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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
Something felt wrong to Jiang Luoshen as soon as she sat down.
[Why am I sitting down just because he wants me to?] As soon as the thought flashed by, she swiftly got on her feet again.
With a frosty expression on her face, she stared hard at him as she blurted out, “Gu Changge, I am here to make a deal with you this time.”
Hearing her words, he lifted his gaze to glance at her. “I know,”
He replied while he took his time fanning the fire under the tea stove. The lavender flame gave an eerie feeling that it could burn anything and everything down. Even the void was a bit blurred as if it would collapse at any time. It was obviously an extremely rare, precious flame.
“You knew?” Jiang Luoshen frowned when she heard him. She didn’t think he would say that. As she had readied herself in every way before she came, she naturally had guessed Gu Changge’s many reactions and what he would say.
But now that he was saying that he knew, she became tongue-tied by the unexpected dejection that washed over her.
“You want me to keep my mouth shut and not expose the so-called explanation of the Godly Illusion Clan. And in return, you will promise not to say that the four Sect Masters died by my hands, no?” Gu Changge smiled, “After all, there were a lot of people who saw what happened with their own eyes. As long as you are ruthless enough to make use of the souls of your clansmen who fled together with you at that time, you can naturally show what happened then. That is supposed to be my Achilles Heel, am I right?”
Jiang Luoshen couldn’t help but turn pale as she gaped at him in disbelief upon hearing that. She didn’t think he would know her plans, and even the words she hadn’t said.
Suddenly, she felt as though she had been completely seen through. Gu Changge was right about everything. The truth was, not many had witnessed Gu Changge’s killing of the four Sect Masters. In addition to her, several other clansmen also witnessed all that with their own eyes at the time. That was why she had the confidence to come and make a deal with Gu Changge.
If Gu Changge decided to expose their lie, they would make the matter public and fight till the end against him. However, it seemed that Gu Changge had known about their plan for a long time, and he didn’t actually care at all.
“I guessed it right, hmm?” Gu Changge smiled when he saw the change in her expression. “You people are too naive. You should have considered how I don’t fear they would get their revenge on me, as I was the one who took their lives. How believable do you think you would sound if you said something like this at that point?”
“What do I have to do to get you to agree to it?” Jiang Luoshen asked glumly.
She didn’t imagine things would turn out this way before she came here. All of this was a one-sided consensus imposed by the Godly Illusion Clan. Although they had a way to capture the soul of their own clansmen and showcase the scene at that time, some forces would definitely still have doubts and believe that the Godly Illusion Clan had faked it, just to find a scapegoat.
As long as there was an expert in manipulating souls, they could easily tamper with some memories, after all. Thus, this wasn’t the best method as it had a lot of loopholes.
Gu Changge was obviously not worried because he had other countermeasures.
Meanwhile, Jiang Luoshen couldn’t help feeling that things were getting more complicated when she thought about it.
“My conditions are very simple.” He started with the nonchalance of a third party as he languidly made himself fresh tea. “I want you to stay. I need a hostage from the Godly Illusion Clan by my side, and I want someone who will answer me any time I call for them. It will be difficult for me to trust you otherwise. After all, both parties have to show a token of their sincerity to make a fair deal. Now don’t look at me like that. The fate of your Clan is in my hands now. Best believe that a word from me can fill the other forces with so much hatred that they’d dispatch the army to hunt down your Clan. I doubt the Godly Illusion Clan will be able to fight back then. Tsk, tsk. But the eight Sect Masters represent the eight forces, each from a different direction. I wonder, how will your Clan deal with them?”
Jiang Luoshen thought of the possibility he mentioned, and her face turned pale. Still, she gritted her teeth and growled coldly, “Don’t push it, Gu Changge. I can agree to the rest of the conditions, but this was absolutely unacceptable. If you want a hostage, I can send a message to my father and ask him to send my sister over.”
She thought of a compromise. If all Gu Changge wanted was a hostage to show her Clan’s sincerity, her sister could stay with Gu Changge as a hostage on her behalf. Gu Changge even wanted someone who would be at his beck and call.
Not to mention, Gu Changge was extremely dangerous. She didn’t even know when she would lose her life if she stayed by his side. Staying here meant that she had to be vigilant and careful at all times. The fear that had embedded deep into her bone before still resurfaced from time to time. It was like a demon in her nightmare, and her fear had no sign of being erased.
Gu Changge raised his sleek eyebrows as he unhurriedly blew on his tea. “Is your sister the future Godly Illusion Empress?” he asked.
