"Since your injuries are healed, come with me!"
Zi Lingling said, then ordered Gou Jieran to lead the way.
Gou Jieran did not hesitate and led the group towards the Gou family residence.
The group wound their way through various paths and alleys, finally arriving at the gates of the Gou family residence after two quarters of an hour.
The Gou family patriarch, Gou Shiren, had already received the news and activated the Gou family's protective formation.
Zi Lingling let out a cold laugh and nodded to Shen Liuxing.
Shen Liuxing understood, stepped forward, and shouted, "Gou family members, listen up! Hand over Gou Fugui, Li Furong, and Gou Anran, or don't blame us for breaking through your turtle shell and fetching them ourselves!"
He was skilled in sonic attacks, so his voice had strong penetrating power, echoing throughout the Gou family's domain.
At this moment, Patriarch Gou Shiren, Young Master Gou Fugui, the nine Divine Kings previously brought by Gou Shiren to the Hundred Fragrance Residence, and the nine great elders of the Gou family were all gathered in the Gou family's council hall.
Gou Shiren said fearfully, "The people outside are extremely powerful. Even ten Divine Kings of the Cao family were no match for them. Does anyone have a plan?"
The Gou family's First Elder, Gou An, pondered for a moment and asked, "Patriarch, how many of them are there?"
Gou Shiren replied, "Five!"
The First Elder Gou An continued, "What are their cultivation levels?"
Gou Shiren recalled for a moment and said, "Four at the early stage of the Divine King realm, and one at the Great Divine realm!"
"Hahaha..."
The First Elder Gou An burst into laughter, "Patriarch, are you jesting? Four at the early stage of the Divine King realm plus one at the Great Divine realm, and they can defeat ten Divine Kings of the Cao family? This is utter nonsense!"
The Gou family's Second Elder, Gou Tong, echoed, "Patriarch, haven't you exaggerated a bit? Why don't I take four Divine Kings and go meet them?"
Gou Shiren hurriedly said, "Elders, what I said is the truth, not an exaggeration in the slightest. I implore you both to proceed with caution!"
"Hmph! Four at the early stage of the Divine King realm and one at the Great Divine realm, how powerful can they be? I, along with the Third, Sixth, and Ninth Elders, will go take a look!" The Second Elder Gou Tong said impatiently.
As he finished speaking, he had already left the council hall.
Accompanying him were the Third Elder Gou He, the Sixth Elder Gou Bai, and the Ninth Elder Gou Huan. Su Dan Novel Network.
Gou Shiren watched their retreating backs and quickly said to Gou An, "First Elder, the Second, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Elders are no match for them. We should hurry out and see!"
The First Elder Gou An's expression turned grim, and he said with displeasure, "Patriarch, your courage is diminishing. You are boosting the enemy's morale and dampening our own!"
Gou Shiren quickly explained, "No, First Elder, I..."
"No need to say more!"
The First Elder Gou An interrupted him, "If I had known it was just a few at the early stage of the Divine King realm, I would not have agreed to activate the family's protective formation!"
"Fine, since you insist, we will go out and take a look. If it is as you say, then so be it. But if you have exaggerated, then the position of Patriarch is not for you to hold any longer!"
"Our Gou family will not support someone who is timid and fearful as our Patriarch!"
As he spoke, the council hall immediately became noisy.
It seemed that Gou Shiren's actions had already incurred the displeasure of the elders.
Gou Shiren was stunned, then he laughed heartily, "Good! Good! Good!"
In his laughter, there was sarcasm directed at the family's elders and self-mockery for his own tireless efforts for the family.
"Since you all believe I have exaggerated, then let's all go out and see!"
Gou Shiren said, then strode out of the council hall and headed towards the Gou family's main gate.
His steps were slightly unsteady, and the bitterness in his heart surged into his retreating figure.
Seeing this, the First Elder Gou An paused for a moment, then said to the others in the council hall, "Let's go! We'll all go out and see what makes these individuals, whom the Patriarch spoke of, so extraordinary that they warrant the Patriarch to make such a fuss and activate the family's protective formation!"
Then, he led the nine Divine Kings, along with the remaining Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, and Eighth Elders, in a grand procession towards the main gate.
Outside the protective formation, the Second Elder Gou Tong, Third Elder Gou He, Sixth Elder Gou Bai, and Ninth Elder Gou Huan were already arrayed in a line.
When the four of them saw Gou Jieran, they were visibly taken aback.
The Second Elder Gou Tong said with a cold face, "Gou Jieran, as a member of the Gou family, you actually collude with outsiders to cause trouble for our Gou family. You are truly an ungrateful wretch!"
Gou Jieran let out a sarcastic smile and said, "You still remember that I am a member of the Gou family? When my mother, sister, and I were bullied by the Gou family, did you ever consider us Gou family members?"
"When you forced me to marry that beast Cao Chunyu by threatening the lives of my mother and sister, did you consider me a Gou family member then?"
"When my mother, sister, and I almost died at the hands of the Gou family, did you ever spare a thought for us being Gou family members?"
"When I was in danger just now, and my father fled with Gou Fugui, did he consider me a Gou family member and save me as well?"
"..."
Every word from Gou Jieran was a blood-soaked accusation.
The Gou family's Second Elder, Gou Tong, was questioned so much that he couldn't utter a single word in response.
Gou Jieran, her mother, and her sister had been constantly bullied and humiliated by the Gou family. These elders were not unaware of this.
However, in their eyes, Gou Jieran, with her ordinary talent, was simply not worth their intervention.
It was precisely their tacit consent and acquiescence that made the lives of Gou Jieran and her mother and sister worse than death.
The Gou family's Third Elder frowned and said, "Gou Jieran, even so, that was an internal conflict within our Gou family. Furthermore, the Gou family raised you to adulthood. Is this how you repay the Gou family?"
Gou Jieran retorted mockingly, "Raised me to adulthood? How dare you say that? Do you not know how my mother, sister, and I barely survived?"
"I can't be bothered to argue with you. If you know what's good for you, hand over my mother, my sister, and that scoundrel Gou Fugui. Otherwise, the Gou family will undoubtedly bleed!"
The Gou family's Sixth Elder, Gou Bai, let out a cold snort and said, "Bleed? You? Or them?"
As he spoke, he pointed at the five people including Zi Lingling.
He recognized the ten people including Zhuang Xing and thus did not consider them enemies.
Gou Jieran let out a cold laugh and said, "Is this not enough?"
The Gou family's Ninth Elder, Gou Huan, smiled grimly and said, "It's just three at the early stage of the Divine King realm and one at the Great Divine realm. How dare you act so arrogantly in front of our Gou family gates! Who gave you the courage?"
Before Zi Lingling could speak, Shangguan Yulin preempted her, "Slaying a bunch of beasts, why would we need to borrow courage from others?"
"Come, come! Let this young master see just how powerful your Gou family beasts are!"
As Shangguan Yulin spoke, he provocatively beckoned to the Gou family's Ninth Elder, Gou Huan.