Gu Feng smiled, but instead of answering the question, he turned his head to look at Elder Gu as well.
"This is the major matter I told you about earlier, and the reason I insisted on having you all come to the martial arts arena to discuss it."
Elder Gu sat in his chair, swept his gaze over everyone, and then said unhurriedly:
"If you have any doubts, you may voice them now."
Gu Qian looked at his father and was just about to open his mouth to ask when Gu Hou chimed in first:
"Father, what is going on here? Isn't Feng'er only at the Third Grade Realm? How can he go toe-to-toe with the fifth uncle?"
*Good grief, what an irresponsible father you are! Your news is even more outdated than mine, and you actually thought that brat was only at the Third Grade cultivation level?*
Hearing his second brother's words, Gu You rolled his eyes and muttered inwardly to himself.
"Xiao Feng has been exceptionally gifted since childhood, and I was afraid that if word got out, someone might try to harm him."
"That is why I ordered him to deliberately feign illness and hide his true abilities in front of you all. Now that the time has come, it is time for you to know the truth."
Elder Gu said calmly.
After hearing Elder Gu's words, several of them looked at each other, suspicion written all over their faces.
Gu Hou asked directly: "Father, what you just said..."
Before Gu Hou could finish, Elder Gu suddenly interrupted him:
"Could it be that none of you believe what I say?"
"This..."
Gu Hou and the others were stumped by the elder's question, momentarily not knowing how to reply.
"I know you still have many doubts, but I don't care how many questions you have."
"From now on, keep them all to yourselves and never bring them up again."
Elder Gu's expression was extremely solemn. With a sharp, piercing gaze at everyone present, he said slowly:
"From now on, whether facing outsiders or within the family, this is the only story you will tell."
"If I hear any rumors spreading outside the Gu Estate, do not blame me for showing no mercy and enforcing family discipline."
"Understood, Father."
Filled with doubt, the group answered in unison.
"If anyone asks from this day forward, we will certainly tell them just that."
Gu Qian suppressed his doubts and said respectfully.
Gu Hou stood in place, his face flushed red. He looked as though he wanted to say something but dared not, and ultimately he chose to trust his father.
Instead of getting a reasonable explanation, he had been met with such a slipshod answer. Gu You furrowed his brows deeply, his mind full of questions.
Yet he too dared not provoke the elder's wrath at a time like this, and could only stare at Gu Feng in silence.
Seeing that none of his sons voiced any further objections, the elder nodded in satisfaction.
He understood that Gu Feng's sudden rise as a martial arts prodigy would be hard to explain to outsiders no matter what.
Even he himself could not fully figure out what had happened to Gu Feng.
Since there was no way to explain it, the best approach was to muddy the waters completely, and when the time was right, send out some servants to spread conflicting rumors to minimize the fallout as much as possible.
Gu Feng had not expected his grandfather to give such a direct and forceful explanation of his cultivation level.
Given how bizarre the matter was, perhaps this was the only way to explain it, Gu Feng thought silently.
After all, if he told the truth—that he had reached the Sixth Grade Realm in just three years—it would be far too terrifying, and the Gu Family probably wouldn't be able to protect him then.
Although the elder's explanation would still arouse suspicion among many, no matter what they thought, as long as the Gu Family refused to admit it, no one would dare bring it out into the open.
"Since none of you have any questions, let's discuss the next matter."
"Father, what other matter is there?"
Gu Feng's fourth uncle, Gu Zu, cupped his fists and asked the elder.
"Xiao Feng is currently at a critical juncture in his cultivation and requires a vast amount of resources. I intend to throw the entire clan's strength behind him."
"Who is in favor, and who is against?"
Holding his teacup, the elder asked expressionlessly.
Hearing this, Gu Qian and the other brothers did not reply, but instead involuntarily turned their gazes toward Gu You.
Previously, because Gu You possessed the best cultivation talent in the Gu Family, the majority of the family's cultivation resources had been allocated to him.
Now that the family was going to fully support Gu Feng, the person most affected would naturally be Gu You.
It would be no exaggeration to say that most of the resources belonging to Gu You were being transferred to Gu Feng.
"I leave it entirely to Father's arrangement. I have no objections."
Gu You lowered his head in thought for a moment before slowly giving his reply.
"We have no objections either."
Seeing that Gu You had no objections, Gu Qian and the other brothers quickly chimed in.
"Grandfather, I only need the family to sponsor a portion of the resources; I don't need that much."
Seeing that everyone agreed, Gu Feng felt somewhat uneasy and quickly spoke up.
This was not Gu Feng putting on a false display of modesty.
Rather, over the past three years, due to Gu Yue's connection, Gu Feng had frequented the fifth uncle's household and thus had the closest relationship with the fifth uncle.
Naturally, he was unwilling to take resources that practically amounted to being snatched from Gu You.
"Since nobody has any objections, it is settled."
The elder first settled the matter directly before saying to Gu Feng:
"Xiao Feng, your grandfather knows what he is doing in this matter. You just need to focus on your cultivation."
"But, I..."
Before Gu Feng could finish, he was once again directly interrupted by the elder.
"We are done discussing. You may all leave. You'er, come with me."
With that, the elder walked straight toward his living quarters.
Gu You followed closely behind in silence, leaving the rest of them staring at one another in the courtyard.
"Xiao Feng, the future hope of the family rests in your hands. I hope you will not let everyone down."
Gu Qian said to Gu Feng earnestly.
His expression shifted several times, but bound by the elder's instructions, he ultimately refrained from asking the doubts in his heart.
"Uncle, I will work hard and will certainly not let you all down."
Gu Feng's expression was grave, his tone resolute.
Gu Qian nodded in satisfaction, said nothing more, and left with his hands clasped behind his back.
Seeing that everyone else had left, Gu Hou finally could not help asking with a slightly trembling voice:
"Feng'er, Father will ask you only one question: the illness you had since childhood... was it real, or were you faking it?"
Hearing that slight tremor in his voice, Gu Feng looked into his father's slightly reddened eyes and answered earnestly:
"It was a real illness."
Hearing this, Gu Hou's tense body suddenly relaxed as he muttered with a sense of relief:
"That's good... That's good..."
Although in his heart Gu Hou never really believed that Gu Feng had been faking his illness, hearing Gu Feng admit it with his own mouth still allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.
Over the dozen years since Gu Feng was born, Gu Hou and his wife had traveled far and wide through all sorts of hardships for the sake of his strange illness, finally managing to cure their son in the end.
The heartbreak along the way was too profound to put into words for outsiders.
If Gu Feng's illness had merely been an act, Gu Hou wouldn't have known how to face his wife, and the matter likely would have created an eternal rift between father and son.
Fortunately, Gu Feng had not been faking it; his illness was real.
"Before today, your mother and I had no demands of you; we only hoped you could peacefully live out the life of a wealthy young master."
"That is why neither your mother nor I ever pushed you to practice cultivation diligently."
"As long as the Gu Family does not fall, with your mother and me here, ensuring you a life of luxury and wealth is not difficult."
Gu Hou paused here, then continued with a solemn expression:
"However, since you have decided to accept the family's full support, you must not slack off or be remiss in your cultivation from now on."
"Father, I will never let you and the family down!"
Gu Feng nodded and made a solemn promise.
"Go cultivate, and do not fail the expectations of the entire clan."
"I will explain things to your mother, so you don't need to worry."
Gu Hou nodded in satisfaction, patted Gu Feng on the shoulder, and instructed him.