“Although my younger sister is not the future Godly Illusion Empress, she is also a talented and powerful person in our Clan. She might not be as good as me, but her future achievements will not be lacking in any way.”
Noticing her weary stare at him, he let out a chuckle. “What is the use of saying this? You would give your sister up so easily, huh? It is a pity that I only want you. If you can’t agree to this condition, there is no need to further discuss this matter.”
After he said that, he leisurely picked his cup up and took a sip of tea. He was in no rush after all. He anticipated Jiang Luoshen’s agreement by the end of their discussion. Not only could he keep the Godly Illusion Clan wary by keeping her beside him, but he could also use a maid for the time being.
He could bring himself to accept her status as the future Godly Illusion Empress of the Godly Illusion Clan. Of course, if Jiang Luoshen insisted on opposing him like last time at the Godly Illusion Tomb, he didn’t mind killing her again. He didn’t believe that there were so many Death Substitution Puppets on Jiang Luoshen.
“Gu Changge, can’t you change it to something else?” she grunted through gritted teeth. The proud woman was now smothered with aggrievance. Although Gu Changge’s words sounded a bit ambiguous for some reason, they had no room for doubt.
“I am not a patient man, and I don’t like repeating myself for the third time.” Gu Changge shook his head slightly and took another sip of tea slowly while he waited for her to agree. He found it hilarious how she was walking into his trap. He couldn’t believe how naive the future Godly Illusion Empress was. It turned out he had overestimated Jiang Luoshen.
“Why do you insist on this condition?” Discontent was written all over her face as she balled her small flawless fists. She had already planned to suffer humiliation before coming to the Immortal Academy to find Gu Changge. However, she hadn’t expected Gu Changge would come up with such a ridiculous condition. And yet, she wasn’t in any place to refuse. As Gu Changge said, they thought they had a hold of his weakness, that they could force him to submit and make a deal with them. However, this so-called ‘weakness’ was something so insignificant Gu Changge couldn’t be bothered with it.
On the contrary, it was Gu Changge who had the fate of the Godly Illusion Clan in his hands. Even though the death of the eight Sect Masters didn’t sound like a big deal, the things involved behind it were beyond terrible. None of the forces alone were as good as the Godly Illusion Clan, but if they were to join forces, even the most powerful of opponents had to be on guard and weigh their next course of action carefully. Even if she told her father what Gu Changge had proposed, her father would definitely tell her to agree to it.
“Why do I have to agree to this condition?” she asked again.
Gu Changge thought about it seriously when he heard the words, and then took a good look at Jiang Luoshen. “I should be asking you that instead. You have a foul personality, but you are easy on the eyes.”
As the princess of the Godly Illusion Clan, Jiang Luoshen was an absolute beauty who had flowing golden locks, a tall and slender figure, and beautiful long legs. Her facial features were exquisite and flawless, and with skin as clear as thin ice. In other words, she looked like a living sculpture.
Jiang Luoshen was taken aback for a moment when Gu Changge said straightforwardly, without any intention of hiding anything. She was used to hearing flattery every other day, but it felt different when Gu Changge was the one who said it. [Why would he kill me without hesitation back then if he thinks I am beautiful?]
“Ha! You want to talk about my foul personality? And how much better than me are you?” She then added with a scoff, “But I am glad you are not blind to beauty.”
“No point in all this idle talk. I can kill you any time if your beauty alone doesn’t please me.” Relaxed, he took another sip of tea before peering at her. “I have given you your options. It is up to you now what you want to do.”
“Hmph! I can agree to your conditions, but you must promise not to force me into doing things I don’t want to do. Also, you cannot interfere with my Clan’s interests.”
Gu Changge looked at her from head to toe upon hearing her reply. Instead of being a typical dainty woman, Jiang Luoshen was now glaring back at him, unabashedly showing her beautiful face and proud figure.
“And what if I force you?” he asked, amused.
“I will fight tooth and nail with you,” Jiang Luoshen warned coldly. She was holding a Golden Decree tightly in her hand. Gu Changge only glanced at her sleeve, obviously not taking her words to heart, as he hummed, “Alright. Now, let’s hear you call me your ‘Master’.”
“You!” Her beautiful eyes shot open. Even though she was tempted to take out her artifact, she had to suppress her anger because she knew she could never win against him. She was neither here to get her revenge nor go against him.
“I can’t do something like that….” She curtly turned to the other side.
“You should be able to pour me tea and give me a massage, yes?” Gu Changge’s expression was still nonchalant.
“No. I have never served anyone before…” she said, deadpanned. As a princess of the Godly Illusion Clan, she had always been aloof as she overlooked everything with a dignified appearance. Why would she ever pour tea or massage anyone!?
