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"So... does anyone else in the family feel the same way?"
Gu Yongping shook his head,
"As children, it was only Lao Ba and I who bullied her the most. Lao Ba went to the mountains, and no one else noticed..."
Gu Lao Ba went to the mountains?
Has he gone for Great Cultivation because he has a Spirit Root?
Gu Shi Yi was somewhat surprised,
"Lao Ba?"
Gu Yongping nodded,
"That scoundrel Lao Ba, he was the one who egged me on to bully Lao Shi Yi, saying all sorts of things like her mother was a bad woman, and she must be bad too, and that as a child, she needed to be disciplined so she wouldn't do shameful things when she grew up!"
Gu Shi Yi's teeth ground together with a grating sound,
"You just followed orders?"
Gu Yongping said,
"I was young back then, and Lao Ba was my own brother, so naturally, whatever he said went!"
Gu Shi Yi snorted through her nose,
Gu Lao Ba, after more than twenty years, Mother has finally seen your true colors. I swear, if I see you, you'll regret it!
Then she heard Gu Yongping heave a sigh,
"I heard that Lao Ba is now at Qi Cultivation Level Eight. The elders all praise his talent, saying he might become another Nascent Soul Great Cultivator in our family!"
Already at Qi Cultivation Level Eight!
This... seems like I can't beat him either!
If that old woman wasn't already drained of her mana from being at Qi Cultivation Level Seven, I would've been killed by her long ago!
Forget it, I'll find another chance in the future!
The Gu Family's children are all tested for their Spiritual Root after they turn six. Gu Lao Ba was taken to the mountains once his Spirit Root was discovered. Except for the annual family gatherings, he is mostly unseen. Gu Yongping said,
"I have no hope for myself in this lifetime. I can only hope to have more sons and daughters so maybe one of them will be a cultivator... It's just a shame that I can't stand the sight of that woman and have no desire to touch her!"
According to the rules of the Gu Family, only the children born from the legal wife, with a proper marriage, are considered to be legitimately born and receive a different treatment than other offspring. For example, even though Gu Yongping is considered useless and is being maintained, just the fact that he can lose tens of thousands of silvers in the Gambling House says a lot. At the very least, he has that much to lose, doesn't he?
Children born outside of wedlock don't have such financial power, and they must kneel and speak when they see the legitimate sons and daughters. Someone like Gu Shi Yi, being from the Legitimate Lineage and the eldest daughter of the future head of the family, has an even more distinct status. Although she is called Xiao Shiyi by everyone at home, outside she is the Miss of her generation in the family, holding a presence that even legitimate descendants of the Gu Family can't compare with, let alone those born out of wedlock. If it weren't for the incident of her birth mother eloping, she would be the treasured pearl of the Gu Family by now!
So although Gu Yongping had also taken concubines, what he truly desired were legitimate sons and daughters. Even if they lack a Spirit Root, the life they enjoy within the family is different. This is perhaps the only bit of protective affection he holds as a father for his children. Otherwise, he would be like many elders in the Gu Family, continuously taking concubines, continuously having children, and after the birth, those with a Spiritual Root are taken away, while the rest are treated like servants, or even beaten and killed at will, often bullied by some of the older stewards and servants.
In the following conversation, fueled by alcohol, Gu Yongping, with some guidance from Gu Shi Yi, revealed quite a bit about the family secrets. However, he was only a peripheral member of the Gu Family and knew little of the true secrets, but this was enough for Gu Shi Yi to fill in the twenty-five years of absence.
In short, it was just one sentence: after she left, her real father wasn't too heartbroken. He continued to marry new brides and have more children. In her generation in the family, the order had already reached thirty-seven. As for marriages with other noble families and how many sects with designs on Blue Moon Lake were defeated, she had no interest at all.
Gu Shi Yi then probed further about the "Gu Shi Yi" who had married out,
"Her? Well, marrying into the Sun Family isn't too bad. I heard that the young man from that family cherishes her quite a bit..."
After a moment's thought, Gu Shi Yi leaned in and quietly asked the now drunken Gu Lao Shi,
"Have you ever heard that she is of a half-demon body?"
Gu Lao Shi was startled for a moment, shook his head, then with a thud, he collapsed onto the table, utterly unconscious. Seeing that she couldn't get any more information, Gu Shi Yi gave Gu Yongping a cold glance, finished the wine in front of her, searched through his clothes and took every silver note he had, before she walked out of the private room. The waiter at the door moved to greet the departing guest, but Gu Shi Yi flicked her thumb backward,
"Ask him for the wine bill!"
This Tenth Master of the Gu Family often brought friends to the establishment to eat and drink on account, so the waiter did not trouble Gu Shi Yi and even diligently called her a carriage.
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