Your Father, Gu Yuan, Isn't Dead Yet?

Xiao Xuan stared coldly at Xun'er.

He asked, "Your father, Gu Yuan, isn't dead yet?"

Xiao Xuan had opened with a polite inquiry about Gu Yuan's health.

Xun'er naturally knew that Xiao Xuan was unhappy with the Xiao Clan's current state and had anger simmering in his heart. However rude he might be, she was his junior. How could she dare find fault with him?

She could only follow his lead. "Thank you for your concern, Uncle. My father is in good health. He has been handling clan affairs within the Gu Clan all these years, and everything is well.

"My father often mentions you, too. He says you were his dearest friend, and he still frequently dreams of you in the dead of night. He misses you very much, Uncle."

Xiao Xuan took none of her words at face value. "Hmph. Pretty words. I thought he was dead.

"I entrusted my Xiao Clan to him back then, and this is how he looked after it. What a 'dearest friend' he is."

After his resurrection, seeing the Xiao Clan's current state had made Xiao Xuan want to slap that old dog Gu Yuan to death.

Spare him all that talk about helping being a kindness and refusing being no breach of duty.

Before Xiao Xuan fell, he had hardly asked Gu Yuan to look after the clan for nothing.

The Heavenly Tomb, that supreme secret realm now within the Gu Clan, had originally belonged to the Xiao Clan. Had Gu Yuan taken that benefit or not?

Besides, the Xiao and Gu Clans had been the closest neighbors in the Central Plains. Before his fall, Xiao Xuan had grievously wounded Hun Tiandi and slaughtered several of the Hun Clan's Dou Shengs. The Hun Clan had needed a thousand years to recover its strength.

After Xiao Xuan fell, the Xiao Clan had rapidly declined. The Hun Clan's attacks had certainly played a part, but as for the resources in the Xiao Clan's ancestral lands, Gu Yuan knew better than anyone whether the Hun Clan or the Gu Clan had swallowed the greater share.

He had taken the Xiao Clan's Heavenly Tomb, devoured its resources, and then reduced the clan his old friend had left behind to this state under his care.

Even hacking Gu Yuan to death would count as self-defense for Xiao Xuan.

Seeing that Xiao Xuan really did know about all this, Xun'er looked embarrassed. However silver-tongued and clever she might be, she had no idea what to say in the face of this bloody reality.

The Gu Clan had indeed acted dishonorably in this matter.

But Xun'er also knew that Gu Yuan alone could not bear all the blame.

Gu Yuan might be the Ancient Clan Chief, but many matters were not his alone to decide.

After all, besides Gu Yuan, the Gu Clan had other Dou Sheng elders.

Those elders had no such deep friendship with Xiao Xuan. Faced with the Xiao Clan's vast resources, they naturally wanted to swallow everything it possessed in one gulp.

More importantly, those Dou Shengs of the Gu Clan had never expected Xiao Xuan to win his way back from the dead.

Xiao Xuan then looked at Ling Ying and gave two cold chuckles. "But it seems that even with my Xiao Clan reduced to this state, Gu Yuan still couldn't rest easy. He even planted a Dou Emperor in my clan to keep watch in secret. He truly thinks my Xiao Clan has no one left!"

As Xiao Xuan looked at the Dou Emperor Ling Ying, murderous intent had already risen in his heart.

Gu Xun'er was a junior of the Gu Family and Gu Yuan's daughter. In terms of seniority, she belonged to the generation of Xiao Xuan's children and nephews.

Xiao Xuan had a grudge against the Gu Clan, but a man of his standing would not lay a hand on Xun'er. Attacking a little girl was beneath him and would be far too disgraceful.

Ling Ying was different. He belonged to the Gu Clan, was no child, and served as the eyes and ears Gu Yuan had planted in the Xiao Clan.

Xiao Xuan had every justification to kill Ling Ying.

Sensing Xiao Xuan's murderous intent, Ling Ying felt a chill strike his heart.

Oh no. I'm going to die!

At that moment, Xun'er noticed it as well.

Xun'er knew Xiao Xuan would not attack her, but she had forgotten about Ling Ying.

