Chi Changye looked at the elderly monk in front of him and asked, "Who are you?"
This person looked to be in his sixties, but a monk's appearance does not really represent anything. There were many elderly men with white beards and hair who addressed young-looking monks as their seniors.
This monk was paying more attention to Gu Yao than an ordinary person would. Also, they had avoided some unknown searches along the way several times. At this moment, they were not with the business alliance people, because that would make them too obvious of a target, so they had split up long ago.
Gu Yao stood next to Chi Changye and did not say anything. He just looked at the monk with some uncertainty and apprehension. He had a thought in his mind but was worried about being too presumptuous.
The elderly monk did not answer Chi Changye's words. Instead, he smiled at Gu Yao and said, "What do you think, Yao Danshi or Gu Danshi?"
Gu Yao pursed his lips and still voiced his guess, "Are you...my uncle?"
Chi Changye's complexion changed. Could it really be Little Yao's uncle? If so, would his previous wariness and vigilance give the uncle a bad impression?
"Haha..." The elderly monk laughed and then peeled off a spiritual talisman from his body. As soon as the spiritual talisman left his body, his entire appearance changed into another look. No, it should be said that the disguised appearance was removed and he reverted back to his original look.
Chi Changye looked at the now handsome and extraordinary monk in surprise, then looked at the spiritual talisman in his hand. This spiritual talisman had even fooled his spiritual sense and eyes. It was no ordinary object. His knowledge of spiritual talismans was not shallow either. After all, his maternal family was a spiritual talisman family. He had heard all kinds of teachings about spiritual talismans since he was young. He knew there were spiritual talismans that could achieve an obscuring effect, but none could achieve such realism.
"Uncle!" Gu Yao exclaimed, "It really is you, uncle!"
After confirming this person's identity, Chi Changye did not know what to do with his hands and feet. His body became stiff, and he had no way to consider the peculiarity of that spiritual talisman. He stiffly called out, "Uncle, Uncle..."
Uncle glanced at Chi Changye and then went over to pull Gu Yao to sit down and have a good chat. Gu Yao was still a little dizzy and did not realize Chi Changye's state. His mind was full of "This person really is my uncle." No, that's not right. "Does this mean Uncle came with the business alliance people and has been in the city all this time?"
Gu Yao then remembered there was a gaze that kept falling on him occasionally. He did not feel any malice from it. Plus, his mind was preoccupied with researching the antidote, so he did not spare much energy to pay attention to it. So that gaze must have belonged to his uncle?
The little purple treasure beast in the space made a fuss, wanting to come out and see his brother. Gu Yao had no choice but to let him out. As soon as Zi Baobei came out, he pounced towards Uncle. MM was about to resist but felt a familiar aura and withdrew his resistance. A little person with two purple bamboo leaves on his head crashed into his arms and kept calling out, "Brother, brother..."
So it was this little guy, Uncle picked up the little one and knocked on his small head, "You're also a restless one. Isn't it good to stay with Little Yao? Coming out makes it easy to attract unwanted attention."
With Uncle having that incredible talisman, his appearance could also be fake. But now Zi Baobei's reaction dispelled Chi Changye's last bit of doubt. Zi Baobei recognized people not just by their outward appearance, but more by a person's soul and aura.
However, Uncle did not ask him to sit down, so he obediently stood there. But he played a petty move and stood behind Gu Yao. While Uncle was coaxing Zi Baobei, he did not forget his surroundings. Seeing this, he glanced over, making Chi Changye's whole body tense up and his expression stiffen again.
Zi Baobei was very well-behaved, sitting intimately in Uncle's arms, and then did not disturb Uncle's conversation with Gu Yao. This scene in Gu Yao's eyes was undoubtedly transcendent and extraordinary, without a trace of mundane smoke or fire. However, he still had many things he wanted to understand from his uncle.
"Little Yao must have a lot of doubts, my nephew and I really need to have a good chat," he said, raising his eyebrows at Chi Changye behind Gu Yao, meaning people outside of the uncle-nephew relationship should withdraw and not disturb their private conversation.
The corner of Chi Changye's mouth twitched, but he had no choice but to respectfully say, "Then I will let Uncle and Little Yao talk for a while. I'll wait outside. If there is anything needed, Uncle just call for me."
Hearing him address the other as "Uncle" in every sentence made Yin Hua feel a little unpleasant, but since his nephew did not object, what more could he say except feel resigned. So he lazily waved his hand to hurry him out.
