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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
Wisps of heavy fog covered the land like spirits which couldn’t be exorcised. To the outside world, the extremely mysterious Eternal Overcast wasn’t really special besides the swirling Eternal Overcast fog. To Gu Changge, at least the Principles of the world didn’t vary much from the outside world.
The palace buildings sat near a mountain range, separated from it by a river. The land was ruined and covered in rubble from an ancient battlefield. Nearly every Upper Realm cultivator feared the Eternal Overcast like it was some kind of ghost. Though, what they really feared was the strangeness of the Eternal Overcast fog, and what it could do to a person.
Gu Changge had sensed, after coming to the Eternal Overcast, that he could kill off the entire Upper Realm after he gain control of the origins of the Eternal Overcast. This was the most vital part of his plan.
“Greetings, Young Master Gu.” Jia Nan, who had arrived late, stepped into the palace and immediately spotted Gu Changge sitting at the head of the feast. She smiled and greeted him.
“Princess Jia Nan. How have you been?” He looked up at her, inclining his head.
“The Eternal Overcast is inferior compared to the outside world, so please don’t feel offended if our hospitality is lacking.” She smiled. Many experts with ancient auras followed behind her. All of them had cultivated for many years in the Eternal Overcast and thus could be considered unrivaled Sacred Emperor Realm or Quasi-Nirvana Realm experts in the Upper Realm.
Once Jia Nan arrived, nearly everyone’s gazes shifted towards them. Everyone had known that Gu Changge possessed the inheritance from the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being and had come here personally to fulfill the agreement he had made with the Eldest Princess. The Reincarnation Platform was an extremely important issue, which almost every Eternal Overcast Being was emotionally attached to.
[The Eldest Princess may start discussing about the forging of the Reincarnation Platform with Gu Changge, right?] the higher ups of the Eternal Overcast Kingdom started to wonder internally.
The Eternal Overcast Kingdom had waited for millions of years to forge the Reincarnation Platform and almost finished gathering the materials; the only thing lacking was someone who was an expert in the Dao of Reincarnation.
“Princess Jia Nan, your worry is unwarranted.” Gu Changge waved his hand with a light smile and glanced at the experts behind Jia Nan. The true foundation of the Supreme Overcast wasn’t here, since none of them were even True Daoists. However, it was not like the Eternal Overcast Kingdom needed to feel cautious. After all, there had not been any records of a True Daoist from the outside world setting foot in here before and live to tell the tale.
“If so, then we’ll have to trouble you then, Young Master Changge.” A smile appeared on Jia Nan’s face before she settled on the seat beside him and took the wine from Jia Luo to pour some out for Gu Changge. Since she was clearly the most influential person in the Eternal Overcast Kingdom, her action showed how high he was being regarded.
“According to the agreement, I shall help you forge the Reincarnation Platform. However, I hope you don’t rescind your promise regarding what I want.” Gu Changge eyed her with interest.
A flash of discomfort flashed across her features before she regained control of herself and forced a smile. “Of course. We made a Dao Oath. I can never go back on my word.”
She didn’t know if Gu Changge had already discerned something. All this time, they could only acquire Eternal Overcast Sources from the ancient wells deep within their homeland. However, currerntly, the three ancient wells were on the verge of drying up and she wasn’t sure how many Eternal Overcast Sources were left.
He smiled and did not expose her. No one had ever dared to gain such a massive favour from him in exchange for nothing. Now, what he wanted to know was the situation here. What had happened within the homeland of the Eternal Overcast Beings that resulted in the deterioration of the Eternal Overcast?
Soon, the welcoming feast was over. The dancers and high ups all retreated, leaving the Eternal Overcast Royal Family members and Gu Changge in the palace.
The place seemed extremely quiet all of a sudden. Not wanting to waste any time, Gu Changge immediately got to the point and asked Jia Nan to bring him to the planned site of the Reincarnation Platform.
“Young Master Changge, it’s already late. Why don’t you rest tonight? We will ask you to help once everything is prepared tomorrow.” She seemed conflicted at his request.
“You want to wait until tomorrow?” He smiled in apparent surprise, sounding calm and reassuring. He wasn’t taken aback by this though, since there was definitely something hidden deep inside the Eternal Overcast Kingdom. Otherwise, she wouldn’t keep pushing back the time. After all, wouldn’t it be better for the Eternal Overcast Kingdom if they completed the Reincarnation Platform earlier?
“You had a long difficult journey here, so you must be exhausted. It takes up a lot of spiritual energy to build the Platform, so I think you have to regain your peak state before you start forging, in case things go wrong,” she quickly explained as if worried he would think too much into it.
