The Liu Household.
The underground chamber was dim. The two followed the passage out, but before leaving, Xu Xuan glanced once more at the eerily sinister willow and the writing on all four walls, silently committing them to memory.
Outside, neither spoke for a while, unsure where to begin. They only discussed a little of the trade with the Wu Household. Unwilling to linger, Xu Xuan took his leave, leaving Liu Qiuqi and Qingyun alone in the hall-one human, one demon.
Gusts of chilling wind still seemed to rise from underground. Liu Qiuqi looked somewhat pale. He called outside, and a white-robed young man strode in, bearing a certain scholarly air. It was Liu Baiyuan.
"Any news from the Duan Clan?"
Liu Qiuqi slowly caught his breath. Qingyun stepped forward and took his hand, gently helping steady his breathing. Only then did his complexion improve, some color returning to his face.
Liu Baiyuan lowered his eyes, his voice trembling as though he were worried about his father. He said quietly:
"The Duan Clan's head refuses to see anyone. Duan Pingdu is handling affairs now, but he only gives vague answers. He has made no definite statement about how to deal with the Zhu Clan."
Seated above, Liu Qiuqi's expression darkened slightly. He sighed and said gravely:
"Since the Duan Clan is unwilling, there's no need to ask again. Nothing will come of it. They rely on Dingji Mountain. For now, we should still ally with Great Scarlet to contend with the Zhu Clan."
"Recently... has Zhu Yucheng made any more appearances?"
After some thought, Liu Qiuqi asked the question after all. Ultimately, the Zhu Clan's might rested on a single man. As long as Zhu Yucheng remained standing and the Chen Household did not step forward, they were the foremost