Chapter 526 - 460: Compensation
Chapter 526: Chapter 460: Compensation
The Gongsun Brothers, unwilling to give up, lingered in Gongdao Village for two days. Gu Shaofeng hadn’t left either. Every day, he strolled around the village or hung out in the herb garden with a slender, beautiful girl. The Gongsun Brothers pretended not to notice, hiding in the distance to watch Gu Shaofeng. They could sense that his cultivation was higher than theirs and that he was an expert in Ancient Martial Arts, so they naturally didn’t dare make a rash move to steal the herbs. Straining their ears, they overheard a conversation between Gu Shaofeng and the girl. She said she loved it here; the air was fresh and the food was especially delicious. He replied, "Then let’s just stay. It’s not like you have school or work right now. Grandma and Auntie raise so many chickens and ducks. They can make you soup every day and fatten you up like you used to be. Then we can go back and take care of business!"
Gu Shaofeng was only teasing Wu Xiangyun, but when the Gongsun Brothers overheard, they lost all hope. ’For that skinny girl to fatten up will take at least a month. Don’t tell me we have to wait here for a month too? Forget it. We can’t outlast them, and we definitely can’t beat them in a fight. We’d better retreat and report back for now!’
Gu Shaofeng personally watched the Gongsun Brothers leave before calling Beijing. Gu Shaojun told him that those men wouldn’t be back and that he would call Grandpa Mo separately to explain everything else. Gu Shaofeng knew his temporary mission was complete. Now he could relax and spend a few more days with Wu Xiangyun.
It was not snowing in Beijing. The weather had begun to clear, with thin clouds revealing a brighter sky. But in the Gongsun Family’s residence in the West District, an oppressive atmosphere had settled over the entire estate, carrying a biting chill that seeped deep into one’s bones.
The highest authorities of the Gongsun Clan, Gongsun Li and his brother Gongsun Xiang, had rushed to Beijing. They had gone to the Gu Mansion at the appointed time and returned less than an hour later. Now, the men of the family, young and old, sat in silence across from one another in the living room. Every face was grim, their expressions dark and filled with a mixture of resentment and fury. No one dared to speak first. Instead, all eyes were fixed on the Clan Leader, Gongsun Li.
After a long silence, Gongsun Chongshan turned to Gongsun Li. "Father," he began, then asked cautiously, "That eldest grandson of the Gu family... is there truly no room for negotiation? Xue’er began her Cultivation when she was only six or seven. She has been so diligent and determined for all these years. If we’re to disperse her cultivation now... I’m afraid she won’t be able to bear it. She’ll cause a scene..."
"Then let her cause a scene. See what good it does."
Gongsun Li was as lean as a bamboo stalk, dressed in a set of loose, gray cloth garments. Though over a hundred years old, he had a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation that made him look like a man of sixty. His face was long and narrow, and his slightly protruding eyes glinted with a sharp light. His gaze was so piercing and animated that those who faced him could never be sure where he was looking. His expression remained unchanged whether he was deep in thought or enraged. He only turned his face slightly toward Gongsun Chongshan as his voice rose, thick with condemnation:
"What were my instructions when you first arrived? How many times did I tell you to be cautious, to avoid the Gu family, and not to provoke them! You let it all go in one ear and out the other! It’s bad enough that you and Changting do nothing but spoil Ruxue without teaching her a thing, but what about your own conduct? Are you a rat? Scurrying away at the first sight of someone, leaving your doors wide open for him to search? Is that Young Master Gu some ordinary person? He’s a soldier, a war hero! And what kind of soldier is always at the front, earning the most distinction? A scout! Even if he weren’t a Cultivator, he could have memorized everything he saw in your home. Some day in the future, he could still use that knowledge to pinpoint the one who sabotaged his family’s feng shui! Do you understand now? Not only did you disgrace the entire Gongsun Family, but you also dragged this feud—which could have been kept hidden—out into the open! You... the three of you... you’re useless at accomplishing anything but experts at ruining everything! Why did I ever choose your branch of the family to come to Beijing?"
"Father, I... I was just following your instructions to avoid the Gu family whenever possible! Besides, that Young Master Gu’s cultivation is suddenly so high, and the Gongsun Family had already earned his enmity. I was terrified I wouldn’t be able to withstand his wrath..."
Gongsun Xiang, who was also in the Foundation Establishment Stage, sat in the seat of honor just below Gongsun Li. He glared at Gongsun Chongshan, his face a mask of fury and resentment. "If you hadn’t run," he snarled, "if you hadn’t exposed your weaknesses and our Cultivation Technique right in front of him, how would the Gu family ever have known it was the Gongsun Family they had a feud with? You coward! You’ve doomed Han Shan! You’ve doomed the entire clan!"
"No! Uncle, you can’t say that!"
"Then how should I put it? The facts are staring you in the face! It’s because you exposed us that the Gongsun Family now has to pay a fortune to avert disaster. And you still dare to deny it?"