Asking about longevity

After the family dinner, the guests dispersed.

Although there were some twists and turns, it was generally peaceful and could be considered "both the host and the guests were happy".

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

Shangguan Ce and Gu Shouyan sat opposite each other, brewing tea and talking by candlelight.

The two grew up together and practiced together. In addition to being the heads of the family, they were also old friends.

Although the Shangguan family is stronger than the Gu family, the gap is not too big.

Gu Shouyan is slightly older than Shangguan Ce.

Both of them have lived for hundreds of years and have experienced ups and downs. They have both calculated interests and deep friendships.

Gu Shouyan has a straightforward temperament and has always been outspoken. He said in a deep voice:

"Do you want to take back all the Shangguan family's businesses?"

These businesses are all in some cultivation industries near the Xuezhou boundary, which were originally managed by the Gu family.

Shangguan Ce nodded, "The Shen family paid a high price, I transferred it to them, and it will earn 20% more than our Shangguan family running it ourselves."

Gu Shouyan sneered, "Is the Shen family so kind?"

Shangguan Ce said, "Whether it is kind or not, the benefits are here."

"What benefits?"

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

Gu Shouyan sneered, "What other benefits can there be? It's nothing more than spiritual stones, elixirs, connections... Oh, and the quota for the four major sects?"

Shangguan Ce remained silent.

Gu Shouyan was still brewing tea and fiddling with the tea leaves in the teapot.

Shangguan Ce's eyes condensed slightly and he sighed, "The Shen family should have come to you, and you refused it?"

Gu Shouyan said "hmm".

Shangguan Ce said, "This is a gesture of goodwill, Brother Gu, even if you don't accept it, you should give it some room for maneuver..."

Gu Shouyan said coldly, "Those villains in the Shen family are useless."

Shangguan Ce shook his head, "In front of the aristocratic family, only interests are considered, not morality. Morality must be thrown aside first, otherwise it is easy to act on impulse and delay the development of the family."

"If you don't want to talk, then don't talk. That's your business, but don't teach me how to do things." Gu Shouyan has a strong temper.

Shangguan Ce tried to probe, "Then the Shangguan family's business..."

Gu Shouyan waved his hand, "Take it all away. It was originally managed by your Shangguan family's daughter-in-law. If you want to take it back, just tell her."

"Most of the cultivators in my Gu family came from the Daoting Division and are not good at business. These cultivation industries are just used to supplement the family income. It's tasteless to eat, and it's a pity to throw it away. It's not worth it to bother Wan'er, the girl."

Shangguan Ce breathed a sigh of relief.

Gu Shouyan didn't want to pay attention to him. He brewed tea by himself, watching the curling tea, concentrating on it. Obviously, he didn't care about these gains and losses.

The room was a little dull for a while.

After a long time, Shangguan Ce's eyes sank slightly and sighed:

"The Gu family... will be in trouble."

Gu Shouyan was surprised to hear this and raised his eyebrows.

He grew up with Shangguan Ce since childhood, and he knew Shangguan Ce's character very well.

This man is selfish, sophisticated and self-interested.

But if it doesn't involve his own interests or the interests of the Shangguan family, he will also talk about feelings and speak more frankly.

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

After all, with his cultivation and status, there are not many cultivators left who can really say a few words and chat with him.

Gu Shouyan asked: "Who is causing trouble for my Gu family? The Shen family?"

Shangguan Ce still shook his head, "You all know what I said, but I can't tell you what you don't know."

Gu Shouyan was very disappointed, so he poured himself a cup of tea and drank it slowly.

He didn't pour it for Shangguan Ce.

Shangguan Ce could only do it himself and poured himself a cup.

The tea tasted a bit bitter and astringent, not a good tea.

But Gu Shouyan liked this taste.

