The moon at the end of summer was very round, but the passing clouds soon obscured it.
Gu An sat inside with Zhang Chunqiu, chatting idly. Zhang Chunqiu recounted the experiences of these years while he listened attentively.
Zhang Chunqiu’s story was like one written by a scholar. He left the Supreme Sect for the woman he loved, but that woman was a demon.
In his early years, Zhang Chunqiu went to the Supreme Sect in search of an immortal fate. On the way, he was attacked by a demon but was saved by a female demon named Lotus, eventually making his way into the Supreme Sect.
He always remembered Lotus’s kindness and would go out each year to find her. The affection between the man and the demoness quickly heated up, and years later, with no hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm, he chose to leave the mountain and enjoy the rest of his life with Lotus.
After they met, they came to this town together, bought a villa, got married, and had a son.
After spending a long time with the demoness, Zhang Chunqiu’s Spiritual Power was drained, and even his Qi-Blood was on the decline. Lotus, not wanting to be a burden, left one clear morning without saying goodbye.
Upon hearing this part of the story, Gu An really wanted to say something, but he held back.
“You might think I was deceived by her, but that’s not the case. The end of a union between a human and a demon is fated to be such. The reason I came down the mountain was that there was no hope on the path of immortality, and I don’t regret it. Her Life Span is longer than mine; I don’t have many years left.
Her leaving early is a good thing, to avoid the agony of parting at death,” Zhang Chunqiu said with a cheerful laugh, his expression kind, and his murky eyes seeming to see through the vicissitudes of the Mortal World.
Looking at him, Gu An couldn’t help but recall the time when he first entered Mystic Valley, how young Zhang Chunqiu was back then.
Indeed, times have changed, people are not the same.
He sensed that Zhang Chunqiu had only three years left in his Life Span, which made him feel somewhat melancholic.
An hour later, the Demon Energy that Gu An had sensed earlier arrived in the courtyard, none other than Zhang Chunqiu’s son.
[Zhang Buku (Foundation Establishment Realm Second Layer): 22/460/2300]
A 22-year-old at the second layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm is definitely a genius!
Do unions between humans and demons easily give birth to geniuses?
Gu An wondered if it might be because Lotus’s talents were too high.
“Buku, this is your Martial Uncle, Gu An,” Zhang Chunqiu called to Zhang Buku, who had climbed over the wall into the courtyard.
Zhang Buku looked like a teenager of sixteen or seventeen, except for the more abundant hair on his cheeks.
“Good day, Martial Uncle Gu,” Zhang Buku greeted timidly as he approached.
Gu An smiled and nodded, then took out an elixir from his Storage Bag and said, “This is a Top-Grade Spirit Elixir, consider it a gift for our meeting.”
“How could I accept this?”
“Elder brother, aren’t you looking down upon it?”
“How could I? It’s just that it seems too valuable.”
The two insisted back and forth for a while, but eventually, Zhang Chunqiu couldn’t outmatch him and let Zhang Buku accept it.
Curious, Zhang Buku looked over Gu An. This was the first time he had received a gift from someone other than his parents, which made him feel favorable towards Gu An.
Zhang Chunqiu began to inquire about the situation in Mystic Valley, and Gu An did not hide anything.
Upon hearing that Cheng Xuandan and Meng Lang were dead, Zhang Chunqiu wasn’t saddened but rather reflective, and he advised Gu An to be careful in his future endeavors.
Then, Gu An mentioned that Li Ya had achieved Core Formation; Zhang Chunqiu clicked his tongue in wonder, acknowledging he had always seen Li Ya’s potential to soar high.
The two talked for a long time.
Only when Zhang Chunqiu could no longer hold on did Gu An take his leave.
Before parting, with the support of Zhang Buku, Zhang Chunqiu turned around and said, “Junior Brother Gu, since you’ve reached Foundation Establishment, it means your talent is not utterly poor. Cultivate well and see the world for your elder brother in a few hundred years.”
Gu An stood at the door, turned back to look at him, and nodded slightly.
From beginning to end, Zhang Chunqiu did not ask anything of him, only reminiscing about the past.
As Gu An walked out of the courtyard, he couldn’t help but look back. He could hear the low voices of Zhang Chunqiu and his son, with Zhang Chunqiu asking where his son had gotten into trouble that day, and Zhang Buku saying he had fought with a young man.
The young man he encountered was none other than An Hao, who had fought with Zhang Buku earlier. Although there was a gap in their Cultivation Levels, Zhang Buku had no intention of killing; after a few exchanges, he left.
That too, must be fate.
Zhang Buku had a potential Life Span of two thousand three hundred years and could well become a famous Great Demon among the Demon Clan, while An Hao was even more exceptional, possessing talents to chase after the number one spot in the world.
Years later, when they met, would they remember the time they fought as children in this small town?
Gu An’s mouth curved into a smile as he disappeared into the night.
…
At dawn.
In the wild mountains and steep cliffs, An Hao and An Xin sat on either side of Gu An, facing the rising sun in meditation.
The sunshine fell on them, painting a harmonious scene.
An Hao’s left cheek bore three scratches, inflicted by Zhang Buku. He had been looking for Zhang Buku all night, to no avail, and had left the town for this desolate place far away, still feeling indignant.
Gu An could not sit still any longer. He stood up and said, “I have something to attend to and will return in the evening. Hao’er, take good care of your Junior Sister.”
With that, he vanished on the cliff.
An Hao and An Xin then opened their eyes and turned to look, but their Master had already disappeared.
“What do you think our Master really is? Why can he only be with us at night?” An Xin asked curiously.
