Gu Shen’s gaze was gloomy.
Due to the practice of "Chi Huo," his perception had been compressed to an extremely small range... In such a peaceful and tranquil banquet setting, he really couldn’t imagine that someone would be so brazen and resort to such brutal means upon meeting.
For the first strike, he was forced to defend.
If the opponent "takes advantage and doesn’t relent," then don’t blame him for not playing by the rules.
Gu Shen’s fingers were already pressed on the Ghost Veil...
Just at the moment when Bakui leapt forward, the red door standing between them suddenly shattered, and a slender figure burst through, delivering a heavy knee strike squarely to Bakui’s face... This scene happened too fast, flowing like water, making it look as if Bakui had foolishly collided his face into the opponent’s knee.
The sharp wind echoed mournfully in the banquet hall’s second floor, while the giant bear’s hulking figure was sent flying and embedded into the painting at the end of the second-floor corridor.
Coincidentally, the painting depicted a standing giant bear in the snowy landscape of the North Continent.
This sudden commotion drew everyone’s attention.
The guests on the first floor all cast their gazes upward... These people were not easily fooled; they knew too well what the disturbances on the second floor signified, and the chaotic Extraordinary Aura piqued the interest of the generals who were tasting wine.
More intriguing was the identity of the two groups confronting each other in the dust-filled corridor at that moment.
Gu Shen’s expression was unfriendly as he stared at the dimly lit faces shrouded in dust.
The leader did not respond.
Instead, he extended a hand, pointed at Gu Shen, and then looked at the slender figure standing in between: "Who is he?"
Lin Lin stood between the two groups.
He patted the dust off his clothes, the cigarette in his mouth still burning... Embers danced.
He looked at the "troublesome fellows" in front of and behind him with a frown.
Trouble does have a way of finding its way to your doorstep.
Lin Lin exhaled slowly and said in a deep voice, "It’s quite obvious he’s my friend."
The figure in the dust silently laughed.
He simply turned his gaze toward the interior of the shattered wall.
Duke Zhuxue, who was sitting inside the room drinking tea, remained calm and composed. However, the broken wild wind kept blowing, tossing his long hair. In those few silent seconds, Zhu Xue completed his thoughts with a headache.
He slowly stood up and said gently, "You two really have destiny here, getting to know each other through fighting. Let me introduce, Mr. Meng Xiao, standing before you now is the East Continent’s S-class genius, disciple of the Grand Judge, Gu Shen."
Gu Shen finally saw the opponent’s face clearly, and the corresponding dossier surfaced in his mind.
Ever since Zhong Yuan had given him the tip, he had pulled the dossiers of all those with the surname Meng in the Northern Continent Central City and the frontier regions. The name Meng Xiao was quite memorable... now one of the four dukes of the Northern Continent, inheriting the title of Duke Zhen Yue at a young age!
Meng Xiao said faintly, "Earlier I saw a sneaky figure on the second floor, and I thought there was a house thief."
Zhu Xue smiled and said, "Mr. Xiao Gu is a guest, a distinguished guest."
He glanced meaningfully at both sides... [Deep Sea] didn’t prompt him about the arrival of people on the second floor, both Gu Shen and Meng Xiao, it seems these two fellows have some "special means" on them.
On the other side, Bakui pulled his head out of the oil painting.
Lin Lin squinted his eyes.
This guy’s skin was ridiculously thick.
After taking a knee strike from him, he seemed unaffected... just vigorously shook his head, scattering debris everywhere, and returned to Meng Xiao’s side with a calm face.
Meng Xiao slightly apologized as he looked at Zhu Xue, saying gently, "I damaged the wall on the second floor; I’ll cover the repair costs."
Zhu Xue shook his head with a smile, "Tonight is the banquet honorably appointed by Her Majesty the Empress, you should understand what I mean."
Meng Xiao nodded with a smile.
His gaze locked onto Gu Shen.
Under countless gazes, he approached with a smile and asked, "You are on good terms with Gu Nanfeng? Is that true?"
