Chapter 1262, The Celebration Doesn’t End Until I Am Drunk Today; A Little Too Early to Be Happy

Translator: Fate

Translation Checker: Silavin

 

Ouyang Ji’s straightforward approach had exceeded Ling Yuxian’s expectations. Who could have imagined that his aggressive attitude just now would be for this reason? Nevertheless, she could not rule out the fact that he had acted deliberately to put on a show for the rest of the world.

 

Gu Changge had already guessed the real reason for Ouyang Ji’s arrival. It was apparent that Ouyang Ji was an intelligent man, and he happened to lack such people around him.

 

“Don’t worry, Young Master Gu. Whether or not you agree to my request, I will swear an oath on my Dao Heart that I will never reveal a single word about what happened here today.” Ouyang Ji ignored Ling Yuxian, who had just arrived, and continued sincerely, “Chu Xinyue is very selfish and arrogant. She thinks that I am obsessed with her beauty, but I am only trying to win her favour. Women like her are too opinionated. If necessary, I can subdue her at any time. She can be used as a threat to prevent Chu Gucheng from acting rashly.”

 

Gu Changge glanced at Ouyang Ji and smiled faintly. “No need. You have expressed your intentions clearly, so why wouldn’t I believe you?”

 

A look of joy immediately spread across Ouyang Ji’s face when he heard those words. Then, he took out a jade tablet from his pocket and handed the object to Gu Changge. “To show you my sincerity, please have this. It is my Life Rune. You can contact me through the Life Rune at any time, Young Master Gu. If there is something you need, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

 

Glancing at Ling Yuxian, he added apologetically, “I was in a hurry just now. Please forgive me if I have offended you in any way, Lady Yuxian.”

 

He did not know what kind of relationship Ling Yuxian had with Gu Changge. However, the fact that Gu Changge allowed Ling Yuxian to stand beside them and listen to their conversation was enough to indicate that their relationship was not that simple.

 

Afterwards, he did not stay for long. He left behind the Life Rune and cupped his fists in greeting. Then, he turned around and departed.

 

Gu Changge watched Ouyang Ji’s departing figure with a rather strange look in his eye but said nothing. Glancing down at the Life Rune that Ouyang Ji handed to him, he put the object away without much thought. The Life Rune might turn out to be useful in the future. After all, Ouyang Ji had expressed his intentions earlier. The next correspondence from him would probably be a letter of surrender.

 

“I thought he was a reckless fool, but it seems that he is not that stupid after all.” Ling Yuxian waited until Ouyang Ji was gone before she spoke with a glance at Gu Changge. Having basically heard the entire conversation between the two men, she was very curious about the truth. Was Gu Changge actually planning to attack the Land of Celestial Suffering? But, how could he shake the entire the Land of Celestial Suffering with his strength alone? The very notion seemed rather unrealistic.

 

“Few of those who reach this level are truly idiots. They simply know how to manipulate the universe to cater to their interests.” Gu Changge laughed.

 

She nodded in agreement. After some thought, she wondered with some curiosity. “Are you really planning to attack the Land of Celestial Suffering? There shouldn’t be any grievance between you and the Land of Celestial Suffering…”

 

He glanced at her and chuckled softly. “When did I ever say I wanted to attack the Land of Celestial Suffering? Isn’t it the opposite? It is the Land of Celestial Suffering that is trying to attack me to avenge the death of Chu Gucheng’s useless Son, Chu Xiao.”

 

“If you don’t want to talk about it, then forget it.” She secretly rolled her eyes at him, not believing a word of his nonsense. The longer she came to know him, the more she realised that she could not understand him. Both his thoughts and the things he wanted to achieve were hard to predict and decipher.

 

He seemed to be shrouded in a layer of mystery. There were times when she was tempted to scream and grab him by the shoulders to question him thoroughly. However, the more she felt that way, the more she discovered that she was constantly curious about him.

 

It turned out that she was very interested in everything about him. In fact, her interest in him was already bordering on surpassing her obsession with cultivating and becoming stronger.

 

Ouyang Ji arrived quickly and departed just as swiftly. The experts from the Unfettered Heavenly Palace, who were confronting the Imperial Celestial Palace Elders, also retreated quickly without engaging in actual battle. Be that as it may, the commotion still attracted the attention of various cultivators and Forces within the capital of the Land of Celestial Suffering. Many cultivators hurriedly rushed over to join the fun.

