https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-717-A-Simple-Calculation-An-extra-chapter-for-the-Alliance-Leader-s-cultivation-journey-/12543279/
Chapter 716: Fate and Fortune
Chapter 716: Fate and Fortune
After the family banquet, the guests gradually dispersed.
Despite some minor hiccups, the event concluded mostly peacefully, and it could be considered a mutual enjoyment between host and guests.
Late into the night, in the study of the Gu family's head.
Shangguan Ce and Gu Shouyan sat across from each other, brewing tea and engaging in a candlelit heart-to-heart talk.
Having grown up and cultivated together since childhood, they were not only heads of their respective families but also considered old friends.
While the Shangguan family was stronger than the Gu family, the gap between them wasn't too significant.
Gu Shouyan was slightly older than Shangguan Ce.
Both men had lived for hundreds of years, weathering countless storms together, sharing a complex relationship of mutual interests and deep-rooted camaraderie.
Gu Shouyan, known for his forthright nature, never hesitated to speak his mind. With a deep voice, he asked, "Are you planning to take back all of the Shangguan family's businesses?"
These businesses were related to some cultivation industries near the Qian Xue State, which were originally managed by the Gu family.
Shangguan Ce nodded, "The Shen family offered a high price. By transferring them to the Shens, we'll earn two percent more profit compared to managing them ourselves."
A cold smile appeared on Gu Shouyan's face as he responded, "How kind of the Shen family."
"Whether they are kind or not, the benefits are clear," Shangguan Ce stated.
"What benefits?" Gu Shouyan probed.
Shangguan Ce shook his head, "I can't disclose that."
Gu Shouyan scoffed, "What other benefits could there be? It's either spirit stones, pills, connections... Oh, or perhaps a spot in one of the Four Great Sects?"
Shangguan Ce remained silent.
Gu Shouyan continued to fiddle with the tea leaves in the tea canister, unconcerned.
Shangguan Ce's gaze turned slightly pensive as he sighed, "The Gu family... will face troubles."
Gu Shouyan's eyebrows furrowed in surprise. He knew Shangguan Ce inside out, having grown up together.
This man was selfish and cunning, meticulous in his pursuit of personal gain.
However, when it didn't involve his own interests or those of the Shangguan family, he could also be forthright and sincere.
Despite finding Shangguan Ce's character detestable at times and believing that he was overly scheming, Gu Shouyan had still developed a deep bond with him over the years.
After all, at their level of cultivation and status, there were very few cultivators with whom he could have a genuine conversation or share a moment of camaraderie.
"Who's causing trouble for my Gu family? The Shen family?" Gu Shouyan asked.
Shangguan Ce shook his head again, "Regarding the matters I've mentioned, you already know. As for what you don't know, I can't say."
Gu Shouyan's interest waned, and he poured himself a cup of tea, sipping it slowly.
He didn't pour a cup for Shangguan Ce.
Shangguan Ce had no choice but to serve himself.
The tea was slightly bitter and astringent, not of the finest quality.
However, this was the flavor Gu Shouyan preferred.
Though Shangguan Ce didn't particularly enjoy it, he didn't comment and quietly drank the tea. Glancing at Gu Shouyan's temples, now adorned with white hair, he sighed softly, "Brother Gu, a man of great stature should know how to advance and retreat..."
"With so many aristocratic families showing goodwill toward the Gu family, if you just gave them a little face, the Gu family wouldn't still be stuck at the sixth rank."
Gu Shouyan's eyes widened in indignation, "What face? They want me to give them face? They want the power of my Gu family to give them face! They want the authority of the Dao laws to give them face!"
"Does the Gu family have such power?"
"Do the Dao laws belong to the Gu family?"
"The authority of the Dao court and the impartiality of the Dao laws—these are derived from the heavenly Dao above and the mandate of the people below. What virtue or ability does my Gu family possess to claim them as our own and abuse them for personal gain?"
Shangguan Ce rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on, "Some things that others can do, why can't the Gu family do? Are you saying the Gu family is too noble for that?"
"It's not about nobility," Gu Shouyan replied with a disdainful expression, "I just don't want to."
