Chapter 658 (1): Flipping Through the Old Lunar Almanac

Gu Can arrived outside the main entrance of the residence in the provincial city, where there were two white jade lions crafted by an immortal force. The lions were majestic and imposing, and even starving beggars most likely wouldn't dare to approach the residence after seeing them.

Gu Can was in no hurry to knock.

As a result, Liu Chicheng and Chai Bofu could only stand on the street and enjoy the wind alongside the young man.

Gu Can walked up the spotless steps and reached over to grab the door knocker decorated with the head of a beast. His movements faltered for a brief moment as he looked at the golden Jiaotu beasts, which could only be used on the doors of dukes and nobles.[1]

Gu Can sighed in his mind. It wasn't appropriate to overstep the boundaries like this, even if they had a Peace and Safety Tablet at home and wouldn't face many issues. The office of the provincial governor had most likely decided against dealing with this matter after receiving some secret documents from the kiln supervision office. Even so, Gu Can still needed to raise this matter with his mother. There was no need to act so flagrantly, especially since it might very easily attract trouble.

Gu Can knocked on the door and stepped back. A doorkeeper dressed in extravagant clothes opened the door, and there was displeasure on his face as he looked at the young man dressed in ordinary clothes. He frowned and asked, "Which family are you from? Or are you a petty official from some government office?"

Gu Can faltered upon hearing this, but he quickly remembered that his current appearance was very different from before. The doorkeeper wasn't from Cyan Gorge Island either, so it was only normal that they didn't recognize him. His mother's personal maidservants from Cyan Gorge Island had all enjoyed smooth cultivation journeys and advanced to the Middle Five Tiers, so they would seldom deal with the trivial matters in the residence even though their cultivation bases weren't exactly very high.

Regarding the cultivation of the maidservants, Gu Can had written about this in detail in the earlier letters between him and his mother. He had even helped them select several treasures from the mountains, writing that they could advance smoothly as long as they cultivated normally and refined these treasures into bonded items.

The doorkeeper rapidly took a glance at the two people behind the young man. One was a frail scholar, and the other was a white-haired young boy. He instantly felt like he understood their backgrounds.

The doorkeeper was a fifth tier pure martial artist concealing his true strength. He would indeed be quite capable in the martial world, and he was more than powerful enough to establish his force in a small vassal nation. It was a waste of talent for him to work as a doorkeeper, but this was most likely a case of the pay being good enough to retain him. Or perhaps he had caused trouble and was working here to hide. The worst-case scenario was the doorkeeper harboring ill intentions and working with vagrant cultivators on a long-term plan to obtain the riches of this residence.

Having traveled through the martial world over the past few years, Gu Can had come across many intricate schemes, which he had chosen to purposely observe from a distance. He had observed two cases relating to wealthy clans being targeted, and one had involved a heartless clan being destroyed in the end.

Gu Can had appeared when the culprits were splitting the spoils, and he had asked them for some pointers regarding how to target people and steal their wealth. The culprits had spoken evasively and hid many things, so Gu Can had asked Zeng Ye to directly channel a mystical ability and occupy the culprits' bodies, allowing him to easily obtain their knowledge.

The other case had involved a clan with a decent-looking culture, so Gu Can had casually stepped in to help them quash the danger.

"My name is Gu Can, and this is my home," Gu Can replied with a smile.

The doorkeeper's attitude immediately changed, and he bowed and moved aside as he said, "My respects to Young Master. I'll notify Milady of Young Master's arrival straight away."

Gu Can stepped inside and waved a hand, saying, "There's no need. It's only a few steps, so there's no need for you to report my arrival."

The doorkeeper smiled obsequiously and remarked, "I took a closer look just then, and I almost mistook Young Master for a noble scholar from the Confucian academies."

He had thoroughly familiarized himself with the background of this family already. The family head was a cultivator, but he had yet to return after traveling afar for many years. The explanations in the residence were unclear, and it was very likely that this matter involved something that couldn't see the light of day.

The young master was a scholarly student who was studying outside, so the only person left at home was the extremely wealthy lady who liked to dress in an extravagant manner. She was extremely proud and smug whenever she mentioned her son, and if it weren't for her two personal maidservants surprisingly being successful Qi refiners, he and his companions would have made a move a long time ago.

