“Shu'er, you...” Gu Feiyuan was just about to speak, but before he could, his good-for-nothing son grew anxious and dropped straight to his knees before Wen Li.
A loud thud sounded.
“I—I can also bow three times and prostrate nine times, and contribute m-m-my... all of my natural treasures to—to prove my sincere devotion to Master!”
Look how frantic the kid was; even his speech had become much smoother.
Yet Wen Li felt needles pricking her back and a lump in her throat. She hadn't expected the boy to actually take the bait from the move she'd deliberately had Hold On perform earlier, and with such urgency too.
But, bro, your two Soul Formation parents are watching right beside us! Haven't you noticed their faces have darkened completely? Kneeling to me like this is going to get me killed!
“Don't, don't, don't! There's no need for that, really! I've felt your sincerity, but I truly lack the qualifications. Your esteemed parents are mighty figures far beyond my reach. There's no need for the Young Master to rush into taking a master. Look around some more; there are plenty of people better than me.”
Wen Li crouched down as fast as she could and hastily pulled him up, terrified that if she delayed by a single second, the gazes of the Soul Formation cultivators behind her would sever her head right off.
Gu Linshu turned pale, assuming she was rejecting him, and was just about to speak.
“Enough.”
His father, Gu Feiyuan, stepped forward. With a casual sweep of his eyes across the surroundings, the Wangyue Sect members who had gathered quickly dispersed.
He pulled Gu Linshu to his feet, glanced at Wen Li and the sword in her hand, and said, “All of you, follow me.”
This “all of you” was naturally directed at the untamed Hold On; he had recognized the sword's extraordinary nature.
And so, the four people and one sword departed, heading toward a pavilion by the lake.
“Where do you hail from?” Gu Feiyuan waved a hand to erect a boundary barrier, then turned to look at Wen Li, while Yan Jingyu pulled Gu Linshu to her side.
Wen Li knew that he was aware she had come from another province; concealing it further would only breed misunderstanding.
“The Western Province.”
“What is your purpose in coming to the Wangyue Sect? Don't tell me you rushed in a straight line all the way here from the Kunlun Domain merely to rescue my son.”
Wen Li naturally couldn't tell the truth about this. Having already prepared a countermeasure, she sat down lazily.
“I came to see an old acquaintance.”
“Who?”
“The Kunlun Domain's third-generation Saint Patriarch, Xiang Chongming.”
“You...”
The moment these words were uttered, the expressions of Gu Feiyuan and Yan Jingyu changed drastically. At their cultivation level, it was rare for their emotions to show on their faces, yet uncontrollable horror emerged in their eyes.
It was also the first time Gu Linshu had seen such an expression on his parents' faces—not just shock, but deep wariness.
He kept silent, realizing that what followed was very likely to be a matter of critical secrecy—such as why she had come to the Wangyue Sect to seek out the Kunlun Domain's third-generation Saint Patriarch.
To his knowledge, the current Saint Patriarch, Xiang Dingzhi, was the ninth-generation Saint Patriarch.
If Master knew the third generation, counting backward in time, wouldn't that make her...
At least ten thousand years old!
Gu Linshu's jaw dropped slightly. Such a deduction had also crossed the minds of Gu Feiyuan and Yan Jingyu.
If someone were ten thousand years old, they should be at the pinnacle of the cultivation world. Yet the person before them was merely at Foundation Establishment!
“You must have doubts about my cultivation and age. It can't be helped; for now, things can only be like this, and it's impossible to explain to you.” Wen Li put Hold On away and spoke in a measured tone.
“I can, however, talk a bit about Xiang Chongming. You should at least be somewhat familiar with him, though it was quite a long time ago.”
Her gaze landed on Gu Linshu, her meaning obvious.
Yan Jingyu didn't want her son involved, but Gu Feiyuan waved his hand. “Shu'er stays as well.”
Seeing this, Wen Li began slowly, “Ten thousand years ago, after undergoing numerous twists and turns, Xiang Chongming succeeded as the Kunlun Domain's third-generation Saint Patriarch. Back then, the Northern Province wasn't fractured into three Fourth-Grade Cultivation Kingdoms like it is now; more than half of the Northern Province belonged to the Kunlun Domain, and its prominence reached its zenith. At that time, the spiritual energy hadn't withered to the point where it could only sustain Soul Formation cultivators as it does today. After all, Xiang Chongming alone was already at Late-Stage Mahayana back then.”
As soon as she said this, the way Gu Feiyuan looked at Wen Li shifted. The murderous intent that had promised instant death should she utter a single falsehood turned into cold solemnity and wariness.
These events were from far too long ago; even Soul Formation cultivators might not necessarily know of them.
