Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband - Chapter 81

Becoming famous after one battle brought many benefits.

For example, when Gu Yao walked alongside Chi Changye again, fewer students glared at him, and no one tried to throw spirit stones at him to “buy” his follower. Chi Changye’s status was also smoothly adjusted. No one gave them any trouble, and his identity token was swapped for that of a regular student. Moreover, they no longer needed to set up a stall. On the second day after the alchemy competition, Zhou Li personally delivered the deed for the shop to their small courtyard.

The shop wasn’t rented but privately owned and now transferred to Gu Yao’s name. A shop like that could immediately fetch tens of thousands of spirit stones if sold. After hearing Zhou Li’s explanation, Gu Yao almost couldn’t resist selling it outright. Tens of thousands of spirit stones! How long would it take to earn that much just by selling pills?

Of course, fame also brought some trouble. Whenever Gu Yao went out, he was greeted warmly by many students, most of whom he didn’t know. This stark contrast to their previous attitude left him troubled and only strengthened his resolve to become a “reclusive cultivator.” Other than visiting the Transmission Hall and the Library Pavilion, he decided not to leave their courtyard unless absolutely necessary. He left all shop-related matters entirely to Tian Feirong and the chubby boy.

Zhou Li walked into the shop named ‘Gu Chi’. Every time he saw the name, he was utterly speechless. Was this sheer laziness, or were they deliberately flaunting the close relationship between the two?

From the day the ‘Gu Chi’ shop reopened, students who came for pills quickly realized that the shop didn’t just sell pills but also spiritual talismans. The talismans were of equally high grade, and the talisman master behind them was no less skilled than Gu Yao, the pill master. However, unlike with alchemy, no talisman master dared to overestimate themselves and challenge the one behind the shop. The example set by the Pill Peak was too fresh—Li Shureng and Liu Lingge had reportedly announced their seclusion as soon as they returned to Pill Peak, and they likely wouldn’t show up again anytime soon.

It was no surprise to Zhou Li and the others who the talisman master was. Who would have thought that Chi Changye, a sword cultivator, was also skilled at crafting talismans? Zhou Li hadn’t paid much attention to the intermediate-level talismans previously displayed, but the advanced talismans now on sale had caught his attention. During his first visit, he had bought a large number of them for self-defense.

“Is it just the two of you again? Are they absent as usual?” Zhou Li asked with a smile.

The chubby boy rolled his eyes. “Isn’t that obvious? Gu Yao and Chi Changye are always too impatient to deal with people.”

Tian Feirong leaned in. “Senior Brother Zhou, have you run out of pills already? Are you here to buy more?”

This time, Zhou Li rolled his eyes. “You guys are draining all my spirit stones. I can’t afford it anymore.” Then, a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes as he added, “Have you heard the latest rumors? Recently, there’s been a story spreading in the outer court. Remember the mysterious person in Shifang City who sold those superior-grade Bi Hua Pills and caused Master Hu’s grandson to take the blame? After the alchemy competition, people have started saying that the one who made Master Hu’s grandson take the fall was none other than Gu Yao, who happened to be in Shifang City at the time. What do you think? Could it be true?”

“Pfft—cough, cough…” The chubby boy choked on his water and coughed violently. He had been planning to let this matter rest, but who on earth had dug it up again? He was the person directly involved, yet he hadn’t even brought it up!

In truth, when the competition results came out, he had already guessed that the one who caused him to take the blame was Gu Yao. Before he could confirm it with Gu Yao, the latter had come knocking on his door to confess the truth. The chubby boy couldn’t bring himself to blame Gu Yao. After all, it wasn’t Gu Yao who had accused him, but those short-sighted people in Shifang City. Even if Gu Yao had openly admitted to being the alchemist at the time, they’d have either thought he was insane or suffering from delusions.

Tian Feirong, who had never asked Gu Yao for confirmation, also believed that the person was most likely him. And why not? It was clearly to gather the spirit stones needed to enter Tianfu Academy. But such details weren’t necessary to explain to friends, especially considering the dangers of eavesdropping back in Shifang City. Letting people know could have led to unforeseen trouble.

Knowing Gu Yao’s personality, it was no surprise he preferred to avoid unnecessary complications.

Tian Feirong raised an eyebrow. “What does it prove? Even if that person was Gu Yao, so what? And if it wasn’t him, so what? Right, Chubby?” He patted the chubby boy on the back, assuming he was just startled.

Zhou Li replied matter-of-factly, “It’s just curiosity. That mysterious person was someone Master Hu publicly declared he wanted as a personal disciple. So now, while some people say it was Gu Yao, others are skeptical. They think it’s impossible for anyone to refuse being Master Hu’s disciple. But I have a different take.”

“Oh? What’s your take?” The chubby boy, having caught his breath, asked curiously.

Zhou Li confidently declared, “Of course, Gu Yao must have another master or inheritance, which means he can’t just casually take another master! Now imagine if this rumor spreads further—if the sects or the people in Cuiyan Valley hear that Gu Yao chose Tianfu Academy over joining their ranks, what do you think their reaction would be?”

Clearly, Zhou Li was someone who thrived on stirring the pot. Tian Feirong pushed him toward the door, saying, “It’s definitely not our Gu Yao. Stop adding to the gossip. We’re just ordinary people who know our place.”

