The flying vessel sliced through the sky, pushing layers of clouds to either side.
Gu Chengming sat cross-legged in the cabin. Before him was a small red sandalwood table with a pot of clear tea.
Looking back at these three months, they truly felt like the blink of an eye.
He first inspected his inner self. Within his sea of consciousness, the favorability number for the Hundred Bones Resonating had already reached "165."
This was largely thanks to those "demon beasts with ancient bloodlines."
In truth, the meat of those beasts was not good; it was coarse and difficult to swallow. However, every time Gu Chengming endured the discomfort to gulp it down, the Hundred Bones Resonating would secretly whisper, "It must not fail Emperor Gu's expectations," and "Such a divine object truly has infinite wonders," and so on. Following this, a warm current would efficiently wash through his limbs and bones, making even the unpalatable taste good.
As the favorability reached the target, his constitution attribute increased by two points, reaching a total of nine. Along with this came a change in his maximum lifespan.
【Current Lifespan: Ninety-three years】
Ninety-three years.
According to the game's standards, a typical first realm cultivator's constitution was around ten.
In other words, after so much time spent on "reborn through bone-shaping" and the Resonance of a Hundred Bones, this sword dao genius—who was at the peak of the First Realm, Ninth Level and about to step into the second realm—had finally evolved into a normal person who was only slightly weaker than his peers. Truly cause for celebration.
Besides the physical transformation, his progress in the sword dao was equally pleasing.
With the help of the "Wisdom Eye" prompts and his galgame experience, he had finally ground the favorability of the Flowing Cloud Following Moon Sword Art to forty-five points over three months. Although it was still far from the next stage, the sense of friction when using it had vanished, replaced by a fluid smoothness that felt as natural as moving his own arm.
When the sword light flowed, it was as if clouds were obscuring the moon, hiding a lethal intent. Its power had increased by far more than just a few levels compared to before.
The only thing giving Gu Chengming a headache was the 【Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art】.
During these three months, he had set aside time almost every day to study its scriptures, even attempting to debate and discuss the Dao with it in his sea of consciousness.
Yet, the favorability column remained motionless. Every time a debate ended, the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art would simply say: 【Your words are reasonable, yet words are ultimately hollow; I have yet to see actual results.】
Gu Chengming had been puzzled for a long time and could only sigh helplessly in the end.
"The ancients did not lie when they said mental arts are difficult to cultivate."
It seemed that mental-type arts were indeed different from techniques.
It appeared that only after arriving in Daqian would there be any new progress in the favorability of this heart art.
Gu Chengming shook his head, temporarily setting the matter aside.
During these three months, besides his own cultivation, he had made plenty of preparations in terms of external items. The contents of Elder Ren's storage pouch were indeed high-quality, especially the "Minghui Lamp."
Gu Chengming took the lamp out of the storage pouch and toyed with it in his palm.
The lamp had an ancient design, bronze in color, and was covered in intricate cloud patterns. The wick was not oil but a pearl the size of a fingernail that emitted a faint white light.
To refine this dharma treasure, Gu Chengming had spent two full months of painstaking effort before finally imprinting it with his soul mark.
The Minghui Lamp was a second realm, low-grade dharma treasure.
Its function was simple: it repelled evil and forced spirits to reveal themselves.
In this cultivation world, ghost cultivators and evil spirits had always been an awkward and troublesome presence.
Logically, the combat power system of the cultivation world was extremely strict; a gap in realm usually meant absolute suppression.
For instance, if a second realm demon beast killed a first realm cultivator, the ordinary first realm cultivator would have almost no chance to fight back. Although people found it stifling, they felt it was reasonable—after all, the beast had thick skin and deep spiritual power.
But it was different with ghost cultivators and evil spirits.
A second realm ghost cultivator's numerical strength was actually about the same as a first realm, late-stage or peak cultivator.
In fact, because they lacked physical bodies, their direct offensive capabilities were often inferior to those of a first realm, late-stage demon beast.
However, they were often immune to physical attacks and used bizarre methods, frequently employing spirit walls, possession, or mental attacks.
People's attitude was usually: "How can you, a second realm evil spirit, kill me, a first realm cultivator? This mechanic is too disgusting! Why can't I beat it at the first realm? When will the developers nerf ghost cultivators?!"
