The resentment in Hu Jun’s eyes was so thick that it seemed like it was going to condense into tears of poison. However, it was absolutely useless. He only had enough time to spit out a mouthful of blood before falling unconscious.
Seeing Hu Jun’s miserable condition and taking another look at the meat paste that Hu Long had become, the entirety of the Hu Clan’s cadet branches kept quiet out of terror. The atmosphere became a pall of deathly stillness.
After Gongyi Tianheng sent out this slap like an afterthought, he continued walking forward as before. On the other hand, Gu Zuo turned his head around to take a look, and silently shivered. However, contrary to what one might’ve expected, he leaned even closer into Tianheng’s side.
If it was anyone else besides his big brother who had mashed a person into a bloody pulp, perhaps he would’ve been a little scared right now. But it was precisely because it was his big brother that, apart from some reflexive shivers, he actually felt a very strong sense of security… Gu Zuo couldn’t help making a rueful smile in his heart.
He arrived here just a short four years ago, and he had already grown accustomed to such matters. If he stayed in this world for a few more years, would he still be the same Gu Zuo when it was time to return?
Immediately following this, Gu Zuo slightly shook his head. He didn’t deeply ponder this question anymore.
In any case… He would simply take this long journey one step at a time.
This grandiose delegation of people quickly departed the Hu Clan’s restricted area, and then they left the Hu Clan’s premises.
On the street in front of the Hu Clan’s gates, almost the entire road was overflowing with spirit grade wild beasts that were as tall as hills. Between these wild beasts, there were other wild beasts whose levels were slightly lower, but the strange thing was that they weren’t the slightest bit unruly. It seemed that they were battle beasts that had already been tamed. The iron-blooded beasts appeared stalwart and determined.
Along the street, the remaining businesses, peddlers, and milling crowds didn’t dare to breathe too loudly. Much earlier, there were those who closed their doors, some who had lost their heads out of fear, and others who took the opportunity to leave and watch the show from far, far away.
Amid everyone’s suspicions, they wondered where this group of enormous and formidable troops had come from. Did they aggressively charge into the Hu Clan to carry out a vendetta?
Numerous people wanted to leave, but they also couldn’t withstand the curiosity and worry in their hearts. Therefore, they cautiously stayed in their nooks and corners. There were even more scouts from the large and small aristocratic families in this city who braved the danger, and likewise stayed put to wait for news.
This detachment of troops actually caused the entirety of Xuanwu City to become alarmed.
All of a sudden, the Hu Clan’s gates opened. Walking out was a procession of handsome and beautiful men and women. The pupils of many people suddenly shrank, and they spoke with amazement:
“Members of the Wu Clan!”
“No, it’s not just the Wu Clan… Look at how the Wu Clan Head treats that young man so respectfully!”
“Hold that thought. There’s the Hu Clan’s young lord. Why is he also among them?”
“I recognize that teenager. He previously took action on behalf of Young Lord Hu. Why is he so close to that young man?”
“This affair…”
Subconsciously, many people speculated.
Soon after, everyone realized that this was an important matter that needed to be kept secret.
Tianheng unhurriedly walked past the gates. He stretched out a hand to cradle Gu Zuo’s shoulder. Then, he leaped up, and landed directly onto the back of the largest wild beast.
Hu Chang’an and his two siblings followed this scene with their eyes. Before Gu Zuo was carried away, he turned his head and waved at them. The three siblings smiled, and set aside the worries in their hearts.
As for Gu Zuo himself, he only felt that his body was instantly standing on firm ground again. After that, he looked ahead, and gasped in surprise. It was a meticulously heartfelt and dignified small palace hall!
He silently thought: Eh, did big brother get rich?
After thinking about it, he looked at Tianheng’s face — When all was said and done, just what did his big brother experience? It felt like Tianheng had saved them many years of work all at once.
Tianheng knew what Gu Zuo was thinking as he looked at this expression, and couldn’t help breaking into laughter: “I recently joined Ten Ultimates Sect. Because I luckily obtained the evaluation of a prodigy, I received this treatment. As for the specifics, Ah Zuo will have to wait until we go back together to see. Then, you’ll know what’s going on.”
