Chapter 321

Chapter 321: Huangfu Qin Named After the Magical Weapon

With Gui You Quan by his side and Huangfu Xuanlan not having completely torn face with him yet, Lou Yun believed no one in the Huangfu Family would dare target him with pressure formed from weapon spirit power at present. Thus, this pressure must be coming from someone’s gaze!

The moment Lou Yun felt the pressure, he hurriedly tilted his head slightly and followed the direction it came from to look.

Nearby, at the doorway of a house, stood a young man who looked slightly older than Lou Yun. At that moment, he was staring fixedly at Lou Yun with expressionless eyes as black and bright as ink. His gaze was like that of a starving wolf suddenly spotting delicious food!

Evidently, the pressure Lou Yun felt was emanating from this young man!

Though he couldn’t probe the cultivation level of the nine families’ members with his spirit sense, just the sheer pressure carried by this young man’s gaze made it clear to Lou Yun that the other’s cultivation was undoubtedly a notch higher than his own!

Who is this?

Silently resisting the weight of the young man’s stare, Lou Yun turned to Huangfu Le and asked, "Brother Huangfu, who is that young man? He seems to be the highest cultivated among your younger generation, right?"

Huangfu Le followed Lou Yun’s line of sight and, seeing the young man, a flicker of envy crossed his face before he let out an "Oh." and said, "Clan Head Lou really has a sharp eye! He is indeed the strongest among the younger generation of our Huangfu Family right now. His name is Huangfu Qin!"

Huangfu Qin!

A gleam flashed in Lou Yun’s eyes. Back on Biko Island, he had heard from Chang Xiang that among the nine families, an outstanding individual would be chosen from each generation and named after their family’s magical weapon. This person was essentially the heir presumptive and held an esteemed position within the clan.

The Huangfu Family’s magical weapon was the qin (zither). That this young man was directly named "Qin" spoke volumes about his strength!

However, Lou Yun had also encountered individuals named after their respective family’s magical weapons from the other clans. Their abilities were clearly inferior to the Huangfu Qin before him now.

Knowing this young man’s identity, Lou Yun now understood why his power surpassed his own, and even why he was looking at Lou Yun with such an intent gaze.

This was not the time for a direct confrontation with the Huangfu Family. So, Lou Yun didn’t meet Huangfu Qin’s stare. He simply smiled faintly and shifted his gaze elsewhere.

At that moment, other members of the Huangfu Family also noticed the arrival of Lou Yun and Gui You Quan. Their discussions gradually ceased, and hundreds of eyes fixed themselves on the duo.

These gazes held a multitude of meanings: astonishment, excitement, confusion, and hatred!

Being scrutinized by hundreds of eyes wasn’t exactly pleasant. Yet, Lou Yun seemed utterly oblivious. He looked straight ahead, completely ignoring those stares, walking calmly behind Huangfu Le as they passed before the crowd.

Truthfully, Lou Yun felt a pang of nervousness. After all, this was the ancestral stronghold of the Huangfu Family. Even with the super powerhouse Gui You Quan beside him, Lou Yun had already considered the worst-case scenario. Naturally, he felt a bit apprehensive. However, he was also acutely aware that he represented the Lou Family – the Huangfu Family’s sworn enemies. He embodied the image and honor of his entire clan here. He had to show these Huangfu Family members that the Lou Family was not someone to be bullied!

Maintaining his composure, Lou Yun finally arrived at the dwelling Huangfu Xuanlan had arranged for them.

Huangfu Le stood at the doorway, smiling. "Clan Head Lou, this is the place. Please forgive the humble accommodations. I have matters to attend to and won’t disturb your rest. Someone will come to escort you both shortly. Farewell!"

Gui You Quan stepped forward and pushed the door open. They entered. Compared to Huangfu Xuanlan’s residence, the interior here was far more rudimentary. Lou Yun, however, wasn’t truly here as a guest, so he didn’t mind.

They each took the only two chairs in the room. Lou Yun intended to seize the time to meditate properly to prepare for the evening banquet, knowing full well that something was bound to happen then.

Before he could close his eyes, though, Gui You Quan suddenly spoke. "Young Master, this old servant has several doubts. Would Young Master trouble himself to explain them?"

Through their interactions during the journey, and especially through Gui You Quan’s conduct since arriving here, Lou Yun’s attitude towards him had significantly improved. Hearing his question, Lou Yun smiled slightly. "Uncle Ghost, what do you wish to know?"

Instead of asking directly, Gui You Quan posed his own question. "Young Master, are you aware that in my original world, there was also a Huangfu Family? Moreover, it was a family of considerable influence?"

"I know! The Huangfu Family we are currently amongst are actually descendants of that very Huangfu Family from your original world!"

