Chapter 718: Destiny Pattern

After the family banquet ended, the guests dispersed.

Though there were some setbacks, overall things remained peaceful, barely qualifying as "host and guests both satisfied."

Late at night, in the study of the Gu family patriarch.

Shangguan Ce and Gu Shouyan sat facing each other, brewing tea by candlelight, talking through the night.

They had grown up together since childhood, cultivated side by side; besides being patriarchs, they were also old friends.

Though the Shangguan family was stronger than the Gu family, the gap was not enormous.

Gu Shouyan was slightly older than Shangguan Ce.

Both had lived for centuries, weathered storms, and though they engaged in calculations of interest, they also shared deep friendship.

Gu Shouyan was straightforward by nature, always speaking plainly, and said in a low voice:

"You're going to take back all the Shangguan family's businesses?"

These businesses operated in nearby cultivation industries within Qianxue Province, originally managed by the Gu family.

Shangguan Ce nodded. "The Shen family offered a high price—I transferred them to them. They yield two-tenths more profit than if we Shangguan family ran them ourselves."

Gu Shouyan sneered. "Does the Shen family have that much goodwill?"

Shangguan Ce said, "Whether or not it's goodwill, the profit is right here."

"What profit?"

Shangguan Ce shook his head. "I can't say."

Gu Shouyan scoffed. "What other profit could there be? Just spirit stones, pills, connections… oh, and slots in the Sida Sect?"

Shangguan Ce remained silent.

Gu Shouyan continued brewing tea, stirring the leaves in the teapot.

Shangguan Ce's gaze sharpened slightly, and he sighed. "The Shen family must have approached you too—did you turn them down outright?"

Gu Shouyan grunted, "Mm."

Shangguan Ce said, "It's a gesture of goodwill, Brother Gu. Even if you won't accept, you should leave some room for compromise…"

Gu Shouyan's face hardened. "Those little men of the Shen family—associating with them brings no benefit."

Shangguan Ce shook his head. "Before noble families, only interest matters, not virtue. You must cast virtue aside first, or you'll act on emotion and hinder your family's progress."

"You don't practice virtue—that's your business. But don't try to teach me how to act." Gu Shouyan's temper was upright.

Shangguan Ce probed, "Then the Shangguan family's businesses…"

Gu Shouyan waved his hand. "Take them all. They were always managed by your Shangguan family's daughter-in-law anyway. If you want them back, just tell her."

"Most of our Gu family cultivators are from Dao Ting Si—we're not skilled in business. These cultivation industries only serve to supplement household income. They're tasteless to keep, hard to abandon, and force Wan'er to waste her energy on them—not worth it."

Shangguan Ce exhaled slightly in relief.

Gu Shouyan ignored him, focused entirely on brewing tea, watching the rising steam, clearly not caring about these gains and losses.

The room grew quiet.

After a long while, Shangguan Ce's gaze darkened slightly, and he sighed:

"The Gu family… will face trouble."

Gu Shouyan looked up, surprised, raising an eyebrow.

He and Shangguan Ce had grown up together; he knew exactly what kind of man Shangguan Ce was.

This man was selfish, calculating, and self-serving.

But when it didn't involve his own or the Shangguan family's interests, he still valued sentiment and spoke relatively honestly.

So though he disliked Shangguan Ce's character and thought him too scheming, over the years, Gu Shouyan still maintained a deep bond with him.

After all, at his cultivation level and status, there were few cultivators left who could truly speak his mind or share a few words with him.

Gu Shouyan asked, "Who's causing trouble for the Gu family? The Shen family?"

Shangguan Ce still shook his head. "What I'm saying, you already know. What you don't know, I can't say."

Gu Shouyan felt thoroughly deflated, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank slowly.

He didn't pour for Shangguan Ce.

Shangguan Ce had to pour his own.

The tea was bitter and astringent—not high quality.

But Gu Shouyan liked this flavor.

Shangguan Ce didn't care for it, but said nothing, silently drank it down, glanced at the white hairs at Gu Shouyan's temples, and sighed softly:

"Brother Gu, a true man knows when to bend and when to stretch…"

"So many noble families are showing goodwill to the Gu family. If you'd just granted them a little face, the Gu family wouldn't still be stuck at fifth rank."

Gu Shouyan glared. "Grant face? Do they want me to grant face? They want my Gu family's power to grant them face! They want Dao Law to grant them face!"

