The once-vibrant Qing Mao Mountain had become a frozen wasteland. Such a shocking upheaval had long drawn the attention and scrutiny of nearby factions. Over the past several months, news of Qing Mao Mountain's destruction had gradually spread to distant lands.
"I dare not think back. The moment I do, the pain comes flooding in." Fang Yuan sat down, his face a mask of grief.
"Someone, bring wine." Seeing that Fang Yuan did not wish to elaborate, the Bai family patriarch refrained from pressing and ordered the servants to bring two jars of wine.
Bai Ningbing remained unmoved. She never drank alcohol, preferring water.
Fang Yuan broke the clay seal directly, took a deep gulp, and tears fell once more.
The Bai family patriarch was startled. "Worthy nephew, why do you weep again?"
"After tasting your clan's wine, so mellow and intoxicating, I can't help but think of my clan's Green Bamboo Wine, and those days we spent drinking on Qing Mao Mountain." Fang Yuan wiped his tears as he spoke.
The elders' sighing grew louder, and many offered Fang Yuan words of comfort.
His plight resonated with them. After all, the Bai family's Yuan Spring was already showing signs of drying up. If they could not find a new one, the fate of the Gu Yue Clan would become the Bai family's future.
The Bai family patriarch consoled him at length before finally managing to calm him and stem the tears.
"When one's home is destroyed, who wouldn't be heartbroken? I understand your feelings, worthy nephew. But as long as people remain, there is hope. Don't grieve, nephew. I believe within a few days you'll be reunited with your clansmen." Bai Mo Xing probed cautiously.
Fang Yuan put on a vacant expression, wiped away his tears, and replied offhandedly, "Yes, it should only be a few days."
At this answer, Bai Mo Xing and the Bai family patriarch exchanged a swift glance.
After the evening banquet, the Bai family patriarch summoned Bai Mo Xing for a private discussion.
"Patriarch, the situation is dire. The Guye Stockade has fallen—why would these remnants make a beeline for White Bone Mountain? Most likely they intend to seize this territory. Should we strike first?" Bai Mo Xing asked, his face lined with worry.
"Heh heh heh." The Bai family's female patriarch chuckled softly.
Bai Mo Xing blinked in surprise. "Why do you laugh, Patriarch?"
The female patriarch narrowed her eyes and said reassuringly, "Elder Mo Xing, calm yourself. This matter has its pros and cons. If we play our cards right, it could actually save us a great deal of effort."
Her words set Bai Mo Xing thinking in an instant.
She was right!
The Bai family's Yuan Spring. After years of use, it was nearly depleted. They needed to find a new Yuan Spring as soon as possible. This expedition, ostensibly a hunt, was really a search for a suitable spring site on White Bone Mountain.
The Bai party had only recently arrived and had yet to discover anything. But the Gu Yue remnants had traveled all this way to White Bone Mountain—they must have obtained some intelligence.
It could be inferred that the Gu Yue Clan possessed information about the location of a Yuan Spring.
Seeing the shift in Bai Mo Xing's expression, the patriarch continued, "It seems you've figured it out too. In truth, any great mountain or mighty range is a place where Yuan energy converges, and there will always be Yuan Springs. But pinpointing the exact location of a Yuan Spring is no simple matter. It requires enormous manpower and resources."
"Surrounding us are the Fang family, the Liao family, and the Fan family—all powerful clans. They've been keeping each other in check for years. If word got out that our Yuan Spring is drying up, they would almost certainly seize the opportunity to take advantage of our weakness. That is why we agreed to search for the new Yuan Spring in secret, using 'hunting' as our cover this time. But working under such constraints means exploring for the Yuan Spring will cost us even more manpower and resources."
The patriarch paused here, hesitating to continue, his brow creased with worry.
Bai Mo Xing picked up the thread. "So you want to extract the Yuan Spring's location directly from the Gu Yue people?"
"Precisely." The patriarch nodded, her eyes gleaming. "The Guye patriarch and elders won't be easy to deal with, but those two young ones have fallen into our hands! This is a heaven-sent opportunity!"
Bai Mo Xing furrowed his brow. "However, those two youngsters don't appear stupid. That girl is clearly the stubborn, iron-willed type. The boy, though his cultivation is rather thin, remains composed and unflappable. When we first surrounded them, he showed not the slightest trace of panic. Prying the truth out of them won't be easy."
The patriarch gave a snort. "Without such willpower, how could they qualify as young masters of a clan? Both of those youngsters are impressive. If they weren't, I would question their identities."
Bai Mo Xing pressed on. "Then I urge you to think carefully, Patriarch. Torture may not break them. They left traces along the way—the Gu Yue remnants will arrive soon. Those people are desperate fugitives with nothing left to lose."
The patriarch waved her hand dismissively. "There's no need to worry about that, Elder. I already have a plan."
"Oh? This old man would like to hear it."
The patriarch laid out her strategy in detail, and Bai Mo Xing's clouded old eyes grew brighter with every word.
When she finished, Bai Mo Xing couldn't help but praise her. "This plan has real promise! I observed that Gu Yue Fang Zheng is genuinely devoted to his clan—he wept twice during the banquet. He's a man of feeling. After all, he's still young. Your plan, Patriarch, is like setting honey before a bear cub or holding a carrot at the tip of a young rabbit's nose. There's no way he won't take the bait."
……
Fang Yuan lifted a corner of the tent flap.
The night had grown deep, but the Bai family's temporary camp blazed with light.
Tents were arranged in orderly rows, with iron-framed torches placed at regular intervals. Patrols of Gu Masters passed by from time to time.
"Young Master Fang Zheng, is something the matter?" The moment Fang Yuan lifted the tent flap, the two guards stationed at the entrance approached immediately.