Chapter 199: Finding a Second Scapegoat; Gu Xian’er, Stop Acting so Full of Yourself!
Gu Xian’er had never returned to the Gu family since her childhood.
And although she had relatives and masters in the Peach village, there must still be some deep-rooted wish to go home inside of her. After all, that’s where she was born, where her family originally lived.
Therefore, in Gu Changge"s opinion, this birthday banquet was an excellent opportunity for him to completely eradicate the estrangement between the various lineages of the Gu family that had developed over the years, and finally, take full control of the family.
Gu Changge had never forgotten about this matter from the very beginning.
Because his mother and father had gotten married late.
His mother was now five thousand years old. That said, due to her high cultivation, she still retained her unparalleled beauty.
Furthermore, because of his mother"s ident.i.ty, it would definitely be a big event for even the Immortal Gu Family and the Primordial Divine Sect.
They’d invite all the Daoist Sects and Immortal Clans to attend the banquet.
At that time, it was inevitable that the Young Supremes of all the great forces would gather together, which might lead to some disputes between them.
And Gu Changge, being the gracious and fair host he was, would not be able to personally solve those disputes.
Though these were trivial matters to Gu Changge.
For he was more concerned about something else.
The Human Ancestral Hall was likely to start moving next, meaning many Ancient Freaks, or Heavenly Prince may come into the light at this time.
Their talents, needless to say, would be formidable.
It was a timely blessing, as Gu Changge just happened to be lacking some Origin Essence recently. He had been worried about finding sufficient prey to temper his Sacred Realm Laws with.
On top of that, the t.i.tle Forbidden Demonic Arts’ Inheritor needed a new scapegoat, so he had to search for another person he could push the blame onto.
Ye Ling"s death would soon be discovered by the Human Ancestral Hall.
Since Ye Ling was from the Immortal Ye Family, the Human Ancestral Hall, with their mysterious techniques and abilities, could figure out his whereabouts in an instant using his bloodline.
When the news of Ye Ling"s death spreads, it would certainly affect the credibility of Gu Changge’s words by a considerable amount.
Therefore, Gu Changge now had to initiate the second part of his plan.
‘I will have some time to arrange. But before that, I need to find the unlucky sob who will carry the black pot this time…’
Gu Changge"s expression slowly grew darker. The faces of all the Young Supremes quickly flashed through his mind, from w.a.n.g Wushuang to Ye Langtian, and the others, as he dismissed them one by one.
He was continuously searching for the right person to choose.
Firstly, the status of the target must be high enough, as an ordinary Young Supreme would definitely not fit the mould of being the Forbidden Demonic Arts’ Inheritor.
The strength of the target must be very strong, otherwise, it would be difficult to explain the matter of Ye Ling’s death otherwise.
Furthermore, the target must have a background and cultivation far beyond the reach of people like Ye Ling, or it would be difficult for Gu Changge to devise a perfect plan.
‘The level of strength I fabricated for Ye Ling was a little too strong, to the extent that I enabled him to compete against me, and even escape from my hands…’
Gu Changge felt a slight headache.
At that time, in order to act as if Ye Ling was strong, he had even severely wounded himself and acted with Yin Mei to deceive everyone.
As a result, almost every cultivator became aware of Ye Ling"s strength, which was strong enough to escape from his hands.
He was no longer able to put the blame onto any random person
Because even if he did, no average Young Supreme would be able to contend with Ye Ling’s strength.
To have the capability to kill Ye Ling, the new pot bearer must possess great strength.
Gu Changge wanted to create an illusion that Ye Ling had died and that the Forbidden Demonic Arts were inherited by someone else, or that there was a mysterious organization acting behind the scenes.
This limited his choices of potential candidates.
In terms of cultivation, besides w.a.n.g Zijin, Gu Changge couldn"t think of anyone else for the time being.
However, it definitely can’t be w.a.n.g Zijin, as she was the descendent of the Human Ancestral Hall. Putting the black pot on her head would be equivalent to actively digging one’s own grave.
‘Looks like I have to find out which Ancient Freak or Son of the Ancient Emperor are going to emerge soon, then start with them.’
