'Damn it!' he cursed inwardly. 'A single oversight in an otherwise perfect plan. I forgot to drop the Gold Card. Anyone with a brain would realize Black Ghost couldn't possibly be without a Gold Card.'
Even so, how could Long Ao possibly admit it?
With a look of pure innocence, Long Ao said plaintively, "Grandfather, I really don't know what's going on. What Gold Card? What Innate Beast Pill?"
An Innate Beast Pill?
Yang Guantian's words utterly shocked everyone present, because they all knew what an Innate Beast Pill signified.
An Innate Beast Pill, as the name implied, could only form within the body of an Innate Spirit Beast. The value of a single Innate Beast Pill was immense. Even Innate Martial Artists might fight to the death over one.
Looking at Long Ao's innocent face, for some reason, no one present was willing to believe that he had nothing to do with it.
Setting aside everything else, the simple fact that Long Ao was the only one present when Black Ghost died meant he couldn't escape suspicion. Moreover, the Innate Beast Pill was a matter of great importance; how could the three great families choose to believe him so easily?
"You people are really something. My fiancé just said he doesn't know. Believe him if you want. If not, too bad."
It had to be said, Wang Yuyin was incredibly domineering. She dared to act this way even in front of the patriarchs of the Four Great Clans. This was exactly why Wang Yuyin had earned the nickname "Tyrant Girl."
Seeing the Wang Family's genius Tyrant Girl standing up for Long Ao, everyone felt a major headache coming on.
Looking at the fiancée so close to him, always protecting him, Long Ao didn't know whether to be happy or sad. He had never agreed to this marriage from the start; it was all the doing of his old man, Long Yi.
「This is how it happened.」
Ten years ago, Long Ao had tried to break through to the Inner Strength Seventh Heaven. He failed while trying to form the Endless Cycle, and his Cultivation even dropped back to the Third Heaven Realm. No matter what methods the Long Family tried, the result was always the same.
The former genius had been reduced to a good-for-nothing. One could imagine Long Ao's situation. Whether in the Long Family or outside, life from then on was bound to be difficult.
It was for this very reason that Long Ao's father, Long Yi, fearing that his only son would be bullied after he was gone, had no choice but to arrange this marriage with the Wang Family.
At first, the Wang Family completely disagreed, no matter how many times Long Yi came to propose the marriage.
But in the end, the Wang Family agreed to the marriage for two reasons. First, Wang Yuyin had liked Long Ao since they were children. With the Tyrant Girl's stubborn personality, who could possibly stop her?
Second, although Wang Yuyin was exceptionally talented and powerful, her looks and figure were somewhat... undesirable. It wouldn't be easy for her to find a husband.
It was with these two points in mind that the Wang Family finally agreed to the marriage.
Long Ao had always had a good impression of this formidable fiancée of his. 'But to make her my wife? That seems a bit cruel.' After all, he didn't actually like the Tyrant Girl.
"Yuyin, this has nothing to do with you. Stand down."
The Wang Family Master, Wang Yidao, also looked displeased. For any other matter, he might have turned a blind eye, but not this. After all, the matter involved an Innate Beast Pill from Black Ghost. The implications could be minor or major, and Wang Yidao knew this better than anyone.
"Grandfather, you can question him, but no coercion and no insults. I'll say it again: if anyone dares to lay a single finger on my fiancé, I will destroy them."
Such a domineering personality, appearing in a young woman, looked awkward no matter how you saw it.
No one paid any mind to Wang Yuyin's threat. Nangong He said, "Brother Long, you and I both know what the Innate Beast Pill from Black Ghost signifies. If we catch the culprit but lose the Innate Beast Pill, all Four Great Clans will be in trouble."
"Brother Nangong is right. I've received reliable information. The Innate Beast Pill on Black Ghost came from the Sixth Level Long Clan of Thundercloud City."
The Sixth Level Long Clan?
Hearing the words of the Wang Family Master, Wang Yidao, the expressions of everyone from the Long Family, including Long Haoshi, changed. They knew better than anyone what the Sixth Level Long Clan signified.
The Long Clan, one of the most powerful forces on the Celestial Martial Continent.
The Long Clan is divided into nine levels, with First Level being the highest and Ninth Level the lowest. Legend has it that as long as a branch reaches the Third Level, they have a chance to enter Dragon Valley, partner with a Giant Dragon, and become a Dragon Martial Artist.
The Long Clan has a strict hierarchy.
According to the Long Clan's rules, as long as a single Innate Martial Artist appears in a branch family, it can be promoted to an Eighth Level Clan. As for the conditions to be promoted to a Seventh Level Clan or a Sixth Level Clan, the current Long Family had no right to know.
But everyone in the Long Family knew one thing: the Sixth Level Long Clan was incredibly powerful. They could send a single Innate Martial Artist and easily annihilate the Long Family.
Both the Red Fire Town Long Family and the Thundercloud City Long Family belonged to the greater Long Clan. But in the eyes of the Sixth Level Long Family, the Red Fire Town Long Family was nothing but trash.
If the Sixth Level Long Clan from Thundercloud City had been willing to offer their support, the other three great families would have long ceased to exist in Red Fire Town, leaving only the Long Family to rule supreme.
At the mention of the Sixth Level Long Clan, Long Haoshi was at a loss. He had no choice but to ask again, "Ao'er, I'll ask you one more time. Did you see the Innate Beast Pill on Black Ghost?"
Long Ao also knew about the Sixth Level Long Clan of Thundercloud City. But things had already reached this point. If he handed over the Innate Beast Pill now, it would probably cause even more trouble.
He still wore an innocent expression.
"Grandfather, I've already said it. I didn't see any Gold Card or Innate Beast Pill. For someone like me, an Innate Beast Pill is completely useless. What would I even do with it?"
"The three of you have heard him. Ao'er said he didn't see the Innate Beast Pill, and I believe him."
"Brother Long."
Waving his hand to stop them from questioning further, Long Haoshi said, "The message from Thundercloud City was to intercept Black Ghost if possible. If we had to kill him, we were required to retrieve the Innate Beast Pill. But the problem is, there was no Innate Beast Pill on Black Ghost at all. As I see it, there are two possible reasons the Beast Pill is missing. First, someone else gravely injured Black Ghost and took it. Second, Black Ghost himself hid the Beast Pill somewhere. I wonder what the three of you think of my analysis?"
"Your analysis makes sense, Brother Long. It seems we have no choice but to report this to Thundercloud City. However, an Innate Beast Pill is no small matter. I'm afraid the Sixth Level Long Clan of Thundercloud City won't let this go so easily."
"No need to worry. In any case, the Long Family of Thundercloud City and you, Brother Long, are all one family. I don't believe they would do anything outrageous over a Beast Pill that's already lost."