The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall turned grave.
The initiative in the conversation instantly shifted entirely to Li Guanqi.
Leaning forward slightly, Li Guanqi fixed his gaze on the pair before him and spoke softly.
"If Castellan Xiahou had truly intended to thank me face-to-face, you should have come directly to the tavern where I was staying today.
"Not arranged a private room at Wanxiang Tower.
"Because I was curious, I inquired about the Blood Calyx Flower. Castellan Xiahou assumed I had been sent by another faction, so you probed me in person.
"The result... was unexpected, but it made you realize my strength was not bad—one could even say surprisingly formidable.
"Only then did Madam Yu come out to extend an invitation."
Li Guanqi calmly broke down everything that had transpired.
Slowly straightening his posture, Li Guanqi lifted his teacup and took a sip.
He raised his eyes to meet their shifting expressions and said in an even tone, "Castellan Xiahou warned me to leave Dixiu Bay early, presumably because friction among the bay's six cities has been mounting lately.
"And once you confirmed I was an outsider, you wanted me to be your game-breaker!
"Even Madam Yu's personal appearance was orchestrated so the spies from Beizha City would see me board the carriage to the Castellan Manor with their own eyes."
*Clatter!*
The teacup struck the table with a light rap. Li Guanqi flicked the stray tea droplets from his hand, looking down as he spoke.
"The two of you... certainly harbor quite a few twists and turns in your minds."
Xiahou Cang drew a sharp breath, his pupils contracting slightly.
The woman beside him paled, looking at Li Guanqi in sheer disbelief!
Was this... was this really an ignorant outsider who knew nothing?
Words like these were no different from having someone eavesdropping right beside their pillows!
Looking at the youth's calm, nonchalant demeanor, Xiahou Cang felt a touch of dread toward someone's intellect for the first time.
Meeting those white eyes looking straight up at him, Xiahou Cang was struck by the eerie sensation that every layer of his thoughts had been laid bare!
Inwardly, Li Guanqi sighed and shook his head.
Ever since ascending to the Immortal Realm, everyone he encountered had proven far more ruthless and cautious than the cultivators of the Spirit Realm.
Yet... their schemes were far too crude.
Compared to figures like Cang Lu, Sha, Youming, and Xun Tian from the Human Spirit Realm, they were simply not enemies on the same level.
That included the final enemy who lurked in the shadows back in the Human Spirit Realm—the one who had taken his elder sister's ashes.
That man's patience rivaled that of a venomous snake!
In his clashes with those adversaries, Li Guanqi had felt the suffocating pressure of being backed into corners time and time again.
Yet the people he met now, whether weaving plots in the dark or maneuvering in the open, were child's play by comparison.
To him, they did not even possess the qualifications to set foot upon that chessboard, let alone serve as pieces at such a level.
Xiahou Cang took a deep breath and spoke in a heavy voice.
"I, Xiahou... am deeply impressed!
"Since you have already deduced so much, little friend, I will conceal nothing further.
"I will lay all my cards on the table. Whatever you decide will be entirely up to your own judgment."
Li Guanqi gave a slight nod. Only now had they arrived at the real matter at hand.
The man continued in a low tone, "You likely already know the layout of the six cities in the bay, so I will get straight to the point.
"The two cities of the west and south have been close family allies since their founding, bound by countless marriages.
"Lately, they have shown signs of aligning with Donglin City.
"Beizha City, due to its harsh local customs and Huyan Lie's abrasive temperament, has never had allies, which is why he came to seek me out.
"As for our Xialin City, we have dealings with East City, but..."
Li Guanqi cut in bluntly, "You and East City are tied only by mutual interests?"
The man's eyes brightened, and he nodded.
"East City belongs to the neutral faction and prefers not to meddle too deeply.
"Right now, covert skirmishes are escalating among the six cities, and open strife is about to erupt..."
Li Guanqi frowned slightly. By all logic, the six cities of the bay had coexisted peacefully for so many years; they should not easily plunge into war...
Li Guanqi closed his eyes in concentration. His impassive, pensive demeanor kept both Yu Su and the man from daring to disturb him.
After a long while, Li Guanqi rose to take his leave.
Xiahou Cang and the woman scrambled to their feet.
"Young Master Li!! Young Master Li, are you leaving?"
The woman spoke urgently. Right now, Xialin City and Beizha City were in similarly precarious positions.
If an all-out clash among the six cities truly broke out and East City refused to ally with Xialin City, Xialin City would become the target of every blade!
*It seems this fellow still isn't honest. Even now, he's hiding things from me!!*
Li Guanqi stepped out through the door, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at Xiahou Cang and said coldly, "Castellan Xiahou lacks sincerity, so there is no need to speak any further!"
Xiahou Cang froze. That split-second change in expression confirmed Li Guanqi's suspicion all the more!
Anxious, Yu Su tugged at Xiahou Cang's sleeve, her delicate brows furrowed.
"Things have already come to this, what harm is there in telling him!"
A complicated look flickered in Xiahou Cang's eyes as he sent a voice transmission back to Yu Su.
"This matter is of monumental importance! He is merely a Heavenly Immortal—why do you place so much trust in him?
"With my connections, wouldn't finding a True Immortal to aid us be far better?"
Yu Su took a deep breath, turning her back to Li Guanqi as she transmitted her reply in a low tone.
"Do you think the other five cities would allow you to bring in a True Immortal as an outsider helper?
"To put it plainly, this is ultimately Dixiu Bay's internal affair. You yourself don't want outsiders meddling either.
"Right now, none of the other five cities have made a move—isn't that precisely because no one wants to draw outside attention?
"In the end, the core forces carrying this through must be cultivators in the Heavenly Immortal realm!
"Among Heavenly Immortals, even a cultivator at the ninth layer of the Heavenly Immortal realm... compared to him, who do you think would end up dead in the current tides?"
Xiahou Cang stiffened, his pupils shrinking slightly and his mouth falling open.
Just as Yu Su said, without even having to think, he felt the young man could outmaneuver others to their deaths without ever lifting a hand himself...
Furthermore, what Yu Su said made complete sense. Regarding this affair, all six city castellans had maintained a tacit understanding not to invite outside factions.
Watching Li Guanqi step into the front courtyard, Xiahou Cang gritted his teeth, blurred across the space, and blocked Li Guanqi's path, bowing with hands cupped.
"I apologize, Young Master Li. The truth is... this matter is of tremendous consequence, and I had to be cautious."
By this point, Li Guanqi had no real desire to involve himself in their mess.
He intended to pursue the Cold Soul Jade Glaze while concealing his identity and whereabouts.
As for the friction and power struggles between the six cities, he had no interest in being drawn in.
"Castellan Xiahou, I would rather not get involved in this affair."
Li Guanqi did not have a particularly favorable impression of Xiahou Cang. The man was too cautious.
Cautious to a fault, to the point where he did not even appear as decisive as Yu Su.
Yet just as Li Guanqi was about to brush past him, Xiahou Cang finally revealed the truth!
"The aura of the Cold Soul Jade Glaze has appeared in Dixiu Bay—and in fact, it is right here in Xialin City!"
Chapter 1733