Chapter 145

Chapter 145: The Mastermind Behind Gu Feng Nation

The king’s sudden question stunned Lou Yun; to be precise, it shocked him!

The king was the supreme ruler of Gu Feng Nation, yet he now sought permission for his own actions from that group of unknown origin!

Could that old man be the true king?

Lou Yun knew that in some kingdoms, kings afraid of death would deliberately find look-alikes to serve as body doubles. But even if he had never seen the king and could be mistaken, Qin Luoyuan, who had just been there, wouldn’t have been wrong!

What in the world was going on?

Lou Yun was bewildered, and what happened next left him utterly perplexed.

The old man whom the king had addressed gave a slight, expressionless nod and said, "You may leave now."

With this permission, the king, much like Qin Luoyuan moments before, instantly looked relieved. He cupped his hands and bowed respectfully towards all the white-robed figures before finally turning to leave. Throughout the entire act of respect, he never once glanced at Lou Yun, simply walking away.

The ruler of a nation, possessing no real supreme power, needing to ask permission just to leave such a trivial matter? And only being able to depart once granted? Could he even be called a king?

After the king left, only the group of white-robed figures and Lou Yun remained on the vast palace square.

Lou Yun slowly turned, scrutinizing each face until he stopped facing the old man who had just granted the king permission to leave. Clearly, he was the leader of this group.

The two locked eyes. After a moment, Lou Yun finally spoke first. "It seems you are the true ruler of Gu Feng Nation?"

The old man smiled faintly, ignoring Lou Yun’s question. "Lou Yun, you must be the most talented and promising member the Lou Family has ever produced, correct?"

Lou Yun’s brow furrowed slightly, puzzled by the question’s timing. "Who are you? No, who are all of you?"

Before the old man could answer, Chang Xiang’s voice echoed first in Lou Yun’s mind. "Haven’t you figured out who they are by now?"

Lou Yun thought back, perplexed. "I’ve never seen them before! How could I know?"

"Fine. Look at the pattern on their robes. I’m telling you, the shape of that pattern represents the form of their magical weapon. Now do you see?"

Lou Yun had already noticed the intricate patterns embroidered on the lower hems of the white robes. They were so finely detailed that the shape of a book was immediately recognizable.

The word "book" flashed in Lou Yun’s mind, conjuring the image of a person. A scholar with refined features, always wearing a gentle smile… Han Tianxiao!

Han Tianxiao had once been Lou Yun’s most respected and closest teacher. Yet, it was this very man who, after Lou Yun was forced to flee with Wan Huier, not only abandoned him but also falsely accused him to the Gu Feng Nation royal family of kidnapping Wan Huier. This single act had triggered the chain of events leading up to this very moment!

Of course, Chang Xiang had since told Lou Yun that the Han family Han Tianxiao belonged to originated from another world. They were one of the Nine Clans sworn to exterminate the Lou Family and had been relentlessly hunting down everyone bearing the Lou surname across nine generations!

Now, prompted by Chang Xiang, Lou Yun understood instantly. These white-robed figures before him were all members of the Han family, one of the Nine Clans!

Although Lou Yun had encountered members of the Nine Clans before, this was the first time he had seen so many gathered from a single family.

A wave of nervousness washed over him from deep within, especially since he couldn’t gauge their strength levels. Yet, this finally explained the immense pressure he had felt earlier when they merely surrounded him and Qin Luoyuan without taking action.

Simultaneously, a spark of insight flashed in Lou Yun’s mind. Many previously baffling questions suddenly became clear, finding their answers.

The royal family of Gu Feng Nation bore the surname Wan. Everyone believed Gu Feng Nation belonged to the Wan family. But the reality was starkly different. The Wan royal family, including the king himself, were mere puppets. The true mastermind behind the scenes was the Han family!

This explained why, despite Lou Yun taking Wan Huier away—who, along with her father, the Sixth Prince, was supposedly out of favor—the royal family had launched such a massive hunt for all his relatives. It also explained why, even after the three major factions vouched for him and the king received Wan Huier’s letter explaining the truth, his family remained imprisoned. The entire scheme wasn’t orchestrated by the Gu Feng Nation royal family at all, but by the hidden hand… the Han family!

Lou Yun then recalled Chang Xiang’s words: the Nine Clans came to Spirit Weapon Star to kill all those named Lou. Since everyone in his family except himself had been captured, were they even still alive?

