Chapter 2

Having just earned seven hundred spirit stones, he turned around and spent six thousand three, even dipping into his own savings.

Watching him pay without blinking an eye, the young man exclaimed, "Junior Brother, you are quite well-off."

Gu Changqing smiled. "Not as profitable as being an alchemist."

He wanted to play the fool, not be a real one; he had to show some level of capability, otherwise, he would truly be useless. The sect’s idle gossip would drown him out—after all, he was someone who had gotten in through the back door. Array formation was the talent he chose to display to the outside world.

The young man raised an eyebrow and smiled, wisely dropping the subject of spirit stones. He scrutinized Gu Changqing with curiosity, a strange glint appearing in his eyes.

"Senior Brother?" Gu Changqing felt a chill under that gaze.

"Ahem!" The young man coughed, covered his mouth to hide his expression, and waved a hand. "It’s nothing."

"Oh!" Gu Changqing tucked away his storage bag and turned to leave. People who claimed it was "nothing" usually had more to say.

"Hey!" Sure enough, just as Gu Changqing reached the door, the young man couldn't hold back. "Junior Brother, wait."

Gu Changqing: "..." He wanted to run, but after calculating his own strength, he knew he couldn't escape without exposing his true capabilities. Resigned, he turned around and bowed. "Senior Brother Fang."

Fang Yaowen glared at him. "Why are you in such a rush to run? You truly have the temperament of a turtle." Clearly, Fang Yaowen understood Gu Changqing’s nature all too well. "Are you really not curious?"

Gu Changqing shook his head. He had no curiosity for troublesome matters, and just looking at Fang Yaowen’s expression, he knew the man was feeling a bit of schadenfreude.

"Don't worry, it's good news." Fang Yaowen smilingly invited him into the inner reception room, casually set up a soundproofing barrier, and spoke with an air of mystery: "Junior Brother, your opportunity has arrived."

Gu Changqing remained expressionless. Fang Yaowen was someone who always enjoyed a spectacle. He knew that even if he didn't ask, this guy wouldn't be able to keep it in.

"Haha!" Fang Yaowen burst into laughter. "Ji Yan is getting married. It’s hilarious—his marriage contract is going to fall right onto your Xiaoquan Peak."

"Married off?" Gu Changqing was surprised. That was hardly a flattering term.

Fang Yaowen winked at him. "Junior Brother, you should fight for it. Although Ji Yan is ruined, he is good-looking and comes with a massive dowry. You wouldn't be losing out."

Gu Changqing felt a vein throb in his forehead. "I am a man."

Fang Yaowen didn't care. "So what if you're a man? He can't marry a woman either. Tsk, the messy affairs of the Ji family—to have a father like that, Ji Yan is truly unlucky."

Marrying a man was called a "Union of Souls," while marrying a woman was "marrying into the wife's family." Real Person Ji would never allow Ji Yan to marry into another family for the sake of his reputation, not to mention that some in the Ji family didn't want him to carry on his bloodline.

Gu Changqing shook his head, curious. "Is Real Person Ji willing to let him go?"

Fang Yaowen covered his mouth and chuckled. "I have inside information. His son caused a huge scene at Yuhuo Peak yesterday." Compared to the grandson whose spirit roots were destroyed, Real Person Ji cherished his useless son from his childhood sweetheart even more.

Gu Changqing: "..." He suddenly understood. No wonder the Real Person compromised so quickly. He had been causing a scene at Xiaoquan Peak yesterday, and today the wind had changed direction. So that was it. It wasn't that the Sect Leader was powerful, but that there was an "assistant" nearby. Old Master Ji was truly an expert at sabotaging his own son.

Gu Changqing cupped his hands in compliment. "Senior Brother is well-informed."

"That I am!" Fang Yaowen looked proud. He watched Gu Changqing with interest. "Junior Brother, are you really not tempted?"

