Chapter 480: with translation of chapter title

"This, this is going too far?" Heng Xian's face turned slightly red, especially now as Xie Lian bent over, his clothes loose, everything in full view.

In the tiny bathing chamber, their movements were awkward to the extreme.

Xie Lian paid no heed to Heng Xian's words; instead, he was serious and stern, grabbing something of his, flipping over, and exclaimed delightedly: "Little Yi, you truly are your mother's son, here and as a child exactly..."

Before she could finish speaking, Heng Xian flicked his finger and knocked her out, then with a light snap sent her back onto the room's bed.

Ripples swayed in the wooden tub, and the small wooden basin spun on the ground.

Heng Xian stood by the tub, lost in thought, he had ten thousand ways to slap her away beforehand, yet just now he did not move.

Could it be...

His body is so undiscriminating?

He casually put on his clothes, and with a flash appeared on the glazed tiles of the roof.

The moonlight was just right, casting the peculiar scenery of the entire mountain city in full view; in the distance, more than ten powerful auras shot straight into the clouds.

Surely they are experts of the city!

I don't know where the disciples of the Twelve Sects are; it seems we must still wait for the timing spoken of by tomorrow's hexagram.

Withdrawing his gaze, Heng Xian glanced once more at the Gu family courtyard, then lifted his head to look at the moon.

First he thought of Ji Yaoyue, wondering if her soul wound had healed, whether the Da Luo Holy Sect's methods would work, and if something went wrong, how he should respond...

Then he thought of his Heng family in Donglan City, the unreliable master within the sect, and his senior brothers and sisters.

Lastly, for no reason, he thought of the sworn elder brother Mo Qi Bai in Peach Valley.

That guy is a simple, honest person; I don't know how his cultivation has been these past years, nor what strange things he has researched.

Suddenly he felt like writing a letter to that elder brother: "I was just teased by a widow! Although this widow is my mother in my current identity, what do you think?"

Far away, outside the "Treasure Horse Stable" in a valley tens of thousands of li distant, a figure skillfully placed a urine-soaked chamber pot to one side, ordered the wooden man to carry it out and dump it, then couldn't help but sneeze, instinctively looking up at the sky: "Huh? Why not... make a machine woman to help wipe one's butt?"

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At dawn, the first ray of sunlight shone into the small courtyard.

Xie Lian got up and began making breakfast.

Gu Jing eagerly fed the chickens and tidied up miscellaneous items.

By the time Heng Xian came out, breakfast was already ready—coarse millet porridge, pickled vegetables, and the remaining flatbread cakes from several days ago, all gone.

Gu Jing cheerfully called out: "Brother, come quickly, the millet porridge smells wonderful!"

Xie Lian seemed completely unaware of last night's events, as if he had forgotten; merely looking at the breakfast, he said a bit embarrassed: "Little Yi, the monthly allowance has been cut off at the mansion, make do with what we have!"

Heng Xian nodded, sat down, casually took two bites, and asked: "Why was the monthly allowance cut off?"

"It's because of Lord Gongsun Kui!" Xie Lian sighed, "He demanded... that we mother and son serve him, otherwise he would be rude to the Gu family; your grandfather said nothing, your eldest uncle and third uncle, fearing trouble, agreed, but I refused, so they cut off the offerings!"

Heng Xian pondered, then silently took a sip of porridge.

Xie Lian hesitated a moment, then said: "Later I'll go to the mansion and talk about it; since you've returned, you should certainly continue the monthly allowance; I and little Jing don't mind, you're a man, you need to eat!"

Heng Xian indifferently nodded his head.

After the meal, Xie Lian went to the main house.

Heng Xian boredly basked in the sun; Gu Jing, no longer needing to go to the laundry ward, clung to "Brother," insisting he tell a story.

Heng Xian had no choice but to reluctantly tell the tale of "The Mountain Village Corpse."

Then,

The little girl crouched to one side, her small face deathly pale, making not a sound.

Not long after, Xie Lian hurried back, covering half his face, avoiding Heng Xian and Gu Jing, and rushed into the room.

"Mother!" Gu Jing shouted, ran into the room, and soon choked out: "They hit you again!"

Xie Lian whispered a reprimand: "Keep it down, don't let big brother hear; mother, mother is fine."

Heng Xian's brows furrowed slightly; even though he was the "false Gu Xiao Yi," he now felt a surge of anger, rose, and walked toward the front courtyard.

Along the way, many servants and lackeys were present, all whispering and murmuring to each other.

