Gu Zhen Ren, Reverend Insanity, Arc 2-21

"Critical intelligence?" The Hundred Family clan leader furrowed her brows slightly, but what intelligence could be more important than the spirit spring?

"Since it's not urgent, have them wait outside the tent for orders." The clan leader instructed, then turned her attention back to the smoke画面.

The image flickered, revealing the scene inside the cave.

Fang Yuan's group of seven ventured deeper and soon reached the end of the cavern.

The cave was not large, and the clan leader quickly grew disappointed—she saw no spirit spring, and one could not possibly be in such a place.

"It seems finding the spring will take more time." The clan leader murmured softly, lightly flicking her sleeve to withdraw the smoke into her cuff, then called out to the tent entrance: "Bring them in."

The tent flap was lifted, and a sharp, imposing scout Gu Master stepped in and bowed: "Subordinate reports to the Clan Leader with critical intelligence."

His tone carried a note of urgency.

"You captured an Iron Family Gu Master?" The clan leader's brow creased slightly.

The Iron Family was a behemoth—ten Hundred Family strongholds would be no match for them. Mishandling this could be very troublesome.

The clan leader felt a hint of reproach toward her subordinate—Iron Family Gu Masters were like hot potatoes; it would have been better to secretly kill them in the wild. Bringing one back to the clan only left behind a trail of evidence.

"Subordinate was on a mission to investigate the movements of the Gu Yue remnants when I unexpectedly discovered a severely wounded Gu Master. I initially suspected he was a member of the Gu Yue clan. But after treating him, he claimed to be an Iron Family Gu Master. And from him, I learned a shocking piece of news! The three strongholds of Qingmao Mountain have all been completely destroyed. Mysterious demonic Gu Masters escaped from the disaster. The Iron Family dispatched Gu Masters specifically to pursue these demonic Gu Masters." The scout reported.

"What did you say?" The clan leader was visibly shaken.

Her heart skipped a beat as her brow furrowed deeply.

In that instant, images of Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing's appearances and behaviors flashed through her mind like fleeting shadows.

Were these two youths demonic Gu Masters?

They didn't seem like it!

Especially when she recalled Fang Yuan's tears at the banquet—how could such a person be a demonic Gu Master?

"How can you be certain this man is an Iron Family Gu Master?" The clan leader then asked.

"This Iron Family token was found on him! And the Gu worms on his person also bear the Iron Family's characteristics." The scout said, presenting an iron token.

The clan leader took the token. Holding it in her palm, she felt its cold metallic touch.

It was undoubtedly an Iron Family token, but...

"It's also possible that this man killed Iron Family Gu Masters and took these as spoils. Perhaps he's a thief crying 'catch the thief'—the very demonic Gu Master the Iron Family is hunting." The female clan leader considered another possibility.

Demonic Gu Masters, in order to survive, would naturally disguise their identities.

The clan leader's preconceived impression was simply too strong. But regardless, she had to confirm it for herself.

She narrowed her eyes and said: "Bring the captive in."

"Move it." Soon, the tent flap was pushed aside and a Gu Master was escorted in.

Tie Daoku—disheveled, pale-faced, and unsteady on his feet—appeared before the clan leader.

"Kneel!" The Gu Master behind him kicked his legs, and the iron-hearted man grunted as he fell to his knees.

But he struggled fiercely, trying to stand up immediately.

"Stay still!" The two Gu Masters behind him each grabbed an arm, forcing him to remain kneeling.

Unable to break free, Tie Daoku roared: "I, Tie Daoku, kneel to heaven above, to my parents in between, and to my clan leader below. Do not insult me—grant me death instead!"

"Oh, quite the performance, aren't you?" The clan leader raised an eyebrow with a cold smirk, then barked: "Speak! How did you, a demonic Gu Master, kill the Iron Family Gu Masters and seize this token?"

Tie Daoku was taken aback for a moment, then spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm: "Pah! I am a man of honor—Tie Daoku of the Iron Family, my name unchanged wherever I go. Now that I've fallen into your hands, do as you please—kill me, carve me up—but don't play this frame-up game. It only shows your hypocrisy!"

The bloody spittle did not reach the clan leader—it seemed to strike an invisible wall midair and fell to the ground.

The clan leader's expression soured.

Tie Daoku continued with a cold laugh: "My Iron Family excels at pursuit and investigation. Hundred Family, you've captured me and humiliated me like this—heh, you'd better chop me to pieces and pray no one finds out. Because if they do, heh, your Hundred Family will face the thunderous wrath of my Iron Family!"

The clan leader scoffed: "You keep claiming to be an Iron Family Gu Master. I've seen quite a few Iron Family Gu Masters. Below Rank Five, they always operate in groups, sharp and imposing, unyielding as iron. Yet you're alone, and look at the state of you—if you're going to impersonate an Iron Family Gu Master, you should at least make it convincing."

Tie Daoku's cold smile faltered involuntarily.

The clan leader's words struck at the most painful part of his heart.

He thought back to when they had set out from Qingmao Mountain—a party of nine, full of vigor and confidence. Now, he was the only one left, and a captive at that!

The bitterness...

Especially when he thought of Tie Aotian's death—the immense regret and sorrow only deepened his pain.

