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Chapter 93: Gu An's Background
🕑 Added 2024-12-18 15:21:51 +0000 UTC"Isn't the Crown Prince supposed to be virtuous? Brother Li speaks highly of him, so their relationship should be good, right?" Gu An asked through sound transmission, his tone puzzled.
Yang Ni snorted and replied, "That’s just because Li Ya is naive. Over the years, the Crown Prince has sent countless assassins after him. I even saved his life once."
"Then why didn't you tell Brother Li to be more careful?" Gu An asked.
"It was his father’s decision. His father feared alerting the Crown Prince. If their relationship were to fall apart, the Crown Prince would certainly stage a coup. His father’s cultivation is weak, and he’s no match for the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince takes the throne, Li Ya would be in even greater danger," Yang Ni explained, making Gu An want to laugh.
Li Xuandao is almost in the Void Crossing Realm, yet he's no match for the Crown Prince?
With that thought, Gu An realized that Li Xuandao was quite similar to himself.
So far, Li Xuandao had never revealed his true cultivation, and the only reason Gu An knew was because of his unique abilities.
"I understand. I’ll be careful around the Crown Prince," Gu An replied via sound transmission.
Yang Ni nodded and let him go.
As she watched him leave, she shook her head slightly.
"Why do I actually care about this brat’s safety?" she muttered.
Since discovering that Gu An had an entire medicinal valley within the Inner Sect, she suspected that his background wasn’t simple. At the very least, he was well-protected within Tai Xuan Sect, making it unlikely for him to face serious danger.
Not dwelling on it any further, Yang Ni turned her attention back to her own matters. In a few days, the Twilight Flowers she had planted would bloom, and she eagerly anticipated the scene.
Meanwhile...
Gu An arrived at the Third Medicine Valley, making his way directly to the Mysterious Clear Tree.
The Mysterious Clear Tree had now grown into a massive tree, its leaves thick and lush. Beneath its shade, a White Spirit Mouse napped. Ever since the tree had grown large enough to provide shade, the mouse rarely ran around and spent most of its time sleeping beneath it.
Gu An didn’t mind this at all—on the contrary, he was quite curious.
Lü Baitian had mentioned that the Mysterious Clear Tree not only enhanced the spiritual energy of the land but also helped increase one’s comprehension when meditating beneath it.
Could the White Spirit Mouse achieve enlightenment in its dreams by sleeping under the tree?
It was worth experimenting with. If it worked, Gu An would also start napping under the tree.
Gu An reached into his insect pouch and released an Ancient Gold-Swallowing Insect, letting it fly up to the tree. Then, he found Xiao Chuan and instructed him to deliver a hundred pounds of iron ore to the tree every month to feed the insect.
The best thing about Xiao Chuan was that he never asked unnecessary questions. He simply nodded and agreed.
After checking the Mysterious Clear Tree, Gu An inspected the Human-Faced Tree and the Purple Mist Bamboo to ensure everything was growing smoothly before continuing his patrol of the Third Medicine Valley.
Now filled with many high-level medicinal plants, the Third Medicine Valley had become a treasure trove. Last year, when Lü Baitian visited, Gu An had specifically requested to increase the number of servant disciples. Lü Baitian approved the request without hesitation, allowing the number to soar to three hundred.
Even with three hundred people, Gu An still felt understaffed. However, if he wanted more, he would need to prove himself by producing a higher yield.
As the sun set, Gu An returned to his pavilion, having harvested another batch of medicinal herbs that earned him several thousand years of lifespan—bringing him ever closer to the million-year mark.
...
A month later, in the early morning, after leading the Xuan Valley disciples through their exercises, Gu An returned to his pavilion and spread out a map on the table.
The map was hand-drawn by a high-ranking cultivator of Tai Xuan Sect and was imbued with a formation. By inserting his divine sense into the map, Gu An could view its detailed topography, giving him the sensation of using a virtual reality map from his previous life.
No wonder the map had cost five upper-grade spirit stones. It was worth every bit of it.
Gu An immersed himself in studying the map, searching for a suitable place to break through to the next realm.
It wasn’t until noon that he received a sound transmission from Yang Ni: "The Crown Prince is here. Handle it yourself—I can’t show my face."
Hearing this, Gu An calmly folded up the map and left the pavilion.
As he stepped outside, he spotted a white-robed man holding a folding fan, exuding an air of elegance. With a smile on his face, the man looked like a gentle scholar.
Gu An cast a lifespan investigation on him.
[Li Dai (Nascent Soul Stage, First Level): 189/960/1250]
No special techniques—his cultivation matched his appearance.
Not even two hundred years old and already at the Nascent Soul stage. Impressive.
However, Li Dai didn’t approach Gu An directly. Instead, he walked toward Chu Jingfeng, who was inspecting the garden near the wooden fence.
"Chu Jingfeng, long time no see!" Li Dai called out from a distance.
Chu Jingfeng looked back, his brow furrowing.
The two exchanged pleasantries, with Li Dai laughing heartily and attracting the attention of the other disciples in the valley.
Facing Li Dai, Chu Jingfeng was visibly tense, only responding in agreement as Li Dai reminisced about old times.
After a while, Li Dai finally made his way to Gu An.
Standing before the pavilion, Li Dai clasped his hands and greeted Gu An respectfully, "I am Li Dai, from Cangzhou. Is the master of the valley perhaps Gu An?"
Gu An returned the gesture, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness. I am Gu An. Would you care to come up and talk?"
With a smile, Li Dai nodded and ascended the steps.
Meanwhile, the servant disciples in the valley were buzzing with excitement. They hadn’t expected this man to be the Crown Prince himself.
