Chapter 372 – Origins
Now that Nie Li and Xiao Yu had safely escaped, the others rejoiced!
What else did they have to worry about?
“Everyone, retreat!” Li Xingyun barked.
The Demon League and Heavenly Path League split into dozens of smaller groups and charged out, retreating while fighting off their enemies.
Gu Heng led his men in a chase for a few hundred kilometres. Although both sides had suffered quite a few losses, at least half of the Heavenly Path and Demon Leagues’ combined forces managed to retreat safely. Gu Heng could only watch as they escaped.
A quick count told Gu Heng that the Heavenly Path and Demon Leagues had suffered a total of five thousand casualties, while he’d suffered six thousand. Li Yufueng had also suffered over a thousand deaths.
Three of his Deity’s Lakes were gone and he’d suffered more losses in personnel than his enemies. Gu Heng was extremely depressed.
He looked out at the horizon, in the direction that the Heavenly Path and Demon Leagues had escaped to, and rays of wrath flashed through his eyes. “If we were only killing each other out of hatred, then maybe the family elders wouldn’t be bothered over it. However, I don’t think that’s the case anymore, since you dared to commit actions like destroying Deity’s Lakes! Gu Bei, let’s see if your position as first-in-line successor is still stable!”
Gu Heng led a group of men and rushed back to the Divine Feathers Sect.
He definitely had to get the elders riled up about this, then make them impeach Gu Bei!
Destroying three of his Deity’s Lakes was just too vicious a move. He definitely had to make Gu Bei pay the price!
One day later, Skysoul Inst.i.tute, Gu Bei’s courtyard
Gu Bei, Li Xingyun, and Lu Piao were gathered together.
Gu Bei frowned and questioned, “Why isn’t Nie Li back, yet?”
Li Xingyun smiled. “Xiao Yu unleashed a mysterious inscription pattern array at the last minute to save them. It looked like some kind of s.p.a.ce-time array. Since they’ve already stored their fate souls, they’ll only be able to die once before they return. There’s nothing to worry about!”
Since the outside world was so vast, sending out a search party wouldn’t be a good idea.
Gu Bei nodded. “Alright then. Let’s just forget about it for now!”
Lu Piao wasn’t worried for Nie Li in the slightest.
They began discussing the arrangements for compensating the members of the Heavenly Path and Demon Leagues who’d died. Suddenly, a servant anxiously walked in. That servant’s name was Gu Teng. He was one of Gu Bei’s direct subordinates.
“Master Bei, I just received news that Gu Heng is trying to contact the elders of the Gu Clan to impeach you!” Gu Teng anxiously reported.
“Impeach me?” Gu Bei was stunned for a moment.
“It seems to be about the destruction of their three Deity’s Lakes!” Gu Teng reported.
Gu Bei furrowed his brows briefly. Indeed, there’d never been a precedent for destroying a Deity’s Lake. Perhaps they really had gone a little too far this time. But what about the fact that Gu Heng had poisoned his sister? That was even more vicious. This was “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”.
“How does Gu Heng plan to accomplish his goal” Gu Bei asked with furrowed brows. If Gu Heng was going to play petty tricks, then Gu Bei would have to guard against them!
Both Li Xingyun and Lu Piao were listening beside them. This was part of the Gu Clan’s internal affairs; outsiders like themselves wouldn’t be able to provide much help. They could only help him come up with ideas.
“Gu Heng has gathered dozens of elders and is preparing to pressure the Patriarch. They want you to either give up your position as first-in-line successor, or compensate for the loss of three Deity’s Lakes. One of those elders actually supports Miss Gu Lan and secretly told this news to the Young Miss. Young Miss then asked me to pa.s.s the message to you!” Gu Teng said.
A chilling ray flashed through Gu Bei’s eyes. Before he’d displayed his strength, Gu Heng had been the first-in-line successor; therefore, many elders had good relations.h.i.+ps with Gu Heng. After Gu Bei had destroyed three of Gu Heng’s Deity’s Lakes, Gu Heng wasn’t resigned; he was trying to use the clan’s power to deal with Gu Bei!
“Gu Bei, what are you going to do?” Lu Piao asked.
Gu Bei went silent for a moment, then said, “I already have an idea! Gu Teng, go investigate which elders Gu Heng has contacted!”
“Yes!” Gu Teng bowed and replied.
Gu Bei busied himself.
The outside world, a mysterious and hidden valley
Surrounded by towering, precipitous cliffs was a valley, flouris.h.i.+ng with gra.s.ses and flowers. A small spring flowed out from a densely packed forest. The Heavenly Energy was especially rich in this area.
Nie Li didn’t know how far he was from the Divine Feathers Sect. He’d never been here before, not even in his previous life.
After Xiao Yu had activated the s.p.a.ce-time array in his ring, he and Nie Li suddenly appeared in this valley. They’d shaken Gu Heng off their trail, but Xiao Yu had suffered severe, almost fatal, injuries from the dragon flames.
Xiao Yu only had a 5-fate cultivation. His entire body had been charred black by the dragon flames, and his life was hanging by a thread. With his current cultivation, recovery wouldn’t be easy.
Nie Li should’ve bought a set of Grade 6 armour for Xiao Yu, too. He couldn’t help feeling guilty about that.
Xiao Yu struggle to sit upright, and leaned on a big tree to do so. He forced his head up to look at Nie Li and weakly said, “Healing these wounds is too difficult for me, especially in this state. Kill me. That way, I can revive back in the Soul Hall!”
Nie Li squatted down next to Xiao Yu, inspected his wounds, and confidently replied, “You wounds might be heavy, but recovery isn’t impossible! As long as your soul realm hasn’t collapsed, I can do it!”
Xiao Yu showed an embarra.s.sed expression and said, “Forget it!”
“There still a chance! Why are you giving up?” Nie Li said in confusion. He looked at Xiao Yu’s ring and said, “I never thought you’d have this sort of hidden method up your sleeve. It looks like an ancient s.p.a.ce-time attributed ancient artifact. I actually don’t recognise it! It looks like it’s connected to your blood and is a part of you.”
Xiao Yu lowered his head and looked at the ring on his finger. Then, he s.h.i.+fted his eyes and gazed off into the distance, “I’m an orphan, adopted by my foster father. Back then, I was still a infant who knew nothing. Everything that was related to my birth is gone. Only this ring was left behind. The ring is extremely important to me — it’s the only proof of my existence in this world!”
Nie Li shook his head at Xiao Yu’s words. “A person’s existence isn’t something that can be proven with just an item. Have you heard the saying before? “Like the empty air; life is as tranquil as a blooming flower; all is fleeting and illusory; let your heart be as clear as a mirror”1. Everyone is born into this world empty-handed. Your existence doesn’t any proof. Live life with a merry heart and appreciate what is there! Things like origins aren’t that important!”
Xiao Yu looked at Nie Li with a dumbfounded expression. Although Nie Li was younger than he was, Nie Li sounded like a sage who’d already seen through the illusions of life into reality. Xiao Yu’s desolate heart found comfort in Nie Li’s consolation.
Xiao Yu looked at the ring on his finger and said in a serious tone, “I understand your meaning. I’ll take your advice and appreciate life. But I still want to know of my origins!”
