Thud, thud! Crash!
"C-Castellan... I was wrong... P-Please, don't kill me..."
Blood dripped from the sheep leg bone in Huyan Lie's hand.
The gate servant at the entrance was battered beyond recognition, clutched firmly in the burly man's grip.
Huyan Lie leaned down, his features twisted into a ferocious scowl as he snarled, "What kind of lowly thing do you think you are, presuming to make decisions for me?
"If you're going to be a dog, you'd better know your place!!"
Smash!
The bloodstained bone crashed down violently!
Plop...
Huyan Lie clapped his hands, wiped them haphazardly on his clothes, and raised a sleeve to smear away the blood on his face.
"Toss him to the beast-fighting arena to feed the beasts."
The attendants at his side scrambled to carry out the order, and the blood splattered across the floor was cleared away in the blink of an eye.
A gaunt, white-eyebrowed old man stepped forward and spoke in a low voice, "Castellan, that person seems to be an outside cultivator who only arrived in Dixiu Bay a few days ago. Word has it that he previously rescued Xiahou Cang's wife and young child from a rampaging archdemon on the streets, which earned him Xiahou Cang's favor."
Huyan Lie picked up a cloth to wipe the grease from his lips, a peculiar, sharp gleam flashing in his tiger-like eyes.
"Why would Xiahou Cang suddenly change his mind? Giving up on us and heading for East City instead..."
The old man pondered for a moment before taking a step forward. "Could it be that the two southern and western factions have grown too powerful, making Xiahou Cang desperate enough to align with either us or East City?"
The burly man gave a slight nod. "Highly likely. But that lot in East City are the type who won't release their falcon until they see the hare. Could it be... Xiahou Cang truly possesses information regarding the Cold Soul Jade Glaze?"
Huyan Lie rose abruptly and began pacing.
"No! Go to East City at once and sniff out some news! Hurry!"
The old man bowed in acknowledgment and took his leave.
Only Huyan Lie remained in the room.
He was far from the bumbling brute the outside world made him out to be. On the contrary, Huyan Lie was exceptionally shrewd; otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to coexist peacefully with the other five cities to this day.
Yet... the allure of the Cold Soul Jade Glaze was simply too great.
Should any one of the five city castellans obtain it, their personal strength would experience a qualitative leap. When that time came, the balance between the six cities would cease to exist!
Each of the six cities possessed distinct specialties, yet all of them secretly coveted one another's territories and influence.
Li Guanqi's sudden change of tactics struck everyone as bizarre.
He, on the other hand, was utterly carefree. Upon arriving within East City's borders, he even nodded with approval.
"Much cleaner than that Beizha City."
The woman beside him merely smiled and nodded, never offering unsolicited remarks.
Before long, the two arrived before East City's Castellan Manor.
The manor gates swung open, revealing a slightly stooped elderly steward standing just inside.
After escorting Li Guanqi to the threshold, the woman offered a slight curtsy and departed.
The old man inside briskly walked down the steps to receive him, bowing with a warm smile. "This old servant's surname is Zhang. The Lord Castellan is already awaiting you within the manor, Young Master. Please, follow me."
Li Guanqi nodded with a smile, appreciating the man's demeanor.
The steward remained a single pace behind Li Guanqi throughout, speaking no unnecessary words and keeping his head respectfully bowed with downcast eyes.
Winding past pavilions, terraces, arching bridges, and flowing streams, the old man led Li Guanqi straight into the Castellan's private courtyard.
The chirping of birds and the gentle gurgling of water reached Li Guanqi's ears. Emerging from a covered bridge flanked by artificial rockeries, an expansive view opened before him.
"This Chu Yuan certainly knows how to enjoy life."
The old man halted before the hall, bending his waist as he murmured softly, "Young Master may proceed inside on his own. This old servant can only escort you this far."
Li Guanqi cupped his hands. "Many thanks for guiding the way, Elder Zhang."
With a casual flick of his sleeve, he discreetly passed a rank-two immortal herb to the old man.
A sharp glint flickered across the old man's eyes, yet he feigned flustered humility and repeatedly waved his hands in refusal.