Gu Changqing only wished to keep his distance. Between the "broken engagement" trope and the "useless protagonist" trope, Ji Yan seemed to occupy all the roles. He shook his head quickly. "My strength is low and my spirit roots are ordinary. I’d better not get involved."

Fang Yaowen smiled meaningfully. "Then you had better be careful. The candidate is from your Xiaoquan Peak."

Gu Changqing didn't take it to heart. There were countless disciples on Xiaoquan Peak; it would never be his turn. Even if Ji Yan was ruined, his value was still considerable. He only felt a bit of irony that someone as elegant and noble as Senior Brother Fang actually enjoyed gossip.

The two chatted for a while longer, and Gu Changqing took his leave. Fang Yaowen fanned himself leisurely, chuckling.

The shopkeeper couldn't help but ask, "Young Master, are you really not going to warn him?"

"Hmph!" Fang Yaowen let out a cool hum. "Are we that close?"

The shopkeeper: "..." If you weren't close, you wouldn't have given him a twenty percent discount.

Fang Yaowen curved his lips, beaming. "I just like watching the drama. Besides, I'm doing this for his own good. A windfall from the heavens, haha."

The shopkeeper muttered to himself, what kind of windfall? The Ji family wasn't stupid; a daoist companion contract wasn't that easy to sign. However, Gu Changqing was useless and cowardly, so they might not even fancy him.

...

Back at his cave dwelling, Gu Changqing quickly took out the spirit peach tree.

Identify.

[Second-grade high-rank spirit peach sapling. Condition: Poor. Will flower and fruit in three years. Consuming it can increase five years of cultivation. Plant in a sunny spot, arrange a Small Scarlet Flame Array, bury one thousand spirit stones, water with one bowl every three days, and nourish with Azure Wood spiritual energy. After forty-nine days, it may advance to a third-grade low-rank mutated Scarlet Sun spirit peach tree.]

Gu Changqing was overjoyed. He hadn't bought the tree wrongly. Mutated spirit peaches were priceless and hard to come by. Although this sapling was in poor condition, if it were in good condition, no one would be willing to sell something that could increase one's foundation.

The Scarlet Sun spirit peach was fire-attributed; consuming it could increase cultivation and affinity with the fire element. But most importantly, it could increase the chance of successful Foundation Establishment by ten percent. Foundation Establishment pills were precious even within the sect, requiring contribution points to obtain and long waits for a spot. Many disciples struggled for half a lifetime without achieving it. With this spirit peach, he could earn a fortune.

Gu Changqing channeled his Azure Wood spiritual energy to nourish the withered sapling. The "Azure Wood Eternal Life Art" was an immortal-grade cultivation method he had spent nine years synthesizing, based on the hints from the Void Treasure Mirror. He had combined countless methods, using wood as the core and water and earth as supplements, patching and refining it bit by bit.

This method was balanced and peaceful, gathering the essence of heaven and earth. It cultivated spirit, energy, and body simultaneously, allowing for breakthroughs without bottlenecks. It generated Azure Wood energy, which nourished all wood and increased one's lifespan. Its only flaw was its slow progress, but the increased lifespan perfectly compensated for it. As long as he played it safe and cultivated step by step, he would naturally advance.

Planting was also a form of cultivation for him. As the Azure Wood energy flowed into the withered sapling, its branches and leaves stretched, slowly returning rich wood-elemental energy. This was the power of the "Azure Wood Eternal Life Art"—he could cultivate relying on plants even in places without spiritual energy. He and the plants were mutually beneficial.

Following the mirror's instructions, Gu Changqing planted the sapling outside his dwelling, buried the thousand spirit stones, and set up a Small Scarlet Flame Array. After completing the work, he waited happily for the sapling to grow. As for Fang Yaowen's words, he had long since thrown them to the back of his mind.

...

After staying home for a few days, it was time to take on tasks again. Gu Changqing arrived at the Task Hall. The sect required all disciples to complete a certain number of tasks annually, or else... there wasn't any severe punishment, but all of one's consumption costs would double until the penalty period ended.

