After three days had passed since the Gu Yue clan/Bai clan meetings, ten elders - five from Gu Yue clan and five from Bai clan - gathered on a small hill outside the Xiong clan for a discussion.
The Punishment Hall Elder of Gu Yue clan noted, "It's strange that they let us in without any suspicion, as if they had nothing to hide."
An elder from the Bai clan speculated while sifting through multiple Message Gu, "Perhaps they were only clearing out spies and didn't want any of them to escape. Now that they're done, they don't have to worry about us."
Gu Yue Mo Chen added to the discussion, "But it's still peculiar that they persist in trading their Gu for earth path Gu."
Chi Lian chimed in, "What's even more strange is that every mortal or gu master in the village looks at us with narrowed eyes and walks away when we inquire."
⸻Two days earlier⸻
"Xiong Clan! We demand that you open your gates!" The three Bai clan elders had been standing outside the Xiong clan gate for ten minutes, slowly growing more and more frustrated as the guards on the wall did nothing.
Just then, Gu Yue clan elders Mo Chen and Chi Lian arrived at the scene. "Oh, are you guys also here about the strange behavior of the Xiong clan?" asked Chi Lian.
The leader of the three Bai clan elders spoke up, "Indeed, we have been demanding that they open the gate for ten minutes, but with little success." Although they could have easily jumped over the wall, the three elders didn't want to be perceived as attackers by the Xiong clan.
Chi Lian looked up at the top of the wall and saw a gu master lazily sitting on a chair with his head down. "Hey, you up there! Open the gate!" she shouted.
However, there was no response from the gu master.
"We've already tried that. It seems like he's asleep," observed one of the Bai clan elders.
Mo Chen disagreed, "There's no way he's asleep when we're yelling at him. He's obviously faking it." As he spoke, he activated another Message Gu and sent it to the mail department in the Xiong clan.
⸻
Xiong Xin sat on his chair, frowning as he read the sixth Message Gu from the Gu Yue clan. "Assistant! What have the elders said about this?" he called out.
His assistant rushed into the room, gasping for breath. "They said everything will sort itself out, and we should be patient," the assistant reported.
Xiong Xin shrugged his shoulders and poured himself another cup of tea. "I'm confident that the elders know what they're doing," he thought to himself.
⸻Xiong clan head chamber⸻
"001, what's our next move?" asked Xiong.
After successfully refining a Gu, 001 replied, "The sleeping guard strategy will only be effective for two more days."
"Fortunately, that's all the time we need to complete Project 'A Unified Fabrication'," said Xiong.
"And more importantly, prepare for the big attack," added 001 with a cunning smile.
⸻Normal Time⸻
Chi Lian spoke up. "While it's clear that they're concealing something, it's unclear what our next move should be. We've benefited greatly from our recent trade with the Xiong clan. Should we cease our dealings with them in hopes of slowing down their efforts? And what if their positive trade with us was only a smokescreen to divert our attention from their true intentions? In other words, a false lead," he voiced his concerns.
Everyone nodded their heads, carefully considering their options.
Suddenly, Mo Chen received a Message Gu. After reading it, he paused for a moment, with a look of bewilderment on his face. "They're digging large moats in random locations," he said, confused.
As the group exchanged perplexed looks, a Message Gu suddenly landed on the lap of a Bai clan elder, interrupting their thoughts. The elder's expression turned to terror as he read the message, causing his eyes to widen in alarm.
"Lightning wolves are attacking the Bai clan!" he exclaimed, leaping from his seat and dashing toward his clan's territory. The others followed suit, their faces etched with concern.