"This news, telling you may not be entirely good or bad, but you have the right to know everything."
"Back then, even Gu Zhan was only persuaded by Jian'er to stop me. He didn't even know the real reason behind it all."
"As of now, in this world, the only ones left who know this secret besides you and me are the Liu family."
Gu Kuang saw him remain silent, shook his head, sighed, and then fell into his own silence.
"I see..."
"Then let this secret remain hidden."
Gu Changge exhaled a breath, his tone surprisingly calm.
*If he had learned this a month ago, he might have been deeply upset.*
*But now, he found himself able to accept it calmly.*
*Regarding the events of the past, he refrained from judging; after all, one side involved sacrificing his own son's root bone, while the other was about saving the life of an oath-brother's child. He believed his parents must've struggled greatly in making that decision back then.*
"It's us who wronged you."
"I'll keep an eye on your situation in the coming days. Once you leave the Gu family, I'll follow you closely in the shadows. If that prince harbors any ill intentions, it'll be the day of his death."
"Also, here's a wedding gift I've prepared for you."
"Go on now."
Gu Kuang kept his gaze low, placed a jade box on the table in front of him, then stood up and headed back toward the small courtyard's house. As he raised his hand, he dispersed the isolation array he had just set up.
"Changge takes his leave."
Gu Changge picked up the jade box but didn't rush to open it. Bowing toward the white-haired figure, he then turned and left the yard, closing the gate behind him.
Only after Gu Changge left did Gu Kuang emerge from the room, standing and gazing toward the courtyard gate.
"Ah..."
"Such a fine boy, but it's a shame you can't see him."
"Still, as long as this old man is around, no one will harm him."
"Perhaps heaven has finally opened its eyes. Letting this child gain such extraordinary fortune, allowing him to cultivate once again—it's likely you both would feel joy hearing this."
"Originally, I didn't plan to return to the Gu family, but I couldn't stand the thought of this boy having no proper elder present for his wedding. The eldest and third aren't enough."
Gu Kuang gently touched the peach tree in the courtyard, murmuring to himself, his eyes full of reminiscence.
On the other side, Gu Changge had returned to his own small courtyard, having completely calmed himself.
*He wasn't planning to tell Liu Qingqing about what happened back then.*
*Truthfully, Liu Qingqing had benefited from his root bone being taken and gained a new life, while he himself had now—thanks to the system's sharing capabilities—retrieved his original root bone without any side effects.*
*As for the years of cultivation time wasted? No matter; he was confident in his ability to make up for it.*
"Wang Yu... I'll need to find an opportunity to draw out the Gu family."
"I wanted to deal with it alone, but now, it seems that chance won't come."
*Reflecting on the earlier conversation, Gu Changge felt a certain melancholy.*
*He had thought he would need to stay under the radar for a while longer to resolve things himself. Now, it seemed he might not get that chance personally.*
After sorting out his thoughts, his gaze fell on the jade box.
Carefully opening the jade box, he found a snow lotus within, exuding an intense coldness. The moment the box was opened, frost bloomed across the stone table it sat upon.
After taking only a glance, he closed the box again.
A system panel appeared before him.
[Ten-thousand-year Snow Lotus]
[Quality: Top Grade]
[After refining, spiritual energy can absorb a trace of Coldness Law.]
*This was his first time encountering something truly considered a heavenly material or earthly treasure. He hadn't expected the system would have an identification function.*
*Yet this greatly simplified things for him. Though the feature wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, it could help him identify valuable items in the future!*
"Involving a Law... its value far exceeds that of a Soul-Shaping Pill!"
*Gu Changge was deeply surprised. Even a trace of Law-infused spiritual energy already far surpassed what a Heaven Rank Elixir could offer!*
*Nonetheless, he didn't intend to refine this treasure himself.*
*It was far too precious, unable even to fit inside a Space Ring—it could only be kept in the jade box.*
*But that wouldn't be a problem for him. His System Space had expanded tenfold upon breaking through to the Sky-controlling Realm, now an impressive ten cubic meters in size.*
*Half a month earlier, he had even tested its properties. Aside from living beings, anything could be stored in the System Space, where time appeared to pause—flowers wouldn't wilt, nor would meat decay.*
As expected, the jade box was successfully stored in his System Space.
After finishing this task, he sat down in the courtyard and began cultivating.
...
Elsewhere, Zhao Ling, having finalized the marriage arrangements with the Gu family, did not have them arrange a residence for her.
Instead, she requested to be taken directly to the Heavenly Cold Sect's annex.
Ever since her daughter went to the Heavenly Cold Sect, they hadn't seen each other for quite some time. She wouldn't waste this rare opportunity.
While her heart did ache for Brother Gu's child, her love for her daughter was no less boundless.
The sect members, upon learning that she was Liu Qingqing's biological mother, promptly guided her to Liu Qingqing's room.
Hearing her mother had arrived, Liu Qingqing stopped cultivating to welcome her inside before shutting the door and setting up an isolation array—she didn't want anyone disturbing their reunion.
"Mother, weren't you a little overboard today?"
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Liu Qingqing finally found the chance to voice her concerns.
"You think Mother is being biased?"
Zhao Ling held her daughter's hand, her gaze full of self-reproach—not for her daughter, but toward Brother Gu's child.
"Hmm. Spending time with him, I see he's special—being around him is unusually comfortable. But Mother, you did go a bit too far today."
"And those belongings—they're what you've been saving for over a decade. Not even back then did you let me exchange them for a Soul-Shaping Pill, yet today you..."
Liu Qingqing felt a bit aggrieved, unable to understand her mother's actions.
*In front of others, she was an icy goddess above all. But to her mother, she was just an ordinary, vulnerable girl.*
"Not far at all..."
"Qingqing, you don't even know how much he's sacrificed."
"Sacrifices that can never be repaid..."
Zhao Ling spoke with reddened eyes. Thinking of how Brother Gu and his wife had defied everyone to save Liu Qingqing by sacrificing their unborn child, she was overwhelmed with guilt.
"What really happened?"
Liu Qingqing finally sensed something amiss. If it was merely the bond between the families, there shouldn't be such heavy consequences or a debt described as eternal.
"It's time you learned the truth."
"But you have to promise never to tell Changge. Mother fears that if he finds out..."
"Between you two, I'm afraid it might... might..."
Zhao Ling gazed at her daughter for a long moment. She realized this matter needed to be fully revealed—at least to Liu Qingqing. Brother Gu's son wasn't the useless individual the rumors made him out to be. He'd been a genius, burdened with far too much because of her and Qingqing...
Yet she worried that once Changge learned the truth, he wouldn't be able to accept it. He might refuse to marry Qingqing and instead choose hatred...
After all, having your root bone taken—what greater grudge could there be?
"Tell me..." Liu Qingqing hesitated, but seeing her mother's grave expression, she could only nod softly.
As her mother began recounting the events of the past, Liu Qingqing's once-calm expression gradually lost all composure!