Gu Changge soon thought of a possible target.
His mother"s birthday banquet would inevitably attract all major clans, Immortal Sects, and Ancient Emperors to attend.
After all, no one in the entire Upper Realm"s Daoist Sects and Immoral Clans would dare ignore an invitation from the Immortal Gu Family.
An incomparably lively scene was sure to occur.
‘And considering Mingkong"s personality, she’ll certainly attend the banquet too. I can attempt to pry some information out of her then.’
‘I should also take advantage of this opportunity to make preparations and find out in which realm the Human Ancestor’s Reincarnation will take place, as well as information about the mysterious Peach Tree behind Xian"er…’
These days, Gu Changge didn"t give as much thought to Gu Xian"er as he did in the beginning.
He was more interested in the mysterious Peach Tree instead.
No matter whether it was according to Gu Xian"er"s plotline as a Favoured Daughter of Heaven or any other plotlines, the mysterious Peach Tree was bound to be an existence that had survived many great ages.
Therefore, in order to plot for that mysterious Peach Tree, Gu Changge had to start with Gu Xian’er.
‘Xian"er"s att.i.tude towards me will largely determine the att.i.tude of the mysterious Peach Tree and the masters behind her towards me as well."
Gu Changge had been planning all this for a long time.
Without creating a tragic drama, it would probably be hard to move those old fogies who have been alive for countless years, not to mention getting them to actually believe in him.
Gu Changge hadn"t forgotten the time when he sent Yan Ji to check out the Peach Village, only to have her, a Great Sacred Realm existence, come back seriously injured by a Peach Blossom. It was entirely possible that if she hadn"t escaped using the Domain Breaking Talisman, she might have fallen in that place.
Such a powerful existence. What if he could use it as his own? Or even take over it and devour its origin?
Thinking of this, Gu Changge"s smile could not help but deepen.
Soon, news of the Immortal Gu Family hosting a birthday banquet spread throughout Immeasurable Heaven, and even amongst the other Dao forces, causing a great sensation.
Gu Changge"s mother was a renowned G.o.ddess in the past. She was the last Holy Maiden of the Primordial Divine Sect, with a formidable talent that was hard to rival.
When the news of her birthday banquet spread, it immediately shocked countless cultivators, leading to numerous heated discussions.
Only then did many people realize that the G.o.ddess, who was once renowned throughout the world, had already turned 5,000 years old.
And even her son had already become an unrivalled leading figure of the younger generation.
For a while, countless cultivators lamented.
Many Daoist lineages and Great Sects, including the Vermilion Bird Clan, the White Tiger Clan, the Heavenly Dao Immortal Palace, the Immortal w.a.n.g Family, and the Immortal Ye Family, sent their clansmen bearing congratulatory gifts to the territory of the Immortal Gu Family.
— — —
[Meanwhile…]
On the top of the mountain where the Great Elder usually cultivated.
A young girl with a beautiful face was currently hugging her knees, staring blankly at the clouds below, seemingly stuck in a daze.
Occasionally, the wind would blow, making her skirt flutter and revealing her delicate and flawless calves, not unlike pure lotus roots.
Her figure looked as if it had been born out of an untainted earthly spirit, walking out from the full mountains and clear rivers. A clear and cold temperament, without a trace of dust, seemingly carrying the most wonderful blessings of heaven.
She resembled a darling of Heaven and Earth.
It was none other than Gu Xian"er, who had just finished her cultivation.
After being Gu Changge’s sandbag, her cultivation progress had advanced by leaps and bounds, and now she was on the verge of breaking through to the False G.o.d Realm.
It was as if she was growing stronger and stronger after each defeat.
Such speed shocked even the Great Elder.
However, Gu Xian"er wasn"t happy with it.
No matter how much she provoked him, Gu Changge remained indifferent towards her, not even bothering to say a word.
It was the same even when she went to Supreme Peak where Gu Changge stayed and challenged him personally.
It was an att.i.tude similar to facing a stranger who had absolutely nothing to do with her.
