10x Rewards: Novel's Extra's Cultivation Stealing System

Two days later.

As the towering gates of the Gu Clan finally appeared, and the disciples looked as though they had returned from hell itself.

Meanwhile, looking at Gu Chen return, the guards quickly opened the gates, and the news spread through the clan like wildfire.

"Young Master Chen has returned!"

"The expedition is back!"

"The tribute has arrived!"

Servants hurried through the courtyards screaming and notifying everyone.

As Gu Chen and company walked through the clan courtyard, many looked at Gu Chen with admiration while others noticed the unusually small number of survivors.

Questions began spreading.

At the same time, the massive Grand Hall of the Gu Clan was brightly lit with hundreds of floating spiritual lanterns, as the scent of calming sandalwood incense drifted through the air.

Dozens of clan elders had already gathered, and the atmosphere inside the grand hall was highly festive and incredibly joyful, since the clan upper echelons had received word that Gu Chen’s expedition team had safely returned from the treacherous Miasma Woods.

Sitting directly on the carved golden throne at the front of the hall was the Gu Clan Patriarch, Gu Yangtian, looking imposing in his rich purple robes.

Dozens of highly respected Clan Elders sat on luxurious wooden chairs lining the sides of the hall, stroking their long white beards with deep satisfaction.

The surviving disciples entered and bowed in front of the elders. Even Gu Chen lowered his head respectfully while Gu Fan stood beside the others with a perfectly calm expression.

"As expected of Young Master Chen," One of the elders immediately smiled "You completed the mission despite encountering danger."

"The Gu Clan’s future truly rests upon your shoulders."

"I knew this expedition would succeed."

"Hahahaha! Our Golden Boy has never disappointed us!" The First Elder, who was Gu Chen’s biggest political supporter, laughed loudly as he stood up and proudly pointed his finger at Gu Chen’s battered figure, "He went directly into the lethal Miasma Woods, bravely fought off the highly vicious demonic cultivators, and returned alive to bring unmatched glory to our Gu Clan!"

Some of the elders nodded repeatedly, hearing the First elder.

Then there were a handful of elders who remained unusually silent, and their eyes moved from the battered disciples to the empty hands of the returning guards.

The Clan Head smiled warmly.

"Chen’er, you’ve worked hard." Patriarch Gu Tianhao spoke with a deep, booming voice as he looked directly at Gu Chen.

Gu Chen however remained rooted to his spot, his face turning incredibly pale as cold sweat rapidly dripped down his spine, because he knew exactly what was coming next.

"Now," the Patriarch commanded happily, leaning forward on his golden throne with his eyes shining with anticipation, "Do not keep us waiting any longer. Quickly present the Emperor’s tribute to the hall, so we can send it back to the emperor and reward you for your massive achievement!"

And the entire hall fell silent as every elder looked towards Gu Chen as even the servants standing beside the massive jade pillars stopped breathing.

However Gu Chen stood there without moving, his fingers slowly tightened inside his sleeves.

The smile on the Clan Head’s face stiffened, and he called out again,, "Chen’er?"

"Patriarch..." Gu Chen finally cupped his fists, "This disciple... This disciple has failed."

The moment those words left his mouth, they landed like a thunderclap.

"What?!" Several elders immediately stood up.

Gu Chen’s knees suddenly buckled and he dropped onto the red carpet, his head bowed so low that his dirty forehead almost touched the floor.

"Patriarch... " Gu Chen started, his voice completely cracking with deep, undeniable shame as a heavy drop of cold sweat rolled down his pale cheek, "I deserve death, I... We... We did not retrieve the tribute."

The absolute silence that followed his words was so suffocating that a dropping pin would have sounded like a massive thunderclap. None of the Gu Clan elders could process what they had just heard.

"What did you just say?" Gu Yangtian asked, his deep booming voice dropping into a dangerous whisper as the proud smile shattered off his strict face.

"The tribute was lost?"

"Impossible!" The expressions of everyone in the hall changed.

"Explain." The Clan Head’s face became extremely ugly.

"The expedition encountered circumstances that none of us anticipated," Gu Chen took a deep breath, trying to explain his failure, "After entering the Miasma Woods, we were ambushed by Ironback Abyss Crocodiles."

"Not long afterward, our group became trapped inside an Earth-Grade Slaughter Array." Gu Chen started to narrate the events one by one, "The array forced our disciples to attack one another."

