Facing Liu Qingqing's expectant and curious gaze, Gu Changge hesitated for a moment.
"The exact reason is difficult for me to explain clearly to you," he said,
"In short, some changes have indeed occurred in the past few days, resulting in my root bone being completely different from before."
"Now, my root bone is probably... about the same as yours."
Gu Changge felt that since the two of them were about to form a Daoist Couple, and Liu Qingqing, whether in appearance or character, had already thoroughly satisfied him, there was naturally no need to keep any secrets from her.
After all, the change in his root bone was something that could hardly be concealed; even the Family Head already knew about it.
Moreover, it was impossible for him to hide away his cultivation realm for his entire life and never expose it.
"About the same as mine?!"
Liu Qingqing's delicate lips parted in shock, her beautiful face filled with disbelief.
Her root bone and talent were regarded as once-in-a-century across the entire Northern Domain!
And yet, him? His original talent couldn't even let him attempt cultivation, and now, suddenly, he was comparable to her?
"In any case, this is not some temporary boost achieved through a secret technique," he said.
Gu Changge, seeing her reaction, dared not admit that his current root bone was actually even better than hers.
Otherwise, he feared this Miss Liu might not be able to accept it!
"No wonder! If your talent truly matches mine, consuming a Soul-Shaping Pill combined with some other elixirs would explain such rapid breakthroughs," she said.
To Gu Changge's surprise, Liu Qingqing calmed down quickly.
*Oddly enough, she even felt a trace of happiness for him in her heart.*
"Hmm... The Soul-Shaping Pill? I didn't end up using it, actually."
"I called you out here today mainly to return these elixirs to you," he said.
Gu Changge stroked his chin, making a show of channeling spiritual energy as he retrieved items from his Space Ring. In reality, however, he silently summoned the Soul-Shaping Pill and the auxiliary elixirs collected by his Third Uncle straight out of the System Space, setting them all neatly on the table.
"..."
Looking at the familiar jade bottle, Liu Qingqing opened her mouth, only to fall silent again.
If he didn't use the Soul-Shaping Pill, how had he managed to achieve such a breakthrough so quickly?
"The elixirs were gifted to you as repayment for a favor. Even if you can now cultivate, these elixirs can still help you progress further," she said.
"Besides... if you didn't take the Soul-Shaping Pill, then how did you reach this cultivation realm?"
Despite the elixirs' value, Liu Qingqing shook her head firmly, refusing the offer without hesitation.
She had only given Gu Changge one Soul-Shaping Pill, but now Gu Changge not only intended to return it but had also prepared a good number of auxiliary elixirs for her!
*This moved her deeply, while also amplifying her curiosity about how this young man had managed such extraordinary feats.*
"Fine, I'll tell you the truth."
"The family gave me a Soul-Shaping Pill, which I've already consumed. The cultivation realm I've achieved now is the result of that," he said.
"As for this other one, if consumed, it would only retain twenty percent of its effectiveness. It'd simply be too wasteful!"
Gu Changge shook his head helplessly, spreading his hands as he explained.
After hearing this, Liu Qingqing did not harbor the slightest doubt.
That explanation seemed far more logical. She could finally make sense of things.
"You can exchange these elixirs for other cultivation resources to make up for the eighteen years you weren't able to cultivate..." she trailed off.
Still, despite all of this, she had no intention of accepting the Soul-Shaping Pill.
"This Soul-Shaping Pill holds significant value for you too. Competing for the position of Heavenly Cold Sect Saintess is no easy task for you now," he said.
"Take the elixirs, consume them earlier, and once you become the Saintess of the Heavenly Cold Sect, this Young Master will finally have a strong ally when traveling the world, won't I?"
Gu Changge hadn't anticipated her stubborn nature, so he could only continue speaking in earnest tones.
It took him a long while before Liu Qingqing finally relented and accepted the Soul-Shaping Pill. However, her heart grew heavier with melancholy. She had painstakingly given away the Soul-Shaping Pill to repay a favor, but now the pill was back in her hands, along with a generous supply of auxiliary elixirs; *she felt like she owed Gu Changge an even greater debt than before!*
"Don't worry. Once I become the Saintess of the Heavenly Cold Sect, I will repay your kindness tenfold," Liu Qingqing said, gazing seriously at the young man before her, her tone sincere.
"What kind of talk is that?" he asked.
"You and I are about to become Daoist Partners, one family—how can repaying kindness even come into this?"
"Don't worry. It's just a Heaven Rank Elixir. Now that I—Gu—can cultivate, I'll ensure my wife can eat Heaven Rank Elixirs as her daily meals in the future!"