Gu Zuo was startled: “Ten Ultimates Sect?”
He remembered hearing this name before. It was a silver-ranked organization! That auction was a property of Ten Ultimates Sect. All of Xuanwu City, and even bronze-ranked cities, didn’t dare to provoke it! Originally, he thought it would be great if his big brother could enter this kind of organization, but he didn’t expect that Tianheng would actually join one. Nevertheless, when he was met with danger, his big brother had come just in time!
Truly…did his wish come true?
Soon after, he calmed down, nodded his head, and followed Tianheng into the small palace hall.
Speaking of which, it also wasn’t strange that his big brother could accomplish things to this degree…
Extremely soft furs were spread across the floor inside the palace hall. He didn’t know which wild beast’s body these furs were skinned from. At first glance, the furs only appeared thick and sturdy, but with a careful inspection, he noticed it was suffused with brilliant lights and vibrant colors. There were no words to describe its tactile qualities.
Gu Zuo randomly found a place to sit down.
Tianheng smiled at him: “Ah Zuo, come here. Let your elder brother have a look at you.”
Gu Zuo’s face reddened. He slowly ambled over, and sat by Tianheng’s side.
Tianheng ruffled his hair, and spoke in a warm voice: “How many days has it been since we got separated? Ah Zuo, could it be that you want to stay apart from your elder brother?”
Gu Zuo hastily shook his head: “Absolutely not!”
In fact, he only felt that the space within this small palace hall was a little narrow. It would be rather embarrassing to lean up close to Tianheng… Although, he also didn’t know why he suddenly felt that it would be embarrassing. After all, it was clear that he had gotten used to this matter long ago.
Perhaps, it really was due to this long-awaited reunion?
— Even though, in reality, this long separation lasted no more than a dozen or so days.
While they were in the Hu Clan just now, Gu Zuo had already told Tianheng many things about his experiences. Currently, he started to carefully ask about Tianheng. Naturally, Tianheng slowly narrated his own story into Gu Zuo’s ear.
“How dangerous. It’s good that nothing happened to big brother…”
“Those people’s eyes are pretty good! But who forced them to be late when inviting big brother?”
“Eh? Big brother’s master is really awesome!”
“Ah, Ten Ultimates Sect is treating big brother well…”
“Big brother’s seniors aren’t half bad, too!”
“Now, we’re not short of money…”
“It goes without saying that big brother deserves the best!”
At times, Gu Zuo either sighed in amazement or exclaimed in admiration. Gradually, he no longer felt that there was anything awkward between them.
While Tianheng talked, his line of sight landed onto Gu Zuo’s face. His gaze became increasingly gentle. It seemed like he was slowly taking in Gu Zuo’s image, and committing every curve and tilt of that smile to memory. It was like the only thing Tianheng could see in the whole world was Gu Zuo.
Unwittingly, Gu Zuo snuggled even closer to Tianheng. His eyes were bright and clear, and there was an inexplicable feeling of trust and dependance etched across his face. For some reason, although he missed Tianheng when they were separated previously, it wasn’t like now where his entire body was heating up. His heart, which had drifted aimlessly without a resting place, suddenly landed onto solid ground.
Meanwhile, the wild beasts outside had already started moving. The battle slaves knew the route, so they didn’t go to disturb Tianheng or Gu Zuo. Arrangements were made for Hu Chang’an and the others, and places were also found for the Wu Clan members.
Wu Xing was an extremely discerning Clan Head. He was different from people like Hu Chang’an who had only experienced some things in the world until now. At this time, he quickly connected to and shared a few words with those battles slaves who led the way. With his sharp way of looking at things, he discovered that, among all the servants, the ones whom Tianheng regarded as the most important were undoubtedly these battle slaves. Within the three servile races, the monkey race was first, the ox race was second, and the mouse race was third — He felt even more that the person he followed was without fault.
Soon after, Wu Xing chatted with the monkey race member who happened to be next to him.
