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Translator: Zenas
Proofreader: Dhael Ligerkeys & Silavin
All those surnamed Gu were stupefied at this moment. They were already preparing themselves to put up resistance against the slaughter they had imagined would begin very soon, but they never thought that the old man at the Enlightened King Realm was here to bring them back.
“Is this some kind of conspiracy or what?”
“Like using the pretext of bringing us back so that he can secretly kill us off to the last man?”
At once, many inside the mansion expressed their suspicion with a frown on their face. They could not understand what exactly Gu Changge was planning.
“I really want to see what Gu Changge is scheming this time…”
“I guess that he won’t attack us openly in broad daylight, no matter how brazen he is.”
Even though a lot of them were really excited at the prospect of returning back to the Gu Family, they were not idiots, and felt that the other party might be secretly conspiring against them.
*Buzz!* Instantly, a large number of Gu Family members appeared outside the city. Even though they had no way to show their peak strength because their cultivation was sealed when they got banished, it was difficult to conceal the dignified aura they had as people who had been high-level cultivators for a long time. Every cultivator and living being in the ancient city was extremely shocked seeing everything that was unfolding before them. The distance between the Outer and Inner Regions was simply too far, with countless smaller regions between them. Therefore, very few of them could make the connection between the people with the surname of Gu in front of them with the Gu Family in the Inner Region that had terrifying power and influence. It was something too inconceivable to them.
“You’ve been sent by Gu Changge?” A middle-aged man with a calm look but dignified aura asked Old Ming while staring fixedly at him.
“This old slave is indeed sent by Young Master. As the one who is going to control the Gu Family in the future, he instructed this old slave to go to this place and bring back the family members here.” Old Ming replied. It was what Gu Changge had told him to say.
Actually, he had no idea why this lineage was banished to this place. After all, he was a mere retainer who did not have the right to so much as enter an inner island of the Gu Family. But he had still heard a bit about the incident that had happened ten-odd years ago. It was like a taboo to speak of anything related to it. He too did not dare to think any further much about it as showing any interest in the matter could cost him his head.
“He’ll control the Gu Family? Haha, looks like he doesn’t find our lineage a threat to him any longer, huh?” The middle-aged man laughed grimly. How was it possible for a brutal brat like that to have a change of heart?
Other family members also had a calm expression. It was very obvious that they did not feel grateful about Gu Changge making the decision to bring them back to the Gu Family.
Old Ming spoke again, “Young master said that he’ll also treat your lineage fairly, regardless of whether you believe it or not. Although the Outer Region is vast enough for you to live comfortably, the feeling and benefits of living inside the family are on a completely different level. He also mentioned that he might consider releasing the uncle from the prison if you return…”
Old Ming said these words because Gu Changge wanted him to. Otherwise, he would not dare to mention anything about such a taboo matter, no matter how gutsy he was.
“Don’t tell me that brutal brat has really turned over a new leaf after realizing his wrong ways?” The middle-aged man was taken aback when he heard Old Ming’s words and started to have doubts. Such words did not sound like something that someone with Gu Changge’s personality would utter. However, he did not suspect that someone else was conspiring against them because he was very confident that no one else in the Gu Family other than Gu Changge would be secretly thinking about killing their own family members.
Immediately, others from the family also began to have doubts and started a discussion with each other in a low voice. It was precisely because they have always been suppressed by the lineage that Gu Changge belonged to that they had to move to the Outer Region. But the truth was that they had become so accustomed to their prestigious and luxurious life in the Gu Family that the sufficiently prosperous Outer Region looked no different from a totally desolate place to them. It could not be any better if they could now return to the family territory. But the problem was that they could not figure out Gu Changge’s intention behind making such a decision.
“Could it be that he was pressured into doing all this because of the elders? Otherwise, they wouldn’t have agreed to handing over the control of the family to someone like him.”
