Huode’s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t help but shiver. He then turned around, forcing a smile as he said,
“Oh, Ancestor, resting up?”
As he spoke, Huode poured fine wine for Gu Qingfeng while shooting Fei Kui a look, signaling him to scram.
Fei Kui nodded, understanding that the old man wanted him gone. He cautiously bid his farewell, and when Gu Qingfeng, reclining on the rocking chair, waved his hand, Fei Kui bolted away like a shot, afraid of being called back.
“Huode.”
Gu Qingfeng, legs crossed, didn’t even open his eyes as he asked, “What do you think of me as a person? Would you consider me a good man?”
Huode was taken aback, as if he hadn’t expected Gu Qingfeng to suddenly ask such a bizarre question.
A good man?
Pah!
If you’re a good man, then there are no bad men left in this world.
Of course, such thoughts could only remain in his heart. Huode dared not voice them, at least not now, facing a displeased Gu Qingfeng.
“Kid Gu, is that even a question? You’re a great, great good man.”
“Heh…” Gu Qingfeng shook his head with a laugh, finally opening his eyes, sitting up, and taking a cup of fine wine. He took a small sip before saying indifferently, “About the Trial Grounds matter…”
“They deserved to die!”
Before Gu Qingfeng could finish, Huode hurriedly cut in, “Killed them good! This old man has long wanted to slaughter those little bastards! Hmph! A bunch of fools who don’t know what’s good for them, scum of Yunxia Sect, they deserved it!”
“Ha!”
Gu Qingfeng chuckled dryly. Looking at Huode’s indignant face, he waved his hand. “Alright, enough with the act. I know you’re probably cursing me in your heart again…”
Huode quickly shook his head in denial. “Ancestor, how could I dare! No! Absolutely not! If I cursed you in my heart, I’d be a turtle’s egg!”
“If that saying had any power, you’d have been an old turtle five hundred years ago.”
“I…”
“Enough.”
Perhaps tired from lying down, Gu Qingfeng stood up and stretched, his bones crackling crisply. “I know that Mude, Guang Yuan, Fei Xue, and the others all have family and faction backing. Whether injuring or killing them is a loss to Yunxia Sect—economically, in resources, connections… These are things Yunxia Sect has painstakingly built up, things that can’t be accumulated in a short time.”
Hmm?
Huode truly hadn’t expected Gu Qingfeng to suddenly say this, leaving him momentarily puzzled.
“I know you’ve always wanted me to follow the rules as much as possible. First, to avoid losing Yunxia Sect’s complex interests. Second, it’s also for my sake, right? You’ve been worried my identity might be exposed, potentially drawing the attention of the Immortal Dynasty…”
“Kid Gu, you…” Huode was stunned. Indeed, Gu Qingfeng was right. Huode had always urged him to follow the rules, perhaps partly to avoid losing Yunxia Sect’s intricate interests, but more so out of fear that Gu Qingfeng’s identity would be exposed. That would be disastrous…
“I’m not a fool. How could I not see the little schemes in your heart?”
Gu Qingfeng rubbed his neck, looking up at the sun in the sky. “However, your worry is unnecessary. Over the years, my physical bodies have been injured, died, discarded, abandoned… Just the number of times my body has been reconstituted is at least eight or nine, if not ten. As for the times it’s been tempered, that’s countless. In all heaven and earth, if I don’t say who I am, no one could possibly know.”
“You can hide from the world, but can you hide from the Heavenly Dao? If Old Heaven knows you’re still alive… then wouldn’t you be…”
“If Old Heaven won’t let me off, do you think I could hide?”
Sitting back in the chair, Gu Qingfeng poured himself another cup of wine, then one for Huode, handing it over. “If the sky wants to rain, or a mother wants to remarry, so be it. If Old Heaven won’t let me be, then let it come. If I can fight, I’ll fight. If I can’t, I’ll run. If I can’t run, then we’ll see… What can it do to me?”
Seeing Huode fall silent, Gu Qingfeng continued, “I don’t know if it’s because your mindset has aged… or what, but I find the burdens in your heart are truly increasing. You’ve become timid and hesitant in action. Take this Yunxia Sect matter. You’ve always felt that all these resources are the hard-earned lifeblood of your Yunxia Sect’s predecessors, so you’re unwilling to damage them.”
