A Little Warmth

The Luodu Celestial Master Mansion.

The surrounding cultivators dispersed, silently receding like the tide.

Gu Chengyin still stood before the Serenity Pagoda, as if the encirclement just now had never happened.

But Gu Chengyin knew it had.

Those gazes hidden in the dark, those faint fluctuations of spiritual power.

Those postures ready to violently pounce at any moment had all been etched into his perception one by one.

They dispersed at this moment only because news had arrived from the Divine Capital.

Emperor Luo had rescinded his decree.

Beside him came Elder Qiu's voice, full of disbelief.

"His Majesty actually rescinded the decree..."

Elder Qiu stood three paces away from Gu Chengyin, gripping a Mount Luo Token in his hand.

His eyes, steeped in the passage of time, were filled with shock.

"How is this possible?"

It was no wonder he was so shocked.

Emperor Luo's words were as precious as gold and jade; there was never any reason to rescind a decree once it was issued.

A monarch does not speak in jest; his words are the law.

Yet now, an exception had actually been made for Gu Chengyin?

Elder Qiu looked at Gu Chengyin's back.

This figure stood with his hands behind his back, his official robes fluttering slightly in the night wind.

Seen from the side, his posture was calm and his back straight, as if he had known this would be the outcome all along.

Elder Qiu's gaze became even more complex.

What exactly had this young man done?

To make that emperor, who never made exceptions, make one for him?

Regarding this, Gu Chengyin's expression remained indifferent. Having Luo Zhao force the emperor's hand was a tactic, and also a test.

It was best if it succeeded. If it failed, it either meant Luo Zhao had not been hypnotized.

Or it meant Emperor Luo refused to accept the forced abdication and was absolutely determined to kill him.

Either scenario would have made Gu Chengyin immediately choose to run away.

Moreover, being in Luodu now made running away much more convenient than in the Divine Capital.

But now that Emperor Luo had rescinded the decree, it meant Luo Zhao's forced intervention had succeeded.

Regardless of how it succeeded, as long as it did, that was enough.

For an emperor like Emperor Luo, since he had already made an exception not to kill, he wouldn't make another exception to kill him later.

Thus, Gu Chengyin spoke calmly:

"Thunder and rain, both are the monarch's grace."

These words were spoken very lightly, as lightly as commenting that the weather was nice today.

But falling into Elder Qiu's ears, they were like a clap of thunder.

He stood there stunned, looking at Gu Chengyin's back.

Countless thoughts suddenly flashed through his mind.

Thunder and rain, both are the monarch's grace.

He had heard these words countless times.

But coming from Gu Chengyin's mouth at this moment, the meaning was completely different.

Because they were spoken by someone who had just been struck by the thunder.

This was not resignation to fate.

It was control.

Elder Qiu suddenly understood something.

From the very beginning, this young man had not placed life and death in his eyes.

It wasn't that he wasn't afraid of death.

It was that he had calculated accurately that he wouldn't die.

He had calculated exactly what Emperor Luo would do.

He had calculated whether he was truly in danger or in safety.

That was why he dared to step into this dragon's pool and tiger's den all alone.

That was why he dared to stand here, waiting for that decree to arrive from the Divine Capital.

Elder Qiu suppressed his surging emotions.

His voice when he spoke was much steadier than before.

"Junior Preceptor Gu, it is getting late..."

"The Celestial Master Mansion has already prepared a fine guest room."

"Why don't you move there to rest?"

These words were spoken very politely.

But hearing them, Gu Chengyin gave a slight shake of his head.

"I appreciate Elder Qiu's kindness, but I will wait here for my little aunt to come out."

"I will not go."

Elder Qiu's expression shifted slightly.

He heard the underlying meaning in these words.

Not going.

Not leaving this place.

Not entrusting his safety to anyone else.

He was still on guard against him.

The corners of Elder Qiu's lips curved up slightly into an arc.

Within that arc was a bit of understanding, and also a bit of appreciation.

But compared to this, he was more concerned about another matter.

"Junior Preceptor Gu."

"What is your relationship with Lady Jingzhe?"

