When the matter of the Ge family was brought up, the originally warm atmosphere of the banquet suddenly cooled.
The old patriarch of the Ge family hurriedly stood to explain.
Ge Guang sat off to the side, watching his father, his heart full of bitterness and sorrow.
His own younger sister was dead, and his father was already grieving beyond measure. How he wished none of this were real. But now, his father had to prove to outsiders in every way possible that his daughter was truly, irrevocably dead.
What a painful torment this was.
But Man Tu merely adopted the posture of listening — his attitude was one of refusal.
Chang Shan Yin was a hero of the Righteous Path, and formerly a genius Gu Master cultivated by the entire Chang clan. Ever since he had slain Ha Tu Gu and his band of horse bandits, he had been widely praised by the world. His prestige was enormous; in the Northern Plains, he was a household name.
Therefore, to give face to Chang Shan Yin, Man Tu put on the appearance of listening earnestly.
But even if Chang Shan Yin's prestige were five or six times greater, it still wouldn't come close to the benefit of annexing the Ge family. Now that he had finally found a legitimate reason, Man Tu certainly wouldn't let it slip by so easily.
So, after "patiently" listening to the old Ge patriarch's explanation, Man Tu turned to look at his third son.
Man Duo sneered inwardly and rose to his feet.
He bowed deeply to Fang Yuan, then produced a Gu insect in full view of the crowd. "Senior Chang, please look."
The Gu resembled a dragonfly, except its slender body looked like a stick of sandalwood incense. The dragonfly's tail was still burning, trailing wisps of fragrant smoke. The smoke sometimes appeared colored — vivid and multicolored — and sometimes was colorless and odorless.
"Could this Gu be the ancient Pursuit Smoke Gu?" Fang Yuan's gaze flickered.
Man Duo was momentarily stunned, then said in an admiring tone, "Senior's discerning eye is unerring, and your knowledge is vast. This junior is full of admiration. Indeed, that is so — I obtained this Gu by sheer luck. Once someone is marked with this pursuit smoke, it lingers for half a year without dissipating. It's extremely convenient for tracking."
After a pause, he continued, "To tell the truth, the first time I saw Ge Yao, I secretly used this smoke on her. Now, as long as I activate this Pursuit Smoke Gu, the pursuit smoke will become visible to the naked eye."
Man Duo continued with a hint of smugness, "Patriarch of the Ge family — if I use this Gu and the hidden Ge Yao is discovered in your Ge family camp, what then?"
He intended to annex the Ge family, so naturally he had made his plans. The Pursuit Smoke Gu had been suggested by his third son Man Duo, and he hadn't expected it to prove useful so soon.
Facing Man Duo's threatening words, the Ge father and son actually felt a wave of relief.
This Pursuit Smoke Gu was perfect — with it, their claims could be verified, and they would finally be cleared of all suspicion.
Fang Yuan, on the other hand, felt his heart skip a beat. This pursuit smoke could transfer between people through contact. He had walked alongside Ge Yao and even held her in his arms. Once the pursuit smoke was revealed, wouldn't he be exposed?
What could he do?!
Fang Yuan hadn't anticipated such a turn of events, and his heart sank lower and lower.
The set of Gu insects he carried came from Chang Shan Yin — they were enslavement-path Gu. They excelled in battlefield combat but were weak in individual duels.
Now at this banquet, he was merely at the Initial Stage of the Fourth Transformation. There were also the two great patriarchs of the Man and Ge families, both with cultivation levels higher than his own. On top of that, there were elders and guards, all at the Third Transformation.
Even if he had brought his wolf pack, two or three thousand ordinary wild wolves wouldn't be enough to turn the tide!
In that instant, thoughts raced through Fang Yuan's mind, ideas flashing one after another like lightning.
Immediately, he laughed aloud. "That couldn't be better! With the Pursuit Smoke Gu as proof, the truth will come to light. Nephew, go ahead and use it."
He couldn't delay or refuse to use it. First, if he, an outsider, refused to use the Pursuit Smoke Gu, it would be very strange — practically a confession without being questioned. Second, both the Man family and the Ge family wanted to use the Pursuit Smoke Gu to confirm certain things; the momentum was already established and impossible to resist. Third, the Pursuit Smoke Gu was in someone else's hands — even if Fang Yuan refused to use it, would the Man family not use it anyway?
Therefore, Fang Yuan decided to take the initiative, at least creating the impression of being open and aboveboard.
Hearing Fang Yuan's words, Man Tu was naturally overjoyed. "Since Brother Chang Shan Yin has spoken, son — go ahead and use it."
Man Duo, however, couldn't bring himself to be happy. Reading their expressions, he noticed that the Ge father and son actually seemed to be quietly anticipating something.
"Could it be that Ge Yao really is dead?" Man Duo suppressed his unease, focused his mind, and activated the Pursuit Smoke Gu.
Instantly, the previously colorless and odorless pursuit smoke in the air revealed a black trail.
"Hm?"
"Eh, what's going on?"
"This is..."
Just as Fang Yuan had feared, a mass of ink-black smoke clung to his body, standing out conspicuously at the brightly lit banquet.