He lifted his hand and flicked a finger at Gongsun Lieyang, freezing him in a block of ice that instantly melted away.
Feeling the power exerted by Gongsun Du to rescue Gongsun Lieyang, Lu Zixun narrowed his eyes. Was this what S-ranked power was like?
His body having been frozen stiff, Gongsun Lieyang’s legs went weak, and he fell to his knees on the ground, his eyes filled with terror, completely unaware of what had just happened.
Gazing indifferently at him for a moment, Gongsun Du calmly said, "Take these two away, and wait for the Family Head to decide their fate."
"Yes, elder Family Head!"
As soon as he finished speaking, both Gongsun Lieyang and Gongsun Ri were taken away.
Having dealt with two clan members harboring ulterior motives, Gongsun Du pulled a cat jade pendant from the talisman. Lu Zixun glanced briefly at the talisman; it seemed to be the same model as his own.
At this moment, the cat jade pendant felt different to Lu Zixun.
It was not only pulsating with strong Spiritual Energy Fluctuations but also had a faint bloodline attraction—an utterly marvelous sensation.
For a moment, Lu Zixun didn’t know how to describe this feeling.
Observing the changes in Lu Zixun’s pupils, Gongsun Du smiled kindly, "Lord Cat, this is the token of the Gongsun Family’s Guardian Beast. It will enhance your strength and, at the same time... bind you in a contract with my granddaughter."
Frowning, Lu Zixun looked puzzledly at Gongsun Du, "What contract?"
"Don’t worry, Lord Cat, it’s a contract of equals."
Afraid of Lu Zixun’s misunderstanding, Gongsun Li quickly explained, "It’s similar to a contract, just more binding. Once you shed your blood on it, you cannot harm the Gongsun Family."
Upon hearing this, Lu Zixun raised an eyebrow; this contract sounded like it had quite a few loopholes.
After thinking for a moment, Lu Zixun said, "Direct harm isn’t allowed, but indirect harm is?"
Hearing Lu Zixun point out the flaw directly, Gongsun Li couldn’t help but give a wry smile, "In theory, yes, but..."
Before Gongsun Li could finish, Lu Zixun jumped in front of Gongsun Du, looking up at him, "There aren’t any overbearing clauses binding the person like, say, not being able to leave the Gongsun Family’s domain after signing, and if you leave, you would bleed from every orifice and die?"
"Ding—Detected a resignation from Gongsun Du +16000."
To make Gongsun Du, who had seen it all in his years, feel resigned, Lu Zixun was indeed the first cat to achieve that.
Gongsun Du shook his head, patiently explaining, "This contract was set by Ye Ye. It won’t have those problems, only that Ye Ye feared the cat’s playful nature could lead to irresponsible acts towards the Gongsun Family."
Lu Zixun’s face was lined with exasperation.
What did he mean by a cat’s playful nature? He wasn’t playful at all... wait?
Thinking it over, Lu Zixun realized his playful nature was indeed quite strong.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lu Zixun sheepishly smiled, "Then I have no objections. How do I sign?"
"Just a drop of blood will do."
Using the previous method of shedding blood.
Lu Zixun stared at the cat jade pendant, which now shimmered with a glow and floated through the air towards him.
As he rose and grabbed the jade pendant, Lu Zixun raised an eyebrow, realizing it was not just a token but more of a cultivation tool.
Feeling his bloodline boiling inside, Lu Zixun lazily half-squinted his eyes, "Old man, with your S-ranked power, in all fairness, you shouldn’t fear those Abnormal Creatures."
He waved at Lu Zixun, who, after a moment’s thought, still jumped onto Gongsun Du’s lap, curling up into a ball.
Gently stroking Lu Zixun’s fur, Gongsun Du’s eyes gradually moistened.
Ye Ye was not only the Guardian Beast of the Gongsun Family but also had been a lifelong companion to Gongsun Du, who now felt as if Ye Ye had returned.
He took a deep breath to calm himself and then dismissed everyone else from the Sacrificial Hall.
Leaving only Gongsun Ying and Gongsun Li behind, he looked down at Lu Zixun and said, "I won’t live much longer."
Shocked, they looked up at Gongsun Du.
When he spoke these words, Gongsun Du was eerily calm, as though he wasn’t talking about his own life.
Gongsun Li, unaware of this matter, could not believe what she was hearing and asked incredulously, "You must be joking, right?"
He beckoned Gongsun Li over to his side.
Gongsun Du, exhausted, leaned back in his wheelchair. "The Guardian Beast of the Gongsun family is not just a powerful ally but also family. You must treat Lord Cat well."
His tone, as if he were giving his final instructions, made Lu Zixun feel uneasy.
He had never witnessed such a scene before and, for a moment, did not know what to say.
Looking up at Gongsun Li, whose tears were now circling in her eyes, she wanted to speak but was choked with emotion and couldn’t find her voice.
After a moment of silence, Lu Zixun lifted his head to look at Gongsun Du.
Shaking his head, Gongsun Du looked toward the photograph of Ye Ye placed in the center of the Sacrificial Hall. "The arrival of a new Guardian Beast signifies that the old one has died."
"That proud cat, Ye Ye, would surely not seek others by himself; I must go and accompany him."
Lifting his hand to ruffle Gongsun Li’s hair, Gongsun Du shook his head. "After I’m gone, you must make your own decisions, Li Li. When you can’t decide, ask Lord Cat for advice and analyze the situation together with him."
No, Lu Zixun’s mind briefly short-circuited.
He was indeed touched, but then he thought that Gongsun Li shouldn’t have to bear so much.
Seemingly aware that Lu Zixun didn’t understand, Gongsun Du sighed. "Lord Cat, do you know of the Crimson Land?"
Feeling very uncomfortable, Lu Zixun frowned and nodded.
"The mechanism of the Crimson Land, easy to enter but hard to exit, needs to be maintained by the Gongsun family. And the last one responsible for sustaining it was Ye Ye."
Calmly stating this, Gongsun Du continued, "To enter the Crimson Land, one must possess strength above Grade A, and to fortify the Array, a direct bloodline relative with Grade S strength is required as the material for the Array."
Hearing this, Lu Zixun seemed to grasp something and immediately fell silent.
On one hand, Gongsun Du felt disheartened; on the other, he was thinking about the Array of the Crimson Land.
If it wasn’t Gongsun Li who entered, it would have to be Gongsun Ying.
"I know my time is near, and while I can still hold on for a few more days, I must fulfill the mission of the Gongsun Family."
"Using all the blood in my body to fortify the Array, sustained thereafter by Li Li’s father, will be enough to last until new human blood is introduced."
Beside him, Gongsun Li was already weeping profusely. Lu Zixun opened his mouth but finally just sighed, saying nothing.
He couldn’t understand this practice.
Yet, this didn’t stop Lu Zixun from admiring such an action.