Thus, to deal with these "gimmick monsters," many dharma treasures specifically targeting evil spirits were created.
Elder Ren's note for this lamp was even more blunt and irritable: "If you encounter something that insists on causing trouble even after it's dead, just burn it with the lamp! How can it still cultivate after dying? By what right?"
As for the other dharma treasure, the Tinglan Sword...
Gu Chengming hadn't been idle either. He used some array knowledge he had learned from the Scripture Repository to build several small "Dust-Repelling Arrays" and "Edge-Nourishing Arrays" into the sword, saving him the tedious work of daily cleaning and maintenance.
However, Gu Chengming still had a doubt regarding this sword.
Back at the Cangjian Pavilion, the disciple had quoted a price of six thousand low-grade spirit stones.
Although Elder Yu had used her position for personal gain—exchanging spirit stones for ores and using internal discounts—meaning he didn't actually spend that much, the original price of six thousand was real.
What did six thousand spirit stones mean?
The Minghui Lamp in Gu Chengming's hand, a second realm low-grade treasure with powerful functions and a top choice for survival, only cost about two thousand spirit stones in the market.
And this Tinglan Sword, while sharp, resilient, and possessing an excellent feel, was truly only a first realm, peak-grade sword.
How could a first realm dharma sword be three times the price of a second realm treasure?
Gu Chengming was not one to harbor unanswered questions. Since Elder Yu was on the boat, he might as well ask her directly.
On the deck of the cloud vessel, the wind was somewhat strong. Yu Wenqiu was lying ungracefully on a soft couch she had conjured from somewhere, holding a novel in her hand with a plate of spirit fruits beside her. She had clearly adapted to the rhythm of this business trip on the public dime.
Seeing Gu Chengming come out, she looked a bit puzzled. "What's wrong?"
Gu Chengming walked to her side, placed the Tinglan Sword on the small table, and cupped his hands.
"This disciple has something he doesn't understand and has come to ask for guidance."
"What is it?"
Yu Wenqiu popped a grape into her mouth.
Gu Chengming voiced his confusion. Upon hearing it, Yu Wenqiu paused, nearly choking on the grape.
She sat up straight and looked at Gu Chengming with a strange expression. "You don't know?"
"Know what?"
"I thought you bought it because you recognized its value."
Yu Wenqiu shook her head with a chuckle.
"Do you think those old fogies at the Cangjian Pavilion would just mark prices randomly? The material of this Tinglan Sword is second realm meteoric cold iron mixed with a bit of star-patterned steel. The material cost alone is more than three thousand spirit stones."
"Second realm materials?" Gu Chengming was stunned. "Then why..."
She shook her head, picked up the Tinglan Sword, and casually performed a sword flower. The movement was as fluid as flowing water, carrying an indescribable elegance.
"Look closer at the patterns on the blade."
Gu Chengming took it as instructed and focused his vision. Upon closer inspection, he finally noticed some clues.
Deep within the dark blue blade, he could vaguely see extremely fine lines, almost like human meridians.
These lines were not fully connected; they were intermittent, as if... they hadn't been carved out yet?
"This is..." Gu Chengming's heart stirred.
Yu Wenqiu lay back on the couch and explained slowly, "The craftsman who forged this sword originally intended to create a second realm, top-grade dharma sword."
"But during the forging process, he had a sudden inspiration. He wondered what would happen if he temporarily sealed part of the sword's internal paths, leaving only the most basic main meridian?"
"The result was this Tinglan Sword."
"In essence, it is a second realm peak-grade, or even nearly third realm, seed."
"But because the sword paths are sealed, the power it displays is only at the first realm level. Because of this, its spiritual power consumption is extremely low—so low that even a first realm cultivator can easily wield it."
At this point, Yu Wenqiu looked at Gu Chengming with a half-smile.
"If the sword paths were fully opened, your meager spiritual power would likely leave you dizzy after a single swing, given the terrifying throughput of a second realm sword. The craftsman designed it this way so the sword could gradually unseal as its master's cultivation improves."
"It's just that the paths aren't opened yet. If they were, the consumption would be too great for a first realm cultivator, making it impractical."
Gu Chengming suddenly understood. It was a scalable weapon.
Two more days passed.
