The Young Lady Only Wants to Cultivate Immortality Chapter 13

“Jingyang said you wanted to see me?”

Gu Hongjue narrowed his eyes, sizing up the young woman before him. He let out a light laugh. His Jingyang said a young Daoist friend wanted to discuss matters with him, and he actually thought there was something important.

He’d have to set a rule with Jingyang in the future; not just anyone should be brought before him. Now that Jingyang’s mother had gone out to subdue demons and monsters again, he had to decide all matters, big and small, in the family alone. He was very busy.

He casually leaned back in his chair, tapping the cypress prayer beads in his hand against his palm. He opened the monthly ledger of the Gu family’s Weapon Forging Hall on the azure rock wood table in front of him and massaged his brow.

A’Ling perceived Gu Hongjue’s dismissive attitude but didn’t care. After smiling and greeting him, she didn’t sit in the guest seat to the side.

She dragged an azure rock wood chair directly opposite Gu Hongjue’s desk and placed one hand on the ledger Gu Hongjue was reading.

“I’m here to discuss a business deal with you.”

Gu Hongjue looked at the presumptuous hand before him. Displeased, he lifted his head from the ledger, one sharp, thick eyebrow raised, his gaze slightly cold as he looked at the young woman who didn’t know her place.

“Discuss business with me?”

Gu Hongjue’s contemptuous tone seemed to say, Who are you, how bold, do you even know who I am?

A’Ling didn’t care at all. “Yes, with you.” In her previous life, she was the famously fearsome Divine Demoness A’Ling; how could she be intimidated by such a small amount of pressure?

It was the first time Gu Hongjue had met a young woman who showed no fear towards him and dared to speak so presumptuously. He became slightly interested.

“What can you discuss with me?”

A’Ling had already thought of her words on the way; she knew a thing or two about the Gu family.

“I know the Gu family has a long-standing cooperation with the Huo family,” A’Ling began, “solely because the Gu family’s Three Purity True Fire Furnace requires Haocang Stone from the Huo family’s mines for refining. This material is only found in the Huo family’s possession, so the Gu family is inevitably somewhat passive.”

A’Ling was being rather subtle. She remembered the Gu family’s Three Purity True Fire Furnace increasing in price year after year due to the Huo family’s Haocang Stone price hikes. Ultimately, the cost for cultivators who wished to refine magic artifacts also soared.

The reason A’Ling knew all this was because in her previous life, she wanted to refine magic artifacts, and every time she saved enough spiritual stones, the Gu family would raise their prices.

Later, once at the Huo mansion, Huo Zhen, probably in a good mood, brought up this matter at the dinner table, saying, ‘What if the Gu family is the first in the Outer Sect? What if they have a high status as artifact refiners? Don’t they still have to obediently send him money?’

Gu Hongjue listened to A’Ling finish speaking, and the casualness on his face diminished somewhat. “Who are you?” he asked.

A’Ling paused. So Gu Jingyang hadn’t told her father who she was. “My name is A’Ling,” she said. She didn’t want to say she was Huo Zhen’s daughter.

Luckily, Gu Hongjue immediately understood. “You are A’Ling of the Huo family, Huo Zhen’s biological daughter who appeared at his doorstep?”

Although A’Ling didn’t want to admit it, now wasn’t the time to quibble over such minor details. A’Ling nodded, taking it as an acceptance.

Gu Hongjue only then truly became interested. “What, can you make Huo Zhen set the price of Haocang Stone lower?” He didn’t quite believe it. The matter of the Huo family’s real and fake young ladies—among the prominent families in the eastern part of the city, those with sharp ears and eyes probably all knew about it.

The original young lady of the Huo family was named Huo Qingqian. She had tested as having a cultivation physique early on and had always surpassed his Jingyang in Hongjian Academy. Gu Hongjue even used to say that for trash like Huo Zhen to have such a daughter, he must have accumulated virtue in his previous life.

It was only two years ago that they learned the children had been swapped. Huo Zhen had originally tried to cover the matter up, only saying that there were originally two children, and one was stolen.

