Chapter 524 - 458: Sinister
Chapter 524: Chapter 458: Sinister
Gu Shaojun said, "When I got home last night, Grandpa was still awake, waiting for me. Father, Second Uncle, and Third Uncle came over soon after. We talked for half the night, and the topics were quite varied. Grandpa brought up the Gongsun Family, saying only that they are a steadfast Cultivation Family. For hundreds of years, the Gongsuns have lived in seclusion, focusing solely on their Cultivation. Even the descendants who don’t cultivate refuse to enter society to become officials or chase fame and fortune. The Gu family ancestors passed down written records, which highlighted major events—especially matters of gratitude and grievances—but there was no mention of any interaction with the Gongsun Family. From childhood to his youth, Grandpa never met anyone from their family. What he knows about them came from my great-grandfather. Great-grandfather was deeply troubled that the Gu family’s Cultivation lineage had been broken, and he always wanted to be on good terms with the Gongsun Family, hoping to get some help. He was even prepared to trade for it, but the Gongsuns were mysterious and impossible to find. Once, a prominent family held a banquet in the Capital, and both Grandpa and Grandpa Tang attended with the adults from our families. Someone from the Gongsun Clan was supposedly there, but neither of our grandfathers saw them. After that, there were no other opportunities to meet. So, it’s unlikely that the Gu and Tang Families have any feud with the Gongsun Family."
"But if there’s no feud, why would the Gongsun Family make such a vicious move against the Gu family?"
"I can’t figure it out either."
Gu Shaojun pursed his lips, his eyes as dark and deep as the ocean. "I’ll go back and confirm with Grandpa again right now. After all, their methods are insidious and their intentions are malicious—it’s as if they want to wipe out the Gu family completely, to bring our entire house to ruin. Perhaps there was some conflict between the previous generation? If we find out it wasn’t the Gu family’s fault, but their own wanton aggression, then the Gongsun Family will have to bear the consequences. They’re so proud of being a Cultivation Family, aren’t they? Thinking they’re so extraordinary and above it all? Then let’s put an end to them. No more dreams, no more hopes, nothing! First and foremost, the one who destroyed our family’s Guardian Array will not be spared! When it’s Cultivator against Cultivator, we follow the rules of the Cultivation World, unbound by mortal laws. They dared to strike from the shadows; we can be even more covert! And that Gongsun Ruxue... regardless of whether the Gongsun Family is in the right or wrong, she dared to scheme against you, so she must be punished. We’ll make her leave Beijing, strip her of all her cultivation, and ensure she can never cultivate again!"
Xiao Man nodded in agreement, feeling not a shred of sympathy for the Gongsun Family.
’In my past life, because the Guardian Array was destroyed, the Gu family fell into a deep decline from which they never recovered. After being paralyzed by illness, Grandpa Gu held on for just over two years before passing away. Gu Shaojun returned from the battlefield covered in wounds, not only unable to stand but also unable to adapt to the climate in the North, forcing him to leave Beijing and live in the South... Not long after Gu Shaojun’s death, Gu Shaofeng also died in the line of duty. To make matters worse, the Gu family had fewer and fewer descendants, leaving no one to carry on the line. At the Gu Mansion, only Gu Shaofeng’s son remained, but a single pillar cannot support a falling house. Gu Shaozhen’s legitimate wife gave birth to only one daughter, who had a congenital heart defect, while he kept many mistresses and was rumored to have countless illegitimate children, though he never brought any of them home to be acknowledged by the family. Gu Shaoqin, due to his own health and his parents’ situation, declared he would never marry. And Gu Shaoling ended up as a nominal mother, raising a child for someone else... The Gu family was ultimately forced to withdraw from the military, fading into obscurity and decline. From the perspective of the Guardian Array, they absolutely had to settle this score with the Gongsun Clan!’
’In this life, the Gongsun Clan appeared in Beijing, and Gongsun Ruxue deliberately got close to and schemed against me. If I didn’t have a background and cultivation level that made them wary, I would have been eaten alive by now. The Gongsun Clan clearly aren’t good people!’