Shangguan Ce didn't like it, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he drank the tea silently, looked at the white hair on Gu Shouyan's temples, and sighed: "Brother Gu, a real man can bend and stretch..." "There are so many noble families above, showing goodwill to the Gu family. If you give them a little face, the Gu family will not... still not be promoted to the fifth rank." Gu Shouyan glared, "What face to give? Do they want me to give face? They want the power of my Gu family to give them face! They want the law to give them face!" "Is the power my Gu family?" "Is the law my Gu family?" "The power of the Taoist court and the fairness of the law are taken from the way of heaven and from the people. What virtue and ability does my Gu family have to dare to take it for ourselves and use power for personal gain?" Shangguan Ce had a headache, "Some things others can do, but your Gu family can't do it? Is your Gu family noble?" "Not noble," Gu Shouyan looked disdainful, "I am happy." Shangguan Ce immediately lost his temper. Gu Shouyan glanced at Shangguan Ce and found that his old friend, at least at this moment, was not so cunning and really cared about him, so he sighed:

"You are eager for fame and fortune. You know more about fame and fortune than me, but this matter is actually far from as simple as you think."

"Over the years, my Gu family has produced the ancestor Dongxu, and has long had the foundation of the fifth rank..."

"Among the noble families, although there are those who hate my Gu family to the bone, there are also those who have a close relationship with my Gu family. Although their popularity is not very good, they are not so isolated and helpless."

"There are even several times when one foot has stepped into the threshold of the fifth rank, but due to various constraints, they have not been able to go further."

Gu Shouyan said in a low voice, "A true fifth-rank family of the Daotingsi is not a joke?"

"My Gu family abides by the laws of Taoism. Too many people don't want my Gu family to take this step forward."

Shangguan Ce frowned slightly.

"Furthermore," Gu Shouyan muttered to himself, "do you think that if I accept the overtures from those aristocratic families and collude with them, they will accept me as the Gu family?"

Gu Shouyan shook his head, took a sip of tea, and continued:

"If I don't accept their overtures, then my Gu family will be a wild wolf."

"Even if they are tigers and leopards and want to eat my Gu family, they still have to worry about my Gu family fighting back and tearing off a few pieces of flesh."

"And if I take advantage of them, then my Gu family will become a dog!"

"On the surface, they may be polite, but secretly, they look down on me even more."

"When I encounter some ugly things and they throw a bone, I will bite it and clean up the aftermath for them."

Gu Shouyan's face was stern, his eyes were like swords, and he snorted:

"Are they worthy of this group of silverfish?"

"Even if my Gu family is risking their lives to bite off the meat from their bodies and eat it, I won't beg for mercy and lick the bones they throw at me!"

Shangguan Ce thought for a moment, then shook his head and sighed:

"Brother Gu, you are still a little extreme. My Shangguan family can advance and retreat together with the Gu family, and they also..."

Gu Shouyan said with a strong expression: "If you go to the official policy and accept the Shen family's overtures, you will be able to have good relations with the Shen family, because you are essentially the same kind of people."

"And I'm not."

"You and I have never been the same person."

Shangguan Ce was startled, his eyes slightly cold, but not annoyed.

Gu Shouyan continued:

"The head of the family is like this, and so is the family."

"Your Shangguan family and Shen family have prosperous industries, and they all rely on profit. As for my Gu family, working in Daotingsi, the fundamental reason is to rely on the 'roots' to build a family."

"If the Shangguan family suddenly talks about 'root bones', I'm afraid they will die in the blink of an eye."

"Similarly, if my Gu family doesn't care about the 'roots', even if it is strong for a while, it will only be destroyed in a matter of seconds."

Shangguan's strategy was slightly absent-minded.

He always thought that his elder brother had a tough temper, acted in a rigid manner, and didn't know how to adapt.

Unexpectedly, he was not as stubborn as he appeared.

He actually understands many things.

And it seems that he can see it more clearly than himself.

Shangguan Ce sighed in his heart, as expected, the real person cannot be judged by his appearance.

He poured a cup of tea for Gu Shouyan and said calmly:

"Brother Gu, just take care of yourself."

I hope that in the future, the Shangguan family and the Gu family will not go down the same path as fire and water.

Gu Shouyan said "hmm", took the tea and drank it.

At this point, basically everything that needs to be said has been said.

The two of them drank tea separately. Although they did not speak, they did not scheming with each other, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.

Gu Shouyan suddenly remembered something and glanced at Shangguan Ce curiously, but did not ask.

Shangguan Ce seemed to feel something, put down the teacup, and said slowly:

"Brother Gu, just tell me if you have anything to say."

Gu Shouyan nodded and said bluntly:

"There's one thing I don't understand. How can you, a person who only cares about interests, have such deep prejudices against others? Are you so prejudiced against others?"

