Chapter 320

Chapter 320: The Plot at the Banquet

When Huangfu Xuanlan turned around, he suddenly discovered Huangfu Ao standing behind him. He was so startled that he immediately spoke respectfully, "Clan brother, why have you come out?"

At the same time, the two elders hurriedly stood up straight and bowed respectfully to Huangfu Ao. Although they held prestigious positions in the clan, even exceeding the clan head’s status on Spirit Weapon Star, they dared not show any disrespect before Huangfu Ao, who came from another world.

Huangfu Ao did not even glance directly at the three people before him and only spoke indifferently, "Was that young man the current clan head of the Lou Family on Spirit Weapon Star?"

Huangfu Xuanlan nodded and said, "Yes, although he is only about twenty years old, according to the information we gathered, he is a rare cultivation genius on all of Spirit Weapon Star. Like us from the Nine Families, he practices both magical and ordinary skills, and his cultivation is quite extraordinary."

"Tch!" Huangfu Ao let out a disdainful sneer. "How extraordinary could cultivation be at twenty? But as you said, that kid could very well be the key to us finding the Divine Weapon Emperor. How do you plan to deal with him?"

Huangfu Xuanlan replied, "Clan brother, you’re right. No matter how high his cultivation, it doesn’t impress us. However, there are several top-tier strong practitioners of Spirit Weapon Star backing him up. Also, he is a skilled weapon maker himself…"

"A skilled weapon maker?"

Upon hearing this, Huangfu Ao’s contemptuous smile flickered with surprise. After all, in the world he lived in, which was completely different from Spirit Weapon Star, practicing both magical and ordinary skills was essential, and having a good common weapon was crucial. Therefore, the importance of a skilled weapon maker far exceeded that on Spirit Weapon Star.

Huangfu Xuanlan nodded. "Yes, his sworn second brother is Beichen Ming, the only seventh-grade skilled weapon maker on Spirit Weapon Star. And his sworn older brother is Leng Cangqiong, the White-haired God of Death, who was highly renowned in the past. Both have achieved the Weapon Emperor realm."

Huangfu Ao sneered coldly again, cutting off Huangfu Xuanlan. "They dare to claim they reached the Weapon Emperor realm? Hmph, if they had half my strength, it would be flattering them. Huangfu Xuanlan, don’t tell me the reason you invited me here was to deal with these two sworn brothers of his!"

"Of course not. If it were just the Three Brothers of the Lu Family, it would be no concern. But Beichen Ming, as the highest-grade skilled weapon maker, holds a special status on Spirit Weapon Star. He has many close friends and appears to have formed an alliance of skilled weapon makers. Offending him would likely anger at least half of all magical weapons masters on Spirit Weapon Star. Although their cultivation is weaker than ours, they are numerous. Considering these factors, I took the liberty of inviting clan brother."

Two fists are no match for four hands. If half the magical weapons masters on Spirit Weapon Star truly united, not even the Huangfu Family could stand against them, let alone with the Nine Families combined. Victory would come at a terrible cost.

Although extremely proud, Huangfu Ao was not a fool. Hearing Huangfu Xuanlan’s explanation, he unusually did not get angry but just lifted his eyebrows slightly.

Huangfu Xuanlan quickly added, "Besides, Lou Yun was once accompanied by two strange individuals, Wen Hou and Tie Sha. Both were about the same age as Lou Yun but possessed extraordinary cultivation. Last time, some members of four families privately joined forces to capture Lou Yun’s fiancée to force him to reveal the Divine Weapon Emperor’s whereabouts. Instead, Lou Yun took these two, along with another girl, and the four of them easily defeated the forces dispatched by the four families."

Huangfu Xuanlan explained, "Based on shared information from those families, these two young men had another oddity: they seemed to harbor a powerful force within their bodies. This force lay dormant normally but surfaced in critical moments, enabling them to defeat the four families."

He added, "Moreover, that girl cannot be underestimated. She possesses a mysterious ability to control water—something never seen before among cultivators on Spirit Weapon Star."

Huangfu Ao raised his eyebrows sharply, his voice rising. "What? She can control water?"

"Yes," Huangfu Xuanlan nodded firmly. "Even though I didn’t witness it firsthand, the Jiang family admitted their members were defeated by this young girl."

"Does that girl carry the Shui surname?" Huangfu Ao asked, an expression of rare anxiety appearing on his face.

Huangfu Xuanlan thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes, I think she does clan brother. How did you know? Do you know her origins?"

