Long-Term Plans — Before the Young Master, Everyone Must Grovel
Long-Term Plans — Before the Young Master, Everyone Must Grovel
“The person who built this pavilion was certainly someone who knew how to enjoy life.”
Gu Changge stood with his hands clasped behind his back atop the high terrace, gazing down below.
Watching the boundless masses and the Cultivators coming and going, he couldn’t help but praise it.
This feeling of overlooking all living beings, of everything being mere ants beneath him, was truly wonderful.
He mused that after returning to the Beyond, he would find craftsmen to build a pavilion just like this at his own residence.
Of course, it would have to be taller and grander.
With status and position like his, Gu Changge naturally intended to enjoy himself however he pleased.
“As long as Young Master Gu is satisfied. It was built by a previous Master of the family, specifically to receive Honoured Nobles and Emperor-level figures from the various factions.”
Lin Qiuhan explained with a smile.
If not for Gu Changge today, she would never have qualified to come up here.
“Not bad. ’Holding the sun and moon, plucking the stars from the sky — in all the world, there is none like me.’ And the scenery is pleasant too...” Gu Changge smiled.
His plans were simple, yet far-reaching.
The reason he had Lin Qiuhan show him around the ancient city was, naturally, to see just how far her talent in the Dao of Alchemy extended.
He was thinking about how to cultivate her after bringing her back to the Beyond.
Although Gu Changge’s background was terrifying, it was also tangled and complicated.
An outside retainer like Ming Lao naturally couldn’t access it, much less understand it.
Even among the Guilds of Alchemy in the Beyond, there was a lack of successors with such terrifying alchemical talent as Lin Qiuhan.
When the time came, he would find a way to send her there. With his support from behind the scenes, taking control of those Guilds of Alchemy wouldn’t be impossible.
Making one extra preparation could never go wrong.
Of course, on the other hand, Gu Changge also purely wanted to farm some affection points, so he could truly win Lin Qiuhan over sooner.
When that happened, a thousand Fatums would be in the bag — wouldn’t that be sweet?
Fortunately, Lin Qiuhan was genuinely innocent. Under Gu Changge’s “sweet talk,” she was utterly dizzy, her maiden heart practically resting entirely on him.
What Lin Tian had said to her before wasn’t actually wrong.
Gu Changge was naturally no good person — after all, his designated role was the villain.
That said, as long as someone was one of his own, Gu Changge would never be stingy with benefits.
He bore Lin Qiuhan no ill will to begin with, and even planned to cultivate her in the future. At most, this counted as making use of her a little.
“’In all the world, there is none like me’? Young Master Gu, in your eyes, what exactly is cultivation?”
Hearing these words, Lin Qiuhan’s eyes shone with a strange brilliance, and she couldn’t help but feel a yearning.
“So-called cultivation, in my view, is nothing more than struggling for passage between heaven and earth. Using the Physique as one’s raft, one ferries across the mortal dust, crosses the bitter sea, and walks toward the other shore.”
As Gu Changge spoke, his face wore a calm, elegant smile.
Of course, inwardly he didn’t take it seriously at all. This whole spiel was naturally just for show.
For him, so-called cultivation was really as simple as using cheats and adding points.
“The bitter sea? The other shore?”
Even Su Qingge couldn’t help but have her eyes light up, savoring the words carefully.
“Young Master Gu’s insight is truly one of a kind, yet profoundly meaningful...”
Lin Qiuhan couldn’t help saying so. All along the way talking with Gu Changge, no matter the topic, he had something to say about it.
And not in any shallow or superficial way, either — it made her admiration and reverence for him grow ever deeper.
Especially this discourse on cultivation, which filled even her, an Elder of the academy, with wonder.
The Physique as a leather raft, crossing the bitter sea, walking toward the other shore?
Such a saying was truly unheard of. The cultivation world of the Beyond was surely a mysterious vastness beyond her imagination.
“Young Master Gu, about Little Tian’s matter — back then, it was only thanks to your words that I came to my senses. Otherwise, I’d probably still be kept in the dark by him.”
At this, Lin Qiuhan thought of something, and her expression dimmed, turning somewhat sorrowful.
After all, she had always cared deeply for the former Lin Tian.