Shangguan Ce was left speechless.
Glancing at Shangguan Ce, Gu Shouyan realized that, at least at this moment, his old friend had set aside his scheming ways and was genuinely concerned. With a sigh, he said, "You are driven by fame and fortune, and you understand the ways of the world better than I do. But this matter is far more complex than you think."
"Over the years, my Gu family has produced the Dongxu Old Ancestor, and we have long had the foundation to become a sixth-rank family..."
"Among the aristocratic families, while some may hate us to the core, there are also those with whom we have deep friendships. I won't say our connections are excellent, but they're not so poor that we would be left without any support."
"In fact, on several occasions, we were on the verge of stepping into the sixth rank, only to be held back by various constraints."
Gu Shouyan's voice turned solemn, "The true power of a sixth-rank aristocratic family in the Dao court is not something to be taken lightly."
"My Gu family upholds the Dao laws, and there are too many people who do not wish for us to advance further."
Shangguan Ce's eyebrows knitted together.
"Moreover," Gu Shouyan continued with a self-deprecating laugh, "do you think that if I accepted the advances of those aristocratic families and colluded with them, they would truly accept my Gu family?"
Shaking his head, Gu Shouyan took a sip of tea before continuing, "If I don't accept their advances, my Gu family is seen as a wild wolf.
"On the surface, they may be polite, but behind closed doors, they will look down on me even more."
"When they encounter some sordid and ugly troubles, they throw us a bone, and I am expected to bite and clean up their mess."
Gu Shouyan's face turned cold, his eyes sharp as swords, as he coldly huffed, "And these parasites think they are worthy?"
"Even if my Gu family has to risk our lives to bite and tear flesh from them, we will never grovel and lick the bones they throw our way!"
Shangguan Ce pondered for a moment, but still shook his head, sighing, "Brother Gu, you are still being a bit extreme. My Shangguan family can stand or fall with the Gu family, but they..."
Gu Shouyan's expression turned resolute as he said, "You, Shangguan Ce, accepted the Shen family's friendly gestures, and thus you can be friendly with them because, at your core, you are the same type of people."
"But I am not."
"I have never been the same as you."
Shangguan Ce was taken aback, his eyes cooling slightly, but he did not seem annoyed.
Gu Shouyan continued, "This is true of the family heads, as well as the families themselves."
"Your Shangguan family and the Shen family have thriving industries, and you both rose to power through interests and profits. My Gu family, on the other hand, works in the Dao Court, and at our core, we rely on our 'roots' to establish our family."
"If the Shangguan family were to suddenly emphasize 'roots,' it would likely lead to your swift downfall."
"Similarly, if my Gu family does not uphold our 'roots,' even if we are strong for a moment, our destruction will come swiftly."
Shangguan Ce's eyes flickered with a hint of distraction.
He had always thought that his eldest brother was stubborn, rigid, and inflexible.
But he never expected that his brother was not as obstinate as he seemed.
In fact, Gu Shouyan understood many things.
And it seemed that he understood them even better than Shangguan Ce himself.
Shangguan Ce sighed inwardly, realizing that one could never judge a person by their appearance.
He poured a cup of tea for Gu Shouyan and said calmly, "Brother Gu, do as you see fit."
He hoped that in the future, the Shangguan and Gu families would not become bitter rivals.
Gu Shouyan nodded and took the tea to drink.
At this point, everything that needed to be said had been said.
The two men drank their tea in silence, and although they did not speak, the absence of hidden agendas between them made the atmosphere much more relaxed.
Gu Shouyan suddenly remembered something and glanced at Shangguan Ce curiously, but he did not voice his question.
Shangguan Ce seemed to sense his curiosity and set down his teacup before slowly saying, "Brother Gu, if there is something on your mind, feel free to ask."
Gu Shouyan nodded and did not hide his thoughts. "There is one thing I don't quite understand. You are a person who only cares about interests, yet you have such deep-rooted factionalism and prejudice towards the Wenren family. Why is that?"
"During tonight's banquet, the elder from the Shen family caused trouble for Wan'er, which was extremely inappropriate. Yet, you didn't say a word."
