"
"I... I'm fine. It's just... I desperately need a woman," Gu Feng said with a bitter laugh.
Damn it all! The substance that had invaded their bodies and ignited their inner flames was of unknown origin, and he couldn't refine it.
With no other choice, he had absorbed all the foreign matter from Chu Youhuan's body into his own, hoping to find a solution later.
"Then... then hold on a little longer. Once I've finished integrating my Cultivation Method, I'll help you detoxify!" Chu Youhuan said weakly.
Pfft—
Gu Feng nearly spat blood. He had expected Chu Youhuan to tell him to go find another woman, but instead, she'd said this.
"I feel like my blood vessels are about to explode! I can't hold out that long!" Gu Feng's face fell, and he spoke in exasperation.
"Then... who are you planning to ask for help?" Chu Youhuan tilted her head, her voice barely audible.
"Who do you want me to ask?" Gu Feng countered.
"Go find Ye Xue. She should be at the Grand Harmony Academy... If she's not there, I'll write you a divorce letter and choose one of my trusted confidantes for you... You're not allowed to look for Hua Wenyue. You can only seek her out after I've defeated her," Chu Youhuan said, her gaze resolute.
Gu Feng was utterly speechless. Women were truly strange. She'd rather have him find a woman he had no feelings for than let him go after Hua Wenyue. What deep-seated grudge could they possibly have?
He hoped Yan Yexue was at the Grand Harmony Academy.
Gu Feng took a deep breath, flew out of the Great Chu Ancestral Land, and immediately sensed a significant shift in the atmosphere throughout the Imperial City.
But with his life on the line, he didn't bother to investigate further.
An incense stick's worth of time later, he landed at the entrance of the Grand Harmony Academy and sprinted towards the Rosy Cloud Pavilion.
"Huh? Why are so many academy students missing?"
Gu Feng frowned slightly as he flew into the pavilion.
The Rosy Cloud Pavilion was eerily empty. Only a few disciples stood scattered around the main hall. He didn't see familiar faces like Wu Qi anywhere.
"Sect Master?! You've emerged from seclusion!" An elderly disciple exclaimed excitedly upon seeing Gu Feng.
Gu Feng had no time for their excitement. He gave a perfunctory reply and immediately asked for Yan Yexue's whereabouts.
When he learned she was currently cultivating in the inner hall, Gu Feng's face lit up. With a whoosh, he charged inside.
"Ye Xue, it's an emergency!"
Before his body even hit the ground, Gu Feng roared toward the inner hall.
Yan Yexue, who was arranging Pills, saw Gu Feng's figure and hadn't even opened her mouth to speak when she felt herself swept up into his arms. Moments later, she was tossed onto the bed.
He activated the Array Formation, stripped off her clothes—the entire process was seamless.
With another shout, Gu Feng lunged onto the bed and began kissing Yan Yexue with frenzied passion.
Yan Yexue was instantly overwhelmed by the intense kisses, her mind reeling. She tried to speak, but her mouth was consumed by his violent invasion.
As a former Alchemist, she quickly realized that Gu Feng was not in his right state of mind. He seemed to have been poisoned by some kind of aphrodisiac.
Breaking free from his heated embrace, she raised her voice. "Gu Feng, where did you get this aphrodisiac?"
"I don't know! It started acting up as soon as I entered the Great Chu Ancestral Land. To avoid affecting the Phantom Fusion Art, I absorbed all the aphrodisiac from her body into mine. That's the situation. I have no idea which bastard did this, but this damn aphrodisiac can't be dispelled with Spiritual Power!"
Gu Feng spoke rapidly, his hands moving swiftly. In moments, he had stripped Yan Yexue completely naked. Just as he was about to mount her, she pushed him away with all her might.
"What's wrong?"
"This isn't the time for that! There's something incredibly important I need to tell you right now!"
"Nothing is more important than the antidote. I'm about to explode from holding it in!"
Seeing Gu Feng ignoring her and stubbornly trying to spread her legs, Yan Yexue's heart skipped a beat. A shadowy beast, formed from swirling black mist, emerged from her Sea Condensation and landed above Gu Feng's head. It opened its mouth and inhaled.
Strands of pink energy were drawn out and absorbed by the beast. Gu Feng immediately felt his blood calm, and his desires faded.
Looking down, he jolted in surprise. His little brother had once again risen to the occasion. "I haven't even taken the antidote yet!"
"You..." Yan Yexue almost burst out laughing, kicking Gu Feng to the other side of the bed.
"Couldn't you be a little gentler? We were almost there. Why not just finish the job?" Gu Feng lamented.
Yan Yexue pouted, pulling the covers over herself to conceal her nakedness.
"Do you know about the major events that have been happening in the Imperial City lately?"
"I don't know about Imperial City affairs. All I know is that my virginity hasn't sold yet," Gu Feng said resentfully.