This family was sitting on a huge sum of wealth, so much that they wouldn't be able to spend it all in a few lifetimes. Thus, the doorkeeper had especially recruited a like-minded friend this past year, asking him to work on one of the two maidservants.

"Impressive observation skills," Gu Can praised with a smile.

"Incredibly impressive," Liu Chicheng concurred with a nod.

Chai Bofu shot a glance at the pure martial artist. He was a pitiful person; a truly pitiful person. There were many roads leading to riches, yet he had stubbornly charged headfirst into this family. He and his companions were like a den of conniving foxes confident in their smarts and foolishly hopping around in a tiger's cave. Were they not seeking death?

Liu Chicheng placed a hand on Chai Bofu's head and scolded, "What's going on, Brother Dragon Uncle? Why aren't you speaking? Perhaps you feel like Young Master Gu isn't worthy of being a noble scholar?"

Chai Bofu felt as if he had been struck by lightning, with his critical acupoints starting to shake and his Dragon Gate Tier cultivation base — which he had spent a great deal of effort to stabilize — also teetering on the brink of collapse! He hurriedly gathered himself and exclaimed, "Young Master Gu is worthy; of course Young Master Gu is worthy."

Ordinarily speaking, villains would all threaten their victims and induce fear before making a move. However, the eccentric senior beside him was different, and he liked to punish his victims before speaking reason.

After interacting with him for a long time, however, Chai Bofu's resolve to pursue Dao was increasingly bolstered. He definitely needed to become an official disciple of the Middle Earth Divine Continent's White Emperor City!

The doorkeeper closed the front door, yet he suddenly felt a cold chill on the back of his neck. As it turned out, the tall and slender Gu Can had already grabbed his nape and pressed his head against the door, with tendrils of blood seeping down the young man's fingers, reflecting the viciousness of his action.

"The doors are closed, so I don't need to worry about becoming a laughing stock in front of outsiders anymore," Gu Can whispered softly. "Tell me, how many of you are there, both inside and outside this residence? Who possesses the highest cultivation base, and where are they from?"

Gu Can suddenly retracted his hand and directly turned around, looking into the distance with a smile and completely exposing his back to the pure martial artist.

A woman quickly ran over, stepping on the hems of her long dress several times. Tears of emotion welled up in her eyes when she saw Gu Can, her dear son whom she hadn't seen for many years.

Whether it was enduring hardships and fighting to survive, or enjoying fortune and earning more money, was everything she did not for the sake of this heartless little bastard, who didn't return home and only sent a few letters?

Gu Can strode over, walking into the embrace of his mother. He patted her back as she sobbed, and his expression remained calm and composed as he smiled and looked at the two maidservants. They had obtained all of their fortune and riches from him, Gu Can.

The two young women exchanged a glance with Gu Can before immediately lowering their heads. Their hands and feet became cold, and it was as if they had been plunged into an icy cavern.

The woman let go of Gu Can and wiped away her tears, carefully looking her son up and down. She felt delighted, but her mind immediately shifted to something else. Just how many challenges and hardships had Gu Can faced while fending for himself in the outside world? With this in mind, the woman covered her mouth and started to sob again, blaming herself, blaming her deceased husband who had mysteriously become a lofty mountain god, blaming Chen Ping'an who had abandoned Gu Can and killed Tan Xue, and blaming the heavens for being blind and subjecting her son to so many difficulties and calamities.

After going to the main hall and reminiscing with his mother, Gu Can entered the study that belonged to him for the very first time. Liu Chicheng casually wandered around the residence with Brother Dragon Uncle, and Gu Can summoned the two maidservants as well as the doorkeeper who hadn't dared to make a move and fight to the death.

Gu Can sat on a chair with his back facing the window and his elbows resting on the armrests. He rested his cheek in one hand and said, "It's inevitable that a tall tree will catch the wind, so I won't be overly critical of you two regarding this matter, especially since my mother has also acted unreasonably in some aspects. However, it's not very good for people to forget their roots. Is my mother aware of these outsiders infiltrating the residence and plotting something sinister?"

The two maidservants had already fallen to their knees.

One of them had a baffled expression.

