Chapter 84 Hodu's Disillusionment Charm and the Poison Bee Valley Conspiracy
Harry cleared his throat and abruptly changed the topic, which could be considered giving Hodu a way out.
Hermione certainly wouldn't be like this.
Every time Ron bragged, she would always back him into a corner until he had nothing to say, and finally lift her chin and let out a huff, as if showing mercy by letting him off.
Hodu naturally understood what Harry meant, but he didn't follow up on it.
Since he couldn't remember the incantation, he simply wouldn't use one.
His lips moved slightly without making a sound, and with a casual lift of the withered wand in his hand, he pointed it at himself.
The next second, Hodu completely vanished from the sight of Harry and the others.
Several of them froze completely, staring blankly at the spot where he had been.
The expression on Hermione's face was particularly wonderful.
The slight pride she had been holding onto shattered completely in an instant.
Not long after, Hodu reappeared in his original spot.
"Do you believe it now? I'm certainly not fooling you."
He smiled at them, and watching their dumbfounded appearance, a trace of smugness flashed in his eyes.
"You... you actually learned it successfully!"
Hermione cried out, her voice sharpening a bit.
She never expected that what Hodu said wasn't a joke at all.
"Of course it's true.
When have my words ever been false?
I've been studying it all along, you just didn't notice."
Hodu spread his hands, looking very calm and composed.
"I have something to do, I'm heading back to the dormitory first."
Hermione hugged her books tightly, her cheeks burning slightly.
Thinking of her questioning just now, she felt both embarrassed and truly unable to accept it, so she turned and hurried away.
Hodu then looked at Harry and Ron.
These two were still standing there like wooden posts, their expressions completely unchanged.
Hodu shook his head, suddenly understanding a bit why so many people in his past life liked involution.
Turns out that achieving something big at a certain moment and shocking everyone really felt quite satisfying.
Meanwhile, outside Hogwarts Castle.
Albus Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Snapestood together, their gazes all falling on the distant Forbidden Forest.
"Is it really as exaggerated as you say?" Snape spoke with skepticism, "A single Troll, worth us making such a big fuss?"
In the present Magical World, Wizards already held the dominant position.
As long as one figured out the weaknesses of an ordinary Troll, an adult Wizard was enough to handle it, and the Professors of Hogwarts had even less reason to take it seriously.
Yet Dumbledore's expression was exceptionally heavy, uncharacteristically solemn.
Professor McGonagall was also looking at him.
She had only heard from Hagrid that there was an extra Troll in the Forbidden Forest, and as for just how powerful that thing was, she was equally unaware.
"Its strength is terrifying, not ordinarily terrifying." Dumbledore shook his head slowly, "I have seen Giants make a move, but even they cannot compare in strength to that Troll.
It is probably not an ordinary Troll, and we cannot simply treat it as a Troll."
"Could it be related to the one that broke into the school some time ago?"
After hearing this evaluation, Professor McGonagall finally realized that the matter was not simple.
This was the first time she had heard Dumbledorepersonally utter the word "terrifying," and she immediately recalled the previous Troll incident at the school.
A total of two Trolls had appeared back then.
One of them had already been captured by them and was later sent back to the Forbidden Forest by Hagrid.
As for the other one, they had only heard students and that impostor mention it, and had never actually seen it from beginning to end.
If not for the students speaking with such absolute certainty, they might have even regarded that Troll as something made up.
It left not a trace, as if it had suddenly popped up and then disappeared without a sound.
"I had Hagrid take the portrait of the Troll to ask those students." Dumbledore said indifferently, "They all confirmed that the Troll in the portrait is the very one they saw that day."
Because of this, he was worried.
How on earth did that thing enter and exit Hogwarts?
This meant that there was likely a passage hidden in the school that they hadn't discovered yet.
If it sneaked into the Castle quietly, the consequences would be unimaginable.
As for the origin of the first Troll, they had indeed figured it out.
Snape had learned from Quirrell that Quirrell found an excuse to send Filch away and then secretly let the Trollinto the school through the front doors.
Professor McGonagall frowned tightly: "But that Trolldidn't look like it had such great strength.
It couldn't even break free from the binding spell."
"Perhaps it encountered some changes in the Forbidden Forest." Dumbledore could only guess thus.
It wasn't that he hadn't thought of Hodu.
After all, the person who originally turned into Quirrell and rushed into the Great Hall to tell Snape that a Troll had appeared in the school was none other than Hodu.
However, this slight connection was not enough for Dumbledore to conclude that the Troll was related to Hodu.
Perhaps it was just a coincidence.
Furthermore, Dumbledore didn't think Hodu could turn himself into a Troll.
No matter how powerful Transfiguration was, there were boundaries it could not cross.
He himself was proficient in Transfiguration, and before serving as Principal, he had even been a TransfigurationProfessor earlier than McGonagall.
Therefore, he was very clear that Wizards could not rely on Transfiguration to turn into magical creatures; this was an ironclad rule.
Transfiguration could not twist a person into a magical creature and then let them recover back to their original form without any damage.
If anyone could actually pull that off, they would most likely have touched upon the very essence of magic.
Yet even Dumbledore felt that there was a bottomless abyss separating him from that step.
While Dumbledore and the others were still getting headaches over Hodu's affairs, Hodu and the others were already eating their meal.
Students were still not allowed to leave the common room, and could only have House-elves deliver the food.
Just when they thought the matter ended here, unexpectedly, close to curfew, the House prefects suddenly woke all of them up and led the students in order toward the Great Hall.
Catching sight of the sleeping bags laid out on the floor, Hodu immediately understood that they would have to make do for the night in the Great Hall.
Quite a few students were completely clueless, not knowing what had happened.
But given the expressions on the Professors' faces, anyone could tell something was wrong, so a wave of discussions quickly broke out in the Great Hall.
Professor McGonagall did not spell out the truth.
There was no need to make the students tense up like the Professors.
They gathered the students together because they still couldn't find any trace of the Troll.
The doors of the common rooms indeed had magical protections, but they might not necessarily stop that Troll.
Rather than letting the students stay in their respective houses, it was better to gather them all in the Great Halland have the Professors keep watch through the night.
If the Troll really showed up, the Professors could lead the students to evacuate in an orderly manner.
Otherwise, they would have to notify each house one by one, and by then things would truly descend into chaos.
Hodu felt somewhat gloomy.
This matter was probably stirred up by himself, so he could only honestly endure it.
When sleeping on the cold, hard stone slabs, he especially wanted to go straight back to the villa and lie down on that soft, fluffy big bed.
The night passed without any accidents.
The school temporarily lifted restrictions on students, allowing everyone to move around freely, though approaching the Forbidden Forest was still strictly prohibited.
Early in the morning, Hodu yawned and returned to the dormitory to catch up on sleep.
Fortunately, he had Tough Skin, so he didn't wake up with a sore back and aching waist like Harry and the others.
By the time he woke up, it was already two or three in the afternoon.
Harry and the others had long since run off goodness knows where to play.
Hodu went straight to Kyoto.
Over there, night had already fallen.
He was starving, so he first ordered takeout by phone, and then started playing games with Xuanwu.
It was already very late, so he didn't plan to go look for Huo Yunqi, deciding to leave it for tomorrow.
Hodu ate snacks while accompanying Xuanwu to play games for a whole day.
These games were not the same as the ones he used to play; even the games had changed along with people.
However, the core was similar, and playing them was quite interesting.
