Chapter 101: Long Xuans Manipulation
Long Yan secretly felt relieved; luckily, the first to be checked wasn't him. Otherwise, it would have been a big problem. No matter where the treasures were hidden, they couldn’t escape the scrutiny of the Integrity Gu.
It was just Long Bao’s bad luck to have stepped on the landmine for him.
Long Yan, showing a hint of fear, proactively stepped forward and handed over all the treasures he had acquired in the tomb.
“The storage bag was full, so I hid one in my mouth. I hope you don't mind.”
As he spoke, he placed a wet necklace on the table, looking embarrassed.
Everyone looked at him with an extremely strange expression. Who was he trying to fool? Did he think they were all idiots? Where did such a weirdo come from? The Long clan really produced some characters.
In the end, Long Lie didn’t pursue the matter further. He picked up the necklace and examined it, finding it to be a peak-grade first-level spiritual artifact. However, it was still not as valuable as 180 Spirit Surge Grasses. He shook his head in disappointment.
Soon, the two law enforcers who had pressed down Long Bao came running over after searching him, holding their noses, and placed a bead in front of everyone.
Immediately, a strong odor spread throughout the hall.
“Blech!”The crowd instantly erupted in sudden sound of retching.
“What is this? Who relieved themselves?”
The onlookers quickly covered their noses, backing away from the table, all wearing peculiar expressions as if they had already guessed what it was.
“Take it away! Quickly take it away!”
“What kind of thing do you think should be put on the table? What were you thinking?”
“Hurry up and make him eat it! What is that smell?”
Long Lie flew into a rage, his face darkening. He was closest to the table, and the smell hit him right in the throat. His eyes rolled back as he almost vomited the food he ate three days ago.
Even the Integrity Gu was rolling its eyes from the stench.
The two law enforcers quickly took the bead away with handkerchiefs and ran off, finally dispersing the smell a bit.
“Heh! The Long family sure knows how to produce talent! Where did these freaks come from? No one even saw what that thing was just now, but let's just consider it as a peak-grade spiritual artifact. I’d like to see if the last one of you can still turn things around. Hurry up!”
Feng Yu looked at Long Xuan, the last person, with a contemptuous smile, as if victory was already in his grasp. He didn’t believe this least conspicuous person could do anything to change the outcome.
By this time, Long Lie had already lost all hope. Holding the Integrity Gu in his palm, he walked up to Long Xuan and asked, “What did you bring out of the tomb? Speak up. I won't blame you if I lose."
Facing the Integrity Gu, which was staring intently at him, Long Xuan truthfully answered, “I only brought out one type of treasure—Spirit Surge Grass.”
Upon hearing this, Long Lie’s eyes lit up, though tinged with disbelief. He glanced down at the Integrity Gu and noticed that its eyes didn’t glow, indicating that Long Xuan wasn’t lying. He had indeed only brought out Spirit Surge Grass from the tomb.
Long Lie was overjoyed, thinking there might still be a chance to turn things around, perhaps even win. His face showed a look of expectation as he eagerly asked, “How many Spirit Surge Grasses did you bring out in total?”
Long Xuan looked at the Integrity Gu, which was still staring at him, and after a brief thought, he said, “A lot, more than a hundred. You can count them.”
As he spoke, he placed 190 Rush Spirit Grasses on the table.
In his mind, he added, "One hundred ninety is more than one hundred, and so is three hundred. What’s wrong with that? Nothing at all. Based on the literal meaning, he wasn’t lying."
He dared to play such word games because Long Lie’s intelligence didn’t seem very high and he looked easy to deceive.
If anyone else were checking him, he wouldn’t dare to be so clever. He would hand over the exact amount, cautious by nature and not willing to take risks.
But the family had sent such a “smart” person this time, giving him a golden opportunity.
At this moment, the Integrity Gu tilted its head, realizing that 300 indeed counts as more than 100. Nothing wrong with that. This person hadn’t lied at all.
The Gu insect had a simple mind and wasn’t very intelligent, so it didn’t know the complexities of human language. Thus, it had no reaction to Long Xuan’s straightforward statement.
“One hundred ninety! One hundred ninety! It's actually one hundred ninety! Hahaha… I’ve turned the tables! I really did! Long Xuan, you did great! You’re my lucky star!”
“Hahaha! I now have one hundred ninety Spirit Surge Grasses plus two peak-grade spiritual artifacts. Now, I’m worth the most here! The seven high-grade rare Gu's are mine! Thank you, thank you all! Hahaha…”
At this point, Long Lie was completely out of his mind, dancing around and laughing uncontrollably. His mouth almost reached his ears; he was utterly elated.
In contrast, everyone else’s faces turned grim.
Especially Feng Yu, whose face was so dark it seemed like water could drip from it—an extremely frightening sight. He had been the first place just moments ago, and now he was suddenly overtaken. How could he accept that?
