Suddenly Having Some Free Time, Chuyue Can Stay
Suddenly Having Some Free Time, Chuyue Can Stay
“When did this happen? How come I don’t remember it at all?”
Seeing Gu Qingyi pick out the sachet from among the items, Gu Changge couldn’t help but shake his head with a soft laugh.
Gu Qingyi’s bright eyes gazed at him, as if trying to discern whether he was telling the truth.
You’ll remember sooner or later.
After that, she put away all the little trinkets on the bluestone.
Her right hand habitually twirled the strands of hair draped over her shoulder, as if to mask the emotions in her heart.
Gu Changge was fairly familiar with her many little habits.
Although Gu Qingyi didn’t say much,
he still knew that she was actually quite fond of these little trinkets.
“What are you staring at me for?”
Gu Qingyi seemed unable to bear Gu Changge’s scrutinizing gaze.
She turned her head away, letting her gaze fall upon the misty sea of clouds not far off.
Gu Changge smiled and said, “If you weren’t staring at me, how would you know I was staring at you?”
A faint curve rose at the corner of Gu Qingyi’s lips as she said, “This is the first time I’ve seen a thief crying ‘stop thief.’”
“If I’m a thief, then what does that make you?”
“Actually, there’s another matter I came to see you about this time.”
Gu Changge smiled, then changed the subject.
“What matter?”
Gu Qingyi asked with some curiosity.
“It’s not really anything important. I’ll ask you about it after I’ve gathered all those things.”
Gu Changge shook his head.
As he spoke, he took out the few Earth Dragon Fruits he’d obtained from Kun Mountain and tossed them toward the distant sea of clouds.
The matter he intended to ask about was actually related to the Immortal Palace Ruins.
Of the Seven Tools of World Domination, he now held six in his hand, lacking only the Sword of World Domination.
He wasn’t far from assembling the complete key to open the Immortal Palace Ruins.
Seeing that he wouldn’t say more, Gu Qingyi tacitly refrained from asking further.
She simply watched quietly as the few Earth Dragon Fruits plummeted toward the sea of clouds.
These Earth Dragon Fruits were incomparably crystalline. Though only fist-sized, they contained astonishing radiant light within, like stars.
Boom—
The instant Gu Changge threw out the Earth Dragon Fruits,
the sea of clouds churned violently, and immediately a snow-white, slender figure darted over, catching the Earth Dragon Fruits in one swoop.
Having not seen her for some time, Little Wang Yue’s true form hadn’t changed much.
But her body had grown even more slender and beautiful, as pure and flawless as moonlight, dazzling and brilliant, her eyes as lovely as blood-colored glass.
When Gu Changge arrived, she had been hiding within the sea of clouds, never showing herself.
Although Gu Changge was her nominal master, he had always adopted a hands-off, couldn’t-care-less attitude toward her.
It was Gu Qingyi, on the contrary, who had taken great care of her.
In Little Wang Yue’s heart, Gu Qingyi was her true master.
So toward Gu Changge, she likewise adopted an indifferent attitude, utterly cold and aloof.
“Looks like you’ve been eating well lately. You’ve gotten quite a bit fatter.”
Gu Changge nodded, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth as he carefully sized up the current Little Wang Yue.
Little Wang Yue, who had been munching on the Earth Dragon Fruit with great relish, suddenly heard these words. Her movements abruptly froze, as if she’d been petrified on the spot.
A trace of panic suddenly appeared in her eyes.
Did I hear that wrong?
Gotten fatter?
At this moment, those three words echoed through her mind, and the Earth Dragon Fruit in her claws suddenly didn’t smell so good anymore.
“Where has she gotten fat? Stop scaring her.”
Gu Qingyi hadn’t expected Gu Changge to suddenly say such a thing either, and was momentarily stunned.
Then she fixed her gaze and carefully examined Little Wang Yue, shaking her head.
In her view, compared to the Wang Yue Clan members she’d seen before, the current Little Wang Yue’s size could only be described as small and exquisite.
How did that have anything to do with fat?
“Not fat? I keep feeling she’s a world apart from the last time I saw her. It seems you’ve fed her too well. This can’t go on. Although my Gu Family’s resources are abundant, how could they withstand her eating?”