When tired of playing, he could even go swimming.
Where could one find such comfortable days at Hogwarts?
By the time Hodu returned to Hogwarts, the morning light was already dawning over Kyoto.
Put another way, he had essentially pulled an all-nighter.
After experiencing yesterday's episode, Harry and the others were immensely envious of Hodu's ability to freely enter and exit Hogwarts.
But Hodu had long since explained that the Disillusionment Charm could only work on oneself.
No matter how envious they were, he couldn't help them.
After coming back, Hodu collapsed straight onto the bed.
Having played for a whole day, he was indeed quite exhausted.
While Hodu was sleeping, in the courtyard of an elegant Teahouse in Poison Bee Valley, Bai Chen, the eldest of the Bai Family's direct lineage, was sitting in the main seat, receiving a distinguished guest.
The visitor was none other than Yu Dongshan, the eldest of the Yu Family's direct lineage.
He wore a black long gown, but no matter how one looked at it, he had nothing to do with being scholarly or refined.
A full beard, a flat face, thick eyebrows, and the muscles beneath his clothes were bulging fiercely, as if they might split the garments apart if he wasn't careful.
The eldest direct heirs of the two major prestigious families sitting here inherently represented their respective families.
Yu Dongshan appearing in Poison Bee Valley was personally invited by Bai Chen.
Just yesterday he had talked with Huo Yunqi.
Their conversation was full of laughter, but as soon as Huo Yunqi left, the smile on Bai Chen's face completely vanished.
Huo Yunqi relayed the conditions offered by Hodu to him, with a very tough attitude, giving him only one day to consider.
This made Bai Chen extremely displeased.
A mere fifth young master of the Huo Clan, how dare he use that tone to speak with him?
Ordinarily, Huo Yunqi didn't even have the qualification to sit in front of him.
Now, relying on having something in his hands, he actually dared to utter harsh words.
Even though Huo Yunqi controlled what the Bai Family wanted, Bai Chen could not accept that these words came out of Huo Yunqi's mouth.
If the eldest of the Huo Clan had said it, Bai Chen might still have listened.
But Huo Yunqi would not do.
Therefore, he immediately contacted the Yu Family, inviting the Yu Family over to discuss a major matter.
Bai Chen remembered very clearly.
That day during idle chat with Huo Yunqi, Huo Yunqi had quite smugly mentioned that the Yu Family was also eyeing the blood in his hands, but had never been able to take it away.
Bai Chen had remembered those words back then, and now they happened to come in handy.
Of course, more importantly, he and Huo Yunqi couldn't reach an agreement.
The Bai Family possessed the True Dragon remains, but was unwilling to hand them over.
No matter how precious the things in Huo Yunqi's hands were, the True Dragon remains were one of the top treasures in the Bai Family treasury.
If it were exchanged for other conditions, the Bai Family could readily agree immediately, but the True Dragonremains alone would not do.
But when all was said and done, the root cause of not wanting to give it up wasn't just reluctance.
Huo Yunqi was not qualified enough.
This wasn't some arrogance, but a fact laid out on the table.
The premise of an equal transaction was that both parties possessed commensurate strength.
The Huo Clan had this qualification, but Huo Yunqi did not.
Having the fifth young master of the Huo Clan step forward for this matter highly likely indicated that the Huo Clan was completely unaware and had not intervened.
It was simply that Huo Yunqi himself had set his sights on the Bai Family's True Dragon remains; otherwise, the eldest of the Huo Clan wouldn't have failed to come.
That being the case, Bai Chen harbored other thoughts.
Yet Huo Yunqi after all hailed from the direct lineage of the main Huo Clan branch.
Making a move against him was tantamount to slapping the Huo Clan in the face.
For the sake of face, the Huo Clan could not let it go easily.
Therefore, Bai Chen needed the Yu Family as an ally.
Of course they could also talk directly with the Huo Clan, but once the Huo Clan learned that Huo Yunqi was hiding such a thing in his hands, they would never agree to let the Bai Family and the Yu Family split the benefits.
After all, the one who wanted to use the True Dragonremains was Huo Yunqi, not the entire Huo Clan.
Now that the Bai Family and the Yu Family had joined forces, once the items were truly in hand and the matter was settled, even if the Huo Clan came looking for trouble, their two families could withstand it.
And the Huo Clan probably wouldn't completely fall out with the Bai and Yu families just for something already lost that could never be retrieved.
In the end, they could only swallow this grievance and secretly keep score.
Being a prestigious family himself, Bai Chen understood the ways these families operated very well.
When the strengths of both sides were close, or the opponent was slightly weaker, face overrode interests.
If the opposite side was far too strong, interests would take precedence over face.
Heh.
When had there ever been few frictions among the five major prestigious families?
Every single family had a thick ledger of old debts in their hands.
The grudges between the Bai Family and the Yu Familywere also not few, but these minor conflicts did not prevent them from plotting together now.
"Once we get our hands on the item, I want eighty percent."
"Impossible, at most fifty-fifty."
Yu Dongshan's face was full of anger as he slapped the stone table with his palm, almost overturning it.
"I kindly brought you along to share a sip of soup, yet you treat yourselves like masters?" Bai Chen sneered, "And you didn't even stop to think why Huo Yunqi sought out the Bai Family instead of your Yu Family."
"Then there's nothing left to talk about.
At worst, we'll each do our own thing."
Yu Dongshan ignored these words and directly snapped back.
"If your Yu Family is really that capable, why don't you go slaughter Zhongkang as well?"
He wasn't afraid of Yu Dongshan's threats at all.
Neither Bai Chen nor Yu Dongshan was stupid; everyone knew that partnering up yielded greater profits.
The current war of words was merely a contention for benefits.
The two direct heirs bickered back and forth, arguing until their faces and necks were red.
The prestige and propriety of the prestigious families that they usually emphasized were now completely gone, looking as if they had already torn off their masks.
When the division of shares was finally settled, the two of them quietly picked up their teacups again, their faces piled high with smiles once more.
"Brother Bai, this tea is indeed not bad."
"Since Brother Yu drinks it habitually, I'll have a few boxes prepared for you when you leave."
"Haha, how could I be so gracious."
"Just a few boxes of tea leaves, what do they count for?
We are all descendants of prestigious families; we should naturally interact more and look out for one another.
If Brother Yu doesn't have enough, just send someone to fetch them, and I as your brother will definitely have them prepared and sent to your esteemed manor."
Without any conflict of interests, the two of them instantly became affectionate brothers, looking just like extremely close friends, completely unable to be recognized as having hurled curses at each other just moments before.
"Brother Bai, what do you plan to do then?
Do you have any arrangements?
The Yu Family can also cooperate."
"Let's set it in this Teahouse."
Bai Chen put down his teacup, his tone plain, "I'll lure him over, smash a cup as a signal, and then we strike together."
The crux of this matter was not on Huo Yunqi to begin with.
The Bai and Yu families had already united, and a single Huo Yunqi couldn't amount to much at all.
The subsequent trouble was not even as big as their previous argument.
Of course, to deal with Huo Yunqi, why would both families need to act simultaneously?
Their joint action was mainly to share responsibility together, and also to show that they stood on the same side.
"Haha, good." Yu Dongshan laughed, "The truth serum will be prepared by the Yu Family.
This is a newly formulated thing of ours; drinking it immediately feels as painful as being burned by fire, yet a person cannot move a bit, and can only honestly confess."
