Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Jade Beads and Jade Cards

"Don't be nervous; I am your uncle. This is a divine message I left behind." The handsome man looked at Gu Yao with gentle eyes.

Though Gu Yao vaguely guessed the man's identity, he was still surprised. Thinking about his own origins, could the man not see it? Even if he's just a divine message, Gu Yao couldn't be careless.

Before he could react, the handsome man continued, "I don't have much time left. Listen to me. This is my true appearance. You must have received the token from Changxian Sect. Don't worry; your uncle never had high expectations for the Gu family. It's just your mother... sigh. I see that Gu Zhiming is easily influenced. If your mother is no longer around, the Gu family might not be a good place. Even without the Gu family, your uncle's methods are enough to protect your life."

"Your uncle brought your mother to Yuanyang Town with injuries, chased by enemies. I don't know when I'll return, but don't worry. Even if you venture out in the future, outsiders won't easily connect you to your uncle. Our bloodline is special; your mother didn't inherit it, but you did. Your uncle knew when you were in her womb. So, even if your talent is not outstanding, don't worry. Remember what your uncle said about unlocking the bloodline..."

Gu Yao quickly remembered the method his uncle mentioned. As the method was explained, the dreamy figure of the man faded, and his voice weakened. "Finally, the real gift your uncle left for you isn't the token from Changxian Sect but a jade card. The origin of this jade card is extraordinary. Your uncle couldn't figure it out after years of research. When your uncle saw you in your mother's womb, he felt a connection between you and this jade card. The Gu family might not appreciate it; you'll have to find a way to get it if you're not by your side."

"Take care, and your uncle looks forward to the day of reunion."

Gu Yao sat up, touched his head, and thought about the words of his uncle. The method to unlock the bloodline was now ingrained in his memory. The surprise that his uncle, a dazzlingly handsome man, turned out to be his uncle left him curious. His uncle seemed to have foreseen his mother's early death. The last words were only about their reunion, not involving any third party. There seemed to be a hidden story.

Looking at the jade card hanging on his chest, given by his mother, it appeared dull and low-quality. No wonder no one in the Gu family, including servants, cared about it. Gu Yao wondered about the connection between the jade card and the jade bead his uncle mentioned.

As he contemplated, he thought of a precious item from his previous life. With that item, his double S-level psychic power didn't burst his body. It helped him survive and research various potions, although he never revealed its existence.

The item was similar to the jade card but a round bead. One day, his psychic power touched the jade bead, and he discovered a spring inside. Drinking water from it prevented his body from weakening continuously.

Born with D-level physical potential and double S-level psychic potential, a rare case, he was considered short-lived. His master, out of pity, took him as a disciple. To address the incongruity between physical and psychic potentials, he devoted himself to researching potions, aiming to enhance the Alliance soldiers' growth potential and face the endless insect disasters. His successful research leaked, leading to a fatal assassination attempt.

Before dying, he saw the jade bead flying from his chest, a bright light, and then lost consciousness. Awakening in his current body, he realized the jade bead had merged into his consciousness, perhaps responsible for his resurrection.

Now, feeling the warmth of the jade bead in his hand, he observed it glowing. Simultaneously, the jade card underwent a similar transformation. Gu Yao, astonished, confirmed the connection between the jade bead and jade card. It was inexplicable, but the jade bead was obtained from the Interstellar Alliance, and the jade card was a gift from his uncle to the original body.
Jade beads and jade cards flew towards each other, collided, and merged. Finally, they flew towards Gu Yao's forehead, causing him to lose consciousness. In the end, he vaguely wondered if these two somewhat different worlds had an unknown connection. Does this also mean he might have a chance to return to the Interstellar Alliance in the future?

After an unknown period, Gu Yao regained consciousness. Unperturbed, he was more curious about what would happen after the fusion of the jade card and jade bead and whether the springwater was still present.

With a thought, he entered the original space of the jade bead. Gu Yao was astonished to find the springwater still there, but now there was a patch of black soil, undoubtedly brought by the jade card.