The cloud vessel traveled above the sea of clouds. The astral winds were kept out by the arrays, leaving only a gentle breeze brushing across the deck.
He turned around, his gaze falling on Yu Wenqiu on the couch.
The elder was currently bored, picking up a spirit fruit and popping it into her mouth every now and then. Her eyes, which usually held a hint of lazy amusement, now seemed somewhat listless, even tinged with an unmistakable... gloom.
Gu Chengming was a bit puzzled.
Logically, Elder Yu hated the tedious formalities within the sect and despised being burdened by mundane affairs.
Even when she was on duty at the Cangjian Pavilion, she would push it off or hide if she could.
Now that she had been "exiled" by the Sect Master, even if it was for protection, given her personality, wasn't this just a paid vacation to travel and enjoy the sights?
She didn't have to clock in at the Cangjian Pavilion, didn't have to listen to the Sect Master's nagging, and didn't have to worry about being conscripted for work.
For a salted fish, wasn't this a dream come true?
Why did she look like she was mourning her own parents?
"Elder."
Gu Chengming set down his teacup and finally couldn't help but ask:
"This disciple has noticed your frown throughout the journey. Is something on your mind? Now that we've left the sect, we are no longer bound by the morning bells and evening drums, and we can travel through Daqian. Isn't this a good thing?"
Hearing this, Yu Wenqiu set down her teacup and let out a long sigh.
She glanced at Gu Chengming with a look that suggested she was looking at a naive boy who didn't know the heights of the heavens or the depths of the earth.
"Little Gu..."
Yu Wenqiu sat up, shedding her lazy demeanor. Her face rareley showed such a sincere, earnest expression.
"You are still too young."
"Do you think this Daqian is some wonderful place?"
She shook her head and pointed a finger in the air, her tone sorrowful.
"You couldn't be more wrong!"
"That place..." Yu Wenqiu took a deep breath, as if recalling an unbearable past. "That place is simply not fit for humans!"
Gu Chengming was stunned. "What do you mean? Is Daqian overrun by demons and extremely dangerous?"
"If it were just demons, that would be fine! You'd just slay them with a sword—how crisp, how efficient!"
Yu Wenqiu slapped the table and said indignantly, "The scariest thing there isn't demons; it's people! It's the rules! It's those faces with smiles hiding daggers, and those sets of hidden rules that make your head spin!"
She pointed to the vessel beneath them and then to the faint silhouette in the distance.
"Do you know? Years ago, I was just like you—full of spirit, heading down the mountain with my sword, thinking I could make a name for myself in Daqian and become a carefree sword immortal."
"And the result?" Yu Wenqiu sneered. "On my very first day in the capital, I was almost detained for half an hour by the gate captain because I stepped through the city gate with my left foot first!"
"..."
Gu Chengming's eyelid twitched. "Left foot first?"
"Yes! Daqian emphasizes 'left is noble, right is humble,' but that's only for civil officials! Martial officers emphasize 'right is superior'! That gate captain saw me carrying a sword and categorized me as a martial person. Seeing me enter with my left foot first, he felt I didn't know the rules and was showing contempt for the Imperial City!"
"And that was just the beginning. Once I entered the government offices, it was like walking on thin ice, every step a potential disaster!"
At this point, Yu Wenqiu's mask of pain was fully on.
She began to vividly describe the "horrific" Daqian bureaucracy to Gu Chengming.
"How much you have to bend your waist when speaking to a superior—there are rules for that! Bending too much is flattery; bending too little is arrogance!"
"When you drink tea, if your hand gesture is wrong, you're uncultured! If the tea lid isn't closed tightly, it's a hint to the guest to leave!"
"If a colleague invites you to dinner, it's even more of a torture! How are the seats arranged? Who picks up their chopsticks first? What should you say when offering a toast? Even the order of picking up dishes can't be wrong! If you make one mistake, the next day the entire capital circle will hear that you're an 'uncultured rogue cultivator'!"
"The scariest ones are the civil officials!"
"They insult you without using a single curse word! They'll clearly be smiling while praising you, but by the time you realize what happened, you'll find they've insulted eighteen generations of your ancestors and dug a pit for you to jump into!"
"I stayed there for three years..."
"In those three years, I felt more tired than thirty years of secluded cultivation in the sect! Every day before leaving the house, I had to think deeply: should I wear purple or green today? Should I step in with my left or right foot? Should I smile thirty percent or fifty percent when I meet someone?"
