Old Friends Reminisce, Leaving No Trace Afterward
Old Friends Reminisce, Leaving No Trace Afterward
Within the palace hall, Yan Ji was leading Lin Qiuhan and the others in finding seats when she saw Gu Changge walking over from not far away, a smile on his face.
A sweet smile appeared on her face as she said to Gu Changge, “I’ve brought them all here, just as you instructed.”
“Thank you for your trouble.”
Gu Changge walked over and nodded slightly, then his gaze fell upon Lin Qiuhan and Yan Ji.
Speaking of which, it had been quite some time since he had last seen them.
On one hand, he truly hadn’t had the time; on the other hand, Gu Changge felt there was no need, and that it might even bring harm to them.
Though he was no good person, he was still someone who remembered old affections.
These days, countless Dao traditions of the Beyond were watching him closely, ready to strike at him at any moment, and those closely connected to him could be dragged into danger because of it.
Although Gu Changge did not hold deep feelings for the two women, he did not want them to be swept into these whirlpools of crisis for no reason and lose their lives for nothing.
Nor would he, as he did for Yue Mingkong, divert considerable forces to protect them.
“Greetings, Young Master.”
Yan Ji and Lin Qiuhan were somewhat reserved before Gu Changge now.
Though they were pleasantly surprised that he would take the initiative to come see them, they also knew that their current status was worlds apart from his—an even greater gap than when they had first arrived in the Beyond.
“Before me, there is no need for such formality.” Gu Changge smiled faintly, his demeanor as gentle and refined as ever.
In a daze, Lin Qiuhan once again saw the scene of her first meeting with Gu Changge.
He had descended upon the Lin residence alongside the Lin Family’s Prime Ancestor, appearing in the great hall like a young deity—handsome and elegant, with an immortal bearing and divine grace, his whole body seeming to glow. Whether in speech or insight, he had left her utterly captivated, sinking in beyond escape.
In the blink of an eye, Gu Changge had already become the true master of this vast Beyond, holding life and death in his grasp.
Yan Ji, too, seemed somewhat dazed, countless memories surging into her heart like a tide. She then cupped her hands and said,
Had Gu Changge not brought her to the Beyond back then, her soul would have long since scattered—let alone her attaining her current cultivation at the Perfect Prodigy level.
Toward Gu Changge, her gratitude in truth outweighed her admiration.
Gu Changge smiled faintly, then reminisced with them for a while, asking about their recent circumstances, and explained to Lin Qiuhan why he had not visited her before.
Earlier, he had also asked Lin Qiuhan to help him gather information on the refinement method of the Violet Supreme Alchemy Pill, intending to use the pill to help those around him raise their cultivation.
Lin Qiuhan had also sent word back to him that she had only found some fragmentary records and had not located the true pill formula, so Gu Changge had given up on the matter.
But unexpectedly, today there was a pleasant surprise.
“Some time ago, in the Handwritten Notes of a qianbei of the Violet Supreme Alchemy Sect, I came across records of the Violet Supreme Alchemy Pill. Perhaps in the cave abode where he later passed away in meditation, there may be Jade Tablets left behind—there’s a good chance the formula for the Violet Supreme Alchemy Pill is preserved among them,” Lin Qiuhan explained with a smile on her face.
When she mentioned the Violet Supreme Alchemy Pill, her eyes shone with an exceptionally bright light.
In her view, having received Gu Changge’s care for so long, she finally had a chance to repay his kindness.
“The Violet Supreme Alchemy Pill? If that’s the case, then I would indeed like to see just how miraculous this legendary pill, said to let one ascend to immortality, truly is.”
Gu Changge nodded.
In ancient ages past, within the vast territories of the Beyond, there had actually been a sect renowned for Alchemy, called the Alchemy Sect.
The Alchemy Sect was backed by an ancient Great Universe known as the Alchemy Universe.
Later, because the Alchemy Universe refined a pill that should not exist in this world, it suffered heavenly tribulation—Chaos Lightning of the Nine Heavens struck down from the deepest reaches of chaos, falling for thousands of years.
That entire ancient Great Universe collapsed completely, reduced to tribulation ash, vanishing into the long river of history.
And as far as Gu Changge knew, that pill which should not have existed was called the Violet Supreme Nine Revolutions Pill.
The later Violet Supreme Alchemy Pill was actually a scaled-down version, yet it was still tainted by tremendous karma, leading to the destruction of quite a few alchemy sects that had possessed its formula.
“In that case, I’ll leave the matter of the Violet Supreme Alchemy Pill to you, Qiuhan,” Gu Changge said with a faint smile.
Lin Qiuhan hurriedly shook her head, her face full of delight. “It’s no trouble at all, no trouble at all. Being able to help Young Master is Qiuhan’s honor.”
Afterward, after chatting with Yan Ji, Lin Qiuhan, and the others for a while longer, Gu Changge parted ways with them and headed elsewhere, taking a jug of wine from an attendant maid at the side along with a white jade wine cup.
“It’s been a while.”
He smiled faintly as he walked toward the woman in phoenix robes who was drinking alone in the corner.
The woman in phoenix robes had a plum blossom mark between her brows, a devastatingly beautiful face, and a cold, aloof expression that added a certain air about her.
It was none other than Empress Yao Xi of the Demon World.
In truth, Gu Changge had not expected that she would appear here—and in her true body, no less, not merely an avatar.
“Gu Changge...”
Empress Yao Xi, who had been raising her cup to drink alone, paused slightly, seemingly not expecting Gu Changge to have noticed her and to take the initiative to walk toward her. A trace of self-mockery couldn’t help but appear at the corner of her lips.
But she quickly returned to her aloof, noble, and proud bearing, exuding the aura of an iceberg—every bit the peerless Demon Empress.
The two had met at the True Immortal Academy. Back then, Gu Changge had merely been the leader of the younger generation—terrifying in strength, with monstrous talent beyond compare.
But in her eyes, he had only been regarded as a junior.
It was not until Gu Changge saw through her many hidden worries, understood the painstaking efforts she had made for the Demon World, and even deemed her worthy of being an eternal sovereign—
—that Empress Yao Xi changed her view of him, no longer treating him as a junior, but as a rare kindred spirit. She had even personally written letters to him about many matters concerning the Demon World.
She had even believed that Gu Changge saw her the same way. But she never expected that after Gu Changge descended upon the Demon World and a series of events unfolded, she would abruptly come to understand his true face—disappointed, yet also filled with a sense of loss.
Yet she could not deny that Gu Changge was indeed the only man in her life who had ever entered her heart.
Before leaving the Demon World, Gu Changge had also shared a night of intimacy with her.
But in Empress Yao Xi’s view, for Gu Changge and for her, it had been like a spring breeze brushing past—leaving no trace once it was over.
Neither of them would take it too much to heart.
Yet during the half year since hearing that Gu Changge was to hold a wedding with Yue Mingkong, Empress Yao Xi had often tossed and turned restlessly, countless thoughts and memories surfacing in her heart. In truth, were it not for Gu Changge, her current fate would not have been a good one—her rule over the Demon World would likely have been overthrown long ago.
After all, had the five Demon Overlords not abruptly vanished back then, she would never have picked up such an enormous bargain and unified the Demon World.