Chapter 89

It was late at night.

Gu Yang was about to rest when he suddenly heard a knock at the door, "Brother Gu."

Recognizing the voice, it was Chu Xiyue.

He opened the door and saw her holding two pots of wine, inviting him to have a drink outside. He readily agreed.

At the bow of the boat, the two leaned against the railing, drinking and chatting.

In the sky, the moonlight flowed like water, reflecting on the river, shimmering with ripples.

The boat was silent, with only the sound of the water adding to the tranquility.

Gu Yang looked at Chu Xiyue in front of him, dressed in white, her fair skin glowing attractively in the night, beautiful enough to make one醉心.

In such an atmosphere, he couldn't help but feel a bit moved.

He finally understood why she had earned the title of "a beauty that makes the moon hide and the flowers blush."

Chu Xiyue's eyes gazed at the man in front of her, picked up the wine pot, clinked it with his, and took a sip, her cheeks soon turning a light red.

Gu Yang's nose was filled with a faint fragrance, a mix of the wine and her scent, making him feel slightly tipsy after just one sip, feeling light and airy.

"Brother Gu, do you know the background of the Qian family?"

In the gentle breeze, Chu Xiyue's voice came like a whisper.

Gu Yang became a bit more sober, finally understanding her purpose for coming to see him. He shook his head and said, "No."

"The ancestor of the Qian family was originally the steward of the Great Zhou's founding emperor, which is why they have been managing the royal treasury for generations. For four hundred years, the Qian family has been in charge of the royal treasury, earning the trust of the royal family."

In other words, the Qian family is like the royal family's white glove, or in feudal terms, a household servant.

Trust is a very unreliable thing, especially over a span of four hundred years, where there is no real trust to speak of.

Gu Yang thought to himself but did not interrupt, listening quietly.

"Until the previous generation of the Qian family, a talented figure emerged, known as the God of Wealth. He brought the Qian family's business to an unprecedented level."

"If that were all, the royal family wouldn't care. However, one of the God of Wealth's sons made it onto the list of prodigies. That was forty years ago."

Hearing this, Gu Yang began to understand.

No matter how much money the Qian family could make, it would never pose a threat to the royal family, who would still see them as a cash machine.

But when the Qian family produced a prodigy, the situation changed dramatically.

Making it onto the list of prodigies means a chance to reach the realm of divine power.

Once the Qian family had a divine power realm member, they would be hard to control.

Chu Xiyue continued, "A few years later, the Qian family's prodigy was challenged by another prodigy and died in the battle. Since then, many of the Qian family's descendants have died in various accidents, leaving only Qian Xiyun."

Gu Yang couldn't help but sigh. The royal family was truly ruthless, dealing such a harsh blow when they sensed their "dog" might not be obedient.

This method of eliminating prodigies seemed familiar.

In a previous simulation, the empress also tried to use him to eliminate the chief disciple of the Wen Academy.

After so many years, they were still using the same method.

"The God of Wealth sent his only granddaughter to Jingzhou, thousands of miles away, to save her life. This was the tacit agreement between the Qian family and the royal family. The Qian family's descendants would no longer be involved in the Four Seas Bank, in exchange for preserving the last of the Qian family's bloodline."

"If Qian Xiyun could stay in Jingzhou, she would be safe. However, the current situation she is about to enter is extremely dangerous..."

Before she could finish, a voice filled with sorrow and anger interrupted, "My grandfather died unjustly. No matter how dangerous it is, I must seek justice for him."

Both Gu Yang and Chu Xiyue were startled.

With their abilities, they hadn't noticed someone eavesdropping!

A few meters away, two figures appeared out of nowhere, Qian Xiyun and the sorceress named Lily.

Gu Yang immediately realized that this was Lily's magic, a kind of invisibility spell. It was powerful enough to evade his senses, indeed quite remarkable.

Chu Xiyue's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, "A sorceress from a different continent?"

Lily lifted her skirt and bowed, correcting her, "My name is Lily, and I am a sorceress."

Chu Xiyue, with limited knowledge of the different continent, didn't understand the difference between a sorceress and a mage, nodded without asking further.

She had come to talk to Gu Yang in the middle of the night, originally to advise him not to get involved with the Qian family. She was somewhat embarrassed to find the person involved had overheard.

After saying her piece, Qian Xiyun bowed, "I apologize for eavesdropping on your conversation."

Chu Xiyue replied, "Given your current situation, it's natural to be cautious."

Qian Xiyun turned to Gu Yang, "My situation, as Miss Chu said, is extremely dangerous. Many people want to take my life along the way. If Brother Gu wants to back out, I have no complaints. However, if news of my death spreads, Brother Gu will not get what he wants."

Gu Yang found her words reasonable. If the owner of the business died, the business in Jingzhou would either be taken over by another force or divided among the subordinates. There would be no share for him.

He said loudly, "Since I've agreed to accompany you, I won't go back on my word. Miss, please go back and rest."

Qian Xiyun didn't say anything more, bowed, and left with Lily.

Gu Yang turned to Chu Xiyue and said, "I understand your concern. I will take her to Zhongzhou and then withdraw."

Chu Xiyue, hearing this, didn't try to persuade him further and picked up the wine pot.

They clinked their pots and drank the wine in one go.

Everything was left unsaid.

...

Two days later.

Taking advantage of the night, Lily took out a black crystal ball and recited a spell. A moment later, an invisible force enveloped her, Gu Yang, and Qian Xiyun, and the three of them vanished.

With the help of the invisibility spell, Gu Yang led them off the boat silently and onto the shore.

As for Cheng Xue, she stayed on the boat to recover from her injuries.

Mainly because Lily's invisibility spell could only cover three people.

This was also why Qian Xiyun only brought two people, hoping to catch others off guard by suddenly returning to Zhongzhou.

Who knew they would still encounter an attack.

This also meant there was a traitor among Qian Xiyun's people.

Gu Yang had thought of this, and Qian Xiyun, being the one involved, naturally wouldn't have missed it.

However, seeing how Cheng Xue fought desperately on the boat, she was likely not the traitor.

Lily was even less likely to be the traitor.

Only after traveling a hundred miles did Lily remove the invisibility spell.

Gu Yang had been leading them the whole way.

He suggested stopping to rest for a while, as Lily looked extremely exhausted from casting the invisibility spell.

Gu Yang also sat down to meditate and recover his energy.

A moment later, a blazing flame surrounded him, almost tangible.

Qian Xiyun was stunned, as she herself had a cultivation level of the Fifth Rank and had been taught by a master, so she knew exactly what this meant.

His true essence was almost solid, comparable to the aura of a First Rank powerhouse.

He was undoubtedly practicing a world-class cultivation technique.

No wonder he was the top of the Hidden Dragon List.

At his age, if he were a couple of years younger, he could have made it onto the Prodigy List.

Beside her, Lily's body began to tremble uncontrollably, stammering, "￥%#……"

Then, with a thud, she knelt down.

Seeing her reaction, Qian Xiyun was taken aback.

Her business often dealt with people from the Western Continent, and she was proficient in their language. She recognized the sounds Lily had made, which meant "Holy Messenger"!