"Tell me, can that be called a good place?"
Gu Chengming's mouth hung slightly open. Although he had some understanding of Daqian's rules through the Records of Daqian Miscellaneous Affairs and the Zhou Rites art, he hadn't expected it to be so exaggerated...
Was Elder Yu exaggerating?
Considering Elder Yu's face-palming social skills, it might very well be her own imagination.
However, just as Gu Chengming was secretly clicking his tongue...
【The 《Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art》 is listening with boiling blood!】
【Advancing and retreating with measure, acting with propriety, respecting hierarchy, meticulousness—wonderful!】
He ignored the attitude of this divine art in his mind.
"Ahem."
Gu Chengming coughed twice, forcing down the strange feeling. Looking at the indignant Yu Wenqiu, he comforted her:
"Elder, please calm yourself. Daqian is, after all, governed by Confucianism; it's inevitable that there are many rules. However, with your cultivation and wisdom, you must have navigated that bureaucracy with ease back then, perhaps even leaving behind many legendary tales?"
These words were meant as polite flattery, smoothing her ruffled feathers.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this, Yu Wenqiu, who had been complaining, suddenly froze. Her eyes darted around, and she picked up her teacup to hide her expression with a sip before saying vaguely:
"That... that goes without saying."
"Hmph, although the rules were a bit annoying, am I the type of person to be bound by mere rules?"
Yu Wenqiu set down her teacup. Seemingly to regain some dignity as an elder, she straightened her back and lifted her chin, beginning to recall her glory days.
"Back then, when I served in the Daqian Night Guard Division, I was also... ahem, a prominent figure."
"Oh?" Gu Chengming chimed in at the right moment. "I would love to hear the details."
Yu Wenqiu's eyes shifted for a moment, then she seemed to open a floodgate, speaking incessantly.
"I remember one year, there was a strange case in the capital. It was said that a certain Prince's manor was haunted. There were cries every night, and the Prince was too terrified to return home. The Night Guard Division sent several groups, but none could find the cause; two unlucky fellows were even scared out of their wits."
"Later, the case fell to me." Yu Wenqiu waved her hand dismissively.
"I didn't say a word; I just took my sword and went to the door. The manor's butler tried to use rules to pressure me, saying I had to change clothes, bathe, and perform three kowtows and nine prostrations to see the Prince. Did I listen to him? I kicked the door open, pointed my sword at the Prince's nose, and asked him what guilty deeds he had done!"
"The Prince was scared senseless on the spot and confessed everything—how he had embezzled disaster relief funds and caused the deaths of refugees. It turned out the so-called ghost cries were just the restless souls of the refugees."
"I performed the rites for the souls right then and there, then threw the evidence of the Prince's crimes onto the Minister of Justice's desk, forcing them to punish him according to the law."
Gu Chengming was stunned.
That was too fierce!
Was this really the same Elder Yu who would lie down rather than sit, who would fake illness just to be lazy, and who wrote fanfiction in secret?
Gu Chengming praised her sincerely, "I didn't expect you to have such boldness back then, Elder! With the Daqian bureaucracy being so focused on rules, didn't your actions offend many people?"
"Offend?"
Yu Wenqiu snorted, a hint of guilt flashing in her eyes that went unnoticed, but her words grew even tougher.
"So what if I offended them? We are sword cultivators! Sword cultivators believe in speaking our minds directly! As long as the sword is in hand, the truth is in hand! Those civil officials might have sharp tongues, but if it really comes to a fight, who would dare say half a word under my blade?"
She spoke with increasing vigor, as if she had truly returned to that highlight moment.
"There was another time when the Daqian Emperor held a banquet for the disciples of the major sects. At the banquet, an ignorant prince insisted that I perform a sword dance for his entertainment."
"Who am I? How could I accept such an insult?"
"On the spot, I..."
"On the spot, you flipped the table?" Gu Chengming asked tentatively.
"Crude! That's how a brute acts!"
Yu Wenqiu glared at him, then adopted a profound look.
"On the spot, I picked up a wine cup and used sword qi to turn the wine into a rain of flowers. Every drop of wine landed precisely on the prince's robes without harming him in the slightest, but it made him a public laughingstock, soaked to the bone."
