Annulment of an engagement, trapping someone, collecting a debt, trapping them all over again...
Mhm!
Today's work... was perfection!
Though she had been reduced to a pauper, Gu Chengshu was in high spirits.
Clutching the spirit stones sponsored by Old Uncle Yu, she held a slab of meat in her left hand and a chicken in her right, completely abandoning any pretense of being an ethereal fairy.
Having lived on wind and dew for three months, Gu Chengshu felt she could eat an entire ox right now.
Bigu fasting?
That didn't exist.
Just holding them made her want to swallow.
Braised pork belly, ginseng chicken, a huge platter of fish, and maybe some roasted mutton chops on top of all that...
These were all things her past self could never eat.
Now...
How could she possibly let them go to waste again?
When Wan Linglong, leading two executive disciples and carrying a heaven-and-earth jade chest brimming with storage bags, headed toward the sect, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure flashing past not far away and couldn't help narrowing her eyes.
Wasn't that Junior Sister Gu?
Though she wore a small bamboo hat that blocked divine sense, that aura was definitely hers.
So, today's little commercial skirmish involved Junior Sister Gu as well?
Wan Linglong's lips couldn't help curling upward.
Today, she had backed Yu Sanchong twice in a row.
Baochang Pavilion's storehouses had been practically emptied by him.
"Store the spirit rice in the warehouse. I'm taking a trip to Mingfeng Valley."
"Yes!"
Junior Sister Gu had just donated nearly two years' worth of spirit rice supplies to the sect in one go; she deserved a proper thank-you.
The executive disciple was beaming. "Please tell Junior Sister Gu that our dining hall's public notice board will have Senior Uncle Gu's esteemed name written on it tomorrow.
From now on, whenever she comes to the dining hall for a meal, we'll prepare something special for her."
Wan Linglong: "...Fine!"
Who could blame her for not having the wealth to make such a lavish donation of rice to the dining hall?
Waving a hand, she quickened her pace and headed straight for Mingfeng Valley.
No matter what, she had to help her master keep things stable during the two days Senior Uncle Yin remained in the sect.
Knowing True Monarch Feng Lan's temper, Wan Linglong suspected that if Junior Sister Gu were to shed a few more tears, the True Monarch might storm straight over to Tianxiang Peak.
Taking advantage of her junior sister's absence, she would go smooth things over first.
Gu Chengshu, whose mind was entirely occupied by thoughts of food, had no idea someone was about to poach her turf.
Returning to Xiaohe Valley, she rolled up her sleeves and, guided by memory, fished out a four-jin tier-two green pangolin carp from the depths of the river bend.
Now was the time to show off her culinary skills.
However, before showcasing her cooking...
Gu Chengshu thought for a moment, produced a sound-transmission talisman she had just obtained from the shop, channeled her spiritual power, and sent her divine sense message straight to Mingfeng Valley.
If Senior Martial Sister Feng Lan had free time, she was more than welcome to come over for dinner!
Today had gone so smoothly thanks to Senior Martial Sister.
Gu Chengshu decided she would tell her all about how she had used her backing to trap the Yin Family.
She felt that if her senior martial sister knew, she would be happy enough to drink a couple of extra cups of wine.
From her father's small medicinal garden, Gu Chengshu plucked the youngest ginseng root she could find, washed it, and set it to stew with the tier-two crested chicken.
The kitchen, which had gone unused for so long, instantly came alive and bustling because of her.
Meanwhile, outside Mingfeng Valley, Wan Linglong had waited for quite a while without anyone opening the formation barriers for her.
She stood there obediently.
As for the situation at Tianxiang Peak, to say she knew nothing at all would be impossible.
It was just that...
They were master and disciple, they were an engaged couple. Even though Junior Sister Gu had used her actual deeds—taking on sect missions—to show them she was relying on herself, she had never actually spoken of it out in the open.
With so many sect affairs to attend to, Wan Linglong had originally thought that since her junior sister's spirit root aptitude wasn't bad and she had a large inheritance waiting to be inherited, once she advanced to the Golden Core Realm, no matter how Senior Uncle Yin or the Yin Family had been before, things would at least look fine on the surface.
She never expected...