Gu Xian"er was clearly hurt by this, though she would never say it out loud to anyone.
Yet she also understood that Gu Changge might have also felt this way when she treated him with such indifference and hatred at the start.
However, she believed that Gu Changge was deliberately acting like this now in order not to let her get close to him and dig deeper into his hidden secrets from the past.
Therefore, she didn"t mind it and continued to chase him relentlessly.
But when a letter from the Immortal Gu Family suddenly landed in front of her, Gu Xian"er"s mood turned sour, and her posture immediately slumped.
“Return home?”
Gu Xian"er muttered softly. She looked at the letter in her hand with a dazed expression.
Similar to Gu Changge, she was also sent a letter from the Immortal Gu Family.
And judging from the handwriting and aura on it, the letter surely came from Gu Changge"s father, Gu Lintian.
The eldest uncle that she was very much in awe of in the past.
Frankly speaking, Gu Xian"er really didn"t expect that her eldest uncle would personally write her a letter at this time, in which he sincerely expressed his concern and guilt for mistreating her all those years.
Although Gu Changge"s father didn"t mention the reason for the incident back then, Gu Xian"er could also understand his hardship.
This was something she had already figured out, so she naturally wasn"t surprised.
What surprised her instead was Gu Lintian"s approach.
As the head of the Immortal Gu Family, he showed an obviously apologetic att.i.tude towards her, a mere member of the family.
That said, even if Gu Xian"er was able to understand his situation in her heart, there was still ultimately an unresolved knot.
It already happened so it wouldn"t matter if she understood because it"d be impossible to pretend that it never happened in the first place.
The one who expelled her from the Gu family back then was Gu Lintian, and the one who was letting her return to the Immortal Gu Family now was also him.
In the past, when her father was vying for the position of Patriarch, the one who defeated him was also Gu Lintian.
In truth, Gu Xian"er longed for the day she could finally return to the Immortal Gu Family, her home.
There were still some of her relatives and clansmen there that she couldn"t possibly part with.
“When Gu Changge acknowledged my ident.i.ty as a member of the Gu family that day, I should’ve expected all this. Don’t you think so, Ah Hong?”
Gu Xian"er asked with a sigh, speaking to the little red bird on her shoulder.
The little red bird glanced at her obliquely, as if to say – ‘stop pretending so much, you obviously want to go back in your heart, but you just aren"t showing it on your face."
Seeing the red bird’s ridiculing expression, Gu Xian"er gritted her teeth with annoyance, wanting nothing more than to pluck off its hairs, roast it, and then eat it right that instant.
It truly didn’t give her any face at all.
Nonetheless, the little red bird was spot on with its a.s.sessment of Gu Xian"er"s inner thoughts.
As Gu Changge had previously noted, Gu Xian’er possessed an arrogant personality, and she sometimes valued her face more than anything else.
If the Immortal Gu Family had sent a luxurious carriage, pulled by nine dragons alongside numerous powerful individuals to invite her home, then maybe she would “reluctantly” nod her head and agree.
But now it was merely a letter from home and nothing else?
‘That"s it? That"s it?! That"s it?!?!’
Gu Xian’er truly wanted to throw the family letter at her uncle"s face and ask him if there was any sincerity and apology in this invitation at all?
If she returned to the Immortal Gu Family like this, where would she place her face?
Gu Changge already took the initiative to acknowledge her ident.i.ty and clarify the events of the past in front of the whole world, so now it should be the Immortal Gu Family inviting her back in the same fashion!
“There’s no sincerity at all! They’re looking down on me…”
Gu Xian’er let out a cold snort, a disdainful sound rising from pouty lips.
Speaking of which, this was indeed some poor consideration on Gu Lintian’s part.
In his opinion, that year"s incident was something the Immortal Gu Family should feel sorry for Gu Xian"er about, and if such a matter was made too high-profile, it might make Gu Xian’er feel that the Immortal Gu Family was putting on a face for the rest of the forces to see and wasn’t being sincere.
Thus, after careful consideration, he decided to personally write a letter to Gu Xian"er.
