Great families always prioritized caution above all else when securing their standing in the world.
When a great, hidden clan that had lain low for ten thousand years suddenly emerged into the world, anyone would want to test their depth first before deciding whether to follow them or become their enemy.
“And after you test us?” Shen Qingci asked, raising her eyes as she casually wiped her fingertips. “If the Shen family lacks depth, what does the Gu family plan to do? And what if our foundation is indeed deep?”
Gu Qingyi took out an exquisite brocade box and gently pushed it toward Shen Qingci. “If the Shen family's foundation is not as deep as the Gu family estimates, then this is an apology gift. From then on, the Gu family will withdraw all of our forces and mind our own business, never interfering with the Azure Cloud Sect or you, Senior Sister.”
She looked up, her expression turning solemn. “But if you are worthy of our trust, Great-grandmother has a message: ‘A year from now, during the six-thousandth birthday banquet of the Cangwu Gu family's patriarch, she humbly requests you to grace us with your presence.’”
“The Gu family has been content to stay in a corner of the Southern Region for too long. We hope to choose a wise master to help us step out of this small region, meet the geniuses of the Four Regions, and secure prosperity for hundreds of generations.”
Shen Qingci did not take the brocade box.
She leaned back against her chair, staring at Gu Qingyi for a long time.
The private room fell so quiet that the only sound was the faint ripples of the spiritual dew in their cups. Under her intense gaze, a thin layer of cold sweat broke out on Gu Qingyi's back, but she did not dare to look away.
“Junior Sister Gu,” Shen Qingci finally spoke, her tone as casual as if she were discussing their daily coursework. “Why should the Shen family agree to this?”
Gu Qingyi froze.
Shen Qingci pushed the brocade box back. “Just because the Gu family wants to choose a wise master, the Shen family has to accept this token of allegiance? Your great-grandmother is quite the calculator, trying to exchange a mere birthday banquet for the Shen family's endorsement.”
“But the Shen family does not lack vassals. The forces across the Four Regions wishing to climb onto the Shen family's tree could line up all the way from Cangwu County to Qinghe County.”
“If I wanted the Gu family's resources, I have a hundred ways to get them without letting other forces even catch a glimpse of the Shen family.”
“Why must I show my face at a birthday banquet and tie the Gu family to the Shen family for the whole world to see?”
Gu Qingyi's pupils shrank slightly.
She clenched her sleeves, her fingernails digging into her palms.
Before coming here, she had repeatedly rehearsed how this conversation would go, imagining Senior Sister Shen's rejection, hesitation, anger...
But she had never imagined that the other party wouldn't even open the brocade box, instead exposing the Gu family's little scheme completely.
Senior Sister Shen was right.
The Shen family did not lack vassals.
Even the arrogant rogue cultivator powerhouses of the Southern Region were secretly itching to make a move upon hearing that a top-tier hidden family was about to enter the mortal world.
The Gu family was prominent in the Southern Region, but on the stage of the entire Four Regions, they were merely a second-rate force.
“Senior Sister...” Gu Qingyi's voice was a bit strained. “I am only a messenger. I... I might...”
She wanted to stand up and apologize.
Senior Sister usually treated her very well. For her to do this felt somewhat ungrateful.
But she did not dare to disobey her great-grandmother's orders.
Shen Qingci raised her hand, gesturing for her to sit down.
“Alright, sit down.”
Gu Qingyi's frozen body slowly sank back into her seat. Her eyes turned red, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at her.
Shen Qingci sighed inwardly, looking at how conflicted Gu Qingyi was, caught between her family and the sect.
Ultimately, Junior Sister Gu was just a messenger. There was no need to take her anger out on her.
“I will attend Patriarch Gu's birthday banquet, and I will bring the Shen family's foundation with me,” Shen Qingci suddenly changed her tune. “Of course, the Gu family must also prove their worth.”
Gu Qingyi snapped her head up in surprise. “Senior Sister, you mean...”
