The next morning, Gu Shi Yi rose from bed with deep dark circles under her eyes; Old Lady Gu came to bring food, her face beaming as she said,
"The contact from the Dragon-Tiger Escort Agency has arrived; everyone can take a breath of relief now. We've finally made it through..."
By this time, Old Lady Gu had no more guards up against Gu Shi Yi and whispered to her,
"The official explanation for the escort mission was that it originated from Chenzhou, but in actuality, someone had Sixth Master bring back some goods from Twin Sages City..."
Gu Shi Yi, having spent a long time in the Itinerant World, understood the concerns of those in the escort business. Ever since joining them, she had never inquired about what exactly the Dragon-Tiger Escort Agency was protecting. Now that Old Lady Gu mentioned it herself, curiosity got the better of her, and she asked,
"To travel thousands of miles just to deliver an escort back to Chenzhou, this really is a grand gesture. The item must be extremely valuable!"
Gu Shi Yi, an old hand in the Itinerant World with exceptionally discerning eyes, had long realized that the heavily guarded escort cart tucked away at the bottom of the ship was just for show, meant to draw people's attention. The real object must be on Sixth Master Huang's person.
Why?
Because the several escorts guarding the cart, while appearing strong with bulging muscles, in fact, walked with unsteady steps, their Inner Strength not profound. Meanwhile, the personal attendants always close to Sixth Master Huang moved with light footsteps, their eyes bright and restrained. They were the true martial power of the whole escort team, never straying far from Sixth Master Huang. Wasn't this obvious?
Moreover, any item that could be concealed on one's person would not be too large!
Of course, Gu Shi Yi wouldn't mention these observations to Old Lady Gu, but instead asked out of curiosity,
"Sixth Master Huang's escort this time seems exceptionally valuable. The reward must be substantial!"
Old Lady Gu nodded,
"Isn't it? Otherwise... why would Sixth Master bring so many of us out?"
After saying this with an air of mystery, she continued,
"Although I, a simple old woman from the kitchen, shouldn't know what exactly the escort is protecting, being out here so long one inevitably hears bits and pieces..."
Leaning in, she whispered to Gu Shi Yi,
"It is said to be something very rare. The Eldest Young Madam of the Sun Family from Chenzhou spent a lot of money to have our escort agency guard it..."
"The Eldest Young Madam of the Sun Family?"
Gu Shi Yi was precocious in her youth, and although she had been away from home for many days, she recalled who the Sun Family was,
"Is that not the Great Cultivation Family in Blue Moon City... the Sun Family?"
Old Lady Gu nodded repeatedly,
"That's right, the Eldest Young Madam of the Sun Family is indeed the Eldest Young Miss from the Gu Family. Now that the two families have intermarried, their combined power has grown even greater!"
"What?"
Gu Shi Yi was momentarily stunned by what she heard and hurriedly asked,
"Auntie, what did you say... what did you say?"
Old Lady Gu said,
"What did I say... about the Sun Family or about the Gu Family?"
"Just now, you mentioned the Eldest Young Miss of the Gu Family?"
Old Lady Gu nodded and said with a gossiping expression,
"Yes... the Eldest Young Madam of the Sun Family is the Eldest Young Miss from the Gu Family. We are, after all, related by blood, though distantly. But for poor relatives like us, they naturally wouldn't bother..."
Gu Shi Yi looked stunned, and after a long pause, she asked again,
"The Eldest Young Miss from the Gu Family? The legitimate... the legitimate Eldest Young Miss?"
Old Lady Gu nodded again, her face full of curiosity,
"Speaking of which, there's a story from the past. The biological mother of this young miss was a miss from the Qian Family of Goldflow City, which is four hundred miles away from Blue Moon City. But she... after giving birth to the young miss, she didn't stay long before running off with a man..."
Gu Shi Yi nodded woodenly,
"And then?"
"The young miss was indeed born of the legitimate wife, but after her mother ran away, life in the Gu Family became difficult for her. She was not favored by her birth father, and the clan also showed disdain. Then, when she was five, she went missing. The Gu Family made a token effort to search for a few days and when they couldn't find her, they didn't look any further. Thirteen years later, the young miss found her way back!"
"Really?"
At this point, Gu Shi Yi's eyes narrowed, her expression becoming somewhat strange,
"She found her way back on her own?"
Old Lady Gu nodded,
"That's exactly what happened. Not only did she come back on her own, but she returned with impressive skills and won the favor of the family elders. They arranged her marriage to the Eldest Young Master of the Sun Family, and after marrying over she became the lady who managed the household!"
"Is that so?"
Gu Shi Yi's eyes narrowed even further,
"Then... how is the marital relationship between this Eldest Young Miss of the Gu Family and the Eldest Young Master of the Sun Family?"
"They are deeply in love! They are known in Blue Moon City as a loving couple, having birthed two young masters and a young miss. This escort we're on is entrusted to us by the young madam herself, and now, we have safely reached our destination. The reward will surely be substantial!"