Very soon, they thought of this possibility and sneered in understanding. Gu Changge wanted to get the control of the Gu Family but all the elders objected to it. In the end, he had to compromise and thought about bringing them back to the Gu Family in exchange for obtaining the position of the next family head.
Old Ming knew nothing about what was going through their minds. However, he still had more words to say as Gu Changge had already expected them to come to the conclusion they had.
“When everyone returns to the Gu Family, you’ll naturally come to know everything. It’s completely unnecessary to be suspicious and wary right now. We can’t let the compromise made with the elders go to waste…”
The middle-aged man and others were truly moved when they heard his words and it was not easy for them to suppress the excitement in their hearts. Once they return to the Gu Family, Gu Changge would not dare to attack them casually with family members of all other lineages around, unless he was so unbelievably audacious that he planned to split the Gu Family.
Gu Xianer, who had been watching the whole thing secretly, was also in a daze for a long while. The situation was different from what she had expected. She had originally thought that the old man in black had come to exterminate her family members, so she was instantly dumbfounded when she heard that he had received the order to bring them back to the family. She subconsciously thought that it was some conspiracy, but the old man in black had a warm and courteous expression on his face. He did not seem to be lying to them.
[Just what exactly happened in the Gu Family? Was Gu Changge really so kind? To actually send his slave to handle this important matter?] It was too inconceivable to her. Considering how cruel, ruthless, cold, and indifferent her good brother was, it was simply impossible for him to let her family off. She had already figured out that it was only because of the elder in the Gu Family that her family was still capable of leading a good life. It had nothing to do with Gu Changge at all.
“I really want to see what Gu Changge is scheming this time. It’s impossible for him to be so kind.” Gu Xianer had been observing everything in secret. She had not made herself visible or moved away from her position. She watched everything that happened and saw her family members starting to pack their things before she decided to quietly leave the place.
Before she left Peach Village, her great master had given her a token and told her to go to Skyward Schloss and look for the great elder. According to her great master, the great elder was one of the most terrifying existences in the Beyond and owed her a favor.
The Skyward Schloss was an extremely famous Cult of Immortality in the Beyond, with an inheritance that was passed on for an unimaginably long period of time. It was normal for many imperial families, royal races, and immortal families to send their family members to cultivate there. It was also said that the background of the Skyward Schloss had connection with the most ancient era when there were numerous immortals around, and they had engravings and many scriptures related to immortal cultivation that could no longer be found anywhere else.
Her cultivation was still very weak, so she needed to work hard on it. Only then would she be able to challenge her good brother to a fight and take everything back that belonged to her!
……
The Beyond, Inner Region, Inner Island of the Immortal Gu Family.
Gu Changge was present behind the mountain in the divine island. A formation had completely encased the island to prevent any disturbance from others, and there was no one else but him at this moment.
Mist swirled around the place, an immortal aura permeated the air, and divine light gushed from inside the pond. There was a delicate and beautiful body sitting cross-legged in the midst of it all as the water of the pond sparkled around it. Red flames circled around and black color mixed together with red and golden, making the whole scene appear incomparably gorgeous. Light of auspicious colors spread farther and farther as the multi-colored light emitting from different sources shone throughout the place.
Various precious and rare materials like, hundreds of thousands of years old holy medicinal plants, divine materials, spiritual liquid, and other such astonishing and divine things were converging at the center of the pond. The brilliance of the various lights was so dazzling as if a place for the immortal ascension was going to be reconstructed.
If an alchemist was present, he would be screaming his lungs out and having a heartache at the reckless wastage of such precious natural resources. Any one of the materials used here was extremely difficult to find in the outside world. It would be difficult to obtain even if you bid for it at a higher price than many others at an auction.
Soon after, the momentum that was built here vanished gradually, and a majestic and terrifying pressure filled the surroundings. It was the pressure belonging to the highest cultivation level of the Sacred Realm, the Sacred Lord Realm!
