Chapter 0: 37. Trial Begins
“This old man is confused too. Let the eldest son and the others explain themselves,” Elder Yuan Zhen said with a troubled expression.
For a moment, Gu Feiyan and Gu Xunhe held their own opinions, arguing endlessly.
Gu Jinghong’s head spun from listening, and he angrily waved his hand, “Enough. This Seat has roughly understood the course of events. Now, we just need to find out who provoked whom first.”
“Precisely so.” Gu Xunhe appeared very humble in front of his father, cupping his fists respectfully.
“Father, don’t you know Big Brother’s character? Only he would do such a shameful thing.” Gu Feiyan glanced askance at Gu Xunhe, finding it somewhat amusing.
“Gu Feiyan, stop spreading slanders!”
Gu Jinghong waved his hand and said sternly, “Let’s let the facts speak for themselves.” As he spoke, he took out a transparent spirit stone from his Nas Void Ring, holding it in his palm. “This Seat will personally perform the sect’s unique Lie Detector Spirit Arts, which every new disciple must undergo upon entering. If this spirit stone emits a scarlet glow, it means someone is lying.”
“You’re dead meat.” Gu Xunhe immediately broke into a wide grin, staring at Qin Gou with murderous intent.
“This disciple is willing to accept the Cult Master’s test, only asking that the Cult Master see through all deception and bring clarity. I seek to be vindicated,” Qin Gou quickly said.
“Very good.” Upon hearing this, Gu Jinghong cast a look of approval at Qin Gou. As he activated the spirit stone in his palm with his spiritual power, he asked, “Qin Gou, I ask you, did you attack someone without reason? Are the palm prints on Gu Xunhe’s face indeed your doing?”
“Absolutely not. The palm prints on Eldest Young Master’s face were from him slapping at mosquitoes and not controlling his strength. This is what this disciple witnessed with my own eyes,” Qin Gou said with a straight face, speaking with great conviction.
Ten seconds passed.
The transparent spirit stone in Gu Jinghong’s hand showed no change. He sighed helplessly, looking at his eldest son, Gu Xunhe, with great disappointment. “This is truly unreasonable. You constantly think of seizing power and framing others. You have made this father too disheartened.”
“Father, your son is wrongly accused! It must be that this wicked spawn, Qin Gou, used some underhanded method to interfere with the Lie Detector Spirit Arts!” Gu Xunhe clamored, dumbfounded.
“Nonsense.” Gu Jinghong’s face turned ashen. He said in a deep voice, “This is the Lie Detector Spirit Arts performed by this Seat personally. How could a mere cultivator at the Artifact Forging Realm like Qin Gou interfere? Or are you suspecting this father of favoritism and deliberately falsifying the Lie Detector Spirit Arts?!”
“But son, I really didn’t do it. I *wanted* to hit him, but I just didn’t get the chance.” Gu Xunhe clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, wanting to cry but having no tears. He couldn’t fathom how Qin Gou managed to deceive everyone. Could it be that his own father cherished that mad dog more than his own son?
“Enough. This Seat does not wish to hear these lies anymore! You have disappointed me enough today,” Gu Jinghong said with a somber expression. “This matter will not be dropped. Gu Xunhe will pay the price for his actions.”
Gu Xunhe was instantly dumbfounded, unable to believe it. “Father, you’re actually going to punish me for an outsider? Let alone that I didn’t get a chance to teach him a lesson, even if I had slapped him, so what? He’s just a disciple within the sect, practically an ant.”
“Qin Gou is not an outsider.”
Gu Jinghong pondered for a moment before saying with an unpredictable expression, “Elder Yuan Zhen has already informed this Seat. In the future, Qin Gou will become your fourth sister Man Xiaomu’s Dao Companion, her husband. Therefore, he is definitely not an ordinary disciple whom you can casually bully.”
“What?!”
For a moment, Gu Xunhe was stunned. Gu Feiyan was dumbfounded, and Qin Gou was utterly bewildered.
Elder Yuan Zhen chuckled and patted Qin Gou on the shoulder. “There’s no need to be so excited, nor do you need to thank this old man too much. This old man simply conveyed your intentions to the Cult Master in a subtle way. In the future, you can’t throw a little temper anymore, and you must treat Miss Four well. Hurry up and thank the Cult Master for his great kindness?”
Gratitude?
This Celestial Master just wants to slap himself! Why was I so glib back then?
Qin Gou’s face cycled between green and white, and he struggled so much he almost rolled his eyes and passed out on the spot.
A moment later.
“Thank you… Elder Yuan Zhen, thank you, Cult Master!” Qin Gou’s old face turned red. These words seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.
Accidentally becoming the destined husband of his youngest and cutest disciple? So exhilarating! Life has reached its climax, life has reached its peak…
Gu Jinghong smiled with satisfaction and nodded. “Xiaomu doesn’t know about this yet. I will personally inform her after she breaks through and exits seclusion. Qin Gou, you have extraordinary talent, and your appearance is also very handsome. I believe Xiaomu will not refuse.” Having said that, Gu Jinghong looked displeasedly at his eldest son, Gu Xunhe, and added, “This Seat will not force you to apologize to Qin Gou, because I know your personality. Even if I force you to apologize, you will never admit it in your heart. As for your punishment, I intend to postpone it for now.”
“Go find Gu Yinjiu. This Seat needs to announce the matter of the Young Sect Master test,” Gu Jinghong instructed the subordinate beside him.
Qin Gou keenly felt Gu Feiyan’s eyes beside him become firmer.
Not long after, Gu Yinjiu, dressed in a sturdy outfit, arrived in the main hall. His appearance was very similar to Gu Xunhe’s, but his physique was extremely tall and strong. He had a bald head, with not a single hair on his head.
“Greetings, Father,” Gu Yinjiu said in a deep voice.
Gu Jinghong nodded slightly. “Since everyone is here, this Seat announces that the Young Sect Master trial officially begins. Starting tomorrow, the three of you will lead your respective teams and depart in three separate paths. You will ultimately meet in the ‘Forget Self Secret Realm,’ where the seal is loosening and the portal is about to open wide.”
“The so-called Forget Self Secret Realm is a secret realm that the former Dharma Aspect True Person, Senior Forget Self, specifically created before his fall to leave behind his own inheritance. It is restricted to cultivators below the Li Jiu Realm. If any cultivator above the Li Jiu Realm enters, it will immediately trigger all the mechanisms and restrictions within the secret realm, annihilating them.”
“First, Gu Yinjiu will lead his team and depart from Nanshan Town. Second, Gu Feiyan will lead her team across the Jin Dui Mountain Range. Finally, Gu Xunhe will lead his team along the official road from White Poplar City. The routes you three take will be vastly different, but the destination is the same. Finally, the one deemed most qualified to serve as Young Sect Master during this Seat’s seclusion will be determined by the results of your training along the way and your gains within the secret realm. Of course, if someone successfully obtains the true essence of Senior Forget Self’s legacy, they will unconditionally become the Young Sect Master.”
Finishing in one breath, Gu Jinghong took a sip of spirit tea, his gaze flickering slightly. “Alright, you can now go and make preparations for this journey. Qin Gou and Xiaoyan, stay behind.”
