"Important intelligence?" The Bai Family Patriarch furrowed her brow slightly, but what intelligence could be more important than the Origin Spring?
"Since it's not urgent, have them wait outside the tent for now." The patriarch issued her order, then turned her attention back to the smoky image.
The image flickered, revealing the scene inside the cave.
Fang Yuan and his group of seven ventured deep, quickly reaching the bottom.
The cave wasn't large. The Bai Family Patriarch was disappointed almost immediately — she saw no Origin Spring. An Origin Spring could never exist in a place like this.
"Seems like finding the Origin Spring will take more time," the patriarch murmured softly. She waved her sleeve, sweeping the smoke back into its folds, then called out toward the tent entrance, "Let them in."
The tent flap was pulled aside, and a sharp, imposing scout Gu Master stepped in, bowing respectfully. "Your subordinate greets the Family Patriarch. I have important intelligence to report."
His tone carried an edge of urgency.
"You captured a Tie Family Gu Master?" The Bai Family Patriarch's brow creased faintly.
The Tie Family was a colossus. Ten Bai Family strongholds wouldn't be enough to match them. Mishandling this would cause serious trouble.
The patriarch felt a twinge of reprimand toward this subordinate. He was being rather thoughtless. A Tie Family Gu Master was like a hot potato — you killed them quietly in the wilderness and that was that. Bringing one back to the family was leaving behind evidence that could be used against them.
"Your subordinate was carrying out orders to track the movements of the remaining Gu Yue survivors when I stumbled upon a severely wounded Gu Master. I initially suspected he was a member of the Gu Yue clan. But after treating his injuries, he claimed to be a Tie Family Gu Master. And from his mouth, your subordinate learned a shocking piece of news — all three strongholds on Qing Mao Mountain have been destroyed. A mysterious Demonic Path Gu Master escaped the disaster. The Tie Family dispatched Gu Masters specifically to hunt down these Demonic Path Gu Masters," the scout reported.
"What did you say?" The Bai Family Patriarch's expression shifted.
Her heart lurched, and her brow knotted tightly.
In that instant, the figures and mannerisms of Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing flashed through her mind like fleeting shadows.
Could those two youths really be Demonic Path Gu Masters?
It didn't seem likely!
Especially when the Bai Family Patriarch recalled Fang Yuan weeping at the banquet — how could someone like that be a Demonic Path Gu Master?
"What makes you certain he really is a Tie Family Gu Master?" the patriarch pressed.
"This is the Tie Family token that was found on his person! And the Gu he carries also bear the characteristics of the Tie Family." The scout spoke as he presented an iron token.
The Bai Family Patriarch took the token and held it in her palm, feeling its cold surface.
It was undoubtedly a Tie Family token, but...
"This could also mean he killed a Tie Family Gu Master and seized this token as spoils of war. Perhaps this man is crying wolf — perhaps he himself is the Demonic Path Gu Master that the Tie Family is pursuing." The Bai Family matriarch considered another possibility.
Demonic Path Gu Masters would certainly disguise their identities to survive.
The patriarch's preconceived impression was already far too deeply rooted. But regardless, she needed to confirm things for herself.
Narrowing her eyes, she said, "Bring the prisoner up."
"Hurry up." The tent flap was lifted once more, and a Gu Master was shoved inside.
Tie Daoku appeared before the Bai Family Patriarch with disheveled hair and an ashen face, his steps unsteady and weak.
"Kneel!" The guard behind him delivered a kick. The iron man grunted and dropped to his knees.
But he struggled with all his might, trying to stand back up immediately.
"Stay still!" Two Gu Masters behind him, one gripping each arm, forced him firmly to the ground.
Tie Daoku found himself unable to break free. He let out a hoarse roar: "I, Tie Daoku, kneel to Heaven and Earth above, kneel to my parents in between, kneel to my clan patriarch below! Do not insult me — I ask only for death!"
"My, my, what a performance." The Bai Family Patriarch arched an eyebrow and let out a cold laugh. She then demanded sharply, "Speak. You Demonic Path Gu Master — how exactly did you kill a Tie Family Gu Master and get your hands on this token?"
Tie Daoku froze for a moment, then suddenly spat a mouthful of blood-flecked saliva: "Pah! I am Tie Daoku, upright and honorable, son of the Tie Family, who never changes his name whether standing or sitting. In your hands now, do with me what you will — kill me, cut me up, it's all the same. But this little frame-up game? Isn't that a bit too hypocritical?"
The blood-flecked saliva never reached the Bai Family Patriarch. It seemed to strike an invisible wall in midair and fell to the ground.
The patriarch's expression darkened.
Tie Daoku pressed on with a cold sneer: "The Tie Family has always excelled at pursuit and investigation. Bai Family — you've captured me, and you humiliate me like this. Heh heh. You'd better tear me to pieces and pray you're never found out. Because if you are — heh heh — your whole Bai Family can brace for the thunderous wrath of the Tie Family!"
The Bai Family Patriarch scoffed: "You keep insisting you're a Tie Family Gu Master. I've seen quite a few Tie Family Gu Masters in my time. Those below the Fifth Transformation have always operated in small, sharp teams — imposing figures, built like iron. Here you are, alone. And look at the state of you. If you're going to play the part of a Tie Family Gu Master, you might at least put on a convincing act."
The cold sneer on Tie Daoku's face faltered involuntarily.
The patriarch's words had struck at the most painful place in his heart.
Think back to when they had set out from Qing Mao Mountain — nine of them, brimming with confidence and vigor. And now he was the only one left, a prisoner at that!
How bitter...
Especially when Tie Daoku thought of Tie Aotian's death. The immense regret and sorrow only deepened his agony.
Tie Aotian had been the fourth young master of the Tie Family. Exceptionally talented, resilient in temperament, burdened with great expectations since childhood. He had been a powerful contender for the position of Tie Family Patriarch, the future hope of the entire clan.
From the time he was a child, he had displayed extraordinary aptitude. In him, Tie Daoku had seen the hope of the future.
But!
When that earth-shattering explosion had erupted, everything ended in an instant.
The explosion had come far too suddenly!
At the epicenter, Tie Aotian hadn't even had time to activate his defensive Gu Insects. He was blown apart instantly, reduced to nothing but fragments of bone and flesh.
A prodigy of his generation, a rising star of the future — dead, just like that, for reasons unknown.
And it wasn't just Tie Aotian. Several others had perished in the blast as well, killed outright, their Gu Insects destroyed beyond count.