Such powerful families fighting for authority and profit were engaged in life and death struggles, so why would they let an unwelcome daughter return to claim a share of the spoils?
The Old Taoist Priest was of course aware of this as well, but he did not burst her bubble, and said cheerily,
"That is certainly good!"
The Old Taoist Priest continued,
"And there's also... that Tongxuan Bright Mirror..."
This was indeed a serious matter, and Gu Shi Yi's expression became even more solemn. She straightened her back and shifted in her seat,
"Master, you were saying..."
The Old Taoist Priest pondered for a moment before saying,
"Once the Treasure Mirror was used by you, it revealed the heavenly secrets I had hidden. I'm afraid we can no longer stay here. Pack your things and leave in three days..."
After saying this, he also reiterated,
"Remember to leave in three days. If you are slow to leave and someone follows the trail to us, your life might very well be in danger!"
Having such a treasure in the hands of the master and disciple was already an amazing stroke of luck. Possessing little ability, yet having a treasure in hand, one must know to hide away, or they are truly tired of living!
Seeing that Gu Shi Yi nodded, he then said,
"Indeed, this treasure is not something we, master and disciple, can possess. Your meager mana cannot protect it. First, go to Huangjing and find Zhang Zhenyue, use this item to seek his protection, and then go back to Chenzhou. Although it is far from the Emperor's reach, Zhang Zhenyue's name might not be able to protect you, but it should at least make the Gu Family regard you more highly and not dare to bully you too much. After that, you can find a way to get yourself a suitable husband and marry off..."
He spoke only of "you" and not "us." Gu Shi Yi did not catch on, but Li Yaner, who was listening on the side, understood everything loud and clear. She looked deeply at the Old Taoist Priest, who, feeling her gaze, turned his head and gave her a faint smile, then continued to Gu Shi Yi,
"This object is a relic left by an Ancient Immortal. Even my master in his prime, with his profound understanding of Taoist magic, could not figure out even a tenth of its uses. It's a treasure but also a curse; for those without power, possessing it is a great disaster. You must not be reluctant to part with it!"
Gu Shi Yi shook her head repeatedly,
"Master, don't worry! As your disciple, I've never coveted this object. As long as Master is willing to part with it, I naturally am too!"
To her, this object was like any other item she had stored for many years. For the past two decades, she had meditated and practiced breathing exercises for it every night, and she had hidden and moved around because of it. If it weren't for the fact that it had helped her meet Yanyan and had become handy to use, she would have grown tired of tending to it long ago!
"Mmm!"
The Old Taoist Priest smiled, his face showing a trace of gentle affection as he raised his hand to touch the top of Gu Shi Yi's head,
"Good child, you've suffered through these many years!"
Gu Shi Yi grinned naively,
"Master, your disciple has not suffered!"
The Old Taoist Priest, despite being a bit unkempt, having a strong body odor, snoring loudly during sleep, being somewhat lecherous, and lacking a moral bottom line, was otherwise quite good to her. He never hit or scolded her, shared good food with her, drank together, and remembered to take her along when fleeing...
Such a life was actually quite free and easy!
Seeing his disciple grinning foolishly, the Old Taoist Priest gave her forehead a pat,
"Don't be silly. You are impulsive and quick to anger, lacking the carefulness of a young lady. After you leave the mountain, be more vigilant!"
Gu Shi Yi then realized something was amiss, straightened up, and asked with wide eyes,
"Old Taoist Priest, what's the matter with you today? Why does it sound like you're giving final instructions?"
The Old Taoist Priest, enraged by her question, kicked her,
"This old man isn't going to die anytime soon, get lost! I need to sleep some more!"
Gu Shi Yi, knocked over by his kick, rolled out a good distance, then came back giggling, picking up the Little Mud Man,
"Yanyan, let's go. I'll take you for a spin in the mountains... to meet that old Tree Spirit!"
The Old Taoist Priest lay in bed, his body turned towards the wall, one hand under his head, and on hearing her, he snorted,
"Don't go provoking the spirits and monsters in the mountains; that old Tree Spirit is no good thing!"
Gu Shi Yi cheerfully said,
"You don't have to tell me, I know!"
Anything in the mountains that had lived for a thousand or eight hundred years had become a spirit and naturally would not be easy to deal with. Like humans, they were born with their own temperaments. That old Tree Spirit was rather wicked, very domineering in nature. Now, around the mountain peak where it resided, no flowers, plants, or trees remained within a ten-zhang radius. If its powers grew further, it would drain all the Spiritual Energy from the vegetation on the entire mountain, and nothing would survive!