In the dead of night, thousands of soldiers holding torches searched across Great Yan Mountain. Deep within the mountain, before the assembled armies of Azure Lake Island and Guiyuan Sect, Zhuge Yuanhong’s impassioned speech caused many observing innate masters to nod in silent agreement; a good number of them had been persuaded.

"Gu Yong, was there anything inaccurate in what I said?" Zhuge Yuanhong asked with a faint smile.

Gu Yong’s face was grim. He shot Zhuge Yuanhong a deep look. "Zhuge Yuanhong, I have only one question for you!" Gu Yong’s gaze was sharp as a knife, seeming to pierce straight through Zhuge Yuanhong's eyes. "My Azure Lake Island army is stationed in Great Yan Mountain—why did you not come sooner? Why only now?"

"Guiyuan Sect has no covetous desire for Emperor Yu’s treasure. However, Gu Yong, this Great Yan Mountain belongs to my Guiyuan Sect. By what right does your Azure Lake Island allow thirty thousand troops to be stationed here and refuse to leave? If my Guiyuan Sect sent a large army into your Azure Lake Island territory, would your Azure Lake Island remain unmoved?" Zhuge Yuanhong’s expression also turned cold.

"Hmph, deceiving yourself!"

Gu Yong gave a cold laugh. "I won't waste words with you now. Everything will be clear soon enough!"

In front of the Azure Lake Island army, Gu Shiyou, Zhao Danchen, and others were also gathered.

"Elder Zhao, what Zhuge Yuanhong said does hold some merit. Perhaps there truly is a grand conspiracy behind this," Gu Shiyou said in a low voice. Zhao Danchen glanced at him, then coldly snorted, "Does your father not know all this? Just watch; everything will be clear soon."

Zhao Danchen, however, understood the Island Master Gu Yong’s thoughts. The news of Emperor Yu’s treasure had indeed been deliberately leaked, and it was highly likely by remnants of the Iron Robe Sect! The Iron Robe Sect remnants were not worth serious concern. What mattered most to Azure Lake Island now was killing the person disguised as Qin Lang and seizing those two cauldrons!

And Teng Qingshan...

Even if he wasn't Qin Lang, he would become a major threat in the future. With Azure Lake Island currently severely weakened, it was best to seize this pretext now and kill him!

If Teng Qingshan truly was Qin Lang, his potential was far more terrifying than Xiang Fanchen’s—capable of killing an innate True Core expert in one move at seventeen! As for grudges, Azure Lake Island had lost so many elders and gained none of the cauldrons—all thanks to Teng Qingshan! If that were the case… Azure Lake Island would have to kill Teng Qingshan even if it meant going mad!

In short, Teng Qingshan must die!

...

Within the Guiyuan Sect camp, Teng Qingshan watched all this unfold from behind the large contingent of soldiers. Observing that proud figure chatting and laughing with ease, a wave of emotion—the warmth of being cared for—washed over him.

"Big Brother Qinghu," a clear voice called out. Teng Qingshan turned to look.

Zhuge Qing, clad in light, pale-green armor, walked up beside Qinghu. Zhuge Qing’s eyes were bloodshot, and her face was somewhat pale. Coupled with her frail body, one might worry she would collapse and faint at any moment... yet, no one could persuade Zhuge Qing to rest.

"Miss Qing," Qinghu turned to look at her.

"Is there any news of Brother Teng yet?" Zhuge Qing asked very softly.

Qinghu hesitated slightly before shaking his head with a sigh. "None. If there were news, I believe the Sect Master would tell you first."

"I heard the Azure Lake Island Master and Father mention that eight Enforcement Elders died! Even major sects like the Ying Clan lost many experts, including several innate Golden Core masters," Zhuge Qing's bloodshot eyes threatened to well up with tears. "They also said everyone alive crawled out from underground."

Zhuge Qing bit her lip, forcing herself not to cry. "Big Brother Qinghu, Brother Teng will definitely be fine, right?"

Qinghu nodded repeatedly. "I promise you."

Zhuge Qing departed, completely unaware that Teng Qingshan was currently within ten paces of her.

Qinghu turned back to Teng Qingshan and murmured, "Don't tell Miss Qing?" Teng Qingshan shook his head silently, watching the slender figure disappear into the dense crowd. Seeing Teng Qingshan’s reaction, Qinghu muttered almost to himself, "Miss Qing has truly developed deep feelings..."

Teng Qingshan remained silent.

Seeing the frail, exhausted Zhuge Qing just moments ago, and the bloodshot misery in her eyes... caused Teng Qingshan's heart to ache, rising with an impulse to embrace her.

"What am I still thinking about?" Teng Qingshan frowned slightly.

His inner reaction told him that his heart had indeed stirred for Qingqing. Perhaps when Teng Qingshan rushed toward Yanjiang City with the Black Armored Army, facing mortal danger, and Zhuge Qing disregarded all decorum to shout publicly, 'I will wait for your return,' that moment had already caused a tiny crack in the icy shell around Teng Qingshan's heart.

"What am I still thinking about? Thinking of Xiao Mao?"

"And not marrying and having children? That would be letting down my father, my mother, and Qingqing. That was the last life... that was a matter of the previous life. Let it all be forgotten, let it scatter with the wind." After the perilous treasure hunt deep underground, Teng Qingshan suddenly saw things clearly. What meaning was there in clinging to the past life? It only brought more pain.

And more pain to others!

He was moved by Qingqing. If he married Qingqing, his parents would be happy, his Master would be pleased, and Qingqing would be happy... and his own heart would feel better.

"After this matter is settled, when I return to Guiyuan Sect, I will stay contentedly there. Then I will marry Qingqing, preferably having two or three children later. Father is paralyzed, but with grandchildren, he can still play with them later, and I can cultivate martial arts in peace, teaching the children when I have time, and still being nearby to care for my parents..." Thinking of this, Teng Qingshan felt an unprecedented tranquility in his soul.

