Chapter 505 - 443: Possibility
Chapter 505: Chapter 443: Possibility
Gu Shaojun said, "Cultivators are incredibly rare. As long as this person is still alive, we’ll find them eventually."
Xiao Man nodded. "That’s right. The person who tampered with the Guardian Array is a Late-stage Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Luckily, their cultivation isn’t too high. Otherwise, if they’d been able to affect other parts of it, the effects would have been immediate! Grandpa Gu and my grandpa once said there were no Cultivators in Beijing. I’ve been keeping an eye out, and I really haven’t found any trace of Cultivators, at least not in the circles I move in. Can we infer from this that the enemy isn’t someone we know, and definitely not from Beijing?"
Gu Shaozheng cleared his throat. "I think there’s another possibility: the enemy *is* someone we know! It’s just that people are good at putting on an act, so you can’t tell on the surface. What if they hate our family but don’t have the ability to do anything themselves, so they secretly hired a Cultivator to mess with us?"
Zheng Shaojin agreed, "That’s possible! I remember a story Grandpa Tang used to tell about a Cultivator who knew an Invisibility Technique. Since Cultivators can turn invisible, if one stayed hidden all the time in a city as big as Beijing, it wouldn’t be surprising if no one knew they were a Cultivator, right?"
"An Invisibility Technique is just a minor spell; it doesn’t last long. Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator can only stay hidden for about twenty minutes using it. How could someone stay invisible forever?" Xiao Man said with a smile. "Unless it’s a special Cultivation Technique comprehended and created by a mighty expert at the Nascent Soul realm or higher. Something different from a Barrier, that can hide a Cultivator’s unique aura and cultivation, allowing them to live among ordinary people without being discovered! That kind of technique would be amazing. I’ve read about it in a book."
Gu Shaojun glanced at Xiao Man, his fond gaze holding a hidden warning. He knew Xiao Man possessed something similar to a Qiankun Bag; she had shown it to him before. He didn’t approve of her revealing such secrets, not even to their closest family. ’Knowing too much isn’t necessarily a good thing for them.’
Xiao Man just smiled back at Gu Shaojun, unconcerned.
’Of course, I know what Gu Shaojun means. My grandpa and dad have warned me again and again, but I’m not really a child. I know my limits and can handle myself. Just think about it, for someone who can produce several different Cultivation Methods, what’s so strange about having read a few books that no one else has seen?’
’The Cultivation Techniques were all transcribed. The elders of the Gu and Tang Families never asked her where the originals were. Not that she would be afraid to show them—those thread-bound ancient books looked no different from the rare editions her own grandpa and Grandpa Gu collected.’
’Being able to pursue Cultivation was naturally due to a fortuitous encounter, and her own experiences were already bizarre enough. With Grandpa Gu around, even if the younger generation had immense questions, it wasn’t Xiao Man’s place to worry about providing answers.’
Gu Shaojun was indeed wary of his brothers questioning Xiao Man. He was afraid they would pester her to see those books and worried she might answer inappropriately. But this time, he had overthought it; his brothers didn’t ask a single thing.
Grandpa Gu, however, seemed lost in thought after hearing Xiao Man’s words. He suddenly said, "That story Shao Jin mentioned Grandpa Tang telling, my grandfather told it to us when I was a child. I was also curious about the Invisibility Technique and asked my grandfather about it a few more times later. He said it wasn’t actually an Invisibility Technique, but a more advanced secret technique, or perhaps a Cultivation Technique. It originally belonged to a major sect, but for some unknown reason, it spread, and many Cultivators came to know of it. The secret technique’s effect is just as Manman described. However, when facing someone with much higher cultivation, it can’t be maintained for long under their Suppression... You all could have guessed that part. Perhaps it’s really possible—that the secret technique has appeared? Unfortunately, none of us has much cultivation, so we can’t see through it."
Gu Shaoqin said, "But Manman has cultivation, and so does my big brother..."
Gu Shaojun lightly tapped him on the forehead. "Call her ’Sister’!"
Gu Shaoqin grimaced and grumbled to himself, ’Does it matter? Manman and I are about the same age. Sometimes I even feel... I could be the one taking care of *her*!’
