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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
“Is this the man surnamed Gu that who has won your heart? Why is he wearing a straw hat? Why is he being all mysterious and hiding his appearance from everyone?”
Chen Ya’s hands tightened. She felt both expectant and a little shy.
After hearing her parents’ remarks, she guessed, “Maybe he just doesn’t want to cause a stir to avoid causing trouble for himself? Young Master Gu has become quite famous lately.”
[Impossible…] Meanwhile, Lady Su, the woman in white, was clenching her hands tightly too, so much so that her knuckles turned white. She was grappling with intense emotions on the inside as she could hardly believe what she was seeing.
It was a familiar figure and visage. Even though he was wearing a straw hat and seemed a little weathered by life, none of that could mask his familiar features. Even the way he walked was impossibly familiar to her.
She was one of the people in this world who understood him the best. She had followed him around for a very long time.
The veil around her face hid her shock and confusion. She could not calm down.
Her entire body trembled as her eyes misted over.
[It’s really him… but why… would we meet again here of all places? Is it a coincidence? Is it just by chance? Or, is it a surprise that he had prepared for me?] She even wondered if this was merely a dream, and that everything she saw was a mirage that would disappear at the slightest touch.
“Father…” Wang Xiaoniu ran out excitedly. He could not wait to share the good news with his Father.
Wang Erniu was smiling too. He was just as thrilled as he had heard about what happened from the villagers he met along the way.
Someone from his Wang Family has the opportunity to become an Immortal! There was a chance that his Son could become a legendary Immortal.
It was only natural that he was jubilant. If he had not been for the crowd that was still standing around, he would probably find it hard to resist bowing at the Family altar to pay his respects to their Ancestors.
“Uncle Gu, I’m going to practice cultivation and become an Immortal very soon.”
Wang Xiaoniu did not forget to share the good news with Gu Changge.
“You won’t keep grumbling about it every day anymore,” Gu Changge said with a chuckle as he stroked the boy’s head.
“Hehe. I was just worried…” Wang Xiaoniu scratched his head. For some reason, he dared not act cheeky in front of Gu Changge. He spoke and behaved as maturely as possible.
While Gu Changge seemed warm and friendly, there were times when Wang Xiaoniu felt scared of him. He figured it was because Gu Changge had naturally amassed an imposing aura after many years of being an important person, just like the books said.
He never felt this way even when he faced the Elderly men from the city. Most of the time, he dared not joke around in front of Gu Changge.
However, he was too happy and emotional today, so he behaved a lot more carelessly.
“By the way, Uncle Gu, Chen Ya is here again, and she brought a matchmaker with her.”
As Wang Xiaoniu skipped around, his eyes flickered and he could not resist whispering into Gu Changge’s ear.
“I think Chen Ya really likes you.”
“You’re a child. What do you know? Quieten down.” Wang Erniu’s expression darkened when he heard that. He smacked Wang Xiaoniu on the head to stop him from saying any more nonsense.
After all, Gu Changge’s identity was a mystery. Even though he was staying in Green Mountain Village for the time being, no one knew when he would leave. No one knew where he came from, but all the young women in the village were completely infatuated with him and wanted to marry him.
Wang Erniu felt both helpless and a little in awe.
Furthermore, even though the Family was close to Gu Changge, it did not mean they could decide his marriage for him. At most, they could simply offer Gu Changge their opinions, but he still had the final say.
“Chen Ya? The young woman who sells cakes by the village entrance? She does seem like a kind-hearted young woman.”
Upon hearing Wang Xiaoniu’s words, Gu Changge looked a little surprised offering words of praise.
“That’s… not her…” Wang Xiaoniu and Wang Erniu both looked a little stiff and awkward.
“The one selling cakes is Huang Xiaoyu. That’s not Chen Ya.” Wang Xiaoniu quickly clarified as he did not expect Gu Changge to mix the women up.
There were many villagers nearby who heard the conversation, so it was rather embarrassing.
“Oh? Did I mix them up? Is she the one who sells honeyed dates and sugared fruits or the one who sells tofu?” Taken aback, Gu Changge continued to make a few guesses.
“You should pay more attention, Uncle Gu. Chen Ya is the most beautiful girl in the village. She’s the one who often brings you water.” Feeling rather helpless, Wang Xiaoniu was tempted to hide his face as he swiftly explained.
Even though he was young, he knew everyone in the village, so he did not mistake anyone’s identity. Yet, Uncle Gu did not even recognise their young women. He could not even remember their names.
“Oh. It’s her. Didn’t I tell her I don’t plan on getting married?” Gu Changge nodded belatedly.
Outside the Wang Family’s house, Chen Ya and her Family all had dark expressions on their faces. Despite the distance, they heard the entire exchange clearly.
All the nearby villagers seemed to be enjoying the show and wanted to laugh too.
“Ya, this is the man you described as polite and gentle…”
“How infuriating! He doesn’t even remember who you are or what your name is. How can you even think of marrying him?”
Chen Ya’s parents came from educated Families and carried themselves with an air of refinement. However, they were visibly angry now.
Their Daughter only managed to convince them by showering the man with praise and expounding all his good qualities. Thus, they were willing to humble themselves and visit the Wang Family in the hopes of discussing the marriage.
However, even before meeting Gu Changge, their impression of him soured.
Chen Erya was furious too. She tightened her fists and said, “Ya, you shouldn’t be fooled by his appearance. He doesn’t even know how to respect you. He doesn’t even remember your name!”
She was so mad that she was grinding her teeth.
Chen Ya was already shocked and feeling rather awkward. She was embarrassed too. Her cheeks were pink. Since she came to the Wang Family’s house in person to bring up a marriage proposal, she had already made up her mind to not be bothered by how others viewed her.