Such a life was so happy.

Wasn't this exactly what he had dreamed of in his previous life?

A wife he loved, children, parents, and a sister...

"Yes, a life like this would be very happy. Everyone would be happy," Teng Qingshan murmured.

Perhaps Xiao Mao could not be forgotten so easily, but he could bury those memories deep in the most profound part of his heart.

Life was never meant to be perfectly complete.

The past cannot be changed; the only thing we can grasp is the future.

To be happy is already wonderful enough.

...

Teng Qingshan's heart was at peace, but the armies of Azure Lake Island and Guiyuan Sect remained constantly alert, daring not to relax even slightly.

"Island Master!" A figure rushed swiftly toward Gu Yong.

Gu Yong turned to the approaching man and commanded sternly, "Speak."

This Silver Flood Dragon Army officer bowed respectfully. "Reporting to the Island Master, we discovered six corpses of our Silver Flood Dragon Army soldiers in the northern part of Great Yan Mountain earlier. All six bodies were killed by a piercing wound through the forehead. The manner of death is identical to those killed by projectiles when the Golden Scale Guards were slain in Yanjiang City. It must have been the same hidden weapon. Our army conducted an extensive, dense search nearby, but found nothing! And currently, within a thirty-mile radius of those corpses, only the encampment of the Guiyuan Sect army is present. That area has not yet been searched!"

"A hidden weapon? The same as the incident in Yanjiang City?"

Gu Yong turned to look at Zhuge Yuanhong and said grimly, "Sect Master Zhuge, did you hear that?"

"I heard very clearly. But the area of Great Yan Mountain is vast. And it is night now. If the murderer is truly hiding within Great Yan Mountain, finding them will not be a simple task," Zhuge Yuanhong said with a faint smile.

"Hmph."

Gu Yong’s eyes instantly sharpened. He roared, "Zhuge Yuanhong, the hidden weapon used by this murderer is exactly the same as the one your Guiyuan Sect used to kill my Golden Scale Guards? And you still dare to quibble? Secondly, that murderer was able to easily locate the entrance to the Bottomless Abyss. If they were not extremely familiar with Great Yan Mountain, how could they have found it so easily! Right now, I don't care whether this murderer is Teng Qingshan or not! But one thing is certain: my Azure Lake Island must kill this murderer at all costs. Anyone who obstructs Azure Lake Island will be our mortal enemy!!!"

"Didn't you say the murderer isn't Teng Qingshan? If so, your Guiyuan Sect should not be harboring him."

"Now, I demand to search your military camp and examine every single soldier of your Guiyuan Sect! If you have nothing to hide, then let me search!"

Gu Yong’s barrage of words caused Zhuge Yuanhong’s face to cool as well. "Gu Yong, my Guiyuan Sect is also a sect with a thousand-year legacy. If, based on a single word from you, I must allow you to search my entire army, where would the face of my Guiyuan Sect remain? Hmph! If there is to be a search, my own people will conduct it! It is not the place of your Azure Lake Island to investigate!"

"Sect Master Zhuge, just concede a little," Elder Wang of the Sun-Shooting Divine Mountain said with a chuckle from the distance.

"Zhuge, just make Gu Yong give up the idea; it’s just a search," said another.

The innate masters from the various major sects also spoke up, supporting Gu Yong.

In truth, they were not helping Gu Yong, but themselves. These people... every one of them was dreaming of those last two cauldrons, the 'Spirit of the North Sea.'

"Haha..." Gu Yong laughed, enraged. "Zhuge Yuanhong! Azure Lake Island lost a full eight Enforcement Elders this time; this matter cannot be concealed. How can Azure Lake Island not take revenge for such a great hatred? No matter who the murderer is, no matter which sect they belong to, Azure Lake Island will absolutely not let it go!"

"You speak of face? Fine!"

Gu Yong stared at Zhuge Yuanhong. "I, Gu Yong, stand here, before tens of thousands of soldiers and numerous innate masters from the great sects, and I declare! If my Azure Lake Island fails to find the murderer 'Teng Qingshan' in your Black Armored Army camp, then on the day of this year's Ancestral Worship Ceremony, I, Gu Yong, will personally prepare great gifts, carrying them alone, and ascend to your Guiyuan Sect. I will apologize to you, Zhuge Yuanhong. How about that?"

At these words, the surroundings fell into utter silence. The innate masters from the major sects, who had been joking and chattering moments before, stared at Gu Yong in astonishment.

That statement was incredibly harsh!

On the Ancestral Worship Day, appearing alone to deliver grand gifts and apologize in person! For the leader of one of the Eight Great Sects, this kind of act... was utterly staggering.

"Father!" Gu Shiyou behind him exclaimed in shock.

Zhao Danchen frowned. "Is the Island Master planning to abdicate?" He could surmise that if the murderer truly wasn't found, Gu Yong would not possibly visit personally to apologize in his capacity as Island Master. If he failed to find him, the next step Gu Yong would take would certainly be to step down, and Azure Lake Island would have a new Island Master. Gu Yong, in his capacity as an Enforcement Elder, would then make the apology visit.

Although this would be immensely humiliating for Gu Yong personally.

The impact on Azure Lake Island itself would not be as severe. An apology from the Island Master... that was an absolute impossibility.

"Zhuge Yuanhong, this way, it won't damage the reputation of your Guiyuan Sect, right? If you still refuse, then you truly must have something to hide," Gu Yong stared at Zhuge Yuanhong.

Zhuge Yuanhong stared back at Gu Yong for a long time before finally speaking. "Haha... Then I shall await you, Gu Yong, Island Master Gu! To personally come and apologize on that day."