"The Daqian Emperor not only didn't blame me but laughed three times, praising my divine swordplay and rewarding me with a hundred gold pieces."
So Elder Yu was that dashing in her youth?
Gu Chengming immediately felt a sense of respect and cupped his hands.
"Since you had such a reputation in Daqian, Elder, won't there be many old friends to catch up with when we arrive? With your connections, our business should be much easier to handle."
"Uh..."
Yu Wenqiu, who had been speaking excitedly, froze.
Catch up?
In her mind, the real scenes from back then surfaced.
——In front of the Prince's manor.
That white-clothed Senior Sister had kicked the door open, pointed her sword at the Prince, and exuded an overbearing aura.
And she, at the time, was hiding behind that Senior Sister, tightly clutching her hem, too scared even to lift her head, silently chanting "don't look at me" while frantically complaining in her mind about how high the manor's threshold was, nearly tripping her.
——At the imperial banquet.
That prince had spoken rudely, demanding a sword dance.
It was that same Senior Sister who had coldly swept a glance at the prince, picked up the wine cup, and used sword qi like rain, shocking everyone with her skill.
And she, at the time, was buried in her food, eating so fast that people around her were staring.
In fact, during her three years in the capital, besides following that Senior Sister around for free food and drinks, she had spent her time hiding in the guest house reading novels, too afraid even to step out the door. Those so-called rules and hidden rules were all bedtime stories told to her by that Senior Sister after she had finished dealing with trouble, frustrated by Yu Wenqiu's lack of ambition.
The reason she thought Daqian was terrifying was entirely because that Senior Sister would come back every day and say, "I almost got tricked again today" or "I offended such-and-such Minister today," making her tremble with fear.
"Ahem..."
Yu Wenqiu coughed violently, her eyes darting everywhere.
"That... it's been so many years. Those old friends... probably, maybe, possibly have all retired to their hometowns?"
"Besides, we cultivators believe in fate. Seeking them out intentionally would be... ungraceful. Ungraceful."
She picked up her teacup, using the action of drinking to hide her face full of guilt.
Gu Chengming didn't notice anything amiss. Instead, he felt Elder Yu's words had the air of a master who "leaves after the deed is done, hiding their name and fame."
By now, the flying vessel had passed through the continuous sea of clouds, and the scenery below began to change.
The verdant mountains gradually receded, replaced by flat and wide official roads, crisscrossing farmlands, and scattered villages and cities.
A massive aura, completely different from the spiritual energy of the sect, rushed toward them.
It was a mixture of the smoke and fire of the mortal world, the aspirations of the masses, and a certain majestic order.
Vaguely, at the far edge of the horizon, there seemed to be the phantom of a golden dragon coiled in the sky, looking down upon the land.
That was—the Daqian National Fortune, the Imperial Dragon Qi.
"We've arrived."
Yu Wenqiu set down her teacup. Looking at the familiar yet strange sight below, her expression was complicated.
Gu Chengming stood up and walked to the bow, facing the oncoming mortal aura.
"Daqian..."
The cloud vessel slowly descended, merging into that rolling mortal world.
The heavy pressure belonging to the imperial capital became more apparent as their altitude dropped.
Unlike the pure and ethereal immortal atmosphere of the sect, Daqian's capital exuded an awe-inspiring sternness.
Yu Wenqiu leaned on the railing, looking at the towering city walls drawing closer. Her brow furrowed slightly as she turned to Gu Chengming, who was curiously observing below, and said earnestly:
"Little Gu, though you are gifted, the schemes of the human heart and the twists of the bureaucracy are much harder than swordplay. The people of Daqian smile at you, but in their hearts, they might be calculating how to plot against you. You have a direct nature; if you encounter those old foxes who only say thirty percent of what they mean and leave the other seventy percent for you to guess, you're likely to suffer."
Gu Chengming withdrew his gaze, showing a perfectly timed bit of awkwardness as he cupped his hands.
"The Elder is absolutely right. Although this disciple has read some miscellaneous books, it is, after all, just armchair strategy. Regarding social etiquette and the ways of the world, I am truly ignorant."
"On this journey down the mountain, besides tempering my sword dao, I'm afraid I will have to rely entirely on Elder Yu's guidance and mediation for these social matters."
