Hun Clan, Imperial Study Hall
The Hun Clan's Great Elder stood before Hun Tiandi and said, "Clan Leader, most of the direct descendants who failed to meet the standards this year have already taken up posts in their respective territories."
"Mm."
Hun Tiandi nodded faintly.
Then, the Hun Clan's Great Elder took out an ancient scroll and handed it to Hun Tiandi. "All the treasures obtained by the direct descendants who entered the Library Pavilion have been recorded here."
Hearing this, Hun Tiandi asked, "What about Hun Feng? What did he obtain inside?"
The Hun Clan's Great Elder replied, "Young Master Hun Feng obtained a high-grade Heaven-tier cultivation technique from the Gale Pavilion—the Soaring Storm Art!"
Hun Tiandi praised, "He knows how to choose. A Heaven-tier cultivation technique will serve him for a lifetime. What about Hun Yutong and Hun Jianhao? What did they obtain?"
The Hun Clan's Great Elder replied, "Hun Yutong obtained an ice-element Heaven-tier cultivation technique from the Mystic Ice Pavilion, called the Heaven Sealing Underworld Scripture. Hun Jianhao did not obtain a cultivation technique, but instead chose a high-grade Heaven-tier sword—the Azure Edge Sword!"
"Azure Edge Sword! That child has had an exceptional obsession with swords since he was young. It is no surprise that he chose a treasured sword."
Hun Tiandi spoke calmly, as though he were merely chatting about household matters with a neighbor. It was hard to imagine how such a refined and approachable man would become so ruthless and vicious more than a decade later.
Seeing that the Hun Clan's Great Elder had no intention of leaving, Hun Tiandi asked, "What is it? Is there something else?"
The Hun Clan's Great Elder sighed softly without revealing it. He felt deep pity for Hun Han. Hun Tiandi had asked about Young Master Hun Feng and even inquired about two outsiders, yet he had not mentioned Hun Han at all.
Was Hun Han not Hun Tiandi's biological son?
Hun Feng, Hun Yutong, and Hun Jianhao possessed Divine Grade Bloodlines. Did Hun Han not possess the Hun Clan's Divine Grade Bloodline as well?
How could Hun Tiandi be so partial?
The Hun Clan's Great Elder said, "Other than that, Young Master Hun Han obtained a rusty iron sword from the Body Refining Pavilion!"
Hun Tiandi finally showed some curiosity. "A rusty iron sword?"
What kind of place was the Library Pavilion? It was where the Hun Clan had stored countless rare treasures collected over the years. How could there be a rusty iron sword in such a place?
In a place where treasures lay everywhere, anyone with even a little sense would not choose a rusty iron sword.
The Hun Clan's Great Elder continued, "Yes. Our Library Pavilion contains some treasures passed down from ancient times. Because of their great age, those treasures have lost their former luster. Still, since they came from ancient times, they were stored in a secluded room in the Body Refining Pavilion. For some reason, Young Master Hun Han entered that room and ultimately chose that iron sword!"
"Oh, so that was it. I nearly forgot about that if you had not mentioned it!"
Hun Tiandi understood, yet he still did not say a single word about Hun Han. Seeing that the Great Elder still had no intention of leaving, he asked again, "Anything else?"
The Hun Clan's Great Elder continued, "Clan Leader, a battle took place at Soul Pacifying Lake a few days ago. Five mysterious people fought a Half-Saint. Also, at the entrance to Soul Pacifying Valley, a member of the Hun Clan fought someone else. To this day, there has been no word from the Human Hall in the Corpse Burial Mountain Range that Young Master Hun Han has taken up his post!"
"Oh."
Hun Tiandi responded as coldly as ever. However, the hand beneath the table tightened slightly. He asked, "Have the identities of both sides been discovered?"
The Hun Clan's Great Elder stared at Hun Tiandi and replied, "Our investigation revealed that the five mysterious people were servants Ninth Madam brought from her maternal family. At the time, they were fighting Butterfly Soul Saint Qin Lan."
The Hun Clan's Great Elder held great power and knew something of many matters across the continent. If he remembered correctly, Butterfly Soul Saint had once been Hun Han's mother's personal maid. Since Hun Han's mother passed away, Butterfly Soul Saint had never appeared before the public again.