After hearing this confirmation, Huangfu Ao’s expression turned grave. "I never imagined that members of the Shui family could be on Spirit Weapon Star, aiding the Lou Family. If the other Four Elements families also came and helped Lou Yun, that could indeed pose trouble."

Huangfu Ao couldn’t be bothered to explain the Five Elements families to Huangfu Xuanlan and the others. And Huangfu Xuanlan, like all others of the Nine Families native to Spirit Weapon Star, had no idea about those special families capable of freely controlling the five elements from another world.

After a pause, Huangfu Ao gestured dismissively. "Enough of the rest. Just tell me how you plan to deal with that kid from the Lou Family?"

Huangfu Xuanlan said, "I think that kid himself isn’t scary. What’s truly frightening is that uncle he brought along. So, I intend to use the banquet opportunity to take them out through deception, then force Lou Yun to reveal all about the Divine Weapon Emperor."

Regarding Huangfu Xuanlan’s plan for Lou Yun, Huangfu Ao didn’t comment but frowned. "I’ve always wondered how you’re so sure that kid knows about the Divine Weapon Emperor. It’s not just you—I’ve heard the other eight families also received similar tips."

Huangfu Xuanlan’s face showed a trace of fear, and he lowered his voice. "It’s all just conjecture. We investigated his background. Locals say that on the night he was born, a beam of nine-colored light suddenly appeared in the sky and landed on the Lou Family building. Oddly, the building took no damage—the light seemed ethereal, passing through and apparently merging with the child. From that moment, we started receiving word about the Lou Family."

He continued, "This kid’s cultivation path has been highly erratic—first a genius, then a waste, and finally a genius again. Given all this, we infer that the nine-colored light must have been the Divine Weapon Emperor."

Huangfu Ao had only been on Spirit Weapon Star for about a month and knew nothing of Lou Yun. Hearing Huangfu Xuanlan’s story, he felt deeply shocked. After a long silence, he shook his head. "That nine-colored light is suspicious, but it may not be the Divine Weapon Emperor."

Huangfu Xuanlan asked in confusion, "Why?"

Huangfu Ao’s gaze swept past Huangfu Xuanlan toward the high sky as he said coldly, "Because you don’t understand the Divine Weapon Emperor’s power. If it truly resided in Lou Yun, not even you but I wouldn’t stand a chance against him."

Naturally unaware of the Divine Weapon Emperor’s might, Huangfu Xuanlan couldn’t argue. He and the two elders exchanged looks and kept silent.

Though he’d spoken this way, Huangfu Ao soon added, "Go ahead with your plan for now. See if you can extract anything from him."

With a hint of flattery, Huangfu Xuanlan smiled. "Rest assured, clan brother. Our Huangfu Family, unlike the other Eight Families, excels in the True Dream Realm. In its grasp, no one can stay conscious. If he knows anything, he will confess it!"

Mentioning the family’s unique art, Huangfu Ao’s pride resurfaced. He nodded. "Good, I’ll anticipate your success."

With that, Huangfu Ao vanished abruptly, just as he had appeared.

After Huangfu Ao’s departure, Huangfu Xuanlan and the two elders felt the surrounding air grow lighter. All three exhaled sharply, sharing a bitter smile. Then, Huangfu Xuanlan spoke up, "Two elders, to guard against risks, I’d like you to perform the True Dream Realm for the banquet later."

Now humbled by their encounter with Huangfu Ao, the elders’ former arrogance waned. They nodded in unison. "Rest easy, leave it to us."

Huangfu Xuanlan then summoned servants to begin meticulous preparations for the evening feast.

Lou Yun and Gui You Quan followed Huangfu Le along the cobblestone path, moving slowly toward the village.

As they walked, Huangfu Le said, "Clan Head Lou, since our Huangfu Family rarely hosts outsiders, we have no guest rooms. But the clan head instructed one household to clear their home temporarily for you. We apologize for any inconvenience."

Lou Yun responded politely, "Having any shelter is enough for us."

The trio chatted while walking and soon reached the village where the Huangfu clan lived. Dozens of damaged houses from Gui You Quan’s earlier actions had been cleaned up. Most Huangfu members were outside, gathered in groups and discussing things.

Though Lou Yun didn’t listen, he knew they must be talking about him. He’d overheard enough judgments to lose interest and wanted Huangfu Le to hurry past. But suddenly, his heart throbbed, and he felt a powerful force aimed directly at him!