Tie Aotian had been the Iron Family's Fourth Young Master, gifted and resilient, with great expectations placed upon him since childhood. He had been a strong contender for the position of clan leader, the future hope of the Iron Family.

From a young age, he had displayed extraordinary intelligence and talent. Tie Daoku had seen the promise of the future in him.

But then!

When that earth-shattering explosion rang out, everything came to an end.

The blast had happened so suddenly!

Caught at the epicenter, Tie Aotian hadn't even had time to activate his defensive Gu worms before he was instantly blown to pieces.

A prodigy, a rising star—dead without even knowing how!

Not only Tie Aotian, but several others also perished in the explosion, with countless Gu worms destroyed.

Two were severely wounded.

Tie Daoku was one of them. He had been at the rear of the group, and because his skin had been modified by Gu worms into copper hide, he had survived.

Another severely wounded member lost half his body and fell unconscious within half a cup of time, later dying despite rescue efforts.

Tie Daoku had wept as he buried his clansmen's remains together in the earth.

He had wanted to bury them separately, but most of the bodies had been blown apart. Tie Aotian's remains were especially gruesome—only palm-sized fragments remained.

With immense grief, he built a mound of earth and cut a massive stone slab to place there as a marker.

Afterward, he investigated the blast site.

With his wealth of experience, he determined it was the work of Thunderclap Potato Gu.

A full hundred Thunderclap Potato Gu had been buried together underground! There was no doubt—it was a massive, sinister, and utterly vicious trap!

Who could have done such a despicable deed?

Who had laid this trap?!

Tie Daoku pondered deeply and concluded that Fang and Bai were the most suspicious. Of course, he didn't know their specific names or details, but he understood: this was most likely the work of the demonic Gu Masters they had been pursuing.

So vile!

So cruel!

Tie Daoku was consumed with rage, his hatred as deep as the sea.

Revenge—he must seek revenge and bring these demonic Gu Masters to justice!

For Tie Daoku, returning to the Iron Family was no longer possible. With the Fourth Young Master dead, responsibility would surely be assigned. Moreover, returning in such a state would be a profound humiliation and disgrace.

He decided to continue the pursuit!

With Tie Aotian dead, his life had turned from color to gray.

He would kill the demonic Gu Masters of Qingmao Mountain to vent his hatred. Even if he couldn't kill them, he would give it his all.

"Revenge! Revenge!" He had roared three times to the heavens—swearing he would not rest until Fang and Bai were dead.

Yet reality was cruel.

His wounds went untreated, and in the following days, he developed a high fever and became delirious. He was hunted by a beast pack and barely escaped by water.

But lacking supplies, he eventually collapsed unconscious.

When he awoke, he found himself rescued—and a prisoner of the Hundred Family.

The past was too painful to recall—each memory brought fresh anguish!

Kneeling in the tent, Tie Daoku could not help but shed tears.

The Hundred Family female clan leader was secretly surprised and continued her questioning, but Tie Daoku remained silent, with the air of a martyr ready for execution.

This did not fit the behavior of a demonic Gu Master trying to disguise himself for survival.

"If this man truly is an Iron Family Gu Master..." The clan leader felt increasingly uneasy, a growing sense of dread expanding in her heart.

She wanted to extract more information, but Tie Daoku stayed silent, even closing his eyes, thoroughly uncooperative.

The clan leader's eyes darted, then she suddenly spoke: "Not long ago, our Hundred Family hosted two Gu Yue clansmen. They are two youths—one claiming to be the young master of the Gu Yue clan..."

Before she could finish, Tie Daoku's eyes snapped open.

His gaze blazed with sharp light.

Hatred, fury, surprise—a storm of complex emotions surged forth in an instant.

He struggled to stand, but the two Gu Masters behind him held him down.

He shouted aloud: "It's them! It must be them! To think they'd be here—two of them, still youths. Hmph, they're definitely the demonic Gu Masters who escaped from Qingmao Mountain!"

Tie Daoku naturally knew nothing of the Hundred Family's affairs. The scout had only interrogated him—why would he voluntarily share such information?

Seeing him finally speak, the clan leader pressed on: "If you are an Iron Family Gu Master, where are your companions?"

In that instant, Tie Daoku's attitude underwent a complete reversal. For the sake of revenge, he answered in a low voice: "They are all dead."

"Where did they die? Where are the bodies?"

Tie Daoku's expression shifted: "That I cannot tell you. The dead should rest in peace—even if you doubt me, I will not allow you to dig up their graves!"

Hearing this, the clan leader's heart sank heavily.

This was not the kind of thing a demonic Gu Master would say.

"Could it be..." A powerful sense of foreboding surged within the clan leader's heart.

Unable to hold back any longer, she flicked her sleeve, and a plume of colorful smoke flew out, spiraling in the air as it revealed the scene.

"Your young masters are in our hands. Now, all of you—get out!" In the image, Fang Yuan had dropped all pretense. He was gripping Bai Sheng and Bai Hua by the throats, one in each hand, and coldly shouted.

The clan leader froze.

After several long breaths, she erupted in fury, slamming her palm onto the table and shattering it to pieces.

She roared—

"So they are demonic scoundrels!"