"Is power mine to own?"

"Is Dao Law mine to own?"

"Dao Ting's authority, Dao Law's fairness—drawn from Heaven above, from the common folk below. What virtue or merit do we Gu family have to claim them as private property and use power for personal gain?"

Shangguan Ce rubbed his temples. "Some things others can do—why can't your Gu family do them? Are you alone in being so lofty?"

"Lofty? Not quite," Gu Shouyan said with disdain. "I just like it."

Shangguan Ce lost all temper.

Gu Shouyan glanced at Shangguan Ce and realized that, at least for now, his old friend wasn't scheming—he genuinely cared. He sighed:

"You chase fame and profit—you understand the game better than I do. But this matter is far more complicated than you think."

"For years, the Gu family has produced Void-Permeating Ancestors and long held the foundation of fifth rank…"

"Among noble families, some hate us with a vengeance, but others have deep ties with us. Our reputation isn't stellar, but we're far from isolated."

"Several times, I even had one foot across the threshold of the fifth rank, yet external constraints prevented me from advancing further."

Gu Shouyan said in a low voice, "True fifth-rank Dao Ting Si families are not to be trifled with."

"My Gu family upholds the Dao laws, and too many people do not want us to take this next step."

Shangguan Ce furrowed his brows slightly.

Gu Shouyan sneered, "Do you think that if I accept those families' overtures and collude with them, they will accept my Gu family?"

Gu Shouyan shook his head, sipped tea, and continued:

"If I do not accept their overtures, my Gu family becomes a wild wolf."

"Even if they are tigers and leopards, eager to devour my Gu family, they must fear our desperate counterattack—tearing off chunks of their flesh."

"But if I accept their favors, my Gu family becomes a dog!"

"To their faces, they may be polite, but behind closed doors, they will despise me even more."

"When they encounter filthy, ugly messes, they toss us a bone—we must bite into it and clean up after them."

Gu Shouyan's face was stern, his gaze like a sword; he snorted coldly:

"These parasites—do they even deserve it?"

"My Gu family would rather die biting flesh from their bodies than beg on our knees to lick the bones they throw at us!"

Shangguan Ce pondered for a moment, then shook his head and sighed, "Brother Gu, you're still too extreme. My Shangguan family stands with yours—they also..."

Gu Shouyan replied firmly, "You, Shangguan Ce, can befriend the Shen family because you accept their overtures—you are fundamentally the same kind of people."

Gu Shouyan said firmly, "If you, Shangguan Ce, accept the Shen family's overture, you can befriend them, because fundamentally, you are the same kind of people."

"I have never been the same kind of person as you."

Shangguan Ce froze, his gaze turning slightly cold, yet without anger.

Gu Shouyan continued:

"The master behaves this way—so does the family."

"Your Shangguan family and the Shen family thrive through industry, built entirely on profit. My Gu family, serving in Dao Ting Si, fundamentally relies on 'root bones' to stand."

"If your Shangguan family suddenly emphasized 'root bones,' it would collapse overnight."

"Likewise, if my Gu family abandoned 'root bones,' even if we grew strong for a time, our destruction would come in an instant."

Shangguan Ce fell momentarily silent.

He had always assumed his elder brother was merely stubborn, rigid, and incapable of adaptability.

Yet he had never imagined his brother was not merely outwardly inflexible.

He understood many things.

And it seemed, he understood them even better than he did.

Shangguan Ce sighed inwardly—indeed, one cannot judge a man by appearance.

He poured Gu Shouyan another cup of tea and said calmly:

"Brother Gu, do as you see fit."

He hoped that in the future, the Shangguan and Gu families would not become enemies.

Gu Shouyan grunted, took the tea, and drank it.

By now, nearly everything that needed saying had been said.

Both men sipped tea in silence; though they spoke no more, their minds were free of scheming, and the atmosphere had grown considerably calmer.

Gu Shouyan suddenly remembered something, glancing curiously at Shangguan Ce—but did not ask.

Shangguan Ce seemed to sense it, set down his teacup, and said slowly:

"Brother Gu, if you have something to say, say it."

Gu Shouyan nodded, unhesitant, and spoke plainly:

"I don't understand—how can a man who cares only for profit hold such deep clan prejudices? Why do you harbor such hatred toward the Wen family?"

