The one who had just spoken had addressed the Gu family head directly by name—it could only be the head of the Bai family himself! Bai Xiongqi!

Unlike his son—no, his daughter, as it turned out—who had made such an arrogant entrance, this man’s arrival was every bit as brazen; his voice arrived before he did, calling out to demand answers from the Gu family head directly, deliberately skipping over Jun Beiyue entirely.

Only then did the hall gradually begin to quiet down. Bai Feiyao whipped her head around to see her father arriving belatedly with a group of men.

The head of the Bai family was well into his forties, tall and broad-shouldered, with fierce, angular brows, and a look of savage ferocity about him.

And yet, being the head of a family, he moved quickly onto the platform, cupping his fists in a bow to the two Qin-Se Elders. “Elders, apologies—I was delayed by matters and sent Feiyao ahead to the banquet alone. My sincerest apologies for arriving only now!”

Ziqing watched coldly, sneering inwardly. This family head certainly had good manners—but if he had such manners, why hadn’t he shown up sooner?

He’d clearly rushed here in a hurry, travel-worn and urgent.

Courtesy, in truth, was the most powerful weapon of all. Once you treated someone politely, anyone with even a shred of decency simply couldn’t bring themselves to be rude back!

Faced with such courteous behavior from the head of the Bai family, even the two Qin-Se Elders, whatever complaints they might have had, would now have to voice them politely.

“No need to apologize, Family Head Bai. Someone, bring another seat,” the Qin Elder said, equally courteous.

But unexpectedly, the head of the Bai family struck first, saying earnestly, “I only just arrived at the gate and heard my son had been causing trouble with some drinking game and refusing to concede. What exactly happened here?”

Bai Feiyao glanced at her father, then immediately lowered her head, saying nothing further.

“Family Head Bai, your son has truly… ah!” The Qin Elder trailed off, unable to finish, his expression full of disappointed reproach.

The head of the Bai family flew into a rage at once. “Bai Feiyao! You’ve thoroughly disgraced the entire Bai family—get out of here at once!”

Bai Feiyao didn’t dare so much as glance at her father, hurrying away immediately.

“Elders, everyone—my foolish, ill-mannered son has embarrassed us all before you. This old man will punish himself with three cups of wine, and offer his apologies regarding the fire as well!”

With that, the head of the Bai family strode straight to Bai Feiyao’s vacated seat and drained three full cups, one after another, his manner humble and utterly sincere.

For the head of the mighty Bai family to show such humility—it truly commanded respect!

This was the bearing, the composure, of a true master of a great house!

But what exactly had he meant by that first remark just now?

Ziqing waited, and Jun Beiyue waited too, giving nothing away.

After the three cups, the head of the Bai family finally turned to look directly at the Gu family head—and his tone shifted abruptly, turning sharp, cold, entirely uncourteous. “Gu Jun, since when did your Gu Shi become a lapdog of the Yu Shi? Even if Feiyao was wrong to refuse to concede, the two Qin-Se Elders were already there to see justice done for Yu Xiao. What business did Jun Beiyue have drawing his sword?”

At the word “lapdog,” the Yu family head’s face went instantly pale with fright, while the Gu family head slammed the table and shot to his feet. “Bai Xiongqi, watch your mouth!”

Jun Beiyue sneered coldly. “So it turns out Family Head Bai’s courtesy was reserved only for Qinse Valley, only for everyone else present here—not for the Yu Shi at all!”

“You—!” Bai Xiongqi found himself momentarily at a loss for words. Jun Beiyue’s remark cut deep with irony, exposing the man’s hypocrisy for exactly what it was.

“Since you’ve so sincerely apologized on your daughter’s behalf for her dishonorable conduct, surely your apology to Yu Xiao ought to be even greater. I merely stepped in on behalf of the two Qin-Se Elders to see justice done for the Yu Shi. Was that wrong of me?” Jun Beiyue pressed further.

Beside him, Ziqing cut in, impatient. “Why bother with all these excuses? What I hate most is exactly this kind of person—putting on airs of magnanimity, self-righteously punishing themselves with a few cups, and the moment that magnanimity threatens to embarrass them, immediately turning around and picking a fight instead.”

Ziqing sneered coldly. “I’ll say it plainly, Family Head Bai—your hypocrisy is nauseating.”

“You—! You insolent girl!” Bai Xiongqi nearly choked with fury, his aged face flushing pale then red in turns. “Insolent girl, you have no right to speak here!”

Jun Beiyue said coldly, “And you, old man, have even less right to speak here.”

