Chapter 128 Chapter 128 35

While Ruo Ruo was having a heart-to-heart talk with Gu Qifan, Lily's residence and the Great Elder's were in great chaos.

Needless to say, the Great Elder's treasure, the one that kept him alive, had been inexplicably shattered. That would have been fine, but one of the fragments couldn't be found, and even a repair was impossible. This was his lifeblood, his magical tool for calculating the mysteries of the universe, and his last hope before the end of his life. There was probably no other like it in the world, and now it was in pieces. How could he not be heartbroken?

Lily couldn't accept it. After scolding the little girl, she returned to her bedroom in a good mood, intending to touch a treasure to admire it, but she couldn't find it no matter how hard she tried!

She panicked and began to look for other treasures, but all the treasures she had hidden in the entire palace disappeared without a trace.

Where could she go? Lily was baffled. She was terrified someone would reveal she had hidden so many of the Hele Sect's treasures, and she was also terrified those treasures would actually be taken away from her.

That was all the savings of the Hele Sect over the years. As the direct descendant of the Hele Sect's leader, she was the only one who survived. Those treasures should have belonged to her. How could they have disappeared inexplicably?

She thought about it over and over again, and she felt that Gu Qifan had something to do with it. After all, in the entire Qianshan Sect, the person who made her most uncomfortable was Gu Qifan! But she couldn't just ask him directly. After all, besides her, no one else knew about the existence of her treasures.

Some of them, if brought out, would reveal their connection with Helezong, but she didn't dare to mention them at all.

You have to know that fifty years ago, when the Hele Sect was destroyed, the whole world of cultivation applauded and celebrated. The deeds that were once afraid to be exposed were now completely exposed. Nowadays, if anyone has anything to do with the Hele Sect, not to mention whether he will be sought after for revenge, his reputation will be ruined.

But before she could ask someone to call Gu Qifan over to tangle with him, Huo Linger came running over in a rage.

Before I even saw her, I could hear her complaining. Not only were there accusations against Gu Qifan, but her words also hinted at her dissatisfaction with Baili Qing.

Lily didn't think much of the former, even feeling it was a bit too mild. But the latter made her quite uncomfortable. She had only held her nose and endured it because of the girl's status and the agreement she had made with the Great Elder. But she had made up her mind that once her son's unfortunate fate had been completely changed, she would definitely not allow him to become a Taoist partner with such an uneducated girl!

"But what did you say? My husband called Gu Qifan over just now? And now Gu Qifan has been punished to go to the Cliff of Repentance?" Lily frowned, unwilling to believe that Gu Qifan's schedule was so full that even if she wanted to find a reason to suspect him, she couldn't suspect him.

But who else could it be besides him? In the entire Qianshan Mountains, only a handful of people have ever been able to enter this palace. Among them, Gu Qifan is the most lowly, just like his self-righteous mother. But isn't Mudan still a person who sleeps with thousands of people?

Moreover, after listening to Huo Ling'er's description of what happened outside, Lily's anger did not subside, but was instead fueled.

She thought exactly the same as Yuan Rui and Baili Qing, and they all blamed Gu Qifan for his sudden enlightenment.

You know, in order to better plot against Gu Qifan, at her husband's reminder, she also taught him to keep his mouth shut since he was young!

As expected, being annoying is annoying. You can't even do the smallest things right.

"Alas, Ling'er, you should be more considerate of your senior brother."

"Master's wife, why do you say such things too?" Huo Ling'er acted coquettishly.

Lily looked at her lively face and a hint of displeasure flashed in her eyes, but she still held Huo Linger's hand.

"There's no way. Fan'er comes from a poor family, and his mother's status is..."

"Master's wife, what happened to Gu Qifan's mother? She was just a mortal. She should have been buried by now, right?" Huo Ling'er curled her lips in disdain.

Lily shook her head and kept silent, but looked at Huo Ling'er with indescribable pity and guilt in her eyes.

Huo Ling'er's scalp tingled when she looked at her, and she shook her hand and begged.

