Gu Clan residence.
Gu Xuanming and Feng Qingwu stood before the residence of the Gu Clan.
It was a palace large enough to surpass any building in this village, and lying at the center of this village, it was the most noticeable.
Gue Ming village itself was 468.9 square miles, and even then, this building was the most recognizable out of all the plain houses that occupied said space.
It had plenty of floors, and it was decorated in darkness and gold, with red.
Some lanterns lit the premises, especially at night, and a tall gate surrounded the home, protecting the garden and the house, with samurai in jet-black armor standing guard.
‘Am I feeling nostalgia?
No, I doubt it, most likely just familiarity.’
Taking a step forward, every samurai bowed to Gu Xuanming in respect.
“W-wow…”
Feng Qingwu was quite uncomfortable with standing in front of such respect directed towards Gu Xuanming.
She felt unworthy, wanting to take a step back when the gazes of the nearby soldiers fell onto her.
She started to feel as if a stone was weighing on her chest, unable to speak up when asked for her name.
Gu Xuanming noticed her nervousness and decided to speak up for her.
He didn’t want to delay any more than he already had.
He needed to focus on cultivating and finding the inheritance.
“This is Feng Qingwu; she will become my concubine, so I would like to meet my father.”
They all briefly glanced at Feng Qingwu before bowing to her as well.
Two guards would then open the gate for the two of them to enter.
‘Is this what I’m going to be feeling like when I become his concubine?’
‘And he’s a cultivator too, so he’ll give me long youth for free, and if he becomes an immortal, he may give me longevity!’
‘Oh, I can’t wait!’
She managed to conceal her excitement as she walked with Gu Xuanming.
The royal feeling only made her more excited the closer she got to the door.
Gu Xuanming stood before the door for a brief moment.
He sighed deeply.
Opening the door, Feng Qingwu was greeted by a sight that went far beyond what she was able to handle.
The first thing she had seen was the tall statue within the home connected to a water fountain.
This statue was of Gu Xuanming’s father, one created in his honor by the village folk.
There was a long red carpet greeting them, guiding them up two sets of stairs that were like a fork in the path, going up to a platform, with another path going straight.
Gu Xuanming continued walking, letting Feng Qingwu pick up her pace to keep up.
He was walking at a steady but fast pace.
He didn’t want to be here any longer than he needed to be.
After all, cultivation was most important.
He also intended to ask his father for some assistance on how he could get stronger as a first star.
They would walk around for quite a while until they stood before a large door with demonic carvings.
It was the entrance to his father’s bedroom.
“Is this…where your father is?” Feng Qingwu asked.
“Yes, it is.” He looked over at her.
“I will do all the talking.
Just stand by me and remain silent.
I do not need any complications, understand?”
Feng Qingwu nodded, understanding her place in this situation.
She understood more than anyone else what it meant to be a servant and when to keep your mouth shut!
She made a mental promise to remain silent, keeping her hands to herself.
She, of course, put on a warm smile to seem inviting.
Gu Xuanming found it laughable that she did all of that without saying a single word.
He could thank his mother and Lin Suwen for making those things obvious.
He placed his hands on the cold steel door, pushing the door open, and thanks to being in his first constellation, he could amplify his muscles to make it easier for him to push.
Back then, it was a lot harder, requiring servants to do it for him, or if none were around, he would take a long time to push it open.
Taking his first step into the room, the first thing he felt was a familiar yet heavy gaze that accompanied it.
The gaze of his father.
Standing in the presence of a cultivator who didn’t regulate their presence always caused this sort of pressure.
His father sat by the window, his cold black eyes directed at them both.
He slowly stood up, dressed in robes woven by expensive threads.
He then turned his head, his black beard visible as well.
“You are here.
Why?” Gu Chenyin said with a heavy tone and voice.
His mere words were more than enough to subdue Feng Qingwu and any chance of trying to make a good impression.
With each passing second, Feng Qingwu felt her chest get tighter.
She felt like a mere mortal standing before a demonic dragon.
“Father, I have chosen my concubine.”
His father’s expression remained unreadable.
Step.
Step.
Step.
His footsteps echoed as he tread closer to his son.
His gaze shifted to Feng Qingwu, unimpressed by her looks.
Being in his 4th stars, like many cultivators, he’s lost that lust he once had, caring little for the woman’s body since he has also abandoned gender fidelity, since he can transform into a woman if he wishes.
“Are you certain?
Even by mortal standards, she’s above average.
She is indeed above your servant.” Gu Xuanming nodded.
“Yes, I am certain.
She will make an excellent dao companion.”
“After all, you’re the one who told me I need to find a companion sooner rather than later, right?”
He shot a forced smile at his father, one not genuine in the slightest, yet it indeed looked real.
“I did say that, didn’t I…”
Gu Chenyin looked back at Feng Qingwu.
He then decided to measure her beauty more appropriately.
The first step of a cultivator was to be content with understanding that the mortal body was but a shell.
That it was of little to no importance.
