Gu Sanqiu didn't leave immediately. Instead, he sat on a rock, quietly watching the birds he had summoned feast on the Treasure Hoarders.
"Caw, caw."
The leader of the black birds gently wiped its beak in the grass before hopping onto Gu Sanqiu's shoulder, rubbing affectionately against his face to signal that their meal was finished.
Species: Great Shadow Eagle
Origin: Biological Weapon Development Facility No. 263
Description: A hybrid of Shadow Eagle and Hummingbird, highly loyal and excellent at reconnaissance, with significant military value.
Note: Strongly condemned by animal rights activists, ironically unaware that these bioweapons are what allow them to freely express their opinions.
"Heh, it's been a while. This is for you."
With a flick of his wrist, Gu Sanqiu produced a glowing pill and fed it to the Great Shadow Eagle.
"Caw, caw."
The bird squawked happily after swallowing the pill, used Gu Sanqiu's shoulder to push off, and flew back into the night sky with its companions.
In the distance, Granny Ping furrowed her brow. "That's..."
"That's the new bird king of Tianheng Mountain and the Lisha Suburbs. I didn't expect it to be raised by that kid," the raspy voice beside her replied, sounding surprised. "No wonder that bird is so tough—turns out it's been eating such high-grade treasure pills all along."
"The incense burner lineage truly lives up to its past reputation as the leaders of the mystic sects. Even I'm tempted by that treasure pill."
"You've seen that black little guy before?"
"Yes, after the previous bird king was corrupted by evil forces, it started using dark magic to perform blood sacrifices with the local bird flocks. I was supposed to handle the situation, but this kid took care of it himself."
"Heh, little Gu Sanqiu sure is interesting," Granny Ping said with a glint in her eyes. "Using iron blocks to slash through the throats of these people, even skilled swordsmen from the sects would find that difficult."
"Not bad, not bad. He's a good kid."
"Tell your men to pull back. It seems little Gu can take care of himself; there's no need for us to watch him constantly."
A faint smile touched Granny Ping's lips. "This rascal, if I didn't have some tricks up my sleeve, he might've actually fooled me."
"It's me who has the tricks..." the raspy voice muttered quietly, but one look from Granny Ping silenced him.
"Still, while taking care of a few mortals might be enough for now, for humans, without a Vision, it's impossible to reach higher levels."
"Heh, that's no concern of mine."
Granny Ping slowly descended. "This is Liyue, the vibrant land of Liyue. Who can predict what young people will do?"
The source of the raspy voice fell silent for a moment before speaking again, "Fine, fine. In recognition of the Gu family's generations of hard work, I'll keep an eye on him when necessary."
"Hey, don't leave so quickly. I'm here for a rare visit—how about a cup of tea?"
After slipping past the guards, Gu Sanqiu returned home, cradling the golden stone in his hands. He carefully placed it into an ornate brocade box and carried it into the incense room, where he gently laid it into the censer that collected incense ashes.
"Honored ancestors above, the incense bearer of the Gu family, Sanqiu, has returned the Fire Vein Goldstone to the incense cauldron today. Let the ancestors and immortals bear witness."
Gu Sanqiu spoke clearly, "There are still mysteries surrounding the Fire Vein Goldstone. Just a few days ago, some Treasure Hoarders tried to use it to scam me, completely unaware of the treasure they had hidden."
"To gather more information, I had no choice but to play along with them and investigate the forces behind these individuals."
"Unfortunately, these people turned out to be nobodies. The Fire Vein Goldstone might as well have been a gemstone they picked up on the roadside."
"This situation is suspicious, but I'll continue to dig deeper!"
"Ancestors and immortals, bear witness."
After offering a deep bow, Gu Sanqiu exited the incense room and sat down under a large tree.
Snap.
With the snap of his fingers, a flame flickered to life, and Gu Sanqiu took a deep breath, watching as the thin white smoke gently veiled the crescent moon above.
"Brother, I've done everything I can for you. I'll continue investigating your death."
"And since I've taken on your identity, I'll live as you. I'll shamelessly claim that we are one."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Sanqiu felt a weight lift from his body, and even moving his arms felt lighter.
Body control level: 100%
Soul state: Two souls united, bound in eternal reincarnation.
Knock, knock, knock.
Gu Sanqiu raised an eyebrow. It was a regular knock, but it felt strange for someone to show up at the Gu family home this late at night.
Unlike other wealthy households in Feiyun Slope, the Gu family consisted of just him. The phrase "a few cats and kittens" would be an exaggeration, so no shady dealings ever took place here.
"So late at night? I'd like to see what kind of person has the guts to knock on my door."
Gu Sanqiu cracked the door open. "Who's there?"
A gentle breeze drifted in from the empty doorway.
"So, not a normal visitor, huh?"
...
"Well, isn't this exciting?!"
ヾ(ﾟ∀ﾟゞ)
Gu Sanqiu casually tossed the axe he kept for self-defense behind him and pulled out a revolver from his waist.
Item: Demon-Slaying Revolver
Origin: Hengli Continent
Note: A blend of East and West—999, cold symptoms, go away, go away, go away!
"I've been so busy helping that guy with his problems, I haven't even seen any demons or spirits yet. Finally, let's see what this is all about!"
Gu Sanqiu never really understood his own strength, only knowing that dealing with Treasure Hoarders was a breeze.
As for those with family techniques or sect skills like Vision holders? Well, that was something he hadn't tested yet. So far, the only person around him with a Vision was Hu Tao, and it wasn't like he could just ask her for a fight.
Now, he was excited—very excited. He almost hoped for an army of spirits to appear so he could unleash his full power.
Plop.
A letter fell from the sky. The black-and-red fire wax seal made Gu Sanqiu frown.
It was Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's official seal.
In other words, the letter was from Hu Tao.
"Isn't she at Wuwang Hill?"
Gu Sanqiu opened the letter. "Or did she finally get possessed and learned to use teleportation anchors?"
"My friend, it's been so long. This Hall Master misses you dearly..."
"Huh? Is pretending to have amnesia the new way to dodge a bill?"
Gu Sanqiu's mouth twitched. How long had it been since they last saw each other? Three days?
"I still remember when we went shopping together, bought clothes, and shared a room while dressing each other up. This Hall Master truly misses those days..."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! This is turning into some bizarre novel! Is this really a letter or a strange fantasy?"
Shopping and dressing up with Hu Tao in the same room? If that had ever happened, Zhongli would have tied him to a rock and sunk him to the bottom of Yunlai Sea to play cards with Osial by now.
"My dear friend, you're often traveling. Please come visit the parlor when you have time. The Hall Master misses you!"
"Tch."
Gu Sanqiu holstered his revolver. "So, who—or what—delivered this letter? Some Hilichurl?"
This letter, completely nonsensical, only pointed to one possibility: Hu Tao had set up some kind of "emergency protocol" at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Considering her current location, it wasn't hard to figure out what that meant.
"Did Hu Tao run into something at Wuwang Hill?"
Gu Sanqiu frowned. As the heir to the incense burner lineage and an ally of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, the Gu family had a longstanding relationship with them.
"Looks like I'll have to pay her a visit."
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If you spot any mistakes let me know so I can fix them.
Read up to Chapter 30! [P@treon.com/WiseTL]