The thought surfaced but was instantly rejected by Lou Yun himself. He shook his head internally, reassuring himself. "Impossible! Granny Bai Cao and Madman both said my family is imprisoned but only under house arrest. Besides restricted movement, they’re even living comfortably!"

The Han family elder opposite him smiled slightly. "Lou Yun, we are—"

His words were cut off as Lou Yun interjected coldly, "I know. You are the Han family."

This time, it was the elder’s turn to be shocked. Astonishment flashed across his face. "How do you know that?"

Lou Yun’s voice was icy. "Not only do I know you are the Han family, I also know where you come from. The purpose of your clan coming to Spirit Weapon Star is to kill all of us in the Lou Family!"

With every word Lou Yun uttered, the shock on the elder’s face deepened. By the time Lou Yun finished, the elder’s features were almost contorted.

The elder’s shock wasn’t just because Lou Yun was entirely correct; he was stunned by how Lou Yun knew!

To prevent certain ideas from taking root within the family (and this applied to the other eight clans as well), only the clan head and elders knew the Han family’s true origins. The rest knew only of an ancestral decree: kill all those named Lou!

According to the intelligence the Nine Clains had gathered on the Lou Family, the Lou ancestor who sent his descendants to Spirit Weapon Star had deliberately erased their memories of the original world to protect them thoroughly. Therefore, later generations of the Lou Family, regardless of the era, could not possibly know their family’s true origins, let alone the existence of the Nine Clans.

Yet, Lou Yun’s words now completely overturned this intelligence. Not only did he know, he knew in great detail!

Could the intelligence gathered all those years ago be wrong? That seemed impossible! How could intelligence jointly collected by the Nine Clans be erroneous?

Of course, he had no way of knowing about Chang Xiang, residing within Lou Yun, who hailed from that very world.

After Lou Yun finished speaking, the elder wore a mask of utter shock. The expressions of the other Han family members, however, were filled with confusion. Unaware of their family’s true origins, they couldn’t grasp the meaning behind Lou Yun’s words.

Seeing his clansmen’s reactions, the elder realized he had lost composure. He quickly schooled his expression and coughed heavily. Instantly, the surrounding clansmen returned to their previous impassive state, a testament to the elder’s high status and formidable authority within the Han family.

The elder spoke gravely, "Lou Yun, our Han family has passed down an ancient decree through the ages: to kill every person on earth bearing the Lou surname. Therefore, today, you will not leave this place alive."

Faced with this, Lou Yun instead grew calm, his demeanor even more composed than before. A faint smile touched his lips. "Since I came, I never intended to leave alive. I imagine all this trouble you’ve stirred was simply to lure me here, wasn’t it?"

Lou Yun was correct. The Han family’s entire scheme was designed to draw him out. Although Lou Yun’s strength, even now, wasn’t exceptionally high, he always seemed surrounded by powerful protectors. For instance, back at the Ancient Weapon Academy, when Han Tianxiao first learned Lou Yun’s name, he naturally recalled the family decree and contemplated killing him several times. However, Lou Yun was constantly shadowed by Old Man Feng, an unfathomably powerful figure. Knowing he was no match, Han Tianxiao held back.

When Han Tianxiao finally got a mission taking him far from Gu Feng Nation, Lou Yun gained another protector: Liu Ruyan, granddaughter of the Spirit Weapon Sect, who also seemed smitten with him. Again, Han Tianxiao couldn’t act. Thus, he resorted to scheming, step by step, forcing Lou Yun into his current predicament.

Lou Yun’s current reaction, however, sowed deep suspicion in the elder’s mind. If Lou Yun knew death was certain, why was he so composed? Did he have an escape route prepared? Or was backup on the way?

This was overthinking breeding baseless fears. Lou Yun had no backup or escape plan. He had come alone and in secret, precisely to avoid relying on others to rescue his family. Only Granny Bai Cao knew of his whereabouts.

Although the Han family was one of the prestigious Nine Clans, and their members were indeed far stronger than others on Spirit Weapon Star, they still preferred to avoid unnecessary conflict with the planet’s inhabitants. After all, every major family and faction had its own super experts, especially the three major powers that had vouched for Lou Yun.

Thus, the elder decided on a swift resolution. "Since you already know," he said coldly, "I won’t waste words. Rest assured, after you die, your relatives will join you soon enough."

He then shifted his focus, addressing his clansmen. "Who will take him on?"