"Good!
Very good!
Excellent!"
Cang Yan, dignified and majestic like an empress, stared at Gu Qingfeng. Her flawless countenance maintained a faint, inscrutable smile as she said, "Since you wish to see our sincerity, then I shall show it to you."
With that,
Cang Yan gave a gentle wave of her hand. As a faint light blossomed and shimmered like flowers, a pile of wine jars suddenly appeared in the courtyard. These jars, all resembling white jade cauldrons, were stacked neatly and uniformly, numbering over two hundred in total, forming a small hill.
Witnessing this scene, Huode was dumbfounded. Mo Ruyi and Nalan Qianqiu were also stunned.
They all knew how precious a fine wine like Heavenly Dao Wine was. Forget ordinary immortal realm families; even the Great Desolate giants whose influence spanned the celestial domains, or the ancient, inherited Thirty-Six Grotto Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, likely didn't possess much. Nalan Qianqiu, in particular, knew this well. Their Langya Grotto Heaven had only amassed a collection of just over two hundred jars of Heavenly Dao Wine, accumulated over countless ages.
Now,
Cang Yan had actually taken out all two hundred-plus jars of Heavenly Dao Wine that Langya Grotto Heaven had treasured, in one go.
Others might not know, but Nalan Qianqiu understood clearly. The patriarch of Langya Grotto Heaven had pleaded bitterly for just one jar of Heavenly Dao Wine, only to be refused by Cang Yan. Why, then, would she now take out Langya Grotto Heaven's entire treasured stock of Heavenly Dao Wine just to have a talk with Gu Qingfeng?
Why on earth?
Was it truly just to talk with this fellow Gu Qingfeng?
What kind of talk required such immense sincerity?
Wasn't it said to be merely to clear up some misunderstandings between Lady Tianji and Gu Qingfeng?
Couldn't they just explain directly?
Whether he believed it or not was his business.
Why go to such lengths to curry his favor?
Nalan Qianqiu simply couldn't fathom it, couldn't understand what was going on. In her mind, her senior sister and Lady Tianji had absolutely no need to curry favor with Gu Qingfeng. Especially Lady Tianji—she was the incarnation of Karma, the messenger of Fate. Throughout the Myriad Heavens, whether it was Great Desolate giants, Grotto Heavens or Blessed Lands, the Nine Heavens or the Nine Nethers, sacred lands, forbidden grounds, or the Ruins of Return and Desolation, almost no one within the Three Thousand Great Daos dared to defy her existence. She could be called the absolute supreme sovereign of this heaven and earth.
Why would such an existence condescend to appear and curry favor with this fellow Gu Qingfeng?
She didn't understand.
Nalan Qianqiu racked her brains but couldn't figure it out.
"Well?"
Cang Yan said with a light smile, "Elder Gu, our sincerity...
Are you satisfied?"
"Not bad!
Not bad at all."
Gu Qingfeng looked at the hill-like pile of over two hundred jars of Heavenly Dao Wine in the courtyard, feeling indescribably happy inside. However, his words were: "Average. Barely passable."
"Heh."
Cang Yan gave a wry chuckle, then added, "In that case, can Elder Gu now sit down and talk with us?"
"Fine. Seeing how sincere you are, I'll reluctantly sit down and have a chat with you."
Cang Yan didn't speak further with Gu Qingfeng. Instead, she said to Nalan Qianqiu and Mo Ruyi, "You two, step outside."
Nalan Qianqiu and Mo Ruyi exchanged a glance. Though they very much wanted to stay and hear what was to be discussed, Cang Yan had given the order, and neither dared to disobey. They could only leave.
"Big Brother, Nameless Sister, Cang Yan Sister, you chat first. Jinr will take Qianqiu Sister and Ruyi Sister on a tour of Yunxia Sect."
Little Jinr, being sensible, followed them out. Huode looked around and, understanding the situation, tactfully took his leave as well.
Thus,
only Genggu Wuming, Cang Yan, and Gu Qingfeng remained in the courtyard.
Genggu Wuming still sat there quietly, her appearance ordinary, her expression placid, her gaze tranquil.
Ordinary as dust in the mortal world, insignificant.
Placid as flowers, grass, trees—countless and unremarkable.
Tranquil as the spiritual energy between heaven and earth—invisible, intangible.
Genggu Wuming gave the impression of living up to her name, like an eternal existence. But this eternity was obscure, without a name, without any trace, like an inconspicuous star among the endless constellations of the night sky, silently observing the changing of eras, the cycling of sun and moon, observing the Great Dao of heaven and earth, and observing all living beings.
Beside her, Cang Yan sat in her chair, but no longer with dignified posture. Instead, she crossed her legs, rested an elbow on the table, supported her forehead with one hand, slightly closed her eyes, and gently tapped the table with her other hand.
Opposite them,
Gu Qingfeng simply reclined in his chair, leaning back against a pillar, legs crossed, feet propped on the table, head tilted slightly as he took occasional sips of wine.
"Weren't you the ones who wanted to talk?"
Gu Qingfeng glanced at Cang Yan, then looked at Genggu Wuming, saying, "Why the silence now?
Let me tell you, even if you don't speak and just sit here for a day and a night, I'll still accept this 'sincerity' without hesitation."
"Don't worry."
Cang Yan, with eyes closed as if somewhat weary, said, "Since I've brought over two hundred jars of Heavenly Dao Wine today, I had no intention of taking them back. If we really sit here for a day and a night, what harm is there in giving them to you?"
"Having deep pockets sure is different. Truly worthy of being the top boss of Langya Grotto Heaven."
Gu Qingfeng said with a grin, "Even your words are filled with such domineering air. I like it."
Cang Yan seemed too lazy to bother with Gu Qingfeng and didn't speak further.
Finally,
Genggu Wuming spoke: "I said I came only to clear up the misunderstanding between us."
"Misunderstanding?
What misunderstanding?"
Gu Qingfeng said, "I made myself perfectly clear earlier. There's no misunderstanding between us. I simply find you unpleasant to look at, that's all. Of course, I also said before—finding you unpleasant is only because you are the incarnation of Karma and the messenger of Fate. Beyond that, nothing else."
"So, you are weary of Karma, and also of Fate. May I understand it that way?"
"Exactly. That's precisely it."
"In that case, today I shall represent Karma and Fate to speak with you."
Gu Qingfeng asked, "Can you represent Karma and Fate?"
"I can."
Genggu Wuming replied, "At least, in the Present Era, I can represent both Karma and Fate."
"What do you mean, 'in the Present Era'?"
Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin, asking, "What, couldn't you represent Karma and Fate in the Ancient Era or the Primordial Era?"
"You could say that."
"How so? Was the Genggu Wuming of the Ancient Era not you? Or was it not you who represented the incarnation of Karma and the messenger of Fate?"
"Genggu Wuming is me. The one representing the incarnation of Karma and the messenger of Fate has always been me, never changed..."
"Then why do you say you can only represent the Present Era, and not the eras before the Ancient Era?"