The other nodded and replied, "I informed Milady before, and she said to treat this as a show to alleviate her boredom."

Gu Can hesitated for a moment before asking, "Did my father make any backup plans?"

"Master was extremely worried about Milady's safety, so not only did he have a quick discussion with the local city god, but he even used a mystical power on one of the door gods on a courtyard door," the maidservant replied in a solemn voice.

"There's also an elderly seventh tier martial artist in the residence, and he was once a member of the border army. His hometown is in the territory of the Great Li Empire's former Five Mountains, hence his acquaintance with Master and his being invited here to help. He's concealed his identity and is currently working as a guard, and he's kept a close eye on this doorkeeper and his companions the entire time."

The mind of the pure martial artist went completely blank.

Someone who had a relationship with Dragon Province's city god and could ask a seventh tier martial arts grandmaster to work as a guard?

Why did that petty lady always scold him and call him a useless bastard?

Gu Can felt slightly helpless. Acquainted? The seventh tier martial artists of the Great Li Empire were all entered into the records, with the imperial court keeping an extremely close eye on them. As such, the presence of this martial artist was most likely the same as Mountain God Song Yuzhang's presence on Downtrodden Mountain. He was indeed here to protect the residence, but his primary purpose was to openly watch over the residence. Gu Can's father, of whom he already had no impression, naturally wouldn't reveal these secrets to his wife, lest she worry for no reason.

Gu Can looked at the pure martial artist who was still racking his brains and trying to save his own skin, and he suddenly said, "Maybe the person behind the scenes is truly a mighty figure, but as for you? Forget about it. Even now, you're probably still clueless about who set up this plot or whether there actually is a plot to begin with."

The young man continued to murmur to himself, saying, "People die in pursuit of wealth just like birds die in pursuit of food. Why are there so many fools in the world?"

Someone smiled faintly and replied, "Isn't this a good thing? There's no need to worry about who has the first move if your opponents carelessly place stones on the Go board. This way, those who are younger and smarter can stand out and rise above their predecessors."

Gu Can solemnly stood up, respectfully cupping his fists and bowing even though there was no extra person in the room.

A man in white appeared beside Gu Can and said, "Pack your things and follow me to White Emperor City. You should visit Yellow Lake Mountain with Liu Chicheng before leaving, and you can visit the old Daoist priest who's called Jia Cheng in this lifetime. You'll become my junior brother if that elder is willing to see you, or you'll become my unofficial disciple if he's unwilling to see you."

He held a scroll in his hand, an old and damaged Mountain Scouring Album. He handed the scroll to Gu Can and continued, "Take this with you to Yellow Lake Mountain."

The man in white had retrieved the Mountain Scouring Album from Lin Shouyi before coming here, and as a thank-you gift, he had helped the young man complete the Recite Atop Clouds Scripture trilogy, which had originated from White Emperor City to begin with.

Even though Lin Shouyi was a disciple in a Confucian academy, his cultivation was rapidly advancing in leaps and bounds. Moreover, it was thanks to earnestly studying the first volume of the Recite Atop Clouds Scripture that he had managed to advance to the Abode Tier so quickly back then.

The lightning technique recorded in the secret scripture was the orthodox Five Lightning Righteous Technique, but this wasn't the most exquisite aspect of the Recite Atop Clouds Scripture. Rather, forging a path of the Great Dao and enjoying unimpeded cultivation was the fundamental aim of the scripture.

The person who had composed this scripture was none other than the city lord of White Emperor City, who had experienced the lightning techniques of Mount Longhu firsthand. Afterward, he had personally edited and perfected the scripture, removing many complicated and peripheral aspects.

What place in the world existed highest above the clouds?

That was naturally White Emperor City.

As for why the first volume of the secret scripture had changed hands and eventually landed in Lin Shouyi's lap? That was, of course, thanks to A'Liang's actions. He had borrowed the scripture as a scholar, the type of borrowing where there wouldn't be a return. Thus, it could be said that Lin Shouyi possessed extraordinarily good Dao opportunity by choosing this scripture at first glance.

Since this was a gift from A'Liang, White Emperor City didn't hold Lin Shouyi accountable for this so-called unintentional theft of a secret scripture, a huge taboo in the mountains.

