Volume 1, Chapter 30 – Gu Han’s Test

Just as she was about to step across the threshold of the inn,

a long, fair hand with clearly defined knuckles gently came to rest on her shoulder.

A stream of spiritual power, warm and mellow yet vast as the sea, instantly poured into her nearly depleted meridians.

Like welcome rain after a long drought, it swiftly soothed the agony in her dantian and stabilized the aura that was on the verge of collapsing.

Gu Luoli trembled all over and turned around in confusion.

What entered her sight was an extraordinarily handsome face wearing a gentle smile.

He stood tall and straight, his moon-white brocade robe spotless. A folding fan rested in his hand, and his bearing was carefree, refined, and otherworldly.

“Miss, you look terribly pale. Are you injured?”

The newcomer was none other than Gu Han.

Gu Luoli stared at him blankly. Her double pupils activated, yet all she could see was a hazy halo of light.

It was as though an invisible barrier enveloped him, blocking all attempts to peer into his secrets.

“I… I’m fine…”

She instinctively tried to move away from his hand, but for the moment, her body would not obey her.

“Trying to act tough is not a good habit.”

Gu Han smiled faintly and withdrew his hand, as if he had merely done the most ordinary thing in the world.

“Meeting by chance is a kind of fate. You seem troubled, and you also appear to be suffering from a hidden ailment.”

“Would you be willing to sit with me for a while? Perhaps I may be able to offer you a little help.”

Gu Luoli’s vigilance had not faded, but there was no mistaking the pure and gentle spiritual power from just now.

This man’s cultivation was unfathomable, and he did not seem to harbor any ill intent.

She had already reached the end of her rope. Even the faintest possibility of help was like a lifeline.

From within the ring, Yun Miaoyi’s urgent voice rang out.

“Luoli! There is something unusual about this man. Agree for now.”

Gu Luoli took a deep breath and suppressed the turmoil in her heart. She gave Gu Han a slight curtsy.

“Thank you for your assistance, Young Master.”

“I… am indeed feeling unwell. I appreciate your kindness, Young Master.”

In the end, she still retained a measure of caution and did not immediately accept.

Gu Han did not mind. He gently waved his folding fan and smiled.

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“No matter. There is a teahouse up ahead. It is quiet and elegant. Unless you have other urgent matters to attend to,

“why not have a cup of hot tea and rest for a moment before deciding what to do next?”

He pointed toward a three-story building not far away, above which hung a sign reading “Clearheart Teahouse.”

Gu Luoli followed the direction of his finger. The teahouse did indeed look peaceful and secluded, and there were a fair number of customers inside.

She hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.

“Then… I will have to trouble you, Young Master.”

She truly did need somewhere to rest and sort out her thoughts.

This mysterious young master before her might also provide an opportunity for her to inquire about Yaochi Immortal Palace.

The smile on Gu Han’s face remained unchanged. He stepped aside and made an inviting gesture.

“After you, Miss.”

On the third floor of Clearheart Teahouse, at a private table beside the window,

incense smoke curled gently from a burner, mingling with the rising steam of the tea.

Gu Han poured a cup of “spirit tea” that he had personally enhanced and pushed it toward Gu Luoli.

“This tea may be beneficial to your current condition.”

Gu Luoli accepted the cup with both hands. Her fingertips touched the warm porcelain as she sensed the faint fragrance of plants and the weak spiritual qi rising from within, putting her slightly more at ease.

She took a small sip. The warm tea flowed down her throat, bringing a trace of warmth that soothed her turbulent qi and blood as well as her taut nerves.

“Thank you, Young Master.”

She thanked him softly and set down the cup. Then she raised those extraordinary eyes, which remained wondrous even in their dimmed state, and looked at Gu Han.

“May I ask your honored name, Young Master?”

“Gu Bai.”

Gu Han casually made up a name for himself.

Gu Luoli’s heart trembled slightly.

His surname was Gu?

“So it is Young Master Gu.”

She composed herself.

“I am Gu Luoli. Thank you again for helping me, Young Master.”

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“You are too polite.”

Gu Han smiled.

“I merely happened to be passing by. It was no more than a small favor.”

After thinking for a moment, Yun Miaoyi reminded her from within the ring.

“Luoli, find a way to keep him talking.”

“Ask whether he knows anything about Yaochi Immortal Palace…”

A thin sheen of sweat formed on Gu Luoli’s palms. With an almost imperceptible tremor in her voice, she asked,

“Young Master Gu, your cultivation is profound. May I ask whether you have ever heard of Yaochi Immortal Palace?”

As she spoke, her double pupils stared intently at him, unwilling to miss even the slightest change in his expression.

The hand with which Gu Han held his teacup paused slightly.

He raised his eyes to meet Gu Luoli’s gaze. Galaxies seemed to flow within those profound eyes, carrying a trace of amusement.

The private room suddenly fell silent. Only the incense smoke rose in a straight line while steam drifted gently from the tea.