Li Guanqi smiled. "It is merely a minor immortal herb. Consider it a small token of gratitude for your trouble in showing me the way, Elder Zhang."
Upon hearing those words, a voice transmission sounded in the old man's ear. Only then did he smile and receive it with both hands.
"Then this old servant thanks the young master."
With that, the old man stepped forward to open the door, then stepped aside to wait near the entrance.
Li Guanqi smiled, lifted his foot, and strode into the hall. Moments later, a debonair middle-aged man walked out from behind the screen leading to the rear courtyard.
With just a single glance, Li Guanqi knew this man was anything but ordinary.
He wore an azure cloud-embroidered robe that carried subtle ripples of immortal essence.
A jade hairpin fastened his hair, and his complexion was fair. Though well into middle age, he showed not the slightest trace of dissipation or indulgence. To Li Guanqi, he gave the impression of a refined scholar who had simply reached midlife.
Chu Yuan possessed sharp, well-defined features, bearing a striking resemblance to Xiahou Cang's countenance, yet the aura between the two was worlds apart!!
The intelligence regarding East City's Castellan, Chu Yuan, was scarce, yet he was the one Li Guanqi paid the closest attention to!
Among the six cities of Dixiu Bay, though fellow castellans, Xiahou Cang surprisingly knew almost nothing about this man, and the dossier on him consisted of merely a few brief lines.
Yet the scarcer the details, the more curious Li Guanqi became about what kind of person Chu Yuan truly was!
A faint pressure emanated from the man—a pressure that felt even heavier to Li Guanqi than that of Xiahou Cang!!
Chu Yuan was likewise sizing Li Guanqi up. With merely a look, the man murmured inwardly, *This youth is by no means ordinary!*
Stepping forward, the man took his seat and extended a welcoming hand. "Young friend, please sit."
Li Guanqi smiled and bowed courteously. Rather than sitting down immediately, he inclined his upper body and spoke with deference, "Junior Li Congxin pays respects to Castellan Chu."
Chu Yuan offered a faint smile and raised a hand, releasing a gentle thread of spatial power to lift Li Guanqi upright.
"Young Friend Li, there is no need for such ceremony. Please, sit."
Once Li Guanqi was seated, Chu Yuan put on no airs and beat around no bushes, getting straight to the point. "What brings you here on this occasion, young friend?"
Li Guanqi sat with a straight back and replied with a calm expression, "I come on behalf of Xialin City to seek cooperation with East City."
Chu Yuan's interest was piqued at once, though his surface expression remained as placid as drifting clouds.
"Oh? Cooperation? What manner of cooperation?"
Li Guanqi had not anticipated that the man would refuse to take the bait entirely. With the southern and western cities now allied to seize the initiative regarding the Cold Soul Jade Glaze, shouldn't Chu Yuan feel some urgency?
How could he remain so composed?
In an instant, countless thoughts flickered through Li Guanqi's mind.
Observing the man twirling his teacup without taking a sip, Li Guanqi suddenly turned toward the decorative screen and spoke leisurely.
"It seems... this junior has arrived a step too late after all. Castellan Chu has likely already made up his mind to cooperate with Donglin City..."
Crack!
The teacup shattered in Chu Yuan's hand. His eyes narrowed to slits as he stared at Li Guanqi, who was already rising to his feet!!
Chu Yuan was certain that not a soul could have leaked this information!!
For at that very moment, Donglin City's Castellan, Chen Ce, was waiting right in the rear courtyard.
Li Guanqi's expression remained tranquil, yet his heart stirred.
No wonder that old steward Zhang at the entrance had used both hands to receive the immortal herb.
*Chu Yuan loves tea*—that was the briefest line among the sparse intelligence notes.
Yet from the moment the man entered and sat down, he had continually twirled the teacup without drinking from it or setting it down.
Li Guanqi deduced that he had almost certainly just finished a cup, the lingering fragrance of tea still clinging to his breath!!
Behind that screen... lay Chu Yuan's study and private quarters.
The moment Chu Yuan stepped out from behind the screen, a fleeting distraction had lingered in his eyes—a clear indication that his mind was actively weighing pros and cons.
Chapter 1738