160: Chapter 160 Spreading

For so many years, the reason the Cui Clan has been able to enjoy long-term stability and manage this Deep Water Harbor is precisely because there has been a Grandmaster holding down the fort in every generation.

Logically speaking, with a Grandmaster like Grandmaster Luo Dingpeng taking action, the Gale Pirates should have exercised some restraint, no matter what.

After all, the Gale Pirates are, in the end, just a group of pirates and do not have any Grandmaster-level powerhouses.

Perhaps there is the reason that Grandmaster Luo Dingpeng is not putting in his full effort, but even so, it shouldn't have caused the situation to deteriorate to this extent.

In his view, either the Gale Pirates have birthed a Six Viscera Grandmaster, or there is some other force behind them.

Watching Cui Ruiyuan leave, Pei Qingyun slowly withdrew his gaze and muttered to himself, "I wonder who Ancestor Yuhuan will send this time."

Not long after leaving the small courtyard, Cui Ruiyuan summoned the clan Elders.

Originally, only a few of his trusted Elders knew of Pei Qingyun's arrival. Now, to spread the word, those Elders who were not of one mind with him were undoubtedly a good Breakthrough point.

He could even use this opportunity to clear out a batch of Elders who were at odds with him.

It could be called killing two birds with one stone.

However, these were all matters for later.

Under Cui Ruiyuan's intentional propagation, in less than half a day, everyone in the Cui Clan, from the Elders down to the lowest servants, knew of Pei Qingyun's arrival.

Not to mention the secret agents planted by other forces within the Cui Clan.

Upon receiving the news, the secret agents couldn't wait to pass it on.

Cui Ruiyuan saw all of this.

In the past, he hadn't paid much attention to this point.

At this moment, he realized that the Cui Clan had long been riddled with holes due to infiltration.

They say a thousand-mile embankment collapses from an ant's nest.

The passing of the Cui Clan's Grandmaster was merely a catalyst.

In fact, the interior of the Cui Clan had long since rotted away unknowingly.

And he, as the Clan Chief, had not noticed.

All along, he had prided himself on being a competent Clan Chief. Now it seemed that in the eyes of other forces, he was just a joke.

The next day.

The news of Pei Qingyun's arrival spread like wildfire among the major forces in the vicinity of Deep Water Harbor.

Regarding Pei Qingyun and the Pei Clan, the major forces were actually quite unfamiliar.

The Wuyang Pei Clan rose very quickly and had a certain reputation, but that was limited to within Jinhuai Prefecture.

Once outside Jinhuai Prefecture, only a few allied families had any understanding of the Wuyang Pei Clan.

Not to mention, Deep Water Harbor is located in the sea area on the edge of Heyuan Prefecture.

There is very little intersection here with Jinhuai Prefecture.

Facing the arrival of an external force, the other two major veteran third-rate families did not feel a sense of urgency.

What the Cui Clan had encountered over the past six months really didn't have much to do with the two families; at most, they provided some intelligence.

But even so, they still had a sense of unease.

For this reason, they specifically sent people to inquire about intelligence on Pei Qingyun and the Pei Clan.

Likewise, the Gale Pirates located on the island also received the news on the second day.

On a small island a hundred miles west of Deep Water Harbor.

As the only pirates in the Deep Water Harbor area, Yuwen Kuang had multiple strongholds, and this island was just one of them.

The ancients said, a cunning rabbit has three burrows.

He, Yuwen Kuang, could live until now only because he was more cautious than a rabbit. For this reason, he would arrange special sentries on every island he occupied.

Once someone attacked, he would be able to evacuate at the first opportunity.

Up to now, Yuwen Kuang had relied on this to escape multiple crises.

The sun hung high.

A small passenger ship sailed rapidly toward the island against the sea breeze.

If someone observed carefully, they would be able to find that the sail of this small passenger ship was hung with a red skull logo.

Before long, the small passenger ship stopped at one end of the island's ferry, and a middle-aged man slowly walked down.

The island's sentries also seemed to recognize the middle-aged man's identity.

They did not stop him, but instead bowed respectfully to the middle-aged man.

Soon, the middle-aged man came to a stone house on the island.

At this time, a young man in his thirties walked out of the stone house.

And this young man was Yuwen Kuang.

Yuwen Kuang teased, "Clan Chief Hu, didn't you always complain that my temple was too small to accommodate you? What wind blew you to me today?"

The middle-aged man curled his lips and retorted mockingly, "Brother Yuwen, you really know how to joke. In this Deep Water Harbor, Brother Yuwen is famous; who doesn't know you? With my small strength, I can't even stand on the stage in front of Brother Yuwen."

Yuwen Kuang restrained his smile and said with a serious expression, "Clan Chief Hu, you are too modest. Tell me, what is the matter that brings you here?"

The middle-aged man said indifferently, "What matter? Brother Yuwen, you probably don't know yet. Just yesterday, Cui Ruiyuan invited another Grandmaster from outside the prefecture to come to this Deep Water Harbor."

Yuwen Kuang's expression was grave, and he asked coldly, "A Grandmaster from outside the prefecture? What exactly is that old thing Grandmaster Luo Dingpeng doing? He didn't even investigate such important intelligence."

The middle-aged man explained, "This matter cannot be entirely blamed on Grandmaster Luo Dingpeng. It is said that there is a young lady in the direct line of the Cui Clan who married into the Family of this Grandmaster from outside the prefecture, but there isn't actually much of a marital relationship between the two families. Cui Ruiyuan finding this connection was completely accidental."

"However, there is one point that puzzles me. Cui Ruiyuan is suddenly so high-profile; it doesn't look like his usual style of doing things at all."

Yuwen Kuang responded, thinking thoughtfully, "Oh, you mean that this matter was deliberately leaked by that Grandmaster from outside the prefecture."

"Yes. Not only that, Cui Ruiyuan also announced afterward that in half a month, the maritime transport of Deep Water Harbor will be opened again."

Yuwen Kuang narrowed his eyes, a strange look appearing in his eyes, "This Grandmaster's style of doing things is so high-profile; it is clear that he does not take me seriously. By the way, have you investigated the background of this Grandmaster from outside the prefecture?"

The middle-aged man frowned and slowly explained, "Currently, we have only investigated that this Grandmaster from outside the prefecture is named Pei Qingyun, and he broke through to the Six Viscera Realm last year. As for the Family this Grandmaster belongs to, it seems to be a third-rate family in Jinhuai Prefecture."

Yuwen Kuang said, "A third-rate family, Early Stage Six Bowels Realm. You must investigate these two points clearly; I don't want to provoke a second-rate Family for no reason."

The middle-aged man said, "I will naturally verify this matter. If we provoke a second-rate Family, then don't talk about you, even my Hu Family won't have an easy time. I came here mainly to give you a heads-up."

As the matter fermented, first-hand intelligence on Pei Qingyun and the Wuyang Pei Clan also appeared in the hands of the major forces.

Although they obtained first-hand intelligence on the Pei Clan, they still seriously doubted the authenticity of the intelligence.

Especially Pei Qingyun, breaking through to the Six Viscera Realm at the advanced age of over eighty, felt unbelievable to them.

Who could break through to the Six Viscera Realm at such an old age?

Not to mention, the Wuyang Pei Clan seemed to have leaped from an ordinary third-rate family to a top-tier third-rate family with a Grandmaster holding the fort in less than a year.

If there was no support from forces behind them, who would believe it?

After their repeated verification, the investigation results showed that the Wuyang Pei Clan indeed had no external support.