Of course, his attempt to harm Young Master Gu was unforgivable.
Thankfully, he wasn’t the real Lin Tian.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t know how she could face Gu Changge.
“I was only speaking offhandedly at the time. I had no idea things would turn out this way...” Gu Changge laughed casually.
“Actually, I had also suspected back then whether something was wrong with Little Tian’s soul. I was just about to find him and ask, when this happened...”
Lin Qiuhan said with some guilt.
“Oh, speaking of which, there’s something I’d like to remind Miss Lin about.” Gu Changge’s smile was somewhat meaningful.
“Please speak, Young Master Gu.”
Lin Qiuhan looked at him. Since it was something Young Master Gu wanted to say, it was naturally important.
“You should keep an eye on Lin Tian’s corpse. I suspect he wasn’t merely having his soul controlled — it’s more like someone took his place. In the Beyond, such secret arts are hardly rare...”
“Coming back from the dead is actually a common occurrence.”
As Gu Changge spoke, a trace of speculation showed on his face at just the right moment.
Lin Qiuhan was stunned. Coming back from the dead? Could such a thing really happen?
Back then, Lin Tian’s soul had clearly scattered to oblivion, all signs of life extinguished.
But since these were Gu Changge’s words, she had no choice but to take them seriously.
Could it really have been a faked death?
“Of course, this is only my conjecture. It would be good for Miss Lin to keep an eye out.” Gu Changge smiled without batting an eye.
He would very much like Lin Qiuhan to witness Lin Tian’s “resurrection” with her own eyes.
That way, Lin Qiuhan’s last lingering attachment could finally be severed.
And naturally, Gu Changge would no longer have any need to keep Lin Tian around.
...
At that moment, a commotion came from outside the Star-Picking Pavilion.
“Young Master Gu, a group of young prodigies from the various great factions of Middle State and the Eastern Barren wish to pay you a visit.”
The Lin Family Elder who had been assigned to guide the way earlier came forward respectfully to report.
Gu Changge raised an eyebrow slightly.
He had originally intended to refuse, but being idle and bored with nothing to do, he nodded and said, “Let them all come up.”
He rather hoped this bunch of prodigies could provide him some amusement.
Soon, a large crowd of young men and women shrouded in treasure-light, their auras extraordinary, came up respectfully under the Lin Family Elder’s lead.
“Chu Xuan greets the Young Master.”
Gu Changge’s number one lapdog in the Eastern Barren, the Taixuan Holy Son Chu Xuan, was prominently among them, hastily bowing to Gu Changge with fawning flattery.
Besides him, there was also a group of prodigies from the Eastern Barren who had come on the flying vessel with Gu Changge before — not unfamiliar faces.
The last group consisted of the prodigies of Middle State.
At this moment, their hearts were somewhat shaken and excited — after all, this was their first time coming into close contact with this young lord.
That godlike aura made sincere awe well up in their hearts.
“We greet the Daren.”
Even the Karuran Saint Jin Yang, who had previously harbored quite a few complaints about Gu Changge, now had no choice but to pay his respects.
“There’s no need for such formality, everyone.”
Gu Changge sat at the head seat, nodding slightly, his expression calm and mild, appearing without the arrogance and loftiness they had imagined. This made everyone secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
It seemed the rumors were true.
This young lord didn’t seem to be someone difficult to approach.
Afterward, the young prodigies introduced themselves one by one, then began displaying their abilities, hoping to leave a good impression.
Every one of them was like a peacock fanning its tail, vying to outshine the rest.
Gu Changge nodded from time to time with a faint smile, which encouraged them all the more.
Those heavenly blessed daughters also wore fawning expressions, turning into simping lapdogs, which shook Lin Qiuhan and the others to the core.
Figures who ordinarily styled themselves as fairy maidens and goddess-like beings.
Before Young Master Gu, they still had to obediently kneel and lick boots.
It gave them the feeling of having their eyes opened.
Lin Qiuhan felt it most deeply — after all, her status was about the same as these heavenly blessed daughters before her.
Yet Young Master Gu’s attitude toward her was completely different from his attitude toward this group of blessed daughters.
This discovery suddenly gave her a feeling of being overwhelmed by favor that she had never felt before.
Young Master Gu treats me differently.