The victory had been in his grasp, and the seven high-grade rare Gu's were almost his. But unexpectedly, everything changed, and the duck that was almost in his mouth flew away. He was nearly driven mad with anger, and his gaze towards the one who took out the 190 Spirit Surge Grasses became increasingly hostile.
Sensing this hostile gaze, Long Xuan felt a bit nervous.
Although he didn’t think Feng Yu would attack him in front of everyone, he had ruined his plans, and who knew if he was the vengeful type? It would be best to figure out a way to eliminate this person quickly.
Seeing Long Lie still laughing foolishly, Long Xuan felt a surge of irritation. His heart must be as big as his laughter. He quickly sent a soul transmission, saying, “What are you waiting for? Take out the image recording Gu!”
“Do you really think you can safely leave with seven high-grade rare Gu's? Look at Feng Yu’s expression; how ferocious is it? He’s in the middle stage of the Spiritual Sea, while you’re in the early stage. What are the chances he’ll not rob you halfway?”
Long Xuan’s words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, instantly sobering Long Lie up.
Seeing Feng Yu glaring at him with murderous intent, Long Lie fell silent. Given this guy’s usual despicable nature, the chances he couldn’t accept his loss were very high.
Long Xuan’s worries weren’t groundless. Long Lie’s heart sank as he realized the gravity of the situation.
He was just a novice who had recently advanced to the Spiritual Sea stage, with no fully refined rare Gu's yet. Who could he even defeat here?
Although he hadn’t yet checked what was recorded inside the image recording Gu, there was no time to think it over now. He took Long Xuan’s advice and pulled out the image recording Gu, then projected the recorded image onto the mountain wall.
Everyone was stunned when Long Lie suddenly took out a image recording Gu, unsure of what he intended to do. Did he want to record his glorious moment of winning the seven high-grade strange Gu's?
Their confusion didn’t last long. When the image from the image recording Gu was projected onto the mountain wall, the entire scene fell into silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The image that appeared made the hearts of Feng Yu and the Gu Clan’s leading Gu cultivators skip a beat. Their faces changed instantly, and they silently cursed, realizing things had gone terribly wrong.
The image showed the two Gu Kings’ clones from the Feng Clan and Gu Clan massacring Gu cultivators from various clans, laughing maniacally as they killed. The herb garden had turned into a living hell.
Particularly the scene where the Miao Clan’s top genius was devoured in one bite by the Ghost-Eater Spider—it made the Miao Clan’s leading Gu cultivator’s eyes bulge with fury, almost driving him mad with anger.
That was the Miao Clan’s top genius, nurtured with all the clan’s resources. Those two peak-grade Gu insects had consumed countless resources of the clan. Miao Dongdong’s future was destined to become a Gu King, the hope of the entire Miao Clan, yet he was brutally murdered by the despicable Feng Clan ancestor who shamelessly bullied the young. The Miao Clan’s leader was furious.
The Feng and Gu Clans had dared to flagrantly violate the rules, sending Gu King clones to slaughter Gu cultivators from various clans. If not for the image recording Gu as evidence, he wouldn’t have believed those two Gu Kings would lower themselves to such a level.
As the ancestors of their clans, how could they do something so disgraceful as slaughtering the younger generation? Were they not afraid of being ridiculed by all the clans? Did they have no shame?
At this moment, everyone in the hall, whether they were Spirit Gathering stage Gu cultivators or Spiritual Sea stage Gu cultivators, looked at the Gu cultivators from the Feng and Gu Clans with strange expressions, filled with anger and mockery.
"Hehe! No wonder your Feng Clan brought out so many Spirit-Surge Grasses from the tomb. Such a meticulous plan! Truly, a well-calculated move!"
The leader of the Miao Clan's Gu cultivators was so enraged that he laughed instead. He looked at Feng Yu with a ferocious expression.
"Feng, you owe us an explanation! All clans had already agreed that no Gu cultivators above the Marrow Cleansing Stage would participate in this tomb raid, yet you dared to secretly send a Gu King's Clone inside. What is the meaning of this? Are all your promises nothing but empty words?"
"And you, Gu, your Gu Clan's ancestor shamelessly massacred my clansmen. You must give us an explanation! Do you really think my clan is so easy to bully?"
At this moment, the crowd became chaotic, filled with curses and accusations. The Gu and Feng Clans were thoroughly condemned, having aroused public outrage. The situation even escalated to the point where people began shoving each other.
Long Yan watched with great interest, enjoying the spectacle as if the chaos wasn't enough. He exclaimed excitedly, "Damn! Those two ancestors actually dared to commit such a heinous act. It's a good thing we left early, or we'd be in big trouble."
"This is going to be a good show. Do you think they'll start fighting soon and trigger a mass brawl?"
Long Xuan's eyes flickered with a thoughtful look.
He hoped that this situation would lead to a fight between the Gu cultivators in the Spiritual Sea Stage. If that happened, no one would have the time to hunt down Long Lie, ensuring his complete safety.