Gu Changge looked her over a few more times, shook his head again, and sighed, putting on the troubled appearance of someone who could no longer afford to raise her.
Gu Qingyi tilted her head, staring fixedly at him, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes at him.
“I clearly don’t eat much at all. You’re the one who’s gotten fat.”
Hearing these words, light surged above the sea of clouds.
Little Wang Yue transformed into human form, her cold, proud little face bearing an extremely indignant expression.
She wasn’t very tall, reaching at most up to Gu Changge’s chest.
But her features were exquisitely beautiful, her eyes like glass, as if the God of the Moon had reappeared in the mortal world—dreamlike and illusory, her silver hair cascading like a waterfall, so lustrous it could reflect one’s image.
“I not only raise you, I also provide your food and drink, and this is the attitude you give me?”
Gu Changge revealed an amused smile as he spoke.
Little Wang Yue was extremely displeased with this line of reasoning and fumed, “It’s clearly Sister Qingyi who’s raising me. You’ve barely come to see me at all.”
Gu Changge’s expression didn’t change as he shook his head and said, “What’s Qingyi’s is mine. Do you still not understand this principle?”
“Who do you have to thank for growing so fat?”
“I have not gotten fat.”
“Hmph, such specious arguments. I don’t have a master like you.”
Little Wang Yue snorted, twisted her body, transformed back into her true form, and burrowed back into the sea of clouds.
Watching Gu Changge tease Little Wang Yue, Gu Qingyi said nothing.
She simply watched quietly from the side, toying with her hair, her thoughts drifting somewhat.
This scene felt familiar, making her feel in a daze as if she were witnessing a scene from a very, very long time ago.
Looking at Gu Changge, she couldn’t help but let a faint curve form at the corner of her lips.
For the period of time that followed, Gu Changge stayed within Gu Qingyi’s little world.
His cultivation had already reached the True Daoist realm, so he no longer needed to scheme at every turn as before, and he found himself with free time.
There wasn’t much on the Longevity Gu Family’s side that required his attention either.
After the war with the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains ended, the Gu Family had carved up the majority of the resources.
So during this period, they would be sending clan members to the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains to take over.
And because of Gu Changge’s connections, the Sky Deer Goddess’s status in Sky Deer City had risen with the tide, to the point where she was even showing signs of becoming the new Domain Lord of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains.
Although the Bone Clan had relocated to the Upper Realm, they had actually left some of their clansmen behind to cooperate with the Gu Family in taking over the Great Bone Domain.
Beyond that, there wasn’t much else that required Gu Changge’s attention.
As for Su Qingge, after they parted ways in Kunwu City, Gu Changge hadn’t inquired about her whereabouts.
Nowadays, news of the Successor of Demonic Arts appearing kept emerging from the Upper Realm.
All the great Dao lineages and forces were doing their utmost to hunt down and capture Jiang Chen, which happened to give Su Qingge an exploitable opening.
Being as clever as she was, she certainly wouldn’t let such an opportunity slip by.
Of course, Xiao Ruoyin would surely be puzzled as to why Jiang Chen was being treated as the Successor of Demonic Arts.
In the blink of an eye, half a year hurried by.
After the Kun Mountain incident, the Upper Realm rarely enjoyed a period of peace.
Whether the Ji Family’s Founding Ancestor was alive or dead remained a mystery even now.
Even the cultivators who had ventured deep into Kun Mountain and made it out alive found it difficult to judge.
So not many cultivators bothered with the matter anymore.
One had to know that quite a few forces and Dao lineages had been dragged into this affair.
Many sect leaders of great sects and Young Prodigies had died tragically within, and mentioning the matter was like tearing open their scars.
At a time like this, naturally no one brought it up again, and no one was foolish enough to charge into that perilous place of Kun Mountain once more.
The various Dao lineages and great sects that had originally planned to deal with the Absolute Yin Heaven calamity after rescuing the Ji Family’s Founding Ancestor could only cancel that plan and quiet their banners.
After experiencing the Kun Mountain incident, the Ji Family had suffered devastating losses.