"This... I told Ling'er not to be angry with Master's wife. Master's wife just got the news not long ago. Fan'er's biological mother should be - should be a prostitute in the mortal world."

Lily said the word "prostitute" in a very soft voice, as if she was afraid of dirtying Huo Ling'er's ears.

Huo Linger's eyes widened in disbelief, her hands even trembling slightly. "What? The child of a filthy, vulgar person! I don't want to be engaged to someone like that! It's so disgusting!"

The thought of her youthful, nauseous days chasing after Gu Qifan made Huo Linger want to vomit. She even secretly resented her master's wife and grandfather for arranging the marriage for her. What lowly creature was her fiancé? And he didn't cherish her, instead putting on a cold face all day, as if someone owed him spirit stones.

Yuan Rui, on the other hand, was born with a smile on his face. Even though his appearance was much worse than Gu Qifan's, he was gentle and considerate, always cautious towards her, which made people feel sad for some reason. Not to mention that he didn't forget to hold her hand even in such a dangerous situation. He was much more reliable than Gu Qifan!

Although both of them are orphans, Yuan Rui has climbed up step by step with his own strength. Huo Linger feels that there is nothing wrong with her admiring people like him!

"Alas, Ling'er, don't take it too seriously. One cannot choose one's origins. Fan'er has never been raised by such people. On the contrary, your master and I brought him to Qianshan Sect since he was a child, and he has never come into contact with such people."

But Huo Ling'er only felt more disgusted after hearing this. A person with such a background who pretended to be cold and stern every day and enjoyed the excellent resources of Qianshan Sect, did he really deserve it?

"Oh, Ling'er, please don't tell anyone what Master's Wife said to you today. It will have a bad influence on Fan'er..."

"Don't worry, Master's wife!" Huo Ling'er said this but it was obvious that she didn't take it to heart. Instead, she seemed to be reminded and a sweet smile appeared on the corner of her mouth again.

Of course she wouldn't keep it secret. Not only would she tell it, she would also make sure everyone knew about it!

After Huo Ling'er left, Baili Qing appeared beside Lily at some point.

Baili Qing's sudden appearance startled Lily at first, and then she asked coquettishly, "Husband, when did you come back?"

Baili Qing didn't look her in the eye, but simply reminded her, "Ying'er, I know you want to see our child and want him to recognize his ancestors, but since we chose this path back then, we must keep going. We can't retreat, and we must walk well. Do you understand? I hope you can be patient and not do anything unnecessary recently."

"Husband?" Lily was stunned by what he said, and a hint of sadness appeared on her face.

But before she could start her next performance, Baili Qing turned around and was about to leave.

She was so anxious that she tried to grab Baili Qing, but she missed.

"I need to practice." Only a faint echo remained in the air.

Lily threw all the quilts on the bed to the floor, and even the things on the cabinet next to her were not spared. "Haha, practice, practice."

For fifty years, a full fifty years, he never stayed at her place for a single day, and the first thing he said was that he needed to practice!

…

The news that Qianshan Sect's eldest senior brother Gu Qifan was born to a mortal prostitute quickly spread throughout the sect, and even showed signs of spreading beyond the sect.

Ying Wo only discovered this unexpectedly several days later. After all, ever since his senior brother became the sect leader, he had rarely ventured out, usually running between his own residence and the medicine garden. Not to mention now that he had discovered the fairy, he was even busier. He wished he could live on the Cliff of Repentance all day. What did it matter if he couldn't cultivate? As long as he could be by the fairy's side, he would be happy even if he had to be a mortal.

It is better to live a free and easy life for a few decades than to live in emptiness and loneliness for thousands of years.

Not to mention that his good nephew also gave him a few Warming Spirit Pills, which were good things even for someone of his level of cultivation. However, he felt guilty accepting them, so he turned around and got a lot of useful things for the kid.

There is no other way. If you want to get ahead, how can you succeed without being generous?

"How can Gu Qifan be worthy of being the eldest senior brother! It's all thanks to the kindness of the Sect Master and his wife, otherwise he wouldn't even be able to enter the gate of Qianshan Sect now!"