Returning to his body, Gu Yao, still half-sitting on the bed, pressed his forehead. This time, his mind gained a vague concept. Indeed, the jade card and jade bead were originally one entity, but for some reason, they had split apart. Now, they were not complete, with several components missing. The treasure didn't provide clues, but with the fusion, as long as the other parts were within a certain range, the treasure could sense them.

Taking a cup from the bedside, Gu Yao's fingers guided the springwater into the cup. After drinking a sip, he realized that the spiritual energy in the water improved his body. However, it couldn't enhance his innate genetic talents.

Due to the jade bead saving him, its grade had dropped, causing a decrease in the spiritual energy in the springwater. The spiritual field, deprived of continuous replenishment, was degrading. To restore it, he needed to invest spiritual pearls or stones or retrieve the other parts of the treasure.

Gu Yao felt a headache. He was reluctant to use his thousand spiritual pearls. Whether for cultivation or concocting potions to improve his body, significant funds were required. Moreover, his current partner seemed to have health issues. Gu Yao sighed; he needed to find a way to make money quickly.

In his previous life, his master supported him, being a senior alchemist. He never lacked funds. Once he became a senior alchemist, people came to him with large amounts of credit to concoct potions. Now, unexpectedly facing financial difficulties, Gu Yao felt a bit overwhelmed.

As dawn broke, instead of fretting in bed, he decided to get up and do something. As he opened the door, a faint smell of blood reached his nose. Surprised, he followed the scent to the room of Chiyuan Ye, who was there with a pale face and traces of blood at the corners of his mouth.

"Brother Ye, are you there?" Gu Yao hesitated for a moment before calling.

The door opened, revealing Chiyuan Ye. He looked pale, with bloodstains not completely wiped off at the corners of his mouth. Seeing a pool of blood on the floor, Gu Yao asked, "Brother Ye, your injury?"

"Sorry for making Little Yao worry. I'm fine. I was cultivating at night, accidentally triggering an old injury. The blood I spat out was just congealed blood, nothing serious." Chiyuan Ye invited Gu Yao in, and once seated, he moved his fingers and said, "Little Yao, you never asked about my situation. Brother Ye will explain..."

Gu Yao felt a bit awkward, hearing two consecutive "let me explain." Nevertheless, he obediently played the role of the listener.

"I'm not a cultivator from this side. I accidentally entered a spatial crack and fell outside the town, where the Gu family found me. Surviving in the spatial crack with my cultivation was fortunate, but all my treasures and pills were exhausted. Even my cultivation dispersed, and I ended up with injuries. I might burden Little Yao."

Gu Yao was shocked. He didn't expect that Chiyuan Ye had been picked up by Gu Xing and Gu Chen, the twin brothers. At that time, Chiyuan Ye must have been in a miserable state, covered in wounds and probably not much better than a beggar.

Having survived in a spatial crack indicated a significant previous cultivation level. Gu Yao waved his hand and said, "My situation isn't much better than Brother Ye's. Brother Ye still has eyesight intact; perhaps you can guide my cultivation. Can Brother Ye's cultivation recover? Do you need healing pills?"

"Cultivation needs time to recover. Currently, I can probably display the strength of the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining." He didn't mention that using spiritual power should be avoided if possible; otherwise, it would compound the injuries. "I need pills, but there might not be any here, and even if there were, I couldn't buy them. Thankfully, I can slowly recuperate by absorbing spiritual energy. Brother Ye is not in a hurry. Little Yao, your spiritual energy is quite mixed; it needs proper adjustment."

"Yes, that's what I'm thinking too. Being in that house, I have no idea if the imported things have been tampered with. It's better to wait for the market to open and see what we can buy together." Gu Yao suggested.

"Alright. However, today, the Tian and Lu families won't be too stable," Chiyuan Ye hinted.

Gu Yao chuckled. If the Tian and Lu families could cause trouble for the Gu family, it would be good. Now that the Tian family knew, it was impossible for the Lu family not to get wind of it. The three families were intertwined, and it was challenging to keep secrets.