Finally, it was this Huo family’s A’Ling in front of him who publicized the matter, saying that it wasn’t one child stolen, but identities swapped.

Originally, some people didn’t believe it. Later, Huo Qingqian herself announced in Hongjian Academy that she had changed her name to Shi Qingqian. Huo Zhen was still feigning ignorance, refusing to admit it to this day, only claiming to have two daughters.

This matter had been a topic at the Gu family’s dinner table for quite some time. Every time it was mentioned, Gu Hongjue felt that Huo Zhen had lost immense face. He used to boast about his high talent, claiming his daughters were also exceptionally talented because of it.

Gu Hongjue glanced at A’Ling, who looked ordinary, with average talent, and seemed to have just reached Foundation Establishment. He secretly laughed in his heart, thinking this was the true caliber of daughter Huo Zhen could produce.

A’Ling didn’t know what he was thinking. She spoke truthfully, “No.” Unless she could defeat Huo Zhen, how could she make him lower the price?

Gu Hongjue wasn’t disappointed; he hadn’t taken the young woman’s words seriously to begin with.

But A’Ling’s next words did surprise him.

“But I can ensure you’re completely free from Huo Zhen’s threats.”

One side of Gu Hongjue’s sharp eyebrow rose high. He let out a mocking laugh. “Young Lady Huo isn’t very old, but her tone isn’t small.”

In this regard, she was quite like her biological father, Huo Zhen. He was also a good-for-nothing who loved to exaggerate, but unfortunately, he was lucky enough that his ancestors left him a mine.

A’Ling no longer beat around the bush and said directly, “I know of another place that also has Haocang Stone.”

Gu Hongjue slowly straightened his body upon hearing this, but was still somewhat suspicious. “Are you serious?” he asked.

A’Ling nodded. “I never joke.”

Gu Hongjue lowered his eyebrows. “Where is it?”

A’Ling didn’t directly say it this time. She leaned back in her chair a bit, as if she had grasped something and gained confidence. “We haven’t discussed terms yet,” she said. “I can’t just tell you about this place for free, can I?”

Gu Hongjue smiled. If it was true, he wouldn’t mind giving A’Ling some benefits. He was just afraid the other party was playing a trick on him, or, more seriously, it might be a scheme by Huo Zhen.

“If you know of such a place, why didn’t you tell your father?”

A’Ling put on a stern face, deliberately angry, though not entirely faked. “What kind of father is Huo Zhen to me?” she scoffed. “Is there a biological father who beats his daughter to death?!”

Gu Hongjue had also heard about the incident a month ago. It was said that the two young ladies of the Huo family had a small conflict, and Huo Zhen had beaten A’Ling almost to death, breaking her leg. She had to crawl out herself to find a doctor.

“What Huo Zhen did was indeed wrong,” Gu Hongjue said, narrowing his eyes, seemingly accepting A’Ling’s reason. “Not to mention his own daughter, even an ordinary young girl shouldn’t be treated with such ruthlessness. So what do you want?”

A’Ling didn’t beat around the bush. “Spiritual stones. I want spiritual stones. You also know that cultivation doesn’t only rely on talent.”

Gu Hongjue nodded, thinking to himself, someone with your dull aptitude would need even more spiritual stones.

“Huo Zhen doesn’t give them to you?” Gu Hongjue asked. “How come I heard he showered the other one with many rare treasures?” Gu Hongjue even suspected that this was why Shi Qingqian always surpassed his Jingyang.

He completely ignored the fact that he himself had also spent a lot on spiritual materials and supreme treasures.

A’Ling let out a cold laugh and said nothing.

Gu Hongjue had probed enough. “Alright,” he said, “if the place you speak of indeed has Haocang Stone, I will certainly not shortchange you.”

A’Ling’s heart relaxed. With Gu Hongjue’s words, she felt relieved.

She directly took the paper and pen from the table and wrote down a place name. The writing was crooked and messy, and Gu Hongjue had to decipher it for a while before he understood.

