"I will inspect the remains before they are sealed away," Madam Li said coldly. She spun on her heel and marched back out the heavy wooden doors into the sunlit courtyard.
Steward Wang and Gu Chen quickly followed behind her, and Gu Fan, who was playing the part of the obedient servant, trailed closely.
Outside the Council hall, at the end of the stairs, a cart stood in the centre of the courtyard, surrounded by nervous guards.
Madam Li elegantly climbed down the stairs before she stopped in front of the cart as her eyes narrowed when she saw the mutilated remains of Chen Long wrapped in a rough straw mat.
"What has become of the Gu Clan?!" Madam Li whispered, and her words made Steward Wang flinch, "A guest is murdered right under our noses! And you tell me the night patrols saw absolutely nothing?!"
Steward Wang fell to his knees, trembling violently, "Madam! The night was dark! The Bai Clan assassin... he must be a peak stage Spirit Realm cultivators. Or maybe higher."
"He was a ghost!"
"Even master Chen was no match for them."
Madam Li scoffed, pacing in front of him with a haughty, disdainful sway of her hips.
Gu Fan however as he watched her move was highly amused. He knew perfectly well that beneath those thick purple robes, her body was still exhausted from the massive load he had pumped into her just this morning.
"A ghost?" Madam Li sneered, "Or perhaps the Gu Clan has gone so down the drain that there are only good for nothing idiots being fed by us."
Gu Chen stepped forward, attempting to salvage his image in front of the watching guards, "Matriarch. Please, do not damage your health with anger. I will take full responsibility for tracking down the assassin."
Madam Li didn't even look at him. She visibly stepped away from him, her face a mask of utter contempt, "Do not flatter yourself, Gu Chen. Just focus on pacifying the Chen Clan people and the envoys that will soon arrive. I do not have the patience for your grandstanding today."
She turned back to the cart, wrinkling her nose at the smell of dried blood, "You there," she ordered, pointing at Gu Fan, "Remove that straw mat. I want to see the carving myself."
Gu Fan bowed low. He reached out with dirty, soot-stained hands and pulled back the straw.
Chen Long's lifeless face was revealed. The massive sword wound through his heart was dried and black.
The bloody words "GIFT FROM BAI CLAN FOR GU CLAN, THE IMPOTENT PIG" stood out starkly on his pale, fat chest.
Madam Li stared at the words on his chest for a long second.
"Impotent," she whispered, a strange, bitter laugh escaping her lips as she stole a glance at Gu Chen beneath his hat, "It seems the men in this world are failing everywhere."
"I have seen enough!" She turned away, pivoting haughtily on her heel to leave the courtyard.
But as she took a step, Gu Fan subtly shifted his weight. He planted his coarse, dirty boot firmly onto the long, trailing hem of her expensive purple robe.
Madam Li saw Gu Fan put his foot on her robes out of the corner of her eye, but she said nothing, secretly thrilling at what he was about to do.
As she moved forward, the silk snapped taut.
"Ah!"
Madam Li was pulled back as she stumbled backward, losing her balance completely.
Gu Fan lunged forward with calculated speed. As his strong arms shot out, catching her securely by the waist and pulling her body against his broad chest in front of the entire courtyard.
"Mother! Careful!"
Madam Li's breath hitched as her breasts pressed against his solid chest, and a spark of violent thrill shot up her spine.
Now she knew exactly what he was doing, and she eagerly played along.
[Ding! The host already has a Yin-Yang Plunder multiplier. Cannot plant a parasite]
Gu Fan read the system notification and was slightly taken aback. So he can either use the Parasite or have sex with them and have the Yin-Yang plunder?
What if he planted the parasite first?
Can he not make a move on Gu Ling now?
As he held her boldly in his arms, and his hand gripped her waist, just the warmth of his body was enough to send butterflies through Madam Li's chest.
Madam Li remained frozen in his arms, as she inhaled the smell of his sweat, her primal instincts began to flare up.
She looked up at the "dirty servant" holding her so brazenly in public. It's true that she suggested that they played this way, but the sheer audacity of him holding the untouchable Matriarch just so he could dominate her in front of Gu Chen and the guards sent a massive rush of wetness straight between her thighs.
She stared at him, her chest heaving against his, desperately trying to maintain her icy facade while her core throbbed.
Gu Fan looked down at her, as his green eyes met her gaze, looking at her like a wolf staking its claim.
Madam Li gasped, her face flushing deep red as she hastily pushed herself out of his arms and took a step back before her knees gave out.
"What are you doing?!" Madam Li said with her voice trembling slightly, perfectly masking her intense arousal as furious outrage.
On the side, Gu Chen who was looking for any excuse to vent his pent-up frustration and secure some face, rushed forward.
"You clumsy fool! You dare soil the Matriarch's robes? Do you want to die?"
Gu Chen didn't care for an answer and his palm flared with Spirit Qi. He was not being casual this time like that time of Gu Ling's breakthrough.
He thrust his hand forward, aiming a lethal, bone-shattering strike right at Gu Fan's chest.
But even with the impending death closing on him, Gu Fan stood perfectly still, as his eyes turned cold.
SMACK!