"His Majesty the Emperor has passed away. The Crown Prince officially ascended the throne three months ago."
"So he ascended the throne. What does that have to do with me?" Gu Feng waved his hand dismissively.
"The Flower Sect has been wiped out..."
"What?! Why?!" Gu Feng's face paled as his mind buzzed with confusion.
The Flower Sect was one of the five most powerful sects in the Great Chu Dynasty. Who could possibly have the power to wipe them out?
"The Four Great Sects launched a joint assault, along with the Great Chu Imperial City Forbidden Army!" Yan Yexue dropped another earth-shattering bombshell.
"Why?!"
"Do you know who the current Flower Sect Leader's man is? Wen Zhongyun, the leader of the Black Myanmar Region!" Another shocking revelation.
The Black Myanmar Region, located southwest of the Great Chu Dynasty, was nominally within its borders but was essentially a lawless territory. Its rugged terrain, crisscrossed by mountains, made it easily defensible and difficult to attack. The Great Chu Dynasty had launched several military campaigns to suppress it throughout history, all of which had failed.
In the past, the Black Myanmar Region would occasionally raid nearby cities. In recent decades, however, they had become less active, focusing instead on selling information.
Their leader, Wen Zhongyun, was a formidable figure. Thirty years ago, he had captured Hua Xiaoshuang, who was not yet the Flower Sect Leader at the time. It was during that captivity that they fell in love. They continued to stay in touch afterward, eventually having two daughters: Hua Qinxin and Hua Wenyue.
"There's ample evidence to suggest that many Flower Sect disciples who married out were actually gathering intelligence and secretly collaborating with the Black Myanmar Region—" Yan Yexue's eyes flickered as she gazed at Gu Feng.
"Ample evidence? Who provided this evidence?!" Gu Feng felt something wasn't right.
"The evidence came from the Crown Prince's Residence. Whether it's sufficient, I don't know, but at least the Four Great Sects consider it conclusive."
"What about Hua Wenyue? Was she implicated?" The moment Gu Feng asked, he realized his stupidity. With the Flower Sect undergoing a purge, how could Hua Wenyue possibly escape unscathed?
"Where is she now?"
"Unknown. Three months ago, she led a group of Flower Sect disciples into the Imperial City, rescued Hua Qinxin, and then vanished without a trace!"
"However, her mother, Hua Xiaoshuang, and Wen Zhongyun, who came to her rescue, are currently with the West Border Grand Marshal. Rumor has it the Western Army plans to use them as leverage to completely eradicate the Black Myanmar Region."
Hearing this, Gu Feng breathed a sigh of relief. Since Hua Wenyue wasn't mentioned, it meant she had escaped. Perhaps she was even in the Black Myanmar Region now.
"Is Prefect Chu at the Academy? I need to speak with him for more details."
Prefect Chu had rushed to the Northern Border to oversee the war effort against the invading Great Li forces the moment the invasion began.
Gu Feng's search proved fruitless, but he encountered Ouyang Qi, who had remained behind at the Grand Harmony Academy.
From Ouyang Qi, he learned that the academy's students had been divided: some had gone to the Northern Border to fight the Great Li invasion, while the rest had been sent to the Western Border to participate in the encirclement of the Black Myanmar Region.
Back at the Rosy Cloud Pavilion, Gu Feng didn't hesitate. After briefly informing Yan Yexue, he set off for the Western Border with Shi San and Long Xun'er.
Riding the Violet Starlight Sky-Piercing Disc, he brazenly entered the Western Army's camp, seeking to meet Hua Xiaoshuang and Wen Zhongyun through Dugu Ao.
"Young Master Gu, General Dugu Ao led the army southwest three days ago," the Western Army general replied respectfully, unwilling to offend Gu Feng's reputation. "He's gone to encircle the Black Myanmar Region. Hua Xiaoshuang and Wen Zhongyun were taken along as well."
After receiving confirmation, Gu Feng immediately headed southwest.
Upon arriving, he immediately noticed the stark contrast in climate compared to the capital.
The army camp stretched for miles, and Gu Feng easily found Zong Shixuan and the others.
Wu Sheng and the others showed no surprise at Gu Feng's arrival.
"What's really going on?"
Gu Feng immediately voiced the question that had been burning in his mind. Why would the Flower Sect, the leading sect among the Five Great Sects of the Great Chu Dynasty, provide intelligence to the leader of the Black Myanmar Region? Even if their Sect Master had an unusual relationship with the leader, it made no sense to risk the sect's safety for such trivial gains.
"We're not entirely sure either. This order came directly from the Sect Master herself." Zong Shixuan was still baffled, knowing only that the order to slaughter the Flower Sect had been issued by the Sect Leader of the Blazing Light Sect.
The Sword Gate and Tyrant Body Sect were in similar situations.
"What about Dugu Ao? Does he know more?"