“Are you playing a trick on me?” Gu Hongjue exclaimed. “How could that place exist? Even if it does, it’s impossible to enter!”

Gu Hongjue’s face darkened. This Profound Dark Flow Mountain was the junction between the cultivation world and the demon realm. Its name was ‘mountain,’ but it wasn’t actually a mountain; rather, it was a long, narrow flat area.

It was said that an ancient ascended Grandmaster and the first Demon Venerable to achieve sainthood in the Demon Realm had jointly cast a barrier there. Neither cultivators nor demons could enter.

Both sides had to bypass Cold Mountain to enter the other’s territory, which was very difficult.

The reason A’Ling knew was because she had been there. Once, while being pursued, Jin Siliu threw her inside. Jin Siliu couldn’t enter, but A’Ling could, because she was human.

The reason no one discovered it was because no humans would go there. Ahead was flowing black water, and ordinary humans couldn’t cross it.

Back then, A’Ling saw many Haocang Stones inside. But at that time, she didn’t know they were Haocang Stones; she just habitually wanted to take a souvenir from everywhere she went, so she took one. Later, after returning to the Huo family, Huo Zhen accidentally saw it, and after questioning her, he also threatened her not to tell anyone.

She only learned later after investigating that this was the Huo family’s secret to wealth.

Gu Hongjue listened to the explanation with a mix of belief and doubt. But this was also very easy to verify; he just needed to find someone to go and check.

Having provisionally reached cooperation, Gu Hongjue asked A’Ling to stay for dinner before leaving. A’Ling didn’t stand on ceremony either; the Gu family’s meals were also better than the Huo family’s.

At the dinner table, she didn’t even need to speak; Gu Jingyang didn’t give anyone a chance to interrupt, talking endlessly about things in the academy as if everything was interesting, making Gu Hongjue laugh so hard his gums showed.

He also diligently served Gu Jingyang dishes and soup, seizing every opportunity in between her words to remind Gu Jingyang not to forget to eat.

It was A’Ling’s first time in two lives seeing how a father and daughter in another family interacted. The meal became somewhat flavorless as it went on.

When seeing A’Ling off, Gu Jingyang gave A’Ling a phoenix feather.

“In the future, if you have anything, find me through this,” she said. “I’ll also send you messages through this if I have anything.”

A’Ling thought that perhaps Gu Hongjue might need to find her for something later through this, so she accepted it.

As A’Ling reached out to take it, Gu Jingyang suddenly sterned her face. “As for me,” she said, “I don’t know what you discussed with my father, but one thing: you mustn’t trick him! Otherwise—”

A’Ling’s hand paused. Just as she was about to say something, Gu Jingyang returned to her earlier smiling, cheerful demeanor, as if the fleeting fierceness just now was A’Ling’s illusion.

A’Ling was still a bit stunned even after returning home. Indeed, someone who could become a Peak Master of the Twelve Peaks in her previous life, how could she be a naive and sweet person?

These people were all clever spirits even as children. Only she was truly foolish.

A’Ling sighed and closed the gate, entering the courtyard.

At a glance, she saw Shi Qingqian standing under the tree.

Tonight was a full moon, and though it was night, it looked very bright. Moonlight filtered through the tree’s branches, casting dappled light and shadows which fell upon Shi Qingqian’s body.

Her entire person seemed to be shattered, half in shadow, half in light.

Shi Qingqian walked towards A’Ling, stepping out from under the tree’s shadows. Her entire person came into the light as she lowered her gaze, staring deeply at A’Ling, but said nothing.

A’Ling instantly entered a state of alert. If she had a magic artifact, she would have summoned it by now. Unfortunately, she had nothing at the moment and could only clench her fists, facing Shi Qingqian.

“What do you want?!”

She looked like she was deliberately waiting for her. It couldn’t be for anything good.

A’Ling looked around, wanting to find a convenient weapon, when Shi Qingqian finally spoke.

“What did you go to the Gu family for?”