“Rest assured, as long as they do not betray the Shen family, any vassal family under our name will get what they desire,” Shen Qingci said, raising her cup to sip the spiritual dew with a calm expression. “But the prerequisite is that the Gu family must show me their sincerity.”
“A birthday banquet and a few sweet words are not enough!”
Gu Qingyi took a deep breath, suppressing her racing thoughts.
She stood up and bowed solemnly. “I will convey your words to my great-grandmother exactly as you said them, Senior Sister.”
Shen Qingci set down her cup and glanced at the brocade box. “Then this thing...”
“That is a meeting gift prepared by the main family. Please accept it, Senior Sister,” Gu Qingyi said hurriedly. She bit her lip, her voice filled with apology. “As for today's matter, I have wronged you, Senior Sister.”
“The main family wanted me to test the waters, so I came, but I didn't know how to bring it up with you... If you do not wish to keep this brocade box, I can return it on your behalf.”
Shen Qingci glanced at her. In the end, she did not refuse again and swept the brocade box into her storage ring.
“As for my own...” A cold light flickered in Gu Qingyi's eyes. “That wretched man Lu Beichen actually dared to drag you into things in public. It seems he hasn't been taught enough lessons.”
“I've asked some sisters from various great families in the Southern Region to spread some rumors. We said that he enjoys cross-dressing, prefers the company of men, and especially loves to squeeze into crowds of male cultivators.”
“These rumors have already reached the ears of some male cultivators with terrible reputations who aren't picky about their partners.”
“I also had someone add fuel to the fire, saying that no matter how pathetic he is, he is still the personal disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect's Sect Master. If they can latch onto him, they won't have to worry about spirit stones and cultivation resources in the future.”
“There's no need to actually do anything to him. Just receiving invitation jade slips every other day and having people linger outside his cave dwelling while he tries to rest at night will be enough to disgust him to no end.”
“This is my gift to you and Senior Sister Chi.”
Hearing this, a trace of astonishment flashed through Shen Qingci's eyes.
She sized Gu Qingyi up and down once more.
This Junior Sister Gu was usually gentle and dignified at the Dharma Academy, laughing and chatting with Zhao Yu and the others with utmost amiability.
Who would have thought that when she targeted someone, her methods would be so incredibly satisfying!
Giving him a taste of his own medicine.
Since Lu Beichen had disguised himself to sneak into the female cultivators' Dao discussion conference, she would let him taste what it was like to be targeted by creeps.
Shen Qingci suddenly felt that Gu Qingyi's gift was far more valuable than that brocade box.
“Junior Sister Gu,” her lips curved slightly. “I like this gift very much!”
Gu Qingyi let out a sigh of relief. Her stiff shoulders relaxed, and her usual gentle smile returned. “I'm glad you don't mind it, Senior Sister.”
The two chatted a bit more about their coursework at the Dharma Academy, made plans to visit the Library together tomorrow to look up some ancient texts, and then ended their gathering.
As she walked out of the private room, Shen Qingci's mind stirred, and she tapped on the system panel in her sea of consciousness. “System, how much Luck Value does the male protagonist have left?”
A row of cold numbers floated onto the panel.
【Lu Beichen's current Luck Value: 840】
His initial Luck Value was “999.”
After all her maneuvering, she had ruined the wretched male protagonist's opportunities and destroyed his reputation.
Even after he became the personal disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect's Sect Master, his Luck Value had actually decreased instead of rising, dropping by over a hundred points!
Shen Qingci withdrew her gaze in satisfaction and casually opened her own panel.
In the Luck Value column, the number written was shockingly: 36.
Shen Qingci paused in her tracks.
She remembered very clearly that when she first activated the system, her Luck Value was only “1.”
Adding the 10 points she received after completing her last mission, and considering she hadn't triggered any new missions...
According to the rules, her Luck Value should have remained unchanged, shouldn't it???
Why did it increase on its own?
She opened the details as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
A dense list of entries unfolded from top to bottom.
Rate on N.U.