 

Nobody knew the reason why a conflict suddenly arose between the Unfettered Heavenly Palace and the Imperial Celestial Palace. Nevertheless, they did not fail to notice that Ouyang Ji was in an extremely miserable state when he left the Imperial Celestial Palace.

 

Not only was he covered in bruises and wounds, but there was also a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. In addition, his aura was very weak.

 

The sight immediately caused countless rumours and speculations to spread, especially since the Young Palace Master of the Unfettered Heavenly Palace, Ouyang Ji, had recently formed a close relationship with the Second Princess of the Land of Celestial Suffering, Chu Xinyue.

 

It was inevitable that people would wonder whether Chu Xinyue had instigated Ouyang Ji to cause trouble for the Imperial Celestial Palace. After all, the death of Chu Xinyue’s Younger Brother, Chu Xiao, was closely connected to Gu Changge, whose identity had been revealed to be the Senior Brother of the Imperial Celestial Palace’s Xian Yun Practice Grounds.

 

However, some believed that it was impossible. The Land of Celestial Suffering was currently celebrating Chu Gucheng’s birthday. As the Second Princess of the Land of Celestial Suffering, how could Chu Xinyue be so ignorant as to do something that would damage the reputation of the Land of Celestial Suffering’s Royal Family? It was most likely that the Young Palace Master of the Unfettered Heavenly Palace was trying to win her favour by doing such a thing.

 

While the various Forces and cultivators were making numerous speculations about the situation, the Royal Family of the Land of Celestial Suffering issued a clarification immediately.

 

They apologised for failing to fulfil their obligations as the host of the birthday banquet, which ultimately led to the incident in question. At the same time, they issued a warning to the various Forces. Any incident during this critical period that negatively affected the King’s birthday banquet would immediately be considered a disregard and violation of the rules in the Land of Celestial Suffering.

 

Chu Gucheng’s Eldest Son also personally visited the Imperial Celestial Palace in his capacity as the Crown Prince of the Land of Celestial Suffering to apologise for the incident. He was hoping to appease the Imperial Celestial Palace’s anger with his show of sincerity.

 

Seeing the Land of Celestial Suffering’s attitude, the Imperial Celestial Palace was forced to let go of the incident. It had to be said that they did not suffer any losses. Furthermore, Gu Changge himself had not said anything about the incident.

 

“I’m sorry for disappointing you, Xinyue. I never imagined that he would be so powerful. I was not a match for him at all. Not only did I fail to vent your anger, but I also embarrassed myself greatly.” Inside one of the palaces, Ouyang Ji lay on the bed with an ashen complexion. His aura was also very weak.

 

“Don’t say that, Young Master Ouyang. I’m already very happy that you were willing to help me. It makes me sad to see you with such severe wounds. That man must be cruel and ruthless indeed. I can’t believe he was so harsh to you. This is a Sacred Herb that I brought with me. It will help you recover faster.”

 

Chu Xinyue stood by the bed with a guilty expression on her face. While speaking, she took a sealed ancient wooden box from the servant behind her and personally handed the box to Ouyang Ji. Her hand inevitably grazed his arm when she handed the box to him.

 

The look in her eyes immediately turned dark. She was actually a little sceptical about Ouyang Ji’s incompetence at first. The reports on the situation indicated that he was heavily wounded not long after he barged into the Imperial Celestial Palace, and that was why he had to flee so quickly.

 

To her surprise, the results of the investigation she just performed unexpectedly revealed that his wounds were indeed very severe. There was a terrifying and overbearing aura that remained in his body. Moreover, it was constantly eroding and damaging his vitality.

 

It had to be said that he was an expert who survived his Third Decay Tribulation. To think that he was so weak and powerless against Gu Changge… She seemed to have greatly underestimated Gu Changge’s strength.

 

“You should get some rest, Young Master Ouyang. I won’t take more of your time. I will visit you again tomorrow.” Chu Xinyue knew that Ouyang Ji was not at fault. Even if she had confronted Gu Changge herself, her fate would not have been any different.

 

After Chu Xinyue departed, Ouyang Ji shook his head and sat up on the bed. He glanced at the wooden box that she brought but showed no interest in checking its contents.

 

“I was worried that Chu Xinyue might notice something, but Young Master Gu turned out to be more terrifying than I initially thought. He guessed my intentions even before I went to the Imperial Celestial Palace. What’s more, he predicted that somebody would investigate my injuries and deliberately leave behind such severe traces with that palm strike.”

