Tang Li and Gu Beiyue reacted in unison to Long Fei Ye's sudden thoughtfulness. They both rubbed their chins in thought. Chu Xifeng, on the other hand, had an inkling that this had something to do with the Shadow Clan.
As expected, Long Fei Ye soon appeared in front of him after helping Han Yunxi settle down.
"There are plenty of court ladies and eunuchs present. Find someone to ask around, the faster the better!" Long Fei Ye said in a low voice.
"Shadow Clan?" Chu Xifeng blurted out.
Long Fei Ye didn't reply. Chu Xifeng resentfully prepared to leave, but Long Fei Ye stopped him. "Any progress with Cloud Realm Trade Consortium?"
Long Fei Ye had long kept an eye on Cloud Realm Trade Consortium. Now that Chu Tianyin had revealed the Di Clan's whereabouts, he was paying close attention to the consortium's movements on the borders between Western Zhou and Tianning.
Although he didn't have 100 percent proof that Cloud Realm Trade Consortium was the Di Clan's descendant, he had to be on guard against the Chu Clan colluding with the Di Clan at a time like this!
After all, any political power or military power would be on a completely different level once it was allied with a large financial group!
"This subordinate will keep an eye on things. Cloud Realm Trade Consortium's current focus is on Medicine City, so there's been no movement on the borders between the two countries. This subordinate will keep investigating!" Chu Tianyin replied respectfully.
Long Fei Ye nodded before allowing him to leave.
"Shadow Clan …" Long Fei Ye muttered to himself.
Actually, he'd suspected more than once that the Shadow Clan fellow knew about Han Yunxi's origins. If he tried to explain things from this angle, then everything would be clear.
But if that Shadow Clan fellow knew about Han Yunxi's origins, he would've told her everything long ago. Then he'd protect her by her side and never leave her side.
That was the reason why Long Fei Ye gave up his suspicions. Long Fei Ye couldn't figure it out. No matter what, the Shadow Clan and the Nether Clan were enemies. At least he had one less worry …
Where was the Shadow Clan gentleman now? How was he doing?
Gu Beiyue was still in Chu Yunyi's hands.
Chu Yunyi had taken Empress Xue hostage and only brought a dozen or so archers with him as they fled into the forest. For the past few days, they had been on their way without stopping. Firstly, they wanted to avoid the pursuit of the soldiers, and secondly, they wanted to meet up with General Chu in the east.
Right now, it was the dead of night. Everyone was exhausted, so they reached a dense forest where Chu Yunyi finally ordered them to rest.
The delicate Empress Xue was easily frightened, much less tormented. She had already fainted several times along the way and was still unconscious. As long as she wasn't dead, Chu Yunyi had no time to bother with her.
Chu Yunyi was more interested in Gu Beiyue!
He had been puzzled when he was in the Thousand Buddha Cave. Now that he was temporarily safe, he immediately questioned Gu Beiyue the moment he stopped to rest.
"What exactly is your relationship with the Duke of Qin?" He asked Coldly.
Faced with Chu Yunyi's questions, Gu Beiyue remained unmoved. He had just been dragged off his horse and was currently leaning against a tree with his eyes closed. Mottled moonlight scattered across his face, covering it with a beard that couldn't hide its paleness and weakness.
He was dressed in the white, tight-fitting robes of Western Zhou's guards that accentuated his slender figure. Beneath the moonlight, his white robes looked holy and pure. Unfortunately, the robes were stained with the color of blood. It was a ghastly sight to behold!
One arrow had pierced through his shoulder, while the other pierced his calf. The blood had stopped flowing, so it wasn't life-threatening. Still, both wounds were vital points to him. With an injury to his shoulder, it would be difficult for him to use his golden dagger. With an injury to his calf, his shadow arts were completely restricted. Even if Chu Yunyi wasn't watching him right now, he still wouldn't be able to escape.
His body had been weak since he was a child, but his father and grandfather had taken care of him while he soaked in medicine. He wasn't suited to martial arts, but the Shadow Clan's shadow arts needed to be passed on. For this reason, he'd suffered hardships as a child. Whether it was a scorching summer or a world of ice and snow, he had to work hard to cultivate his internal energy.
Aside from his golden dagger, he didn't know much about martial arts, because he'd used all of his internal energy to support his shadow arts.
Before his grandfather left, he'd asked him what he should do if he couldn't hold on one day without finding the orphan of Western Qin's imperial clan.
His grandfather stroked his head for a long time before saying, "Beiyue, the Shadow Clan's protectors were originally meant to protect their most beloved with their lives. Do you know why the Shadow Clan has been protecting Western Qin's imperial clan for generations? "
He didn't understand, nor had he ever thought about it. He'd always been obedient and sensible from a young age. Whether it was his grandfather or his parents, he'd always obeyed their every word. When he was young, he thought his father wouldn't leave him if he was obedient. But in the end, his father still died in the medicinal tub. He thought he still had his mother, but she'd gone with his father that very day. That year, he was only six years old. From then on, he and his grandfather depended on each other for survival.
"Why?" Ever since he was young, he'd been told the purpose and meaning of life.
"Because the ancestor of the Shadow Clan fell in love with the empress of Western Qin. He couldn't protect her completely, but he insisted on eloping with her. In the end, the empress died of illness while fleeing. "
Reaching there, his grandfather sighed very powerlessly. "Beiyue, you should know … something like illness can't be exchanged for a life. Even if you're willing to take her place, you can't."