“You are messing with me now.” Gu Changge smiled without losing his temper at all. “You can’t do this, you can’t do that. So what can you do? Do you really want me to kill you?”
Despite his calm voice and appearance, Jiang Luoshen felt a terrifyingly cold and murderous aura hit her in the face, knocking the breath out of her as she trembled.
“I…” Jiang Luo’s face fell. She couldn’t help clenching her jaw when her back was covered in a sheen of cold sweat. She knew that Gu Changge’s words were his final warning to her. Things weren’t going to end on a good note today if she continued being stubborn.
“You’d better put away that princess behaviour of yours when in front of me. I might just make public your Clan’s matters if I happen to be in a bad mood one day.” He threw her a glance. “It is alright if you don’t know how to serve others. You can always learn. And if you can’t learn, there is no need to keep you alive.”
His words were simple, but his tone was thick with frightening killing intent.
Jiang Luoshen’s complexion turned pale when she thought she suddenly saw a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood all rushing towards her. She couldn’t help but shake in fear as she clenched her fists tightly. As unwilling as she was to submit to him, she didn’t dare to confront him head-on.
“F-Fine. But you can’t get out of line.” Jiang Luoshen gritted her teeth and took a deep breath to calm herself down before she started trudging towards him.
This was the first time she had to serve someone else, which was why it was unavoidable she was clumsy about it. The moment she saw the displeased frown on his face, her hand shook, and she almost spilled the tea.
Gu Changge only shook his head slightly and complained, “You can’t even pour tea? You are useless.”
Jiang Luoshen’s face after she heard his remark was indifferent, but she was filled with a sense of humiliation on the inside. This was the first time in her life she had ever been called useless. She was tempted to throw the tea at his face and let whoever the hell wanted to serve him do it instead of her, but these were all complaints she held inside.
The fact that Jiang Luoshen never left after entering Immortal Academy was a shock to many young prodigies and Elders after they found out about it. They had thought she had a reason for coming to see Gu Changge, but she actually came and stayed beside Gu Changge! They wondered about the reason behind her stay. While they were filled with jealousy and envy, they also deeply felt the large gap between them and Gu Changge.
…
“She stayed?” Yue Mingkong felt her jealousy bubbling after she received word about it. She didn’t know Jiang Luoshen’s purpose for going to Gu Changge. However, Jiang Luoshen’s actions now were surprisingly consistent with what she did in her previous life. The only difference was that while she dropped by Immortal Academy in this life, she visited Gu Changge at the Gu Family Residence in her past life.
However, she didn’t go pick a bone with Jiang Luoshen. She didn’t have to bother herself with something like this. Fortunately, Jiang Chuchu and Wang Zijin, who had business at Mortal Palace, weren’t aware of what was happening here after they left the Immortal Academy. They would have reacted way worse than Yue Mingkong did otherwise.
…
All the forces in the Upper Realm were searching for traces of Jiang Chen and Monk Pu Du soon after that. In addition, many Lands of Eternal Overcast would appear occasionally in various places, causing mass panic.
But other than that, times were a lot more peaceful than before. For some time, Gu Changge had been sending people around to search for the locations of the Nephrite Breeze Pavilion branches. And it was this that had attracted the attention of many forces.
Although the assassin’s guild was far behind similar long-standing organisations like Pagoda, Humanness, and Neraka, Nephrite Breeze Pavilion had gained fame in the Upper Realm in recent years. Countless had died in their hands.
It shocked and confused people that Gu Changge would send many cultivators to search for the location of the guild. Could they have offended Gu Changge, and Gu Changge had in turn issued a generous reward for the cultivators who catch the assassins of Nephrite Breeze Pavilion?
All of a sudden, many in the Upper Realm began to search for the location of Nephrite Breeze Pavilion after hearing the news. Many branches were wiped out because of that. Although the assassins of Nephrite Breeze Pavilion were hidden everywhere, many of them were caught and sent to Gu Changge. As for the assassins, they might be tight-lipped, and would rather die than submit, but they still fessed up about Nephrite Breeze Pavilion after Gu Changge’s relentless and tortuous interrogations.
[It seems that Bai Lian’er has already left the Upper Realm, and she brought many experts from Nephrite Breeze Pavilion to the Demon Realm. She is probably planning to send the brocade bag before she discusses Bai Kun’s rescue.] Gu Changge’s brows were slightly raised. His initial plan was to wait for Bai Lian’er to show up, but now, it seemed that she was a lot smarter than he thought for not recklessly rushing over. In that case, there was no need for him to stay in Immortal Academy for now. [It seems that we can only force Bai Kun back to the Gu Family Residence for now.]
