Chapter 5

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Gu Changqing felt a pang of regret; he too wanted to know the answer. However, asking the person involved seemed somewhat impolite. Being an honest man, he gave up the idea of probing further.

“Let’s go over there,” Ji Yan said with a warm smile and a calm voice, pointing toward the nearby pavilion, as if the earlier indifference had been an illusion.

“Alright.” Gu Changqing nodded. Although he disliked being watched, avoiding it was now pointless. He had already come to terms with the fact that, after all the commotion surrounding Master Ji in the past two years, both he and Ji Yan were destined to become the center of gossip. Rather than hiding, it was better to face it openly.

Once this wave of attention passed, others’ curiosity would naturally fade.

They arrived at the pavilion. Gu Changqing took a deep breath, facing the gentle breeze and gazing at the distant waterfall. He felt refreshed; this was indeed a good place for a conversation.

He casually set up a soundproof formation disc, then rolled his eyes in silent exasperation.

In the quiet environment, complaints suddenly arose.

“So stingy.”

“How did he find out I was eavesdropping?”

“Probably didn’t notice; he’s only a sixth-level Qi cultivator.”

“I heard this guy is a scaredy-cat, afraid of death, so the formation was probably set up carelessly.”

“It’s a pity Ji Yan married him.”

“...”

Gu Changqing’s mouth twitched as he sighed inwardly. After hiding for so many years, he was exposed today. Judging by these disciples’ conversations, someone had thoroughly investigated him.

Fortunately, he had maintained his persona all along, so at worst, he had gained a few bad rumors.

Ji Yan smiled gently and greeted the distance, “Brothers, would you like to come over and sit?”

“Heh.”

“No need.”

“No need.”

Several figures quickly slipped away—this time, they truly left.

Silence returned.

For a moment, the two looked at each other in silence.

“Heh!” Gu Changqing chuckled lightly, breaking the quiet first, pointing to himself, “I am as they say—greedy for life, cowardly, and incompetent. I don’t understand why Brother is willing to humble himself in marriage. Changqing admits he has no outstanding qualities.”

Ji Yan’s smile flickered lightly, his voice mild but warm. Yet Gu Changqing inexplicably sensed a hint of bitterness beneath it.

“All I seek is a place of peace and stability.”

Gu Changqing was slightly surprised. Was his situation really that grim?

He joked with a smile, “Then Brother has chosen the right person.”

His greatest virtue was stability.

Ji Yan smiled faintly, “I know.”

That was why he followed his heart and married this unremarkable man.

Gu Changqing: “...”

He felt somewhat implied.

Pausing, he straightforwardly asked, “Brother, do you have any expectations for married life?”

This had to be clarified. Although forced into marriage, they had signed a Dao partner contract. It was best if they got along; if not, he wouldn’t force himself.

He needed to observe Ji Yan’s attitude first to decide his own.

“Let’s go to the North City,” Ji Yan said calmly, glancing at him. “As far as I know, the spirit vein that Master Yu compensated you with is also in North City.”

Spirit vein?

Gu Changqing’s eyes lit up, nodding. He had no objections.

He had already anticipated leaving Xiaoquan Peak. After all, Ji Yan was a troublesome figure.

Not only was he his future Dao partner, but also Bing Ning’s former fiancé. Living at Xiaoquan Peak, meeting frequently would be awkward.

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Conflicts would inevitably arise. As long as there was any connection with the Woman of Fate, trouble would be endless.

Gu Changqing had been considering relocating. North City wasn’t bad.

Near the Lingxu Sect were four major market districts. North City was the farthest, requiring five days of travel day and night, but it was the safest, under the jurisdiction of the Law Enforcement Peak.

“Looks like I’m making a big gain this time,” Gu Changqing laughed.

“You’re the one losing,” Ji Yan said with a faint smile, studying Gu Changqing and finding him unlike the rumors—slick-tongued and far from honest.

The Dao partner contract was strict, yet this man had no complaints.

Either he was very deep or...

Ji Yan frowned slightly, a coldness flashing across his smiling face. It was contradictory but strangely captivating.

Gu Changqing tried to make conversation, “I usually enjoy planting flowers and herbs. Brother, do you have any hobbies?”

Ji Yan’s voice was indifferent, “I dislike being disturbed.”

Gu Changqing: “...”

He felt his brother was a bit bipolar, cold and warm unpredictably.

Ji Yan produced a blank jade slip, pressed it against his forehead, infused it with spiritual light, and after a moment, tossed it to him.

“If you have no objections, sign it.”

Gu Changqing probed it with his divine sense.

Speechless.

Everything was laid out clearly for him.

The contents of the jade slip:

One, no cohabitation after marriage.

Two, no interfering in each other’s affairs.

Three, no flirting or entanglements.

Four...

At the end, Ji Yan stated that as compensation, he would allocate a shop and a residence for Gu Changqing in North City’s market district, provide three hundred spirit stones monthly, and after Gu Changqing reached the pinnacle of Qi cultivation, Ji Yan would fully assist with foundation establishment and purchase longevity pills.

After all, the contract’s backlash mainly shortened lifespan.

This agreement was quite considerate.

Gu Changqing was silent for a moment: “Agreed!”

Wasn’t this basically a kept arrangement?

He could accept it.

Indeed, a person who had endured so many humiliations smiled warmly only as a facade.

This contract meant mutual non-interference.

Gu Changqing was quite open-minded. All he had to give was the title of Dao partner; nothing serious.

