The man and woman cuddling atop the spire were none other than Gu Luolin’s biological parents, experts whose names alone struck fear into the hearts of the rulers of the Three Realms: Gu Xuande and Qing Li.
All the titled emperors outside were also members of the Gu Family.
“Why invite him? Are you interested in him?” Gu Xuande furrowed his brow, as if he were jealous. Were anyone else there to see this, their jaws would have dropped. He was a half-step transcendent, yet here he was, pouting like a little boy!
“Why would I be interested in him? He’s just a little kid.” Qing Li giggled. “But then, Little Rong is so pretty, her son ought to be a handsome guy!”
“See! You are interested in him!” As the words left his lips, Gu Xuande performed a series of actions sure to make anyone’s eyes widen:
He crossed his arms! Pouted his lips! And glared!
….
He was the head of his clan, old enough to be their ancestor, yet he made this expression. He even snorted; it seemed he often acted like this.
“Enough already, I’m joking! We should have him over since I want to take a look a thim, that’s all. If he entered the Transcendent Mausoleum, he’s at least a ruler, so he ought to pay us a visit anyway! Besides, he’s Little Rong’s son! It’s only naturally that we’d invite him to see his ancestral home.”
“That so?”
“Of course! Also, he’s the Emperor Star, so our Gu Family is inevitably going to cross paths with him.”
Gu Xuande’s expression finally softened. Qing Li immediately smiled, planted a kiss on cheek, then said sweetly, “I love you the most.”
“That’s about right!” Gu Xuande rubbed his cheek and grinned. Then, with a sweep of his hand, a barrier appeared and enveloped the entire room.
His foolish smile, like that of a youth in love for the first time, disappeared, replaced with the dignity someone of his station ought to have.
“Have you made any new discoveries about the gods of the end?”
“Of course! It’s shocking news, too!” Qing Li’s innocent, unaffected demeanor vanished completely.
To tell the truth, their current expressions seemed far more befitting, regardless of whether you looked at their current positions or their record of past accomplishments.
“Tell me!”
“I can’t! It’s too shocking. We have to call Father-in-law over and discuss it together. I already sent people to notify him, and unless he’s in seclusion, he should be here soon!”
“Does your desire to meet Ye Zichen have something to do with this shocking news?”
“You could say that!”
“I’m itching with curiosity!”
“I still can’t tell you.” Suddenly, Qing Li put on the mannerisms of a little girl, poked Gu Xuande in the chest, and drew circles with her finger. “Hey, you knew Luolin wasn’t in the clan, so why didn’t you send the servants out looking for her?”
“Their young miss was missing for so long without them noticing. I’m just punishing them a little!”
“You really are wicked!” The beautiful woman reached out and pounded his chest. The man then took her arm and held it close. Watching them, they seemed less like parents and more like a young couple who’d only just fallen in love.
….
….
….
Rumble!
The secret tunnel opened behind the blank scroll once more. Ye Zichen lifted his hand from the painting, tilted his head and looked into the tunnel, then went inside.
There was no longer any trace of Yuchi Kong or Huangfu Youming. There was, however, an eye-catching, unmistakable schmear of blood in the corner.
It wasn’t Ye Zichen’s!
Ye Zichen glanced briefly at the bloodstain, then turned and walked into the tunnel without a second look.
The staircase was long, and the slop was steep. Looking down was dizzying. The entire tunnel brimmed with the power of the five elements. Every time Ye Zichen took a step, he felt a manifold increase in the elements’ concentration.
“Nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine!” As he reached the bottom of the staircase, Ye Zichen said this number.
It represented the number of steps. From the doorway to the base of the stairs, there were nine thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-nine steps in total.
The instant he reached the bottom, the concentration of elements reached unparalleled heights.
It was as if he stood in a sea of elemental power, the elemental essences so concentrated, they were almost tangible, as if he could stretch out his hand and grab them.
There was a square at the base of the stairs. It was empty save for countless towering stone pillars.
The pillars’ arrangement was quite strange; it looked a bit like a formation, but also a bit like a sacrificial altar.
“Is that Brother Ye?” A voice suddenly emanated from ahead. The speaker sounded hesitant, and when Ye Zichen looked over, he saw Gou Monan appear from behind a pillar. He was carrying Gu Luolin in his arms.
Ye Zichen strode up to them, and Gou Monan’s eyes lit up with delight.
“Brother Ye, you’re a man of great fortune indeed!”
“Brother Monan, you’re exaggerating,” said Ye Zichen with a laugh. He then examined Gou Monan and saw no trace of his wounds. “Have your injuries all healed up?”
“It’s all thanks to the medicine you gave me!”
“It was no problem. After all, you got hurt fending off Yuchi Kong and Huangfu Youming. What do a couple of pills matter? But Brother Monan, I’m truly moved. Instead of going off in search of treasure, you waited for me by the entrance. I’m truly…”
“Brother Ye, you’re the one who opened the passageway, yet you stayed behind to save us. How could I take advantage of the situation to go treasure-hunting without you! Besides, there’s someone else in the tunnel, and my cultivation is rather low. If I go on my own, it might be more dangerous than staying behind. Better to wait for you, then wait for the girl to wake up. A group is three is far safer,” said Gou Monan seriously.
“You’re righteous indeed!” Ye Zichen cupped his fist, then took Gu Luolin from Gou Monan’s arms.
When he sensed that she was still breathing, he relaxed a little, then turned to look at Gou Monan. “She still hasn’t woken up?”
A hint of an apology flashed across Gou Monan’s face. “She woke up, but she insisted on going out there to save you. I know you’re magnanimous, and that you wouldn’t want her to endanger herself, so I knocked her unconscious. I hope you won’t take offense!”
“How could I?” Ye Zichen, still carrying Gu Luolin, took several steps back, a strange smile on his face as he looked at the earnest Gou Monan. “All you did was knock her unconscious. I’m already grateful that you didn’t take her life. No, you didn’t really knock her unconscious per se; you used some method to prevent her from waking up for a while. Or perhaps, only you can wake her up now. Brother Monan, if it’s the latter, might you show mercy on her because of the time we spent traveling together? Or on account of her innocent nature?”
“Brother Ye, what do you mean by that?”
“You’re still going to pretend? Brother Monan… No….” Ye Zichen shook his head. “I ought to call you the ‘Thousand-Faced Yao Monarch’, or rather, the murderous fiend!”