Of course, this wasn't a real truth serum, just a name used.
The effect could be considered Dark Arts, quite a bit inferior to Crucio, but it was enough to use.
"That couldn't be better." Bai Chen gave a thumbs up, "Who doesn't know that the Yu Family's Potions are top-notch."
Unlike the Bai Family, the Yu Family had been researching blood for a very long time, nearly mobilizing the power of the entire clan.
Yet until now, they still hadn't figured out what on earth that blood originated from.
Compared to the blood itself, they wanted to know the secrets within it even more.
When Hodu woke up, it was already around four or five in the morning.
It wasn't bright outside yet, but having slept long enough yesterday morning, he had no sleepiness upon waking up.
He simply changed his clothes and used Apparition to go to the Kyoto villa.
Over at his hometown side it was already noon, and Hoduhappened to go out to eat.
He picked a Teahouse and ate dim sum alone.
Sitting by oneself was somewhat boring; surely he couldn't actually bring Xuanwu out with him.
Perhaps during the summer vacation, he could invite Harryand the others to travel here.
With magic, traveling back and forth would be much more convenient.
Hodu sipped tea, leisurely finishing the exquisite meal, feeling exceptionally comfortable, as if he were living a retirement life ahead of schedule.
After returning to the villa, to aid digestion, he played a few intense games with Xuanwu again.
Only after finishing did he remember that there was serious business to attend to today.
Hodu immediately activated Treasure Perception, preparing to find Huo Yunqi's location and teleport directly next to him, sparing himself the trouble of walking.
"Eh?"
He suddenly uttered aloud.
Huo Yunqi, who had just been in Kyoto a moment ago, had his location suddenly jump to the southwest direction.
Apparition on this side of his hometown was similar to Europe, also having distance limits.
Jumping directly from Kyoto to the southwest, placed in the British Magical World, was almost indistinguishable from cross-country or cross-border teleportation.
Ordinary Apparition could hardly achieve that, after all, nobody else possessed Hodu's ability to go anywhere.
It seemed a Portkey was used.
Hodu touched his chin; that location was clearly the Bai Family territory, Poison Bee Valley.
Why Huo Yunqi was there, the answer was already very clear.
It was just unclear whether the Bai Family had agreed or not.
Since it happened to coincide, Hodu naturally had to go over and listen in.
Chapter 85: The Indecent Assault Disturbance in the Teahouse
Hodu first transformed his appearance into that of the lackey beside Huo Yunqi, then cast Apparition, quietly arriving at the commercial street of Poison Bee Valley.
There were many Wizards coming and going on the street; he stood among the crowd, swept a glance around, and quickly found Huo Yunqi.
Huo Yunqi was following right behind an adult Wizard. That person was responsible for leading the way, turning sideways every few steps to converse with Huo Yunqibehind him.
Hodu did not rush to approach, but stayed in place, watching them walk toward him step by step.
The Bai family Wizard leading the way brought Huo Yunqitoward Bai Family Village, and Huo Yunqi raised his eyes inadvertently, just in time to see Hodu ahead. He paused his steps, obviously having already guessed the other party's identity.
"Why did you run all the way here?"
Huo Yunqi stopped, his tone sounding quite casual.
"Came to buy some things."
Hodu figured he would be able to recognize him, but since he was currently wearing the identity of a lackey, his attitude could not be too presumptuous, and he naturally carried a bit of respect when speaking.
The Bai family Wizard looked at Hodu and asked in confusion, "Who is this?"
"My brother." Huo Yunqi didn't even lift his eyelids much, "Since we ran into each other, let him come with us."
Finished speaking, he gave Hodu a wink.
The expression of the Bai family Wizard changed abruptly, and he was obviously quite unwilling inside, "I'm afraid that's not very appropriate; today's matter is not convenient for outsiders to participate in."
"What outsider?"
Huo Yunqi's expression sank, and the unhappiness in his tone could no longer be suppressed.
That Wizard's heart tightened, and he re-examined Hodu. Seeing that he was not old and looked like a student in school, it seemed there was nothing to guard against, so he finally relaxed a little and squeezed a smile onto his face again.
"Since Mr. Huo has said so, naturally there is no problem."
Huo Yunqi blinked at Hodu, and Hodu nodded in understanding, obediently following behind him. The three continued on their way and entered the Bai family's territory before long.
"Brother Bai Chen called me over this time; he should have considered things clearly by now, right?" Huo Yunqiseemed to be asking the person leading the way, but actually, he was saying it specifically for Hodu to hear.
The Bai family Wizard hurriedly shook his head, "I am only following orders to do things, and I really don't know about the matters Mr. Huo mentioned. When you see Young Master Bai later, you can ask him yourself."
Seeing that he couldn't ask anything out, Huo Yunqi didn't continue to pester. He never expected someone responsible for running errands to know much anyway.
Walking for a while longer, they stopped in front of a Teahouse. Although it hung the sign of a Teahouse, the interior was divided into many quiet and elegant small courtyards; if one wanted to listen to tunes, they had to spend extra money.
This place also belonged to the Bai family. The courtyard raised a batch of girls who had practiced the zither since childhood but lacked Wizard talent, relying on them to receive guests and play tunes for entertainment on usual days.
"The two of you sit down and drink tea first, I'll go invite Young Master Bai."
The Bai family Wizard led the two into the courtyard, personally brewed a pot of tea, picked up the cups and respectfully delivered them in front of them, and only then turned and left.
Waiting for the person to walk far away, Huo Yunqiimmediately lowered his voice, putting away the casualness on his face: "Yesterday I already conveyed your conditions to Bai Chen. Whether the Bai family is willing to make this trade or not should be revealed today."
Hodu didn't say much, only replying with one sentence: "We'll act according to the circumstances at that time."
While speaking, he was sizing up the scenery in the courtyard. Those flowers and plants were obviously irrigated with Potion, and their growth was somewhat exaggeratedly good. The flowers were leaning against one another, as pretty as carefully placed plastic flowers, always maintaining the best state without showing any signs of fading at all.
More than ten minutes passed, Bai Chen did not show his face, and even the subordinates who were originally following nearby disappeared without a trace. The two were left hanging in the side courtyard just like that, as if they had been completely forgotten by people.
But they didn't know that in the neighboring courtyard, the eldest of the Bai family and the eldest of the Yu Familywere leisurely drinking tea.
"Almost time." Bai Chen put down his teacup, smiled slightly, "Have someone go over."
Someone in the courtyard immediately acknowledged it, then walked out to do the task. Bai Chen himself, however, sat steadily in his original place, with no intention of going over personally at all.
After another few minutes, Huo Yunqi's patience was finally exhausted. When had he ever suffered this kind of waiting? If the other party wasn't the eldest brother of the Bai family, according to his temper, he would have long since flung his sleeves and walked away.
Of course, Bai Chen's status was right there, and he truly had the qualification to make him wait. But today both sides came to discuss a trade, and it wasn't him coming to beg for a favor. Furthermore, it was clearly Bai Chen who sent people to invite him over, yet now they dumped the guests here—did they really think that putting on the airs of the eldest of the Bai family would allow them to manipulate people at will?
Just as Huo Yunqi was preparing to go out and take a look, there was suddenly movement outside the courtyard gate.
The one who came in was not Bai Chen, but a young woman.
She was carrying a teapot in her hand, and before she even reached the table, a faint fragrance floated over first. The woman was pretty and cute, with a smile at the corners of her mouth, a fair and flawless face, snow-white skin, spiritual eyes, red lips and white teeth, and just that appearance alone was enough to make people unable to look away.
