Regressed Master: Raising The Son Of Heaven Isn’t Easy (Xianxia/Progression)

[Overload69]

After exiting Tiger Peak, Wang Yang and Gu Yingyue walked towards the outer sect. They planned to meet Wu Kexin and then gather back at Plum Peak with Sun Lingling and Hua Mei for a simple feast.


"You've improved a lot from before, Junior Wang," Yingyue said. "You're slashing a breath faster, and you've started to develop a sense of range."


"It was beaten into me." Wang Yang flashed an awkward smile.


"Beaten into you?" Yingyue tilted her head.


"Yeah… literally." He scratched his head.


"You say the funniest things."


"Well, I didn't mean to." Wang Yang could only laugh, recalling the thunderous punches he received from Hua Mei.


Talking with Senior Gu calms me down. The awkwardness he expected while talking about his unusual training wasn't there. The company made the difference.


Even if the following topics seemed mundane, he had fun talking with Yingyue. The two continued onwards in that pleasant mood, impervious to the onlookers. Until a roadblock appeared.


"I hate to interrupt your little date. I really do." A woman with luscious, flowy hair spoke with an almost mocking smirk.


"Now, would you be so kind as to give me some of your time, little ones?" Gu Fe asked, her sharp eyes locking onto Wang Yang and Gu Yingyue. "I need some answers."


Before they could respond, the older, more charismatic woman had guided them to a gazebo in Chrysanthemum Peak. The nature at the peak stayed untamed. Vines draped over the roof and flower petals invaded the cushiony seats.


"You've been here twice in a month," Gu Fe looked at Yingyue, "yet you didn't come by to see your senior? Did I offend you, perhaps?"


"…Vice Peak Master Gu… It's nothing like that." Put on the spot, Yingyue stumbled.


Gu Fe was a direct descendant of the Purple Cloud Sect's Gu family, her elder, in fact.


"Don't worry, I understand your plight." Gu Fe smiled, gesturing at the seats with her eyes. "Don't mind me and make yourselves comfortable."


"There's tea too?" Wang Yang muttered, his eyes lingering on the ceremonious teapot. The rustic pot had fine, black calligraphy wrapping around it like a snake.


"It may not be a high-quality tea, but my skills won't let you down." Gu Fe poured the steaming tea into black teacups with trained precision; not one drop more in any of the three cups.


Unlike Yingyue's fidgeting hands, Wang Yang took a sip of the tea without a shred of worry. The rich, smooth liquid danced on his tongue with fervor. He recognized the tea leaves, a staple among the common people of the continent, Pu'er Tea.


The tea he remembered, brewed by the temple priests, had an average taste because of the average tea leaves. However, the tea in front of him was elevated many leagues above it. Given that the taste of the tea didn't fluctuate with the tea leaf quality, it all came down to the brewer's skills.


"I don't even need to ask if you like it or not. It's written on your face." Gu Fe took a seat opposite the two, her hands on the table between them. "I like people like that."


"O-Oh… Thanks?" Faced with the enigmatic smile of the woman, Wang Yang could only rub the back of his neck. He didn't dare look Gu Fe in the eye for more than a moment. Those almost darkened pupils made him shift in his chair.


Noticing that, Gu Yingyue broke the silence.


"…Vice Peak Master Gu. Is there something you want from me?"


"It's not so much as I want something from you. It's just that, there's this string of incidents that have troubled me recently…" Gu Fe leaned her chin on her hands and smiled, "…and I think you can give me an answer."


"…If it's something I can answer, I will," Yingyue said.


"How very prudent of you." Gu Fe smiled. "You see, I think the Purple Cloud Sect is about to launch a secret offensive on the demonic sects."


"Are they?" Yingyue asked, her hand clenching beneath the table.


"Their movements have been rather erratic since the attack on our sect's caravan." Gu Fe continued. "Even if they came out unscathed from the demonic sect's schemes, thanks to our lovely Peak Master Li, their flow of goods has shifted drastically."


"I do not know such matters," Yingyue stated.