When Ying Wo heard this, his first reaction was to be afraid of the jealous little disciple who had been recruited from nowhere. The number of disciples in recent years has been getting worse and worse.

But soon, he became furious, because many insulting words kept coming out of the two disciples' mouths, which were even more offensive than those used by ordinary people, and their words all pointed directly at Gu Qifan's background.

"How dare you! As disciples of the Qianshan Sect, why are you slandering and gossiping about others behind their backs instead of practicing diligently?"

When the young disciple heard his scolding, he looked over and saluted respectfully, but he was still a little unconvinced. He thought that everyone was talking about it now, and even if the eldest brother was in front of them, they dared to say it because what they said was the truth.

Only after the matter became more and more serious did Baili Qing order people to call out Gu Qifan who was staying at the Cliff of Repentance.

After all, the rumors have been brewing in the early stages, and the parties involved have to feel their power.

Speaking of eagerness, he was actually far more anxious than Lily. After all, Lily was doing it for her child, while he was doing it for himself! Once the life-swapping went awry, so did his cultivation. Having experienced the benefits of exchanging his own son's life, and knowing the downsides of it, Baili Qing naturally longed to return to the state where he could cultivate effortlessly.

But he did not wait for Gu Qifan first, but first welcomed his junior brother Ying Wo.

His feelings towards this junior fellow apprentice were complex. After all, as a junior fellow who wasn't as gifted as himself, but had achieved remarkable success in cultivation, gradually catching up to his level in the later stages, he didn't really have much affection for him, not to mention that this junior fellow apprentice also came from the secular world. However, the affection he once had for his master wasn't fake; it simply faded away over the long years.

Ying Wo started cursing at Baili Qing as soon as he arrived, pointing at his nose. Baili Qing's face turned grim, and he said that it was shameful for him to use such disgusting and despicable means to plot against a child. If Baili Qing hadn't been so proud of his status, he would have attacked him long ago.

But the atmosphere is not relaxed at all.

But just at this moment, Gu Qifan, who was allowed to come out of the Cliff of Repentance, arrived.

Baili Qing pretended to cough and kept winking at Ying Wo to signal him to shut up, wanting him to know what to say and what not to say.

But Ying Wo seemed not to understand what he was saying. Not only did he not stop talking, but he even shouted even louder.

"Brother, I'm not saying this as your junior disciple, but as a master, how could you scheme against your own disciple like that? Do you have to eat him up until there's nothing left but bones? Not only did you want to determine his fate, but now you're spreading rumors and targeting the child's biological mother. Your methods are extremely despicable. I'm ashamed to have a brother like you! If Master were still alive, he would have kicked you out of Qianshan Sect long ago!"

Baili Qing saw that he was talking louder and louder, and more and more outrageous, and he wanted to shut Ying Wo's mouth, but unfortunately he couldn't.

When Gu Qifan bowed to the two of them, Baili Qing felt his face burning. He didn't know how much he had heard, but there was nothing unusual on his face.

"The joint competitions of several sects are about to begin. As my first disciple, you naturally need to take the brunt of it and set an example. I hope you can lead the disciples of our Qianshan Sect to achieve good results."

That's right, that's the reason Baili Qing came up with. And to be honest, the league competition really needs Gu Qifan. After all, he is a leader among his peers, even those under 200 years old.

What's more, this year's joint competition is held in Qianshan Sect. Usually, Qianshan Sect does not welcome outsiders, but this time it is their turn, and they have to open the door to welcome guests no matter what.

As his apprentice, Gu Qifan was usually the one who handled trivial matters like this. If he was not released, he would have to take over those troublesome matters.

Gu Qifan nodded in agreement and listened to a few more words of Baili Qing's teachings before walking away.

Ying Wo also followed him away, forgetting Baili Qing's words that he wanted to talk to him alone.

"Boy, are you okay?" Ying Wo patted him gently.

Gu Qifan shook his head, "Uncle Master, let me be alone for a while."

It was actually very difficult to accept that he had a biological mother and then passively accepted his master's schemes against him shortly after accepting that he had a biological mother, even though, logically, he should have been mentally prepared for this.