Unfortunately, he didn"t realize that Gu Xian’er actually had such a face-loving character.
“Go back? Who wants to go back, I won"t be going back anyway!”
Gu Xian’er calmed down her mood, but couldn’t resist mumbling out her grievances.
“Oh? Not going back where?”
Gu Xian’er suddenly heard a faint voice at that exact moment.
Immediately afterwards–
She felt the heavens and the earth abruptly turn silent, as if an immensely terrifying pressure had descended, rumbling like the mountains and seas.
Time and s.p.a.ce, and even the cycle of Samsara throughout Heaven and Earth froze!
Buzz!
High up in the sky, the s.p.a.ce blurred as a pa.s.sage emerged, piercing through the surrounding s.p.a.ce.
From within it, stepped out Gu Changge"s figure, standing with his hands behind his back. He looked calmly upon Gu Xian"er, whose face was as stiff as a rock.
“Gu Changge…”
Gu Xian’er finally managed to react. Her eyes slightly narrowed at Gu Changge, having no clue as to why he had just appeared.
‘Wasn"t Gu Changge still acting as cold as a block of ice to me? Not paying any attention and making my teeth itch in frustration?’
‘So why was he here now?’
Gu Changge stood aloof in the sky, looking down on Gu Xian"er indifferently.
A long, flowing immortal robe, coupled with wide sleeves that sparkled as if embroidered with stars from heaven, appeared extremely elegant and magnificent.
Carrying a n.o.ble, lofty temperament.
“Where did you just say you wouldn"t go back to?” Gu Changge repeated himself in a casual tone.
Gu Xian’er"s gaze moved away from Gu Changge"s body, and she didn’t dare to look at him directly.
Because she couldn"t beat Gu Changge and the Great Elder also wasn"t currently on the mountain peak.
After returning from the Immortal Continent, the Great Elder was enraged and only gave her instructions on what to do next, before disappearing without a trace.
Gu Xian’er felt that the Great Elder must’ve been enraged by Gu Changge inside the Ancient Immortal Continent.
Hence, if Gu Changge really wanted to teach her a lesson at this time, no one would be able to stop him.
Especially since she had been provoking Gu Changge a lot these past few days.
Although Gu Changge didn’t pay much attention to it, with his vengeful personality, he most likely kept my transgressions in mind.
He was simply waiting for an opportunity to get his payback.
“Did I say something?”
Gu Xian’er couldn"t withstand the terrible pressure emitting from Gu Changge"s body and muttered softly.
At this time, playing dumb was the best option.
That said, Gu Changge had probably heard her ramblings just now, or he wouldn"t have suddenly appeared like this.
However, she wasn"t afraid of Gu Changge either.
“Oh, you won’t tell me? Seems like your cultivation has been going well for some time now. Did you start having delusions again?”
Seeing that Gu Xian’er didn’t admit it, the calm on Gu Changge’s face also disappeared, and he asked with mockery.
“Gu Changge you…”
Hearing him speak, Gu Xian’er"s delicate face slightly changed, and she immediately felt that something was wrong.
She reacted quickly, and a layer of silver brilliance appeared on her body as if the immortal light was flowing, and various runes were being intertwined, forming a true phoenix with its wings spreading behind her back!
The glittering light was brilliant, the aura was amazing, and even heaven and earth seemed to be torn between the wings.
It was a movement technique, she quickly spread her wings, and fled to the s.p.a.ce behind her.
Because she sensed that Gu Changge was about to strike.
Buzz!
However, Gu Changge"s speed was faster than hers by far, and at the moment Gu Xian’er was about to retreat, a vast and terrible wave rose from the s.p.a.ce nearby.
Like a roaring sea, it suddenly turned into chaos, with every inch of s.p.a.ce as dense and heavy as a mountain, locking her figure firmly in place!
“This is bad–!”
Gu Xian"er let out a low cry, realizing that with her current cultivation, she couldn’t break free at all.
Even if her cultivating speed was very fast, she still couldn"t resist in the slightest when facing Gu Changge.