Shangguan Ce fell silent, "He's just a fool..."
He took a sip of tea and brushed away the tea leaves, his tone indifferent as he said, "The Shen family marrying her to us is a way of testing my Shangguan family's attitude."
"Since the Shen family is showing us goodwill, we should reciprocate."
"Even if she acts unruly, we should still be polite. After all, we just profited from their spirit stones, and it's only right to be gracious."
"Furthermore, the other branches of the Shangguan family are using her to pressure Yi'er..."
"The other branches of my family have long been eyeing the position of the family head. If they can't take it from me, they will try to take it from Yi'er."
"Such things will not decrease in the future, and I will not interfere."
"I am the family head, but I am just the family head. The real power lies with the ancestors, and there are many things I cannot decide."
"If Yi'er has the ability to unite the family, then he will naturally become the family head. But if he cannot control the situation, it would be better to give up the position early. This would prevent him from being indecisive and ruining the family's foundation."
"As for Wan'er..." Shangguan Ce's eyes turned slightly gloomy, "...she is implicated by Yi'er."
"Anyone with eyes can see that Yi'er is too emotional and too attached to Wan'er, which makes her his weakness."
"As husband and wife, if Wan'er makes a mistake, it becomes Yi'er's mistake."
Shangguan Ce sighed softly, "If Yi'er were just an ordinary young master of a noble family, not my son and not involved in the struggle for the position of the family head, then naturally no one would target Wan'er."
"All they need to do is live peacefully."
"But unfortunately, neither of them has an ordinary identity..."
Gu Shouyan nodded in agreement.
"As for the Wenren family..."
Shangguan Ce feigned a thoughtful expression, his eyes complex, "Although the Shangguan and Wenren families have conflicts and have never intermarried, it is not as if we have a deep-rooted hatred."
"Otherwise, Yi'er and Wan'er's marriage would have been stopped from the very beginning, no matter how much Yi'er begged, it would never have been possible."
Shangguan Ce looked at Gu Shouyan and said frankly, "But indeed, from start to finish, I have never been optimistic about this marriage."
"It's not that I hate the Wenren family, but there is no real benefit for the Shangguan family to marry into the Wenren family..."
"Or rather, the benefit is not significant enough."
"Yi'er has a good background, excellent talent, and exceptional looks. Although he tends to be sentimental and indecisive, such traits are actually more appealing to women."
"When it was time to arrange a marriage, I had several good options in hand. These women came from noble lineages, with excellent backgrounds, appearances, and spiritual mines as betrothal gifts. Their families were also extremely powerful."
"Marrying into these families would have greatly benefited my Shangguan family, helped me as the family head, and paved a smooth path for Yi'er's succession."
"Yi'er's future would have been bright and unobstructed."
"But..."
Shangguan Ce heaved a deep sigh, "Yi'er has greatly disappointed me. He rejected all those good marriage options and insisted on marrying this girl, Wan'er."
"Furthermore, this is the first time Yi'er has defied me to this extent."
"There were immense benefits to be gained from his marriage, and our family's position could have taken another step towards that unreachable sixth-rank. But now, all our plans have gone awry and come to nothing."
Even the usually composed and cunning Shangguan Ce couldn't hide his displeasure, his brows furrowing in anger.
Gu Shouyan understood the underlying implications.
Sitting in the position of the family head, many things were not as simple as they seemed on the surface. He could empathize with Shangguan Ce's frustration.
"But," Gu Shouyan frowned, "what about Yu'er? You wouldn't distance yourself from your only grandson because of Wan'er, would you?"
Shangguan Ce's gaze turned somber, his expression complicated as if there was something he found difficult to say.
"If it's inconvenient, then never mind," Gu Shouyan added, not pressing the issue further as he understood this was a delicate family matter.
Gu Shouyan poured himself another cup of tea and slowly savored it.
Shangguan Ce's face was clouded with a layer of shadow, and after a long silence, he finally sighed and spoke, "When Yu'er was born... I invited an elder from the Imperial Astrology Bureau to predict his fortune."
Gu Shouyan was taken aback, his brows knitting together.
