Li Lou

In the silence, the ocean surged beneath the terrace, the roar of the tide magnificent.

Fan Yun raised his wine glass once again and drank it in one go.

He pondered.

Ever since Ji Jue had left, he had begun to think. No—he had started even earlier, when Ji Jue had mocked him.

Since coming to Central Earth, how many years had it been since anyone had dared speak to him that way?

Anger was only natural, but it was not enough to shake his reason. So-called anger was the most meaningless thing of all; the more critical the moment, the more one had to remain steady.

Ever since setting foot upon the path of Celestial Origin, he had grown accustomed to endurance, accustomed to composure. For seventy-four years now, he had endured countless things, never even caring about the nickname "Old Turtle."

No matter how unpleasant Ji Jue's words were, no matter how cutting his mockery, Fan Yun would not lose control.

—Would you fly into a rage just because a worm was chirping too loudly?

He only wanted to know who had given this worm such laughable courage...

At a moment like this, who stood behind him?

Lü Yingyue? Did she want to kick him while he was down, step on him as she presented her credentials to the other factions? Or had the Di Family discovered his secret alliance with the Li Family and wanted to beat a dog already in the water? Did Ji Jue intend to use him as a stepping stone to build his reputation? Or was this a provocation from the Taiyi faction against the Tian Yi faction?

One name after another passed through his mind.

Amid the tangled threads of thought, he finally set down his wine glass. His expression remained dark