Numerous experts had perished within Kun Mountain, and they had now reached the point of a setting sun on its last legs.
During this period, many former enemies were eyeing them like tigers watching their prey, intending to annex this once-great Human Ancestor Family.
Some time ago, hearing that the Ji Family was going to rescue their Founding Ancestor had left them trembling with fear and deeply uneasy.
But afterward, seeing the Ji Family’s devastating losses, they breathed long sighs of relief while also gloating over their misfortune.
The Ji Family, as a former Human Ancestor Family, was a force once ranked alongside the various Cults of Immortality and Supreme Dao Lineages.
A starving camel is still bigger than a horse.
Even though they had declined to the point of a setting sun, they still possessed no small degree of deterrence.
During this period, many hostile forces went to probe them, but none took further action.
Yet near the Ji Family’s mountain gates, divine rainbows could be seen streaking past every day, and indistinct figures appeared on the surrounding peaks.
Scene after scene of this left the entire Ji Family uneasy. The Elders who had gone to Kun Mountain had all perished within.
The Ji Family’s few remaining Ancestors had likewise met with misfortune.
Including the several Dao Artifacts brought inside—all were ultimately lost within, their whereabouts unknown.
The foundation the Ji Family had left was no longer much.
If a great enemy were to invade then, the entire Ji Family would likely be erased from the entire Upper Realm.
“If we hadn’t gone to rescue the Founding Ancestor back then, how would our Ji Family have fallen to such a state?”
Within the Ji Family’s great hall, the atmosphere was incomparably heavy. The few remaining Sacred Emperor Realm clan Elders sighed, their faces filled with deep regret.
“Is our Ji Family truly going to perish this time?”
The rest of the clansmen’s faces were equally pale and unwilling, their fists clenched tight.
Within the great hall, Ji Yaoxing and Ji Chuyue also stood among them. Hearing the discussions of their clansmen, both appeared very silent.
Ji Chuyue wore a pale yellow dress, graceful and slender, her face fair and delicate, fresh and moving, exuding an otherworldly air.
But now her eyes were utterly dim, having lost their former spirit and wit.
Only at the moment of their family’s life-and-death crisis did they realize how weak and powerless they were.
They couldn’t even come up with a single solution.
In the outside world, they were Young Prodigies, dazzling and radiant, invincible among their peers, sweeping through all directions.
But within the family, they were merely juniors, unable to play the slightest role at a time like this.
“Before the foreign enemies invade, we should first let the family’s juniors flee. They are our final embers.”
Hearing the discussions of the many clansmen in the hall, Ji Yaoxing, whose fists had been tightly clenched all along, seemed to think of something and suddenly spoke in a deep voice,
“We may still have one last option.”
“What option?”
Ji Chuyue looked at her brother in confusion, thinking that they had already reached a dead end...
But seeing the dense flame of hope burning in his eyes, she couldn’t bear to extinguish it.
“We can ask Young Master Changge for help. With just one word from him, our Ji Family’s life-and-death crisis can be resolved.” Ji Yaoxing said in a deep voice. This was the final option he could think of.
Given Gu Changge’s current status, he only needed to say a single word—he wouldn’t even need to do anything—to protect the Ji Family.
The Ji Family’s great enemies would absolutely not dare to openly offend Gu Changge or defy his words.
And this was their last thread of hope.
Ji Chuyue, however, fell silent. In truth, she had thought of this option long ago.
But on what grounds would Gu Changge help their Ji Family? She truly couldn’t find a single reason.
Ji Yaoxing seemed to see through Ji Chuyue’s worries. His expression grew slightly stern as he said, “I actually know the chances of this aren’t great, but it’s better than doing nothing at all. Besides, little sister, why can’t you give it a try? You should have confidence in your looks. Ji Qingxuan and her sister both had their chance—why can’t you?”
These words stirred enormous waves in Ji Chuyue’s heart, leaving her expression suddenly somewhat dazed.
When he learned that the Ji Family siblings had come to request an audience, Gu Changge had actually been planning to make a trip to the Mortal Palace.
Judging by the extent to which the Absolute Yin Heaven calamity had recently spread through the Upper Realm, he felt it necessary to remind Jia Lan, the princess of the Eternal Overcast Kingdom, who still owed him quite a bit of Source of the Eternal Overcast.