Wen Li raised an eyebrow and sighed softly. “Unfortunately, due to various reasons later on, the Northern Province fractured. More precisely, the Kunlun Domain split into three primary parts, which are today's three Fourth-Grade Cultivation Kingdoms: the Blood Refining Pavilion's Yanlong Kingdom, the Astral Nether Sect's Xingxia Kingdom, and the Kunlun Domain's Wansu Kingdom. Back then, traitors within the Kunlun Domain wrought havoc, and the true direct lineage of the Kunlun Domain was relocated. They changed their surname to ‘Gu’ and established a Third-Grade Cultivation Kingdom to escape calamity, naming it the Zhengyong Kingdom.”
“And the ancestral tombs of the Saint Patriarchs throughout the generations were also relocated here.” This was also why the Wangyue Sect was so wealthy, comparable to any Fourth-Grade Cultivation Kingdom. The system's remark about their ancestors once having been rich had referred to Xiang Chongming's generation.
Wen Li's words shocked Gu Linshu. His parents had never told him these secrets. Was it true?
Gu Feiyuan narrowed his eyes, his gaze darkening, this time stirring with a sliver of killing intent.
“What else do you know?”
This was what he feared most; he could not allow anyone to jeopardize the safety of the Wangyue Sect.
“Me? I also know who caused the Northern Province to split, I know how Xiang Chongming died, I know the Zhengyong Kingdom's current crisis, I know where Xiang Chongming hid the Kunlun Sword, and I know about the Divine Mound Ruins.” Guessing his intention, Wen Li shrugged with utmost composure, seeming certain that he wouldn't make a move—or rather, that he couldn't kill her.
“Enough.”
Something in her words struck a nerve in Gu Feiyuan. He immediately spoke to cut her off. Only he knew the tumultuous waves churning in his eyes; he now believed roughly seventy percent of Wen Li's claim about seeing an old acquaintance.
Even he only knew bits and pieces of these matters, passed down by the deceased clan elders. Yet the person before him had not merely heard of them, but could cite specific details. It was no longer a question of whether to believe her.
Seeing how tightly wound he was, Wen Li chuckled softly.
“Rest assured, I am no enemy of the Wangyue Sect. I only brought these matters up to give myself some bargaining chips to ensure my safety.”
Across from her, Yan Jingyu, who had remained silent all this while, spoke up. “I fear Senior's visit here isn't as simple as merely seeing an old acquaintance.”
Her arms around Gu Linshu tightened, a mother's protective instinct toward her young son. Her form of address toward Wen Li had also shifted from “fellow Daoist” to “Senior,” clearly showing deference.
Evidently, the coincidence of Wen Li rescuing Gu Linshu, allowing Hold On to get close to him, and sparking the sword-obsessed youth's desire to take her as his master had caused a mother's sharp intuition to suspect impure motives.
Wen Li looked at Gu Linshu. Seeing him frowning and staring back at her, she admitted it openly.
“Yes. I came here primarily for him. If he is unwilling...”
“...”
Gu Feiyuan's and Yan Jingyu's hearts leaped into their throats, holding out hope that she would say she wouldn't force him or something similar. Who could have known Wen Li would be domineering to the extreme?
“I will make him willing.” Wen Li lifted her gaze, a glimmer flashing across her pale-ink pupils.
Gu Feiyuan's and Yan Jingyu's faces darkened. Although they didn't understand why Wen Li was still at Foundation Establishment after ten thousand years, they understood that anyone who could live for so long was no ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator—let alone someone who dared speak to two Soul Formation cultivators in such a manner.
Yet they were unwilling to surrender their only child just like that.
“If Senior insists, then even if my wife and I must do battle with you, we have nothing to fear. Furthermore, though our Wangyue Sect has declined, we still have clan elders in seclusion. Three Soul Formation cultivators are more than enough to prevent Senior from leaving easily.”
As he spoke, Gu Feiyuan and Yan Jingyu had already shielded Gu Linshu behind them, their hands forming incantation gestures, ready to strike at Wen Li in the very next second.
Uh-oh, went a bit too far with that.
Cold sweat began to bead on Wen Li's back, given that her actual strength was merely at Foundation Establishment. But she had to keep up the act and not let anything slip; otherwise, she was truly dead.
Fortunately...
“Father, Mother, I—I have a question to ask.” Gu Linshu stepped out from behind the two, rescuing Wen Li while she was frantically trying to devise a countermeasure.
Though currently shocked, he remained relatively calm. Perhaps the matters spoken of were things someone his age could not yet fully grasp, unaware of how profound the ramifications were.
Rate on N.U.