However, Lin Shouyi had surprisingly remained unwilling to say a single word about the origin of the Mountain Scouring Album, even after he had revealed his identity.

This was the reason why the city lord of White Emperor City had been willing to gift Lin Shouyi the final volume of the Recite Atop Clouds Scripture. Otherwise, he would have only given Lin Shouyi the second volume, causing the young man to become a Go piece and face a tribulation.

Gu Can remained expressionless upon hearing these words, but there were huge waves crashing through his mind. He was familiar with Jia Cheng!

He was a guest elder of Downtrodden Mountain, a blind old Daoist priest who was only able to sponge food and drink at Dragon Riding Alley because of his good fortune. He had two obedient disciples, a lame young demon called Zhao Denggao, and a young woman called Tian Jiu'er, whose blood was the best ink for drawing talismans. It was said that Jia Cheng had relocated to Yellow Lake Mountain a few years ago, where he now cultivated in a thatched cottage.

Such a person was hiding right under Downtrodden Mountain's nose? Had Zhu Lian and Wei Bo not noticed anything amiss about this person?

"If I didn't come here, not a single person at Downtrodden Mountain would have ever taken additional note of this person. Jia Cheng would have also lived his entire life as Jia Cheng, all the way until his death. Perhaps Jia Cheng would have justifiably traveled to the fifth large world during his cultivation journey. In any case, he would gain a new identity following his death, and he would repeat this cycle again and again."

The man in white smiled and continued, "There's no need to overthink this. He's merely treating the world as his playground. He comprehensively changed after sheathing his sword back then, and he's very good at self-deception while having a dislike for deceiving others. He's died many times in calamities both in the mountains and outside the mountains, and I've never seen him try to protect himself a single time. He likes to reside in each of the nine continents for several hundred years at a time.

"Moreover, even though I'm his disciple in name, I established White Emperor City with my own two hands. It has nothing to do with him."

"Then I don't need to visit Yellow Lake Mountain," Gu Can suddenly said. "I won't disturb the old senior's peace and quiet, and I'll directly follow you to the Middle Earth Divine Continent, City Lord."

The man in white smiled and said, "Since you're able to say this, you should genuinely go and pay him a visit."

"How should we deal with the three people in the room?" Gu Can asked.

The two maidservants and the one doorkeeper remained completely still.

The man in white glanced at the three people before extending a hand and forcing their yin souls to leave their bodies. They became dazed and semi-conscious, with their feet lifting off the ground as they slowly hovered over to him before coming to a stop. The man in white raised a hand and casually tapped their glabellas, after which the three yin souls returned to their respective bodies.

Gu Can looked closely, and he saw thin threads starting to emanate from the glabellas of the three people.

They then woke with a start, and tears suddenly brimmed in the pure martial artist's eyes as he fell to his knees and exclaimed, "Young Master!"

One of the maidservants vigorously kowtowed and said, "This lowly maidservant pays her respects to Sect Leader!"

Meanwhile, the other maidservant prostrated herself and wailed in devastating grief, "Please forgive me, Young Master..."

The man in white flicked his sleeve and rendered the three people unconscious, after which he smiled and explained, "It's as if they've just woken from a long slumber of dreams. They're still the same person, and they've merely had some of their experiences rewritten."

Beads of sweat formed on Gu Can's forehead.

This was the demonic ability of White Emperor City!

Only at this moment did he understand Liu Chicheng's feeling of respect and fear whenever he mentioned this person.

The city lord of White Emperor City could casually transform a person into someone else, yet have his victims wholly convinced of their own manipulated identities.

What were grudges and gratitudes, and the so-called cultivation of the Great Dao in front of him?

The man in white smiled and mused, "Are matters of life and death the most important? If so, then what do life and death actually entail? I reached an understanding on this matter, so someone didn't want me to leave White Emperor City."

In the end, he said, "That old geezer came to the Jewel Small World, and it surprisingly wasn't for the sake of comprehensively severing karmic fate. Rather, the old geezer is simply wandering around. Master is finally acting with the demeanor of a master, and he's finally surprised me for the first time."

1. In Chinese mythology, Jiaotu is one of the dragon's nine children. It resents other people entering its den, hence its use on door knockers. ☜

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