A’Ling’s gaze swept around the courtyard but couldn’t find a suitable weapon. She simply gave up, and hearing Shi Qingqian’s question, she felt displeased.

“None of your business!”

Shi Qingqian’s hand, hanging behind her, weakly clenched. “You want to use the Gu family to deal with Huo Zhen?” she said, stating it as a certainty despite it being a question.

A’Ling was very cautious. Although her thoughts were guessed, she didn’t admit it, fearing Shi Qingqian had another trick up her sleeve. Perhaps she carried some magic treasure that could transmit sound through walls, relaying it for Huo Zhen to hear.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” A’Ling retorted. “You’re a haunting nuisance, coming out late at night to disgust people. If you like pretending to be a ghost so much, why don’t you just die sooner?”

Shi Qingqian seemed not to hear A’Ling’s curses. She pursed her lips. “You can’t deal with him right now,” she said. “Why bother inviting trouble by provoking him?”

A’Ling laughed. “What, was it me who provoked him last time?”

Shi Qingqian’s expression darkened. Seeing A’Ling about to leave, she pointed at the nearby wall and asked, “What about this? Is this not provocation?”

A’Ling stopped and looked in the direction she was pointing. Upon seeing it, she couldn’t stop laughing.

Beside that small vermillion-lacquered gate, large crimson characters spelled out “Dog Hole.” The character for ‘hole’ was then crossed out, and the character for ‘shit’ was written next to it.

Above the small gate, a vivid drawing of a scabby dog was depicted, its rear end raised.

The drawing she made before leaving that morning, after a day, its colors had become even more vibrant. That’s right, she almost forgot; the fruit’s juice was such that the longer it stayed, the deeper its color became; it couldn’t be wiped or washed off. It would only fade away on its own after three days.

Of course, if one’s cultivation was profound, it could also be directly removed with a spell.

A’Ling found it funnier the more she looked. She had originally wanted to write ‘dogs come out of this hole’, but then she thought comparing Huo Zhen to a dog would insult dogs, so she simply changed it to ‘dog shit’.

Looking at the scabby dog with its rear end raised, and thinking of Huo Zhen coming over from next door someday, wouldn’t he just be a pile of dog shit from a scabby dog?

A’Ling couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. Seeing Shi Qingqian’s darkened face, she laughed even more gleefully. “What’s wrong with this?” she challenged. “What, are you going to report me again?”

Shi Qingqian’s expression twisted, and her hands behind her clenched tightly.

“If you want to go, then go,” A’Ling taunted. “At worst, Huo Zhen will break my leg again.” Thinking of how furious Huo Zhen would surely be when he saw it, A’Ling felt that a beating would be worth it.

Shi Qingqian’s gaze was like the dappled tree shadows on the ground, fractured and complex. Her gaze towards A’Ling was very complicated; she seemed to want to speak but held back.

She knew that no matter what she said now, A’Ling wouldn’t believe her.

Watching Shi Qingqian put on that annoying expression again, A’Ling’s smile faded with the night wind. She wanted to mock her a couple more times, when suddenly, she felt a warmth at her waist.

She pulled out the source of the warmth from her waist sash: the phoenix feather stem, which she kept close to her body. It had, at some point, begun to emit faint phosphorescent light.

A’Ling was about to listen to what message Gu Jingyang had sent her when she looked up and saw Shi Qingqian also staring at the phoenix feather in her hand. She couldn’t help but feel wary and put the phoenix feather away.

Too lazy to waste more words on Shi Qingqian, A’Ling stepped over Shi Qingqian’s shadow on the ground and strode back into her room.

As soon as she returned to her room, she quickly pulled out the phoenix feather. It was so late, and A’Ling worried it might be something important, so she quickly chanted the incantation.

The light shimmering from the phoenix feather gradually detached from the feather stem like fireflies, transforming into wisps of white mist, and condensed into a mist-like feather.

A’Ling reached out and lightly touched it. The mist dissipated, and Gu Jingyang’s voice clearly came through.