She wore a pure white strapless dress, revealing a large area of snow-white shoulders, the hem of the skirt only covering the middle of her calves, and it was covered with a layer of transparent silk on the outside.
Not to mention Huo Yunqi, even Hodu was stunned for a moment. It wasn't that he had never seen women, but the woman before his eyes was too unrealistically pretty, as if she had walked straight out of a painting.
"Kept the two distinguished guests waiting long." The woman walked to the stone table, put down the wooden tray in her hand, and said with a smile, "I've come to top off the tea for the two of you."
She bent over and began pouring water for the two. Once the distance was close, the fragrance became even more obvious, and even her voice was somewhat excessively sweet.
Huo Yunqi looked with straight eyes, and his breathing involuntarily grew hurried. Hodu's condition was similarly no better, his heartbeat was terribly fast, and for a moment he couldn't care about pretending to be a gentleman.
After the hot tea was poured into the exquisite cup, the woman finally sat down. She picked up one of the cups, just about to hand the tea to Huo Yunqi, when her wrist suddenly trembled.
"Ouch!"
The teacup flew backward out of her hand, and the scalding hot tea splashed onto her body. The clothing over her chest was soaked through in an instant, and the exposed skin was scalded by the hot water, quickly turning red.
"Ah! So hot!"
The woman's face turned pale, her brows and eyes full of pain, and her voice sounded exceptionally pitiable.
"Are you alright?"
Huo Yunqi immediately stood up, casually pulled out a tissue from the edge of the table, and anxiously rushed to wipe away the water stains on her body.
Hodu widened his eyes, looking at this scene before him, only feeling that it was ridiculously familiar. He could almost recite this kind of plot in advance, and even couldn't help suspecting whether he was dreaming, or if the Bai family's Teahouse wasn't quite proper to begin with.
But before he could figure it out, Huo Yunqi had already approached with the tissue. However, the location where the water stain fell was extremely awkward; no matter how one looked at it, his wiping made it easy for people to misunderstand.
Whether it was because he didn't think too much in a rush or had other plans, Hodu was temporarily unable to judge.
The next moment, the woman's expression changed abruptly. As if she had suffered extreme fright, completely unable to care about the place scalded red just now, she fiercely grabbed Huo Yunqi's hand and shouted with a face full of terror:
"What are you trying to do?!"
At this time, Huo Yunqi also realized that his actions were indeed not very appropriate and was preparing to open his mouth to explain, but the woman had already stood up, covering her chest with one hand, tears rolling down her cheeks, and her voice suddenly raised high.
"Indecent assault!"
Chapter 86 Teahouse Setup and Counterattack
Not long after the woman's cries and screams sounded, hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.
Two figures rushed into the courtyard one after the other. One of them was precisely the long-overdue Wizard of the Bai Family, and the other person was not Bai Chen.
"What is going on here!"
As soon as the Bai Family Wizard entered, he saw Bai Weitightly grabbing Huo Yunqi's hand, crying with a deeply wronged expression.
The scene before him was simply too easy for people to misunderstand; his brows instantly knitted together, and his expression also sank.
It was only until this moment that Hodu raised his head, as if just waking up from a trance.
Fortunately, things were not quite the same as the scenario he had imagined in his mind earlier.
He turned his gaze to look at that Bai Family Wizard, his eyes carrying a somewhat strange look.
The other party appeared far too timely; as soon as the woman finished shouting, the person rushed in from outside, looking in every way to exude the scent of a pre-arranged setup.
Huo Yunqi also did not expect things to turn out like this, and hurriedly explained: "Don't misunderstand, I just wanted to help her treat her scalds, and didn't pay attention to that much earlier."
The Bai Family Wizard did not answer immediately, but instead coldly looked at Bai Wei.
"What he said is true?"
Bai Wei only then released Huo Yunqi's hand.
She raised her hand to wipe away her tears, but the tears seemed unstoppable, falling one by one from that fair and tender face.
She choked back a few sobs, putting on an increasingly miserable appearance.
"I... I was only kind-heartedly entertaining guests for Elder Brother, yet he took advantage of me... while I was scalded."
As these words fell, Huo Yunqi's expression changed on the spot.
Taking advantage of her?
Before he had time to retort, the Bai Family Wizard had already spoken angrily: "Our Young Master treated you as distinguished guests, and this is how you repay the Bai Family? How dare you bully my Young Master's own biological sister!"
Huo Yunqi was stunned upon hearing this, and reached out to point at Bai Wei, his face filled with sheer disbelief.
"She is a direct-line young lady of the Bai Family? How could this be possible! There are only a few core figures of the same generation among the Five Great Families, how come I have never heard of her?"
"She indeed possesses no magic talent, but she is likewise the Young Master's own biological sister."
The Bai Family Wizard's reply made Huo Yunqiimmediately sense something was amiss.
He turned his head to stare at Bai Wei, his gaze becoming much colder.
This woman was indeed pretty, and even though she cried pitifully at the moment, it was very hard for people to truly feel disgust.
But what he himself had actually done, he knew best in his heart.
Huo Yunqi snorted, and looked back at the Bai Family Wizard.
"Could it be that your Bai Family wants to fall out with us, the Huo Family, over a commoner?"
In the eyes of the Five Great Families, commoners had always been mere subordinates.
Regardless of how close or distant the bloodline, or how high or low the status, as long as they lacked magic talent, it was difficult to truly be treated as a core clan member.
Even if she was Bai Chen's biological sister, it would not change much because of this layer of relationship; at most, she would have a bit more status than ordinary commoners, and usually be in charge of some relatively important miscellaneous chores in the clan.
Huo Yunqi originally wanted to explain a few words, but upon hearing that Bai Wei was merely a commoner, he instead couldn't be bothered to waste any more breath.
Even if he really did something, based on his status, he wouldn't stoop to bowing his head and admitting a mistake.
"Miss Bai is not an ordinary commoner," the Bai Family Wizard immediately said, "She is the younger sister our Young Master dotes on the most!"
As soon as his voice fell, that adult Wizard beside him stepped forward.
This person's face was stacked with bulging flesh, and a fierce light pressed from his eyes; at a glance, he was not someone easy to get along with.
He stared at Huo Yunqi, and said in a rough and rigid tone: "Your Bai Family doesn't dare to fall out with the fifth young master of the Huo Family, then let me do the falling out for you!"
"Who are you?"
Huo Yunqi's expression sank completely.
With someone addressing him like this to his face, he naturally wouldn't have any good temper.
"People from the Yu Family!"
The adult Wizard reported his identity, his voice as harsh as sandpaper.
The more Huo Yunqi listened, the more absurd he felt: "Wizards from the Yu Family also want to meddle in the Bai Family's affairs?"
"She is the unwed wife of our Yu Family's eldest brother, do you say this matter has anything to do with me or not?"
That Yu Family Wizard viciously swept a glance at Huo Yunqi, the threat in his words having almost not a shred of concealment.
Huo Yunqi's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
A woman without magic talent was first Bai Chen's biological sister, and in a blink of an eye, she was implicated with the Yu Family's eldest brother, yet she just happened to be arranged to entertain them here.
When such a matter was spoken out, who would believe it?
Hodu had been sitting on the stone stool watching the show from beginning to end, but at this moment he had already seen through the general picture of the matter.
