"Grandfather, you're back?"
Song Yunshu pushed open the door and stepped inside. When she saw the figure in a white robe seated at the desk, she froze for a brief moment.
Dressed in a black-and-gold embroidered qipao, the woman's beautiful eyes shimmered with curiosity as she looked at Gu Yong.
Her figure swayed gracefully as she walked briskly to the desk. Looking into the young man's eyes, she said softly, "It really is you..."
Li Guanqi turned to look at Song Yunshu with a smile. "Lady Song, long time no see."
Song Yunshu sighed wistfully. "Indeed, it's been so long! Over the past few years, there hasn't been a whisper about you in the entire Six Domains. Where have you been?"
Hearing this, Li Guanqi teased, "As for where I've been, Elder Gu ought to know. Didn't he tell you?"
Song Yunshu cast a puzzled glance at Gu Yong. The old man waved a hand with a chuckle. "All right, I have some business to discuss with young friend Li. Run along now."
Song Yunshu paid no heed to his words. Sliding her hands behind her back, she smoothed her formfitting dress and sat down with her legs angled slightly to the side.
Li Guanqi and Gu Yong sat facing each other, while Song Yunshu took a seat beside them. Looking at the spirit tea on the table, she chuckled. "Talk all you want. I'll brew the tea for you."
Li Guanqi did not mind either way. Since Gu Yong knew he was coming, he was presumably prepared to lay everything bare.
Unable to dissuade Song Yunshu, Gu Yong could only let her gently brew tea beside them.
Getting straight to the point, Li Guanqi said, "Elder Gu, you and I have known each other for a long time; we could be considered bound by fate.
"Sometimes subordinates lack discretion and overstep their bounds. I hope you will be magnanimous."
With these words, Li Guanqi offered the old man a graceful way out. After all, in the current clash between the two pavilions, Li Guanqi's side had been on the losing end.
Yet to his surprise, Gu Yong tucked his hands into his sleeves and slowly looked up at Li Guanqi.
Li Guanqi frowned slightly. He actually sensed a surging, majestic pressure inexplicably rolling off the old man.
Early Mahayana realm—it seemed Gu Yong had finally stabilized his cultivation after breaking through so long ago.
Almost all cultivators who broke through to the Mahayana realm had reached the peak of spirit comprehension; such an oppressive presence was exceedingly formidable.
Frowning, Li Guanqi immediately heard Gu Yong's flat voice:
"Indeed, we have known each other for quite some time, and we could be considered friends across generations. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let you act as Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion back then.
"You killed three of the four Tower Masters, and you even took away my most capable right-hand man. Heh."
Gu Yong kept his hands tucked into his sleeves, his gaze fixed strangely on the hands brewing tea before him.
"I originally thought your Guanyun Pavilion was just child's play. I never expected Ji Yuchuan to be so capable. Back then, I truly underutilized him."
Li Guanqi's expression shifted several times!
Between the lines, Gu Yong's words made it clear: no matter how good their past relationship was, Guanyun Pavilion should never have been allowed to swell to what it was today!
Instead, he was progressively trivializing their personal bond.
Li Guanqi sneered inwardly. The old man's words were clearly intended to deal with this strictly as business, sitting across from each other as the masters of the two pavilions.
This was no longer about personal friendship!
Beside them, Song Yunshu's hand shook as she held the teapot. Frowning, her eyes swept over their faces in confusion.
Only now did she realize that the atmosphere inside the study was terribly off.
The words they were exchanging carried immense weight, and her grandfather was acting as though their personal bond meant nothing at all.
Li Guanqi sat up straight, his gaze meeting Gu Yong's with a subtle edge.
Nothing could be discerned from Gu Yong's slightly cloudy eyes. Deep as a frozen pool, placid and undisturbed, he simply met Li Guanqi's gaze.
Gu Yong clearly regretted letting Ji Yuchuan go. He believed that Guanyun Pavilion had only grown to such heights thanks to Ji Yuchuan's abilities.
Looking at Gu Yong with a calm expression, Li Guanqi said softly, "Oh, then let's not speak of personal friendship today. Let's make it formal."
Since the man had laid his cards on the table like this, why the hell should Li Guanqi bother giving him a way out?
"What is your intention now, Pavilion Master Gu? As for how the two pavilions should coexist, what are your thoughts? Speak freely."
Seeing Li Guanqi's posture, a glint flashed in the depths of Gu Yong's eyes.
"Heh. Straight to the point, Pavilion Master Li. Good.
"Since you've said so, I shall speak my mind as well."
The old man picked up two teacups from the table. First, he set them side by side, and then he stacked one atop the other.
Immediately afterward, however, he flicked a finger and shattered one of the cups!
In a calm voice, he said, "They are both meant for drinking tea, but there is only one of me. One cup is sufficient. As for which one it is, it does not matter."
Li Guanqi's expression did not change, but a tempest surged in his heart!
Gu Yong's words were effectively driving home a single truth...
Between Tianji Pavilion and Guanyun Pavilion, only one could remain!
Tianji Pavilion and Guanyun Pavilion served identical functions. Many intelligence organizations had emerged in the past.
Yet compared to Tianji Pavilion under Gu Yong's control, those organizations possessed no advantage whatsoever.
Moreover...
Gu Yong would never allow such organizations to keep growing unchecked.
However, Li Guanqi's Guanyun Pavilion had grown far too quickly. Not only that, it had the backing of both the Great Xia Domain Lord and the Shenbao Domain Lord.
Beyond these two Domain Lords who were closely tied to Li Guanqi, Qian Ze, the Master of Treasure Pavilion, was now also closely affiliated with Guanyun Pavilion.
Cooperation between Tianji Pavilion and Treasure Pavilion had almost completely dried up.
If things continued this way, it would not be long before Tianji Pavilion's commercial empire crumbled!
Gu Yong would never allow the Tianji Pavilion he had built with his own hands to meet ruin!
Hence, the present situation...
Listening to their conversation, Song Yunshu grew anxious, her eyes filled with distress.
She normally helped manage affairs within Tianji Pavilion, so she naturally knew of the friction between Tianji Pavilion and Guanyun Pavilion.
She had come here precisely to mediate between the two, assuming this meeting would yield a win-win outcome for both sides.
She had never imagined things would turn out like this!
"Grandfather... you two act—"
"Silence."
Gu Yong turned to Song Yunshu, speaking in a heavy, resolute tone.
Then, shifting his gaze back to Li Guanqi across the table, he asked expressionlessly, "What do you think?"
As he spoke, Gu Yong pushed the remaining intact teacup right in front of Li Guanqi.
Li Guanqi picked up the teacup, his gaze calmly resting on Gu Yong.
The old man pulled Song Yunshu's hand over and began pouring tea for Li Guanqi from midair.
The tea poured swiftly and furiously, surpassing seven-tenths full in the blink of an eye!
Li Guanqi's expression remained unchanged, though his thumb and forefinger could feel the heat radiating from the cup.
Li Guanqi said softly, "I don't think so."
Meanwhile, Song Yunshu saw that the tea was about to overflow and scald Li Guanqi. She hastily exerted force, trying to pull her hand back!
"Grandfather, the tea... it's about to spill..."
Yet Gu Yong acted as if he had heard nothing. His withered hand still clamped tightly around Song Yunshu's, relentlessly pouring the tea!
Chapter 1011