It is why some cultivators cared no longer when being addressed as man or woman…because to them, those were childish things only mortals think about.
Wasting their time away with what to act according to their gender, but cultivators were above mortals; they were superior lifeforms.
That is why Gu Xuanming’s father had transformed himself into a woman to measure Feng Qingwu’s beauty.
Once a stoic, hardened-looking man, now appearing as a stoic, alluring woman with delicate features and longer hair than before.
When Feng Qingwu saw this, she was amazed.
The transformation was so seamless.
No grotesque transformation like the rumors that were spread.
“…never mind.
My assessment was a little off.
She’s far beyond even average.”
“You’ve chosen well.” Gu Chenyin said as he transformed back.
“Very well.
Keep her with me for the day, and I will have her fill out the paperwork to become your concubine, as well as the oaths she will make.”
Gu Xuanming nodded.
“Very well, father.
I would also like to request a robe for protection against divine tribulation.”
“Hmm… You’re aware of the robe I used to protect myself against my first three tribulations?”
Gu Xuanming looked at his father coldly.
“Who hasn’t?” He said.
“After all, you achieved your third tribulation at this spot.
That’s why you built the palace here, no?”
Gu Xuanming remembered precisely when he heard about this detail of his father.
It had come from loose mouths on the streets, mortals who loved to gossip.
It was said this robe could protect against divine tribulations 1 through 4, but once you reach your 4th stars, the robe will need enhancement and even more enhancement for reaching the 5th stars.
“…very well.
I have many of the same robes.
I will deliver it to you tomorrow in a package sent by your servant.”
“Thank you, father.”
At that moment, his father glanced around.
“Where is your servant?
“She was taken by a servant of Zhao Chegn’an.
He said he wanted to send a message to you through her.”
Gu Chenyin raised an eyebrow before looking back out the window.
He knew his father was just as confused as he was since he could simply knock on the door uninvited.
“I see…”
Silence…
After a long silence, Feng Qingwu, feeling uncomfortable between the two, Gu Xuanming left, having nothing more to say to his father.
After stepping out of the room, he was greeted by another sight.
‘…oh.’
It was his uncle, Gu Shèngchén, his father’s brother.
He was short with gray hair and a long beard.
He also wore a rather simple robe, a contrast to his own family, whose robes were woven from expensive threads.
“Oh, it’s you… The fuck are you doing here?
Shouldn’t you be cultivating?”
Gu Xuanming didn’t bother responding, seeing no point in doing so.
After all, he was just a passing figure in his life; no reason to entertain his attitude.
He was about to walk past him when his uncle grabbed him by the arm.
Gu Xuanming gazed at him with cold eyes.
He didn’t want to deal with his uncle right now.
He needed to focus on finding the inheritance.
“Tell me, boy, do you really need the inheritance from your ol’ father when you turn 16?
I’ve done my research.”
“Over 1,000 primordial stones.
I think you can do well without the inheritance, no?” Gu Shèngchén smirked.
‘I guess I can’t be too surprised.
He’s been pestering me about it nonstop.’
‘Normally, I wouldn’t really care about giving things if they’re useless to me.
But the inheritance, I absolutely cannot give up!’
‘I need the treasure if I wish to travel to other regions.’
Gu Xuanming was talking about a special card known as the Golden Ticket.
This was a solid card-shaped piece of gold decorated with many jewels, especially at its center, holding the power to allow a person to cross the laylines.
The laylines, on the other hand, were borders that were established by a single cultivator long ago.
These people were known as Venerables, having such an impact on history that it changed Blue Star itself!
No one knows which venerable lived in the central continent, but what is known is that they set up the ley lines in order to separate the other venerables.
Regardless of the reason, this separated the different regions from each other, making each region different from the other.
There were 5 total: The Central Continent, the Northern Plains, the Southern Wastelands, the Eastern Waves, and the Western Graveyard.
These 5 locations were very diverse as far as Gu Xuanming was aware.
He’s heard stories, many stories about the different regions and how differently they operate compared to the central continent, which was just a giant mountain coming out of the water, surrounded by a wide sea.
Regardless, he had no intention of giving up something so valuable to his uncle, who he knew would just try to sell it.
After all, that’s all he’s been doing for the past few years, scraping together what little he could and selling it for primordial stones.
Then buy booze, sleep with women, and gamble the money away.
Gu Xuanming had no respect for his uncle, for he was the epitome of what he didn’t like about the people of the village, aside from just being mere puppets of fate.
They distracted themselves, not wanting to become greater than ever before, even searching for a way to cultivate.
He found it filthy.
He knows he would have done more had he possessed no talent.
He would have done everything to ensure he found a way, because the way the rules work only exists to hinder and suppress people.
Gu Xuanming walked off, sparing no more thought for his uncle.
Gu Shèngchén looked at Gu Xuanming, an annoyed expression on his face.
“Tsk…”
‘Bastard won’t give me the inheritance.
He doesn’t need it!’
‘It’s not like he’ll ever reach past his 2nd stars.
Most people don’t.
B grade means nothing.’