"By the time we escaped, our losses were already severe."

The First Elder, who was Gu Chen’s absolute biggest political supporter, quickly stood up from his luxurious wooden chair, his face entirely pale as he aggressively tried to run damage control.

"An Earth-Grade Slaughter Array?!" the First Elder gasped loudly, turning to look at the Patriarch. "Heavens above! It is a miracle that they even managed to return alive from such a terrifying trap! The enemy was simply too cunning, Patriarch!"

Murmurs spread across the hall.

"An Earth-Grade array?"

"Who could afford such a formation?"

"They were from the Blood Fiend Demonic Sect," Gu Chen continued, "It was the Bai Clan who were behind this?"

"Bai Clan?"

"That bastard Bai Haoran. I knew it. He must be the one who had our tribute robbed."

"Bai Clan is retaliating?!"

"What happened next?" Gu Yangtian ignored the murmer as he spoke, his gaze fixed on Gu Chen.

"After escaping the array, we were immediately attacked by Blood Fiend Demonic Sect cultivators." Gu told Gu Yangtian, "They admitted they had only been hired by the Bai clan to weaken our forces."

"However, the actual thieves were another group entirely." Gu Chen continued through gritted teeth, actively glaring Gu Yangtian in the eye.

"Who?" The first elder was quick to ask.

"The Phantom Sirens," Gu Chen replied, "They belong to some Nether Orchid Demonic Sect."

Hearing the name, several elders frowned.

"I have heard of them."

"Yes! They are an evil mercenary sect."

"They are difficult to catch."

"Why would they target our tribute?"

"We pursued them into the Weeping Gorge," Gu Chen nodded, "The terrain was filled with traps, poisonous beasts and hidden formations. Our forces were exhausted."

"The Phantom Sirens were waiting for us deep inside the underground labyrinth."

"I fought bravely and aggressively slaughtered dozens of their female assassins, but I simply did not have enough support" Gu Chen sighed as he looked helplessly at the patriarch looking at him with a pitiful expression.

"Those who followed me one by one fell through the traps along the way. They were no match to the Blood Fiends, the phantom sirens or even the traps. In the end, I continued to move forward, all alone."

"I fought continuously until I finally reached their hidden treasury," Gu Chen paused between his words, looking at the faces of the elders one by one, "When I arrived... The treasury... the treasury had already been emptied."

"What?!"

The atmosphere in the audience hall immediately turned heavy.

"What did you say?" One elder slammed his palm against the armrest, "Already emptied?"

"How can this happen?"

"What useless intelligence!"

Another elder frowned.

"So the tribute was moved before you arrived?"

"Yes." Gu Chen looked at the elder and nodded, still leaning on the ground, "I interrogated the surviving enemy. But they refused to reveal what happened to it and where it was moved."

"I exhausted every possible method." Gu Fan regrettably spoke, "But the information died with them."

Silence followed, as Gu Yangtian slowly closed his eyes.

His disappointment was impossible to hide.

At that moment... The seventh Elder looked at the Patriarch and then his eyes crossed with the first elder who gave him a subtle nod. Getting the go, he stood up.

"This cannot entirely be blamed on Young Master Chen." He began to say, "The enemy clearly prepared this trap long in advance. They even used an Earth-Grade Slaughter Array. How ruthless... Such a scheme could not have been predicted."

"Exactly," Another elder nodded immediately, "Even an Origin Realm cultivator would struggle under those circumstances."

"Our losses prove how fierce the battle truly was."

"Young Master Chen preserved the remaining disciples."

"That alone deserves recognition."

Several elders voiced their agreement.

"Well said."

"The expedition faced overwhelming odds."

"It was an unfortunate coincidence."

"This failure belongs to the enemy’s cunning."

When Gu Chen saw the tide of the room turn his way, he smirked, shifting his eyes toward Gu Fan, who was currently standing near the back of the hall picking his ear with a completely bored expression.

"And while I was risking my life actively fighting the beasts, the fiends and whatever came our way, trying to protect my brothers," Gu Chen added, attempting to throw his bastard brother under the bus, "Some people simply wandered off on their own to hide from the battle."

"What?"

The elders instantly followed Gu Chen’s gaze towards Gu Fan, but before they could gang up on the trash son of the Patriarch, Gu Fan threw his arms in a highly exaggerated innocence.

"Brother Chen!"

"How could you?"

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