Back then, he was only in his teens, still underage. His medical skills weren't as good as they were now, but he understood. His father's death was the best proof. His mother had said that if it was possible, she was willing to bear the torment of illness and death in his father's place. Unfortunately, there were just too many things in this world that couldn't be replaced.
"Because of the empress' death, the emperor was furious and wanted to slaughter the entire Shadow Clan. The ancestor made a promise, promising the Shadow Clan to protect Western Qin's imperial clan with their lives for generations to come, never to betray them, which saved the Shadow Clan."
He remembered that his grandfather had paused for a long time after he finished speaking before saying his final words.
His grandfather had said, "Beiyue, you're the only one left of the Shadow Clan. If … if there comes a day when you meet a woman you love, protect her with all your heart … forget about the Shadow Clan's protection."
Unfortunately, the woman he'd met was her, and he'd been the one to set up the trap himself. He'd lured her to the Poison Sect's underground palace and used her blood to open the Xuan gold door in the Skypit, proving her identity as the orphan of Western Qin's imperial clan.
When the two kinds of protection overlapped, he had no choice, nor did he need to.
Protecting was his destiny.
By the time Chu Yunyi pulled the arrow out of Gu Beiyue's shoulder, Gu Beiyue had finally awakened from his memories. Fresh blood immediately gushed from his wound as the intense pain made him knit his brows.
As a doctor, he knew better than anyone else that if he didn't treat the wound tonight, his arm would be crippled.
"Just what's your relationship with the Duke of Qin and the rest?" Chu Yunyi asked angrily. He wasn't patient enough to hide a trace of worry in his heart.
If Gu Beiyue had colluded with the Duke of Qin, why didn't he know those two were imposters? Why did he expose himself and get injured for nothing?
If Gu Beiyue hadn't colluded with the Duke of Qin, then why did he risk his life to protect Han Yunxi?
Chu Yunyi desperately needed an answer to pacify the restless doubts in his heart.
Gu Beiyue pressed a hand against his wound and glared at Chu Yunyi. "Hurry and find someone to bring Jinchuang medicine and hemostatic medicine over. Otherwise, you won't know a thing!"
Chu Yunyi was stunned by the viciousness and determination in his eyes. He subconsciously backed away, unsure of what he was afraid of. He'd watched this child grow up, but had never seen him so cold and vicious before.
Hearing Gu Beiyue's words only made Chu Yunyi more doubtful. He didn't delay, but found someone to bring the medicine over.
As long as there was medicine, any injury was nothing to Gu Beiyue. He didn't need anyone to help him, either. His movements were nimble as he cleaned up his wound, applied medicine, and bandaged it. Soon enough, the two arrow wounds were treated beautifully.
Seeing this, Chu Yunyi couldn't wait to ask, "Just what happened?"
Gu Beiyue's eyes flashed with contempt. If not for the fact that he was facing Han Yunxi, he'd never reveal anything to Chu Yunyi.
After treating his wound, he felt much better and asked, "What do you mean 'what happened'?"
"You!" Chu Yunyi fumed as he voiced his suspicions.
Gu Beiyue smiled. "I like Qin Wangfei. It's that simple."
"You …" Chu Yunyi was surprised.
"Nether Clan Head, I'm afraid it's impossible to find the orphan of Western Qin's imperial clan. You should know very well what your Nether Clan has been up to these past few years. I'm the only one left of the Shadow Clan, and I don't have long to live either. I only want to live for myself for the next few years, "Gu Beiyue intoned.
Chu Yunyi was surprised to find that there was no room for doubt. His Nether Clan had long betrayed the imperial clan in their hearts, much less Gu Beiyue.
"In other words, you weren't the one who leaked the Nether Clan's Driving Arrow Arts to the Duke of Qin?" Chu Yunyi finally understood.
Gu Beiyue smiled coldly. He never expected the Nether Clan Head to suspect him because of this. Still, he only laughed it off. He had no idea that Long Fei Ye was well aware of the relationship between the Nether and Shadow Clans, so he didn't suspect Long Fei Ye of trying to sow discord.
As for Chu Yunyi, he only assumed that General Chu had added oil and vinegar to the fire. It wasn't strange for General Chu to frame Gu Beiyue for the sake of protecting Chu Tianyin.
There was no point in overthinking things now. Chu Yunyi stared at the weak Gu Beiyue as his eyes flashed with calculation.
"Gu Beiyue," he said, "You were the one who valued sex over righteousness. Don't blame Old Man for being heartless in the future!"
"What are you trying to say?" Gu Beiyue asked coldly.
"Heheh, tell me … if Qin Wangfei knew that Doctor Gu from Pill Fiend Pharmacy was in Old Man's hands, would she come to save him?" Chu Yunyi laughed out loud. "Old Man will give you a chance to test Qin Wangfei's feelings for him. You better cooperate obediently!"
Gu Beiyue didn't express his anger, but the blood seeping out of his bandages was proof of his fury.
After a while, he murmured, "Chu Yunyi, you've offended my Shadow Clan. Your crimes are grave!"
"Your Shadow Clan? One man, one clan? "Chu Yunyi said disdainfully. He ordered his men to watch over Gu Beiyue before storming off in a huff.
With Gu Beiyue in his hands, he didn't have to worry about luring out Long Fei Ye and Han Yunxi. Nor did he have to worry about settling accounts at Thousand Buddha Cave and the Poison Sect's forbidden grounds!
He wasn't in a rush to settle accounts with Long Fei Ye's group, either. Right now, he was still in Western Zhou, so he had to contact General Chu as soon as possible and bring Gu Beiyue to Western Liang!
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