Plan Successful — Even Gu Changge Gets Outmaneuvered One Day
Plan Successful — Even Gu Changge Gets Outmaneuvered One Day
Watching Jiang Chuchu depart from the territory of the Longevity Gu Family, Gu Changge finally withdrew his gaze.
No matter what, one troublesome matter had now been resolved. Jiang Chuchu was said to be the reincarnation of an Ancient Immortal, and within the Knowledge Sea of her mind resided a mysterious palace, clearly housing an inexplicably powerful force.
That was considerably harder to deal with than the Mortal One’s Symbol of Reincarnation.
Because the Mortal One’s Symbol of Reincarnation had to reside within a physical body, whereas Jiang Chuchu’s mysterious power could be triggered and erupt at any moment — extremely troublesome to handle.
If Gu Changge truly intended to kill Jiang Chuchu, he would inevitably disturb that mysterious palace.
In that case, it was very likely the Mortal Palace would sense Jiang Chuchu’s predicament, bringing him unnecessary trouble.
So the best course of action was still to let her leave. As for Jiang Chuchu saying she hated him, Gu Changge didn’t care in the slightest.
Since he could make Jiang Chuchu hate him, he could naturally make her change her attitude just as easily.
Since she had chosen the path of betraying the Mortal Palace, that meant from now on, whether she was willing or not, she would stand on the same side as Gu Changge.
After that, Gu Changge rose and left the place, planning to go see how the little girl Yao Yao had been doing these past few days.
To be honest, ever since he, as her shifu, had brought Yao Yao back to the Gu Family, he hadn’t gone to see her even once.
That was more or less a bit negligent of him.
“Perhaps I can also run into that girl Gu Xianer along the way — that works out nicely.”
“Counting the time, she should be about due to return to Peach Village...”
Thinking this, Gu Changge couldn’t help but reveal a faint smile, one with deeper meaning.
These past few days, he had heard quite a bit about Gu Xianer frequently running over to Yao Yao’s place. The two of them seemed to get along quite well — clearly, she must have noticed something special about Yao Yao.
That Mysterious Peach Tree behind her shared a deep connection with Yao Yao.
Going by the usual script, the Reincarnation of the Mortal One should have shared a familial bond with Yao Yao, and by extension, that Mysterious Peach Tree would also become deeply entangled with the Reincarnation of the Mortal One.
Thereby bolstering his forces after his return to the Beyond.
If he were to make a move against him at that point, it would become very difficult to handle.
Fortunately, Yue Mingkong, with her foreknowledge, learned in advance that the Reincarnation of the Mortal One was in the Overworld, and brought Gu Changge to find where the Reincarnation of the Mortal One was, resolving that trouble.
Now, from another perspective, Yao Yao was his disciple, and there was also the connection through Gu Xianer.
That Mysterious Peach Tree had unavoidably become entangled with him in a great deal of karma.
Karma, they called it — but Gu Changge had every means to turn it into a debt of gratitude.
In the end, making that Mysterious Peach Tree serve his purposes would be a simple matter.
With such thoughts in mind, Gu Changge soon arrived at the palace complex where Yao Yao resided.
He waved his hand to signal the maids at the palace entrance not to make a sound, and watched the scene within with considerable interest.
Gu Xianer was indeed here as well.
Having not seen her for some time, her cultivation had improved quite a bit — she hadn’t disappointed Gu Changge.
Though she lacked real tempering, bearing two Fate Templates was enough to let her cultivation surpass that of many of the younger generation.
Inside the palace hall, Yao Yao was chatting with Gu Xianer about something, a smile on her little face, looking quite happy.
But soon, as if she had thought of something, her expression suddenly turned a bit downcast.
“Little Shigu, do you think Shifu is really busy? He hasn’t had any time to come see Yao Yao. Before, Shifu clearly said he had time.”
She pinched the corner of her dress and asked in a low voice.
Over these past few days together with Gu Xianer, she had already become very familiar with her.
And because of an inexplicable feeling, she sensed a natural closeness from Gu Xianer.
So she told her some things quite frankly.
“Your shifu does have a lot of things to handle, but I think he should come see you very soon.”
Hearing this, Gu Xianer was slightly taken aback, then revealed a smile and comforted her thus.
She could also tell that Yao Yao had a deep dependence on Gu Changge.
But she didn’t understand why Gu Changge had taken her as a disciple and even brought her to the Beyond.
