"I have fulfilled my mission and lived up to your expectations by asking me for help. How was that?" Gu Changqing said with a faint smile.

"Impressive, impressive! You're truly amazing, brother. You annihilated the city lord without lifting a finger. It's hard to find another person with that ability," the middle-aged man said, praising him.

That's true. Without Gu Changqing's help, Song Qinglong, with his own strength, probably would never have been able to kill the city lord in his lifetime.

"Alright, now that the city lord is dead, my mission is complete. I'll take my leave now," Gu Changqing said with a slight smile.

"Brother, don't be in such a hurry to leave. To celebrate my great revenge, how about I treat you two to another meal at Yixiang Restaurant to show you some hospitality?" the middle-aged man hurriedly persuaded, sincerely inviting you.

"I appreciate your kindness, but I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now. Let's talk again next time we have the chance to come here," Gu Changqing said without hesitation.

He wanted to return to his sect first to check on the situation there, whether the beautiful sect leader had emerged from seclusion, and so on, as he did not want to linger here for too long.

"Since you have other matters to attend to, I won't keep you any longer. Next time you come, please let me show you some hospitality!" the middle-aged man said tactfully.

"Well then, farewell." After saying that, Gu Changqing disappeared with the woman in white without waiting for anyone to speak.

"Take care, brother." The middle-aged man paused for a moment, then quickly shouted goodbye to the air.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before long, Gu Changqing and the woman in white returned to the Qingyun Sect.

The first thing Gu Changqing did upon returning to the Qingyun Sect was to ask someone if the beautiful sect leader had emerged from seclusion.

"No way, I haven't heard anything about the sect leader coming out of seclusion. There's not a whisper of it. If the sect leader were coming out of seclusion, such a big thing would have been all over the news by now," said a disciple of the Qingyun Sect.

"Okay, I understand." Gu Changqing smiled slightly and replied slowly.

Gu Changqing couldn't help but think to himself: This beautiful sect leader is really patient. She's been in seclusion for so long. I wonder if her cultivation has improved to a level that satisfies her? I really want to tell the beautiful sect leader not to bother with so much seclusion. My transmission of power is much faster than her seclusion cultivation, more than ten thousand times faster.

Unfortunately, the beautiful sect leader was unaware of this news, let alone that half of the sect's disciples were already at the Great Emperor level. If she knew, would she be surprised and find it unbelievable?

Thinking this, I unknowingly arrived at Jiang Qingcheng's residence.

At this moment, Jiang Qingcheng was practicing her sword in the courtyard. When she saw Gu Changqing, she was overjoyed and excitedly said, "My husband is back! Who is this woman in white?"

"This is a concubine I met on the road, a new one I've taken in," Gu Changqing said with a slight smile.

"Oh, so I have another little sister now. Now that we've brought her back, let's get things done. That way, it'll be perfectly legitimate," Jiang Qingcheng suggested.

"Okay, whatever you say, Qingcheng. You are so understanding and reasonable. You are truly a good wife to your husband." Gu Changqing smiled happily and praised her without any reservations.

"It's alright, my husband, it's all part of my duty," Jiang Qingcheng said with a slight smile.

Subsequently, under Jiang Qingcheng's arrangement, the woman in white, like Su Xiaoxiao, was officially taken as a concubine by Gu Changqing, and another day passed.

At dawn, magpies sang incessantly in the trees outside the window. Only then did he leisurely and unhurriedly leave the room, his face glowing with health, leaving his sleeping concubine behind.

In high spirits, Gu Changqing hummed a little tune as he leisurely strolled around, thoroughly enjoying himself. Before he knew it, he had left the gates of the Qingyun Sect.

"The scenery of the sect is so beautiful, it's as lovely as ever."

Looking out, the sky is vast and the fields are boundless, with emerald green leaves stretching as far as the eye can see. The air is fresh and invigorating, and even a single breath smells sweet, making one feel truly relaxed and happy.

As soon as Gu Changqing stepped out of the Qingyun Sect's gate, he faintly heard a crying sound, which sounded extremely shrill and noisy.

"Who's crying and sobbing so early in the morning? It's such a downer," Gu Changqing muttered, pursing his lips in dissatisfaction.

Following the direction of the crying, Gu Changqing saw a woman dressed in red.

Looking into the distance, Gu Changqing saw a beautiful young woman sitting on a rock, weeping bitterly. Her bright red dress made her look radiant, like a vibrant rose, noble, pure, and gentle. Anyone who saw her would be captivated by her.

"Who are you? Why are you crying at the gate of my Qingyun Sect? Did one of my Qingyun Sect disciples bully you?" Gu Changqing asked as he approached.

The woman in red slowly stopped crying and looked up at Gu Changqing.

Only now could Gu Changqing see clearly that the woman's skin appeared even whiter against the backdrop of her red dress, as white as flour. Her figure was neither too thin nor too plump, but rather slender in the right places and curvy in the right places, with a shapely figure. Her lips were incredibly vibrant, and she had bright, clear eyes like ice and snow. She was truly a rare beauty.

"No, young master, please don't misunderstand. No one from the Qingyun Sect bullied me," the woman in red quickly clarified upon hearing this.

"Since my Qingyun Sect has not provoked you, why are you crying here?" Gu Changqing frowned slightly and asked with a puzzled look.

"Young master, I... I really have nowhere else to turn..." The woman in red had only said two sentences when she couldn't help but start crying again.

At this moment, Gu Changqing felt completely overwhelmed. He was fearless, but what he feared most was a woman's tears.

"Don't cry. Talk to me about what's wrong. Maybe I can help you," Gu Changqing patiently comforted him.

"Young master, are you really willing to help me?" Upon hearing this, the woman in red wiped away her tears and asked in utter surprise.

"Even if I want to help you, you have to tell me what happened first. If you don't tell me, I can't help you even if I want to," Gu Changqing said with a frown.

This woman is really troublesome; she insists on getting to the bottom of things.

"Then this humble woman thanks you in advance, young master," the woman in red said, tears streaming down her face.

"Young master, to tell you the truth, I was forced to flee to your esteemed place. The reason is that a cultivator took a liking to me and wanted to force me into marriage. However, he was old and ugly, and I couldn't bear to look at him, so I refused. Then he came up with another plan, following me all the way to my home, trying to get my parents to agree. But he was wrong. My parents have always doted on me since I was a child, and they promised that I would decide my own marriage in the future." The woman in red explained the reason for this.