At the same time, Gu Nian and Chu Yunzhe both stepped forward, shielding Xue Fuyao.
Gu Nian looked at the people before her with an unfriendly expression and said coldly, "Seniors, my junior sister is not your punching bag. If you need to vent your anger, go find the culprit. What is so impressive about bullying a child? Since you are in a hurry, please leave. We still have a sect mission to complete, so I will not see you off."
Her words rang out with force, each one striking the ground with a resounding clang, leaving everyone present momentarily stunned.
They now realized that they had been probing, but as elders, they naturally could not admit fault to a few juniors. Besides, Gu Nian had just made them lose face. Had the barrier not prevented them from staying here too long, those words alone would have ensured that Gu Nian did not get away so easily.
Once those people had left with their respective sects' disciples, Xue Fuyao breathed a sigh of relief. "They are finally gone. Those people's life forces have been growing weaker these past two days. I was really afraid they would die on our hands."
"Even if they really died, it would have nothing to do with us. Come on, let's find whoever is behind the bronze bell," Gu Nian said, patting her shoulder.
"Mm." Xue Fuyao nodded, then took out the bronze bell. "I have kept the bell sealed with spiritual power these past few days to stop the last trace of aura inside from disappearing."
Chu Yunzhe took the bronze bell and held it to his nose to sniff it. A moment later, disgust crossed his face. "There are all sorts of scents on this bell. It must have passed through many hands."