Is He Really Human

"Yunying."

Shangguan Yunying was fully concentrating on steering her fine horse and sensing the terrain ahead.

Hearing the voice from behind, she thought Gu Chengyin had a new order and immediately focused her attention, replying:

"Please speak, Steward Gu."

"I heard you are the youngest Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Great Luo?"

Gu Chengyin's voice carried a trace of curiosity, as if it were just a casual chat during their march.

Shangguan Yunying was slightly taken aback, not expecting Gu Chengyin to suddenly bring this up.

She hesitated for a moment but still answered truthfully:

"I haven't really paid much attention to whether that's exactly true, but that's what everyone says, and Her Highness has mentioned it too, so... I suppose I am."

Gu Chengyin seemed intrigued and pressed further, "Then are you very powerful?"

This question left Shangguan Yunying a bit unsure of how to answer.

She stayed silent for a second before replying softly with a hint of pride:

"I'm alright, I suppose, but definitely not as powerful as General Chen."

"However, I'm not weak either. I am at the Foundation Establishment realm, after all."

Gu Chengyin's eyes lit up as he steered the conversation toward a more practical direction:

"Then do you know a lot of techniques? The kind of cultivation methods that utilize true qi."

Gu Chengyin asked this because, while reviewing his recent experiences, he suddenly realized he had a glaring shortcoming.

He possessed true qi but had no instruction manual on how to use it.

The door to Qi Condensation had indeed opened. As long as he continued to get promoted, he would step into Foundation Establishment without a single obstacle.

His true qi could also steadily climb by relying on Luo Zhao's influence. As long as her banner did not fall, his true qi would be virtually endless.

So the problem now was: how should he use this true qi?

He couldn't just spam basic attacks and normal strikes, boasting high damage in his left hand and heavy damage in his right, could he?

Thus, Gu Chengyin naturally turned his sights to the ready-made expert beside him.

If Shangguan Yunying wouldn't do, wasn't there still Chen Busha nearby, known as one of the strongest Foundation Establishment cultivators? He could surely reap some benefits from at least one of them.

"Cultivation methods?"

Shangguan Yunying glanced back at Gu Chengyin in surprise.

"The Internal Affairs Department has a large collection of cultivation manuals and ancient texts. I have read them all. Why do you ask, Steward Gu?"

"Can you teach me?" Gu Chengyin asked straightforwardly.

"Teach you?!"

Shangguan Yunying was truly shocked this time, almost losing control of her horse's speed.

She turned her head again to look at Gu Chengyin, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"You don't know any cultivation methods, Steward Gu? Then how did you initiate your Qi Condensation and stabilize your cultivation base?"

In her understanding, one had to master at least one fundamental cultivation method to step into the Qi Condensation realm.

Without the guidance of a method, how could true qi be gathered? How could it circulate through the meridians?

This wasn't just a matter of cultivation; it was a fundamental issue of having a path to follow.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you about it later."

Gu Chengyin brushed it off vaguely and pressed, "Just tell me, can you teach me or not?"

Shangguan Yunying fell silent, her mind in turmoil.

Logically speaking, given her status and position as the Chief Female Officer of the Internal Affairs Department, she wouldn't and couldn't teach cultivation methods to others.

Not to mention that Gu Chengyin was a grown man. She absolutely needed Her Highness's permission for this.

"Yunying?" Seeing that she hadn't responded for a while, Gu Chengyin prompted her again.

"Ahem."

Shangguan Yunying coughed lightly, gathered her thoughts, and said tactfully:

"Steward Gu, it's not impossible for me to teach you cultivation methods, but I am, after all, the Chief Female Officer of the Internal Affairs Department."

"A matter like this requires Her Highness's personal consent."

Shangguan Yunying slightly emphasized the words Her Highness, hoping Gu Chengyin would take the hint and back down.

"Oh, I see."

Hearing Shangguan Yunying say this, Gu Chengyin actually felt relieved. "Understood. I'll go request permission from Her Highness later."

Getting Luo Zhao to agree might be difficult for others, but for him, how was it any different from direct approval? It was nothing more than saying a few extra words.

"Eh? Wait! That's not what I meant..."

Gu Chengyin's relaxed confidence instantly made Shangguan Yunying panic.

She had intended to use Her Highness as an excuse to politely decline, but she never expected Gu Chengyin to just roll with it and take her up on the offer.

Just how good was his relationship with Her Highness that he could so casually talk about asking for her permission?

As the dignified Chief Female Officer who had accompanied Luo Zhao for so many years, even she wouldn't dare to speak so lightly.

Yet, given Gu Chengyin's certainty and his current status, Shangguan Yunying could almost picture it.

The scene where, upon his request, Her Highness would nod in agreement without hesitation.

As this thought arose, a more flustering association involuntarily surfaced in Shangguan Yunying's mind.

What if one day, Gu Chengyin explicitly asked for her, and Her Highness agreed to that too?

Then... would she go to him, or not?

This thought was too shocking; it made her ears instantly burn hot and her heart skip a beat.

She hastily suppressed this absurd idea.

How could her mind even wander there!

Steward Gu... probably wasn't that kind of person, right?

At the same time, an even softer voice muttered secretly in a corner of her heart.

"Then again, whether it's his appearance and bearing, or the astonishing intellect and methods he's displayed, Steward Gu is truly hard to ignore. If that day ever really comes, perhaps..."

Shangguan Yunying felt her cheeks grow even hotter. She quickly gathered her wits and focused on steering her horse, not daring to think any deeper.

"This guy... wants to learn cultivation methods from Yunying?"

The real Luo Zhao, who had been following them like a shadow, naturally heard their conversation loud and clear.

Her first reaction was vigilance. What scheme was Gu Chengyin plotting this time?

Luo Zhao also cultivated immortality. However, as the Crown Princess, she was too busy with state affairs and didn't have much time to dedicate to it.

She merely let her cultivation method run on its own within her body. As a result, before she knew it, she had reached the grand completion of the Qi Condensation realm, just one step away from Foundation Establishment.

If she had truly devoted herself to cultivation, the title of the youngest Foundation Establishment cultivator might not have belonged to Shangguan Yunying.

But for Luo Zhao, cultivating immortality was more about enhancing her physique and prolonging her life.

It was a way to acquire some auxiliary methods, rather than a pursuit of the absolute pinnacle of personal martial power.

Moreover, the Great Luo had not seen a Golden Core cultivator in thousands of years; Foundation Establishment was already the limit for mortals.

"Wait, that's not right!" Luo Zhao's phantom-like eyes suddenly sharpened.

She keenly caught the logical crux in their conversation.

Gu Chengyin saying he wanted to learn cultivation methods meant he had absolutely no idea how to utilize true qi.

Combined with Shangguan Yunying's subconscious question: "You don't know any cultivation methods, Steward Gu? Then how did you initiate your Qi Condensation and stabilize your cultivation base?"

A terrifying conclusion, one that grew more horrifying the more she thought about it, poured over her soul like ice water:

This man didn't even know the most basic cultivation methods, yet he had managed to open the door to Qi Condensation.

Furthermore, he had bypassed the heavy security of the Internal Affairs Department and simultaneously evaded the perception of two Foundation Establishment experts, Shangguan Yunying and Chen Busha.

He had successfully ambushed her and used bizarre, unheard-of methods to firmly bring her under his control.

Gu Chengyin...

Is he really human?