*Splash!* Following the splashing sound of water, Yan Ji walked out of the pond with pleasant surprise and delight in her eyes.
“Young Master…” She immediately looked at Gu Changge standing not far away. Her voice contained joy and the corners of her mouth could not help but lift into a smile.
Gu Changge nodded slightly with a trace of appreciation on his face, “Good.”
He did not mention anything about wasting so many resources for her. Her reconstructed body was truly perfect and one could not find a single flaw on her body, as if it had been created by the heaven. Her body had a divine shape, her appearance was that of a fairy, she had a chilly and otherworldly aura about her, and her extremely fine wisps of red and golden flames danced over her hair. The only phrase that came to Gu Changge’s mind upon seeing her now was ‘pure but enchanting’.
“Young Master, am I beautiful?” Yan Ji twirled on the place as she asked. She was actually feeling a bit shy since it was her first time showing herself to someone else in a state that was different from her remnant soul.
Gu Changge replied with a smile, “Very beautiful, indeed.”
Hearing his words, not only Yan Ji’s smile became even brighter, her eyebrows also raised to express the happiness she was feeling.
“But aren’t you cold?” Gu Changge asked her right after.
“Ah…?” Yanji could not understand his reason for asking such a thing at all. However, it did not take long for her to realize what he meant. Now, after the reconstruction of her body, she was not the same as when she was a remnant spirit. She had nothing on her to conceal her body after coming out of the pond which meant that she was totally nude at the moment. Not to mention, she also twirled in front of Gu Changge like this.
Her mind went blank after realizing everything and her face looked redder than a boiled shrimp. When she looked at the playful look on Gu Changge’s face, she felt such extreme shame that she earnestly wished to a find hole to hide herself in. It was a matter of huge embarrassment for her!
But Gu Changge did not have the intention to continue teasing her. He took out a white robe and draped it on her. There was ample time for him to have fun with her in the future, and right now he should entrust her with the task he had in mind. Her strength of the Sacred Lord Realm was just right to help him search for something.
“Thank you, Young Master.” Yan Ji was not some ordinary person and she had the experience of cultivating for several thousand years. So, she managed to calm down very soon, even if her face was still a little too hot.
“I want you to find out whether there’s some special place at the innermost area of the Land of Abandoned Celestials in the Outer Region. If you do find something, feel free to contact me at any time. Use this Domain Shattering Rune to flee if you encounter a powerful opponent. Your life is more important, so don’t hesitate to use it when the time comes.” Gu Changge said in a warm voice as he took out a Domain Shattering Rune from the System Inventory and handed it over to her. It could also help her to escape at a critical moment.
Of course, it would only be helpful if she did not meet some unfathomable old monster. As a Domain Breaking Rune could easily break open the barrier of the world, it would most likely allow her to escape with her life if she came across any danger.
He was sure of the fact that Gu Xianer had gone to the Land of Abandoned Celestials back then, and according to the usual patterns he knew, there must be some great fortuitous opportunity or danger at such a place where no one dared to go. But Yan Ji had the cultivation of the Sacred Lord Realm, so traveling through the Land of Abandoned Celestials should not be difficult for her. She could help him get information about the powerful backers that Gu Xianer had right now, and once he finds out about them, he would be able to formulate better plans for the coming future.
Sending other Gu Family members was not an option. Not only could he not get a Sacred Lord Realm master to work for him with the authority he had now, Gu Family would almost always keep an eye on the movements of their family members. What would they think when they find out that he sent someone to the Land of Abandoned Celestials? He firmly believed that many elders would think it had something to do with Gu Xianer.
Gu Changge did not want to so quickly lose the trust of the elders that he had gained with difficulty because of doing something unnecessary.
“The Land of Abandoned Celestials? Understood. Young Master, leave this matter to me.” Yan Ji nodded as she replied and received the Domain Breaking Rune from him. Since Gu Changge wanted her to do so, she would make sure to accomplish her task.