Gu Shaojun didn’t have time to guess what Gu Shaoqin was thinking. He turned to Grandpa Gu and said, "Even if they’re hidden by a secret technique, once they enter a Cultivation Sect, they still have to cultivate regularly. Unless they travel far from the city to a remote mountain wilderness hundreds of *li* away to cultivate, I should be able to sense the changes in airflow and wind direction. I can detect if someone is absorbing a large amount of Spiritual Energy to cultivate, at least within a hundred-*li* radius. I’ve been back in Beijing for three days, and I’ve used my Divine Sense to scan the surrounding area before my Cultivation each day. I haven’t found anything unusual."
Gu Qiming, who had been sitting seriously this whole time, spoke up. "We might as well focus our investigation on the Bai Family. After all, their ancestors were also Cultivators. Later, their family’s lineage was broken, just like ours. Manman’s return was our good fortune. Perhaps the Bai Family also had some kind of unexpected opportunity to get back on the path of Cultivation?"
Grandpa Gu looked at his eldest grandson. He had been about to say the same thing. ’The Bai Family aren’t our enemies, but up to Gu Qiming and Bai Lixin’s generation, they have always been the Gu family’s rivals, and evenly matched at that!’
’Although they served the same country, were colleagues and old acquaintances on the surface, and maintained some friendly relations, the truth was that Grandpa Gu felt the same as Mr. Bai—he would never consider the other a close friend he could trust with his life.’
’So, they had to be on guard!’
Gu Shaojun replied, "I’ve checked on the Bai Family. Nothing’s different. Bai Junfan and I see each other almost every day in the military; I’m very clear on whether or not he’s a Cultivator. Bai Junfan also came to the Tang Mansion yesterday for New Year’s greetings. We spoke, and at least at that time, I didn’t see any signs of him having undergone Energy Introduction."
Gu Qiming nodded slightly. "Knowing your enemy and yourself is crucial. The Bai Family might seem to be in a bit of a slump right now, but that’s just on the surface. Mr. Bai has always been a domineering man, and the network he’s built over a lifetime is complex and deep. Over a decade ago, it took his mortal enemy a great deal of effort to drag the Bai Family down... In short, never underestimate your opponent. Your grandfather understands the Bai Family more thoroughly. In their prime, they were truly terrifying."
Grandpa Gu coughed twice and said, "Our Gu family has never been afraid of anyone. If our opponent is strong, we just have to become stronger. Even being just one step ahead is enough to put them in their place!"
While the Gu family was in the study, deep in discussion about the lack of Cultivators in Beijing, another scene was unfolding in a bright room in the northeast corner of the Bai Family’s inner courtyard. Bai Junfan sat cross-legged in the center of the room, drenched in sweat as if he’d just been pulled from water. Gongsun Changting stood beside him, nagging him about various points of caution. Bai Junfan struggled to regulate his breathing, his ragged gasps gradually evening out into a slow, steady rhythm. The pained, twisted expression on his face slowly relaxed back to normal.
Gongsun Chongshan and Mr. Bai sat facing each other at a tea table by the window, their eyes fixed on Bai Junfan’s condition. Seeing the change, they both let out a sigh of relief.
Gongsun Chongshan stroked his beard and smiled, nodding at Mr. Bai. "Your eldest son only just achieved Energy Introduction last night, yet today he can already absorb energy and circulate it for two full cycles on his own. He is clearly a natural prodigy. From now on, he just needs to be diligent in his Cultivation and supplement it with the appropriate elixirs. Once he advances to the Third Level of Qi Refining, he’ll be able to absorb the Spiritual Power from jade to compensate for the lack of ambient Spiritual Energy. With your son’s intelligence, wisdom, and superior aptitude, his cultivation is sure to advance rapidly!"
Old Master Bai was extremely gratified, his face beaming. "This is all thanks to the guidance of Brother Gongsun and his worthy nephew. It is only with your help that my Bai Family has been able to step back onto this brilliant path. Words cannot express my gratitude for such a great kindness; I will cherish it in my heart forever!"