Chapter 357

Chapter 357: Secret Agreement

Huangfu Hao paused, taking a breath, and cautiously glanced at Lou Yun. He saw that Lou Yun remained expressionless, but at least showed no excessive anger.

Lou Yun listened intently; he understood better than Huangfu Hao why the Nine Families had finally lost patience and chosen this moment to attack the Lou Family and himself.

The primary reason was Gui You Quan’s presence. His appearance left Huangfu Ao, a super expert also from that other world, helpless, let alone others. As long as Gui You Quan remained by his side, no one could touch him.

He could even harness Gui You Quan’s power to strike back at the Nine Families. Hence, the Nine Families dared not continue the stalemate.

"Continue," Lou Yun urged. "Why does your father wish to ‘turn hostility into friendship’ under these circumstances?"

"Clan Head Lou, I mentioned before," Huangfu Hao said, "the orders to deal with the Lou Family and with you didn’t originate from the Nine Families here on Spirit Weapon Star, but from our superiors above. But genuinely, we, the Huangfu Family, really don’t want to be bound by that senseless ancestral decree passed down for millennia. At the very least, in our view, even if in that other world, in the past, our Huangfu Family wronged the Lou Family, things have changed utterly since then—both in time and space. It’s utterly pointless for our two families to remain consumed by this ancient grudge!."

"Furthermore," Huangfu Hao added, "Father also asked me to convey this: although the Huangfu Family was forced to send forces against the Divine Weapon Island this time, it was out of pure necessity. We are being watched. If we hadn’t complied, Father and I would likely face a terrible death."

This Lou Yun understood perfectly. With a super expert like Huangfu Ao present, Huangfu Xuanlan certainly didn’t have the courage to betray the Nine Families.

Huangfu Hao continued, "Also, Father secretly reached out to others among our Nine Families. There are actually leaders within other families who share my father’s perspective. They, too, wish to shed the bonds of this foolish ancestral decree and end their enmity with you, Clan Head Lou, and the Lou Family. They have now formed a secret agreement."

"What agreement?"

"Among the Nine Families on Spirit Weapon Star," Huangfu Hao explained, "eight are willing to dissolve the hatred. Only the Xiao Family insists on revenge at all costs. The reason likely being that someone from their family was killed by a friend of yours, Clan Head Lou."

Xiao Qingyu, the pride of the Xiao Family’s younger generation, was killed by Wen Hou. Therefore, even if no grudge existed before between the Xiao Family and the Lou Family, it existed now—an implacable hatred. Lou Yun was well aware of this.

"Additionally," Huangfu Hao went on, "currently on Spirit Weapon Star, both our Huangfu Family and the Xiao Family each have a super expert present. My father and the other seven families propose…"

Before Huangfu Hao could finish, Lou Yun interrupted coldly, "Their proposal is that if I kill Huangfu Ao and the super expert from the Xiao Family, and then eliminate the Xiao Family itself, they will turn hostility into friendship with the Lou Family and cease their enmity?"

Huangfu Hao hurriedly gave Lou Yun a thumbs-up. "Clan Head Lou, you are truly insightful! That is precisely my father’s and the others’ suggestion. Though… there is one small additional condition."

"What condition?"

"Heh heh!" Huangfu Hao gave a dry laugh. "While our Eight Families can guarantee we will no longer trouble the Lou Family, Clan Head Lou, you mustn’t forget—those truly determined to deal with the Lou Family belong to another set of Nine Families! So, for a permanent resolution, it would be best for you, Clan Head Lou, to devise a way to eliminate the Nine Families above!"

As he spoke, Huangfu Hao raised a finger and pointed towards the sky.

"The Nine Families above!"

Lou Yun instinctively glanced skyward. He knew full well Huangfu Hao referred to the Nine Families in that other world. Though blunt, Huangfu Hao’s words were undeniably true.

The nine clans on Spirit Weapon Star were not particularly enthusiastic about upholding ancestral injunctions. If not for the surveillance of the clans from that world, most of them would have preferred living ordinary lives rather than being born solely to fulfill some ancestral decree.

Yet, escaping those clans from that world was utterly impossible for them, whether in terms of strength or any other aspect. Left with no choice, they could only resign themselves to fate.

Now, with the emergence of Lou Yun, all the nine clans pinned their hopes on him. Lou Yun was gradually becoming a threat to the nine clans of that world. After all, it wouldn’t be otherwise why they ordered the extermination of the Lou Family and the capture of Lou Yun at this very moment.

Precisely because Huangfu Xuanlan and the others recognized Lou Yun’s significance, they reached this agreement. They willingly vowed to turn enmity to friendship, as long as Lou Yun could eliminate all the threats he posed to them.

Although Lou Yun was looking up at the sky, he was conversing internally with Chang Xiang: "Brother Chang, do you think their proposal is trustworthy?"