The plot was indeed different from what he initially thought, but after making a circle, it actually turned back from another direction, just a little more serious than the version he had anticipated.
This was clearly a honey trap.
They had waited here for so long, yet the Bai Family Wizard was able to arrive immediately after Bai Weishouted, practically like they had been guarding outside the courtyard gate all along.
Let alone a commoner involved with the eldest brothers of both the Bai Family and Yu Family being actually arranged to entertain them alone.
All the details came together far too coincidently, so coincidently that it looked like someone had written a script in advance.
At this very moment, Bai Chen and Yu Yuanshan were peering into the situation in the courtyard through some kind of magic.
The two of them watched with great relish, as if they were enjoying a play specially prepared for them.
"Such a pretty young beauty, what a pity." Yu Yuanshan stared at Bai Wei, and couldn't help sighing, "Why don't you give her to me as a concubine? With her appearance, she really makes people's hearts ache; I really do have some desire to marry her back."
Bai Chen, while leisurely brewing tea, casually replied: "If Brother Yu is not afraid of taking over this hot potato, I naturally have no objections."
Yu Yuanshan instantly deflated: "Forget it. If my father finds out about this, he will definitely beat me to death."
Ordinary Bai Family commoners naturally wouldn't have any problems.
Bringing one back as a concubine was not only justifiable, but could also make the relationship between the two clans closer.
But Bai Wei had now been treated as an abandoned piece by them, so the situation was naturally completely different.
When powerful clans did things, they couldn't just be like outlaws outside, directly tricking Huo Yunqi here and then making a move.
They always had to find a justifiable excuse, one that could both account to the Huo Clan and give Huo Yunqi a way out. Bai Wei was the reason they had prepared.
She was indeed Bai Chen's half-sister; according to mundane terminology, she was considered a concubine-born daughter.
The Magical World didn't attach too much importance to the distinction between direct-descent and concubine-descent; without talent, no matter how good the status was, it was useless.
Conversely, as long as a concubine-born person possessed magic talent, they would also be nurtured like direct-line members.
Huo Yunqi was, after all, of direct descent to the Huo Clan, and in the future he would still continue to interact with the Huo Clan. Naturally, it was impossible for the Bai Family and Yu Family to make a move personally.
Having their subordinates make a move was enough.
If the Huo Clan truly investigated in the future, they could entirely push these subordinates out to bear the anger.
When all was said and done, neither of their two families lacked a complete way out.
As long as they claimed that the subordinates were deceived by Bai Wei, mistakenly believing that she harbored resentment because she lacked talent and thus deliberately sabotaged the relationship between the two clans, seeking revenge on the Bai Family and Yu Familythrough the hands of the Huo Clan, this set of rhetoric could stand.
Incidents of commoners rebelling within the clan were not uncommon in history.
Which family had never encountered a few restless commoners?
Although this explanation was clumsy, it was enough for the major clans to retain the last shred of decency among themselves.
By then, Bai Wei would naturally be handed over to the Huo Clan to vent their anger.
As for the things Huo Yunqi was looking for, they only needed to say they had been lost and could not be handed over temporarily.
If the Huo Clan was willing to accept that, the matter would be considered concluded; if they were unwilling, they would first have to weigh whether, relying solely on a single family, they actually had the ability to simultaneously contend against the Bai Family and Yu Family.
When it all boiled down to it, both sides knew this was finding a way out for each other.
As long as things were done to a certain extent, no one would truly puncture the window paper completely.
"A master's humiliation means death for his subjects!"
The Yu Family Wizard in the courtyard suddenly roared, snatched the magic fan at his waist, and aimed it straight at Huo Yunqi.
The voice shook the courtyard as if it quivered, yet outside the courtyard there was not the slightest commotion.
Hodu's eyes flickered slightly.
If there really was soundproofing magic here, how could the people outside have entered at the very first moment when Bai Wei shouted earlier?
Along with that magic fan being raised, the atmosphere inside the courtyard abruptly changed.
Huo Yunqi was stunned at first, then laughed out of extreme anger, but his expression turned frighteningly cold the next moment.
"You have such immense nerve!"
He had never expected that he, a dignified direct descendant of the Huo Clan, would actually have a day where he was pointed at by someone with a magic fan.
Huo Yunqi suddenly remembered that he hadn't come alone, and hurriedly turned his head to look at Hodu.
But Hodu was still sitting steadily there, his eyes slightly glowing, the corners of his mouth even carrying a smile, looking just like someone watching a very wonderful play.
This scene instead reminded the Bai Family Wizard.
Without any hesitation, he also took out a magic fan from his waist, raising his hand to aim it directly at Hodu.
Huo Yunqi's mood instantly became complicated to the extreme, and he could only secretly wink at Hodu.
Right now, the only person he could rely on seemed to be Hodu.
But when all was said and done, the matter started because of him, and he was merely acting on orders; he hadn't expected this trip to directly turn out like this.
It wasn't that he didn't want to resist, but rather that he didn't dare to move rashly at all.
No matter how outstanding he was, he was still just a student; the people capable of becoming Bai Chen and Yu Yuanshan's confidants would definitely not be lacking in strength.
Now that the other party had locked onto them with magicfans first, making even a slightly wrong move might instantly provoke the other party.
Hodu usually acted quite miraculous indeed, but whether he could actually fight or not, Huo Yunqi had no bottom in his heart.
If Hodu was unreliable, then they would probably be in real trouble today.
Hodu looked at the two magic fans before him, his expression carrying somewhat of helplessness.
Had he known it would turn out like this in the end, he might as well have directly barged into the Bai Family's territory and forced them to hand over the items, saving him the trouble of playing along with these people for so long.
Huo Yunqi saw a bit of impatience from his expression, and his heart instead settled down a bit.
But just as he turned his head back, an unexpected scene appeared before his eyes.
The ground beneath the two adult Wizards' feet suddenly collapsed.
The originally flat stone slabs seemed to have been hollowed out underneath, leaving only a thin surface that shattered in the blink of an eye.
The two of them were caught off guard, screaming as they fell down together.
Hodu was still sitting on the stone stool, without even changing his posture, just moving a thought.
The underground soil immediately surged from all directions, firmly wrapping around the two adult Wizards, leaving only two heads exposed outside.
Just as Huo Yunqi revealed a look of joy, the Bai Family Wizard roared with a face full of fury.
"Earth-Splitting Mountain Collapse!"
The next moment, the stony ground in front of several people violently split open a large gap.
The compression of the surrounding soil loosened accordingly, and the two Wizards finally felt a bit of room to move.
Hodu was somewhat surprised.
What kind of spell was this again? He really hadn't heard of it before.
However, the other party being able to cast spells under such circumstances showed that the pressure he gave wasn't enough.
Hodu's gaze flashed, and the ground fissure immediately closed back up.
The two people trapped by the soil were once again unable to move.
Following that, his eyes narrowed slightly, and the surrounding soil layers abruptly tightened.
The miserable screams of the two Wizards rang out simultaneously.
Their faces rapidly distorted, color rushing straight to the top of their heads, looking as if their entire faces were about to ooze blood.
The soil pressed against their bodies from all sides, as if trying to crush them alive.
That feeling was also like squeezing a water-filled pouch; once the bottom tightened, the pressure all rushed upwards.
The two men's heads ached excruciatingly, almost making them think that what would explode first would be their own skulls.
"Pfft!"
The two of them simultaneously opened their mouths to spit out a mist of blood, their teeth dyed a glaring red.