"Today's dinner, that elder of the Shen family made things difficult for Wan'er, it was unbecoming, and you didn't say a word?"

Shangguan Ce was silent, "He's just a fool..."

He took a sip of tea, brushed the tea leaves, and said calmly, "The Shen family married her here to test the attitude of my Shangguan family."

"The Shen family has shown goodwill to us, and we must also show our attitude."

"Even if she keeps messing around, we have to be polite. After all, she just earned the Shen family's spiritual stone and is soft-spoken."

"And the other rooms in Shangguan's house are actually using her as a weapon to put pressure on Yi'er..."

"The other members of the Shangguan family have long been eyeing the position of the head of the family. If they can't take it from me, then they can take it from Yi'er."

"This kind of thing will never happen in the future, and I will not interfere."

"I am the head of the family, but I am also just the head of the family. The real power lies in the hands of the ancestors, and I cannot decide many things."

"If Yi'er has the ability to serve everyone, then he can naturally become the head of the family. But if he can't control others, it would be a good thing to let someone else take this position as soon as possible. Lest he be indecisive and damage the foundation of the family."

"As for Wan'er..." Shangguan Ce's eyes darkened, "She was implicated by Yi'er."

"Anyone with a discerning eye can see that Yi'er is too affectionate and cares too much about Wan'er, so Wan'er naturally becomes his destiny."

"Husband and wife are one, and if Wan'er makes a mistake, then Yi'er makes a mistake."

Shangguan Ce sighed slightly: "If Yi'er is just a child of an ordinary family, not the son of the head of the family like me, and is not involved in the dispute between the heads of the family, then naturally no one will think of embarrassing Wan'er."

"As a young couple, they just need to live in peace."

"It's a pity that their identities are not ordinary..."

Gu Shouyan nodded.

"As for hearing people..."

Shangguan Zhizhi pondered, his eyes complicated, "Although the Shangguan family and the Wen family have differences and have not intermarryed for generations, it is not a blood feud."

"Otherwise, the marriage between Yi'er and Wan'er will be cut off from the very beginning. No matter how hard Yi'er begs, it will be impossible."

Shangguan Ce glanced at Gu Shouyan and said calmly: "But I am indeed not optimistic about this marriage from the beginning to the end."

"The Wen family is just one aspect. I don't hate the Wen family, but there is really no benefit to the Shangguan family from marrying the Wen family..."

"In other words, the benefits are not big enough."

"Yi'er has a good background, good talents, and excellent appearance. Although some children are affectionate and indecisive, this makes women more popular."

"When discussing the marriage, I have several marriages in my hands. These women are of direct bloodline, have first-class family status, are of good appearance, have spiritual ore as dowry, and are extremely powerful."

"Being married to them will be of great help to my Shangguan family, to me as the head of the family, and to Yi'er's future inheritance as the head of the family."

"Yi'er will have a smooth journey in the future."

"But……"

Shangguan Ce sighed deeply, "Yi'er disappoints me so much. He doesn't want any of these good marriages. He only wants to say, 'I won't marry anyone who is not you', and insists on welcoming this girl Wan'er into the door."

"Wan'er is not a bad kid. He values ​​love and justice as much as Yi'er. Although he is a little willful, he has a good heart."

"But as the future wife of the Shangguan family, she is not qualified at all."

"In addition, this is the first time Yi'er has disobeyed me like this."

"His marriage, through its operation, could have huge benefits. The status of my Shangguan family could also be further improved towards the unattainable sixth rank. However, everything backfired and all the plans were in vain..."

Even though Shangguan Cecheng's palace was very deep, he couldn't help but open his eyebrows slightly, showing a sullen expression.

Gu Shouyan probably understood.

Sitting in the position of the head of the family, many things are not as simple as they appear.

He also understood Shangguan Ce's mood.

"But," Gu Shouyan frowned, "What about Yu'er? Wan'er, that's all. After all, Yu'er is your biological grandson in a single line. It's not like you, because this girl Wan'er has alienated even your biological grandson..."

Shangguan Ce's eyes darkened, his expression changed, and he seemed to have something unspeakable.

"If it's not convenient, just forget it."

Gu Shouyan just asked in passing and didn't insist on Shangguan Ce's answer.