Given Xiao Xuan's standing, killing Ling Ying would be an action with ample cause and perfect justification.

After all, Ling Ying was effectively a spy planted in the Xiao Clan. What lofty standing had the Xiao Clan once enjoyed? How could it tolerate someone else's informant lurking within it for more than a decade?

Xun'er panicked.

She knew that unless she came up with something, Ling Ying would certainly die today.

Elder Ling had stayed by her side all these years. In Xun'er's eyes, he was practically her own grandfather. She could not simply watch him die.

But how could she save Ling Ying?

Just as Xiao Xuan was about to kill Ling Ying, Xun'er hurriedly said, "Uncle Xiao Xuan, would you hear me out?"

Xiao Xuan looked at Xun'er. "What else do you have to say?"

Xiao Xuan said, "My killing a spy who has been planted in my Xiao Clan for years seems to have nothing to do with you, does it?

"Gu Xun'er, don't think I wouldn't dare kill you just because you're Gu Yuan's daughter. That isn't why I'm sparing you. It's because you're too far beneath me in seniority, and killing you would tarnish my name."

Xun'er said, "I understand that perfectly. But although Elder Ling has concealed himself in the Xiao Clan all these years, he has never done anything to harm it. Please look into this fairly, Uncle.

"He was merely following my father's orders to protect me here. I hope you will spare him, Uncle Xiao Xuan."

Of course, Xun'er also knew that her own standing was not enough.

What sort of man was Xiao Xuan? Why would he grant her a favor for nothing?

So, to save Ling Ying, Xun'er had to offer something tangible to compensate for his years of hiding within the Xiao Clan.

That price naturally had to be something precious, something even Xiao Xuan would deem worthy.

Xun'er said, "Uncle, I am willing to offer a Dou Technique of my Gu Clan in exchange. Please grant my request."

With that, Xun'er took out an object: a Dou Technique scroll.

The three ancient characters for "Emperor Seal Art" were prominently inscribed upon it.

Xiao Xuan glanced at Xun'er.

He had intended to kill Ling Ying outright, but he had not expected Gu Xun'er to offer a high-level Dou Technique of the Gu Clan in exchange for him.

The Emperor Seal Art...

Xiao Xuan was very familiar with this Dou Technique. It was an inherited technique of the Gu Clan, ranked high Earth-tier. Though it was not a Heaven-tier Dou Technique, it possessed tremendous power and was one of the Gu Clan's most renowned techniques.

This Dou Technique was exceptionally unusual. A single seal possessed the power of a high Earth-tier Dou Technique, but if one mastered it to the point of unleashing all five seals together, the Emperor Seal Art could rival a low Heaven-tier Dou Technique.

Moreover, with sufficient mastery, such as when Gu Yuan had used it back then, its power could even rival a mid Heaven-tier technique.

That was why this Dou Technique was so renowned within the Gu Clan.

Xiao Xuan had been very interested in this technique back then and had always wanted to study and discuss it with Gu Yuan. But Gu Yuan had refused every time, claiming that an inherited Dou Technique could not be shared with outsiders.

Yet today, his daughter Gu Xun'er had brought it out to save a Dou Emperor's life.

Xiao Xuan had to look at Xun'er in a new light.

"Do you know that back then, I offered your father a low Heaven-tier Dou Technique of my Xiao Clan in exchange for this Emperor Seal Art, and he still refused? Now you want to exchange it for a Dou Emperor's life? Have you thought this through?"

Xun'er nodded. "I have. The Emperor Seal Art may be precious, but a human life is more precious still."

Elder Ling had done so much to care for her over the years. Xun'er could hardly stand by and watch him die.

Hearing her answer, Xiao Xuan nodded. "Interesting. Since a little girl like you has such courage, I'll spare him today."

"As for this Emperor Seal Art... I won't take advantage of a little girl, lest that old dog of a father of yours accuse me of bullying a junior.

"What your Gu Clan owes me, I'll come to collect myself another day."

Xiao Xuan had his own principles and pride.

He was certainly interested in the Gu Clan's Emperor Seal Art, but he would obtain it by proper means.

What Gu Yuan owed him, he would naturally collect himself.

He would not take advantage of a niece of the younger generation.