Hearing this, the frustration Yu Wenqiu felt from being "exiled" mostly vanished. A sense of responsibility as an elder spontaneously arose at that moment.
She straightened up, adjusted her slightly messy collar, and patted her chest heroically.
"What's there to fear! With me here, the sky won't fall!"
"You just focus on your cultivation. If you encounter those mundane matters that require talking or scheming, just leave them to me! Back when I was active in this capital, I also... ahem, I also had quite a bit of status. I'm very familiar with these social exchanges!"
Just as she finished speaking, the flying vessel gave a sudden lurch.
"This is the Daqian Dragon Qi."
Yu Wenqiu pointed at the purple-gold pillar of light hovering over the capital—invisible to mortal eyes but appearing like a brilliant sun to cultivators—and explained:
"This is formed by the convergence of the people's aspirations and the earth's dragon qi; it is the foundation of the nation. Under the protection of this Dragon Qi, all laws are suppressed, and all evils are repelled."
"Never mind you or me; even a fourth realm grand cultivator who tries to fly over this capital would suffer internal injuries from the pressure. If they tried to force their way through, the backlash from this Dragon Qi would either kill them or strip them of a layer of skin."
To add weight to her words, she pointed to a low-level demon bird nearby that was foolishly trying to fly over the city wall.
As soon as the bird approached the sky above the wall, it didn't even have time to scream before it was instantly obliterated.
Gu Chengming looked at the dissipating blood mist and nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "In that case, there is one thing I don't understand."
"Since this Dragon Qi is so overbearing and can kill all external evil, why... did I see in the records that within Daqian, and even within the capital, evil occurrences are still frequent and strange cases are constant? Why is there even a need for our sect disciples to come down and assist in slaying demons?"
"If external evil cannot enter, where does the evil inside come from?"
This question caught Yu Wenqiu off guard.
She opened her mouth to explain but found the reasoning too complex, involving the human heart, karma, and the rise and fall of national fortune. For a moment, she didn't know where to start.
"Well..." Yu Wenqiu's eyes shifted as she said vaguely, "Darkness grows in the human heart. As long as there are selfish desires, evil cannot be wiped out. Oh, we'll talk about these grand theories later; the people meeting us are here."
She pointed to a group of people on the landing platform, quickly changing the subject.
As the flying vessel landed steadily, it kicked up a light cloud of dust.
On the landing platform, a squad of officials dressed in black silk robes with standard long sabers at their waists had been waiting for a long time.
The leader was a burly man with a resolute face. A faint scar on his left cheek didn't diminish his dignity but rather added a bit of ferocity.
He emitted a deep, restrained spiritual pressure—he was clearly a fourth realm, early-stage expert.
Yu Wenqiu was originally a bit nervous; after all, she had been bragging. If they encountered a difficult person, it would take some effort.
But when she saw the leader's face, her tense shoulders instantly relaxed.
"It's him."
Yu Wenqiu transmitted her voice to Gu Chengming, her tone carrying a bit of pride.
"Little Gu, we're in luck. This man is from the Night Guard Division, and he's an acquaintance. When I was training in Daqian, he and I were colleagues who met a few times."
"Back then, he was just a third realm case officer, busy every single day. I didn't expect that after all these years, he'd finally made it, breaking through to the fourth realm. Looking at his uniform... he should have been promoted to Vice commander."
"Since he's an acquaintance, things will be easy."
Gu Chengming felt a bit more at ease upon hearing this.
By now, the officials had approached. The scarred man's eyes were like lightning, scanning the vessel. After confirming the Wenjian Sect insignia, his expression softened slightly.
When his gaze fell on Yu Wenqiu, he was first stunned, then a flash of surprise and nostalgia appeared in his eyes. His habitually tense face even managed to squeeze out a slightly stiff smile.
"I didn't expect the person arriving today to be an old friend."
The scarred man took a large step forward and cupped his hands in greeting, his voice booming:
"It's been a long time, centurion Yu."
This "centurion Yu" was shouted with full vigor, sounding warm and natural.
Yu Wenqiu's expression became subtle.
centurion...
That was a middle-management position in the Night Guard Division, and also evidence of her days spent slacking off in Daqian.