 

He could not help but be filled with awe. It never occurred to him that there were such cunning people in the world, much less with such unfathomable methods. Now that the Land of Celestial Suffering had fallen prey to these schemes, even legendary Great Saints would be helpless.

 

Thanks to that incident, the distinguished guests became aware of the dark undercurrent flowing beneath the surface of the Land of Celestial Suffering. The merry scene of singing, dancing, feasting, and drinking seen on the surface were merely illusions.

 

In any case, the incident did not affect Chu Gucheng’s birthday banquet. The celebrations finally began in earnest. The grand banquet stretched out from the palace like an endless long Dragon. Dazzling lights flickered everywhere, and a celestial aura permeated the air. These were auspicious signs for the celebration.

 

The delicate buildings disappeared from view, and silver rain fell from the skies. Even the Divine Mountains were obscured by the Chaos Qi. Countless figures shuttled through the air like the comings and goings of the deities. The scene resembled the myths of a legendary Emperor summoning his ministers to his palace.

 

The sound of zither and harps rang out in harmony, their music resounding through the skies. Celestial Lotuses bloomed in the lakes where the clear streams flowed. Mystic Mountains could be seen amidst the palaces and pavilions like the so-called myriads of auspicious lights. It was truly an ethereal sight.

 

“The Heavenly Feathered Clan presents the Ancient Heavenly Feather Nine Jade Pair!”

 

“Ninety thousand Heavenly Feather Universe Immortal Pills!”

 

“Thirty thousand kilograms of the Immortal Spring Water!”

 

“The Nine Thunder Dao Sect presents six hundred stalks of the Nine-Coloured Divine Bamboo!”

 

“Three hundred units of the Primitive Paleomagnetic Ore!”

 

“One hundred units of the Solar Heavenly Nest!”

 

The guests began to present their gifts in consecutive order. Each item was a rare and precious treasure. In the outside world, these objects would have caused a huge sensation. Many parties would have scrambled and fought to obtain them.

 

Take the Nine-Coloured Divine Bamboo for example. It was an extremely rare material for refining purposes. In fact, it was one of the easiest materials in the world to engrave with the runes.

 

Enveloped in a dense layer of mist and Chaos Qi, the bamboo was less than six metres long with a total of nineteen sections. They also resembled forbidden illusions, seeming almost non-existent at times. At other times, they floated in the flowing light as scattered and intangible substances. It was incredibly mysterious. Even Dao Realm experts would yearn to obtain such materials, yet six hundred stalks were offered as a present today.

 

Many guests were shocked by the great display of generosity and opulence.

 

In any case, most of the guests who came to attend the birthday banquet today were important figures from various Forces and Civilisations. It was not surprising that they possessed wondrous treasures among their collections.

 

Towards the end, the gifts even included completely intact Ancient World Seeds, prototype weapons condensed and refined from Fragments of the Great Dao. These birthday gifts were so rare that ordinary cultivators had never even heard of them.

 

Afterwards, the Primary Hope Saintess showed up in person to present an ancient map brimming with dazzling Dao light.

 

The Imperial Celestial Palace Elders offered an exotic treasure radiating with the Great Dao on behalf of the Imperial Celestial Palace. There were numerous Daos condensed within the treasure, indicating its amazing origins.

 

The True Buddha Ku Ji of the Tathagata Buddha Realm presented a string of Buddhist beads worn by the Buddhism Master. Each Buddhist bead possessed great origin. With an abundance of divine aura and Buddha aura, they could seal and suppress evil spirits. They also had many other unimaginable powers.

 

On the other hand, the Bright Light Temple brought out a golden silk shirt brimming with black and white Qi. It was interwoven with light and darkness, representing the mystical evolution of all living creatures.

 

The Xing Ying from the mysterious Ardent Ruins Cave also presented a mysterious gift, which was an unopened brocade box. She herself did not know what the box contained. It was apparently a gift from the Master of the Ardent Ruins Cave, who had instructed her to deliver this gift in person.

 

The gift aroused the curiosity of the guests. Nobody knew the name ;Ardent Ruins Cave’, but the strength of the old woman far surpassed anybody in attendance. It was suspected that she had survived her Eighth Decay Tribulation. If that were the case, then how powerful was the aforementioned Master of the Ardent Ruins Cave?

 

Chu Gucheng had a huge smile on his face. He was very pleased to receive these gifts. Even the unpleasant emotions stemming from Chu Xinyue’s incompetence that damaged the Land of Celestial Suffering’s reputation as the host were swept away in an instant.