This kind of easy life was worth having.

He infused spiritual light into the jade slip, and they tentatively reached an agreement.

Gu Changqing looked around, withdrew the formation, and said calmly, “Shall we go back?”

Ji Yan was cold, “Do you want to go back and be questioned?”

Gu Changqing frowned. Returning too soon was indeed awkward. The three Golden Core Masters might really interrogate him.

“Let’s go eat. The spiritual food at Yufang Pavilion is quite good.”

“You want to be watched?”

Gu Changqing: “...”

Could he speak normally for once?

“No here, no there,” he gave up and leaned on the railing to enjoy the scenery, pretending the gazes from afar didn’t exist. At least, the sect brothers on the main peak would only watch from a distance, not approach.

Time passed slowly.

After a while, the cold, distant look on Ji Yan’s face disappeared, replaced by warmth again.

Gu Changqing wasn’t fooled.

Ji Yan’s mother died early; his father favored a concubine. Although his grandfather cared for him, the fact that Ji Yan married showed that affection was somewhat diminished.

Living in such an environment, with his spiritual root crippled and abandoned by his family, Ji Yan did not become despondent but instead was warm like sunlight. That was the real anomaly.

Time was nearly up.

The two returned to the annex hall.

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“Alright, alright, looks like your discussion went well,” the sect leader said with eyes wide open, telling a blatant lie.

“Hmph!” Master Ji snorted coldly.

Yu Jinghua sneered, “Ji Wuchou, your throat hurts again? You’re so stingy; why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“You……”

“What ‘you’? Did I say something wrong?”

“Alright, alright, stop arguing,” the sect leader quickly intervened, afraid their quarrel would cause further trouble.

Ji Wuchou endured and coldly glared at Gu Changqing, “If you dare treat my grandson badly, just wait and see how I deal with you.”

Yu Jinghua retorted without hesitation, “Xiaoquan Peak isn’t cruel like you. I’ll protect Ji Yan from now on, no need for you to worry.”

“Yu Jinghua, don’t go too far.”

“Too far?” Yu Jinghua’s anger flared and she slammed the table, “Who’s really going too far? Ji Wuchou, I’m telling you, after Ji Yan’s marriage, you told Fire Control Peak to stop bothering him. Do you think no one knows? If you truly cared for your grandson, help him get revenge.”

“I…”

Ji Wuchou quickly looked at Ji Yan, his expression full of genuine love, sadly saying, “A Yan, your grandfather has failed you.”

Ji Yan gently shook his head, his smile warm, “It’s alright. I know grandfather is troubled. It’s my fault for causing him worry.”

Ji Wuchou was deeply moved. How could he not love such a sensible grandson?

“Pfft!”

Yu Jinghua snorted and her expression turned cold, suddenly losing interest.

It was like trying to save a boy suffering domestic abuse, only to find the boy unwilling to leave the family, immersed in that love. What could you do?

Gu Changqing’s eyes gleamed. He felt he was about to uncover a major scandal. He quickly summoned the Taixu Mirror, scanned around, and settled on Ji Wuchou.

He wanted to know what this “loving” Golden Core Master really thought.

[Ji Wuchou, mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, elder of Lingxu Sect’s inner gate. At this moment, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was enough that his grandson understood his difficulties. Both sides are flesh and blood. He couldn’t ruin his second grandson after the first. It was also the fault of his subordinates that Ji Yan found the clues. His son was already at odds with him and now even less tolerable. He should offer more compensation as a dowry. Although marriage was a grievance for him, it was for his own good.]

Gu Changqing was dumbfounded. So this was Master Ji’s version of love.

He wasn’t surprised. Master Ji was always a man who thought only of himself.

Years ago, to repay a favor, Master Ji forcibly separated his son from his partner, forcing him to marry a mortal woman.

That mortal was Ji Yan’s biological mother.

Later, feeling sorry for his son, he allowed him to take his beloved woman as a concubine.

But the concubine must not surpass the official wife.

Master Ji thought he had protected the official wife and compensated his son—two birds with one stone.

But no one was satisfied.

To be honest, Gu Changqing genuinely felt Master Ji was not repaying a favor but exacting revenge.

Whoever had been his benefactor was terribly unlucky.

A mortal’s life is but a hundred years; repaying kindness and protection for a lifetime would suffice. Yet he forced her to marry his son, then felt she had overreached. The benefactor was wronged, indeed.

But Mrs. Ji was wronged.

Wasn’t Ji Li wronged?

Wasn’t the concubine wronged?

They were lovers originally, torn apart for no reason.

Ji Li, unable to resist his father, could only hate Mrs. Ji.

Between immortals and mortals, it was like clouds and mud.

Marrying a mortal was already a humiliation for Ji Li; having his beloved woman reduced to concubine was even more painful.

When Mrs. Ji died in childbirth, these grievances should have faded away. But Ji Yan’s talent was exceptional; he quickly surpassed the concubine’s son.

Master Ji doted on him, granting all resources at will.

As resources increased on his side, the other side naturally had less. The concubine was unwilling to accept this and cried, made a scene, whispering in ears. The father-son relationship between Ji Li and Ji Yan, already strained, worsened to the point of hatred and enmity.

Master Ji was unconcerned, believing raising Ji Yan was for the family’s good.

But the more he doted on his grandson, the more Ji Li hated him. In his heart, only the son of his beloved woman was his real son; Ji Yan was a bastard, a usurper of resources.