Chapter 1333: Which Master's Wife Is This? Seems Like She Has a Request
Chapter 1333: Which Master's Wife Is This? Seems Like She Has a Request
By the time Gu Changge returned to the headquarters of the Heavenslayers Alliance in the Primary Hope Civilisation with Yao Yao in tow, half a year had already passed. During this period, he had remained in the Dao Chang True World.
Green Mountain Village remained largely unchanged from when he had left, save for the fact that many generations of villagers had come and gone.
Su Qingge, living her tranquil life of seclusion, continued her peaceful, uncontentious existence—picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence in the morning and returning with a hoe under the moonlight.
The last time Gu Changge had returned to the Dao Chang True World, he had secretly planted a Dao Realm seed within her, though he had never informed Su Qingge of this.
Though she had long grown weary of the struggles of cultivation, allowing time to flow over her as she awaited the day of her aging and passing, Gu Changge knew she feared the moment she would appear old and withered before him, her beauty turned to dust.
Naturally, he would not permit those by his side to fade away in his presence.
Their days in Green Mountain Village remained as simple and serene as ever. The two wandered the mountains and rivers together, building a cottage before the verdant peaks.
The mountain air was refreshing at dusk, and birds returned to their nests in flocks.
On misty, overcast days, the entire forest would be shrouded in a fine haze. Gu Changge would recline leisurely on a wicker chair before the tiled cottage, his eyes slightly narrowed, his mind utterly at peace—like a weary bird returning to the woods.
He hadn't expected to sleep for an entire day.
When he awoke, the sky had cleared. The air before the cottage was fresh with the scent of earth and greenery after the rain. Su Qingge sat beside him, gently cradling his head on her lap, smoothing the furrow between his brows with tender fingers.
"Young Master... you must have been very tired all these years," she murmured, her voice laced with heartache. "You've never truly rested."
Gu Changge smiled faintly but did not elaborate on the topic. Nor did he speak of the events that had transpired in the Boundless Expanse during his absence.
Since she had grown weary of the deceit and scheming of the cultivation world, he would not drag her back into it—not even to hear of its affairs.
This life of peace, free from strife and desire, was truly not so bad.
During their time in Green Mountain Village, Su Qingge shared with him the various sights and anecdotes she had encountered over the years—from the birds and fireflies above to the green trees and flowers below. Gu Changge had initially assumed she might feel lonely or dull, but her current state of mind genuinely surprised him.
She seemed to have truly merged with the world around her, becoming one with nature.
Every speck of dust, every green leaf, every blade of grass—every bird that soared through the sky, every spider weaving its web beneath the eaves—to her, they were all complete lives, each with their own joys and sorrows.
She could genuinely sense their emotions.
Though she no longer cultivated, her state of mind surpassed cultivation itself. In Gu Changge's eyes, this was true harmony with heaven and earth.
Perhaps one day, when she realized this, she would understand that her years of seclusion in Green Mountain Village embodied the true Great Dao of nature—something countless cultivators and living beings spent their lives desperately seeking.
During his half-year stay in the Dao Chang True World, Gu Changge also devoted considerable effort to Yao Yao.
After laying an unparalleled foundation for her, he personally used Creation Substance and Immortal Substance to refine her meridians, reversing her innate constitution to forge a flawless, unblemished Innate Unmarred Perfection Physique.
In just half a year, Yao Yao's cultivation had soared to the cusp of the Enlightened Being realm, leaving Yin Mei and Wang Zijin—who had witnessed this firsthand—utterly stunned and horrified.
Of course, a significant part of this was due to Yao Yao possessing Tao Yao's memories and experiences from her past cultivation.
Faced with bottlenecks in her breakthroughs, she encountered almost no obstacles. Her ascension was as natural as water flowing downhill.
In an astonishingly short time, she broke through realm after realm—first entering the Saint Realm, then shattering the Emperor Realm, becoming a "Young Empress."
The resources Gu Changge expended on her were naturally staggering and terrifying.
With such an investment, even an ordinary person could be reborn, leaping beyond countless others to become a peerless prodigy.
However, if Yao Yao wished to break into the Immortal Realm—or even the Dao Realm beyond—it would not be so simple. These realms could no longer be reached through sheer resource accumulation.
Moreover, relying solely on resources would not benefit her cultivation in the long run.