Seeing this, Huo Yunqi hurriedly dodged to the side, almost being drenched all over by the spewed blood.
Bai Wei was even more frightened until her face turned pale, and a scream rushed out uncontrollably.
On the other side, Bai Chen and Yu Yuanshan, who had originally been sitting and watching the show, also stood up at the same time, their expressions frighteningly gloomy.
Of course they weren't reluctant to lose those two subordinates.
Those two were originally chess pieces prepared to be pushed out to take the blame, but for matters to develop to this extent still far exceeded their expectations.
"Trash!"
Bai Chen cursed angrily, smashing the ceramic teacup in his hand heavily onto the stone table, the cup body shattering into two halves on the spot.
He originally thought it was just an easy setup, who could have imagined it would end up causing such a scene.
He shouted sternly towards the surroundings: "Go! Daring to make a move against the Bai Family's people in my Bai Family Teahouse, take them down for me!"
Several figures then walked out from the shadows.
But before they even walked out of the courtyard gate, Bai Chen suddenly spoke up: "Wait!"
He turned his head, looking unhappily at Yu Yuanshan: "Brother Yu, where are your people? You can't just not show any gesture at all."
Since the Yu Family also wanted a share of the pie, naturally they couldn't just watch the show without contributing effort.
Yu Yuanshan didn't say much more, directly shouting towards outside the courtyard: "Yu Feng, you go along too!"
Soon, another adult Wizard walked out from outside.
Only then did Bai Chen wave his hand at those people, telling them to go forward and capture the targets.
What he wanted wasn't truly reinforcement, but the Yu Family's attitude.
After all, this was the Bai Family's territory, Poison Bee Valley, where Wizards surnamed Bai were least lacking.
Seeing Hodu easily suppress the two adult Wizards, Huo Yunqi's face was filled with excitement.
As expected, he hadn't misjudged the person!
He was willing to work for Hodu, and not just because the methods displayed by the other party were startling enough.
Although he had no ambition to fight for the position of head of the family, he was very clear about the importance of connections.
Befriending a few reliable people on regular days was always better than running around begging for help when matters reached one's head.
However, after his excitement, Huo Yunqi remembered their current predicament. He turned around and said worriedly: "We should hurry and leave, this is Poison Bee Valley after all."
No matter how powerful Hodu was, it was impossible for him to deal with the entire Bai Family by his own strength alone.
"You guys can't run away, heh heh heh!"
Before Hodu could speak, the Bai Family Wizard on the ground suddenly shouted like he had gone mad.
Hodu raised an eyebrow, not expecting that this person, trapped like this, actually still had the mind to interrupt.
With a casual wave of his hand, he added another fraction of force, and the Wizard's voice abruptly stopped, the person passing out directly.
"No rush."
Hodu shook his head, his expression remaining calm.
The things he was looking for hadn't been obtained yet, so of course he couldn't leave now.
Seeing him so composed, Huo Yunqi also sat back down, cursing indignantly: "This fellow Bai Chen probably colluded with the Yu Family long ago, bah!"
Finishing his words, he spat a mouthful of saliva onto the ground, just in time to see Bai Wei sitting slumped to the side.
Bai Wei looked at him with a face full of terror, obviously thinking that Huo Yunqi was also going to vent his anger on her and turn her into the same state as those two Wizards on the ground.
She screamed in fright, and this time her fear didn't seem like acting.
Having been schemed against by her, Huo Yunqi naturally wouldn't have any good expressions left, and only snorted coldly, turning his head away.
But no matter what, he still wouldn't stoop to venting his anger on a commoner; doing so would only make himself appear even more disgraceful.
To avoid any more accidents like the one just now, Huo Yunqi still took off the magic fan from his waist and gripped it firmly in his hand.
Chapter 87: All Spells Fall Through
Hodu raised his eyes, his gaze falling upon the oval moon gate beside the courtyard wall.
Relying on the perception of his treasure, he had already sensed a group of people rushing toward this place, and their speed was not slow.
There were five fluorescent glows representing the magicfans.
Those magic fans were not casually dangling from their waists as usual; instead, they were tightly clutched in the hands of the newcomers.
With such a posture, it was obviously impossible that they were here to be guests.
Not long after, four Wizards from the Bai Family and one Wizard from the Yu Family arrived near the moon gate.
The five of them had cold and rigid expressions, their fingers tightly gripping the magic fans, with only the orders they had received etched in their minds.
When you see the person, do not speak, just strike directly.
The young master of the Huo Family could not be harmed, but anyone else following by his side could be dealt with however they liked, as long as it didn't cost any lives.
The Wizards of the Ministry of Punishments were not all their people; even if the matter escalated to the Ministry of Punishments, as long as no one died, it wouldn't count as much of a big trouble.
The five of them aggressively prepared to step through the moon gate, but at that exact moment, the ground beneath their feet suddenly vanished into thin air.
They didn't even have time to react before their bodies lost control, plunging downward in unison.
That was not an ordinary pit; the feeling of falling was just like tumbling down from a high place, a full five or six meters deep.
Someone in mid-air hurriedly cast a Softening Charm toward the ground, attempting to make the ground soft so as to prevent the few of them from getting hurt by the fall.
Feeling their companion's timely action, the Wizards just breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts, but the next moment, their expressions completely changed.
The ground was as hard as stone.
The Softening Charm didn't play the slightest role, and the five people slammed into the bottom of the pit one after another.
Soft thuds sounded one after another, and the sounds of leg bones snapping blended together, making one's scalp tingle just to hear it.
Screams followed closely behind, and the Wizard at the very bottom was even crushed by the few people above, directly becoming the unlucky fellow cushion beneath everyone.
Huo Yunqi in the courtyard heard the sudden wails coming from outside and looked toward the moon gate in puzzlement.
He didn't know what had happened outside, only feeling that the sound was abnormally close. Out of curiosity, he immediately got up and walked out.
When he reached the entrance of the moon gate, he saw at a glance the large pit that had appeared out of thin air on the ground.
Looking down into it, five Wizards were piled up at the bottom of the pit, each screaming repeatedly in pain.
Even without using his brain to think, Huo Yunqi wouldn't think this was caused by the Teahouse falling into disrepair due to age.
There were still two living examples lying in the courtyard; this was clearly Hodu's doing.
Quietly and silently, five Wizards had been dealt with.
It wasn't that the Magical World lacked healing magic, it was just that this type of spell was rather obscure.
These confidants of Bai Chen obviously didn't know that set, and what they mastered were all magic used for attacking.
Huo Yunqi ignored the five people in the pit and returned to the courtyard with a look of shock.
He first looked at Hodu, and then looked at that face of the lackey who usually stayed by his side, his gaze instantly turning very bizarre.
This contrast was truly hard for him to get used to.
Bearing the appearance of such a young follower, Hoduhad casually resolved seven Wizards, as if what had happened just now wasn't worth mentioning at all.
The more Huo Yunqi thought about it, the more awkward he felt, and in the end, he simply sat back down.
On the other side, Bai Chen and Yu Canghai hadn't realized yet that something had happened to their subordinates.
They stayed in the neighboring courtyard staring at the Teahouse, waiting for movement to come from inside, but they delayed in seeing the anticipated fight.
Bai Chen's brows gradually furrowed, and a bit of impatience grew on his face.
Walking from this side to that side, could it possibly take such a long time?