All the way to the main house, he heard someone shouting in a thunderous voice: "You wretched woman, still demanding the monthly allowance? Lord Gongsun Kui's son has already rebuked you several times—why not spend a few nights with him? Since the second brother is gone, what's the point of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame? Isn't it better to seek some benefit for the clan?"

A voice beside him said: "Elder brother, keep it down, Xiao Yi has after all returned!"

That voice fell silent for a moment: "Come to think of it, we'd almost forgotten this matter, but that lad hasn't been seen in nearly twenty years—who knows what abilities he has? Yesterday I discovered he has not a trace of cultivation on him, a good-for-nothing, having inherited none of the second brother's talent, wasting our expectations; let's leave him be for a while and just assign him some random task."

"All right!" another voice replied.

Heng Xian heard this, let out a cold laugh, and was about to enter the room.

Not far away, a sudden commotion arose; a housekeeper-like figure hurried over: "Eldest, third, and fourth uncles, the old master's heart ailment has flared up again—quick!"

Three figures swiftly darted out of the room.

They were precisely the eldest uncle, third uncle, and fourth uncle of "Gu Xiao Yi."

Seeing Heng Xian, the three were slightly startled, then nodded in acknowledgment and followed the housekeeper away in haste.

Heng Xian thought for a moment, then also lifted his foot and followed after them.

In the master's courtyard, at this moment the place was packed with people—several generations of the Gu family ancestors and descendants, daughters-in-law, young ladies, and young masters, all present, each with anxious expressions.

Although the Gu family patriarch no longer handles affairs, he remains the heaven of the Gu clan; even the Gongsun family must give him some respect, yet unfortunately the old master suffers from heart disease, which flares up every two months, each episode worse than the last.

This time he has already reached the point of death.

Everyone panicked.

"Father, hold on a little longer!"

The three Gu brothers anxiously decocted medicine, performed acupuncture, and circulated their qi and energy.

The old master lying on the bed was grasped by the hand of the tear-blurred old lady; his body stiffened, his face turned pale, and he seemed about to give out.

"Father! Hold on a little longer!"

The eldest Gu brother simply lifted the old father, circulating all of his cultivation from the first layer of the Qi Sea, to clear the old father's meridians of blood and essence.

Over there, Lao San rushed over holding a bowl of medicine, pried open the old man's mouth and poured it down.

The brothers weren't just messing around; in fact, in the entire Nine Palaces Mountain City, they were all renowned doctors.

However, unfortunately, the old man's heart ailment had already penetrated to the marrow.

At that moment, the few of them, anxious and agitated, gave the old father a bowl of strong medicine; seeing this, the old man's legs kicked out, his head tilted, and he breathed his last!

"Old master!"

"Dad!"

"Grandfather!"

Inside and outside the house, they instantly burst into tears.

Just then, a voice rang out, distinctly different: "The person isn't dead yet, what's the point of crying?"

The crowd looked over in a daze and saw the young master who had just returned yesterday, "Gu Xiao Yi".

The entire courtyard, inside and out, fell silent in an instant.

It's just that this guy's words were too shocking and completely out of place.

The eldest uncle couldn't help but rush out, fuming: "Gu Xiao Yi, you unworthy descendant, spouting nonsense, your grandfather has already passed away—kneel down!"

Heng Xian couldn't be bothered, pushed through the crowd, entered the house, seized the old man's pulse, probed a little, and said: "The medicine is too strong! The way the spiritual energy enters the body is also wrong; treating an old man whose illness has penetrated to the marrow like this—have you all been kicked in the head by a donkey? The Gu Clan Medicine Shop is nothing but an empty reputation!"

"You..." This time not only the eldest uncle, the three brothers, the old lady, and the entire Gu Clan flew into a rage.

Especially the old lady, while weakly supporting the old man, she snapped: "Gu Xiao Yi, your grandfather has already passed—what are you doing spouting nonsense here? Back down!"

Heng Xian rolled up his sleeves: "The old man is perfectly fine—you can't do it, I'll take over!"

"Gu Xiao Yi!"

The Gu Clan eldest uncle exploded with rage, saying: "I was going easy on you since you just came home, not wanting to be too harsh, but if you can't save your grandfather today, don't blame me for cutting you down myself!"

Heng Xian looked at him, calm and composed, and said: "Let's make a bet—if you save the old man, I'll triple your monthly stipend; from now on, you call me elder uncle, how about that?"

The elder uncle didn't even think: "Sure, no problem!"

(End of chapter)