But how could there be so many logical things in the world? Ordinary people would be sad for a long time after being betrayed by their friends, not to mention that he had to face his master, his mistress, and the entire sect where he grew up.

He thought that the only thing he was thankful for now was that he had already recognized his biological mother before realizing that his master had a purpose for everything in his past. Otherwise, he would be even more at a loss as to what to do next.

Gu Qifan appeared quietly in a crowded place, hid in a dark corner, and slowly listened to those people's criticism of him word by word and the insults to his mother.

They knew nothing, yet they spoke as if it were true. They had never met his mother, yet they acted as if they had been defiled by her, talking about how dirty the women in the brothel were, while still discussing it non-stop and even passionately.

Those words stabbed him like sharp knives. Even though he knew his mother wasn't the way they described her, and he didn't think their portrayal was particularly vile, it was their hearts that were truly filthy. He couldn't help but feel angry, because no one could tolerate their loved ones being despised and slandered like this. And let alone the person who gave birth to him, he didn't know how upset and heartbroken she would be hearing these words, let alone if she showed up now. Even if she didn't show up, he couldn't just sit back and watch.

So Gu Qifan stood up and asked them about the source of the rumors.

But how could the disciples who were currently discriminating against Senior Brother Gu Qifan possibly listen to him? Although it was embarrassing to be heard saying bad things behind the back by the person involved, it did not prevent them from developing contempt and jealousy towards Gu Qifan during this period.

After all, he had such a background! How could he be so lucky to become the eldest disciple of the sect master, and be adopted by the sect master and his wife since he was a child? If he hadn't been lucky enough to be adopted by the sect master and his wife, Gu Qifan would probably be struggling to survive in some place right now!

No! If he hadn't been brought back, at his age, the grass on his grave would probably be ten feet high.

Gu Qifan didn't say anything else, but just when those people breathed a sigh of relief, Gu Qifan suddenly publicly and forcefully challenged all of them.

They were about the same age, and some were even older than him. Gu Qifan was outnumbered, so he thought he had shown some kindness to them.

But this kindness was insignificant, and everyone present was soon covered in bruises.

The weak-willed one begged for mercy early on, "Big Brother, I told you where the rumor came from? Isn't that enough? I give up! I give up."

"I'm sorry, Big Brother, we were wrong. We shouldn't have done this."

But the silent Gu Qifan remained silent.

He did not ask for an apology, nor did he ask them to reveal the source of the rumors. He adhered to his usual habit of silence, and one move followed another, and the wounds on those people's bodies continued to grow.

Ruo Ruo appeared behind him at some point. She didn't step forward to stop him, but just watched him beat up those who gossiped about him behind his back, and then let them run away to complain.

"Does what you said about us leaving here together still count?"

Gu Qifan didn't want to ask about the truthfulness of what those people said. He just felt that the master and mistress who raised him, and even the fellow apprentices he had helped with all his heart, could actually stab him with a knife.

However, he did not dare to reveal the true face of his master based on his uncle's words. He was also a coward. At most, he dared to teach these people a lesson and vent some of his anger for his mother who had suffered in vain.

As for what he heard from his uncle, about fate and spreading rumors, he didn't dare to think about it at all.

"Are you going to leave now and let them throw the dirty water on us, mother and son?"

Gu Qifan lowered his head and stopped talking.

"I think there must be someone who knows the truth. Why don't we go meet him together?" Ruo Ruo knew the confusion in his heart, but still said it.

Gu Qifan didn't know who she was talking about, so he just followed her silently, and then watched her walk into the place where the great elder practiced.

Great Elder?

Gu Qifan had never been here before. This was his first time here, but he always felt uncomfortable all over and had a feeling of being rejected.

The Great Elder was practicing. Normally, ordinary people should not disturb others while they are practicing. However, Ruo Ruo did not follow this rule. She stepped forward and kicked the man who was immersed in his practice.

The man then spat out a mouthful of blood, came to his senses, and became furious.

He was still angry about the destruction of his magic weapon, and now his cultivation was interrupted again, which made him want to kill someone.

