The color drained from Yu Mian's face as his eyes finished scanning the last line of the invitation.
For a moment, time seemed to still. The air grew heavy, the silence deafening.
The guard, unaware of the contents, finally dared to speak. "Master Yu… is everything alright?"
Yu Mian slowly folded the invitation with deliberate calm, but his knuckles were white.
Then, suddenly, he snapped.
"Prepare the carriage—now!" he barked, his voice sharp like a whip crack.
The guard beside him jolted and ran with all his might to obey the order. In his panic, he nearly dropped his spear.
Yu Mian gritted his teeth, his hand tightly clutching the now-folded invitation. 'I must report this immediately to the Clan Leader and the Deputy Clan Leader.'
But just as he turned, a thought crossed his mind.
That beggar child, he turned back to the gate and waved at another guard standing nearby.
"You! Find the beggar who delivered this letter. I don't care if you have to comb every slum in Heaven Dou City, bring him to me! I need to know who gave him this invitation."
The second guard saluted and bolted toward the city's inner districts.
Yu Mian's expression was grim, his brows furrowed deep with worry.
"If this information spreads... the damage to the Clan's honour will be irreversible. This must be dealt with before any gossip reaches the court or, worse, Spirit Hall."
---
Meanwhile…
A similar scene played out at another corner of the city.
In front of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan Pavilion, a crisp breeze stirred the air as morning sun warmed the paved streets.
It was supposed to be an uneventful day. Merchants passed by, spirit masters moved with calm discipline, and servants went about their routines.
But fate had other plans.
A servant had received a curious letter, one sealed with the insignia of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Unsure of its contents, it had been brought forward. However, there was a special visitor that day, as if it was a coincidence.
Ning Fengzhi, the newly appointed leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had arrived at the Heaven Dou City pavilion for inspection, a rare visit.
Ning Fengzhi was a young man with refined features and a gentle, scholarly demeanor. His long robes, embroidered with silver and blue thread, moved gracefully as he walked. Yet behind the serene exterior, his mind was always calculating.
Having taken over the Clan after the passing of his father, he had quickly gained a reputation—not only for his diplomatic skill and talent-spotting but also for his decisiveness.
At that very moment, Ning Fengzhi stood in the meeting hall of the pavilion, surrounded by advisors and staff. He held the open invitation in one hand, reading it silently.
The air grew tense.
'Yu Xiaogang… and Liu Erlong?'
'Both of them… from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?'
His calm eyes narrowed slightly.
He passed the letter to his aide without saying a word, then turned to the man standing by his side—Yang Ru, the head of the Pavilion. A bald man with an average appearance, Yang Ru was not of the Ning bloodline, but his loyalty and capability had earned him his post.
Ning Fengzhi's voice, though soft, was filled with meaning.
"Find the person from whom this letter came. This invitation... it's not normal. It could cause tremors within the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan itself."
Yang Ru bowed immediately. "Understood, Clan Head. I'll dispatch the servants at once."
Ning Fengzhi stood by the window for a moment, gazing out toward the bustling streets of Heaven Dou City.
He placed one hand behind his back, the other slowly stroking his chin in thought. After a brief pause, his calm voice broke the silence.
"Send word to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan branch," Ning Fengzhi said to the aide standing nearby. "Deliver this letter with haste and ensure they confirm its authenticity."
The aide didn't hesitate. "Yes, Clan Leader," he replied respectfully before swiftly leaving the hall.
Before the echoes of his footsteps could fade, a deep, gravelly voice interrupted the stillness.
"Fengzhi… does this marriage really warrant such attention from you?"
The voice came from a shadowed corner of the hall. An intimidating figure stepped forward into the light.
He was tall to a monstrous degree, nearly 2.5 meters in height, with skin like stretched parchment over an iron frame. His body bore the ravages of time, his muscles dry and withered, and only a few wisps of white hair clung to his otherwise bare scalp. His eye sockets were sunken like hollow caves, giving the impression of a walking corpse animated by sheer force of will.
This man was Gu Rong, better known by his title: Bone Douluo, one of the few titled Douluo in the entire continent, standing proudly at Rank 93. His martial soul, Bone Dragon was as terrifying as his appearance.
Though his body seemed to be wasting away, the aura he exuded was suffocating, the kind that could freeze the blood of lesser soul masters with a glance.
He had only recently joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, brought in through Ning Fengzhi's careful solicitation, along with his old companion, Sword Douluo. Despite his fearsome appearance, Gu Rong had always possessed a sharp mind and a deep curiosity about clan politics, especially ones as delicate as this.
Ning Fengzhi gave a faint smile in response to the elder's question, though the curve of his lips was touched with solemnity.
"It's not the marriage itself, Elder Gu," he replied evenly, "but rather... the implications of it."