Back then, her fellow disciples from the same period had either been promoted to Thousand-man commanders based on their military achievements or entered core departments as Enshrined Experts. Only she, relying on her transcendent slacking skills, had sat firmly in the position of centurion for three years until she returned to the sect.
Yu Wenqiu smiled awkwardly, her eyes guiltily glancing at Gu Chengming. She forced herself to maintain her poise as she returned the greeting:
"Indeed, it's been years. I didn't expect we'd meet again."
To regain some face and show off her current status and knowledge of the Daqian official system, Yu Wenqiu cleared her throat and said with a smile:
"Looking at your attire, your cultivation has also improved a lot. You must have been promoted by now?"
"Congratulations, congratulations, Vice commander Liu."
She intentionally emphasized the word "Vice," intending to express a sense of being "in the know" and "paying attention to him" to bridge the gap and build rapport.
However...
The moment the words "Vice commander" left her mouth...
The scarred man's face, which had held a bit of a smile and nostalgia, instantly collapsed.
He put his hands behind his back, and his slightly leaning posture straightened. He no longer looked at Yu Wenqiu but instead stared stiffly elsewhere.
Yu Wenqiu: "?"
What happened? Did I say something wrong?
Isn't that a respectful title? According to the Night Guard Division rules, black robes with gold patterns denote a Vice commander—that's correct! I clearly addressed him according to official etiquette!
Is it because I didn't use his name? Or because my tone wasn't warm enough?
Oh no. I just bragged to Little Gu about my wide connections and great reputation, and now I've killed the conversation with an old acquaintance the moment we met.
In the suffocatingly awkward silence...
The scarred man took a deep breath, adjusting his emotions. Although his expression was still not great, he turned his gaze toward Gu Chengming, who had been standing quietly behind Yu Wenqiu.
"And this is?"
His tone was stiff, carrying a routine, perfunctory air.
Yu Wenqiu was about to introduce him, trying to soften the atmosphere.
But she saw Gu Chengming already step forward, bowing with a smile:
"Inner sect disciple of the Wenjian Sect, Gu Chengming, greets commander Liu."
He omitted the word "Vice" from "Vice commander," saying it with complete naturalness.
The scarred man's eyebrow twitched violently.
"Gu Chengming?"
He repeated the name, and for a moment, the corners of his mouth seemed uncontrollable, wanting to curl upward.
Gu Chengming straightened up and said sincerely:
"While at the sect, I often heard Elder Yu mention that there is a Lord Liu in the Night Guard Division who is a pillar of the nation, possessing heavenly cultivation and immense righteousness. When Elder Yu first arrived in Daqian, she relied much on Lord Liu's care and guidance."
"Seeing you today, your presence is as steady as a mountain and as deep as an abyss. Truly, seeing you once is better than hearing of you a hundred times!"
"This disciple is a newcomer. If I should fail to understand the rules while traveling in the capital, I hope the commander will not hesitate to grant me his guidance!"
These words made the man quite happy. Not only did Gu Chengming skillfully remove the "Vice" that had annoyed him for so long, but he also praised his cultivation and presence. Furthermore, it gave Yu Wenqiu a way out, suggesting she spoke well of him behind his back.
Vice commander Liu's serious face finally broke into a smile again.
"Hahahaha!"
Vice commander Liu laughed heartily, stepped forward, and patted Gu Chengming heavily on the shoulder.
"Good! Well said, Gu Chengming!"
"As expected of a top disciple of the Wenjian Sect—truly a fine young man. And your tongue... ahem, your words are very pleasant to hear!"
The more he looked at Gu Chengming, the more he liked him. His eyes were full of admiration.
"Since you were brought by Elder Yu, you are one of our own juniors. Don't talk about 'guidance'; that's too formal!"
"In the future, if you run into any trouble in this capital, just give my name. My Night Guard Division still has that much face."
"Many thanks, commander!" Gu Chengming cupped his hands again, looking full of gratitude.
"Oh, don't be so polite! Come, come, the horses and carriages are ready. Let's not stand here in the wind. Let's return to the Division first; I've already ordered a welcoming banquet. We can eat and talk."
The two of them chatted back and forth, quickly becoming friendly.
Yu Wenqiu opened her mouth to say something but found she couldn't get a word in.
I thought Little Gu and I were in the same boat.
Why does it feel like he's a fish in water now?
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