The morning sun rose slowly from the east, and the veil of night quietly retreated to the west.
In an instant, the morning light broke through, descending upon the world with a faint, auspicious purple hue. Just then, as if sensing something, this trace of purple light drifted straight into Gu Gang’s body.
"Hum—"
As the air trembled, he snapped his eyes open. A flash of golden brilliance flickered within them, immediately followed by a long, turbid breath exhaled from his lungs. In an instant, a tangible, blade-like energy surged forth, slicing through the air for over ten meters before dissipating. It only faded completely after reaching nearly thirty meters.
This feat of "breathing into a blade" left him feeling exceptionally invigorated. "No wonder they say everything provided by the system is top-tier. A mere two True Essence Pills allowed twenty percent of my spiritual power to successfully transform into True Essence. The efficacy is truly delightful!"
As he whispered to himself, the True Essence he had tempered the previous night began to circulate endlessly through his dantian, an irrepressible smile spreading across his face. With a light leap, he sprang up, his right hand reaching into the air. In a flash, a weapon from the rack in the distance unsheathed at his command, landing in his grip like lightning.
With a series of sharp whistling sounds—*swish, swish, swish*—he unleashed a flurry of fierce blade strikes. Practicing his swordplay every morning was a habit Gu Gang never skipped. Even without channeling any True Qi, his raw strength and speed far exceeded those of an ordinary person. Combined with the full effects of the Marrow Cleansing Pill, his comprehension had become extraordinary and his foundation rock-solid.
Although the Gale Blade Technique was merely a common introductory style in the martial arts world, in his hands, it had reached the peak of perfection—every move and stance pursued the ultimate speed. In the blink of an eye, the entire courtyard was filled with dozens of crisscrossing blade shadows, and the ground was covered in countless fine incisions from the intense lingering force.
After a full two hours, he was drenched in sweat. After a quick wash, he headed to the hall to enjoy breakfast. This spacious, three-tiered courtyard house was occupied only by Gu Gang and his four brothers, including the eldest, Gu Yi. Usually, two of them would stay at Panjiayuan or Liulichang to oversee the business at Gujin Pavilion, while the other two resided in the front courtyard. As for household help, Gu Gang had spent a considerable sum hiring a master chef to prepare their three daily meals for the sake of convenience and quality. If one had the money, one should enjoy it; there was no need to be overly frugal with oneself.
Just as he reached the hall, he bumped into a young man in black carefully placing the morning meal on the table.
"Oh? Xiao Si, where have your other three brothers gone?" Gu Gang asked casually as he sat down to eat.
The young man was Gu Si, a member of the Gu clan. He was only sixteen, but despite his youth, his martial arts attainments were exceptionally high. Currently, his cultivation was firmly at the Peak of the Houtian Sixth Layer, and his fast-attack blade style was as swift as a thunderbolt. Had it not been for the current state of the world where spiritual energy was nearly exhausted, he likely would have broken through to a higher realm long ago.
While chewing, for some reason, Gu Gang instinctively activated his [Martial Arts Qi-Observation Technique] to glance at the young man's status. When Gu Gang noticed the deep yellow Qi Luck above his head, he was not overly surprised. What truly startled him, however, was that the martial talent score displayed on that aura was a staggering eighty-two.
In the assessment of martial arts aptitude, the closer the score was to the top, the more difficult it became to improve. A qualification of eighty-two undoubtedly made him a genius. If they were in the world of cultivation, such a person could not only reach the level of a Grandmaster of Martial Dao, but might even successfully attain the level of a Martial Golden Core.
*I never expected Xiao Si to have such outstanding martial talent. It must be more than just the effect of that half a Marrow Cleansing Pill; his innate talent must be truly exceptional,* Gu Gang thought to himself.
Now that the system was operational again, the strength of Gu Yi and the others would inevitably improve day by day. The names he had casually picked—"One, Two, Three, Four"—seemed no longer appropriate. After all, truly formidable figures deserved more resounding names.
"Xiao Si, how would you like me to change your name?"
*Thump.*
It was just a casual question, but Gu Si immediately dropped to his knees, his face full of panic and pleading. "Master, I do not know how I have offended you. Please, do not rename me. I do not wish to go anywhere; I only want to follow you."
"You child, why are you kneeling? Get up; I never said you did anything wrong." Gu Gang looked at him with a hint of reproach. "I just think that using names like 'One, Two, Three, Four' for the four of you is too casual. I plan to give you all more imposing titles. After all, as my subordinates, you must have great strength and names that strike fear into the hearts of your enemies. How about this: there were four legendary beasts in ancient times. Your future path will surely involve much killing, so why not take the names Taotie, Hundun, Qiongqi, and Taowu, and add the surname 'Gu'?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Si's expression turned resolute and respectful. "Master, I will obey your will. From this day forward, I shall bear the name of the four beasts."
"Good, get up. Do not kneel so easily in the future. I didn't change your name because I was dissatisfied with you. Go back and discuss it with your brothers to see who wants which name," Gu Gang signaled with a wave of his hand.
"Yes, Master!"
*Tap, tap, tap...* Suddenly, hurried footsteps approached. A moment later, a young man of about eighteen or nineteen entered the room—it was Gu San.
"Master, I have just received intelligence. Wang Fatty met someone at the station yesterday named Hu Bayi. This morning, the two of them headed back to the station with a large amount of luggage. It appears they are preparing to set out on a long journey," Gu San reported.
Gu Gang raised an eyebrow. "It seems they are headed to Ganggangyingzi in Niuxin Mountain. In that case, it is time for me to depart as well." He turned to the two of them. "San, Si, get ready. We are heading out, too."
Hearing this, Gu San and Gu Si’s eyes lit up. They understood that this meant they would be following their master on a tomb-raiding expedition. They had always been deeply interested in the strange things hidden within ancient tombs, and now they finally had the chance to experience it firsthand.
Meanwhile...
*Clack-clack, clack-clack...* The train sped along the tracks, the scenery outside the window receding like a painting. In a sleeper carriage, Gu Gang sat quietly by the window, his gaze peaceful as he looked into the distance. Beside him, Gu San and Gu Si were filled with undisguised excitement. The competition among the four brothers to accompany their master on this trip had been fierce.
By now, their names had been changed. After a heated discussion and argument among the brothers, they had officially decided on their new titles based on their rank. The eldest was "Taotie," the second was "Hundun," the third was "Qiongqi," and the fourth was "Taowu."
Thus, from now on, the four brothers would be known as: Gu Taotie, Gu Hundun, Gu Qiongqi, and Gu Taowu! The "Four Beasts" of the Gu clan had been officially formed. Of course, in private, Gu Gang still found it habitual to call them by "One, Two, Three, Four."
"Master, everything is arranged. Someone is tailing Hu Bayi and Wang Fatty, and we have vehicles waiting for us at our destination. We will definitely be much faster than them," Gu San said, reporting with a smile.
"Well done!" Gu Gang nodded in approval.