After all, this is a family matter of the Shangguan family.

Gu Shouyan poured himself another cup of tea and began to sip it slowly.

Shangguan Ce's face was covered with a shadow. After being silent for a long time, he finally sighed and spoke slowly:

"When Yu'er was born... I asked an ancestor from Qintian Prison to tell his fortune."

Gu Shouyan was stunned and frowned slightly.

Shangguan Ce continued: "Yu'er..."

He paused for a moment, closed his eyes deeply, then slowly opened them, with a cold tone, "Since Yu'er was born, his destiny has been to be a 'dead person', a mutilated body, not a living person. people……"

Gu Shouyan's hands trembled and he looked shocked.

Then his eyes darkened, "Fate matters may not be true..."

Shangguan Ce shook his head, "You don't know the identity of that ancestor. His fortune telling can't be wrong."

"And...I can see it too."

"Yu'er, this child, has been different from others since he was a child. Although he seems to be good, his spiritual consciousness is naturally weak, as if his soul is incomplete. Moreover, he can occasionally see things that ordinary monks cannot see, and he can do Some incredible nightmares, like...a baby with one foot half-stepped into hell..."

Shangguan Ce's eyes were a little painful, "So every time I see Yu'er, I feel like there is a thorn in my heart."

"He is my only biological grandson whom I finally got, but he is destined to die young and cannot be raised..."

Gu Shouyan looked stunned for a long time, then suddenly looked at Shangguan Ce, mercilessly, and sneered:

"You were too scumbag when you were young, and you will become extinct when you are old. You deserve it."

Shangguan Ce looked ugly, but he was unable to argue.

Seeing his expression, Gu Shouyan sighed, and finally softened his tone, "Can't we save him?"

Shangguan Ce looked bitter, "No one can change things like fate."

"Fart!" Gu Shouyan's face darkened, "If you really can't change, there won't be any words like 'change your destiny against the will of heaven'!"

Shangguan Ce sighed: "These are the original words of the ancestor. Back then, he said that Yu'er's fate was forged innately. The secret of heaven is too deep and the cause and effect are too great. It cannot be reversed by human power..."

Gu Shouyan asked in a low voice: "What kind of cultivation level does that ancestor have?"

Shangguan Ce pointed to the sky.

Gu Shouyan felt a chill in his heart and said no more, but he also knew in his heart the weight of this assertion.

After drinking tea, Shangguan Ce left.

Gu Shouyan sat alone at the table, not drinking tea. He sat in a daze, and the innocent and well-behaved look of Yu'er that day came to mind again.

Gu Shouyan couldn't help but feel pain in his experienced heart, and sighed in a low voice:

"A good boy, but he has a bad life..."

…

Mo Hua had a big meal and stayed one night at Gu's house. He was going back to Taixumen early the next morning.

The four words "deep blessings" written by Mr. Xun were given to Wen Renwan in ink paintings.

Although old Mr.

When Wen Renwan took over this calligraphy, he was also flattered.

Patriarch Dongxu is a top figure in any family in Qianzhou, and ordinary disciples have no chance to meet him, let alone receive his handwriting.

Wen Renwan wanted to return the gift to Mr. Xun, but he thought that the old man didn't care about this.

So she packed a lot of food and drink, as well as some second-grade formations, books and formations, and gave them all to Mo Hua.

They are all things that Mo Hua likes.

Mo Hua declined a few times symbolically, and then accepted it happily and with peace of mind.

Before leaving, Gu Changhuai also found the ink painting.

The two sat on the steps at the door and chatted briefly.

"I have something to tell you," Gu Changhuai thought for a moment and then said, "A few days ago, a group of demonic cultivators of unknown origin swarmed around the border of Qianxue State."

"Demon cultivator?" Mo Hua was startled.

Gu Changhuai nodded, "The origin has not yet been found out. How many there are and what their cultivation level is is also unclear."

"The scope of activities is limited to the second- and third-grade small states near the Qianxue state boundary. The intentions are unknown, but they must not have any good intentions."

"Daotingsi has already started to arrest him, but the current situation is not easy to say..."

Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua again and reminded:

"Although you are 'grounded' and cannot leave the Qianxue state boundary, and there is a high probability that you will not encounter them, you still have to be careful just in case."

"Yeah." Mo Hua nodded.