But the moment he opened his eyes, the originally aggressive elder suddenly fell silent.

"Beauty?" He rubbed his eyes, worried that it was an illusion caused by his cultivation. But hallucinations were pretty cool, too. Such a beautiful woman, even if it was just a dream, it would be happy. Hahahahahaha...

But before he could finish being happy, Gu Qifan stood in front of Ruoruo with a dark face.

He had disliked the Great Elder before, but he still maintained due respect for him. Now, even the respect for him was gone.

"Great Elder! Have you gone astray? Don't be afraid, I'm here to help you!" As he said that, Gu Qifan took out a basin of water from his storage ring and poured it on him without hesitation.

If your mind is not clear, you might as well brainwash yourself first, so that you don’t have to look at everyone with that kind of look.

The Great Elder was soaked before he could react. Although he quickly used magic to dry himself, he was still very angry.

"Gu Qifan, who allowed you to trespass into my mansion?" His black and white hair was disheveled. If he hadn't been really injured and it was not appropriate for him to take action, he would have taught the boy in front of him a lesson long ago.

However, even so, he still glanced at Ruoruo with a dim light in his eyes.

"When did you join the Qianshan Sect? What are your qualifications? Come forward and let me see. It's been a long time since I, Linyue Peak, accepted a disciple..."

Before he could finish, he was soaked once again, but this time a steady stream of water fell from the sky above his head.

He couldn't even resist.

Ruo Ruo chuckled, looked at his disheveled appearance, and unceremoniously found a cleaner place to sit down.

"The Great Elder is only capable of this. It's better not to think about accepting a disciple. Think about how to collect your own body."

After all, the person in front of him, although he looks no different from a young man, actually has weak energy. It is obvious that if nothing unexpected happens, he will not have much time left to live.

Moreover, there are still traces of luck on his body that maintain his vitality.

"You..." The Great Elder pointed at Ruoruo, his face full of anger and pity, but even so, he still did not look away.

Gu Qifan hated the Great Elder even more in his heart. After all, he was Huo Linger's grandfather, even though he was a grandfather. However, there was still filth in the look he gave to others, which made people want to poke his eyes out.

Ruo Ruo wasn't that angry, after all, there was no point in wasting time talking to a dying man. As his adopted son's luck gradually recovered, he couldn't think of any more devious ideas this time.

Ruo Ruo instructed Gu Qifan to tie up the Great Elder. She also searched the interspatial ring for any useful magical weapons to prevent him from escaping. Everyone knew the Great Elder disliked socializing and was aloof, so even Huo Ling'er, his granddaughter, rarely came here. Unless he was truly dead, it would be difficult for anyone to discover what was happening there.

"I know you're nearing the end of your life, so it's best not to resist. If you resist, you might lose your life, right?"

Upon hearing this, the Great Elder's face was filled with genuine horror. After all, such a secret matter had never been shared even with the Sect Master. Furthermore, his lifespan had apparently increased significantly, but recently, not only had his magical weapon been damaged, but the little luck he had gained had also begun to dissipate.

"Would you like to tell me how you calculated the secrets of the universe and how you came up with your plan for my son?"

"Your son? Idea?" The Great Elder couldn't believe it. He looked at Gu Qifan and then at the beauty in front of him. Sure enough, they were similar.

But even so, he still did not forget to argue, saying that he was Huo Ling'er's grandfather and would definitely be Gu Qifan's grandfather in the future, so Gu Qifan could not treat him like this.

Ruo Ruo laughed wantonly in front of him, "You're using my son as a blood sucker. It's a good thing I didn't kill your precious granddaughter. Do you still want my son to really become a Taoist couple with her? Besides, you never really intended to let your granddaughter marry Kang'er from the beginning, right?"

The Great Elder was stunned for a while before he realized that Kang'er was Gu Qifan, but he would never admit his previous plan now. A child without a father or mother is worse than grass. But now Gu Qifan has a mother and looks like this. Everything can be discussed. What's wrong with that?