An Hao, stroking his chin, pondered, “Remember the storyteller who came to the village two years ago, telling stories of the Jianghu? I think Master is one of the top demons in the world, but his reputation must be a misunderstanding. Otherwise, why would he save us? That’s why he doesn’t want us to be affected by his fame.”
An Xin widened her eyes and then asked, “If Master really is a demon, what is he going off to do now?”
“I don’t know… But no matter what, he is our Master. He has been kind to us, and we must remember his kindness.”
“Yes!”
…
Gu An, whom his disciples called the great demon, returned to Mystic Valley and immediately used the Teleportation Array to go to the Third Medicine Valley.
As expected, after the great battle, there would be people looking for him!
Gu An entered his own attic room and saw Shen Zhen painting at the desk.
“I must say, Holy Daughter Shen, have you made yourself at home here? Come whenever you wish; aren’t you afraid of offending me?” Gu An said helplessly.
Without looking up, Shen Zhen commanded, “Hurry over and take a look!”
Immediately, Gu An walked over, glanced at her work, and couldn’t help but frown.
“Is this Han Ming?”
“That’s right. How is it? Did I do a good job?”
“Aren’t you afraid he will hold a grudge against you?”
“Dare he? My father is not to be trifled with!” Shen Zhen huffed, rendering Gu An silent.
Having a backing really is impressive!
Gu An looked closely and had to admit that Shen Zhen’s painting skills were extraordinary. The scene of Han Ming nailed to the city wall was drawn with striking clarity, even capturing the cracks on the wall.
“What do you think, how about that?” Shen Zhen asked, full of pride.
Gu An then snatched her brush and added a few strokes to the paper.
Shen Zhen squinted to see the changes and then her eyes widened in surprise.
Gu An had added the traces of strong wind and shadows, bringing more tension to the scene—this was the technique of Earth’s comics.
This style didn’t necessarily mean it was better than Shen Zhen’s, but the key point was that this was the first time Shen Zhen had seen such a technique.
The paper was plain, yet it made her sense the trajectory of action, as if it captured the process of Han Ming smashing against the city wall.
She turned her head to Gu An and couldn’t help asking, “You know how to paint?”
“A little.”
“What about poetry and song?”
“I know a bit of each.”
Admiration shone in Shen Zhen’s eyes, making Gu An involuntarily lift his chin.
Trying to show off, huh!
“That’s true, after all, you could write ‘Investiture of the Gods,'” Shen Zhen remarked.
Gu An then asked, “Why do you want to paint this?”
Could it be that Shen Zhen had a grudge against Han Ming?
“Honestly, I’m quite interested in Sword Venerable Fudao. I always felt he would be a handsome and aloof swordsman. With so many people coming to watch, he never shows up, which is truly a mark of character,” Shen Zhen said, her eyes betraying a hint of infatuation.
Gu An’s mouth twitched as he said, “What if he turns out to be an unattractive old man?”
“That’s not impossible. Besides writing, I plan to investigate Sword Venerable Fudao. I must find him.”
“To what end?”
“Of course, to become Daoist friends. Pan An, don’t think that I frequent your place because I like you. Although I’m not keen on cultivating, my Daoist friend must be a top cultivator in the world. Otherwise, how would he handle the offense when I write books and paint pictures?” Shen Zhen gave Gu An a sidelong glance, then gathered her painting and walked toward the door.
Gu An shook his head with a chuckle, making no attempt to follow her.
Only after Shen Zhen left Medicine Valley did he go downstairs, preparing to check the herbs.
The servant disciples were still discussing Sword Venerable Fudao, with each showing a fanatical look on their faces. Listening to their praises, Gu An felt very pleased.
Although he had made a show of strength recently, Gu An wouldn’t become arrogant; he still had to earnestly accumulate life span.
The ninth layer of the Unification Realm was not enough to satisfy him!
…
In the blink of an eye.
A year had passed, and another summer arrived.
Now, Gu An did not visit An Hao and company every day but twice a month instead. An Hao’s cultivation level had reached the ninth layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm, capable of protecting An Xin.
Last month, An Hao passed the test arranged by Gu An, personally slaying the wolf demon that had previously pursued them. Gu An had let the wolf demon escape just for An Hao to kill.
Alright, he admitted that upon seeing An Hao’s talent initially, he had devised many plans for training him.
The reason he hadn’t gone to the Supreme Sect yet was that An Xin’s cultivation level was still insufficient, and the two were still young, able to learn more from following Gu An.
On this day, at noon, Gu An went to the Outer City alone. He first stopped by the Heavenly Repair Platform.
The number of sword cultivators on the Heavenly Repair Platform was increasing, and many were not from the Supreme Sect.
The news that Sword Venerable Fudao had severely injured the Mad Swordsman of Great Yu spread wildly through the Immortal Cultivation World. Now, Sword Venerable Fudao had become the most admired figure among the disciples of the Supreme Sect.
Even a year later, every time Gu An visited the Outer City, he could hear the disciples discussing it.
As the fame from that battle spread, more and more sword cultivators came to visit, and the Supreme Sect did not deny them access, only strengthening the defensive forces in this part of the city, which resulted in Jiang Qiong gaining significant power, since she was the Great Elder of this city.
Gu An observed from a distance and saw Han Ming standing beside Zuo Lin, impatiently scolding, while Zuo Lin sat on the ground, his face gloomy.
Gu An was amused.
This was the scene he wanted to see, which was why he recommended Han Ming to take Zuo Lin as his apprentice.
Zuo Lin was a genius, but he was particularly dull when it came to the Sword Dao, despite his love for it.
After relishing the scene for a while, Gu An turned his attention to other individuals on the platform, curious to see if there were any unfamiliar Great Cultivators.
Upon scanning the area, indeed there were!