Gu Changge waved his hand grandly, his words brimming with righteousness.
Those words made Liu Qingqing blush slightly. They weren't even married yet, and here he was already calling her "wife"...
"But..." she began, wanting to say something else.
She was interrupted by Gu Changge, who raised a hand and said, "Are you absolutely determined to repay the favor?"
Liu Qingqing nodded earnestly.
"Then... let's leave it for now," he said offhandedly.
Gu Changge thought about it briefly and found it acceptable. He vaguely felt that this deferred "debt" might serve him well someday.
By now, he had fully grasped the potential of the system's functions. To achieve maximum benefits, it was impossible to bind himself to just one Daoist Partner!
Simply binding Liu Qingqing alone had already brought him enormous advantages. If he could add one more...
Of course, when it came to forming Daoist Couples, he had his own principles. While he could aggressively take concubines by sheer quantity, that wasn't what he truly desired!
As someone equipped with the system, his future was destined to be extraordinary; naturally, his choice of Daoist Partners had to be more discerning!
Just as the two of them were about to leave, a voice interrupted them. At the same time, that voice's owner shattered the sound-isolating array Liu Qingqing had set up.
"Junior Sister, what a coincidence running into you here," the voice said.
Wang Yu's figure hovered outside the window, a genial smile on his face as he looked at Liu Qingqing.
Meanwhile, his gaze wandered over to appraise Gu Changge. As long as Gu Changge didn't willingly reveal himself, Wang Yu couldn't detect even a trace of his cultivation realm's aura.
Moreover, the elixirs laid out on the table helped him piece together most of the story: *this must be that useless wastrel from the Gu Family who couldn't cultivate!*
"Senior Brother Wang, what brings you here as well?"
Liu Qingqing stood up and gave a slight respectful bow, though her expression remained flat.
"I came this time to prevent you from being deceived by some villain!" he said.
"The sect has already received word that your Soul-Shaping Pill was swindled away!"
"Fortunately, it seems I arrived just in time," Wang Yu said with a warm smile.
Seeing the elixir bottles on the table, he finally allowed himself a small sigh of relief. Thankfully, he hadn't shown up too late. *At least this wastrel didn't waste the Heaven Rank Pill!*
"What do you mean by that, Senior Brother?" she asked.
"All these elixirs were gifted to me by Young Master Gu. Who, exactly, is the 'villain' you're referring to?"
Liu Qingqing's brows furrowed slightly. She was clearly displeased with Wang Yu's veiled insinuation that Gu Changge was some sort of villain.
"Ah, I see now; it seems I misunderstood," he replied with a laugh.
"You must be the Young Master of the Gu Family. You do have a strikingly handsome appearance."
"It's just a shame, really... sigh."
"This world can be so cruel. But, little brother, don't let it trouble you too much. With your status in the Gu Family, living a peaceful life may ultimately be better for you," he said.
Wang Yu absolutely didn't believe these elixirs were given by the Gu Family to Liu Qingqing. Instead, he wrote it off as her attempt to cover for Gu Changge.
However, observing that Junior Sister Liu was already slightly frowning, he refrained from exposing the lie and simply smiled as he extended his hand toward Gu Changge, trying to appear friendly.
"Since you're a prodigy of the Heavenly Cold Sect, why don't you join us as we head back to the estate?" he suggested.
Gu Changge merely clasped his hands in a polite gesture without making any physical contact. After speaking, he decisively grabbed Liu Qingqing by the wrist and led her out through the tavern's interior.
This left Wang Yu standing by the window, suspended in mid-air. A flash of malice flickered in his gaze as his outstretched hand clenched into a tight fist.
As Gu Changge exited the private room, Wang Yu discreetly activated a wisp of spiritual energy, causing Gu Changge's Gu Family Jade Token to slip silently from his waist...
At the same time, he covertly used spiritual energy to manipulate the Green Bamboo Snake, a second-rank demon beast hidden in his sleeve, placing it in a corner of the room. With just a single thought, he could release the snake's suppressed spiritual energy and set it loose!
*That good-for-nothing from the Gu Family... dared to outright reject his gesture of goodwill? No matter.* By tomorrow, that wastrel wouldn't even be alive!
By then, Wang Yu would have an ironclad alibi, safely within the Gu Family's territory. Even if they suspected his involvement, they wouldn't dare act against him—a prince!
Having set everything into motion, Wang Yu feigned nonchalance as he descended from mid-air. As if nothing unusual had occurred, he smiled warmly as he intercepted the pair exiting the tavern, asking after Junior Sister Liu's well-being these past days with all the enthusiasm of an obsequious admirer.