"At tonight's banquet, that Shen elder humiliated Wan'er so shamelessly—and you said nothing?"

Shangguan Ce fell silent. "A fool..."

He sipped tea, brushed aside the tea leaves, and said flatly, "The Shen family married her to us to test our stance."

"They offer us goodwill—we must respond with our own stance."

"Even if she acts recklessly, we must remain courteous—we just took their spirit stones. To eat is to be bound."

"Moreover, several other branches of the Shangguan family are using her as a weapon to pressure Yi'er..."

"The other Shangguan lines have long coveted the family headship. Since they cannot take it from me, they will try to take it from Yi'er."

"This sort of thing will not be rare in the future—I will not interfere."

"I am the head, but I am only the head. True power lies with the Ancestors—many decisions are beyond me."

"If Yi'er has the ability to command respect, he will naturally become head. If he cannot hold his ground, it is better he yield the position early—lest his indecisiveness destroy the family's foundation."

"As for Wan'er..." Shangguan Ce's gaze darkened slightly, "She has been dragged down by Yi'er."

"Anyone with eyes can see Yi'er is too sentimental—he holds Wan'er too dearly. She has become his weakness."

"Husband and wife are one. Wan'er's mistake is Yi'er's mistake."

Shangguan Ce sighed faintly: "If Yi'er were merely an ordinary clan youth—not the son of the head, not entangled in the succession struggle—no one would ever think to torment Wan'er."

Shangguan Ce sighed softly, "If Yi-er were merely an ordinary scion of a noble family, not the son of a patriarch, and not entangled in the struggle for the patriarchal seat, no one would ever think to torment Wan-er."

"But alas—their status is anything but ordinary..."

Gu Shouyan nodded.

"As for the Wen family..."

As for the Wen family...

Shangguan Ce fell into thought, his gaze complex: "Though the Shangguan and Wen families have had tensions and have never intermarried through generations, it is not a blood feud."

"Otherwise, this marriage between Yi and Wan'er would have been crushed from the start—no matter how desperately Yi begged, it would have been impossible."

Shangguan Ce glanced at Gu Shouyan and said frankly: "But I have never, from the beginning, approved of this marriage."

"The Wen family is only one part—I do not hate them, but an alliance with the Wen family brings the Shangguan clan no real advantage…"

"Or rather, the advantage is not great enough."

"Yi comes from a fine lineage, has excellent talent, and is exceptionally handsome. Though he is somewhat sentimental and indecisive, this only makes him more appealing to women."

"When arranging marriages, I had several excellent matches in hand—these women were all of pure bloodline, high birth, outstanding appearance, brought spiritual ore dowries, and came from immensely powerful families."

"Marrying into one of these families would greatly assist the Shangguan clan, me as clan head, and Yi's future succession to the position of clan head."

"Yi's future would then have been smooth sailing."

"But…"

Shangguan Ce let out a deep sigh. "Yi has disappointed me terribly. He rejected all these excellent matches, fixated solely on 'I will marry none but her,' determined to bring Wan'er into our home."

"Wan'er is not a bad girl—like Yi, she is loyal and righteous; though a bit willful, her heart is good."

"But as the future Lady of the Shangguan clan, she is utterly unfit."

"Moreover, this is the first time Yi has ever defied me."

"His marriage, with proper maneuvering, could have brought immense benefits—our Shangguan clan's status could have advanced closer to the elusive Sixth Rank. Yet everything backfired; all my plans came to nothing…"

Even Shangguan Ce, with his deep composure, could not help but raise his brows slightly, revealing a flash of anger.

Gu Shouyan understood, roughly.

Sitting in the position of clan head, many things are far more complicated than they appear on the surface.

He understood Shangguan Ce's feelings.

"But," Gu Shouyan frowned, "what about Yu'er? Wan'er is one thing, but Yu'er is your only direct grandson—surely you wouldn't distance yourself from your own flesh and blood because of this girl…"

Shangguan Ce's gaze darkened slightly, his expression shifting as if hiding something unspeakable.

"If it's inconvenient to say, then forget it."

Gu Shouyan had merely asked out of curiosity—he didn't demand an answer.

After all, this was the Shangguan clan's private matter.

Gu Shouyan poured himself another cup of tea and sipped slowly.

A shadow fell across Shangguan Ce's face. After a long silence, he sighed and spoke slowly:

"When Yu'er was born… I summoned an elder from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to calculate his destiny."