Another minute or two passed, and the Teahouse remained excessively quiet.
Only then did Bai Chen sense that something was wrong, his expression sinking all at once.
Yu Canghai sneered, "It seems Huo Yunqi's ambition is not small, to actually still conceal this kind of method in his hands."
He didn't need to think much at all.
The people sent by the Bai Family had mostly already fallen; if any younger brother of the Yu Family had this kind of ability, without even thinking, he definitely would have had other intentions long ago.
"Hmph, so what if he has a bit of skill?" Bai Chen's expression was ugly as he said in a cold voice, "This Teahouse was long ago arranged with an Anti-Apparition Charm by someone I found; none of them can even think of leaving from here."
After all, this was the territory of the Bai Family, yet not only did they fail to easily take down Huo Yunqi, but they also made a joke of themselves in front of Yu Canghai.
Bai Chen was suppressing a fire in his heart, but it was not convenient to show it directly.
After a moment, he forcibly put away his anger, restored his calm appearance, and gracefully stood up.
"Brother Yu, let's go."
Now that the situation was unclear, it was naturally impossible for him to foolishly rush up personally.
On the Bai Family's territory, Wizards were the least lacking thing, especially Wizards of the Bai Family.
Yu Canghai smiled, obviously not taking this failure to heart, and also stood up, leisurely walking toward the outside of the Teahouse.
As for the two Wizards he had dispatched, he likewise didn't care about them too much.
Seeing that Hodu remained completely relaxed all along, Huo Yunqi couldn't help asking, "Then what do we do next?"
There was still obvious panic in his tone.
This was the Bai Family's territory, and now the Bai Family had made a move against him without any concealment; it was equivalent to the two sides completely falling out.
Since their faces were completely ripped apart, naturally there could be no room for maneuver afterward.
Hodu's lips curled up slightly, looking at him with a smile: "You are a direct descendant of the Huo Clan, first falling for a honey trap, and now almost having people directly make a move on you, how come you only think of running away instead of thinking about revenge?"
Huo Yunqi could hear the teasing within, and could only give a bitter smile.
"Big Brother, that set of identity is just used to fool ordinary Wizards.
This time, it was the Bai Family and the Yu Family acting together. For them to dare treat me like this, behind it at least has the tacit approval of the clans."
The more he spoke, the more anxious he became, "If we don't hurry and leave, could it be we're still going to stay here and wait for them to continue making a move?
Even if we want revenge, we have to return to the clan first before talking about it.
Right now we are still on other people's territory!"
If not for Hodu, he would have left long ago; how could he still be sitting here drinking tea.
But seeing Hodu's completely indifferent appearance, Huo Yunqi only felt that the tea in his mouth had turned bitter.
When all is said and done, this uncle probably didn't know what a wealthy and powerful clan meant at all.
The power and influence a major clan possessed in the Magical World accounted for almost one-fifth.
Whether it was the Wizards Federation or the four departments below, where was there no figure of Wizards from the Five Surnames?
Those collateral branches might not be the main lineage, but as long as the direct descendants of the main lineage spoke, they had to obey orders.
A single person could command one-fifth of the Wizards in the Magical World; how terrifying this power was went without saying.
Not to mention that the Five Surnames also kept a large number of muggle Wizards in their hands.
Money and power were almost entirely gripped in their hands; no matter where those muggle Wizards went to work, in essence they were all serving the Five Surnames.
This was the influence brought by money.
As for wanting to scrape some profits from muggle society, the four departments were watching from the side, and no one dared to act recklessly.
After hearing this, Hodu only asked with a smile: "Then after you go back, will they definitely seek justice for you?"
Huo Yunqi was instantly rendered speechless.
He rapidly calculated it in his heart.
If it were the eldest brother among the direct descendants of the Huo Clan who encountered such a matter, for the sake of the clan's face, the clan might really go to war with the Bai Family and the Yu Family.
But he ranked fifth among the younger generation; how could the Huo Clan completely fall out with two major clans just for his single person?
He knew his own worth.
In the end, it would most likely just be mutual wrangling.
If the Bai Family and the Yu Family were willing to save face, they would compensate with some things, and what fell into his hands might not even be half of the compensation.
If both families' attitudes were tough, he could only swallow this loss.
When he returned to the academy, he would definitely become the laughingstock of everyone.
Even his own brothers from the Huo Clan would probably look down on him because of this.
In their circle, once face was lost, it was like getting a foul odor on oneself, and others would instinctively dodge and walk away.
Those lackey followers who used to stay by his side would also very likely turn around and abandon him.
Thinking of such days, a trace of sorrow couldn't help but flash across the depths of Huo Yunqi's eyes.
By then, he would probably become an object shunned by everyone.
Even the clan would feel that he was a trouble, like a stubborn, unsightly plaster, stubbornly stuck on the facade of the Huo Clan.
Yet he was both a direct descendant and a victim in this matter.
The Huo Clan could not directly expel him from the roster, otherwise it would only make outsiders feel that the Huo Clan handled matters unfairly.
He fell silent, the desolation on his face so thick it couldn't be dissolved, as if the future ending was already laid out before his eyes.
Hodu looked at his appearance, gently shook his head, and also understood the meaning he hadn't spoken out.
"So, the Huo Clan isn't as great as you think."
Hodu leaned against the back of the chair, his tone as casual as if he were talking about a trivial matter, "However, you don't have to worry, you still have a biological uncle who was expelled from the roster."
He raised his hand and pointed at himself.
"If they do the first, I will do the fifteenth.
Originally I was still thinking of negotiating a deal with them and leaving them some face.
Since they don't want it themselves, then don't blame me for being discourteous."
These words were spoken with righteous confidence, and even somewhat boastfully.
Huo Yunqi repeatedly raised his head, the earlier sorrow was diluted quite a bit, and looking at Hodu's expression also became complicated.
Bai Wei beside them had originally slumped to the ground, sobbing in a low voice.
Hearing this, she suddenly stopped.
Her fair and tender face still bore tear stains, but her bright eyes were already filled with dullness.
It was not that she was moved by Hodu's imposing aura, nor was her heart suddenly fluttering; she simply felt that this person was truly somewhat abnormal.
To have reached this point and still dare to speak such big words here.
Bai Wei looked at Hodu with a pitiful gaze, while doubt simultaneously arose in her heart.
According to what she knew, this person was clearly just Huo Yunqi's follower, so how did he suddenly become his biological uncle?
Hodu sensed that Huo Yunqi did not completely believe his words, but he couldn't be bothered to explain.
He stood up directly and patted his robe hem.
"Let's go, let's go see what the difference really is between Bai Family Village and Huo Family Village."
After saying that, he walked outward first.
Huo Yunqi stared at his back in a daze for a moment, as if still pondering those words from just now.
Soon, he recovered his senses and hurriedly followed.
The two of them had just walked out of the courtyard, not even leaving the Teahouse yet, when a group of adult Wizards simultaneously rushed out from all directions.
Everyone held a magic fan in their hands, and in the blink of an eye, they surrounded Hodu and Huo Yunqi in the middle.
The man standing at the very front did not look very old.
When Huo Yunqi saw his face clearly, his expression suddenly changed, and he blurted out, "Third Young Master Bai!"
Third Young Master Bai glanced at him, his face full of disdain: "Huo Yunqi, our Bai Family kindly entertained you, yet you turned around and attacked people of the Bai Family; you certainly have a lot of nerve!"