However, after Ruo Ruo ordered Gu Qifan to take out another red jade pendant from him, the Great Elder could no longer keep his composure. He even knelt down in front of Gu Qifan and began to tell him all his plans.

"Actually, I just saw that the child born to the Sect Master and his wife was a forsaken person, so I told them. The life-swapping technique was entirely Shui Ying's idea! She was the one who brought it up. I don't know where she got such a sinister method. Even if you're resentful, you should go find Baili Qing and Shui Ying! Oh, right, and Yuan Rui. Yuan Rui is their child. Over the years, they secretly helped Yuan Rui a lot, which allowed him to go from being a hapless mortal to joining the Qianshan Sect. They were the ones who usually plotted against you! Gu... No, Kang'er, you should know that I hardly asked about anything over the years."

The great elder, who had always been aloof, spoke haltingly and no longer dared to look at Ruoruo. Instead, he looked intently at his jade pendant, fearing that it would be destroyed accidentally.

"But it was you who calculated Kang'er's whereabouts back then, right? Stop trying to shirk responsibility and explain what you did first." Ruoruo took the red jade pendant from Gu Qifan, tossed it lightly and caught it again. The elder stared at her and wished he could use his body to block the jade pendant on the ground to prevent it from being broken.

"What did I do?" The Great Elder was stunned by the question. In fact, ever since he got the opportunity to deduce the secrets of heaven, he has calculated many things and gained many advantages, both big and small. But later he found out that the price he had to pay was also very high, and his life span was constantly decreasing because of deducing the secrets of heaven.

But the greatest price was paid for the deductions concerning those with great luck.

"For the first time, I calculated that a person with great luck will be born within a hundred years." Originally, he just wanted to calculate what benefits he could get from it, but it happened that Baili Qing came to ask him a question, and somehow, the two of them came up with a way to bring the mother of the person with great luck to Qianshan Sect.

"At the time, we all thought that as long as we treated the mother of the future great fortune master well and waited patiently for her to give birth to the great fortune master, Qianshan Sect would also benefit from it."

As for why Baili Qing went instead of him, it was simply because his tigress partner hadn't passed away yet, not to mention he was afraid of divine retribution if something went wrong. He had already done something that would bring divine retribution, so if he got involved, wouldn't it be even more dangerous?

However, at that time he had also made an agreement with Baili Qing that when a person with great luck was born, he would become his disciple.

But no matter how much he planned, he could not have expected that the person he brought back would not give birth to a lucky person, but instead an unlucky one.

So, he could only start a second round of calculations, figuring out the location of the lucky person and preparing to secretly replace the child.

Gu Qifan was staying in a merchant's home at that time. The couple had been infertile for many years and treated Gu Qifan like a precious baby.

"Originally, we planned to swap the babies, but once we did, the couple noticed. They treated Kang'er, their baby, with the utmost care, but they hated Yuanrui. They even planned to send Yuanrui to the authorities and report that their child was stolen. They had no intention of adopting him. Shuiying wanted to kill the couple, but I stopped her! So please let me go!"

The Great Elder spoke without hesitation. After all, these two men truly held his lifeline. If the jade pendant was destroyed, he would be struck to death by lightning in the next second, or even his soul would be shattered.

As for calling him Gu Qifan Kang'er, it was just a nickname. Now that he was like this, if he didn't say something nicer, he might as well die. Besides, he knew the origin of the name Gu Qifan. He had said from the beginning, "Don't call him that. Don't call him that. Who would give a child a name like that?" He was afraid that others would see the clue, but Shuiying insisted, and there was nothing he could do.

Ruo Ruo waited for him to finish speaking, looked at her adopted son with an expressionless face, and gave him enough time to accept the reality.

She knew that he was kind, soft-hearted, and respectful of his teachers, but as her son, what was stolen had to be taken back.

As for the jade pendant that the Great Elder coveted, she smashed it without hesitation after leaving the Great Elder's territory. This jade pendant, a magical weapon that could shield the secrets of heaven, contained all the evil energy generated by his evil deeds over the years, and it should have been destroyed long ago.

As for what fate the Great Elder will face after the jade pendant is broken, that is his own business.