Chi Changye took one more look at Gu Yao before backing out. Gu Yao just scratched his head. Being addressed as "Uncle" repeatedly also reminded him of his relationship with Chi Changye. Naturally, it would be better to gain the elder's approval.
But Yin Hua was no ordinary person. Just as Gu Yao was about to open his mouth, he was interrupted and led in another direction. Gu Yao instantly forgot about Chi Changye. Yin Hua pointed at his face and said, "Why don't you restore your original appearance and let your uncle see what you look like now."
Gu Yao was startled, only then realizing he still had on a transformed face. He hurriedly and clumsily removed all the changes, reverting back to his original brow and eyes. Yin Hua used his gaze to carefully study him up and down, smiling as he said, "This suits my imagination. Of the Yin family's descendants, only you and I remain. Your mother, she must not have taken good care of you."
Yin Hua spoke with certainty. Gu Yao thought back and indeed did not have deep impressions of his birth mother in the original body's memories. She had passed away too early, leaving him alone in the vicious environment of the Gu family. "My mother died early on rescuing my father from a demonic beast attack on the town. Not long after, my father remarried and had a pair of twins, a boy and a girl. Later, I used the Eternal Immortal Sect token Uncle left behind to exchange for freedom from the Gu family. I left Remote Sun Town with elder brother Ye, I mean Chi Changye, to seek our fortunes."
Not just Gu Yao, even Yin Hua did not have very deep impressions of this younger sister. Hearing his nephew's description, he knew life in the Gu family had not been good. Back then, he had said that man was not a good match. The Gu family's nature was extremely selfish and profit-seeking. What they wanted to take advantage of was bare to his eyes.
He had given the warning, but his sister believed more in her own feelings. So Yin Hua did not try hard to persuade her. If it had not been for the later bloodline fluctuations he sensed from the unborn nephew in her womb, he would not have left the subsequent arrangements.
Yin Hua sighed. "Your mother was my half-sister from the same father. Before the Yin family's calamity, I actually did not have much contact with her. Perhaps...
"Your mother had never ventured out before, her nature was too simple and naive, unable to recognize the sinister human heart. After meeting your father, she felt he was someone she could entrust you to. You must not follow the same path as your mother."
Seeing this sudden turn in the conversation, Gu Yao's face suddenly flushed red. Seeing his uncle's teasing gaze, Gu Yao shifted his body somewhat uncomfortably, not knowing how to explain things between Chi Changye and himself to his uncle.
Yin Hua sighed inwardly. In the end, it was an inextricable karmic tie. "However, Uncle still believes Little Yao's judgement is not the same as your mother's. Your insight is much better than hers."
Gu Yao scratched his cheek, blinking his eyes, still not knowing what to say. Seeing his nephew's embarrassed state, Yin Hua could not help laughing. His nephew was indeed much more adorable and pleasing than his younger sister back then. His observations over these days were not inaccurate either.
"Uncle, um, have you been well all these years?" Gu Yao could not help asking. "Who is the enemy of the Yin family?"
Yin Hua's smile dimmed slightly. "This person, you should have heard of him too. The Eternal Immortal Sect has two sixth-grade alchemists. The one surnamed Han does not have that much power."
"So it's the alchemist surnamed Wu who has never shown himself?" Gu Yao thought of the rumors from outside. "Could it be the toxins from before really came from this Wu alchemist?"
"It was him without a doubt. His innate talent in alchemy is extremely high, although in my opinion, still far from yours, Little Yao. Moreover, he specializes more in refining poisons. I'm afraid by now he has refined even his own body into a toxic physique. You must be very careful if you encounter this person in the future. In fact, the Yin clan has been living on the Vast Azure Continent for many years. But the main lineage has always kept records about the situation in Tianlin as well as that teleportation array. Wu does not know how he found out about the Yin clan's existence and the special Yin bloodline. But Little Yao, you should know, the more special a bloodline is, the more precious it is, and also the harder it is to awaken. Of the living Yin clan members back then, only I had truly awakened. The rest of the Yin clansmen, their cultivation talents were just slightly better than other cultivators. That was why the Yin clan was able to exist as a hidden cultivating family clan on the Vast Azure Continent."
Chi Changye stood guard at the door for a full day and night. But for cultivators, time did not amount to much - just a blink of an eye spent meditating. However, with half his mind placed on the room behind him, he keenly felt the passage of time and the length of their conversation.
