Chapter 217: 217- Mystery Girl [4]

"Trade secrets, ma’am," Fang Yuan replied evenly, as if that explained everything.

"Ah..." She tilted her head, then gave a small nod of understanding. "If that’s how you feel, I won’t force you." Her words were gentle, without a trace of resentment.

The meal lingered a little longer in companionable silence before they finally parted ways.

Fang Yuan watched her back as she disappeared into the bustling street, her figure soon lost among the crowd.

Only then did he turn, his expression cooling as his steps carried him in the opposite direction, straight toward the Gu Family estate.

Fang Yuan moved through the streets with unhurried steps, yet his eyes were sharp, sweeping over every corner of the Gu Family estate as it came into view.

He didn’t walk through the gates immediately.

Instead, his figure flickered once, vanishing into the shadows of an alley.

When he reappeared, he was already circling the perimeter, his hand dipping into his sleeve.

One by one, slender formation flags slipped between his fingers.

With the ease of long practice, he planted them in the soil, wedged them in cracks between stone, or pressed them lightly against a wall until they melted seamlessly into place.

Each flag vanished from sight the instant it was set, yet the faint pulse of power beneath his divine sense marked their quiet presence.

He worked without haste, his expression calm, his movements as steady as water carving stone.

To any outsider, he was just another wandering traveler, but with every step he was weaving a silent cage, one that would close the moment he willed it.

Only after the circuit was complete did he straighten, brushing the dust from his hands. His lips curved faintly, almost amused.

Then, without warning, he shot upward.

His figure blurred against the gray sky as he flew straight over the Gu Family walls, robes snapping in the wind.

He descended like a shadow falling from the heavens, uninvited and unannounced.

The moment Fang Yuan’s boots touched the stone courtyard, the air itself shivered.

The formation flared to life, swallowing the sky in shadow.

In an instant, the blazing sun was gone, replaced by a vast, oppressive darkness that pressed down on every breath.

Two Gu Family guards on patrol froze mid-step, torches sputtering as if strangled by the weight of the aura now flooding the estate.

The man stood there, calm, composed, as if he belonged to the darkness itself.

His presence radiated out in waves.

Neither guard recognized him, but the strength bleeding from his body left no room for doubt. This was no ordinary intruder.

One guard’s spear trembled as he tried to raise it, his voice breaking in panic.

"Wh-who... who are you!?"

The other staggered back a step, throat dry, then shouted hoarsely, "An intruder! Sound the alarm! Call the elders—hurry!"

The other wasted no time.

He spun on his heel, sprinting toward the inner halls while shouting, "Intruder! Intruder! Summon the elders!"

His voice cracked with panic, echoing through the estate like a struck bell.

More guards emerged from nearby posts, weapons half-raised, uncertain whether to rush him or run for their lives.

Fang Yuan merely clasped his hands behind his back, watching their frenzy with calm detachment, as though the chaos itself were beneath his notice.

Within moments the entire Gu estate was in uproar.

Courtyards blazed with lantern light as disciples and elders alike spilled out in a rush, weapons in hand, their auras flaring in a ragged tide.

The family had been roused in full, faces pale, eyes fixed on the lone figure who stood as though he owned the ground beneath their feet.

Fang Yuan swept a calm gaze across them, his eyes like blades cutting through the night.

He waited until the crowd had gathered thick around him, until the last ripple of panic quieted into tense silence.

Then, hands still clasped behind his back, he spoke.

"Children should not bear the sins of their elders," his voice rang out, steady and solemn, carrying across the estate like the toll of a great bell.

"Innocence should not be chained by the weight of another’s crime. But today..."

Fang Yuan’s gaze sharpened, cold light flashing within his eyes.

The air itself seemed to constrict, pressing down on every chest as his voice rolled across the courtyard like a storm.

"...today, the Gu Family’s name is going to be severed from this world. From this moment onward, there shall be no Gu Clan in Phungrei City."

The words fell heavy as iron, each syllable brimming with finality.

His killing intent surged, coiling with the grief he had carried for years, sharpened into a blade of vengeance.

Then, his voice dropped lower, deeper, yet somehow it struck even harder.

"The eldest son of Fang Lěi and Fèng Tíng has come to collect the debt of blood."

Lightning could have split the heavens at that moment, and it would have been no more terrifying than the weight of his declaration.

The courtyard froze.

The younger generation of the Gu Clan shifted uneasily, exchanging confused glances.

Those names meant nothing to them but among the older faces, lines etched deep with age.. recognition struck like a blade.

Several elders stiffened.

One of the senior-most stepped forward, his knees giving out beneath him as he dropped to the ground with a heavy thud.

His forehead pressed to the stone, voice trembling yet loud enough for all to hear.

"Oh great Fang Head... you yourself said children should not bear the sins of their elders. Then, I beg you, let them go. Spare the young. Let their lives not be forfeit to the blood-debts of their fathers."

The plea hung heavy in the air, but before silence could settle, another elder scoffed sharply from the side.

His lips curled in disdain, and his voice cracked like a whip across the assembly.

"The son of those two idiots, you say? Hah! Fang Yuan was devoured by a Saberfang. His bones should have been scattered by now and his soul... his soul should likely already be extinguished.

And as for his brother Fang Tian, he is but a mere Golden Core, a child playing at strength. And you..."

The old man’s eyes narrowed with contempt. "You dare parade yourself as an imposter before the Gu Family?"

The crowd stirred uneasily, caught between fear and disbelief.