Hearing Hun Changqing's words, Gu Xun'er felt a shock of great alarm in her heart. The person before her had actually probed into the matters inside the Xiao Clan with absolute clarity, and even knew her own identity and the secrets of the Xiao Clan. The unease within her heart grew denser and denser.
Gu Xun'er involuntarily let out a trembling sound and spoke up.
"Even though your cultivation is terrifying, I can see that you certainly haven't reached Dou Zun! A Dou Zong is merely a Protector in the Soul Palace, so how do you know about these things! What is it that you want?"
As for Hun Changqing saying he came to congratulate her, Gu Xun'er completely treated it as him talking bullshit. A person from the Soul Palace dragged her over, took all her belongings, and even sealed her cultivation, only to tell her this was to congratulate her-who was he trying to fool!
"Hehehe, after my observations over these past few days, Miss Xun'er's depth of affection for Brother Xiao Yan truly surpasses ordinary people, leaving even this old man full of admiration.
After my observations, Brother Xiao Yan's body seems to have encountered a bit of a problem. This old man invited Miss Xun'er here naturally in order to help Brother Xiao Yan resolve his own issues. After all... Miss Xun'er wouldn't want to watch Brother Xiao Yan meet with misfortune, would she?"
Upon hearing Xiao Yan's name, Gu Xun'er became somewhat agitated all over, but she suppressed it once more, forced a calm facade, and spoke unhurriedly.
"Oh, Xiao Yan? He and I are merely casual acquaintances, hardly deserving of deep affection. I am the direct daughter of the Gu Clan, and my innate talent is peerless.
No matter how good that Xiao Yan's talent may be, in my eyes he is still nothing at all. As a person, he is even greedy, lustful, and lacks manners-what virtue or ability does he have to be worthy of me?
However, since my Gu Clan and the Xiao Clan were on friendly terms for generations in the past, even though the Xiao Clan has now declined, the surface-level courtesies must still be properly maintained.
Otherwise, if others were to find out that my Gu Clan held the formerly allied Xiao Clan in disdain, how would outsiders view my Gu Clan?"
Terrified that Xiao Yan might suffer harm because of her, Gu Xun'er could only disparage Xiao Yan into utter worthlessness during her speech, projecting an attitude of total contempt toward him, while in her heart she could only keep silently chanting, Brother Xiao Yan, I'm sorry...
Immediately afterward, Gu Xun'er spoke again.
"As for that Xiao Yan encountering a problem, if the old mister is referring to the issue where Xiao Yan was unable to cultivate, then the old mister might be disappointed.
Some time ago, that Xiao Yan already recovered the talent he once possessed. Although I look down upon that Xiao Yan, I do harbor a bit of curiosity regarding the strange symptoms on his body, and paying him some attention on ordinary days is only natural."
"Since that Xiao Yan has already recovered, I have no need to keep my attention focused on him. This person no longer has anything worth my attention, and there are no bonds of affection between him and me. What the old mister said about helping Xiao Yan for my sake is rather absurd."
Gu Xun'er's face was as calm as water, as though she truly did not care at all about how that Xiao Yan fared, and she spoke serenely.
"Oh? Is that so? Rest assured, Miss Xun'er, what this old man spoke of is not some trivial matter like being unable to cultivate."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
Gu Xun'er's heart stirred, and she asked with a steady expression.
"Hehehe, of course this old man knows that Xiao Yan's talent has already recovered, so Miss Xun'er doesn't need to put on a show of caring not a whit for Brother Xiao Yan.
If Brother Xiao Yan were to find out, he would be heartbroken to the extreme. The reason you put on this act is simply because you're afraid this old man will go harm that Xiao Yan, right?
What a pity, this old man has already harmed him. Hehehe, the problem currently inside Xiao Yan's body was planted by this old man personally!"
As he spoke, Hun Changqing tossed a jade slip toward Gu Xun'er. Inside it was sealed an origin of Supreme Yin Water, containing terrifying Supreme Yin True Qi within.
"I planted a type of wondrous item like this within Xiao Yan's body, hidden away inside Xiao Yan's Dou Qi where it remains completely imperceptible on ordinary days.
It drifts along with the circulation of Dou Qi inside Xiao Yan's body, and that wondrous item carries my Soul Imprint. No matter how far away he is, as long as my mind stirs, that wondrous item will erupt with terrifying freezing coldness, instantly corroding and devouring Brother Xiao Yan's meridians and blood.
It will freeze and extinguish all of Brother Xiao Yan's vitality. Once it erupts, Brother Xiao Yan will instantly transform into a pool of extremely icy corpse water, and his manner of death will be exceedingly terrifying.
Hehehe, Miss Xun'er surely wouldn't want Brother Xiao Yan to suffer such a twist of fate."
Hearing Hun Changqing's words, Gu Xun'er's inner self instantly grew panicked and restless. For a moment she was somewhat at a loss, and no longer caring about any pretense, she immediately shouted toward Hun Changqing.
"What is it that you want? Don't harm Brother Xiao Yan! I'll give you whatever you want! If you dare to harm Brother Xiao Yan, I will absolutely make you regret coming into this world!"
Normally speaking, Gu Xun'er would not be so unwise as to resort to threatening Hun Changqing under such a dangerous circumstance.
It was truly because care brings disorder; the moment she heard anything concerning Xiao Yan's safety, her whole person fell into a panic, and in her desperation she actually blurted out a threat.
Hearing those threatening words from Gu Xun'er, a fierce glint flashed across Hun Changqing's eyes. Gone was the somewhat courteous appearance from just a moment ago, and he directly slapped Gu Xun'er across the face.
Gu Xun'er immediately let out a cry as she was sent flying backward, slamming into the Black Mysterious Steel of the secret room before dropping down to the ground.
"Cough, cough..."
Lying on the floor, Gu Xun'er was unable to pull herself up for a moment, coughing incessantly. Her white, delicate little hand covered the cheek that had just been struck, and she raised her head to look at Hun Changqing in utter disbelief.
From the time she was born until now, wherever she went she was always surrounded like stars around the moon. Her father, Gu Yuan, and those Gu Clan Elders held her in the palms of their hands for fear she might fall, and kept her in their mouths for fear she might melt.
No matter what she wanted, the clan always granted every request. Relying on being the sole direct daughter of the clan leader of the Gu Clan-the publicly acknowledged number-one superpower on the Dou Qi Continent-she possessed the only God-Grade Bloodline in the Gu Clan for thousands of years.
One could say that she, Gu Xun'er, was the most noble woman on the Dou Qi Continent today!
Yet now, she was actually slapped by a mere Dou Zong Protector of the Soul Palace. Gu Xun'er felt as though she were still dreaming at this moment, and everything that had happened felt so unreal!
Hun Changqing walked up to Gu Xun'er, who was lying sideways on the ground and struggling to get up, and looked down at her from on high.
Raising her head, Gu Xun'er saw Hun Changqing gazing down at her condescendingly. Rage burned fiercely in her heart, and she instantly felt incomparably humiliated.
In her entire life, she had never-never wanted to grind someone into dust as much as she did right now!
Even the anger on the day Xiao Yan was injured did not equal half of what she felt today!
Hun Changqing slowly squatted down, straddling Gu Xun'er's delicate body. He hooked her chin up with his index finger and spoke.
"Who gave you the courage to threaten me in my own domain? Was it Clan Leader Gu Yuan?
Yet even if Clan Leader Gu Yuan possesses heaven-reaching strength, he doesn't seem able to save you right now. Besides, do you actually think a single Gu Yuan could make me feel a shred of dread?"