“This family head came to speak with the master of the Gu Shi household. What exactly are the two of you? Don’t tell me the Gu Shi has already changed hands—taken on the surname Jun now?” Bai Xiongqi shot back.

The implication behind those words was heavy indeed. Bai Feiyao’s secret dealings with Jiang Chen and Gu Meiting, and the Gu family’s internal troubles, had clearly already reached the Bai family’s ears!

That single phrase—”taken on the surname Jun”—carried immense weight.

“Jun Beiyue is this old man’s adopted son, and the young master of the Gu Shi. All Gu Shi affairs are handled on my behalf by Jun Beiyue. Bai Xiongqi, whatever you have to say, say it to my adopted son,” the Gu family head said cleverly, deflecting Bai Xiongqi’s challenge with those four words—”handled on my behalf.”

“Adopted son? This old man doesn’t recognize that. I recognize only those who bear the surname Gu! Gu Jun, if you have no true heir, then step forward yourself and give this old man a demonstration of your skill, to liven up this gathering!” the head of the Bai family said coldly.

Under normal circumstances, no matter how formidable the head of the Bai family’s own abilities, he would never have dared openly challenge Gu Jun like this.

And yet here he was, doing exactly that. The crowd was stunned—had the Bai family head’s vine techniques improved significantly?

Over all these years, across several major contests on Liuxian Isle, he had never once bested Gu Jun!

That, after all, was the main reason the Gu family had managed to hold onto Liuxian Mountain for so long!

Such an open challenge was truly unprecedented, and the crowd’s anticipation surged at once.

A dark, sinister flicker crossed the eyes of the head of the Bai family, his chin raised as he surveyed the crowd with open arrogance.

Jun Beiyue had dared to publicly expose Feiyao as a woman—he would make Gu Jun pay for that debt with his life!

Once Gu Jun died, Jun Beiyue could go ahead and inherit the position of young master of the Gu Shi—but he’d have to drop the surname Jun and take on the surname Gu instead!

Otherwise, Gu Meiting would certainly make a scandal of this, take it straight to Da Zhou—there were plenty of people in Da Zhou with agendas of their own. Even without proof, Jun Beiyue would end up unable to secure his footing on either side.

And then, wouldn’t control of the Gu Shi simply fall right back into Madam Gu and Gu Suying’s hands?

With Bai Feiyao’s own scheme having fallen apart, the head of the Bai family had decided to step in personally—he refused to believe Gu Jun and Jun Beiyue could keep up this arrogance forever.

Under normal circumstances, Gu Jun would never have feared such a thing, would never have allowed Bai Xiongqi to issue such a challenge without answering it directly himself!

But now, he had only thirty percent of his internal power left.

Just as he was searching for an excuse to shift the burden back onto Jun Beiyue once more, Ziqing spoke up, sounding displeased. “Family Head Bai, how can you say such a thing?”

Bai Xiongqi, momentarily baffled, shot back, “What exactly have I said?”

“You’ll allow your own daughter to be heir of the Bai Shi, but you won’t allow a daughter of the Gu Shi to be heir?” Ziqing shot back.

Bai Xiongqi had been carefully referring to Bai Feiyao only as “my son, my son” all along, clearly trying to sidestep the whole matter of her true identity, avoiding the subject entirely—but Ziqing had gone and raised it loudly, directly.

That question left Bai Xiongqi with no choice but to answer.

Bai Xiongqi conceded the point, then shot back, “Don’t tell me Gu Jun intends to pass the position of family head down to his own daughter, then!” “This is a private matter of the Gu Shi household—Family Head Bai, you have no right to know about it. What I’m telling you is simply this: the Gu Shi is not without an heir bearing the Gu surname. In fact, there are two. The eldest young lady isn’t here, but the second young lady is.”

Ziqing’s words were plainly pushing Gu Suying forward. Gu Suying flinched violently, genuinely terrified now.

Jun Beiyue watched Ziqing’s earnest expression, a flicker of doting affection crossing his eyes. Smiling, he pulled her close and sat back down.

The Gu family head had already left everything in Jun Beiyue’s hands. Since the head of the Bai family didn’t consider Jun Beiyue qualified, then let Gu Suying step up instead.

Such simple logic—why waste so many words on it?

The Gu family head, of course, had no idea what Ziqing’s real intentions were. He simply assumed she was doing this to shut Bai Xiongqi up, pushing Suying forward, and he certainly wouldn’t let her suffer for it!

He immediately adopted an air of haughty confidence, borrowing Ziqing’s own words, and declared, “This old man never fights a defeated foe. Suying, this is all yours now!”