Chapter 476 - 416: Plans
Chapter 476: Chapter 416: Plans
Chapter 416
When Mr. Bai heard what Bai Qingyue said, his smile instantly vanished. "The first group of young elites Huaxia sent abroad for advanced studies, six in total, all graduated ahead of schedule!"
Bai Qingyue was shocked. "What? They all graduated early? Our Xiao Fan is skilled; how could those people be more formidable than him?"
Mr. Bai’s expression was grim. "Because of Gu Shaojun! Originally, Huaxia Country wasn’t going to participate in this international martial arts competition. It required special skills, an area where Huaxia Country is currently weak. The ones sent for advanced studies were all elites we were reluctant to risk, and besides, they hadn’t graduated yet. But Gu Shaojun insisted. He went through special channels to petition the top leadership and made guarantees. After a confidential meeting, the leadership accepted the invitation to the international competition. They directly assigned the six military cadets in Country M to the Huaxia Special Team, with Gu Shaojun as the captain, to represent the country. No one knows what Gu Shaojun and the Huaxia Team went through in that desolate, complex, and perilous tropical forest, but they ultimately emerged unscathed. Furthermore, due to their outstanding performance, they won first place in the international competition... I only just learned about this. Xiao Fan also participated. I hear his performance was excellent, and he’s set to receive a commendation upon his return."
Bai Qingyue let out a small sigh of relief and asked, "Then what other mission is there?"
"The disputes on the Southern Border have been over for several years, but minor conflicts have remained frequent. Recently, Nan Country has suddenly gone quiet. Our scouts discovered they have other intentions. Since they want to play dirty, we’ll fight fire with fire. That’s why they didn’t announce a specific return date for Xiao Fan and the others, and they aren’t all coming back together. This makes it easier for a portion of them to secretly and swiftly deploy to the Southern Border."
"Father, isn’t this classified information?"
Mr. Bai waved his hand dismissively. "It’s been over a month. The mission is probably long finished. It’s fine to talk about it here."
"Did that Gu Shaojun also participate in this mission?"
A glint appeared in Mr. Bai’s eyes as he nodded. "I suppose so. This Gu Shaojun... he sounds quite incredible. Is his prestige really eclipsing our Xiao Fan’s? I remember when they were children, they would spar at the alley entrance, and his skills were a tiny bit worse than Xiao Fan’s... ’Could it be? He obtained a Cultivation Technique, completed Energy Introduction, and is now a Cultivator? That shouldn’t be possible.’ The Gongsun Family people investigated carefully. Although the members of the Gu family have Spirit Roots, they only practice Ancient Martial Arts. They haven’t undergone Energy Introduction to temper their bodies. The Tang Family, on the other hand..."
"What about the Tang Family? Is Qingshan all right?"
Seeing her father fall silent in thought, Bai Qingyue couldn’t help but ask. She was still thinking about Tang Qingshan. ’So what if he’s married? I know what Tang Qingshan likes. How could a woman like Ai Wenli possibly win his affection? She was just forced on him by Old Mrs. Tang.’
Mr. Bai sighed. "It’s all my fault. I was careless back then and let someone get leverage over me, causing you all to suffer this setback. Otherwise, when the Gu family’s youngest daughter fled her marriage and the marital ties between the Gu and Tang Families were broken, I could have used that favor to persuade Mr. Tang to agree to your marriage with Tang Qingshan. By now, it would have benefited both you and the Bai Family—the Tang family now has four Cultivators, more than enough to elevate the Bai Family. And you were tested to have Five Spirit Roots; without Spiritual Energy, you can’t complete Energy Introduction and thus can’t begin Cultivation. In that situation, if you had married Tang Qingshan, there would still be great hope for the future. At the very least, your husband and children could guarantee you a long life free of illness and disaster. Have you seen Old Mrs. Tang? She doesn’t practice Cultivation, yet she’s growing younger and younger. That is the most basic benefit of being in a Cultivator family."
Bai Qingyue bit her lip, a resolve hardening in her heart.
