Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband

Jiang Yan smiled faintly and said, “Gu Yao is a member of our Tianfu Academy, and there’s no problem with him staying with us. We respect Gu Yao’s decision, and this action shouldn’t be a forced conscription, right?”

Gu Yao didn’t want to accept; he certainly didn’t want to be placed in the Lord’s Mansion’s territory. He could easily imagine what kind of situation he would face if he moved in there.

In truth, he was also considering the Lord’s Mansion. Chi Changye’s temperament was not something to be trifled with. If they went too far, things might not end well for them.

He was just being kind-hearted.

Elder He’s attention was more focused on Chi Changye. As soon as Chi Changye made his appearance, the news of him becoming a late-stage Foundation Establishment sword cultivator had already spread. A sword cultivator with such strength naturally had many admirers, and it was inevitable that some people would be wary of him. Elder He, being a kind-hearted person, was also in that category. However, Chi Changye kept his gaze slightly lowered, his demeanor indifferent, as if he was unaffected by the outside world, leaving Elder He puzzled.

At this point, hearing Gu Yao reject the Lord’s Mansion’s summons and Jiang Yan again rejecting on behalf of Tianfu Academy, Elder He paused for a moment, his hand resting on his beard. He looked at Gu Yao with a slightly unfriendly gaze and asked, “Young friend, is this your final decision?”

Gu Yao gave a fake smile and said, “In addition to being an Alchemist, I am also a cultivator. I am willing to join my fellow cultivators to resist the sea beasts, drive them away, and restore peace to the Tianlin continent.” By the end, he looked completely righteous, not at all weaker than the female cultivator who had tried to pressure him earlier with grand principles.

Lu Qiusheng nearly burst out laughing. The others also twitched their mouths, especially those who knew Gu Yao well. They knew he was a good and humble person, so it was hard to imagine him saying such righteous words in public. But now, here he was, saying them, so the only possibility was that he was doing it on purpose.

However, the cultivators who weren’t familiar with him were immediately stirred by his words, their sense of justice ignited and their fighting spirit sparked. Previously, they had almost been swayed by the Lord’s Mansion’s intentions, but upon careful thought, Gu Yao’s decision to come to the front lines of battle during such a sensitive time was enough to show his stance.

“Fine, fine! Then we’ll wait for the good news from Alchemist Gu!” Elder He restrained his anger and said. After speaking, he waved his sleeve and left. He had come personally, but not for Gu Yao. No matter how high Gu Yao’s alchemy skills were, he was still a Qi Refining cultivator. For him, as an elder from the Lord’s Mansion, to personally greet a Qi Refining cultivator? Perhaps if Gu Yao reached the level of the Hu Valley Master, he would consider it. What he was truly interested in was Chi Changye.

As they watched the group from the Lord’s Mansion leave, the crowd around them buzzed again. Lu Qiusheng, feeling schadenfreude, said, “Xiao Gu, you’ve offended the Lord’s Mansion.”

Gu Yao blinked and replied, “Offended? Because I didn’t stay in the Lord’s Mansion? But what difference does that make? Besides, the Lord’s Mansion doesn’t have the kind of broad-mindedness you claim.”

“…Tch!” Lu Qiusheng paused for a moment, then spat angrily. This kid was doing it on purpose.

A soft smile appeared in Chi Changye’s eyes as he gently brushed past Gu Yao’s hand and said, “Xiao Yao, just follow your heart. Let’s head into the market.”

“Okay.” Gu Yao smiled brightly.

Blindingly bright, that was Lu Qiusheng’s thought.

Gu Yao was about to go back with Jiang Yan and the others when a Tianhai Sect elder who had been watching the scene frowned slightly. He turned to Tian Feiyang and said, “Go with Alchemist Gu. Make sure his safety is protected.”

“Yes, Elder.” Tian Feiyang was eager to spend more time with his younger brother. After cupping his hands, he hurriedly followed Gu Yao and the others, who had already begun to leave.

“Elder…” One of the disciples nearby looked worriedly at the Tianhai Sect elder. Wouldn’t this offend the Lord’s Mansion?

The elder sighed and said, “Alchemist Gu came here to help our Tianhai Sect, how could we repay kindness with enmity? Besides…” He glanced at the disciple beside him. “Who has done more here, Alchemist Gu or the people from the Lord’s Mansion?”

Before Gu Yao and his group had even reached the Tianhai Sect, they had already saved a group of commoners and several Tianhai Sect disciples from a town that had been attacked by the beast tide. Upon arriving at the Tianhai Sect, they wasted no time in refining a substantial amount of high-quality pills for the sect. As soon as they left the Tianhai Sect, the people from the Lord’s Mansion arrived, trying to use righteousness to suppress Gu Yao, which he found utterly ridiculous.

The disciple moved his mouth but said nothing. He knew the elder was in a bad mood. After the people from the Lord’s Mansion came, they became the ones calling the shots, causing the elder’s efforts to be constantly thwarted. But when it came to fighting the sea beasts, which sect had more experience than the Tianhai Sect?

However, the Lord’s Mansion was very powerful—what could they do? Offending the Lord’s Mansion surely wouldn’t have a good outcome.

On their way back, the group from the Lord’s Mansion was furious. The female cultivator who had invited Gu Yao, Ruan Xinhui, was the most upset. In her eyes, Gu Yao had humiliated her by ignoring her in front of so many people. From a young age, she had never been treated with such disrespect. Because of her status in the Lord’s Mansion, she was always the center of attention wherever she went.

“Uncle He, who does this Gu Yao think he is, to dare ignore the Lord’s Mansion? As soon as we issue a command, he won’t have anywhere to go on Tianlin Continent!” Ruan Xinhui’s first thought was to teach Gu Yao a harsh lesson, so he would understand the power of the Lord’s Mansion.