Why didn’t Gu Yao join Cuiyan Valley? Tian Feirong could guess. First, Gu Yao’s spiritual root aptitude was too poor. If he stepped forward, he might face rejection and humiliation. Second, Gu Yao carried his own inheritance and secrets, particularly the modified elixirs. If that got exposed, it could cause unimaginable upheaval.

Gu Yao already had his own inheritance, so he didn’t need Master Hu as a mentor. Keeping a low profile was also wise. If he had exposed himself back then, he might not have even made it out of Shifang City.

After Zhou Li left, Tian Feirong and the chubby boy exchanged a look and immediately took out a communication talisman to inform Chi Changye. Among them, it was an unspoken agreement that Gu Yao was the one who needed the most protection. Now that this matter was circulating, they didn’t know how it might affect Gu Yao. Was Zhou Li testing their reactions?

When Zhou Li returned to the Xingyue Merchant Guild, he confidently told Jiang Yan, “It seems clear now that the superior-grade Bi Hua Pills in Shifang City were indeed made by Gu Yao. His choices are really surprising.”

Jiang Yan smiled. “It shows that Gu Yao is both clear-headed and pragmatic. Haven’t you heard the rumors? Many people are criticizing his spiritual root aptitude, saying that no matter how great his talent in alchemy is, it’s ultimately limited by his spiritual roots. They claim he won’t achieve great things. If he had joined Cuiyan Valley, who’s to say he would’ve continued to receive Master Hu’s favor? Besides, Master Hu couldn’t even protect his own grandson, who was forced to flee Cuiyan Valley. That shows it’s not as peaceful there as it seems.”

In Jiang Yan’s view, those criticizing Gu Yao’s talent were either jealous or trying to restore The Pill Peak’s reputation.

“Hu Weicai was forced to flee Cuiyan Valley? Someone targeted him?” Zhou Li exclaimed in surprise.

Jiang Yan glanced at him. “What’s so surprising about that? Hu Weicai’s reputation both inside and outside Cuiyan Valley is poor. Do you think his abilities are so threatening that they would justify accusing him of stealing pills? It’s a shame, really. One wonders if Master Hu has realized the internal issues within Cuiyan Valley. If they’re not resolved, Hu Weicai will never willingly return.”

Zhou Li chuckled. “Senior Brother, since Gu Yao has come to Tianfu Academy, do you think Hu Weicai might end up here too? If that happens, Cuiyan Valley and Master Hu will become the laughingstock of the entire Tianlin Continent.”

“That’s too much of a coincidence,” Jiang Yan replied, momentarily startled. Then he reconsidered. “But this really is a good hiding spot. If you hadn’t brought it up, who would’ve guessed Master Hu’s grandson might flee to Tianfu Academy? Master Hu could search the entire Tianlin Continent and still not think to look here.”

—

Gu Yao and Chi Changye walked out of the library together. Gu Yao asked curiously, “Brother Ye, is it true that tens of thousands of years ago, the cultivation world experienced a massive upheaval—a war that involved all races and cultivators and completely transformed the face of the world?”

Earlier, in the library, Gu Yao had stumbled upon a history book about the cultivation world. It was filled with legends and strange tales, making its authenticity hard to verify. The book had been relegated to a forgotten corner, gathering dust.

For hundreds of thousands of years, the Tianlin Continent has undergone countless changes. Here, there are no cultivators with the power to live as long as the heavens and earth. Even the longest-lived individuals can only manage a few thousand years at best, with most living no more than a few centuries before the next generation takes over. The shifts in history have long been buried in the river of time, leaving no one able to tell the full story.

However, Chi Changye seemed to know more than the average cultivator on the Tianlin Continent.

Nodding, Chi Changye said, “Where I come from, there’s a similar legend. It’s said that those ancient wars caused massive upheavals in the heavens and earth, leading to the decline of the cultivation environment across the entire realm. I believe it’s likely true, as there are several places in my homeland that are considered ancient ruins. These ruins may very well be connected to the ancient era.”

“It’s also said that those wars caused the shattering of the cultivation realm. The Tianlin Continent might be a fragment of a larger landmass that was separated back then.”

When Chi Changye first ended up here, he had this suspicion because it related to whether he could find his way back to his homeland. The Tianfu Academy’s library contained a vast collection of books, and one reason he was willing to spend so much time with Gu Yao poring over them was the hope of finding clues.

“So the stories about the myriad ancient races might be true? What kinds of races were there?” Gu Yao asked curiously.

Chi Changye shook his head. “That’s unclear. But some say the unique constitutions seen in certain cultivators today are connected to those ancient races. It’s likely that the bloodlines of those races have mixed with humans over time.”

Just as Gu Yao was about to ask more about these unique constitutions, a message from Tian Feirong arrived. After hearing the concerns in Tian Feirong’s voice, Chi Changye frowned slightly.

“Brother Ye, what’s wrong?” Gu Yao asked.

As Chi Changye was contemplating how to explain, a figure suddenly blocked their path. They looked up and saw a small, thin old man with white hair and a white beard, his sharp gaze fixed on Chi Changye. He then attempted to glare at Gu Yao but hesitated and reluctantly withdrew his gaze.

‘What a strange old man,’ Gu Yao thought to himself.