Any normal person could infer what had happened. Hun Han must have suffered an attack, forcing Butterfly Soul Saint to intervene and help him. Now that Hun Han had yet to report to the Human Hall in the Corpse Burial Mountain Range, he was most likely in grave danger!
The Hun Clan's Great Elder stared at Hun Tiandi. Even so, the shrewd Hun Tiandi remained indifferent. Helplessly, the Great Elder continued, "As for the Hun Clan member who acted in Soul Pacifying Valley, his name was Hun Lie. As for whom he fought, he only said that he had encountered a surprise attack by a magical beast and had no choice but to kill it. Since no traces were left at the scene, the matter could only be dropped."
Hun Lie was no ordinary person. He was a disciple dispatched by the Hun Clan to the northwestern region, with cultivation at the peak of the Nine-Star Great Dou Master realm. If his opponent had been one of Ninth Madam's people, then what he killed was likely not some magical beast, but Young Master Hun Han. With Hun Lie's combat strength, he could easily have burned Hun Han, who was only at the Dou Qi stage, to ashes.
"Oh, have you finished your report?" Hun Tiandi responded coldly.
"Mm." The Hun Clan's Great Elder nodded.
"Then go and rest," Hun Tiandi ordered.
Just as the Hun Clan's Great Elder was about to step out of the Imperial Study Hall, Hun Tiandi's voice rang out again. "Oh, right. I recall that Pan'er uncovered six spies from the Ancient Clan who had infiltrated our Hun Clan a few days ago, and he killed three of them alone. Make the arrangements. At tomorrow's court assembly, I will announce that Pan'er is to be made the Young Clan Leader of the Hun Clan!"
"Uh!"
The Hun Clan's Great Elder stared blankly at Hun Tiandi.
The Pan'er Hun Tiandi spoke of was the child born to Hun Tiandi's Ninth Madam. Young Master Hun Han had most likely fallen victim to Ninth Madam's scheme, yet Hun Tiandi not only refused to investigate the matter, he even intended to appoint Ninth Madam's son as the Young Clan Leader of the Hun Clan.
Did Hun Tiandi truly dislike Young Master Hun Han that much?
Almost at the same time, inside a resplendent golden chamber,
"Mother, tell me, what right does that hulking Hun Pan have to become the Young Clan Leader of our Hun Clan?" Hun Feng stood before the bed, speaking indignantly as he looked resentfully at the beautiful middle-aged woman seated at its edge.
"Feng'er, do not fixate on the position of Young Clan Leader. Your father is still young and strong, and he has no intention of stepping down yet. Becoming the Young Clan Leader too early may not necessarily be a good thing!" the middle-aged beauty said calmly.
"But you promised me that the Hun Clan's Young Clan Leader could only be me!" Hun Feng complained.
"You are mistaken. Mother was not referring to the Young Clan Leader. Hun Feng, remember this: the Clan Leader is your true goal!" the middle-aged beauty rebuked him, her beautiful eyes fixed upon him.
"Yes, Mother!" Hun Feng seemed quite afraid of his mother. Seeing her stern expression, he immediately yielded and nodded.
"How did the matter I instructed you to handle go?" the middle-aged beauty asked.
"Mm. Mother, I have good news for you. Ninth Madam has succeeded. Hun Han has already been killed by Hun Lie!" Hun Feng said with a smile.
"Is that so? That bastard born of that bitch is finally dead! Still, just like that bitch, he died too easily. It is far too merciful for that mother and son." The middle-aged beauty smiled brilliantly.
"However, Mother, I also have bad news. According to our confidants in Soul Pacifying Town, there were traces of a Teleportation Star Disk being used at the site of the battle," Hun Feng added.
"What?"
Hearing this, the middle-aged beauty sprang up from the bed and asked, "Are you certain?"
Hun Feng nodded and replied, "At the very least, that is what our confidant said. When he arrived at the scene, there were traces of a Teleportation Star Disk having been used!"
Upon hearing that, the middle-aged beauty trembled with rage and said viciously, "Damn it! He actually gave the Teleportation Star Disk to that bastard. He deceived me—deceived everyone! Even now, he still cannot forget that bitch!"
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