When the room door opened again, Chi Changye swiftly looked inside. The person standing there was no different than when he had first gone in. Naturally, the first place his eyes went was Gu Yao, and seeing only added complexity and sentiment in his eyes, his heart settled down. Only then did he look to the side at Yin Hua.
Yin Hua was still dressed extremely simply in a green robe, very fitting for his previous identity as an elderly cultivator. But now with his original appearance restored, he somehow made even this ordinary garb radiate some brilliance. This was a mature man with a resolute and powerful mentality. Knowing of the Yin clan's annihilation, Chi Changye could not imagine how Yin Hua managed to grow to this level.
Yin Hua raised an eyebrow at Chi Changye, then patted his nephew's head saying, "Uncle will go rest first. We'll be leaving here tomorrow." So hurry up and make clear anything that needs saying before we leave. Then he turned and strode off nonchalantly with his hands behind his back.
"How are you?" Chi Changye asked Gu Yao as he entered the room.
Gu Yao rubbed his brow. He felt like his past perceptions had been completely overturned. The Tianling clan made him feel like it was a huge bug that had appeared in the cultivation world. This kind of bloodline made him feel it was better off not existing at all. Wasn't the annihilation of the Yin clan a profound lesson?
Chi Changye poured Gu Yao some spiritual tea to soothe his mind. After a few sips, Gu Yao's complexion eased somewhat. He looked up at Chi Changye, wanting to speak yet hesitating. Finally he sighed and said, "My uncle's matters are very different from what I imagined. My understanding of the Tianling clan is also somewhat inaccurate."
Seeing something was troubling Gu Yao, Chi Changye patted his shoulder and said, "No matter how different, you're still you. And I'm still me. Now you've gained a relative, this is a good thing."
"You're right," Gu Yao laughed lightly. "It's just some things are rather inconceivable. For example... he once dreamed for a thousand years."
Chi Changye was stunned speechless. This was real? "He dreamed of the future?"
Gu Yao nodded. "Yes, but because it was a dream, some parts were clear while others vague. And it was even harder to remember clearly after waking up. But I still have impressions of some major events, like my nephew in the future, and you, this sword cultivator."
Uncle Yin Hua was somewhat suspicious of Chi Changye the sword cultivator, which left Gu Yao quite exasperated. Thus Uncle found out about his mother's early passing, and knew he would eventually leave the Gu family to venture out into the world, that one day he would arrive at Qianhao Continent, and appeared before him at Yidang. He had worried Uncle for no small amount of time, especially being anxious about his identity, fearing Uncle would see he was not the original. Yet all these issues were resolved in this manner.
The previous Gu Yao was him, and the later Gu Yao of the interstellar world was also him. No - it should be said that combining the two was the true him. Originally, his personality also had such a cowardly side. But in the end it was still due to his environment. Isolated without aid in the Gu family, no one told him what he should do. Yet in the interstellar world, as an orphan wanting to survive, he had to compete with others. Later he was fortunately discovered and brought back by Teacher.
Gu Yao smiled freely. Uncle's arrival resolved the greatest puzzle in his heart. He was actually quite fortunate, having met many people beneficial to him, preventing his mentality from becoming warped.
At this moment, it felt like a weight lifted from his heart. His mental state boundary actually broke through. If not for the inappropriate location, properly closing up now, his cultivation could also have similarly advanced.
This loosening and elevation of his boundary was also noticed by Chi Changye. Needless to say, this should be the effect of Gu Yao's conversation with Yin Hua, and would be beneficial to Gu Yao's future cultivation. Chi Changye's impression of Yin Hua rose considerably. Just for this point, he was extremely grateful to him already.
"Since it's what little Yao said, then I believe it. We should always be together then, right?" Chi Changye said in an extremely certain tone.
Gu Yao looked at Chi Changye's pursed smile. Matters of emotion did not need others to affirm. Other than Chi Changye, he had never thought there would be a second person. This was affinity - who made him the first person he saw upon opening his eyes? And Chi Changye was the one accompanying him through his most difficult times back then. Whether it was baby duck syndrome or later's trickling stream, in the end it was this person.
Chi Changye also smiled, putting an arm around Gu Yao's shoulder and pecking his lips. They did not need others to affirm their feelings. Even if Gu Yao disappeared one day, he would personally find him back.
Little Treasure had returned to the space, as remaining outside would easily leak traces and attract attention. Xu Chen looked at the little fellow, extremely vexed, because Gu Yao had blocked him. Thus he had no idea what Gu Yao and his uncle talked about, leaving this extremely curious fellow clawing at his heart.