The only regret was that Yao Yao did not possess the astonishing fate and Fortune Dao of a Child of Destiny. Her uniqueness lay in being the manifestation of Tao Yao's Dao Fruit.
But even Tao Yao at her peak had never come close to the Dao Realm. Compared to the descendants of true Dao Realm existences, Yao Yao's innate aptitude still fell short.
Gu Changge had other plans to address this issue, though they would have to wait until his return to the Primary Hope Civilisation.
For Yin Mei and Wang Zijin, this was the first time they had seen Gu Changge treat someone with such earnest care, leaving them with a sense of unreality.
Of course, Yin Mei was familiar with Yao Yao—she had arrived with Gu Xianer on the day of the grand wedding.
Before that, she had also known that Gu Changge had once taken in a rather special disciple in a lower realm, keeping her in Peach Village.
In that sense, aside from Chan Hongyi, Yao Yao could be considered Gu Changge's only true disciple. His meticulous attention to her was understandable.
But for the usually cold and indifferent Gu Changge—who rarely showed warmth to others—to act this way struck Wang Zijin and the others as bizarre in a way they couldn't quite articulate.
That said, during this time, Yao Yao's constant refrain of "Master's Wife" had warmed their hearts.
They had grown quite fond of this clever, well-behaved little girl.
Before leaving the Dao Chang True World, Wang Zijin had asked Gu Changge to take her along, wanting to see the Boundless Expanse for herself.
Mainly, she found life in the Dao Chang True World dull and tedious, and she was endlessly curious about that vaster, more magnificent world.
But Gu Changge flatly refused, citing her weak cultivation, and even threatened that if she dared follow, he would toss her into a latrine and suppress her there for a thousand years.
This left Wang Zijin gnashing her teeth in frustration, vowing loudly that the next time they met, she would shock him into reevaluating her. Once she broke through to the Dao Realm, she would leave the Dao Chang True World on her own and traverse the Boundless Expanse.
Gu Changge merely chuckled lightly before departing the Dao Chang True World with Yao Yao, leaving without alerting anyone else.
Upon their return to the Heavenslayers Alliance, Zhuo Fengxie and the others were deeply astonished and shaken by the girl Gu Changge had brought back.
The little girl had skin like ice and jade, delicate and translucent, exuding an indescribable aura of spiritual essence.
Yao Yao clung tightly to one of Gu Changge's sleeves, obediently following by his side. She remained quiet, not speaking a word, her large, pitch-black eyes—bright as onyx—observing the members of the Heavenslayers Alliance.
However, Gu Changge offered no further explanation to the crowd, merely stating casually that she was his disciple.
Yet the moment these words left his mouth, Zhuo Fengxie, Hun Yuanjun, Chu Heng, and the others were even more shocked.
They had initially assumed Yao Yao was another Fortuitous One like Mo Tong, someone Gu Changge had brought back from some distant place. Who could have imagined that this little girl was actually his disciple?
To be taken as a disciple by Gu Changge—what an unimaginable honor!
Just what kind of extraordinary qualities did this quiet little girl possess?
Given their discerning eyes, they couldn't detect anything particularly special about her. In fact, her innate talent, bone structure, and even her Fortuity seemed far inferior to Mo Tong, who had been cultivating under the White Bone Ancestor King.
But since Gu Changge had declared her his disciple, there had to be a reason behind it.
Regardless of whether this little girl had any extraordinary traits, she was now someone they had to treat with utmost seriousness.
The mere identity of being the disciple of the Heavenslayers Alliance's leader was terrifying enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.
During her time following Gu Changge, Yao Yao had been obedient and sensible, understanding that some things were better left unasked. But now, she could clearly see the immense reverence and fear these terrifyingly powerful figures held for her master.
The moment Gu Changge announced she was his disciple, the expressions and gazes of everyone present shifted, their eyes now filled with respect when they looked at her.
Yao Yao couldn't help but wonder—just what had her master been doing all these years in the Boundless Expanse? Every single one of these beings felt far more terrifying than even the Drunken Sword Immortal or Ming back in the Dao Chang True World.
"Alliance Leader, several months ago, a woman calling herself Luo Xiangjun came looking for you. But since you weren't present at the time, we had her wait in a nearby Star Domain..."