Actually, she was also a bit worried that Gu Changge would subsequently neglect her — since he hadn’t come by at all these days, it seemed she had overestimated Yao Yao’s place in his heart.
“I see... I thought Shifu had forgotten all about Yao Yao...”
Yao Yao’s flawless, black-gem-like big eyes blinked. Hearing Gu Xianer’s words, she seemed to relax quite a bit.
Actually, she was only asking — she wanted to learn from Gu Xianer’s mouth what her shifu was doing.
Shifu definitely wasn’t the kind of person who would casually forget about her.
But if she asked directly, Gu Xianer would inevitably wonder why a little girl like her was thinking about such things.
She could feel that Gu Xianer seemed to care about Shifu quite a bit — she kept asking about what had happened in the Overworld, what Shifu had done, and so on.
Yao Yao was precocious and clever, and she couldn’t very well talk about those things, so she still carried a small worry in her heart.
“Yao Yao, your shifu has had rather a lot to deal with these past few days, so I ended up leaving you aside for a while. My apologies.”
At that moment, Yao Yao suddenly heard a familiar, gentle voice, and her little face lit up with delighted surprise.
“Shifu...” She looked toward the outside of the hall, a joyful smile blooming across her face.
A tall, handsome man stood right there.
Gu Changge walked over with a smile. “It seems you’ve adapted to this place quite well. I was worried you wouldn’t be used to it.”
“Shifu, I’m very used to it here, and Xianer Little Shigu treats me very well too.”
Yao Yao said happily.
Gu Changge nodded. “That’s good. I was afraid there might be things you weren’t accustomed to.”
As for Gu Xianer, whose expression beside Yao Yao had turned slightly awkward, Gu Changge didn’t even glance at her — as if he had come specifically to see Yao Yao, paying no mind to her existence at all.
This scene made Gu Xianer a little sad.
Why was Gu Changge so gentle toward Yao Yao, yet so cold toward her?
Was she not as cute as Yao Yao?
Gu Changge had clearly treated her quite well before — though cold on the surface, he had never been like this, seeing her and not even acknowledging her. Was it because she had discovered his unspeakable secret, and he couldn’t bring himself to face her?
Thinking this, Gu Xianer fixed her eyes on Gu Changge and spoke first, her voice cool but laced with anger. “Gu Changge, why are you pretending not to see me?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Only then did Gu Changge glance at her with seeming surprise.
“Why didn’t you greet me when you saw me?”
Gu Xianer was fuming inside, glaring at him, a faint indignation in her crystalline eyes.
“I simply hadn’t gotten around to it yet,” Gu Changge shook his head, his expression perfectly composed.
“Liar! If I hadn’t spoken up first, you definitely would have ignored me again. As a man, how can you be so petty, holding onto small things for so long? I look down on you, Gu Changge!”
Having finally seized the chance to talk to Gu Changge, Gu Xianer immediately pressed on relentlessly, practically itching to grab him by the robe and demand to know why he was being so cold to her now.
“I don’t need you to look up to me. Gu Xianer, have you forgotten your lesson again?”
Gu Changge replied offhandedly. This impervious attitude made Gu Xianer grit her teeth in frustration.
But then she remembered that scene in the Nirvana Pool.
Gu Changge, demonic energy billowing to the heavens, his will cold and heartless — yet he would rather shatter both his own arms than harm her.
And so, her gaze immediately softened, and she gave a little huff.
“You — you’re just sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. If I really held everything against you, I’d probably be angered to death by you.”
She meant it.
Now that she already knew of Gu Changge’s hardships all these years, she also understood why he had committed the bone-digging act back then.
After all, back then Gu Changge had been possessed by the Demonic Energy, completely unable to control himself.
So afterward, as he gradually suppressed the Demonic Energy, he felt guilt over what happened that year.
That was why he secretly searched for traces of her parents, stood up for her at Skyward Schloss, helped her become the Great Elder’s disciple, stubbornly took a blade strike from her, slew the Ancient Sea Palace’s princess within the Celestial Ancient Continent, and before Skyward Ancient City, in front of everyone under heaven, acknowledged her status in the Gu Family, confessed what happened back then, and dug out the bone to return it to her... all the many things that happened afterward.
Gu Xianer felt she already understood Gu Changge’s character very deeply, and she wasn’t someone who didn’t know good from bad.
Hearing this, Gu Changge made a dismissive sound and couldn’t be bothered with her.
“These past few days, I’ve consulted quite a few ancient texts and asked many of the clan elders. Regarding your condition, they don’t really understand it either.”
