Hearing Fang Yuan say "it's still not quite enough," Hei Loulan let out a cold, displeased snort. "Fang Yuan, you don't know much about the situation in the Northern Plains, so let me fill you in. Not long ago, Dongfang Changfan — the Northern Plains' foremost Wisdom Path Gu Immortal — invited all the major superpowers and proactively performed divinations for them. The condition was that they form an alliance with the Dongfang tribe and, for fifty years after his death, refrain from targeting or suppressing them."
"Oh?" Fang Yuan's gaze sharpened. "Is that so? Then what exactly did he divine?"
"They say Dongfang Changfan performed one divination for each faction, covering Gu Recipes, the locations where Immortal Gu would appear, methods for slaying Desolate Beasts, and so on. He's already divined quite a lot about you — I don't know the specifics, of course. But now everyone knows you're not a native Gu Master of the Northern Plains. There is, however, a Northern Plains Gu Master colluding with you." Hei Loulan replied.
Tai Bai Yun Sheng, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but contract his pupils. With a trace of alarm in his voice, he said, "He's already divined so much? As expected of Dongfang Changfan..."
Hei Loulan chuckled coldly and continued, "Fang Yuan, our lives are tied together! If I die, who's to say I won't hand you and Tai Bai Yun Sheng over? Also — is the Wisdom Gu in your possession?"
Tai Bai Yun Sheng's expression shifted slightly. He was about to deny it, but checked the impulse.
Fang Yuan smiled calmly. "How could that be possible? The Wisdom Gu was already destroyed in the Great Unity Wind Curtain. How could I possibly have brought it here?"
Tai Bai Yun Sheng silently praised him — Fang Yuan's lying was nothing short of breathtaking. His tone, his expression, had no flaws. They were filled with regret and wistfulness, as though he had truly missed out on the Wisdom Gu by a hair's breadth.
Hei Loulan couldn't spot any flaws either. But the next moment, she narrowed her eyes and said in a rogue's tone, "I don't care whether you really lost the Wisdom Gu or not. All I know is that the Wisdom Gu may have been compelled by survival to seek you out of its own will. Heh, don't rush to deny it. You already understand what I mean. Hiding in the Central Continent isn't safe for you. Whether or not the Wisdom Gu is truly in your possession, as long as I leak the news that you have it, hiding at the ends of the earth won't help! Every Gu Immortal in the world will hunt you down like madmen, until they get to the bottom of the truth."
"Are you threatening me?" Fang Yuan's face turned cold as he slowly stood up.
"Hei Loulan, you've got some nerve. Do you even realize that you're currently inside Soul-Wandering Mountain? The moment we give the order, the Earth Spirit will fully activate the mountain. You'll die right here!" Tai Bai Yun Sheng shouted sternly.
But Hei Loulan simply threw her head back and laughed, without a trace of fear. "Hahaha! Even if this were a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, what could it do to me? Before I left, I made arrangements. If I don't return within three days, the entire Northern Plains will spread the word that you two brothers are the real culprits behind the collapse of the True Yang Building! And I'll tell the world that the Wisdom Gu is in your hands!"
Tai Bai Yun Sheng's expression froze. Hei Loulan had indeed come prepared, and this struck right at his weak point.
But then, a single dark sentence from Fang Yuan cut Hei Loulan's laughter short: "Hei Loulan, I know you're not afraid of death. But have you forgotten your deep-seated hatred?"
Hei Loulan's expression changed, and her imposing manner deflated. Her gaze, sharp as lightning, locked onto Fang Yuan. "State your conditions."
"First — you must agree to return Fixed Immortal Travel to its rightful owner. That is, return it to me." Then Fang Yuan held up four fingers. "Second, once we form an alliance, during your quest for vengeance, all war spoils will be split sixty-forty in my favor. After all, Tai Bai Yun Sheng and I are two Gu Immortals."
Hei Loulan snorted coldly. "You think you're the only one with allies? But fine — I'll agree to that."
She hesitated internally for a moment, but ultimately chose to make a slight concession, even though her nature had always been domineering.
Fang Yuan smiled faintly — from this alone, he could see the other party's sincerity toward cooperation. He continued, "Lastly, I must know the full story behind everything. The reason you intend to kill your own biological father..."
Hei Loulan was silent for a moment, then agreed. "You really are suspicious, aren't you? Fine — I can satisfy this third point as well. Actually, there's nothing that can't be said."
And so, through their conversation, Fang Yuan finally learned the secret of Hei Loulan's revenge.
It all stemmed from the Eighty-Eight True Yang Building.
Within the True Yang Building, there was a true inheritance known as the "Yin-Yang Life Extension Method," which had been taken by Hei Cheng in earlier years.
Fang Yuan had happened to see the empty light orb left behind after the Yin-Yang Life Extension Method was removed.
This inheritance was a life-prolonging technique created by Giant Sun Immortal Venerable through his study of the Human Ancestor.
To use this method, a male and a female Gu Immortal had to cooperate with each other. Through union between man and woman, one party's lifespan could be extended.
But this method had a drawback.
If one party's lifespan was extended, the other party's lifespan was necessarily reduced.
In short, it transferred one person's lifespan to another.
The tale of Su Xian's Night Flight had long circulated throughout the Northern Plains, inspiring countless Northern Plains maidens to take initiative and seek out their own romantic destinies.
Over two hundred years ago, Su Xian'er was an illegitimate daughter of the Su Family, of lowly status. She often served as a pourer at banquets held for honored guests.
One time, the Su Family Patriarch hosted Hei Cheng, and Su Xian'er poured wine for him. At first sight, she fell in love.
However, the Su Family Patriarch secretly plotted against Hei Cheng. Hei Cheng was planted with a Poison Gu, his strength plummeted to rock bottom, and he was hunted down.
When Su Xian'er accidentally learned of this, she resolutely fled the family camp in the dead of night to rescue Hei Cheng — a man she had only met once.
At the time, she was merely at the First Transformation stage. At night, wolf packs roamed the Northern Plains, danger lurked everywhere — it was practically seeking her own death.
Yet by sheer luck, she found Hei Cheng lying unconscious on the ground.
Hei Cheng was saved. The ensuing conversation between the two became a classic tale passed down among the people of the Northern Plains.
Hei Cheng asked Su Xian'er, "I was plotted against by your Su Family Patriarch, and you are a member of the Su Family. Why would you come to rescue me — an enemy of the Su Family?"