“Those involved are blinded, while bystanders see clearly. You’re involved, and you’re trapped within it. Your Yunxia Sect has long been rotten. Even if I help you seize the Heir Apparent position, what then? Yunxia Sect is already riddled with holes. Continuing like this, it will inevitably perish.”
“This…” Gu Qingfeng’s words left Huode unable to refute. He wasn’t unaware of this problem, but he didn’t want to admit or accept it.
“Without destruction, there can be no construction. Destroy first, then rebuild. Wield the broad axe. Kill those who should be killed, behead those who should be beheaded, exterminate those who should be exterminated. Only then can your Yunxia Sect continue its legacy…”
Huode curled his lip. “You’re talking without feeling the pain. If you kill everyone, who will carry on the sect? Who will lead the sect? Who will manage the sect?”
“Merely a matter of time. Don’t worry. Since I promised to help you, I will thoroughly resolve this issue for you before I leave, removing your worries.”
Gu Qingfeng had few friends in this life. He had always regarded Huode as both teacher and friend, especially since Huode had once saved his life. He could also see that Yunxia Sect was Huode’s burden. Only by completely resolving this matter could Huode be freed. Otherwise, he would surely be dragged down to his death by Yunxia Sect in this lifetime…
“You make it sound easy. When the time comes, you’ll just wipe your ass and leave, and this old man won’t even have a place to cry…”
“If you believe me, I’ll help you. If you don’t, there’s nothing I can do.”
“You…” Huode stared at Gu Qingfeng, somewhat skeptical. “Really?”
“Fine, pretend I never said it…”
“Don’t! Ancestor, I believe you, alright?”
Huode asked with a woeful expression, “If we do as you say, what if Jin De and Shui De bring people over later? Will you just kill them all in one breath?”
“Jin De and Shui De?”
Gu Qingfeng shook his head. “They won’t come.”
“Why? How do you know?”
“I put on a bit of a show, after all. Neither Jin De nor Shui De are fools. Without figuring out my identity, they won’t act rashly.”
Huode thought carefully. Based on his understanding of Jin De and Shui De, this did seem true. Both were cautious individuals. Now, at this critical juncture, with a mysteriously powerful Gu Qingfeng suddenly appearing, it would definitely disrupt their plans. Considering this, Huode seemed to realize something. “Did you plan this all along? Intentionally intimidating them at the trial assembly?”
Gu Qingfeng shrugged, neither confirming nor denying.
“Then what’s the next step?”
“Obviously, take advantage of this time to hurry and get your Sect Head Senior Brother out of seclusion. Have him directly announce the Heir Apparent succession to me. Then I’ll help you take care of what needs to be done.”
“We’d have to wait until the end of the year for that.”
“I’m baffled. Why must we wait until the end of the year?”
“The end of the year marks the Centennial Term. Only then will our Yunxia Sect’s three grandmasters emerge from seclusion. For a matter as significant as the Heir Apparent, their approval is essential. You can kill anyone else, but you can’t kill them. They are, after all, our grandmasters… If you slaughter them, what the hell would that make us? Betraying our teachers and ancestors? We’d be scorned by everyone…”
“Your three grandmasters?”
Gu Qingfeng raised an eyebrow. “Which three?”
“The Three Elders of Yunxia…”
“The Three Elders of Yunxia?”
Gu Qingfeng thought hard. It sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite recall.
“They are… they are…” Huode seemed somewhat embarrassed and awkward. After hesitating for a moment, he said sheepishly, “They are the ones… back then… back then… the three old masters who knelt before you, kowtowing and begging for your forgiveness…”
“Oh?”
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng finally had some recollection and laughed. “They’re still alive?”
“Thanks to your mercy and leniency back then, Ancestor, the three old masters have managed to live until now.”
“That incident back then… I remember there were about eight or nine of them, right? Three from your Yunxia Sect, and six others. What were they called? The Nine Great Masters of Qingyang… Your three grandmasters are still alive. What about the other six? Did none of them survive their first longevity tribulation?”
“On the contrary, they all survived… Nowadays, they are all highly respected senior figures in the Qingyang region… In fact, I went to see one of them today.”
“Who?”
“Old Master Hong…”
“Which Old Master Hong?”
“The former True Person Hong Xuan… The one… back then… back then… the old man you scared so badly he lost control of his bowels…”
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