Chapter 33

Three days later, in the evening, as the carriage was about to enter a small town, they suddenly heard a cry from the roadside.

The carriage stopped, and Zhang Xiaohai, who was driving outside, said, "Young Master, someone is blocking the way."

Gu Yang was holding a book, frowning as he read it. Upon hearing this, his heart stirred, "Could it be her?"

He put down the book, lifted the curtain, and saw a woman in mourning kneeling on the road ahead, a body covered with a mat beside her, and the words "Sell myself to bury my father" written on the ground.

The woman was extremely beautiful, though not as much as Su Qingzhi, she was still a one-in-a-million beauty.

With such a face, coming to this desolate place to sell herself to bury her father, anyone would find it suspicious.

Zhang Xiaohai whispered, "Young Master, there's something wrong with this woman."

Even Zhang Xiaohai could see the problem, so who was she trying to fool?

Gu Yang nodded, then got off the carriage and walked to the woman, asking, "What's your name?"

The woman lifted her head, her face tear-streaked, her skin fine and delicate, and sobbed, "This humble woman is Ling Ling. My father unfortunately fell ill and passed away, and I have no money left to bury him..."

Her crying seemed rather insincere.

Gu Yang inwardly criticized but had to play along, sighing, "How pitiful. Xiaohai, buy a coffin tomorrow and bury him. Let him rest in peace."

Zhang Xiaohai hesitated but said nothing, responding, "Yes."

"Thank you, Young Master. Your kindness will never be forgotten," Ling Ling bowed and sobbed.

Gu Yang said, "It's a small matter, don't worry about it. Miss, do you have any relatives?"

Ling Ling said sadly, "No, I am a poor woman, and all my family is gone."

This statement seemed genuine.

Gu Yang took out a bag of silver from his pocket and said, "Take this money and go back to your hometown to start a small business."

Ling Ling pleaded, "Young Master, please let me stay with you. I have nowhere else to go..."

After a few polite refusals, Gu Yang agreed, "Since that's the case, you can be my maid."

...

On the carriage, Su Qingzhi and her servant listened to the conversation, exchanging glances.

They couldn't help but recall their first meeting with Gu Yang, where he treated them rudely.

He pulled Zhi Xing into a well without any consideration for her.

Even after saving Su Qingzhi, he would run away at the first sign of danger, leaving them behind.

Now, this woman selling herself to bury her father was clearly suspicious, yet he not only helped bury her father but also generously gave her money.

The treatment was too different.

At this moment, Gu Yang brought the woman named Ling Ling over and introduced her, "This is Qingzhi, my servant. This is Zhi Xing, Qingzhi's servant. This is Ling Ling, my new maid."

Ling Ling bowed, "Sister Qingzhi, please guide me in the future."

Su Qingzhi coldly returned the bow.

The carriage wasn't very large, and with three people, it was already crowded. Adding one more person made it even more cramped, but it wasn't a big problem.

The carriage continued on, while Zhang Xiaohai stayed behind, carrying Ling Ling's "father's" body, following behind.

...

Upon reaching the small town, they found a household to stay in as usual.

Zhang Xiaohai carried the body to the mortuary and placed it there.

With the addition of a new person, the atmosphere became strange. Both Zhang Xiaohai and Su Qingzhi and her servant were deeply wary of this mysterious woman named Ling Ling.

They couldn't understand why Gu Yang, who was usually indifferent to people, would treat Ling Ling differently.

The only explanation was that Gu Yang was attracted to her beauty.

Zhang Xiaohai wanted to advise but didn't know how to start, feeling very conflicted. He could only secretly observe Ling Ling's every move, always on guard.

...

While Zhi Xing was washing up, she took the opportunity to pull her mistress aside and said anxiously, "Miss, there's something strange about Ling Ling. Her approach to Young Master Gu is probably not well-intentioned. We need to find a way to warn him."

Although she was still upset about Gu Yang making her mistress his servant, she couldn't help but worry about him in this situation.

Su Qingzhi said expressionlessly, "If he falls for her, it's his own fault! Who made him lose his head over her."

With that, she turned and walked away, not giving her a chance to continue.

Zhi Xing stomped her feet in frustration.

In the end, she had to go herself. Taking advantage of Ling Ling's absence, she said, "Young Master Gu, Ling Ling's appearance is suspicious. You should be careful."

Gu Yang smiled, "I thought you wouldn't speak to me anymore."

This girl was quite stubborn. Since Su Qingzhi became his servant, she hadn't spoken to him voluntarily.

Zhi Xing said urgently, "What if she means you harm..."

"Don't worry, she has no ill intentions towards me."

Gu Yang reassured her.

At least for now, she wouldn't harm him.

If he had a choice, Gu Yang would want to stay as far away from Ling Ling as possible. The problem was, he couldn't avoid her.

The previous simulation had already proven that even if he ran to the capital and joined the Tianxin Martial Hall, Ling Ling would still appear by his side like a ghost.

He couldn't fight her, and he couldn't avoid her. What could he do?

If he didn't take her in this time, the next time it would be a martial arts competition for marriage, and the time after that, it would be a fake being pursued by enemies. The next time, it would be a direct confrontation.

Rather than wait until he was forced to marry her with a sword at his throat, it was better to play along with her now while she was willing to act.

At least, now she was nominally a servant and had to serve him.

As for what she was plotting, he would figure it out eventually.

What Gu Yang needed was time. The immediate priority was to head to Pingjun. Once he received the 30,000 taels, he could perform 15 simulations and, if successful, break through to the 4th rank, and then he wouldn't have to fear her.

For now, he could only play along.

That night, another woman joined Gu Yang in his room.

Ling Ling insisted, "I am Young Master's maid, so I should stay in the same room as you. They do the same, don't they?"

Gu Yang really couldn't understand. Looking at her age, she should be under twenty, with 4th rank cultivation, undoubtedly a martial arts prodigy, and a key figure in any organization.

Yet she was willing to serve him, a 5th rank, as a maid. What was she thinking?

"Could it be that she discovered my identity as a穿越者 (穿越者 means '穿越者', which can be translated as '穿越者' or '穿越者')?"

Gu Yang thought about it, and this was the only reason he could come up with.