As he spoke, half of his face wore a sneer while the other side hung with contempt, looking precisely like a crooked-mouthed God of War.
At this moment, he was convinced that Huo Yunqi had already run out of wings to escape, and instead was not in a rush to make a move immediately.
With the magic fans all around aiming at him simultaneously, Huo Yunqi's pupils shrank violently, and a chill swept through his heart.
He forced himself to keep up his momentum and shouted angrily at the opponent: "Bai Ye, do you think there is no one left in my Huo Family!"
As these words fell, Third Young Master Bai's smile grew even thicker.
"What kind of thing are you, that you can represent the Huo Family?" He sneered, "Did you forget that among the people you injured, there are also people from the Yu Family. When this matter spreads back to the Huo Family, you might even be tied up by your own people and personally sent over to apologize."
Huo Yunqi's face turned green and red alternately, ugly to the extreme.
Third Young Master Bai did not continue to pay attention to him, instead staring fixedly at Hodu.
He had long noticed that the vague smile on Hodu's face was extremely annoying to people.
Having already fallen into such a situation, he still put on a carefree and detached appearance, which was pretending far too much.
However, Third Young Master Bai also remembered his eldest brother's prior instructions.
The person in front of him might truly not be Huo Yunqi's follower.
"And what kind of person are you?" He narrowed his eyes, "If you are just some stray cats and dogs from who knows where, I'm afraid you won't be able to walk out of this door today."
Hodu smiled faintly: "I am his uncle. Calculated by seniority, you should also call me uncle."
Third Young Master Bai's gaze changed slightly, and his brows furrowed accordingly.
He could not distinguish whether these words were true or false, but one point could already be confirmed: Hodu was definitely not some ordinary follower.
Just at this moment, the appearance on Hodu's body suddenly underwent a change.
His figure shrank a bit, making him look like a new student who had just entered school not long ago, and his expression consequently appeared even weirder.
The next moment, that face restored to the appearance usually used when seeing Huo Yunqi.
Of course, this was still not Hodu's true appearance, merely an identity he usually used for disguise.
Hodu looked at Third Young Master Bai and spoke: "The thing you want is actually in my hands."
Third Young Master Bai's expression instantly changed.
Although he did not know what the clan truly wanted, since it could make the Bai Family not hesitate to fall out with the Huo Clan, it must definitely be a great treasure.
For such an item, offending the Huo Clan was not entirely unacceptable.
He licked his lips, with a bit more urgency in his tone: "Very good. Hand over the item, and I can consider letting you leave."
Hodu did not answer, but instead asked: "Does your Bai Family really have a True Dragon skeleton?"
He paused for a moment, the smile unabated.
"If not, I'm afraid you all will have a very hard time today."
"Just by you?" Third Young Master Bai snorted with laughter.
Could the person in front of him have gone mad? Having been surrounded by so many people, he still hasn't recognized his own situation.
Since the other party insisted on seeking death, he had no need to waste any more words.
"Do it!"
Following a fierce roar from Third Young Master Bai, the surrounding Wizards waved their magic fans simultaneously.
In an instant, dense magical light shot out from all directions, all falling toward Hodu.
This group of Wizards were clearly elites of the Bai Family, and their spellcasting accuracy was quite good.
Using them to deal with Huo Yunqi was somewhat making a fuss over a small matter; if they were taken out, they were simply an army.
Faced with the incoming magic spells, Hodu did not even move his footsteps, allowing streak after streak of magiclight to crash onto his body.
The scene that happened next made everyone present widen their eyes.
Some magic spells collided halfway and dissipated directly after hitting each other; others passed through Hodu's body, continued flying backward, and solidly struck other Wizards.
In the blink of an eye, several Wizards groaned and fell to the ground, fainting directly.
Third Young Master Bai rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
He clearly saw with his own eyes those magic spells hit Hodu, yet the other party was like a ghost without substance, with all attacks passing through his body and instead injuring his own people in the end.
Huo Yunqi, standing beside Hodu, saw even more clearly.
He watched with his own eyes as the sky-filling magicspells fell on this uncle, yet not a single one truly left a mark, and Hodu himself was safe and sound from beginning to end.
The corners of Hodu's lips curled up into a trace of a smile.
Of course, it wasn't that he didn't want to dodge. Even with the Tough Skin trait, he believed he wouldn't easily get into trouble, but with so many magic spells smashing over together, no one would be willing to take them head-on for nothing.
This time he just wanted to try a certain ability, and didn't expect the result to be even better than anticipated.
What Hodu had just unleashed was the concealment trait, only concealing those magic spells themselves.
In this way, the spells could not truly touch his body, passing through him just like passing through air.
Under the effect of the ten-thousand-fold stacked concealment trait, accomplishing this was not difficult at all, almost only requiring following instinct to react in an instant.
Third Young Master Bai was stunned, and the other Wizards were likewise filled with astonishment.
However, they quickly recovered their senses again, raised their magic fans once more, and launched an attack on Hodu.
The second round of magic light shot out with a roar.
The result still had no change. Those attacks passed through Hodu, some canceling each other out, while others brushed past his body and turned around to hit the Wizards nearby. Several more people fell down screaming, and the scene instantly became chaotic.
"How is that possible!"
Third Young Master Bai widened his eyes and shouted in a shrill voice.
This time he saw clearly that Hodu was indeed like a ghost, letting magic spells pass through his body. Such means completely exceeded his cognition, not at all looking like something ordinary magic could accomplish.
Third Young Master Bai's eyes rolled, and he suddenly pointed his finger at Huo Yunqi beside Hodu.
"Since he cannot be hit, then leave Huo Yunqi behind!"
As soon as the order was given, all the magic fans around immediately changed direction, aiming in unison at Huo Yunqi.
At this instant, Huo Yunqi felt as if his heartbeat had stopped.
To be honest, having lived for so long, he had never been pointed at by so many magic fans together. In the past, relying on his identity, no one ever dared to treat him like this, but now, the name of the Huo Clan's direct lineage had clearly lost its effect.
Cold sweat slid down his forehead. Huo Yunqi did not dare to move blindly, and could only look at Hodu as if seeking help.
The surrounding Wizards began to wave their magic fans once more, and sky-filling magic spells shot toward him.
Yet Hodu still did not panic. The concealment trait indeed could not help Huo Yunqi, but he still had the Apparitiontrait.
He reached out and placed his hand on Huo Yunqi's shoulder. At the very moment those magic spells were about to fall, the figures of the two suddenly vanished, and all attacks once again missed completely.
Third Young Master Bai was truly terrified this time.
His eldest brother had clearly said that the entire Teahousehad laid down the Anti-Apparition Charm in advance, precisely to prevent Hodu and Huo Yunqi from escaping. Yet now, the two of them actually vanished directly right in front of everyone, how could this be possible?
"Oh no!"
However, they had not left far; they merely extricated themselves from the encirclement and still remained inside the Teahouse.
Huo Yunqi had just watched with his own eyes as the magic spells flew toward him, so frightened that he even forgot to resist. At the critical moment, he was suddenly taken by Hodu to complete Apparition, and the whole person instantly breathed a sigh of relief.
Yet when he saw the situation around him clearly, his mood grew complicated again.
They were still in the Teahouse, and right behind Third Young Master Bai.
Huo Yunqi looked blankly at Hodu. Since he could cast Apparition, why didn't he just leave directly?
Hodu only returned a calm look to him, then raised his hand and waved it, signaling him to hide aside first.