Gu Shen patted the dust off his body.
Just as Meng Xiao had previously ignored him, he also ignored Meng Xiao.
Gu Shen said calmly, "Your Excellency Zhu Xue, if no one is allowed on the second floor, there should be a ’warning sign’ installed, so such a misunderstanding wouldn’t happen..."
With that, he was about to leave the second floor.
Meng Xiao’s smile was slightly stiff.
As the two brushed past each other, Meng Xiao suddenly reached out a hand.
Gu Shen’s eyes turned cold.
To this moment, he still didn’t understand why this young Duke Zhen Yue held such "hostility" towards him... The sudden attack earlier was clearly aimed at severely injuring him.
The first "iron shield" took the hit.
He heard very clearly that this guy had issued the command for a second attack.
Moreover... Meng Xiao had already looked at his dossier, so his earlier inquiry to Zhu Xue about his identity was purely "acting," just wanting to find a stepping stone to round out this farce.
Using the word "misunderstanding" to conclude was already Gu Shen’s greatest restraint tonight.
This banquet was held with the Empress’s will.
He still had to meet Her Majesty the Empress and deliver Mr. Gu Changzhi’s letter afterward.
Retreating a thousand steps, Gu Shen was definitely not the kind of person to "raise high and let down heavily." At the Gu Castle Fortress, after hearing Zhong Yuan’s tip, he never thought that this matter could be settled peacefully...
This light tap wasn’t forceful, but it contained a vast spiritual impact within it.
Meng Xiao asked softly, "Brother Gu, why the rush?"
He used a portion of his spiritual power, directly channeling it through his palm into Gu Shen’s body.
The dossier of this S-class young genius, Meng Xiao had read.
Indeed, exceptionally talented, but no matter how strong, only at the seventh tier of power.
He employed spiritual power strong enough to suppress a "ninth tier" Transcendent, intending to give Gu Shen a lesson.
But immediately, Meng Xiao’s eyes showed a hint of surprise.
Gu Shen’s expression remained calm, without any change... The immense spiritual power poured into this young body vanished without a trace like a mud ox entering the sea.
Vaguely, he seemed to see a vast prairie.
Is that... the Spiritual World?
Meng Xiao’s pupils slightly contracted. The spiritual power that was initially poured out by him now seemed slightly out of control, and he hurriedly gathered his mind to wake up from that enormous visual scene.
A hand brushed away his palm.
"Yes, Gu Nanfeng and I are indeed very good friends."
Gu Shen smiled and said, "Bosom friends, this should be the answer you wanted to hear... right?"
Light City, the Meng surname, Gu Nanfeng, these pieces of information... flashed through Gu Shen’s mind one by one and combined together, the unfounded "hostility" and "animosity" seemed to be explained.
Regarding the recent "Light City rumor," Gu Shen had actually heard about it too.
The heir to the Divine Throne, Meng Xizhou, also hailed as the Light Goddess’s favored, refused the family’s marriage alliance, and her reason for refusal... was said to be her love for a "trivial" figure in the North Continent.
The exact details had been tightly covered up by Light City.
Meng Xiao’s pupils slightly contracted. The spiritual power that was initially poured out by him now seemed slightly out of control, and he hurriedly gathered his mind to wake up from that enormous visual scene.
A hand brushed away his palm.
"Yes, Gu Nanfeng and I are indeed very good friends."
Gu Shen smiled and said, "Bosom friends, this should be the answer you wanted to hear... right?"
Light City, the Meng surname, Gu Nanfeng, these pieces of information... flashed through Gu Shen’s mind one by one and combined together, the unfounded "hostility" and "animosity" seemed to be explained.
Regarding the recent "Light City rumor," Gu Shen had actually heard about it too.
The heir to the Divine Throne, Meng Xizhou, also hailed as the Light Goddess’s favored, refused the family’s marriage alliance, and her reason for refusal... was said to be her love for a "trivial" figure in the North Continent.
The exact details had been tightly covered up by Light City.