Judging by his expression, Gu Luoli had just begun to think that he did not know when

Gu Han suddenly smiled.

He put down his teacup and leaned back slightly, his posture relaxed. Looking at Gu Luoli, he spoke with a trace of emotion in his voice.

“So, you are searching for Yaochi Immortal Palace.”

It was not a question, but a statement.

Gu Luoli’s heart gave a violent leap!

He really knew where it was!

Not only did he know, but judging by his tone…

“Young Master… you… you know where Yaochi Immortal Palace is?”

Her voice trembled with excitement. She could no longer maintain her outward composure.

Gu Han did not answer directly. Instead, he asked,

“But why are you searching for Yaochi Immortal Palace?”

“In your current condition, is it worth pursuing a place so elusive that it may as well be a dream?”

Gu Luoli bit her lower lip. Pain, resentment, and stubbornness flashed through her double pupils before finally turning into unwavering resolve.

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She took a deep breath and briefly explained how her Dao foundation had been damaged.

“Yaochi Immortal Palace may be my only chance to survive.”

Gu Luoli’s voice was choked with emotion, yet extraordinarily firm.

“So no matter how slim the hope is, and no matter how dangerous the road ahead may be, I must try!”

“I do not want… I do not want to die quietly like this, carrying nothing but regret and unwillingness!”

After speaking, she pressed her lips tightly together and waited for his response.

Gu Han listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly against the tabletop.

Abandoned by a sacred land, tormented by a Dao injury, accompanied by an elderly remnant soul, and then meeting him at the very moment she reached a desperate situation…

She was the perfect template of a heaven-favored female protagonist.

And he was probably her greatest cheat.

Tenacious and unyielding, with light still shining in her eyes even when she stood at the edge of despair.

Such strength of character was worthy of her talent, and worthy of Yaochi Immortal Palace.

After pondering for a moment, he slowly spoke.

“Yaochi Immortal Palace does indeed exist.”

A brilliant light instantly erupted in Gu Luoli’s eyes!

“However,” Gu Han continued, changing the direction of the conversation,

“the Immortal Palace has only recently been established. Its rules are strict, and its standards for disciple recruitment are exceptionally demanding.”

“Only those with peerless talent may enter its gates.”

The light in Gu Luoli’s eyes dimmed for an instant, but soon blazed to life once more.

“Young Master Gu, I know that I am now little different from a cripple and that my aptitude has been buried. I would not dare hope to become a disciple of the Immortal Palace.”

“I only ask… I only ask for a chance to meet the master of the Immortal Palace. No matter the outcome, I would be endlessly grateful!”

“Or… could you perhaps introduce me, Young Master? I am willing to pay any price!”

She rose and bowed deeply to Gu Han. Her posture was humble, yet it carried the resolve of someone prepared to stake everything on one final attempt.

Gu Han looked at the young woman bowing deeply before him. He had already made his decision.

His fingers stopped tapping against the tabletop.

“Gu Luoli.”

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He called her name in a calm voice.

Gu Luoli raised her head, hope and apprehension filling her eyes.

“You said just now that you were willing to pay any price?”

“Yes!”

Gu Luoli answered without hesitation.

“Even if it means losing your freedom from this day forward and binding your fate to another?”

Gu Luoli was momentarily stunned. Then she nodded firmly.

“If I can gain a new life, I will have no regrets.”

Gu Han nodded in satisfaction and slowly rose to his feet.

His moon-white brocade robe began to stir without any wind, and the carefree, relaxed air around him quietly transformed.

An indescribably vast presence slowly awakened, as though it stood as high as heaven and earth and shone alongside the sun and moon.

Although it had not been fully released, the space within the private room already began to distort slightly, and the light grew dim.

Gu Luoli’s pupils abruptly contracted. Her double pupils activated on their own, beyond her control, yet all she could see was a boundless expanse of dazzling radiance!

Her delicate body trembled violently. An instinctive sense of reverence and submission surged from the depths of her soul!

Within the ring, Yun Miaoyi’s remnant soul instantly stiffened, its fluctuations almost coming to a complete halt!

This… this was…

Under Gu Luoli’s disbelieving gaze,

Gu Han’s figure seemed to blur for an instant.

The next moment, the moon-white brocade robe transformed into a moon-white dress. The jade hairpin holding his hair in place disappeared, and snow-white hair cascaded freely down to her waist.

The heroic sharpness of the handsome young man softened from her features, replaced by breathtaking beauty and an aloof elegance.

Her posture remained tall and straight, but now outlined graceful, exquisite curves.

In the blink of an eye, the elegant and handsome young master from moments before had transformed into an incomparable silver-haired immortal maiden!

She stood with her hands clasped behind her back, gazing calmly at Gu Luoli as her ethereal voice sounded.

“Gu Luoli. Yun Miaoyi.”

“Are the two of you willing to enter my Yaochi Immortal Palace?”