He then looked toward Yao Yao and said with a hint of apology, “But there should be a way to resolve it.”
Regarding texts about the Dao Fruit, he had indeed found quite a few, but they all more or less matched his conjectures.
Only, Gu Changge didn’t plan to tell Yao Yao about these things.
After all, telling her that she was actually a Dao Fruit split off from some Absolute Being would be a bit cruel to Yao Yao.
Of course, going by the usual script, that Mysterious Peach Tree couldn’t possibly do something like merging into one with Yao Yao.
Gu Changge had no doubts about that.
Yao Yao, who had been watching her shifu and little shigu bicker and finding it quite amusing, was suddenly a bit stunned when she heard Gu Changge say this.
“So Shifu was looking into all this these past few days?”
She was deeply moved. Before this, she had been wondering what Gu Changge was busy with — she never imagined Shifu was actually busy with her matter.
“Is there something special about Yao Yao?”
Hearing this, Gu Xianer was also somewhat surprised.
Although she felt Yao Yao was very special, she couldn’t actually tell what was special about her.
Gu Changge’s expression remained calm, and he didn’t answer.
Instead, Yao Yao spoke up in her crisp voice, “Little Shigu, Yao Yao actually can’t cultivate. Shifu has been trying to find a way to fix it for me.”
Gu Xianer was stunned. She had thought Yao Yao simply hadn’t cultivated, which was why there were no spiritual energy fluctuations on her.
She truly hadn’t expected this to be the reason.
If she couldn’t cultivate, then why would Gu Changge take her as a disciple and even bring her back to the Beyond?
Gu Xianer grew even more puzzled.
But at that moment, she glanced at Gu Changge and suddenly thought of the matter she had been considering all along.
Didn’t Gu Changge have an Innate Demonic Nature that was hard to suppress?
Gu Xianer had always believed her Daoist Bone could suppress Gu Changge’s Demonic Energy.
That was why Gu Changge had committed the bone-digging act back then — and precisely because he had given that Daoist Bone to her, he could no longer suppress the Demonic Energy, which was why he had been possessed by it that day in the Nirvana Pool.
Who knew if it might erupt again someday?
Gu Xianer felt she had to help Gu Changge solve this problem.
After all, Sister Tao Yao of Peach Village had such a mysterious origin, and her several shifus were immensely powerful and vastly knowledgeable.
Perhaps they really did have some way.
Gu Xianer wasn’t stupid — she understood this matter was Gu Changge’s unspeakable secret, and he couldn’t possibly go ask the Gu Family ancestors about it.
Probably, apart from his father, not many people knew about it at all.
So now, the only ones who could think of a solution were her several shifus.
Gu Xianer trusted her shifus deeply — they would never leak this matter.
Besides, resolving the Demonic Energy issue would be a good thing for Gu Changge too — why not do it?
If it were before, and she brought this up on her own initiative, Gu Changge would definitely dismiss it with disdain and never agree.
But now, with Yao Yao as an excuse, she refused to believe Gu Changge wouldn’t agree.
“Actually, I think you could bring Yao Yao along, Gu Changge, and we could return to Peach Village together. Maybe my shifus will have a way to solve it...”
So Gu Xianer deliberated in her heart for a while, sorted out her tone, and then spoke, making herself seem very natural.
“Peach Village?”
Hearing this, Gu Changge’s brow furrowed slightly, but inwardly he couldn’t help smiling — he had been waiting for Gu Xianer to take the bait herself and lead him to Peach Village.
Before coming, he had still been pondering how to get Gu Xianer to bring it up.
Now it seemed things were much simpler.
“Yes. Before, I grew up in Peach Village...”
Gu Xianer thought Gu Changge didn’t know about this and was about to explain.
However, Gu Changge waved his hand to cut her off and said indifferently, “I know of that Peach Village in the Land of Abandoned Celestials. You have several mysterious shifus there, and there’s a Mysterious Peach Tree there as well.”
“You know about it?” Gu Xianer was suspicious.
“Of course I know,” Gu Changge said.
“You investigated even this so thoroughly, and you still say you don’t care about me?”
Gu Xianer revealed a faint smile and murmured softly, feeling quite happy inside.
If Gu Changge didn’t care about her, why would he investigate everything about her so thoroughly?
“Naturally I had to investigate thoroughly — lest the shifus behind you come seeking revenge on me,” Gu Changge replied offhandedly.
“Gu Changge, do you know that talking like this kills conversations dead?!”
