Wu Shattered Star River

“Thwack!”

On Mount Ascendancy, within the Hall of Inquiry, a crisp slapping sound echoed in a dark room.

Han Jinmao, in a fit of rage, slapped the middle-aged man with all his might, sending him flying. The man crashed heavily against the wall before collapsing to the ground.

The middle-aged man climbed to his feet, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked at the furious Han Jinmao with a smile.

He grinned and said, "Jinmao, apart from when we were young, this is the first time in so many years you've hit me."

With that, the middle-aged man ran a hand across his face, revealing a mask he removed to expose an aged face – it was Han Shiqi.

Han Jinmao looked at Han Shiqi with icy eyes, suppressing the anger in his heart as he said, "Han Shiqi, if you want to die, don't drag me down with you, don't drag the entire Han family to be buried with you."

Han Shiqi ignored Han Jinmao, swaggered over, sat down on a chair, picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and said, "Jinmao, don't be so hot-tempered. I'm doing this entirely for you, for the sake of the entire Han family."

"For me? For the Han family?"

Han Jinmao laughed in extreme anger, his voice growing even colder. "For the Han family, you colluded with the Skywolf Hall? Letting Yun Fei administer poison was one thing, but now you dare to betray the whereabouts of Zuo Yiyi and the others? Sending the two Wolf Kings to ambush the Godslayer Squad?"

"Now that Ling Yunmeng is acting recklessly, the Cloud Dream Pavilion is willing to fight the Skywolf Hall to the death. I have no confidence in this battle. If things go wrong, our Han family will be buried with the Cloud Dream Pavilion."

The angrier Han Jinmao became, the more he pointed at Han Shiqi and said, "After your Mountain Sea Divine Altar was shattered, I knew you were hurting. All these years, you've indulged in pleasure, eating, drinking, gambling, harming so many young women, embezzling so many Xuan Stones. Have I ever said a word to you? How many times have I secretly cleaned up your messes?"

"Those things are in the past, but now you're colluding with outside enemies to harm the Cloud Dream Pavilion? How can you be so muddle-headed! Don't you know the saying, 'When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact?' If the Cloud Dream Pavilion is destroyed, our Han family is finished."

"Finished?"

Han Shiqi sneered a few times, his expression suddenly turning ferocious as he roared, "Lin Feng is dead, my lineage is already finished. If I don't join forces with the Skywolf Hall, your lineage will be finished sooner or later."

"Jinmao, can't you see the situation clearly? Old Yun and Old Lu's prestige within the pavilion has greatly diminished. Old Xiong and Old Yan have completely sided with Ling Yunmeng. Some hall masters, deputy hall masters, and stewards within the pavilion have secretly sided with Ling Yunmeng."

"Furthermore, the Seven Fiends Prefecture will definitely send people this time to take Zuo Yiyi, Qi Bing, Jiang Han, and Xiong Jingjing away. The Fourth Prefecture Lord even gave Ling Yunmeng two spots."

"That's six people. If these six people go to the Seven Fiends Prefecture, as long as two or three of them rise up, they will become strong reinforcements and backers for Ling Yunmeng. Will there still be a place for you in the Cloud Dream Pavilion then? In less than five years, you will all be driven out of the Cloud Dream Pavilion!"

Han Shiqi's words silenced Han Jinmao.

What Han Shiqi said was the truth. Just now, within the Cloud Dream Pavilion, the Third Elder and Fourth Elder had clearly expressed their stance, completely siding with Ling Yunmeng.

The Second Elder and Fifth Elder, because of Yun Fei and Lu Heng, now had almost no voice within the pavilion. His faction's prestige had greatly diminished, and he was alone and unsupported.

If Zuo Yiyi and the others were taken to the Seven Fiends Prefecture, gained a foothold in the Seven Fiends Prefecture, and received a large amount of resources for cultivation, they would soon soar to great heights, and the possibility of breaking through to the Mountain Sea Realm would be very high.

If two or three of them quickly rose up, became high-level experts in the Mountain Sea Realm, and possessed a certain influence in the Seven Fiends Prefecture, then he would indeed have no say in the Cloud Dream Pavilion in the future. Ling Yunmeng would have absolute dominance.

Han Jinmao was silent for a while, then sighed and said, "These are not reasons to collude with outside enemies. As I said before, when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact."

"You're wrong!"

