Chapter 72 Part 1

Yu Qingxian held a wine glass, standing tall and elegant. As a well-bred young master from a prominent family, he wore a luxurious custom-tailored suit and sported a perfectly measured smile on his face as he mingled with his grandfather and Big Brother Yu among the heavyweight guests.

His temperament leaned toward aloofness, but in such a social setting, it didn’t stand out. One was steady and reserved, the other cool and perceptive—elders who had met them all praised the Yu Patriarch for having worthy successors.

As for the Yu Family’s good-for-nothing eldest son, no one would mention him on a day like this. That would just be asking for trouble for the hosts! Even business rivals wouldn’t be so tactless!

Suddenly, Yu Qingxian looked up toward the crowded garden in the distance. For some reason, he felt as if a gaze had landed on him?

Thinking of the person he had been privately anticipating since the welcoming started that morning… Yu Qingxian lowered his eyes, his lips pressing into a bitter line. The other man had no intention of coming at all—what was he hoping for?

The Yu Patriarch naturally asked about Chu Yi too. For some reason, Yu Qingxian replied, “He said he had some urgent business come up and might not make it, but he already sent his birthday gift ahead of time.”

“Oh.” The Yu Patriarch nodded, unquestioning.

He and Chu Yi had kept in private contact, and since Chu Yi’s attitude was so respectful, the Yu Patriarch already regarded him as a friend despite the age gap. Without a second thought, he chided his youngest grandson, “You brat, why didn’t you say so earlier?”

What if he misunderstood the man?

Yu Qingxian lowered his head. “There was too much going on today, Grandpa. You didn’t ask, so it slipped my mind.”

Just then, other guests came up to chat. The Yu Patriarch, dressed in festive Tang-style robes, turned to greet them and had no time to press further. Yu Qingxian breathed a sigh of relief.

On the other side, Ouyang Yuyuan froze after overhearing their conversation. How did Cousin Xian know Yi Ge had sent a gift? He hadn’t even brought it out yet!

Had they been in touch beforehand?

“Heh heh heh, Cousin Xian…” Ouyang Yuyuan sidled up to his cousin with a wink.

“What?” Yu Qingxian’s cool phoenix eyes turned to him.

“What kind of secret code are you and Yi Ge playing?”

Yu Qingxian: “Don’t ask about things that aren’t your business.”

“…” Ouyang Yuyuan muttered under his breath, “Even the way he scolds people is the same.”

And they claimed there was nothing going on between them?

“A’Yuan, you’re not helping entertain the guests and just muttering to yourself?” Yu Fengqing passed by in a whirlwind and glanced at him curiously.

“Nah, Second Cousin Sister, I’ll go greet guests right now.” Ouyang Yuyuan bolted like smoke. He still needed to find Yi Ge!

Ouyang Yuyuan searched the Mansion and the Banquet Hall but finally found Chu Yi and his two buddies in a corner by the pond in the Back Garden.

At that moment, Chu Yi stood on a stone platform in the center of the Lotus Pond, prying open the water-spouting ornament on top of it to peer inside.

Ouyang Yuyuan gasped. “Yi Ge, what are you doing?”

He instinctively glanced at the guests behind him. Fortunately, a row of neatly trimmed rose bushes blocked the view somewhat, avoiding too much impropriety… but a few guests had noticed the oddity here and looked over curiously.

Ouyang Yuyuan shot a look at Li Yunkai and Mu Jiajun: Why aren’t you two blocking for him?

Mu Jiajun rolled his eyes at him and mimicked Chu Yi’s serious expression. “Yi Ge said your family’s Feng Shui Bureau is off. He suspects someone took advantage of the lax security during the Yu Patriarch’s birthday to tamper with things.”

“What tampering?” Ouyang Yuyuan jumped in fright. Before he could ask more, Chu Yi had already fished out a foul-smelling Yin Banner with a bamboo pole.

The thing was made from some kind of unprocessed animal skin—fetid, blackish-red, wrinkled, and covered in symbols drawn in dark blood. Just looking at it sent chills down the spine.

Chu Yi jumped back to the pond’s edge from the stone platform, his thick brows furrowing deeply. “Hurry and notify the Yu Patriarch. This is the array base for a Yin-Gathering Evil-Raising Array. There must be more setups elsewhere in the Mansion. If we don’t find them fast, no one is getting out alive today…”

Before he finished speaking, a man dressed as a server dropped his tray and drew a Poisoned Dagger from behind, slashing at Chu Yi.

Chu Yi kicked the dagger flying with one foot, then delivered a backhand chop to the man’s neck, knocking him out. But it wasn’t over—more killers converged on him, not just servers but guests mixed in the crowd too.

“Ah—” A lady who witnessed it screamed.

Others panicked. “What’s going on? Why are they fighting?”

“Yi Ge…” Ouyang Yuyuan and the other two hesitated, unsure whether to stay and help Chu Yi or go notify the Yu Patriarch.

“I’ll handle it here! Go!” Chu Yi roared. At the same time, a Copper Coin whistled out sharply, clearing the fastest escape route for the three amid the killers’ retreat.

Ouyang Yuyuan and the others didn’t dare delay and turned to run.

While fending off the intruders, Chu Yi racked his brain recalling the sect records on Yin-Gathering Arrays. If he remembered right, the mastermind wanted to sacrifice the lives in this Mansion and a Xuan Arts Master’s soul to nurture a powerful Ghost King or Yin Fiend.