“Miss Ruan, don’t be angry. A petty person like him isn’t worth your trouble. If you’re really upset, there’s no need to use the Lord’s Mansion’s command. With just a few of us, we can easily make him fall,” Elder He said. Gu Yao had been so righteous about wanting to join the fight against the sea beasts. The battlefield was the place where accidents happened most easily, and a little carelessness could lead to a fatal end.

These words eased Ruan Xinhui’s wounded pride a little. She, Miss Ruan, was still admired by many, with countless suitors. How dare a mere alchemist challenge her!

At this moment, Elder He spoke up, “Don’t act rashly. If we’re found out, will the reputation of the Lord’s Mansion be worth nothing?”

At times like this, the Lord’s Mansion could not afford to be involved in any scandalous activity. If it were exposed that the people of the Lord’s Mansion were secretly plotting against other cultivators, especially someone like Gu Yao, a renowned alchemist, the reputation of the Lord’s Mansion would suffer a huge blow.

The male cultivator first stiffened, then relaxed and said, “Elder He, I know what to do. I won’t let the Lord’s Mansion’s reputation be tarnished.” They couldn’t make a move themselves, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t get others to do it. It was simple.

Gu Yao settled into his temporary residence at the Tianfu Academy, and the scene at the entrance quickly spread throughout the entire market, even reaching outside. Gu Yao became a popular topic among the cultivators in their spare time, with two completely different views forming.

Some admired Gu Yao even more. He had already participated in a battle on the way here, saving a town and its cultivators. After arriving at the Tianhai Sect, he refined a batch of pills for them. These actions were no secret; as soon as his arrival was known, the news had spread. After finishing the pills, he immediately rushed here without resting. What about this alchemist wasn’t worthy of admiration?

Especially the disciples of the Tianhai Sect were extremely grateful to Gu Yao after learning about his deeds.

However, some people felt that he was ungrateful. He didn’t even give face to the Lord’s Mansion, and was already so arrogant before reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. He acted as if he was above everyone else and didn’t even care about the Lord’s Mansion. Furthermore, as an alchemist, shouldn’t he focus on alchemy at this critical moment?

Did they not know how scarce pills were for the cultivators fighting in the battle right now? Many cultivators had delayed their healing due to the lack of pills, yet he was willing to stop refining pills to join some battle. What kind of combat effectiveness could an alchemist like him have? He might even slow down his fellow cultivators on the battlefield. Couldn’t he have a bit more self-awareness?

The second opinion spread more and more widely. After hearing the rumors, Lu Qiusheng returned, furious. If it weren’t for others stopping him, he would’ve started fighting with those spreading slander. When they were pushing Gu Yao, had they ever stopped to consider what they had done themselves?

Their actions were like putting Gu Yao on a fire to roast. There were so many alchemists, so why were they all focusing on Gu Yao? Why didn’t they go and criticize those alchemists who wouldn’t even come to the frontlines?

It was simply because they thought Gu Yao and Tianfu Academy were easy targets.

Ruan Xinhui, upon hearing the feedback from the disciples who returned from the market, especially the criticism of Gu Yao, smiled with satisfaction. She had been furious earlier, but in truth, dealing with a small cultivator like him was easy. First, ruin his reputation, then—heh!

“Send more people to keep an eye on their movements. This young lady will teach them a lesson.”

“Yes, Miss Ruan.”

—

Cuiyan Valley

Master Hu had been keeping a close watch on the situation at the Tianhai Sect, especially after hearing that Gu Yao and his companions had gone there. His attention intensified, so he could quickly receive any news about changes on that side.

“Is someone intentionally making things difficult for Master Gu Yao? Are you sure about who did this? Is it related to the Lord’s Mansion?” Even though he wasn’t particularly crafty or good at handling intricate schemes, Hu Master couldn’t help but think that it was suspicious. Gu Yao had just rejected the Lord’s Mansion’s invitation, and shortly after, he was harshly criticized. He couldn’t believe that there was no connection between the two events. Even if the investigation didn’t reveal any direct link, Hu Master still firmly believed that it was related to the Lord’s Mansion.

Hu Master still didn’t have much time to manage the trivial matters of Cuiyan Valley. However, this time, he decided to send someone out who wasn’t too involved with the factions in the valley, and he wouldn’t trust others completely like before. He would check in regularly to make sure he wasn’t being misled by his subordinates.

“I also think it’s very likely,” the person agreed with Hu Master’s view. “Master Gu Yao probably realized that once he accepted the invitation to the Lord’s Mansion, he’d be stuck there, constantly refining pills with no way to leave. The pills he refines will go straight to the Lord’s Mansion, and by the time they’re passed to other cultivators, how many will actually remain? They’ll use his fame to further their own agenda, while all the benefits will go to the Lord’s Mansion. In the end, who will even remember the Master Gu Yao who was confined to the Lord’s Mansion, constantly refining pills?”

“Yes, this is something everyone understands. But the Lord’s Mansion is too powerful. Now that Master Gu Yao has offended them, there will definitely be people who won’t speak up for him and may even stir up trouble behind the scenes.” Hu Master’s face darkened. “I’ll give the orders. I’ll personally bring a group of alchemists over to deal with this. We’ll leave immediately.”

His subordinate was stunned for a moment but quickly accepted the orders and began preparations for the journey. If the valley master personally went to Tian Shui Market, they wouldn’t let Gu Yao face this public scrutiny alone. The people from the Lord’s Mansion wouldn’t dare treat the valley master with such an attitude.

However, Hu Master’s attitude toward Gu Yao seemed a bit too favorable. As soon as he heard that Gu Yao was wronged, he immediately wanted to rush to his aid. Once the valley master showed up, it was clear that Gu Yao would soon be free from this predicament.