A mountain breeze blew over the camp, making it seem even more silent.
Over a hundred people formed a circle, within which lay two corpses and stood two people.
Finally, their gaze fell upon
These people had rushed out aggressively, but were immediately intimidated by the cultivation level Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing displayed. Now they stood halfway, unable to retreat or advance.
Including the lost Ou Yanggong and
This strength was, of course, much greater than that of Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing.
But!
This was a temporary caravan of mixed groups; these Gu Masters came from various families, usually scheming against each other and wary. For them to fight together, it could only happen in a favorable situation.
They had their own interests; they were not a monolith but acted independently.
With minds not united, the team was hard to lead.
Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing had displayed peak third-turn cultivation. Without a doubt, they were tough nuts to crack. No single group could defeat them, and even if they attacked together, the entire caravan would suffer severe losses.
For a moment, Jia Long, Chen Shuangjin, and others looked at Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing while secretly evaluating each other. None of them wanted to be cannon fodder for the benefit of others.
Moreover, in this current situation, with frequent beast attacks, the entire caravan was like a clay Buddha crossing a river—barely able to save itself.
External pressure and internal hesitation made them waver.
A faint smile played at the corners of Fang Yuan's mouth—their reaction was exactly what he expected. Now it was up to her.
Although it was sudden and he hadn't communicated with Shang Xinci, Fang Yuan believed that with her intelligence, she would also perceive the opportunity here.
Sure enough, Shang Xinci and Xiaodie came out of the tent.
"Leaders, these are the hidden elders of my Zhang family: Lord Heitu and Lord Baiyun," Shang Xinci introduced, gesturing.
Her voice was not loud, but since she was the only one speaking, it was clearly heard by everyone.
The leaders had varied expressions, while the others chewed over the names Heitu and Baiyun.
Shang Xinci smiled faintly: "The two lords had a secret family mission and happened to join this caravan midway."
The caravan leaders looked at each other in silence.
Since they were hidden elders, even the Zhang family head might not know of their existence. With a secret mission, it was better not to inquire about their motives.
With these two sentences, Shang Xinci blocked the questions they were about to ask.
Of course, this explanation was reasonable, but it was only Shang Xinci's side of the story.
The caravan leaders were shrewd people, each with their own thoughts. No one fully believed it; the skeptical remained skeptical.
But regardless of doubt or belief, the strength of Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing was there, so there could only be one outcome for this matter.
And so…
"Hahaha, so that's it! This is all a misunderstanding!" Jia Long suddenly burst into loud laughter, his face beaming with a warm smile.
He cupped his hands towards Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing and sincerely praised: "I never expected that such heroes were hiding among us. Those father and son, the Ou family, really acted improperly. Their conduct was problematic. I had advised them several times, but alas, they didn't listen. Today, they have met their just deserts."
These words immediately defined the nature of the incident.
The other vice-leaders also came to their senses. While cursing Jia Long for his shamelessness inwardly, they cupped their hands towards Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing.
"The Zhang family camp has a far-reaching reputation; it's truly one of the top families in our Southern Frontier!"
"I am Lei Gongcheng of the Lei family. To meet you two is a great honor for me."
"Your act of ridding the people of harm is truly a blessing for us all!"
The vice-leaders were all beaming with smiles, speaking lies and turning things upside down.
The killers had become representatives of justice, while the Ou father and son had become heinous villains. As for the other Gu Masters from the Ou family, there were only three left. Who cared about their ugly, pale faces? Since Ou Yanggong was dead, with no third-turn Gu Master, who would dare to step up? Who could?
"You bunch of idiots, why haven't you paid respects to the two Gu Masters?" one of the vice-leaders barked in feigned displeasure.
"We pay respects to Lords Heitu and Baiyun," more than twenty people from the crowd quickly bowed to Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing.
The camp became noisy again.
"The caravan has suffered a heavy blow and is in jeopardy. It's fortunate to have encountered you two. Please come to the tent to discuss matters together," Jia Long approached and invited with a sincere tone.