Chapter 19
Chapter 19: Two Tigers Clash (Part 1)
“Where is she going? Did she get my permission?!”
Everyone turned.
Gu Cang Yue stormed into the Council Hall with a line of armored troops from Cang Yue Manor, the air bending around him like a threat.
“Lord Cang Yue,” Ding He Ran said, stepping forward at once, “this is Dust Warden Manor’s council chamber. We are discussing a major case. Bringing men in like this violates proper conduct.”
Before he could finish, several wounded guards from Dust Warden Manor rushed in behind them, bleeding and disheveled.
“Dust Warden Official!” the lead guard cried. “Your subordinates failed. We couldn’t stop them. Please punish us, my lord!”
“Stand down,” Mo Ting Feng said, voice like ice. “Take the brothers to the infirmary.”
Then his gaze slid—briefly—to Song Wei Chen, measuring and unreadable, before he walked toward Gu Cang Yue.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
Gu Cang Yue didn’t answer.
Instead, he looked Ding He Ran up and down with idle curiosity. “Who are you?”
“I am Ding He Ran, Heaven Net Commander of Dust Warden Manor,” Ding He Ran replied, saluting despite the tension. “Greetings, Lord Cang Yue.”
“Heaven Net Commander?” Gu Cang Yue’s smile thinned. “I’ve heard the title. Since you had the nerve to block me, tell me—how do you want to die? Pick a quick one.”
“Gu Cang Yue!” Mo Ting Feng snapped.
His voice rang through the hall.
“This is Dust Warden Manor. You don’t get to run wild here.”
Gu Cang Yue threw his head back and laughed. He nodded to his captain of the guard.
The captain stepped forward and unfurled an Upper Realm decree, reading aloud:
“By the mandate of Heaven, the Heavenly Venerable issues this edict: the disappearance of the White Robe Venerable of Dust Warden Manor is grave, far-reaching, and may disturb the peace of the Dream Realm. Therefore, Lord of the River of Oblivion Gu Cang Yue is hereby ordered to assist Realm Lord Qin Huan as Case Supervisor in this matter. May the truth be found swiftly, and peace maintained under heaven!”
The decree ended.
The Council Hall fell into stunned silence—then subtle, startled looks passed between grievance-breakers.
Forget the Upper Realm. Even the Realm Lord never interfered with Dust Warden Manor’s investigations. What was happening?
Yes, White Robe’s disappearance was serious—but serious enough for a Case Supervisor to be appointed? Unheard of.
Gu Cang Yue wore triumph like a crown, eyes bright with provocation as he stared at Mo Ting Feng.
“I am the Case Supervisor for White Robe’s disappearance,” he said. “Of course I will come and go from your manor. Yet the Dust Warden Official calls it ‘running wild’—is that contempt for the Case Supervisor, or an attempt to defy an order?”
The two faced off, and the air in the hall tightened until it felt hard to breathe.
Gu Cang Yue’s wicked reputation was known to all, and he was favored by the Upper Realm besides. If he decided to twist this into a charge before the Heavenly Venerable, Mo Ting Feng could have ten mouths and still fail to defend himself.
But Mo Ting Feng was not the type to bend. His spine was iron. He would rather shatter like jade than bow.
If these two truly clashed, both sides would bleed.
Ding He Ran understood all of that. He steeled himself and stepped forward.
“Lord Cang Yue,” he said, forcing calm, “it was my fault. I failed to recognize the Case Supervisor’s identity. Since you came for White Robe’s disappearance, we’re on the same side. Please, take a seat. Let us discuss the case together.”
Gu Cang Yue’s brows lifted, his gaze turning dark and amused. “When lords are speaking, since when does a subordinate get to interrupt?”
The words hadn’t even finished leaving his mouth when he struck.
A crushing force blasted Ding He Ran backward. He slammed to the ground, back hitting hard enough to rattle bone. He tried to rise—and spat blood.
“He Ran!” Song Wei Chen shouted, scrambling toward him.
The image of him saying I’ll protect you flashed through her mind. He was one of the few people here who had treated her well. She couldn’t just watch him get hurt.
“Are you okay?” she demanded, panic shaking her voice.
Ding He Ran shook his head, struggling. Ye Wu Jiu rushed in, and together with Song Wei Chen, they hauled him upright.
But Ding He Ran’s eyes were fixed on Mo Ting Feng, fear naked there. He shook his head urgently and choked out, “Dust Warden Official!”
Mo Ting Feng had already unleashed his sword aura avatar, power rising like a storm.
In his own manor, with his own people injured—this was intolerable.
Across from him, Gu Cang Yue’s luan-bird avatar unfurled as well, violent and arrogant, as if he meant to tear Dust Warden Manor to the ground.
Song Wei Chen’s scalp went cold.
No, no, no. She had to stop this. If they fought, it would explode into something uncontrollable. If it dragged in higher authorities, and someone looked too closely…
Losing her job would be the least of it. If her identity as the White Robe case suspect was exposed, she was finished. And if someone even more ruthless than Mo Ting Feng arrived to interrogate her…
She didn’t even want to imagine it.
“Lord Cang Yue!” she screamed, sprinting straight at him. “It’s me! Don’t fight!”
Ding He Ran tried to grab her, but he was too slow. His heart lurched.
She had no cultivation. No power. Gu Cang Yue could kill her with a flick of his fingers.
In sheer panic, Ding He Ran coughed up another mouthful of blood.
Song Wei Chen grabbed Gu Cang Yue’s sleeve. “Can we talk privately for a second?”
Then she shot Mo Ting Feng frantic looks. Calm down. Please.
“Insolent!” Gu Cang Yue’s captain barked, drawing his blade.
Gu Cang Yue lifted a hand.
The captain froze.
Gu Cang Yue leaned closer, eyes narrowing. White Robe—yet the figure before him looked like a man. Confusion flickered, then he inhaled, sensing the aura.
It was her.
Understanding dawned. An illusion-veil restriction.
His expression softened at once.
“Fine,” he said lightly, the edge of his power withdrawing. “Let’s talk privately.”
He dismissed his avatar and smiled at her—soft, almost gentle.
The room collectively forgot how to breathe.
Ding He Ran clutched his chest and coughed, eyes wide. The Lord of the River of Oblivion… smiled?
He could smile like that?
Song Wei Chen dragged Gu Cang Yue toward a corner. Gu Cang Yue let her tug him along with surprising patience. Behind them, Mo Ting Feng withdrew his own avatar, face dark, gaze fixed on their clasped sleeve as if it offended him personally.
The entire atmosphere had shifted so abruptly neither side knew what to do with themselves.
Were they still fighting?
Both groups stared at each other, baffled. Waiting for an answer. Urgent.
Song Wei Chen opened her mouth—
“Achoo!”
Her sneeze cut the moment clean in half.
Gu Cang Yue’s gaze sharpened with concern. “What’s wrong? Are you ill?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Song Wei Chen sniffed, then glared up at him. “Why are you here? And why make such a huge scene?”
“I came to find you,” Gu Cang Yue said, smiling as if this were the simplest thing in the world. “If I didn’t make it loud enough, how would Dust Warden Manor release you?”
Song Wei Chen went speechless.
Granduncle… is this really how you “find” someone?
If you make it any louder, someone will die. Then the people above will investigate, and once they dig up that I’m a suspect—
You’re not taking me away. You’re sending me away.
She swallowed her panic and forced the words out.
“Can you stop making a scene?”