Chang Xiang pondered for a moment before answering: "Yes."

"And what’s your opinion? Should I agree or not? Most crucially, even if I agreed, how could I possibly reach that world?"

Lou Yun had heard countless times from different people about the "that world". Yet, even now, its location remained utterly elusive, a completely intangible enigma, like something illusory.

Chang Xiang fell silent again briefly before speaking: "Actually, whether to agree or not, you yourself should already have the answer. As for reaching that world, rest assured, there is a way I can get you there."

The corner of Lou Yun’s mouth lifted slightly, revealing a trace of a smile. Who indeed knew him better than Chang Xiang!

Yes, when Huangfu Hao proposed this offer, Lou Yun had already made his decision. He clearly understood this decision could cost him a dear price, perhaps even his life. Yet it was something he absolutely had to face.

The Xiao Family on Spirit Weapon Star and those two supreme masters held little concern for Lou Yun. However, just as Huangfu Hao stated, to genuinely sever his family’s entanglement with the nine clans forever, the only path led to that world. There, he could uproot the very source of all enmity—to utterly annihilate the nine clans of that world!

Otherwise, even if the nine clans here reached a temporary truce and left the Lou Family alone, what if the nine clans from that world sent a few more supreme masters to Spirit Weapon Star? Then this entire cycle would begin anew!

Wasn’t his deepest desire the safe survival of his kin? Since the possibility of achieving this hope finally presented itself, of course he wouldn’t refuse!

After delivering his father’s message, Huangfu Hao dared not utter another word. He waited in profound trepidation for Lou Yun’s response.

Finally, Lou Yun shifted his gaze from the sky to Huangfu Hao’s face: "Go back and tell your father that I agree. But I must sound unpleasant before saying this: if in the future, whether it is your Huangfu Family, or any of the other Seven Families, dare renege on your word, I absolutely will not spare him!"

Though spoken extremely calmly, without even the slightest shift in Lou Yun’s tone, a powerful aura continuously emanated from within him. By the time the final syllable landed, Huangfu Hao’s body had already buckled to the ground under crushing pressure he was powerless to resist.

Beyond desperately nodding his head, Huangfu Hao couldn’t produce a single word.

Only after Lou Yun gave him one last deep look and averted his gaze did the pressure pinning him vanish: "There’s still one thing I fail to understand. Since it was your nine clans who attacked Divine Weapon Island, how exactly did you conceal your tracks? How did you manage to evade detection by my people entirely?"

Huangfu Hao forced a smile: "Clan Head Lou, you should be familiar with our nine clans, right? Among them is the Yu Family. They specialize in controlling beasts—whether flying in the sky, running on the ground, or swimming in the water. As soon as the nine clans noticed people emerging from Divine Weapon Island searching for them, the Yu Family would immediately control large fish in the sea to conceal our members."

The Yu Family. Lou Yun had heard of them. Back on the journey to rescue Xia Zhilan on Biko Island, he recalled the attack by the horned tiger fish. It was only thanks to the appearance of the six-tailed giant snake that they managed to kill them all. Moreover, to lay that trap, the Yu Family even drove away the six-tailed giant snake originally inhabiting those waters.

Initially, Lou Yun suspected the Yu Family was involved in Xia Zhilan’s kidnapping as well, but later learned they were not implicated. Regardless, this enigmatic family left a deep impression on him, so Huangfu Hao’s mention immediately triggered the memory.

He still didn’t fully grasp it, though. How could controlling large fish in the sea conceal people? Surely they weren’t swallowed by the fish?

Huangfu Hao didn’t know the answer either. He had never met anyone from the Yu Family, nor had he participated in the assault on Divine Weapon Island. Naturally, he couldn’t know the details.

"Clan Head Lou, if you have no other questions, I’ll take my leave now," Huangfu Hao said with a bitter smile. "Right now, in Binhai City, the number of people from the nine clans is substantial. If anyone were to discover traces of me… I would be finished!"

Lou Yun nodded: "I have no other questions. However, I hope you can swiftly inform the other Seven Families of today’s events. Tell them to recall their clansmen. Otherwise, they shouldn’t blame me for showing no mercy!"

A peculiar smile twisted Huangfu Hao’s expression: "Clan Head Lou, even if the other Seven Families, including our Huangfu Family, find out about our conversation here today… they wouldn’t recall those dispatched. That would inevitably draw attention. As for mercy…" He gave a mirthless chuckle, "…feel free to slaughter without restraint, please show none at all. I take my leave!"

With that, Huangfu Hao bowed deeply to Lou Yun, then turned and departed swiftly.

Lou Yun watched Huangfu Hao’s retreating figure, turning over in his mind that final statement: slaughter without restraint, show no mercy at all?

Could it mean, apart from the Xiao Family, the members dispatched by the other eight clans were… simply coming to meet their death?