Gui You Quan had lived far longer in that other world than he had on Spirit Weapon Star, so he naturally knew the reputation of its nine families. Lou Yun’s words instantly reminded him of a story that persisted from that world into the present.

"Young Master, I recall you bear the surname Lou. Could it be that you are…?"

Lou Yun nodded again. "Correct. I am a descendant of that world’s Lou Family. You should have heard something about the enmity between the nine families and my Lou family?"

"I heard several versions, yes!"

"Very well. Regardless of the version you heard, today I will tell you the true story."

Since Lou Yun had brought Gui You Quan here, it was indeed necessary for him to know the specifics. Thus, Lou Yun briefly recounted the history of entanglement and hatred between the Lou Family and the nine families.

"The purpose of my visit now is to gauge the Huangfu Family’s current stance towards my Lou Family. If they are truly willing to dissolve the hatred, I would naturally be all for it…"

Gui You Quan shook his head. "Young Master, forgive this old servant for speaking out of turn. Based on my observation, not a single word Huangfu Xuanlan said can be trusted. Moreover, the person I encountered earlier at sea is undoubtedly hiding here right now. This person is very likely from the Huangfu Family of that world, and his purpose is certainly aimed at you, Young Master. Therefore, this old servant believes the Huangfu Family absolutely could not genuinely intend to resolve past grievances with you."

Even an outsider like Gui You Quan could see it. The small flicker of hope Lou Yun had been clinging to within him extinguished completely. He nodded with a wry smile. "I know. I’m just extremely curious about what exactly Huangfu Xuanlan hopes to achieve by hypocritically courting my favor like this. And, since they have no desire to bury the hatchet… I won’t stand on ceremony either. I plan to steal their Divine Heavenly Weapon!"

"Divine Heavenly Weapon?"

Gui You Quan was momentarily taken aback, then dawned comprehension lit his face. "Ah! The nine Divine Heavenly Weapons governed by the nine families! But Young Master, shouldn’t those weapons be in the hands of the nine families from that other world? I heard the nine families guard those weapons with utmost caution – even their own clan members rarely see them! How could the clan heads of such powerful families dare bring such invaluable artifacts to Spirit Weapon Star?"

This question floored Lou Yun. Frankly, he was utterly ignorant about the state of the nine families in that other world and hadn’t pondered these issues. Gui You Quan’s words now sparked a sudden, profound doubt within him.

He was right. The Divine Heavenly Weapons were absolutely the lifeblood of the nine families! They were either held directly by the clan heads or safeguarded in the utmost secrecy. Logically, they shouldn’t be brought to Spirit Weapon Star!

Yet, not long ago on Biko Island, Xiao Tong from the Xiao Family had explicitly stated that the reason they could create chaotic energies in the air above the sea was because they had each stolen their respective families’ Divine Artifacts – meaning the Divine Heavenly Weapons – from their clans. Furthermore, the nine families had used these Divine Artifacts to research a formation; placing even just two of them according to the formation pattern would activate their power, influencing the energy flow.

Lou Yun himself had personally experienced the chaotic energy over that sea. Its scope was vast. Ordinary common weapons would likely be incapable of such an effect unless they were indeed the Divine Heavenly Weapons.

Lou Yun couldn’t reason it out by himself, nor did he bother trying. He addressed Chang Xiang directly: "Brother Chang, you heard what Gui You Quan said. You mentioned you can sense the presence of the Divine Heavenly Weapons. Are you certain the Divine Artifacts currently held by the nine families on Spirit Weapon Star truly are the original Divine Heavenly Weapons obtained by their founding ancestors?"

Chang Xiang’s voice took a moment to respond. "Originally, I could be certain. But now, in my current state… I cannot be sure. Only if I can see it with this eye can I determine whether it is the original Divine Heavenly Weapon or not."

Lou Yun felt a wave of helplessness; it seemed even Brother Chang had his unreliable moments.

Chang Xiang, however, had a straightforward thought: regardless of whether the Huangfu Family’s Divine Heavenly Weapon was real or fake, Lou Yun absolutely had to get his hands on it!

Naturally, Lou Yun couldn’t let Gui You Quan overhear his conversation with Chang Xiang. He offered no explanation, speaking bluntly instead. "Uncle Ghost, no matter what, now that I’ve come here, I don’t intend to return empty-handed."

Gui You Quan nodded. "This old servant understands."

After saying that, both master and servant fell silent. They each focused on meditating, preparing for any situation that might arise during the evening banquet.

Time passed quickly to nightfall. Huangfu Le’s voice soon came from outside the door: "Clan Head Lou, the banquet is ready. Our clan head sent me to invite you both!"

Lou Yun opened his eyes and replied, "Good. We will be right out."

Gui You Quan beside him had already opened his eyes long before. Master and servant both stood up, opened the door, and stepped out.