The sect was not a charity. It protected the disciples as they grew, and the disciples had to contribute. If they didn't complete tasks on time, the doubled consumption was even more agonizing than sitting in meditation at Black Wind Cliff. In the sect, renting dwellings, exchanging for cultivation methods, and obtaining resources all required contribution points. Contribution points couldn't be traded; they could only be earned through tasks. It was easy to see why no disciple dared to delay their tasks.

"Senior Brother Gu." Gu Changqing was a minor celebrity at the Task Hall. "Are you also going out to avoid the trouble?" Steward Wang asked, full of gossip. He was an outer disciple who, having lost hope for Foundation Establishment, had become a deacon at the Task Hall.

"Avoid what trouble?" Gu Changqing asked curiously.

"You don't know?" Steward Wang laughed lewdly. "It's about over there." He gestured toward Yuhuo Peak and lowered his voice. "Real Person Ji is looking for a daoist companion for Ji Yan."

Gu Changqing nodded; he had already known about this.

Steward Wang chuckled. "I heard they are going to sign a contract. Most of the disciples on your Xiaoquan Peak have taken tasks outside the sect. Senior Brother Gu, do you want to go out and avoid the storm this time?"

Gu Changqing shook his head quickly. "The usual routine: three array formation tasks."

Steward Wang was stunned. "You also want to marry the pride of heaven?"

Gu Changqing rolled his eyes. "What are you thinking? They wouldn't fancy me, and Xiaoquan Peak isn't empty of people."

"Tch!" Steward Wang looked bored. He suddenly remembered that the person in front of him was a cautious coward who had never taken a task that required leaving the sect. It seemed this time would be no exception. He looked at Gu Changqing with disdain. "That's true. With your temperament, you're even worse than me. Back in the day, I was a prominent figure among the outer disciples."

Gu Changqing: "..." If you were truly a prominent figure, you wouldn't need to add "outer" to the title. He glanced at him and smiled, praising, "That's true, you are a late bloomer."

Steward Wang choked. He glared, "You boy, nothing good ever comes out of your mouth."

"How could that be? I admire your perseverance, sticking with it even after sixty."

"Hmph!" Steward Wang let out a cold hum. "I don't think you're someone who can reach Foundation Establishment either."

Gu Changqing nodded emphatically, sighing deeply. "Indeed, there is definitely no hope for me to reach Foundation Establishment in this life."

Steward Wang felt better, adopting the tone of a veteran. "Listen to me, since you can't reach Foundation Establishment anyway, why not fight for it? Marry that person from Yuhuo Peak, and after he dies, you can marry whoever you want with all the resources to cultivate your descendants. If I were a few decades younger, I would definitely join Xiaoquan Peak and fight for it."

Gu Changqing stared at him. Was he really that lacking in principles? "Aren't you afraid of the backlash?"

"What's that?" Steward Wang said carelessly. "A mere backlash is nothing compared to descendants. If I had the resources, I wouldn't have to stay in the sect at this age. It's all to earn Foundation Establishment pills for my useless son. He has gold, fire, and earth spirit roots; his talent is better than mine, so he definitely has a chance at Foundation Establishment." Speaking of his son, Steward Wang was all smiles.

"I know you guys are arrogant, all thinking about Foundation Establishment and fearing damaged foundations, but one has to be realistic. Guanlan Peak is much more interesting. I heard that when Real Person Ji announced he was marrying off his grandson, the Chen family immediately expressed their willingness to pay a high price. The Chen family women could be chosen by him, and he could take as many as he wanted, but the children born would have to take the surname Chen. Unfortunately, Real Person Ji didn't agree."

Gu Changqing had a strange expression. Wasn't that just a stud? Ji Yan had good talent, and his children would likely have heavenly spirit roots. He smiled and didn't continue the gossip; it was none of his business. He only felt a bit of regret that the once-proud genius had become the subject of after-dinner chitchat.