"How much do you know about this Dragon Emperor Hall?"

Fang Shuwen proceeded to explain the situation in detail.

However, with so many people present, Fang Shuwen left out the details concerning Zhuji Pavilion, planning to discuss them with Yu Yaoguang in private later.

Yu Yaoguang nodded.

"This is a serious matter. While the Eastern Domain Martial World has never forbidden practitioners from other domains from entering our lands, if they dare to act so wantonly here, they can’t blame the Seven Eastern Sects for retaliating without mercy."

"Zhai Xing, in my name, draft a letter to the other six sects explaining this matter with the Dragon Emperor Hall."

"Tell all the sects to be on guard against this group of skulking individuals."

"Yes. I will carry out your order."

Zhai Xing rose and replied, then glanced at Fang Shuwen before speaking again.

"There is one other thing the Sect Leader should know..."

Yu Yaoguang replied with a single word:

"Speak."

Zhai Xing then recounted the entire incident from beginning to end: how Fang Shuwen had clashed with Shi Meng of Wentian Mansion at the Mountain God Temple, ultimately killing him.

Fang Shuwen was stunned. He never imagined Zhai Xing would bring this up now.

He looked up at Yu Yaoguang and found her watching him with an unreadable smile.

He felt an inexplicable sense of embarrassment, like a friend had just blabbed one of his dark secrets.

After Zhai Xing had finished, Yu Yaoguang nodded slowly. Her expression betrayed nothing as she began to speak.

"Shi Meng stirred up trouble, falsely accusing Fairy Su Yue of Zhuji Pavilion and Young Hero Fang of having an improper relationship. He even dared to launch a violent attack. He truly deserved to die."

"Furthermore, Young Hero Fang is a benefactor of our Yuqing Pavilion. We cannot simply ignore this matter."

"Zhai Xing, in the letter to Wentian Mansion, add a line mentioning that Young Hero Fang is currently a guest at our Yuqing Pavilion."

"Yes."

Zhai Xing nodded at once.

The incident with Shi Meng could be considered a big deal, but it could also be seen as a small one.

The crux of the matter was that Shi Meng had been in the wrong. While Fang Shuwen’s response had been merciless, it was an act of self-defense. Even if he’d gone a bit too far, the entire event wouldn’t have occurred if Shi Meng hadn’t attacked first.

Yu Yaoguang telling Zhai Xing to add that line to the letter was a subtle message.

She and Yuqing Pavilion were both on Fang Shuwen’s side.

This message couldn’t be too explicit, however, or they would appear overbearing.

As one of the Seven Great Sects of the Eastern Domain, Wentian Mansion had its reputation to consider.

Shi Meng had certainly brought shame upon himself, but a message that was too blunt would only alienate Wentian Mansion. If that led to a truly ugly confrontation, the aftermath would be difficult to manage.

Fang Shuwen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He had intended to handle his feud with Wentian Mansion on his own and never expected Zhai Xing to take it to heart like this.

The rest of the meeting was spent discussing how to respond to a potential joint attack from the Hundred Ghosts Hall and the Dragon Emperor Hall.

Planning their countermeasures and course of action was Lan Yue’s forte. She laid out a clear and logical strategy covering every angle, leaving the others to simply nod in agreement.

But as she concluded, Lan Yue sighed.

"Unfortunately, we don’t know their exact location. If we did, we would have the strategic advantage, able to attack or defend as we see fit."

Hearing this, Fang Shuwen knew the disciples sent out earlier that day had failed to find the enemy’s base of operations.

As he was pondering where they might be, a familiar sound suddenly reached his ears.

His eyes instinctively darted toward the entrance of the hall.

Yu Yaoguang’s brow furrowed slightly.

"Who is brazenly galloping a donkey through my Yuqing Pavilion?"

With her years of experience in the Jianghu, she had a sharper ear than Fang Shuwen and could clearly distinguish the sound of an approaching donkey from that of a horse.

The others were still wondering what she meant when the sound of CLIP-CLOPPING hooves arrived right before them in an instant.

A small, gray-and-white donkey charged into the hall at a speed that would put a galloping horse to shame.

Its eyes scanned the crowd, and to everyone’s surprise, they could see a desperate urgency in its gaze. A glance at its back revealed the reason for its haste.

There was a person slumped over its back.

The man was covered in blood, clearly suffering from grievous injuries.

The little donkey spotted Fang Shuwen in an instant, darted over to him, and dug in its four hooves, skidding to an abrupt halt.

With a WHOOSH, the person on its back was flung through the air.

Fortunately, Fang Shuwen had quick reflexes and managed to snatch him out of the air.

Although the man was still unconscious, the catch had uncomfortably squeezed his neck, and he instinctively gagged.

Fang Shuwen gently placed him back on the donkey. It was Chen Yan.

Puzzled, he looked at the donkey.

"What happened?"

The donkey’s eyes glazed over with confusion. It started walking in circles with Chen Yan on its back, bucking its hind legs in frustration.

If it could speak, would it still be a donkey?

Fang Shuwen realized his slip of the tongue. The problem was, this donkey was so intelligent that he often forgot to treat it like a simple animal.

After motioning for the donkey to calm down, Fang Shuwen got up to examine Chen Yan’s injuries.

A moment later, he breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Don’t worry, they’re all superficial wounds."

"He’s unconscious, likely from blood loss... Seniors Zhai Xing and Lan Yue, does Yuqing Pavilion have any healing supplies?"

"We do."

Zhai Xing and Lan Yue nodded in unison, pulling out several bottles of various sizes from within their robes.

They quickly introduced them: one was "Muscle Regenerating Powder," another was "Hemostatic Dew," and so on.

Fang Shuwen asked them to help staunch Chen Yan’s bleeding while he circulated his own Inner Strength to rouse him.

Seated high on her chair, Yu Yaoguang stared at the donkey and suddenly shook her head gently.

"Heaven-Reaching Pavilion."

After a flurry of activity from the group, Chen Yan slowly began to stir.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Fang Shuwen, rubbing his neck with a look of profound misery.

"This damned beast... It loves to mess with me."

"We were just fooling around and ended up stumbling right into the Hundred Ghosts Hall’s headquarters..."

"It was a close call; I was nearly turned into a roasted flatbread."

"Strange... why does my neck hurt so much?"

Fang Shuwen had to struggle to keep from laughing. He figured Chen Yan must have been beaten silly.

’Isn’t the donkey the one that should have been turned into a pastry?’

’Since when did he have the potential to become one, too?’

Hearing this, however, Zhai Xing’s eyes lit up.

"The Hundred Ghosts Hall’s headquarters? Where?"

Just moments ago, Lan Yue had been lamenting that they didn’t know the location of the Hundred Ghosts Hall’s headquarters, and now Chen Yan had returned, grievously wounded but with that very information.

It truly felt like a blessing from the heavens.

Fang Shuwen, meanwhile, looked at Chen Yan’s injuries, his expression thoughtful.

Once Chen Yan had explained everything, Lan Yue quickly devised a new strategy.

With her report finished, the council meeting came to a close.

After a few more words of encouragement from Yu Yaoguang, Fang Shuwen finally rose to take his leave, calling Xu Wenwan to join him.

’This mission has dragged on long enough,’ he thought. ’It’s time to finish it.’