“This girl, after a few days of not receiving a spanking, has become arrogant again. This won’t work…”
Looking at the situation, Gu Changge slightly shook his head, and said so in words of pity and regret, though his tone was as indifferent as always.
Buzz!
The void suddenly surged, and as he put forward his palm, a terrifying ma.s.sive palm print appeared in the void, and then descended down from the sky!
There wasn’t any surprise.
Gu Xian"er was again suppressed to the ground by his palm, and no matter how her nascent Fairy Bones glowed and wanted to awaken, it was all futile.
The simple Fairy Bones, Gu Changge suppressed her with the power of rules. Naturally, it didn’t take much effort, since the two just weren’t on the same level.
Gu Xian"er obviously wasn’t aware of this.
Otherwise, she would’ve shouted that it was unfair.
Frankly, Gu Xian"er"s current strength was in fact quite strong in Gu Changge"s opinion, and her cultivation speed was worthy of being the Favored Daughter of Heaven.
Nevertheless, Gu Changge pursued greater results; how can Gu Xian"er with such strength, meet his requirements.
Thus, his words still remained cold, and he said with mockery, “Gu Xian"er, this is the result of you provoking me every day? Unable to withstand even one of my palms. You’ve disappointed me too much.”
“If it was a real battle, you would be dead right now.”
Gu Changge stood tall, looking down on her indifferently.
“Gu Changge, you have the ability to suppress your cultivation to the same realm as me, but you bully me by relying on your high cultivation base, what kind of ability is that?”
Gu Xian"er gritted her teeth with extreme anger at his remarks. Even after the amount of effort she took, she was defeated in one palm once again.
No matter how much she cultivated, she just couldn’t catch up with Gu Changge.
On the contrary, she was easily suppressed by him every time.
This made Gu Xian"er very upset.
She knew that Gu Changge was definitely much stronger than his apparent Cultivation Base, perhaps he was close to breaking through the Sacred Realm.
“In a real battle, no one will be fair.” Gu Changge said indifferently.
“I know you won"t kill me…”
Although Gu Xian"er was suppressed on the ground, after hearing the words, she said so.
She looked as if she was sure of Gu Changge.
“Oh?”
Gu Changge didn’t deny it, and his expression was slightly playful.
“Gu Changge, remember this, sooner or later I will catch up with you, and you won"t be able to bully me anymore.”
Gu Xian"er said viciously, and an expression reflected on Gu Changge’s eyes that appeared very rude.
However, this time, Gu Changge didn’t say any more.
“Father sent a letter and ordered me to take you back to the family.” He said lightly, and at the same time lifted the suppression of Gu Xian"er.
He had already predicted Gu Xian"er"s intentions.
With her arrogant personality, she certainly wouldn’t be willing to go back easily, even if she wanted to go back in her heart, she still wouldn’t agree.
Hence, Gu Changge came to make her realize the reality of the matter.
“I’m not going back, it"s your father, not mine.”
Gu Xian"er heard his words, and her expression quickly returned to cold and calm, and she said indifferently.
“Gu Xian"er, I’m afraid you"re mistaking something.”
“I’m ordering you to go back with me, not asking if you’ll come or not.”
Gu Changge couldn"t help but laugh.
For this tough-mouthed girl, he naturally had to take tough measures.
Obviously, if Gu Xian"er resisted, then Gu Changge would strike again, similar to a few moments ago and suppress her.
And even if she was knocked unconscious and stuffed in a sack, she must be brought back to the family.
Hearing this, Gu Xian"er gritted her silver teeth, knowing that at this point, she couldn’t do anything.
Gu Changge definitely had more methods.
“This is not that I want to go back, but you"re forcibly taking me back, Gu Changge, don’t mistake this point.”
Finally, seemingly having figured it out, Gu Xian"er agreed.
Only her att.i.tude seemed quite reluctant, and her small and delicate face looked very unhappy.
“I understand, you begged me to take you back, not that I wanted to take you back.”
When Gu Changge heard her, he nodded his head in understanding.
“Eh???”
Hearing this, Gu Xian"er was stunned, and then directly exploded with anger.
— — —
Read on DemonicTL for faster updates.