Du Yuntian's gaze fixated on Du Fei. Dark shades flooded his pupils. After a long while, he suddenly whispered with a hint of hesitation, "You are... Du Fei..."

"Lord Patriarch has keen eyes!" Du Fei replied with a smile, displaying a nonchalant demeanor.

Seeing Du Fei's attitude, Du Yuntian's expression shifted several times. After a brief pause, he said gravely, "You certainly have guts. After causing such major trouble, you dare to change your identity and enter the imperial capital. Are you aware of what would await you if I reveal your true identity right now?"

"If you really did that, then the illustrious Yunshui Du Family would crumble under your leadership. At the very least, even the last chance of resurgence would be lost. Perhaps before long, the Da'an Dynasty would recognize only the Four Great Families in Yunshui, not Five." Du Fei gazed intently at Du Yuntian, responding calmly.

"What do you mean?" Du Yuntian frowned.

Du Fei smiled lightly and said, "Long Bai and Long Lingtian are already dead... My purpose in coming to the imperial capital is simple: to rescue my father and leave not a single soul in the Yunshui Long Family alive! Moreover, you should know that since I could kill Long Bai, I naturally have the confidence to annihilate the Yunshui Long Family..."

Upon hearing this, Du Yuntian was visibly shaken. Even though Du Fei's words were delivered calmly, they had a significant impact.

His gaze settled on Du Fei, and after a moment, Du Yuntian sighed. After a brief silence, he suddenly said, "You managed to seize the Ice Lotus Pill from the combined forces of the Junwu Sect and Yunshui's Five Families and are now standing here alive. Thus, when you say you killed Long Bai, I naturally believe you... However, judging by your current strength, you're at most at the peak-level of the Half-step Martial Master Realm. Such power might be sufficient to deal with a Long Aotian, but eradicating the entire Yunshui Long Family? That's simply a fool's dream!"

"That's why I need this..." Du Fei's eyes shifted to the ancient monster tiger carcass, "With this, my strength will surely skyrocket. Even if I can't truly wipe out the Yunshui Long Family, at the very least, Long Aotian must die..."

"Moreover, with Long Bai and Long Lingtian already dead, I presume even if the Yunshui Du Family were to make further compromises, it might not be enough to quell the wrath of the Yunshui Long Family, right? After all, I did kill one of their Martial Masters and a Half-step Alchemy Master..."

"Perhaps, the strength of the Yunshui Du Family might have been inferior to the Yunshui Long Family, or maybe Long Aotian had the backing of the Junwu Sect..."

"But, if even Long Aotian were to die, what would there be left to fear?"

Du Fei gazed intently at Du Yuntian, with a subtle hint of murderous intent in his expression, "Without Long Aotian, the Yunshui Long Family would lose the protection of the Junwu Sect. By then, if you, Lord Patriarch, are willing, the Yunshui Du Family could very well take on the Yunshui Long Family in full force and might not necessarily lose... Even if you are not willing, the Yunshui Long Family would no longer pose any threat to the Yunshui Du Family... All you would need to do is take a gamble..."

Having said this, Du Fei didn't need to elaborate further. Those capable of becoming the patriarch of a millennia-old family were no fools. Du Fei had already expressed his intentions clearly, so it was certain that Du Yuntian would comprehend the subsequent actions.

Moreover, this was indeed a high-stakes gamble. Du Fei bet that people like Du Yuntian might not be happy with being controlled by others. Now presented with a chance to turn the tables, he would likely seize it.

Of course, if Du Yuntian chose not to grab this opportunity, at the very least, he wouldn't expose Du Fei's identity now. After all, as long as Du Fei didn't confess, even if others had suspicions, Du Yuntian couldn't really do anything to him.

After a prolonged silence, Du Yuntian finally looked up, his eyes meeting Du Fei's. He took a deep breath and whispered, "Are you planning to kill Long Aotian on the spot during the Palace Contest?"

"Not necessarily. Perhaps I might let him live a bit longer since I also want to rescue my father..." Du Fei replied calmly.

"Your father... is Du Tian..." Du Yuntian's eyes twitched slightly. After a brief pause, he took another breath and said gravely, "This matter is of immense significance. Even I can't make a decision immediately. However, even if I don't agree with your request, I will definitely not expose your identity. Even though, due to pressure from the other Junwu Sect and the Four Great Families in Yunshui, we had to abandon those from the Buyue City's Du Family, you still carry the name 'Du' after all..."

"Hmph!" Du Fei let out a soft snort, giving Du Yuntian another glance. Without saying anything further, he pivoted and slowly walked out of the auction stage.

Watching Du Fei's departure, Du Yuntian's face returned to its normal expression, but he made no other move, apparently deep in thought.

"Summon Elder Du Hao," he instructed after pondering for a while.

"Yes!" At his command, a member of the Yunshui Du Family swiftly entered a gap beneath the auction stage. Shortly after, another figure emerged at great speed. The newcomer was none other than the Yunshui Du Family's Guardian Elder, Du Hao.

Seeing Du Hao's arrival, Du Yuntian nodded. With a wave of his sleeve, a black aura enveloped them both. After studying Du Hao for a moment, Du Yuntian asked with a furrowed brow, "You've met Du Fei before. Tell me, do you believe he personally killed Long Bai or not?"