Though they had already joined a cultivation sect, they still couldn’t help but be curious about the Crown Prince. What business could he have with their valley master?
Several of them gathered around Chu Jingfeng, asking how he knew the Crown Prince.
Inside the pavilion, Gu An and Li Dai talked for a good half hour. When Gu An finally walked Li Dai out, both men were smiling. Before leaving, Li Dai even grabbed Gu An’s hand, which made Gu An feel a bit uncomfortable.
"Brother Gu, we truly hit it off. When I return to Tai Xuan Sect, I must come find you again for a chat," Li Dai said enthusiastically, his demeanor seemingly without a trace of guile.
Gu An politely agreed, watching as Li Dai flew off from Xuan Valley.
In truth, the two hadn’t discussed anything of substance. It really seemed like Li Dai had come just to make friends. They even talked about Li Ya, with Li Dai expressing genuine concern. If Yang Ni hadn’t warned him earlier, Gu An might have thought they were really close friends.
Even as he left, Li Dai made no demands or attempts to recruit Gu An.
Gu An also noticed a Divine Transformation stage cultivator hiding in the nearby mountains, likely one of Li Dai’s protectors.
Once Li Dai had flown about ten miles away from the valley, the smile on his face vanished, replaced by a cold expression.
An elderly man in a green robe flew to his side, whispering, "Your Highness, there’s a Nascent Soul cultivator in the valley."
"I sensed it. It’s Yang Ni. My father must have sent her to guard him. This man’s connections within Tai Xuan Sect must be deeper than we thought. Investigate his background thoroughly. I want to know who he really is in the sect," Li Dai ordered, his tone icy.
The green-robed elder asked, "If he has no significant backing, should we capture him?"
"I’ll wait until I meet with the Sect Master. His attitude is crucial. If the Sect Master supports me, we’ll kill both Li Ya and Gu An, cutting off my father’s spies and pawns," Li Dai replied coldly.
Neither of them realized that Gu An had overheard their entire conversation.
To Gu An, the Divine Transformation stage cultivator was no more of a threat than an ant on the side of the road.
"They want to kill me? Interesting," Gu An chuckled, unconcerned.
Even if he stood still and did nothing, Li Dai and his elder wouldn’t be able to harm him.
Gu An turned back and headed inside. Not long after, Yang Ni entered through the window.
Her face was dark as she muttered, "He must have sensed my presence. It seems his cultivation technique has already reached a profound level."
Gu An, curious, asked, "Do you have a grudge with him?"
"Of course! My sister’s death was related to his mother. How could I not?" Yang Ni replied heatedly.
"Does Brother Li know about this?" Gu An asked.
"No. I’ve only had suspicions, but no concrete evidence. He’s likely come to Tai Xuan Sect to seek alliances with the Sect Master or the Respected Elders. His previous backer, Chu Tianqi, has fled, so now he needs new support," Yang Ni explained.
"Let him be," Gu An said casually, picking up a book to read.
Surprised, Yang Ni asked, "Aren’t you afraid he’ll capture you to use against Li Ya?"
"What can I do? I’m no match for him. If the Emperor has assigned you to protect me, I can’t refuse. If he wants to kill me, I can’t stop him either. So why not just enjoy my life and not worry about it?" Gu An’s carefree response left Yang Ni impressed.
"Don’t worry. If he really does make a move on you, I’ll protect you—just stay close and don’t run off." Yang Ni reassured him, though Gu An’s tendency to roam made her job difficult. He often traveled between the Outer Sect and his Inner Sect valley, two places where she couldn’t follow.
"Thank you, Senior. Rest assured, with Tai Xuan Sect watching over us, he wouldn’t dare act recklessly," Gu An replied with a smile.
Yang Ni nodded and left, heading back into the forest to resume her cultivation. It seemed the pressure on her was heavy. After all, she only ever trained late at night, away from prying eyes.
Gu An, too, felt the desire to grow stronger. He summoned his status panel, looking at his ever-increasing lifespan, a smile playing at his lips.
It’s almost time.
...
In a lush courtyard filled with flowers and trees, a gentle stream encircled a small pavilion.
Sitting across from each other in the pavilion were Lü Baitian and Li Dai. Li Dai picked up the wine jug, pouring a cup for Lü Baitian.
"After a hundred years as Crown Prince, it must have been difficult for you. I’ve heard whispers from the common folk over the years," Lü Baitian said nonchalantly, accepting the cup.
Li Dai sighed. "Father has done well, but his lack of cultivation has left him unable to suppress the regional governors and aristocratic families. Tai Cang Dynasty appears strong, but beneath the surface lies suffering and corruption. I want to improve the lives of the people. My mother’s family has already pledged their full support."
Lü Baitian gazed at the stream, not sparing Li Dai a glance. His tone was indifferent. "Whoever becomes emperor matters little to Tai Xuan Sect. What’s important is that they respect Tai Xuan Sect’s trust."
Li Dai hurriedly pledged, "Tai Xuan Sect is the righteous foundation of the world. If I become emperor, Tai Xuan Sect will have the right to oversee my actions!"
"Stop investigating Gu An. No matter how your Royal family struggles for power, Gu An is off-limits," Lü Baitian said casually, though his words sent a shock through Li Dai.
In that moment, a myriad of possibilities raced through Li Dai’s mind.
Cautiously, he asked, "What family does Gu An come from?"
Given Gu An’s low cultivation, Li Dai had assumed he must come from some powerful family but lacked the talent to rise in the sect.
"He has no family background. His only backing is me. Is that enough for you?" Lü Baitian’s gaze finally shifted to Li Dai, making the Crown Prince break out in a cold sweat.
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