Chapter 1462: He Is Pretending to Be Fainted

When Gongye Zan heard that Xia Yu had arrived in the Northwest, he never expected him to come to his own residence; his face instantly turned deathly pale. If it were anyone else, he would have dared to argue, but this Xia Yu was the Heir Apparent; how could a mere fifth-rank petty official like him dare to provoke such a person?

"That is correct, it is I. I wonder if Master Gongye would be willing to speak with me."

Gongye Zan said nothing, but Xia Yu was not in a hurry to leave, still staring at Gongye Zan with a smile.

"This... please, sit."

Gongye Zan's tone softened, for the current situation was clear: if he did not agree to Xia Yu's request, he was afraid he would not be able to walk out of this door today, at least not while Xia Yu still had no intention of taking action.

"Uncle Gongye, I'm here!"

Just as Xia Yu had settled down, his attention was drawn to the little girl who had just pushed the door open; this girl's courage was truly extraordinary, even daring to run straight into the line of fire. If it were anyone else, they would have been scared to tears long ago.

"Daddy, Daddy, who is this big brother?"

Looking at Xia Yu, Miss Gongye Ling happily threw herself into Gongye Zan's arms. Xia Yu then withdrew his gaze; he had no time to play such games with them.

"Daddy, who is he! Why are you with this big brother?"

Miss Gongye Ling asked curiously; she had never seen this big brother before, and he didn't look like a bad guy!

"You must be my older sister!"

Xia Yu extended his right hand and pinched Ling'er's little cheek.

"That's right!"

"Then may I give you a hug?"

Looking at that cute and pretty face, Xia Yu could hardly hold back; he extended his arms, wanting to pick her up.

"No, you are not allowed to touch my little sister!"

Before Ling'er could answer, Gongye Gui, standing beside her, suddenly stamped his foot and shouted loudly.

"Huh? Why not!"

Xia Yu was completely baffled.

"Because... I must protect my little sister; no one is allowed to touch my little sister!"

Gongye Gui looked as if he would never give up.

"Ha? I don't believe it unless I see it with my own eyes!"

Xia Yu shrugged his hands.

"You... I challenge you to a duel!"

Looking at Gongye Gui, he said with complete seriousness.

"Very well!"

Xia Yu was also intrigued; this kid seemed a bit interesting!

"Then let us begin our contest now; I want to show Daddy my strength."

Having finished speaking, Gongye Gui directly drew his sword from his waist, while Miss Gongye Ling stepped out of the fighting circle.

"Good, come on!"

Xia Yu stood up, seeing that Gongye Gui's stance clearly indicated he intended to go all out.

"Whoosh~~"

Gongye Gui lunged forward in a single stride, thrusting his sword straight at Xia Yu's chest.

"Clang~~ Clang~~ Clang~~ Dang~~ Zing... Klong~~ Crash..."

The sounds of metal clashing rose and fell; Xia Yu's sword blocked most of Gongye Gui's attacks, and finally, he struck Gongye Gui on the head with the hilt of his sword.

"Thud~~"

Gongye Gui fell flat on the ground, having fainted dead away; this scene left Miss Gongye Ling completely stunned.

"Dad, brother he... he..."

Miss Gongye Ling pointed a trembling finger at the unconscious Gongye Gui and stammered.

"Sigh... my foolish child, he is pretending to be unconscious."

Gongye Zan sighed helplessly.

"Then..."

"Rest assured! He is not seriously injured, just a concussion."

Xia Yu shook his head slightly; this Gongye Gui was truly a genius-level figure, having comprehended spiritual power at such a young age, and even able to control the spiritual energy within his body.

Unfortunately, he had met me, and in the end, I won this contest.

"Young Master Xia, I will give you an explanation for this matter."

"Then I will trouble Master Gongye."

Xia Yu clasped his hands in a bow, turned, and walked away, but after a few steps, he stopped.

"Master Gongye, your injuries are not heavy at all; there is no need to worry."

"Are you speaking the truth?"

Gongye Zan revealed a look of surprise; not only he, but the other servants in the Gongye household also showed expressions of shock.

"Of course; you may not believe it, but I think you should try to run your martial arts technique."

"How is this possible? I have cultivated for many years, persistently practicing a full set of fist techniques every day, and now I cannot move freely at all."

Gongye Zan said bitterly; he knew Xia Yu was speaking the truth, because his body was indeed unsuitable for martial arts practice at present.

"That is beyond my control; my healing technique can only make you lively and energetic. As for martial arts, even if you practice for thirty or forty years, there may be no effect."

Xia Yu shrugged; this was not Gongye Gui's fault, for the martial arts of this era were far too backward; they only practiced methods of breathing and meditation, and over these years their bodies had already developed stubborn habits, which even Gongye Zan found difficult to change.

"This..."

"Daddy, I think big brother is right."

Miss Gongye Ling spoke up; although she was only five or six years old, she understood far more than ordinary children.

"Sigh... Very well, Gongye Gui, come out with me."

Gongye Zan sighed deeply; he knew everything Xia Yu said was correct.

"Ling'er, take Young Master Xia down to rest. I will be back shortly."

Saying this, he led Xia Yu to a room in the living hall. This was a guest room he had specially arranged; not only was it spacious and comfortable with an elegant, fresh environment, but crucially, it was near the lake, conducive to breathing fresh air.

"Thump, thump, thump~~"

After knocking lightly twice, Gongye Zan entered the room. Lying on the bed inside was a beautiful woman dressed in purple robes of fine quality. She was none other than the wife of the current Prime Minister Gongye Xun, Gongye Gui's mother, Lady Gongye.

"Father."

Gongye Gui knelt at Gongye Zan's feet. He knew what his father had summoned him for.

"Gui'er, I know you dislike this world, but in these times, if you do not strive harder, you will be eliminated."

Gongye Zan spoke with a face full of anguish. In recent years, his son had been unambitious, but he could not stand idly by and watch Gongye Gui continue to spiral downward; thus, he had to make his son regain his confidence.

"Father..."

Gongye Gui clenched his Yaguan, refusing to let tears fall, yet his eyes were red. He felt the pain surging from his body, caused by the churning of blood within him. He knew this time there was no escape.

"Gui'er! Stop your Hu Nao!"

"Father! I cannot accept this!"

Gongye Gui suddenly raised his head. He did not understand how he had fallen to this state. In the original plot, at this time he had already become a supreme expert and established a powerful clan like the Gongye Faction. He remembered all of this vividly.

Yet the gap between this world and the one he originally experienced was far too great. Was this a road that could never be finished?

"Gui'er, I know you hate Father for refusing to agree to marry your mother back then. Rest assured, I will have your mother marry you right now."

Hearing these words, Gongye Gui was instantly stunned. He had not expected his father to do such a thing, and his heart could not help but stir with excitement.