"You ask me why that assassin came to kill me? How would I know!" In response to Tie Ruonan's question, Fang Zheng blinked, looking quite innocent.
"If you did something, I really hope you won't hold back. Because an offhand remark of yours might prove enormously helpful to solving the case," the young girl said earnestly.
Fang Zheng shook his head. "I've been wondering about it myself. During that period, I was buried in cultivation the whole time. How did I end up attracting an assassination attempt? But afterward, people around me analyzed the situation — that Demonic Path Gu Master was very likely hired by one of the other two families specifically to eliminate rising stars like me. You know, the Bai Family and the Bear Family have always been hostile toward our Guye Clan. The Bear Family is especially suspicious — they've recruited Demonic Path Gu Masters before."
"The Bear Family..." Tie Ruonan couldn't help but feel somewhat discouraged upon hearing this. The Bear Family had already been swallowed by the Wolf Tide, so it seemed this lead had gone cold once again.
But just at that moment, a commotion arose from outside.
"Look — isn't that someone from the Bear Family Stronghold?"
"The Bear Family Stronghold was destroyed, so how can there still be envoys arriving?"
The appearance of the Bear Family Stronghold's envoy set off a wave of ripples across the entire stockade, with everyone buzzing with discussion.
Soon, word came from the Patriarch Pavilion.
"The Bear Family Stronghold still has a large number of survivors."
"They evacuated voluntarily, using a Gu Insect left behind by their ancestors to conceal the forms of many people, pulling off a great deception!"
"Their lot — dodging the fight and letting the Wolf Tide spread over to our side!"
"Hmph, those Bear Family folks may look rough and simple, but they're actually quite cunning underneath. They wanted to use the Wolf Tide to weaken us. How despicable!"
The Guye Clan members were all brimming with righteous fury.
The appearance of the Bear Family envoy had utterly transformed the entire situation on Qing Mao Mountain.
It had been thought that from now on it would be a contest between the Bai Family and the Guye Clan, but unexpectedly, it remained a three-way struggle for dominance.
Still, on second thought, it made sense. The Bear Family Stronghold was a family that had stood for centuries without falling — they surely had hidden depths. Which family didn't have ancient ancestors or trump cards held in reserve?
After the Bear Family envoy departed, Gu Yue Bo immediately convened the Elder Council.
"Those little runts from the Bear Family Stronghold — what a bunch of bastards! They actually retreated outright!"
"You really can't underestimate anyone. The Bear Family Stronghold has always ranked behind our clan and the Bai Family — the weakest force on Qing Mao Mountain. But to think they had such plans. We need to be even more careful from now on."
"They wanted to borrow a knife to kill, using the Wolf Tide to wipe us out. And they very nearly succeeded — if not for that Cunning Lightning Jackal, we might not have sacrificed so many Elders. Those people truly deserve death!"
"If Divine Constable Tie hadn't appeared, even the two clan patriarchs might have perished. We absolutely cannot let them off the hook."
"Demanding compensation is a must. We and the Bai Family pooled our efforts to deal with the Cunning Lightning Jackal's threat. But how exactly to demand compensation — that still needs careful deliberation."
The Elders exchanged their views, one after another, and arrived at a final decision.
The Guye Clan would dispatch an envoy to visit the Bear Family Stronghold. They must determine the true strength of the Bear Family.
If the Bear Family proved strong, they would need to ally with the Bai Family. If the Bear Family was too weak, they might simply send forces to eliminate them and seize their Yuan Springs.
"Then, who would be suitable to serve as envoy to the Bear Family Stronghold?" Gu Yue Bo swept his gaze across the room and asked. "Which Elder is worthy of this important duty?"
The hall fell silent.
The Elders looked at one another, and no one volunteered.
This was a critical moment of internal strife and distribution of spoils. If one went as envoy to the Bear Family, leaving one's branch leaderless, others might seize the opportunity. By the time they returned, everything would already be settled — to whom would they then go crying?
"In my view, to serve as envoy to the Bear Family, we need someone steady and experienced, someone capable of handling things independently. Among all present, only Elder Mochen is fit for this duty!" Guyue Yaoji suddenly spoke up.
Gu Yue Mochen let out a cold snort and immediately retorted: "If we're speaking of seniority, Lady Yaoji surpasses this old man by far. Especially in terms of prestige — I can only bow in deference. To send an envoy to the Bear Family Stronghold, it seems we must trouble Lady Yaoji to take charge."
"Elder Mochen speaks truly. I also recommend Lady Yaoji," one Elder stood up and said.
"On the contrary, I believe Lord Mochen would be more suitable," another Elder immediately countered.
The scene descended into chaos.
Gu Yue Bo sat in the seat of honor, watching coldly without making a sound.
The Medicine Branch had already shown signs of breaking away from his control. So he would aid neither side, simply observing the situation unfold.
This was the first clash between the Medicine Branch and the Mo Branch.
Both sides had political allies present, which showed that behind the scenes, both leaders had made numerous compromises and exchanged interests. But overall, the Medicine Branch was more dominant.
Guyue Yaoji's personal prestige, along with the Chi Branch's leanings, were the primary reasons for this balance.
Gu Yue Bo watched from the sidelines, secretly noting each person's allegiance.
As Patriarch, he naturally did not want to see power slip from his grasp — these Elders were all his rivals. But he decided to bide his time, watching without acting.
"The Mo Branch controls too many resources and too much authority, and they've lost their successor. That's why the Medicine Branch is rushing to stake its claim. So the key to this struggle lies in a single person."