"About the same as us. We're all just following orders!" Wu Sheng said with a bitter laugh.
Learning that Hua Wenyue and the others' whereabouts were still unknown, Gu Feng breathed a sigh of relief.
That evening, Dugu Ao came to see him. Gu Feng immediately asked to meet Hua Xiaoshuang and Wen Zhongyun.
However, he was informed that both had been stripped of their cultivation and were now under the custody of the Imperial Guard.
"Gu Feng, we understand your feelings, but the Imperial Guard is currently led by its commander, Shu Wentao. He has a personal grudge against you and will definitely refuse to let you see them," Duan Yansheng cautioned.
"Here's what we'll do. You disguise yourself as my guard, and I'll take you in to see them," Dugu Ao said. As the Junior Marshal of the Western Army, which was the main force in the operation against the Black Myanmar Region, he had the authority to do so.
And so—
Gu Feng changed into the Western Army uniform and followed Dugu Ao, finally meeting the two people he had been so eager to see.
Hua Xiaoshuang and Wen Zhongyun were imprisoned within a Low-Grade Spatial Earth Artifact. Contrary to expectations, they appeared well-groomed, though their cultivation had been sealed. They were treated with the respect due to powerful cultivators.
"Hurry, I can't stay here long!"
"Right," Gu Feng murmured in agreement.
"Gu Feng, don't even think about trying to rescue them. Aside from the question of whether you could succeed, even if you did, it would mean the destruction of the Sunset Glow Sect," Dugu Ao cautioned as Gu Feng slipped into the Magic Artifact.
"Do I look like someone who doesn't know the gravity of the situation?" Gu Feng wouldn't be foolish enough to sacrifice the Sunset Glow Sect for these two. He had come to see them solely to understand what had truly happened.
Time was of the essence. Gu Feng approached the pair without unnecessary formalities, immediately introducing himself.
"Esteemed elders, I am Gu Feng!"
At his words, Hua Xiaoshuang and Wen Zhongyun lifted their eyelids slightly, glanced at him, then lowered their heads again, leaving Gu Feng standing awkwardly as they exchanged hushed whispers.
All Gu Feng could hear was Hua Xiaoshuang saying, "This is the Gu Feng I told you about. Wenyue had Qin Xin steal my Chastity Token so she could bypass me and marry him."
"Really? He looks pretty average to me! Wenyue's taste isn't that great either," Wen Zhongyun said with a malicious glare at Gu Feng, adding a snide remark.
Gu Feng felt his face flush crimson, unsure how to respond.
"Cough, cough... esteemed elders, could you tell me the circumstances surrounding the Flower Sect's massacre?"
This was the question Gu Feng was most eager to have answered.
However, Hua Xiaoshuang and Wen Zhongyun seemed uninterested in the topic, instead focusing on Gu Feng and asking trivial questions.
Would he make Hua Wenyue suffer? How many children would they have? Without parental protection, would Hua Wenyue be bullied by other women?
Gu Feng's forehead was dripping with sweat, feeling like a son-in-law visiting his future in-laws for the first time.
Time flew by, and Dugu Ao arrived to urge them along. "Are you finished yet? It's almost time."
Gu Feng sighed inwardly. Finished? They hadn't even discussed anything important.
"Well... esteemed elders, I'll come visit again later when I have more time."
Not wanting to embarrass Dugu Ao, Gu Feng took his leave.
"Gu Feng!"
Just then, the two elders, supporting each other, rose and bowed deeply to Gu Feng.
"Esteemed elders, please don't!" Gu Feng rushed forward to help them up, but Wen Zhongyun stopped him.
"If you truly care for Wenyue, please grant us one request."
"Please, Elders, speak. If it's within my power, Gu Feng will do his utmost."
"Excellent!"
"Wenyue finally has a good home!"
The faint echoes of the two elders' satisfied voices still lingered in Gu Feng's ears, weighing heavily on his heart.
In truth, he had foreseen this outcome the moment he first met them.
But could he really bring himself to do it?
Sigh...
"Long Xun'er, from now on, you will follow Hua Wenyue and protect her. I guarantee that as long as she remains safe, your brother Shi San will be well cared for!"
Back in his tent, Gu Feng summoned Long Xun'er and gave her these instructions.
The next morning, before dawn had broken, Zong Shixuan burst into the tent in a flurry.
"The Western Army and the Imperial Guard are using Hua Xiaoshuang and Wen Zhongyun as hostages to force Hua Wenyue and the others to reveal themselves. They've been surrounded! We've been summoned to assist in the encirclement!"
"Understood!"
Gu Feng took a deep breath and leaped from his bed.
He glanced at the rising sun in the east, forced a bitter smile, and followed Zong Shixuan with steady strides, joining the other Grand Harmony Academy students in their mission to encircle the enemy.
(End of the Chapter)
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