Soon after, the White Bone Ancestor King, Zhuo Fengxie, and the others began reporting to Gu Changge about the Heavenslayers Alliance's developments during his absence.
By now, the Heavenslayers Alliance had essentially solidified its dominance over the Primary Hope Civilisation. The various orthodoxies and factions had either submitted or been annihilated.
Though there were still pockets of resistance in remote regions, their defiance was insignificant in the face of the Alliance's overwhelming momentum.
Recently, the Heavenslayers Alliance had shifted its focus to other Civilisations and True Worlds, expanding its influence outward.
Simultaneously, they had been spreading their doctrines and recruiting followers in neighboring Civilisations and True Worlds, constructing Heaven-Slaying Shrines and promoting the Alliance's core tenets—opposing the heavens, exposing the Great Tribulation Reckoning, and warning of impending calamities.
"Luo Xiangjun?"
"So she's still alive."
The moment Gu Changge heard the name, he paused briefly before recalling the "thief" he had encountered in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation.
He had known Luo Xiangjun wouldn't dare to abscond with the Eternal Hidden Treasury, but given how long she had been missing, he had assumed she had perished within it.
The Eternal Hidden Treasury held little value to him now—at most, it could serve as additional resources for the Heavenslayers Alliance.
Thus, he hadn't bothered to care about Luo Xiangjun's fate, nor had he attempted to deduce her whereabouts or whether she was alive.
"Now that she's suddenly sought me out, she must need something."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Gu Changge didn't instruct the White Bone Ancestor King or the others to summon Luo Xiangjun. If she had come seeking his help, she would be the one in a hurry—not him.
Then, he led Yao Yao back to his secluded residence within the Heavenslayers Alliance—a tranquil courtyard nestled within a mountain valley.
"Peach blossoms..."
Yao Yao's eyes immediately landed on the miles of dazzling peach blossoms stretching across the valley, their petals vibrant and radiant, accompanied by the familiar sweet fragrance of peach flowers. Her eyes sparkled with delight.
"You'll stay here for now," Gu Changge said casually as he guided her into the valley.
Suddenly, the clanking of chains echoed through the air. A slender figure emerged from the valley entrance, drawn by the noise.
Yao Yao froze when she saw the elegant woman approaching, her gaze lingering on the shackles around the woman's ankles. Unsure of how to address her, she hesitated.
"Is this... one of my martial aunts, Master?" she whispered to Gu Changge.
Ling Yuling was momentarily stunned by the term "martial aunt." Was this young girl Gu Changge's disciple?
"She's not your martial aunt. I am."
A playful voice chimed in as Mu Yan stepped out from behind Ling Yuling, a bright smile on her face.
"What a lovely little girl. When you grow up, you might even be as beautiful as me."
She reached out, wanting to pinch Yao Yao's smooth, snow-white cheek.
Yao Yao, flustered, tightened her grip on Gu Changge's sleeve and quickly hid behind him.
"Neither of them is. Ignore them," Gu Changge said flatly, taking her hand and leading her further into the valley.
Half a year had passed, and Yao Yao had grown into a young maiden. He could no longer carry her as he once had.
Hearing this, Yao Yao inexplicably felt a wave of relief. Good, they're not.
"What do you mean, 'neither'? If she's your disciple, then of course I'm her martial aunt!" Mu Yan followed behind them, gritting her teeth at Gu Changge's denial.
Martial aunt?
Ling Yuling remained as poised and elegant as ever, her serene beauty untouched. As Gu Changge walked past her with Yao Yao, her gaze dimmed slightly.
She had come out upon hearing his return, hoping to greet him and take the initiative to mend the misunderstandings and grudges between them.
Yet Gu Changge had ignored her entirely, treating her as if she were invisible.
A pang of bitterness and sorrow twisted in Ling Yuling's heart.
Over the past six months, confined to this valley, she had lost all her former cultivation, reduced to an ordinary woman who could barely walk.
But this forced stillness had given her time to reflect—on many things, on the series of events that had led the Primary Hope Civilisation to its current state.
She had her own principles and convictions, but she had also tried to see things from Gu Changge's perspective.
If she were in his place—if someone had repeatedly betrayed her trust, turned against her despite her saving their life, and conspired with others to trap and kill her—
Would she have been as magnanimous? Would she have forgiven them?