Elder Qiu was very curious. Since Gu Chengyin dared to call Lin Qingyan his little aunt.

That meant it was permitted by Lin Qingyan.

This made him even more curious about the relationship between the two.

After all, Lin Qingyan was the little aunt of that Highness.

Gu Chengyin did not answer; he merely tilted his head slightly.

And gave Elder Qiu a faint glance.

This glance was as placid as an ancient well.

There was no sharpness, no oppression, no deliberate emotion whatsoever.

He just took a look.

Then he withdrew his gaze and continued looking at the Serenity Pagoda.

But it was precisely this single glance that made Elder Qiu's heart suddenly skip a beat.

He stood there stunned, with only one thought in his mind.

How is this possible?

He was a dignified Golden Core Realm expert.

In the entire Great Luo cultivation world, he was considered a top-tier master.

Even when facing Lin Qingyan, he had never been frozen by a single glance.

But now...

He had been frozen by a single glance from a young man in the Foundation Establishment Realm?

No.

Elder Qiu's brows furrowed tightly.

That kind of imposing aura, that kind of pressure, that feeling that made his heart skip a beat.

Was simply not something an ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator could achieve.

He re-examined Gu Chengyin.

From the contours of his side profile, to his posture with his hands behind his back, to the hem of his clothes slightly blown by the wind.

His mind suddenly popped up with that initial doubt again.

Gu Chengyin dared to come to the Celestial Master Mansion all alone.

Dared to wait calmly while heavily surrounded.

On what grounds?

Why was he so confident?

Could it be...

He was confident he could escape under the siege of the entire Celestial Master Mansion?

As soon as this thought emerged, Elder Qiu startled himself.

If Lin Qingyan had said this, he would believe it.

Let alone escaping, Lin Qingyan could even turn the tables and make the Luodu Celestial Master Mansion run for their lives.

But Gu Chengyin?

Elder Qiu had already confirmed it.

Right when Gu Chengyin stepped into the Celestial Master Mansion, he had taken the opportunity of welcoming him to secretly probe.

Late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Truly and surely, just the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

At best, it was the Great Perfection stage.

But no matter how perfect, Foundation Establishment was still Foundation Establishment.

What separated Foundation Establishment and Golden Core was not a layer of window paper, but a heavenly chasm.

The condensation of spiritual power, the coverage of divine sense, reaction speed, spell power... every single aspect was a crushing disparity.

It was absolutely impossible for a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator to escape under the personal leadership of him, a Golden Core expert, and the encirclement of the entire Luodu Celestial Master Mansion.

Absolutely impossible.

Elder Qiu's gaze fell back onto Gu Chengyin.

But that gaze no longer contained the probing from earlier.

Only complexity.

Deep complexity.

This young man had too many unfathomable things about him.

Where did the imposing aura of that single glance come from?

Where did his calm confidence come from?

What exactly was the relationship between him and Lin Qingyan?

Elder Qiu remained silent for a long time.

But ultimately said nothing.

Because saying these things now was no longer important.

Emperor Luo had rescinded the decree.

What did this mean?

It meant that from this moment on, not only could the Luodu Celestial Master Mansion not kill Gu Chengyin.

They also had to protect him well and not let a single hair on his head be harmed.

Otherwise, it would be defying the imperial decree.

Elder Qiu took a deep breath, then spoke:

"Junior Preceptor Gu, then this old man will not disturb you any longer."

"If you have any needs, please instruct us at any time."

Gu Chengyin did not turn his head, merely nodding slightly.

Elder Qiu turned around and walked out step by step.

The sound of footsteps gradually faded away.

And finally disappeared completely.

Before the Serenity Pagoda, only Gu Chengyin remained.

He stood just like that, with his hands behind his back.

Looking at the tightly shut doors of the Serenity Pagoda.

Behind the doors was her.

It was Lin Qingyan.

It was Jingzhe of the Celestial Master Mansion, who could fight three opponents at once.

And also the fairy who, when weak, curled up in his arms and said that just holding her would be enough.

A trace of warmth appeared in Gu Chengyin's eyes.

It was faint.

But it was undeniably there.