But that was just the ideal scenario. Whether or not they would actually fight was uncertain. This matter was too significant and would most likely be decided by the higher-ups of the clans. The chances of them privately killing someone to vent their anger were slim, especially since the main culprit was already dead in the tomb.
So, he had to add more fuel to the fire—a fire that would ensure they would indeed start fighting.
Long Xuan's eyes shifted slightly, then he took over Long Yan's words, looked at him, and smiled, "Do you even need to ask? Of course, they'll start fighting."
"Think about it. Feng Yu has 180 Spirit Surge grass in his possession, which all the clans are coveting. They didn't have a legitimate reason to seize them earlier, but now they finally have a justified excuse to kill and rob. How could they let this chance slip by?"
"Anyone who doesn't make a move now would be a fool. If Feng Yu manages to take those 180 Spirit Surge Herbs back, and the Feng clan ends up with 180 more experts in the Marrow Cleansing stage, their strength will surge. How would the other clans seek revenge then? They would be left to suffer in silence, swallowing their grievances."
Long Xuan seemed to be casually chatting, but his voice was loud enough for all the Gu cultivators present to hear.
Long Yan slowly turned his head, staring at him with wide eyes, as if seeing him for the first time.
"Damn! This guy is really wicked! The various clans were still restraining themselves, but his words have thrown Feng Yu into a death trap!"
The Gu cultivator leading the Miao clan's group perked up his ears, his heart stirred. That's right! Those are 180 Spirit Surge Herbs, capable of bringing who knows how many Marrow Cleansing stage Gu cultivators to our family. If we don't seize this opportunity, when will we?
Could we really sit and watch them take the Spirit Surge Herbs back? If they do, and as a result, their clan gains a large number of Marrow Cleansing stage Gu cultivators, it would only be detrimental to our family.
With that in mind, the Miao clan leader steeled his heart and made a quick decision.
"Feng! Your clan killed our clan's top genius in violation of the rules. This enmity is irreconcilable. Today, I will kill you to avenge our clan's genius!"
As he spoke, the Miao clan leader suddenly attacked, unleashing all his Gu insects in a relentless assault on Feng Yu.
Feng Yu felt an overwhelming urge to spit blood. They had just agreed to report to the patriarch for a decision, and now they had suddenly turned on him. How fickle! Were their words just nonsense?
But now, the Miao clan leader was charging at him with murderous intent. Feng Yu had no choice but to release his Gu insects and fight back.
The sudden fight between the two shocked everyone present.
At this moment, the Gu cultivator leading the Mu clan revealed a look of greed. He turned his gaze towards the Spirit Surge Herbs in the hands of the Gu clan's leader and shouted, "You from the Gu clan have gone too far! Do you really think the Mu clan is powerless?"
"If I don't seek justice for the Mu clan's children today, how can we hold our heads high in this place? Prepare to die!"
With that, he charged towards the Gu clan's camp.
The whole scene was once again thrown into chaos.
The sudden fight between the two served as a catalyst, leading the Spiritual Sea stage experts from all the clans to join the fray. Even the Gu cultivators in the Gathering Spirit stage and Marrow Cleansing stage joined in, plunging the battlefield into complete chaos.
Because of someone's words, a bloody conflict erupted, throwing the situation into utter disarray.
The Long clan's camp was left completely stunned.
At this point, the Long clan was the only side that hadn't joined the fray.
Long Lie's expression was one of uncertainty. He truly didn't know which side to help.
The Lei clan's Gu cultivators were part of the violating faction and feared being held accountable later, so they were currently aiding the Gu and Feng clans.
As a result, the battlefield was now evenly matched, with both sides locked in a stalemate, unable to gain the upper hand in the short term.
At this moment, the Long clan's position became crucial. It could be said that whichever side the Long clan joined would emerge victorious.
However, Long Lie was feeling apprehensive. The Long clan was also part of the violating faction, and he still wasn't sure if Long Ziyan's identity had been discovered. What if they helped the wrong side?
If someone had indeed uncovered Long Ziyan's identity, they might use that as an excuse to seize the Spirit Surge Herbs from him and take his seven high-grade Gu insects.
The thought made Long Lie shudder. He didn't dare to get involved in this mess and decided to leave immediately.
"They've all gone mad. Let's get out of here!"
Terrified, Long Lie quickly packed away the insect pouch containing his seven high-grade Gu insects, then placed the dragon boat on the ground and jumped onto it as fast as he could.
The rest of the Long clan's Gu cultivators were quick to follow, leaping onto the dragon boat with agility. They had already sensed that something was wrong and didn't dare to dawdle.
Once everyone was aboard, the dragon boat ascended at top speed and flew away into the distance, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
The Long clan had shamelessly fled without a second thought for the chaos below.
Those still fighting couldn't help but feel an overwhelming urge to spit blood. They had stirred up the conflict, but after everyone else started fighting, they had fled first. How could anyone do such a thing?
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