Gu Shouyan froze, his brow slightly furrowed.

Shangguan Ce continued: "Yu'er…"

He paused, closed his eyes deeply, then slowly opened them, his voice chilling: "Yu'er's destiny, from birth, was that of a 'dead man'—a flawed vessel, not a living person…"

Gu Shouyan's hand trembled, his expression stunned.

Then his gaze darkened: "Destiny is not necessarily true…"

Shangguan Ce shook his head. "You don't know the elder's identity—his destiny calculations are never wrong."

"And… I can see it myself."

"Yu'er has always been different from others. Though he appears healthy, his spiritual sense is inherently weak, as if his soul is incomplete. Sometimes he sees things ordinary cultivators cannot, and suffers nightmares beyond comprehension—like… a child with one foot already in the Yellow Springs…"

Shangguan Ce's gaze held pain. "Every time I see Yu'er, it feels like a thorn has pierced my heart."

"He is the only grandson I've ever had, hard-won—and yet, destined to die young, a 'dead man' who cannot be raised to adulthood…"

Gu Shouyan stared blankly for a long while, then looked at Shangguan Ce without mercy and sneered: "You sowed your wild oats when young, and now you're left with no heir—you deserve this."

Shangguan Ce's face darkened, but he had no reply.

Seeing his expression, Gu Shouyan sighed, his tone softening slightly: "Can't it be saved?"

Shangguan Ce's expression was bitter. "Destiny like this cannot be changed by anyone."

"Bullshit!" Gu Shouyan's face turned black. "If it truly couldn't be changed, there'd be no such thing as 'defying heaven to alter fate'!"

Shangguan Ce sighed. "Those were the elder's own words—he said Yu'er's destiny was forged at birth, the heavenly patterns too deep, the karmic ties too vast, beyond human power to reverse…"

Gu Shouyan asked quietly: "What level was that elder?"

Shangguan Ce pointed upward.

Gu Shouyan's heart tightened, and he fell silent—he now understood the weight of that pronouncement.

After drinking his tea and Shangguan Ce had left, Gu Shouyan sat alone at the table, not drinking, staring blankly, Yu'er's innocent, sweet face rising again in his mind.

His weathered heart ached, and he whispered softly:

"Such a good child… yet such a cruel fate…"

Gu Shouyan's weathered heart could not help but ache, and he whispered a sigh,

Mo Hua ate a lavish meal and spent the night at Gu's residence. The next morning, he prepared to return to the Grand Void Gate.

Mo Hua gave Wenren Wan the four characters written by Master Xun: "Abundant Fortune."

Though Master Xun had not explicitly said who the gift was for, Mo Hua suspected the old man intended it for Xu Wanyi.

Wenren Wan, upon receiving the calligraphy, was deeply startled.

In the Ganzhou region, a Void-Understanding Ancestor was a top-tier figure—ordinary disciples had no chance to even see him, let alone receive a personal inscription.

Wenren Wan had wanted to return a gift to Master Xun, but she doubted the old man would care for such trivial things.

So she packed a large quantity of food and drink, along with several second-rank array texts and diagrams, and gave them all to Mo Hua.

Wen Ren Wan had intended to return a bow to Old Master Xun, but she realized the old master would not care for such a gesture.

So she packed a huge amount of food and drink, along with some second-rank array books and array diagrams, and handed them all over to Mo Hua.

All of it was stuff Mo Hua liked.

Mo Hua politely refused a few times, then happily and unreservedly accepted it.

Before leaving, Gu Changhuai found Mo Hua.

The two sat on the steps by the door and exchanged a few simple words.

"There's something I need to tell you," Gu Changhuai thought for a moment, then said, "Recently, a group of mysterious demonic cultivators flooded into the borders surrounding Qianxue Province."

"Demonic cultivators?" Mo Hua froze.

Gu Changhuai nodded. "Their origins haven't been traced yet, nor do we know how many there are or their cultivation levels."

"Their activity is confined only to the nearby third-grade and second-grade small provinces. Their intentions are unknown, but they certainly harbor no good will."

"Dao Ting Si has already begun making arrests, but the current situation is still unclear…"

Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua again and warned:

"Even though you're under house arrest and can't leave Qianxue Province, and you're unlikely to encounter them, still be cautious, just in case."

"Mm-hmm." Mo Hua nodded.

(End of Chapter)