Gu Xianer had been quite happy, but hearing Gu Changge’s words, she instantly grew indignant.
Gu Changge said leisurely, “I never planned to chat with you in the first place.”
“I’ll fight you!”
Hearing this, Gu Xianer’s willow brows shot upright.
At this moment she truly couldn’t take it anymore — angered by Gu Changge again and again until her liver ached, and to think she had actually felt so sorry for him.
Gu Changge glanced at her with interest, then said to Yao Yao, whose little face was full of astonishment beside them,
“Yao Yao, watch closely. If you don’t behave in the future, this is how your shifu will beat you.”
“Shifu...”
Hearing this, Yao Yao was quite shocked — she never imagined this was how Shifu and Little Shigu got along?
“Let’s see how much you’ve grown these days. The scar’s healed and you’ve forgotten the pain.”
Looking at Gu Xianer, who was making a move against him, Gu Changge couldn’t help letting out a contemptuous chuckle.
This exclusive punching bag — her nerve had clearly grown fat again.
Rumble!
He struck first, moving against Gu Xianer.
Still just a single hand reaching out!
Utterly casual and dismissive.
“Gu Changge, stop looking down on people!”
“If you’ve got the skill, use only one palm!”
Gu Xianer’s brows were filled with soaring spirit, a battle intent surfacing.
As if she wanted to vent all the pent-up frustration of being suppressed by Gu Changge these past days!
She was quite satisfied with the results of her cultivation during this period and refused to believe she still couldn’t withstand even a single palm from Gu Changge.
Weng!!
Her long dress fluttered, falling flowers like rain, shrouding the very void before her.
She stood within it, striking at Gu Changge, otherworldly and cool, like a secluded orchid deep in the mountains. Her fair hands swept through the air like a great expanse of immortal blossoms blooming.
This was the great art contained within her Celestial Bone.
Within a single flower was contained an entire world — one could even see chaotic mist roiling within, heavy and surging, terrifying and astonishing.
But in the next moment, something unbelievable happened.
“All flash, no substance.”
“One palm is enough to suppress you.”
Gu Changge’s single hand reached over, covering the void within the great hall. Clear light emerged, like the first primordial light at the creation of heaven and earth.
Accompanied by a rumbling roar!
It was as if a matchless force erupted, pressing down from above.
One flower, one world — with one palm, all worlds collapsed!
“You’re bullying me!”
“That palm doesn’t count!”
Gu Xianer wailed, refusing to accept it, utterly unconvinced.
She hadn’t expected Gu Changge’s strength to have risen to a level far more terrifying than before.
With just one palm, he had destroyed her Celestial Bone’s treasured art.
She wanted to retreat.
But it was already too late.
With a smack, she was slapped flat onto the ground, taking the hit squarely.
Yao Yao’s eyes went wide and her jaw dropped — she never expected Little Shigu to be dealt with so quickly. She had really thought something might come of it.
“Gu Changge...”
“You went too far! Can’t you go easy on me?!”
Gu Xianer wailed, practically gnashing her teeth, feeling that her dignity as Little Shigu before Yao Yao was completely gone.
“Going easy on you would only make you deserve a beating more.”
“See that? If you don’t listen to your shifu in the future, you’ll end up just like your Little Shigu.”
Gu Changge shook his head, then turned to Yao Yao and said with a smile.
Yao Yao hurriedly nodded like a chick pecking rice — but somehow, being lectured by Shifu like this felt... kind of nice?
After that, Gu Xianer’s little farce quickly came to an end. No matter how unconvinced she was,
at this point she didn’t dare provoke Gu Changge anymore. In the Longevity Gu Family, no one would dare help her.
Gu Xianer simply added this debt to her ledger — when she could beat Gu Changge someday, she’d have to find a way to get revenge. She couldn’t let him have his way every time.
However, after being taught a lesson by Gu Changge, Gu Xianer found her mood was much better than before.
This discovery made her a bit worried — was there something wrong with her brain? Had she been bullied for so long that she’d actually gotten used to it?
If Gu Changge didn’t bully her for a while, did she really feel uncomfortable all over, like something was off?
Carrying such thoughts, Gu Xianer’s expression remained rather resentful the whole day.
But soon, under her careful planning, even the crafty old fox Gu Changge finally took the bait and agreed to return to Peach Village with her.
This gave Gu Xianer some measure of comfort — plan successful.
Even Gu Changge had a day where he got outmaneuvered by her!