Upon returning home, Gongsun Ruxue reported to her grandfather, Gongsun Chongshan, and her father, Gongsun Changting, about Gu Shaoling’s birthday banquet. She then brought up Tang Yaxuan, saying, "I don’t think the relationship between the Tang family and the Gu family is very good. The grandfather and granddaughter left in a huff over a small disagreement, showing the Gu family no respect at all... Tang Yaxuan has impersonated Tang Manman, and Tang Manman has also used Tang Yaxuan’s identity. Have we overlooked something? We should investigate the place where Tang Manman used to live. We might find something!"
Hearing his granddaughter’s words, Gongsun Chongshan seemed to have an epiphany. He stroked the two strands of his beard and nodded slightly.
Gongsun Changting was of medium height and looked to be in his thirties. His complexion was pale with a bluish tint, and the slight dark circles under his eyes made him look like a patient in need of constant medication. In reality, his constitution was much stronger than that of a normal, healthy person. He had already reached the Qi Refining Seventh Layer. However, he had been stuck at this Seventh Level for far too long. Just like his father, once he reached a certain point, he found it incredibly difficult to advance his cultivation. Consuming numerous elixirs had been useless; instead, he had only accumulated a great deal of Dan Poison in his body. There was nothing to be done. It was a consequence of the environment—Spiritual Energy was scarce, and top-grade herbs were hard to find. All the elixirs the Gongsun Clan could currently produce contained Dan Poison. The medical skills passed down by their ancestors were indeed exquisite, but without good medicine, it was a cause for helpless sighs. Therefore, he was more anxious than anyone about the appearance of the Spirit Plant, wishing he could get his hands on it immediately.
Seeing his father silent in thought, Gongsun Changting spoke up. "Ruxue is right. This Tang Manman is far too guarded. She’s known you for so long but still refuses to get close. At this rate, we’re just wasting time and energy. We really should send someone to investigate the place where Tang Manman grew up. We might even learn something more quickly that way—she’s already at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, which means she must have been cultivating for a long time. She must have started back in the countryside! And why do I get the feeling that her seventh-level cultivation seems even more profound than my Seventh Level power? What’s the reason for that? Father, why won’t you agree to letting us infiltrate the Tang Mansion? We’re more than capable of it."
Gongsun Chongshan shot his son a look, his gaze holding a silent warning. "Have you forgotten one of our ancestral precepts: Do not provoke the powerful and influential? The Tang family has guards patrolling day and night. We may not fear mortal guards, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Any disturbance would be bad. Besides, the Tang family now has several Cultivators. We must be even more careful not to reveal our auras. Always remember to hide your cultivation when you go out. Our ancestor went to great pains to create this Hidden Skill precisely to ensure the safety of future generations. We must use it well. The other three Cultivators in the Tang family have shallow cultivation and are no cause for fear, but Tang Manman is another matter. She has great luck. Although you are both at the seventh-level cultivation, her power is indeed more profound than yours. Perhaps it’s because she uses a different Cultivation Technique. We’ll have to wait for your grandfather to get here and take a close look to find out the real reason."
"When is Grandfather coming?" Gongsun Changting asked.
"He might come out of seclusion soon. He’ll come over once he does."
Gongsun Chongshan looked at Gongsun Ruxue. "Your idea is correct. You can continue to associate with that Tang Yaxuan and find out the specific details about her hometown. We must discuss this matter with the Bai Family and let them participate. We’ll let them handle the arrangements. After all, they are experts in secular affairs, which makes it more convenient. We only need to send our people to follow them to the place where Tang Manman lived."
Gongsun Ruxue was a bit reluctant. "I just need to coax some information out of that Tang Yaxuan, and we can go ourselves. Why do we have to let the Bai Family get involved? If we really find any top-grade herbs or other benefits, wouldn’t we have to give them a share?"
Gongsun Chongshan sighed. "Elder Bai is as shrewd as they come, and his mind is unfathomably deep. He sent people to monitor our family long ago. You went to the banquet today with the Bai Family women, didn’t you? He has probably already guessed your intentions, so why bother hiding it from him? Now that we have revealed ourselves in Beijing, we cannot afford to offend the Bai Family for the time being."