And so, he gave instructions for that to be done before he left Immortal Academy without bringing any followers along. The followers of the younger generation were useless to him now. After all, their abilities fell short. The only thing they could do for him was act as his lackeys and show off his prestige. For that reason, Gu Changge set his sights on the experts at higher cultivation levels. Now, only those who were at least of the Sacred Realm had what it took to really stay beside him and do things for him.
He told Jiang Luoshen to return to the Godly Illusion Clan to bring back some manpower, whereas he went to Chaos Star Territory. As the name suggested, Chaos Star Territory was an extremely chaotic place that looked like it was made up of many broken continents. It was vast and majestic, and starlight surged amongst the sea of stars, while star debris and islands fell scattered on the ground. Many cultivators and caravans came and left here every day.
He soon met Ji Qingxuan in an Ancient City deep in Chaos Star Territory, when she was lecturing a group of people in a palace.
“Master Gu,” she greeted him. The fair-faced woman with clear facial features and smooth locks gave off a cool but bright air in her long purple dress. She hadn’t let him down at all. Under her governance, Chaos Star Territory appeared to be in order. In terms of the Order here, it was much more stable than when Bandit Thirteen ruled the place. Not only that, she now had the dignified aura of a ruler.
After having a taste of power, the flame called ambition couldn’t stop its tendency to burn even the sky. After Ji Qingxuan saw Gu Changge, she seemed excited as she took his arm and reported to him the fruit of her labour during this period. She seemed eager to hear him compliment her.
“The income during this period is at least 30% higher than when Bandit Thirteen ruled. Many caravans are smart enough to not skip paying tolls, and there are fewer casualties. I am sure we can double the scope in another three years!” the new created ruler confidently announced.
“Well done.” Gu Changge nodded as he checked what she had achieved during this time. Afterwards, he selected many experts from among the thieves, with the weakest ones being in the Sacred Realm. There were also a few Sacred Lord Realm experts, who had made an enemy out of other forces and had fled all the way here to hide, and now lived dangerous lives. This was a group of desperadoes who were powerful and experienced in fights.
They naturally knew Gu Changge’s identity, and they were ecstatic after knowing that they could follow him. Their former enemies could do nothing to them, now that they had this new identity as Gu Changge’s followers. Just like that, they killed the most monstrous of the bandits and became Gu Changge’s subordinates.
The various Races of the Celestial Ancient Continent and the Immortal Gu Family had also received word from Gu Changge to send in a good number of experts. After getting all this done, Gu Changge took a group of subordinates to the agreed place and waited for Jiang Luoshen’s arrival.
“What does going to the Demon World to find someone have anything to do with me?” Jiang Luoshen’s voice sounded from far away. She was riding the golden clouds, whose brilliance soared into the sky, and she was followed by many Godly Illusion Clan Masters. Gu Changge could see indifference on her face and hear the discontent in her voice.
Safe to say, she had suffered because of Gu Changge during this period. Her ego had taken a big hit because the man hadn’t held back on ordering her around. He had even ordered her to get more lackeys from the Godly Illusion Clan, just so he could bring them with him to the Demon World to find someone.
He was treating her just like an errand girl!
However, much to her disbelief, she also realised that she had gradually gotten used to being ordered around by him.
“We greet you, Young Master Changge.” Many Godly Illusion Clan Masters respectfully bowed to Gu Changge. Even though they knew that Gu Changge planned to use them as his minions, no one dared to voice a word of complaint.
When Gu Changge heard the princess’ voice, he glanced at her and asked, “Why are you coming along?”
“Of course, it is because I am worried that you will let those from my clan die,” Jiang Luoshen answered coldly.
Gu Changge didn’t mind it much. “Is that right? Well, it works out for me to have a servant I can summon around on the journey.”
He then went directly to a teleportation array which led to the Demon World. Unlike the rest of the world, the Demon World was special due to its location very close to the central area of the Upper Realm, and there were numerous teleportation arrays around that could easily pass through space to reach it.
As of today, Gu Changge’s reputation has reached an unprecedented peak among the many worlds in the Upper World. His every move was being scrutinised. Many people were even guessing when he would be the new Head of the Gu Family. With his strength, he could definitely handle the responsibility of the position easily. The Young Master of the Gu Family who was only in his twenties only got more attention from different forces, since he suddenly brought a large number of powerful experts to the Demon World.
Thus, countless were shocked, and they had all sorts of speculations about the reason why he did this.
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