Back then, the two had each left behind a token. However, the Space Piece left by Princess Jia Lan of the Eternal Overcast Kingdom contained a sliver of her Divine Soul.
But that Space Piece had been sealed away by Gu Changge to isolate the Divine Soul Jia Lan had left within.
Through that Space Piece, the Eternal Overcast Kingdom could contact him.
After all, the two had struck a deal back then: Princess Jia Lan of the Eternal Overcast Kingdom would help Gu Changge obtain the Source of the Eternal Overcast,
while Gu Changge would need to help them forge the Reincarnation Platform when the time came.
The Source of the Eternal Overcast could help Gu Changge’s Grand Flask undergo metamorphosis. Although he had Jiang Chuchu searching for the location of the Absolute Yin Heaven for him,
that was merely a drop in the bucket, far from enough for the amount of Source of the Eternal Overcast the Grand Flask required.
This great eruption of the Absolute Yin Heaven calamity, in Gu Changge’s view, was perhaps precisely the omen of the Eternal Overcast Kingdom’s reemergence in the Upper Realm.
At the same time, it was also a sign that the Upper Realm was about to descend into great chaos. Because in the near future, when the Epoch Dao Fruit matured, the Immortal Gate would inevitably reappear, and the deepest-hidden existences of every race and Dao lineage would emerge into the world to contend for the Celestial Path.
Therefore, Gu Changge needed to make preparations in advance, to lay out a great bait.
The Eternal Overcast Kingdom was an excellent chess piece.
“Let them in.”
After a moment of contemplation, Gu Changge spoke, having the guards outside the hall bring in the Ji Family siblings.
He had actually guessed the pair’s purpose. The Ji Family had now encountered a great calamity and was facing a life-and-death crisis.
The two of them coming here was most likely to beg him for rescue.
For him, such a matter was merely a single sentence. However, Gu Changge was no bleeding heart, and he himself wasn’t particularly interested in Ji Chuyue.
But on second thought, considering that he had not only devoured the Source of the Ji Family’s Founding Ancestor but had also used the Ji Family’s people, causing them to perish in Kun Mountain—
by both sentiment and reason, he ought to save them. Moreover, Ji Qingxuan could then rightfully take over the Ji Family afterward.
Calculating it this way, he wouldn’t be losing out either.
“I already know about your Ji Family’s affairs.”
Soon, led by the guards, Ji Yaoxing and Ji Chuyue arrived within the hall.
It was plain to see that Ji Chuyue had dressed up specially to meet Gu Changge, lightly adorned with powder and rouge, her beauty all the more enchanting, her hair cascading like a waterfall, lustrous enough to reflect one’s image, a trace of bashfulness showing between her brows.
Hearing Gu Changge take the initiative to speak, both Ji Yaoxing and Ji Chuyue were somewhat startled and couldn’t help becoming anxious and tense.
Ji Chuyue especially kept her eyes lowered, her small hands pinching her sleeves, not daring to raise her head to look at Gu Changge.
They had originally prepared to explain themselves at length.
But Gu Changge’s directness made them swallow all the words they had prepared on the way here.
For a moment, they didn’t know what to say.
After all, the Ji Family of today was on the verge of declining into a third-rate family. On what grounds would Gu Changge save them?
Although Ji Chuyue was beautiful and moving, with Gu Changge’s status and position, would he lack for heaven’s favored daughters?
Then, the hall suddenly fell into silence. No one spoke, as if the moment stretched as long as a thousand years.
A bitter expression couldn’t help but appear at the corner of Ji Yaoxing’s mouth. It seemed he had overthought things.
“Chuyue will stay today.”
But just then, Gu Changge, up ahead, seemed to sigh softly and spoke again.
Hearing these words, Ji Yaoxing was first stunned, then immediately revealed an expression of wild joy and excitement.
A rosy hue couldn’t help but spread across Ji Chuyue’s face. She never expected that just when the mountains and rivers seemed to leave no path, a village would appear amid dark willows and bright flowers.
She had thought Gu Changge couldn’t be bothered with whether their Ji Family lived or died.