Upon hearing this, Du Hao was taken aback. After a brief moment of contemplation, he replied, "Back in the Millennium Ice Enclosure, he was able to go toe-to-toe with Lv Yu without losing and managed to escape such a perilous situation. Honestly, I have no choice but to hold him in high regard. Not just in our Yunshui Du Family but perhaps throughout the entire Da'an Dynasty, there are only a few talents who can compare to him. However, Long Bai is, after all, a seasoned Martial Master from the Yunshui Long Family. To say he was killed by Du Fei... I truly don't know if I should believe that..."

Hearing Du Hao's words, Du Yuntian nodded slightly. After a pause, he hesitantly said, "What if... Ye Fei is actually Du Fei?"

"What?" Shocked by the revelation, Du Hao jolted. Moments later, he exclaimed, "Patriarch, you must be joking! I know full well how powerful Du Fei was half a year ago. And that Ye Fei is significantly more formidable than him. How could they possibly be the same person? Moreover, they look completely different!"

"To change one's appearance and stature, there are many methods. And it's not surprising for one to have such an advancement in half a year. You mustn't forget that two years ago, Du Fei was nothing more than a well-known wastrel. Yet who would have thought that in just under two years, he'd reached a realm many so-called geniuses could never attain in their lifetime? So, couldn't he have advanced to the peak-level of the Half-step Martial Master Realm within these six months?" Du Yuntian said after a moment of silence, a hint of struggle on his face before he spoke hesitantly.

"What... In that case... perhaps his claim of killing Long Bai might be true. After all, when I saw him three days ago, even I felt I might not be able to capture him. But is Ye Fei really Du Fei?" Du Hao pondered, momentarily stunned.

Du Yuntian didn't respond. However, after a brief pause, he coldly chuckled, "Whether that Ye Fei is Du Fei or not, as long as the fact that Long Bai is dead is true, that's all that matters... Without Long Bai, the Yunshui Long Family only has those two old ghosts left... Heh heh heh..."

After saying this, Du Yuntian seemed to have made up his mind. With a wave of his right hand, he dispersed the black aura enveloping the two of them, his gaze swiftly landing on the remains of the ancient demonic tiger.

After descending from the auction stage, Du Fei hesitated for a moment before leaping back up to the VIP seats, gently landing.

"How did it go?" Yun Yuqing, sitting by his side, asked softly after a brief pause.

Du Fei pondered for a moment, then sighed, "Yunshui Du Family showed no interest at all to the item I presented. However, I've already used other means... Whether it succeeds or not depends on what kind of person Du Yuntian really is... If my method fails, then Yunshui's Five Families will most likely become the Four Great Families in Yunshui in the future..."

"What? You..." Yun Yuqing was momentarily stunned. It was clear she quickly grasped the method Du Fei employed, and a trace of concern flashed in her eyes.

Seeing her in such a state, Du Fei simply smiled and then gently patted her arm, softly saying, "Don't worry too much. Du Yuntian isn't a fool and won't make a foolish move... Moreover, even if he speaks out, not many would necessarily believe him... Now, success or failure all hinges on his decision... And if it fails..."

At this point, Du Fei suddenly grinned again, "Even if it fails, it doesn't mean we don't have other methods, hehe..."

Hearing this, Yun Yuqing blinked in surprise and soon gave a wry smile. She hadn't expected that in just half a year's absence, Du Fei seemed to have transformed. Although he had previously faced Long Aotian without a hint of fear, he never exhibited such blatant disregard as he did now. Clearly, he possessed some kind of trump card that allowed him to completely ignore Long Aotian's strength.

With this thought, anticipation welled up within Yun Yuqing. Having watched Du Fei's growth step by step, she couldn't help but wonder just how far Du Fei had progressed in this past half-year!

As the two whispered amongst themselves, a faint disturbance emerged from the auction stage, drawing everyone's attention. The dark aura there slowly dissipated, revealing the situation on the auction stage to everyone's eyes.

"Hehe, esteemed guests, after our recent selection, our Yunshui Du Family has decided on the trade partner." Du Yuntian's gaze swept around the room, pausing momentarily before he continued with squinted eyes.

Upon hearing his words, the entire auction house fell into profound silence. All eyes immediately focused on Du Yuntian, eager to see what decision he had made.

Under such intense scrutiny, Du Yuntian's expression remained unchanged. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke in a low voice, "After consulting with the many elders of our Yunshui Du Family, we have decided that the trading partner for the ancient demonic tiger remains will be..."

"Alchemist... Ye Fei..."

As Du Yuntian's voice echoed, many in the crowd exchanged uneasy glances. In an instant, a myriad of eyes turned to Du Fei. Most wore expressions of disbelief, while a few revealed mocking smirks at the corners of their mouths.

Among them, the most peculiar expressions belonged unmistakably to Long Aotian and Lv Yu.

Unexpectedly, Long Aotian didn't exhibit any particular reactions. He merely gave Du Fei a profound look, then displayed a thoughtful expression. Meanwhile, Lv Yu's gaze landed on Du Fei for the first time, his face also showing a strange demeanor.

However, Du Fei completely disregarded their stares. His eyes slowly shifted to the auction stage, a faint smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. It seemed that the Yunshui Du Family hadn't entirely disappointed him after all...