“If so, then I shall follow your arrangements.” He looked surprised and smiled without saying much. After all, he was merely a visitor here and if his host wanted him to wait for another night, what was the harm in doing so? He could take this opportunity to go into their so-called homeland to take a look.
“Xiao Jiu—” Her eyes suddenly swept authoritatively across the crowd to land on a young woman further back. She looked to be only around fifteen to sixteen and was petite, with pale flawless skin like ceramic, shoulder-length silver hair, and light amber-coloured eyes, which gave her a frigid and unwelcoming aura. She frowned when Jia Nan called on her, glancing towards them in slight puzzlement.
“Jia Nan…” She inquired in confusion. She wasn’t as respectful as the others family members towards Jia Nan.
“Young Master Gu has come from afar to help the Eternal Overcast Kingdom construct the Reincarnation Platform without complaint. You will be in charge of serving him tonight.” Jia Nan’s expression didn’t change at all as she looked meaningfully at Xiao Jiu, her tone brooking no argument.
At these words, the eyes of the remaining Eternal Overcast Royal Family memebrs widened in surprise as if they couldn’t believe it. Several young women even looked at the silver-haired girl enviously.
Gu Changge raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Jia Nan with interest. “You don’t have to do this.”
Jia Nan shook her head and looked at him. “You came from so far away to help us solve a problem. How can you not have someone to serve you when you’re resting here? It will damage our image of hospitality if words of this leaks out.”
Her explanation somewhat enlightened the others, making them agree with her. However, Gu Changge’s smile had become meaningful all of a sudden as he looked silently towards the silver-haired girl, who hadn’t come to terms with this.
“Jia Nan, I…” The silver-haired girl seemed taken aback by this as well, looking extremely shocked before regaining control of herself. She almost wondered if she had misheard. Even if this was a rare opporunity to get close to Gu Changge, which made even the Royal Princesses envious, she was an exception. She truly held no desire for this ‘opporunity’. Rather, she only wanted to stay away from him.
“Xiao Jiu, are you disobeying me as well now? Serving Young Master Changge is an honour in which many people dream of.” Jia Nan looked at the silver-haired girl with a slightly darker expression, her gaze seemingly containing a warning towards the girl.
The silver-haired girl’s frown could only relax after seeing Jia Nan’s expression. The silver-haired girl sighed internally, knowing that she wasn’t in a position to refuse.
Jia Nan might be her older sister but that didn’t mean Xiao Jiu could disobey Jia Nan’s request. [Jia Nan must have something in mind? To let her own sister serve Gu Changge… that has to be the case. At least, it has to be from what I know of her]
“Yes, Jia Nan.” Xiao Jiu quickly became emotionless once more and nodded in reply.
Jia Nan nodded, feeling reassured by this.
She bid farewell to Gu Changge so she could prepare for the ancestral worship and the construction of the Reincarnation Platform the following day, knowing that Xiao Jiu would understand her intention judging by the younger girl’s intelligence. She couldn’t let Gu Changge know about the deteriorated state of the Eternal Overcast before the completion of the Reincarnation Platform. Otherwise, it would cause unimaginably drastic consequences. She had to find someone reliable to follow him around and know all his movements, while also preventing him from wandering into the deepest parts of their homeland.
“What’s your name?” After Jia Nan had left, Gu Changge smiled and greeted the silver-haired girl carelessly.
The latter remained unsmiling but replied respectfully, “Young Master Gu, my name is Jia Jiuer.”
She had now deciphered Jia Nan’s motive behind such an arrangement; it wasn’t to let Jia Jiuer flatter him but to place her beside him and keep an eye on him – to prevent any unwanted accidents since she was the strongest out of the many royal family members.
“Jia Jiuer? What’s your relationship with Jia Nan then?” He still looked interested.
“She’s my sister.” Jia Jiuer answered.
He didn’t ask further, having guessed Jia Nan’s motive. However, she seemed to have overestimated her sister’s abilities.
Jia Jiuer became slightly confused but also anxious. If he really wanted her to serve him, could she refuse? And what should she do?
…
A grand palace lay on the northeastern corner of the Eternal Overcast Kingdom, which was the temporary residence that Jia Nan had arranged for Gu Changge.
After arriving there, Gu Changge eyed Jia Jiuer with some surprise, since the girl was still standing at the entrance while looking conflicted and embarrassed.
He waved his hand with a smile. “I’m not so pampered that I need someone to serve me in bed. Go back. Just tell your sister that I ordered you to return.”
There was a hint of teasing in his tone.
Jia Jiuer, who had looked slightly conflicted before, seemed to come back to herself and quickly forced a smile while shaking her head. “It’s nothing. I hope you don’t dismiss me, Young Master Gu.”
If he dismissed her, wouldn’t Jia Nan’s arrangements fail? How was Jia Jiuer going to explain it to her sister?
