At the banquet, there was a moment of complete silence.
Everyone was stunned, staring blankly at Fang Yuan.
They hadn't expected him to answer like this — to admit it outright, and so candidly.
"He's still too young, actually saying something like that out loud."
"Hmph, saying this means the destruction of his entire political future."
"From now on, this Fang Yuan is no longer worth worrying about…"
The Elders' minds churned.
The wolf tide had reached this point, and the larger outcome was already decided. In the coming months, only small packs of wolves would appear, and with the Cunning Lightning Hound's continuous summoning and the Gu Masters' eradication efforts, by year's end the Lightning Wolves would essentially disappear.
But strife never ceased.
Where there were people, there were interests. Where there were interests, there was strife.
Under the wolf tide, there was the struggle between humans and wolves. Now that the most difficult period of the wolf tide had passed, the infighting between the clans surfaced, becoming the principal conflict.
The wolf tide had struck the stockade, killing many Gu Masters and shattering the old power structures. The interests previously controlled by those forces, now lacking their original masters, naturally needed to be redistributed and carved up.
Among the upper echelons of the Gu Yue Clan, the numerous Elders had once shared the stockade's cake of interests. But now, with fewer than ten Elders remaining including Fang Yuan, the cake was still there.
To divide this great cake, a contest was naturally required. Political struggle, while lacking the flashing blades and bloody storms of the wolf tide, was nonetheless deep and perilous with its schemes, conspiracies, and cold traps.
Originally, as the only newly promoted Elder, Fang Yuan had been brimming with momentum and at the height of his prominence. But now, by candidly admitting his fault and destroying his own political future, he had effectively relinquished his chance to compete with the other Elders for the cake of interests.
In an instant, Fang Yuan's threat level in the minds of the other Elders had dropped many times over.
The pressure contained in the many gazes directed at Fang Yuan was clearly easing.
At this moment, Patriarch Gu Yue Bo sighed softly. "Since you, Fang Yuan, have admitted to it, as Patriarch I have no choice but to address your desertion from battle. According to the family law passed down from our ancestors, those who desert shall be stripped of their Elder position. However, the final outcome will be jointly deliberated by myself and several other Elders, to be handled as appropriate. Regardless of the result, I hope you will accept it."
The others' expressions varied.
Fang Yuan nodded. He said nothing, as though he had already accepted his fate.
Gu Yue Yaoji had severed her own arm to save her life. That kind of ruthlessness and decisiveness — Fang Yuan possessed it too. Only he had sacrificed even more, giving up even his identity as an Elder.
His biggest trouble now was the sudden arrival of the Tie father and daughter. If he got dragged into the political vortex and subjected to political persecution, the situation would only grow more dangerous.
"Give and take, give and take — life is nothing but choices. The Elder identity was always meant to serve my cultivation. I took the Demonic Path for immortality, and I would sacrifice even my life. What else could I not give up? The Elder position, hmph…"
There was not a shred of regret or remorse in Fang Yuan's heart.
This was the wisest choice.
Moreover, while there would be punishment, its severity would certainly be light.
After all, Elders were scarce now, and as a Third Transformation Gu Master, his strength had to be taken seriously. On one hand, the Patriarch needed to punish him; on the other, he needed to harness Fang Yuan's power to stabilize the stockade's situation, and therefore also needed to appease him.
As for the other Elders — Fang Yuan had already withdrawn from this critical political game and was no longer a threat. They certainly wouldn't push him to the brink. If they provoked him into fighting back, wouldn't that be asking for trouble?
"Though there are clan systems, what are systems? Heh, systems are merely tools for those in power to protect their interests. On one hand, they control and divide the interests of the lower classes; on the other, they serve as rules of the game for those in power to coordinate among themselves." Fang Yuan sneered inwardly. On these matters, he saw as clearly as staring into a flame — with utter clarity.
"The most critical issue now is still the Tie father and daughter. Damn it all — they arrived faster than I expected. The wolf tide hasn't even receded yet, and they're already here. Hmph, but such behavior does fit Tie Xue Leng's character of hating evil and acting selflessly."
The moment this thought crossed his mind, Fang Yuan felt the pressure mounting.
Despite Tie Xue Leng being injured, his combat strength was far beyond what Fang Yuan could match. A starved camel was still bigger than a horse — that was the principle.
"I need to leave the stockade, but I also need to avoid pursuit by the Tie father and daughter. How do I break through this predicament?"
Fang Yuan was troubled.
The Tie father and daughter were not the kind to be easily fooled like Jia Fu. Besides, Fang Yuan's cultivation was low — even with a thousand clever schemes, he lacked the ability to execute them. What could be done?
The gap between Third Transformation and Fifth Transformation was enormous.
"Everyone, I have something to say." Just then, Gu Yue Chilian, who had been silent all this while, suddenly spoke.
His face was pale, having dragged his gravely injured body here. He could not drink wine, only tea.
But what he said next was nothing short of shocking: "There is one thing I must confess — the reason Lord Fang Yuan was unable to appear on the battlefield in time was my doing."
"What?"
For a moment, the other Elders were all slightly startled.
"Oh? What do you mean?" Gu Yue Bo asked.
Fang Yuan also cast a glance his way, though he concealed his surprise.
Why would Gu Yue Chilian speak in his defense?
Though Fang Yuan had previously held leverage over him, during this wolf tide, the heir of the Red Branch — Gu Yue Chicheng — had already died on the battlefield, perishing tragically.