’If they have the audacity to spy on and covet what belongs to others, they should be prepared to withstand the counterattack. It’s like a thief—when he succeeds, the victim suffers. Some victims might even lose a loved one because their life-saving money was stolen. The victim knows best just how hateful such an act is. Once you catch the thief, even eating his flesh and drinking his blood wouldn’t be enough to quell your hatred.’
Not long after Gu Shaojun and Xiao Man left, Gongsun Chongshan and Gongsun Changting returned. Although Gongsun Ruxue was anxious, she still told her grandfather and father exactly what had happened. Mrs. Gongsun then presented the note Gu Shaojun had written. After staring in a daze, Gongsun Chongshan and Gongsun Changting both blamed Gongsun Ruxue for acting so rashly and without considering the consequences. Now they had done it. The more they had tried to avoid the Gu family, the more they had provoked them.
Left with no other choice, Gongsun Chongshan called his family’s ancestral home that very day. As it happened, his father, Gongsun Li, had just come out of seclusion to handle some clan affairs. When he took the call, he cursed his son and grandson for being utterly incompetent, but he nonetheless agreed to hurry over.
Gu Shaojun’s deduction was completely correct. Earlier, Gongsun Chongshan, his son Gongsun Changting, and his two grandsons had indeed been in the conservatory, tending to flowers while chatting and drinking tea. Meanwhile, to help Xiao Man see Gongsun Ruxue’s true colors as quickly as possible, Gu Shaojun had been constantly releasing his Suppressive aura to intimidate her on their way over. The "protective layer" around Gongsun Ruxue eventually dissipated, and Gu Shaojun didn’t hold back at all. By the time they reached the Gongsun family’s gate, Gongsun Chongshan and the others felt that Suppression. Stunned, Gongsun Chongshan decided it was best to avoid a confrontation for now. ’He was only at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, his son was at the Seventh Level, and his two grandsons were at the second and third layers, respectively. The visitor was clearly at the Foundation Establishment stage and had arrived aggressively. If something were to happen, they wouldn’t be able to resist. Even if they had to argue their case, it would be better to wait for his own father to arrive!’
And so, they cleverly slipped away, figuring the visitor wouldn’t disrespect women and that Mrs. Gongsun and Gongsun Ruxue would not be in any danger.
Gu Shaojun didn’t mind that they ran. Once he confirmed that Gongsun Ruxue was a member of the Cultivation Family his grandfather had mentioned the previous night, some ideas began to form in his mind. He decided to carefully observe the Gongsun Family and didn’t release his Divine Sense to pursue the men. As it turned out, his decision was very wise—even if Gongsun Chongshan and his grandsons had been home, he couldn’t have done anything to them without knowing the full truth. Their proactive retreat, on the other hand, made it convenient for him to clearly observe the Gongsun family’s courtyard.
If Gongsun Chongshan had known that his deliberate avoidance had allowed Gu Shaojun to find several pieces of evidence, effortlessly confirming that the Gongsun Family was the culprit behind the destruction of the Gu family’s Guardian Array all those years ago, he wouldn’t have run even if it killed him.
Gu Shaojun took Xiao Man back to De Ren Hospital, promised to pick her up at five in the afternoon, and then drove back to the Gu Mansion to report his findings about the Gongsun Clan to his grandfather.
Grandpa Gu was surprised, furious, and speechless. ’The Gongsun Family! The legendary, mysterious Cultivation Family... In my youth, I once looked up to them with admiration, thinking they were so incredible. Who knew they would be so pathetic! So their "secluded cultivation" was just an excuse? Are they really just as timid as mice, so secretive and sneaky they don’t dare show their faces? Twice now, my own grandson has intimidated them into hiding, like birds startled by the twang of a bowstring. I can guess that besides having a guilty conscience for destroying the Gu family’s Guardian Array, the other reason must be that they’ve been in seclusion for so long they’ve lost all basic trust in people. They probably assume everyone is just like them, fond of swindling and cheating.’