Xiang Xie glanced out to where they were keeping Bai Ning Bing trapped. He sighed to himself. Sooner or later, they were definitely either going to mess up, or Bai Ning Bing was going to get desperate enough to try and break out. When that happened, thing would get very difficult indeed.
Would they be able to get the inheritance by that time? It did not seem like it. It was possible that if they brought someone else from their villages, then they might be able to find the answer. However, because of the roaming powerful gu worms, not just anyone could walk in, making this quite a challenge.
'Hmm. Something has changed,' he noted, glancing towards the line of Gu Masters that was supposed to be keeping Bai Ning Bing pinned in once more. It had suddenly altered for some reason. He did not have an excellent Investigative-type gu worm that could see that far. Being a lone cultivator meant that resources were oftentimes quite limited and so was his repertoire of gu worms.
But there was definitely something going on down there...
***
The people who were guarding the perimeter around Bai Ning Bing had quickly become bored of this job. While it did seem exciting knowing that they were keeping a Rank 4 powerful Gu Master contained, being only Rank 3 themselves and having to work together like that and all, it quickly got tedious.
Bai Ning Bing's messages, though they tried to show that they had no effect on them, did, as a matter of fact, contribute somewhat to eroding trust between the Zhu and the Jun clans, which had never been all that good in the first place.
The way that they split up the guard duty was the Jun clan on one side and the Zhu clan on the other side. This was more than enough as a visible representation that the two sides didn't really trust each other. They had only gotten out of a clan war four years earlier, and there was still bitterness on both sides. How could they possibly forget their comrades and other family members who had died fighting in that war so quickly? Especially when their enemies still breathed and might have been standing on the other side?
Yet, they put these grievances aside for the sake of their clans. The only reason everything was even able to get to this point was because of mutual cooperation despite past grievances. If they were unable to do as much, they would not be worthy of being called clan elders.
'But it looks like today is going to be another boring day,' many of them thought.
Nothing about the day seemed to be out of the ordinary. They thought it would just be a day like any other day. They would stand watch, that lady over there might pace around a bit before sitting down, the sun would set - and their watch would end only to begin again the next morning.
And then, out of the blue, like lightning striking on a clear, sunny day, everything changed.
"The winds of summer blow,
Heating up the world and beyond,
A fire engulfing the lesser plains,
Encased withing a wall of flesh and steel,
Lies a mound of snow, untouched by the heat,
An ice sculpture waiting for the arrival of winter
Just waiting for the time whence
The heat will ebb and to hence flood the earth
In a destructive blizzard."
"What is that?" several of them yelled out.
It was not just the poem, but a strange sense of danger had gripped them.
Right now, the Zhu as well as Jun clan heads were standing guard, being the two Rank 4s who were keeping Bai Ning Bing in check. However, even these experienced veterans suddenly felt cold sweat begin dripping down their necks.
Rank 5 Peak Stage aura!
They immediately turned around to see that standing atop a cliff some distance from them. The wind at his back and blowing his hair, was a Gu Master with dark black hair and seemingly endless black pits for eyes. He wore a belt with the number "5" inscribed upon the middle of its plate.
The rank and file of the Zhu and Jun clans wouldn't have recognized him, but there was no way that the clan heads could mistake who this was, someone that they had been keeping tabs on, naturally, being this close to Shang Clan City. Someone who was famous enough that word of him had reached even this area.
Gu Yue Fang Yuan!
Immediately, both the Zhu and the Jun clan members began to panic. They had been caught completely off-guard. Fighting a Rank 5 Gu Master, even with full preparations, was something that they could only dream about. Right now, though, they had been caught with their metaphorical pants down, and it looked like they were about to be brutally molested by Fang Yuan as a result.
And not just Rank 5 for that matter, but Rank 5 Peak Stage! Despite it being midsummer they felt like their bodies were freezing over and that their hearts had lost all warmth.
But it wasn't like fighting was their only option. They had, of course, been dealing with Bai Ning Bing for some time by now and had created a contingency plan in case Fang Yuan happened to show up. After all, they were part of the righteous path, and so was Fang Yuan, they presumed. And among the righteous path, many things were permitted so long as they followed the rules. This also meant that many things were not permitted.
"Ah, Gu Yue Fang Yuan," the Zhu clan head said, bowing deeply. "The Zhu Clan greets you."
"Lord Fang Yuan, you are truly as radiant in person as they say," the Jun clan head said, likewise bowing. The other elders also genuflected to show their reverence towards Fang Yuan.
Bai Ning Bing had been meditating at this time, but had noticed the change around her and opened her eyes as a result. Fang Yuan's Rank 5 aura did not reach her at this distance, but she recognized him the moment she laid eyes upon him.
"Fang Yuan, you sure took your sweet time coming here!" she shouted. "Now get over here and rescue me!"
These words were like icicle daggers being shoved into the hearts of the Zhu and Jun clansmen. With each syllable, their hopes of survival decreased. Some of them had wondered whether Bai Ning Bing was close to Fang Yuan in the first place or whether that was just a bluff. However, hearing the relief in Bai Ning Bing's voice and how eager she was to see the man, it became clear that these two were definitely allies.
How were they supposed to get out of this right now?
"So Sir Fang Yuan," the Zhu clan head said, "there is actually a small issue. This woman, she claimed to be one of your comrades. However, she matched the description of a demonic cultivator we had heard of recently and so unfortunately we were forced to detain her for the time being..."
Of course, there was no such demonic cultivator in question, but they needed a pretense to keep her.
"...we thought that she was lying when she said that she was your ally. But if she truly is, then our deepest apologies for inconveniencing your ally."
Bai Ning Bing coldly snorted at their attempts to try and placate Fang Yuan. Killing intent rose in her heart. She was going to give Fang Yuan an earful later. However, right now, she was going to clear these people's heads off of their shoulders. "Fang Yuan, what are you waiting for? Our agreement states that we have to help each other out. Let us be rid of these people. These eyesores have been bothering me for far too long!"