He vaguely understood that battle slaves were normally the most loyal fighters directly under the command of their master. When scouting for intelligence, there was no need to find it from the battle slaves. Absolutely no information could be pried out. As such, the easiest ones to make dealings with were naturally the servile race members who received the most importance. Compared to numerous types of races, the monkey race was the closest to the human race. Since he had the skills, it was only natural that he would develope a relationship with them.
Moreover… He was a newcomer. If the Wu Clan wanted to gain a foothold, he had to find an entry point to fight for an advantageous position. This was to gain even more importance and resources for the Wu Clan members who followed him.
Because Wu Xing met Tianheng, he no longer placed the puny Xuanwu City in his eyes. Prior to their departure, he only brought along the direct line of the Wu Clan. The hidden foundations of the clan had also been taken away without exception.
He had cut off all means of retreat. He was betting everything, himself and his family, on Tianheng. He had the courage and confidence to make Tianheng value them through such a display of sincerity.
In fact, it was indeed just like this, and Tianheng treated Wu Xing with appreciation.
Tianheng could see that, although this person was capable of seizing opportunities, Wu Xing also wasn’t someone who was ungracious. Once he made a decision, even if he temporarily fell on hard times, so long as he didn’t suffer an irrecoverable setback, he would continue to persevere and gamble that he could turn things around.
On this day, a group of people came in a rush and left in a hurry.
Once they departed Xuanwu City in a grandiose manner, the Hu Clan, which had been occupied by the cadet branches, finally let out sighs of relief. Contrary to expectations, there were some who previously supported Hu Chang’an, but later on, due to all kinds of reasons, the elders of the original direct line only watched with folded arms as Hu Chang’an was coerced and threatened. Now, they saw how the Hu Clan suffered such humiliation. Perhaps, it would soon become bleak and desolate. In their hearts, there was unspeakable regret.
Yet, there was no other alternative.
The Hu Clan’s cadet branches pulled themselves together with great difficulty. They carried Hu Jun away, and cleared up the meat paste. For a short while, everyone tried to keep themselves busy and forget what had just occurred. This caused their nervous and wildly-beating hearts to slowly settle down.
No one noticed that the unconscious Hu Jun was opening and closing his lips. It seemed that he was constantly repeating something… Maybe it was a person’s name? Perhaps, it was a designation?
There was also no one who discovered that, in a shadowed corner of the Hu Clan’s numerous buildings, an individual silently left.
There was a faint muttering along the wind:
“Someone got here before us… What a pity.”
“Hu Jun is too useless. The cadet branches cannot be brought up.”
“Too bad about that stalk of Spirit Deity Grass.”
Gu Zuo listened to Gongyi Tianheng as he narrated everything that happened after their separation. As he listened, his body, which originally didn’t feel tired, unexpectedly felt a wave of exhaustion rush through him. All of a sudden, he became somewhat drowsy.
Not long after, he felt his eyelids grow heavy and droop down. With almost no resistance, he…fell asleep.
Tianheng looked at Gu Zuo leaning on his own shoulder, and closed his mouth. He didn’t continue to speak.
He quietly watched Gu Zuo for a while. Reaching out a hand, he took Gu Zuo into his arms. With the other hand, he supported Gu Zuo’s head, and softly pressed it against his shoulder. Just like this, Gu Zuo laid on his chest, held in an embrace against his heart.
The mood was peaceful and serene.
Tianheng lightly patted Gu Zuo’s back. Afterwards, he looked at his palm, which had moved without him realizing it. A rare trace of surprise flickered through his eyes.
Shortly thereafter, his gaze became gentle once more.
Tianheng faintly chuckled.
Whatever. He had finally retrieved his Ah Zuo.
In Ten Ultimates Sect, he would certainly give his little pharmacist only the very best.
T/N: Thanks for the corrections, Charysa.
Username Tangelcinnamon has made fan art of the Tianlong Guards and Huang Ji! You can check them out here and here. These links will also be put in the translator’s notes of the original chapters that the artist posted them in, which are Chapters 213 and 232.
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