Concubines Lead to Strength: The Path to Immortality Begins with Taking a Spouse

After escorting Liu Qingqing back to her separate residence, Gu Changge was just about to turn around to head back to his own area on the Back Mountain.

Yet, he found an elderly man with white hair standing behind him, a man whose right eye bore a horrific scar from a knife, quietly observing him.

"How did you come back..." After registering the situation, he also performed a courteous bow with clasped hands.

This old man was none other than his grandfather Gu Kuang, whom he had met after traversing to this world, but his encounters with this blood grandfather had been few and far between. Adding up all the years, he had probably seen him less than five times, even including that chance meeting a few years ago.

As for this blood grandfather, he actually felt little closeness towards him, even more estranged than the Family Head Gu Zhan.

Gu Kuang didn't speak, only glancing at the direction of the Heavenly Cold Sect's separate residence with some distaste before turning to leave.

"Uh..." Gu Changge stood there feeling somewhat awkward.

After walking some distance, he noticed Gu Changge hadn't followed and turned his head back with a frown, motioning for him to follow.

Only then did Gu Changge realize, and he silently followed.

Shortly, the two arrived at the Inner Mansion courtyard where Gu Changge had lived as a child, which belonged to his parents.

Everything in the courtyard was exactly as it was in his memories from those years.

Although he had arrived through transmigration, his memories from before he was two years old were almost nonexistent, it seemed his Divine Sense hadn't fully developed then.

As for the courtyard, he only retained memories from when he was three years old.

Gu Kuang entered the yard, pausing under the peach tree in the courtyard, seemingly lost in thought.

Looking at the elder's back, Gu Changge couldn't help but feel a trace of desolation.

His own blood grandfather, like the Family Head, was a Great Power at the Eighth Grade Heavenly Gate Realm and was even a few years younger than Family Head Gu Zhan. Yet, while Gu Zhan looked like a middle-aged man with not a single white hair, how could that be?

I heard from my third uncle that after my parents died, he left the Gu Family to avenge his son but returned half a year later already with white hair.

"Take a seat."

After a long while, Gu Kuang sighed and went to sit down in the pavilion in the courtyard, then beckoned to Gu Changge to sit beside him.

For the first time in eighteen years, grandfather and grandson sat together.

For a moment, Gu Changge didn't know what to say, so he simply asked, "How have you been these years... out there?"

"..."

Gu Kuang didn't respond, his eyes growing even more dim.

Not a day could he get his revenge for his son, not a day did he feel well.

"Have you blamed me over these years?"

He asked with a hint of helplessness in his voice as he looked into Gu Changge's eyes.

"Of course not..."

"Over the years, the Gu Family has treated me well, never skimped on my expenses, and the elders in the family have looked after me properly."

"As for living in the Back Mountain, it was requested by me. Changge, the Family Head also said that this courtyard will always be mine."

Gu Changge shook his head. He had no dissatisfaction with how he had been treated in recent years. Previously, he couldn't cultivate, but he had not been discriminated against or targeted in the Gu Family; that was already quite good.

Even just over half a month ago, when he thought Liu Qingqing had come to break off their engagement, the entire Gu Family was indignant on his behalf, not hesitating to fall out with the Heavenly Cold Sect and the Liu Family.

"I heard that the Prince from the Northern Domain Royal Family wants you dead."

Gu Kuang nodded slightly and, with a wave of his hand, laid out an Array that isolated sound and prevented investigation before asking with a somewhat chilling tone.

"It's quite likely, but there's no concrete evidence," Gu Changge replied with a nod.

"I understand."

"He's doomed not to return to the Heavenly Cold Sect."

Gu Kuang huffed coldly, speaking with a chilling voice.

This, in turn, startled Gu Changge somewhat.

But before he could ask any further questions.

Gu Kuang then began to explain, "The Northern Domain Imperial Family has long wanted to annex Qingzhou, and this is the perfect opportunity."

"The Prince...he's just a worthless pawn."

"Even if my Gu Family doesn't make a move, he would still die in Qingzhou, and all of it would become an excuse to target my family."

Hearing this explanation, Gu Changge furrowed his brows.

He had never considered such deep issues himself.

When he had first encountered Wang Yu, he just noticed that Wang Yu was interested in Liu Qingqing and likely wanted to act against him for that reason.

But he had never thought about the deeper layers—that all this was sanctioned by the Northern Domain Imperial Family and that Wang Yu was merely a worthless pawn!

Compared to annexing Qingzhou and subduing the Gu Family, what was a Prince worth?

After simply clarifying his thoughts, he knew that what Gu Kuang said was probably true!

Even that Wang Yu might not have seen this clearly. Those involved are too close to see while bystanders see the truth clear, and both he and he himself were among those involved.

Without someone else's reminder, he would have never thought about these things.

"So, what you're saying is, not only should we not lay a hand on this Wang Yu, but my Gu Family also needs to ensure his safety as he leaves Qingzhou and returns to the Heavenly Cold Sect?"

Gu Changge pondered for a long time before asking with a frown.

"You coward..." Gu Kuang immediately slammed the table as he heard this, ready to scold, but then forcefully held back, realizing he owed his grandson too much already.

"The Imperial Family's influence is great, but my Gu Family is not to be taken lightly."

"Find an opportunity to expose a flaw and draw out Wang Yu beyond the Heavenly Cold Sect's Heavenly Gate Realm sensitives' range."

"I will personally make him disappear without a trace. If the Northern Domain Imperial Family really wants to make an issue out of it later, my Gu Family will be able to handle it."

As Gu Kuang spoke, his eyelid twitched slightly, making the scar on his right eye appear even more terrifying!

"I understand."

"Changge will find an opportunity to get him away from the Gu Family."

Gu Changge bowed his hands in respect, accepting the mission of his family with great formality.

But this made Gu Kuang feel even more melancholic.

The distance between grandson and grandfather was largely his own doing, as he had intentionally avoided meeting his grandson over the years.

"Besides..."

"There's something I need to tell you."

"That fellow from the Liu Family was gravely injured in the past, and her unborn child was beyond saving."

"In the end, it was your father and the others who decided to use your unbirthed Origin Bloodline to revive her, allowing her to be born into this world."

"So..."

"The cultivation talent of that little girl from the Liu Family should have been yours."

"This, the little girl from the Liu Family might not know. If one day she betrays you, you are free to reveal this matter."

"The debt the Liu Family owes you can never truly be repaid."

Gu Kuang hesitated for a long time but decided to reveal the secret from back then.

He had strongly opposed it at the time and even tried to forcefully keep his son within the Gu Family, but Gu Zhan delayed him, allowing both to leave, resulting in Gu Changge's shattered Root Bone.

This was a great pain in his heart.

Ever since then, he found it difficult to see eye to eye with Gu Zhan, the Family Head and elder brother, and no longer wished to stay in the Gu Family, but he also understood that his son had surely asked the Family Head to interfere with him, and he couldn't solely blame Gu Zhan.

"..."

Gu Changge opened his mouth, clearly shaken by the news.

He had always thought it was his fault, but he had never expected the truth to be so astonishing.

His own parents had sacrificed his Root Bone for the unborn child of their sworn brother...