To now be facing True Monarch Feng Lan's transferred wrath, leaving Wan Linglong utterly helpless.
She truly hadn't expected Yin Cheng to be so foolish!
It felt... as though he had been deliberately raised to be foolish by Senior Uncle Yin.
The young Yin Cheng hadn't been like that.
Wan Linglong sighed softly.
Tianxiang Peak was still not going to have peace in the future!
Senior Uncle Yin...
Wan Linglong was just wondering if it might be better to let True Monarch Feng Lan give Senior Uncle Yin a sound thrashing—beating him until he was too terrified to harbor those crooked ideas toward Junior Sister Gu—when a sound-transmission talisman came flying in, only to be blocked at the valley entrance as well.
Feng Lan sensed it.
With a flash, she stepped out.
"Linglong pays her respects to Senior Martial Aunt!"
Wan Linglong acted as though she hadn't noticed the senior martial aunt's initial icy disregard. "Senior Martial Aunt, I've just returned from the marketplace and bring good news: Baochang Pavilion of the Yin Family has paid off every single debt owed to Junior Sister Gu."
Oh?
Feng Lan raised an eyebrow and clicked open the sound-transmission talisman.
"Senior Martial Aunt!"
Gu Chengshu's voice was breezy. "I'm cooking delicious food! If you have some free time, come right over and we can share a drink.
I've been starving for three months; while my appetite is sure to be huge, having your company will definitely make the food taste even better."
"..."
Feng Lan sighed softly. "Linglong, I know you and your master are busy, but helping Chengshu really wouldn't have taken that much time."
When she said this, she didn't actually have much confidence.
Because her own disciple was also at home.
Her disciple had even, perhaps, done more than just stand idly by and watch—he might have even been misled into kicking Chengshu while she was down.
"You are different from Jiang Pan; he is allowed to be a fool, but you are not!"
She turned her gaze to look at her. "Furthermore, whether it is Chengshu, Jiang Pan, or Yin Cheng, their identities and their spirit root aptitudes dictate that their minimum achievement should be the Golden Core Realm.
You watched those three, because of certain people's selfish motives, get deliberately warped and misled—do you have no responsibility in this?"
Wan Linglong: "..."
Cold sweat instantly broke out on her forehead.
So, she had been wrong as well.
"Senior Martial Aunt!"
She said with some difficulty, "This disciple has come to confess her crimes."
"Confess your crimes?"
True Monarch Feng Lan sighed. "There's no need for that; go confess your crimes at the Patriarch Hall yourself. Also, tell your master that I am going to take a few of Junior Brother Gu's items out to give to Chengshu."
"Yes!" Wan Linglong lowered her head. "This disciple will definitely relay Senior Martial Aunt's words!"
"..."
Feng Lan felt that she was truly much better than her foolish disciple. "When you have free time in the future, guide Jiang Pan a bit more, lest he keeps acting like an absolute fool and stirring up trouble for you!"
"..."
Wan Linglong really didn't know how to respond to that statement.
In handling certain matters, Senior Uncle Yin was still quite brilliant.
Even she and her master had discovered minor issues without digging deeper, let alone Jiang Pan.
"Alright, as for Jiang Pan's matters, consider it me being difficult with you."
The disciple was hers, so it was her place to teach him.
True Monarch Feng Lan sighed. "The matter of confessing your crimes can also be postponed; accompany me to Xiaohe Valley first to attend Chengshu's small banquet celebrating the annulment of her engagement!"
"Yes!"
Wan Linglong flashed a bright smile toward her.
She understood the senior martial aunt's meaning.
Those who eat others' food feel short of speech; once she partook of Junior Sister Gu's meal, she wouldn't be able to just stand by if something happened to her in the future.
In truth, everything Junior Sister Gu had displayed today had already made her unconsciously eager to pay attention to her.
"Right, I happened to obtain two strings of Scarlet Beads today; I'll give them to Junior Sister as a congratulatory gift!"
She acted exceptionally obediently before Feng Lan. "Before I came here, the Yin Family had already, according to the ledger and in Senior Uncle Gu's name, donated nearly two years' worth of spirit grain to the dining hall. If Junior Sister finds out, she'll surely be happy too."