Still, she did not expect to hear such things.
However, she soon recalled that Gu Changge never acted this way when they previously spoke. She got the impression that he was a courteous gentleman. He was always polite and humble. It was easy for others to get a favourable impression of him.
“Young Master Gu isn’t someone like that. He must be saying these things on purpose so that you will get angry and give up on this idea.” Chen Ya explained to her parents.
Her parents were startled.
“Young Master Gu…”
Just then, a soft murmur rang out beside Chen Ya, which startled her. She finally realised that Lady Su was standing beside her.
Just moments ago, Lady Su was still hovering in the air.
Naturally, Chen Ya did not notice anything unusual about the woman in white’s reaction. She quickly greeted, “Lady Su.”
“What…”
Meanwhile, the Master Elder who was brushing his beard with a smile in front of the Wang Family’s house suddenly froze. His smile gradually faded. He frowned with a look of shock and uncertainty.
“Founding Ancestor?”
“Founding Ancestor…”
The middle-aged man was confused. He did not know what his Founding Ancestor was doing and the latter did not respond to him.
He followed the Master Elder’s gaze and realised that his Founding Ancestor was staring at the man in the straw hat who was walking over with Wang Xiaoniu.
[Is there something special about him that made the Founding Ancestor react this way? Why can’t I sense anything?] The middle-aged man began to speculate. However, no matter how he observed Gu Changge, he could not detect anything unusual.
To him, Gu Changge seemed like an ordinary mortal without any talent for cultivation, let alone cultivation itself.
Yet, the woman in white appeared as well and seemed to be quite interested in the man in the straw hat.
In fact, the middle-aged man sensed that her expression was a little unusual.
“What’s happening?”
“Why have the Immortals reacted this way?”
The nearby villagers were stunned by what they saw. The Immortals either seemed grave, startled, or confused, so the villagers began to speculate among themselves.
“Ya, are they all looking at that man surnamed Gu?” Chen Ya’s parents noticed it too, so they could not resist asking.
“I think so. Could it be that Young Master Gu has some other identity?” Chen Ya was just as confused. She also questioned what was going on?
Things were a little strange.
Wang Xiaoniu felt rather smug when he saw everyone looking over at them. “See, Father?” He bragged to Wang Erniu. “Everyone treats me like I’m special now.”
Alas, Wang Erniu had a pair of working eyes unlike his Son. Naturally, he could tell that everyone was actually looking at Gu Changge.
Puzzled, he could not resist speculating too.
On the other hand, Gu Changge kept walking as if he did not notice everyone’s gazes. He was thinking about how he could gently turn down Chen Ya.
He had a feeling that he would not be staying in Green Mountain Village for much longer. Naturally, he would not be getting married and starting a Family here.
If this was merely a dream, it was almost time for him to wake up.
However, just as Gu Changge was about to approach Chen Ya and state things clearly, his gaze flickered to the side.
His brows jumped a little as he stared at the woman in white. Then, he asked, “Have we… met before?”
Everyone was thunderstruck.
Chen Ya froze in a daze too. She did not expect Gu Changge to strike up a conversation with Lady Su in this manner.
Everyone, including her, knew that Lady Su was as beautiful as a Goddess, even though she never took off her veil to reveal her face. No one ever dared to speak to her this way.
Gu Changge was bold for doing so.
Everyone thought that Gu Changge was trying to hit on Lady Su with a fairly outdated line.
However, much to everyone’s astonishment, despite the look of shock and disbelief on Lady Su’s face, she nodded in response.
“W-We have.” She lowered her eyes to resist her temptation to cry and forced herself to respond in a ‘calm’ tone. Nevertheless, her voice trembled slightly and her eyes were still red.
She never thought Gu Changge would end up like this.
[Has he forgotten about the past? What happened? Did he run into an enemy he couldn’t defeat? But… even though he forgot about the past, he still remembers me.]
Her response left the villagers feeling dumbstruck.
Wang Xiaoniu and his parents could not believe their ears either. They wondered if they had misheard her.
“How’s that possible?” Wang Xiaoniu widened his eyes.
[Has Lady Su really met Uncle Gu before? Doesn’t that mean they know each other? Could it be that Uncle Gu isn’t a down-and-out nobleman but a cultivator just like Lady Su?]
“Young Master Gu is a cultivator?” Chen Ya was stunned. She found it hard to accept this.
Only the Master Elder, who had stayed quiet and seemed uncertain from the start, was unsurprised by this turn of events.
Gu Changge was not just a cultivator. He was a figure that terrified all of existence.
The Master Elder was sweating in fear. His limbs grew numb and cold. He could hardly believe it.
Ordinarily speaking, it was impossible for someone of his cultivation level to feel this way. After all, who in this world could truly threaten him?
However, Gu Changge filled him with terror. His entire body trembled and his scalp went numb.
The Master Elder could not help but remember what it had been like when he first started his cultivation journey many Moons ago. He had been extremely cautious and afraid of the abyss-like path ahead of him.
“Just what kind of village is this…” The Master Elder dared not do anything. He did not know what Gu Changge was going through now.
But, he was certain that the latter could easily kill him if the latter so desired.
“Founding Ancestor…” The middle-aged man gulped. He was no fool, of course. He just seen on the face of his Founding Ancestor. Was it fear?
“We have? I knew it. You seem familiar to me.” Gu Changge ignored everyone else’s shock as he smiled at the woman in white in front of him.
“That’s not all.” The woman smiled softly. She wanted to reach out and stroke his face but she resisted the urge. “My name is Su Qingge. Long time no see, Young Master.”
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