 

At this moment, he was in a very good mood. It was not to say that he lacked such treasures. Rather, it was the fact that these guests respected him enough to come and present him with such valuable gifts that made him very happy. Who would dare to spread rumours that the Land of Celestial Suffering was alienated by the other Forces in the Primary Hope Civilisation or that the Land of Celestial Suffering would be destroyed and reduced to ruins by the coming calamity? Didn’t everybody come to give him their well wishes?

 

He had personally sent out the invitations for his birthday banquet. Who would dare to openly disrespect him? Even the Primary Hope Saintess, who usually remained aloof and detached from the struggle between the Forces, had appeared in person to celebrate his birthday.

 

The thought immediately filled him with a sense of pride and joy. Lifting his wine glass, he happily shared drinks with the distinguished guests.

 

“It is my honour that you can join me in my birthday celebration. The celebration won’t end until I am drunk today!”

 

A strong smell of alcohol permeated the air in the grand palace. Chu Gucheng originally had a tall figure and rosy cheeks, but he seemed slightly tipsy from the constant drinking. His face was flushed red from the alcohol.

 

The truth was that he could not get drunk easily at his level of cultivation. After all, it would only take a single thought to dispel the alcohol from his body. It was just that he was in an extremely good mood today, so he no longer cared about such trivial details. He simply wanted to enjoy himself and drink to his heart’s content.

 

The depression and anxiety that he suffered during the recent period were swept away as he drank. Even the guests could see that he was in high spirits. Reluctant to sour his mood, they promptly raised their cups in response.

 

Gu Changge quietly drank by himself without participating in the joyous atmosphere. His attendance shocked and surprised many of the distinguished guests in the palace.

 

It was now known that he was the mysterious young man who appeared in the Southbarren Ancient Territory that day. Moreover, he was accompanied by an old servant who seemed to be in the Ancestral Dao Realm.

 

Many people speculated that he might have come from a mythical Forbidden Strange Land. If not for the issue regarding Chu Xiao’s death, they would have loved to come forward and greet him themselves. Unfortunately, doing that in this situation would be considered extremely disrespectful to Chu Gucheng. They could not interfere in the matter without seeming impolite.

 

“That woman, who has been glancing at you from her peripheral vision, is the Second Princess of the Land of Celestial Suffering,” Ling Yuxian whispered in Gu Changge’s ear with a sense of uneasiness.

 

Gu Changge nodded slightly and glanced over.

 

The person in question was a tall woman with a gorgeous face. She was dressed in a long black dress suitable for a formal occasion. With her hair tied up high, she looked dignified and elegant.

 

Beside her stood the Young Palace Master of the Unfettered Heavenly Palace, Ouyang Ji. Furthermore, she had been greeting the guests with Chu Gucheng from the beginning.

 

Even without Ling Yuxian’s introduction, Gu Changge would have been able to guess the other party’s identity.

 

He had already noticed that many guests, including the Old Lady Xing Ying from the Ardent Ruins Cave, had been eyeing him. However, he was not bothered by their gazes. The main reason he participated in the birthday banquet was simply to watch the excitement that would unfold around him. He had the feeling that Chu Gucheng would be as furious later as he was happy now.

 

“The Second Princess of the Land of Celestial Suffering is quite the character. She is definitely much better than her fool of a Younger Brother.” Gu Changge took a swig of his alcohol. His tone was very casual, seeming rather unconcerned that others might hear him.

 

Ling Yuxian had a delicate and flawless appearance. After drinking some wine, her fair and exquisite face which resembled fragile porcelain was dyed with a faint red hue.

 

“You should keep your voice down. Don’t let anybody else hear you.” she whispered fiercely. Standing next to him, she nearly grabbed his hand in frustration and earnestly begged him to behave appropriately. They were at Chu Gucheng’s birthday banquet! How could he be so blunt with his words? Wasn’t he afraid of attracting unnecessary trouble?

 

“Don’t let anybody else hear me? Are you saying that you’re an outsider?” He turned to look at her and chuckled slightly.

 

Those words momentarily stunned her. Then, a blush slowly crept across her entire face. She glared at him angrily.

 

Aside from the host, Chu Gucheng, the most popular guests in the banquet were Gu Changge, the Primary Hope Saintess, and Old Lady Xing Ying from the Ardent Ruins Cave. Even the distinguished guests from various Major Forces in the Rising Dawn True World, the Hidden Ancient Civilisation, and the Ephemeral Yin True World were interested in those parties, much less the Forces from Primary Hope Civilisation.