Han Shiqi stood up, grinned, and said, "Jinmao, I've already had a good talk with the Skywolf Hall. This time, they only want the Dragonfall Mine. They promise to only kill Ling Yunmeng and Qi Tiandu, and sign an alliance with us, promising not to attack the Cloud Dream Pavilion for thirty years."

"Think about it, with Ling Yunmeng and Qi Tiandu dead, who can stop you from becoming the new Pavilion Lord? With thirty years of peace, you can work hard to build a new and powerful Cloud Dream Pavilion."

"Hmm?"

A gleam flashed in Han Jinmao's eyes, greatly tempted.

He paced back and forth in the dark room, thinking for the time it takes two incense sticks to burn, before he asked, "Who did you contact on the Skywolf Hall's side?"

Han Shiqi said a name: "Jin Wanli!"

"The eldest son of the Golden Wolf King?"

Han Jinmao was stunned. After receiving confirmation from Han Shiqi, a look of determination appeared in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "Then go contact Jin Wanli again and have him report to the Golden Wolf King that I need to meet with the Golden Wolf King in Dark City."

"Good!"

Han Shiqi's face immediately lit up with a bright smile. He got up, patted Han Jinmao's shoulder, and said, "Jinmao, you've been smart since you were a child. This decision is incredibly wise. The Han family will rise in your hands and lay the foundation for eternal prosperity."

Han Jinmao was expressionless, waved his hand, and said, "Go, be careful and don't give yourself away. Be quick, and meet before Ling Yunmeng returns. Arrange everything for the meeting in Dark City, and don't leak any information."

"Don't worry, I'm going!"

Han Shiqi nodded. After putting on the mask, he instantly transformed into a different person. He quickly walked out, descended Mount Ascendancy, left the South City, and merged into the bustling crowd of the South City.

… …

… …

Deep within the Heavenly Fox Mountain Range, in a secluded valley, there was a small hot spring. A young man slowly opened his eyes.

"Ugh…"

The young man let out a comfortable murmur. He vaguely blinked his eyes, recalling the scene before he fainted in his mind.

He remembered that the ribs in his chest were broken, and the bones in his legs and feet were also fractured.

And then… it seemed that the little fox's tail suddenly split into three, burned one tail, and bit his collarbone with its small mouth, turning into a white light to take him away?

The little fox was too fast, and his injuries were too severe. When the little fox dragged his body forward, he fainted due to the severe pain and woke up here.

"Where is this?"

Jiang Han twisted his head and found that he was soaking in a hot spring. At this moment, his whole body was warm and exceptionally comfortable.

"My injuries have actually recovered for the most part?"

Jiang Han was even more surprised when he sensed it. Could the water in this hot spring be a sacred medicine? His injuries, which were so severe, had actually healed for the most part, and even the broken bones had begun to heal.

He twisted his body and sat up, looking around.

He found that he was in a small valley. The scenery of this small valley was very good, with a cluster of lush bamboo forest, as well as many colorful small flowers, and the ground was covered with green grass.

"There's a wooden house?"

The little fox's cry came from the wooden house, and then the little fox's body turned into a white light and flew over, drilling into the hot spring and licking Jiang Han's face with its tongue.

"Little fox, thank you!"

Jiang Han wanted to reach out and gently stroke the little fox's head, but it affected the wound, and he gasped in pain.

Jiang Han glanced at the wooden house and asked the little fox, "Little fox, is there anyone in the wooden house?"

The little fox blinked its eyes, first nodded, and then shook its head.

Jiang Han was confused when he saw it. After thinking about it, he gritted his teeth and stood up. The bones on his legs had almost healed. Although Jiang Han would be in great pain when walking, he could barely walk.

Jiang Han took out two healing pills from the space ring and swallowed them for a moment, thinking and slowly walking towards the wooden house. He wanted to see if there was anyone in the wooden house. If this place was owned, he wanted to thank him in person.

After walking for the time it takes half an incense stick to burn, he arrived outside the wooden house. He sensed it and found that there seemed to be no one inside.

He pushed open the door and slowly walked in. As expected, there was no one inside, and there was also a decaying aura, as if no one had lived here for a long time.

The wooden house was very small, with only a small hall and a room. The furnishings in the living room were also very simple, with only a table and two benches, as well as some decorations.

Jiang Han paused for a moment and walked into the room next door. As soon as he entered the door and glanced around, he was struck by lightning, his body trembled violently, and tears couldn't stop flowing down his eyes.

He saw a painting in the inner room. In the painting was a beautiful woman in a white dress.

The woman's appearance was exactly the same as Jiang Han's mother, Yan Qin!