Shangguan Ce continued, "Yu'er... "
He paused, closing his eyes briefly before opening them again, his tone turning cold, "Yu'er, since his birth, has had the innate fortune of a 'dead person,' an incomplete shell, not a living being..."
Gu Shouyan's hand trembled, and his expression turned to one of shock.
His gaze turned serious as he said, "Fortunes may not always come true..."
Shangguan Ce shook his head, "You don't know the identity of that elder. His predictions are infallible."
"And... I can see it too."
"Yu'er has always been different from others. Though he appears fine, his spiritual sense is inherently weak, as if his soul is incomplete. Moreover, he occasionally sees things that ordinary cultivators cannot, and he has dreams that are beyond comprehension, as if... he is an infant with one foot in the underworld..."
Pain flashed in Shangguan Ce's eyes as he continued, "So every time I see Yu'er, it feels like a thorn is piercing my heart."
"He is my only grandson, whom I obtained with great difficulty, but he is destined to be a 'dead person,' one who will not live to adulthood..."
Gu Shouyan's expression was dazed for a moment before he looked at Shangguan Ce without an ounce of sympathy and coldly smiled, "You sowed your wild oats when you were young, and now you're paying the price. You deserve it."
Shangguan Ce's expression turned ugly, but he had no rebuttal.
Seeing his expression, Gu Shouyan sighed and softened his tone, "Can't it be changed?"
Shangguan Ce's expression turned bitter, "No one can alter one's fortune."
"Nonsense!" Gu Shouyan's face darkened, "If fortunes couldn't be changed, then there wouldn't be the saying 'defying heaven to alter one's fate'."
Shangguan Ce sighed, "Those were the exact words of the elder. He said that Yu'er's fortune was cast at birth, and the heavenly secrets are too profound, the causes and effects too great for mortal means to alter..."
Gu Shouyan asked in a low voice, "What was the cultivation level of that elder?"
Shangguan Ce pointed upwards.
Gu Shouyan's heart skipped a beat, and he remained silent, understanding the weight of that assertion.
After finishing his tea, Shangguan Ce took his leave.
Gu Shouyan sat alone at the table, his tea untouched as he stared blankly, his mind drifting to Yu'er's innocent and well-behaved demeanor.
Even Gu Shouyan, who had experienced so much, couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart, sighing softly, "Such a good child, but with such bad luck..."
...
Mo Hua enjoyed a hearty meal and stayed another night at the Gu family before returning to Tai Xu Men the next morning.
Xun Laoxian's calligraphy, "Deep and Abundant Blessings," was gifted by Mo Hua to Wen Renwan.
Although Xun Laoxian didn't explicitly state who it was for, Mo Hua guessed that the old man intended it for Aunt Wan.
Wen Renwan was touched and surprised by the gift.
In Qianzhou, Dongxu Laozu was a top figure, and ordinary disciples rarely had the opportunity to meet him, let alone receive his calligraphy.
Wen Renwan wanted to reciprocate the gift, but she knew that the old man probably wouldn't care for such trivial things.
So, she packed a large assortment of snacks, drinks, and some second-rate array books and charts, and gave them all to Mo Hua.
They were all things that Mo Hua loved.
Mo Hua politely refused a few times before happily and gratefully accepting the gifts.
Before leaving, Gu Changhuai found Mo Hua and they sat on the steps by the door, chatting briefly.
"There's something I want to tell you," Gu Changhuai said after a moment's thought, "Some time ago, a group of mysterious demonic cultivators entered the periphery of the Qian Xue State."
"Demonic cultivators?" Mo Hua was taken aback.
Gu Changhuai nodded, "Their origins are unknown, and we're not sure how many there are or what their cultivation levels are."
"Their activities are limited to the periphery of the second and third-rate small states near Qian Xue, and their intentions are unclear, but they certainly don't have good intentions."
"The Dao Court has started to take action, but the situation is still uncertain..."
Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua and reminded her, "Although you're 'grounded' and can't leave Qian Xue, it's unlikely you'll encounter them. Still, it's best to be cautious."
"Mmhmm." Mo Hua nodded.
(End of Chapter)
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