"Well, since it is my job, I know a bit too much. Purple Cloud Sect's usual trades are for high-quality goods, items of opulence in food, and comfort to make up for their lack of crop farmers and artisans." Gu Fe, however, pressed on. "However, after three incidents in the past three months, their flow of cash has become more veiled. The usual channels are working normally, but the hidden ones have shown their proper colors."


"…What incidents?" Yingyue barely held herself together.


"Well, I am uncertain what caused the first incident; beyond that, the head of household affairs, Steward Han, died around that time." Gu Fe placed her teacup upside down on the marble table. "The second incident, attempted assassination on Gu Jun, general of the Gu family's army, followed shortly after."


How does she know that? Yingyue gulped. Her master had placed a gag order on these incidents, not to mention the use of secret routes for supplies.


How could Gu Fe, all the way here in Azure Sky Sect, figure this all out? Especially after how cautious the Gu family was with these incidents.


Noticing the hint of panic in Yingyue's eyes, Gu Fe's red lips tilted upwards in a menacing smirk.


"My oh my. You can't break down so easily, dear." Her long, red nails drumming against the white birch table. "I haven't even mentioned the attack on the Commanding Officer of Gu Family's assassins, Zhi Rou, your maternal aunt."


"H…How do you…?" Yingyue's eyes widened.


"Come on, darling, you are asking a magician to reveal their tricks." Gu Fe pushed the polished wooden chair with her heels and walked around the table. Her gaze was steady like a predator stalking her prey. "But I won't mind divulging, granted you do the same."


Yingyue wanted to move. But long, slender fingers snaked up her hands. A sweet, enticing scent wafted over her shoulder. Gu Fe stood behind her, her smile visible from the teacup in Yingyue's hand.


"The targets, the methods, and the executions. These incidents are something I wanted to get involved in because a certain individual left enough inciting clues for me." With each word, Gu Fe closed in on Yingyue. "But you see, each clue leads to a dead end, and this particular individual likes to play with my feelings. Though I don't hate it that much."


Gu Fe had poked around this chain of events from the attack on Azure Sky Sect's caravan. Li Muchen's sudden involvement piqued her interest, followed by Bian Que's unannounced visit. She planned to find more about the incident via Azure Sky Sect's entourage, en route to receive compensation from Purple Cloud Sect for their help in resolving the misunderstanding with Frozen Flower Holyland.


I am the prime pick for such events, but the Grand Elder chose someone as timid as Long Lingxin. Gu Fe knew only two people in the sect who could change Li Xianquan's decision. One of them wasn't around, and the other had just resurfaced in the sect.


After confirming the return of Zhi Rou and Gu Yingyue with Li Muchen, shortly followed by Qian Yun's presence, Gu Fe felt something big stirring beneath the surface. So, she dug deep and followed her instincts. However, she needed someone involved to get to the root of it all because of constant sabotage.


Gu Fe noticed the tremble in Yingyue's shoulder; the young woman looked at the boy that had come with her. His head lay flat against the table, with eyes wide and lifeless.


"He is just taking a nap to give us some privacy." Gu Fe said.


"Now, sweetie." She leaned in, whispered in Yingyue's right ear with her low, alluring voice similar to a mermaid that dragged sailors into the abyss. "Won't you tell your lovely senior the truth?"


Yingyue's eyes shut down. She found herself unable to move, speak, or even think. Like a python had wrapped around her body, choking the life out of her.


Ding~!


However, Gu Fe's token rang. A melodious note from the zither she had allocated to one special person. Her hands retreated from Yingyue's shoulders.


"It looks like the big man is ready to talk," Gu Fe smirked, reading the name of the person who sent her the message.


With the intimidating force gone, Yingyue gasped for air. Gu Fe's attention had shifted. Her heels clacked against the stone path, moving away from them. However, she stopped about twenty steps away.


"Sweetie, put the sword training on hold and refine your poker face." Gu Fe advised, her voice as gentle as a mother, like the pressure from before was an illusion. "The people out there aren't as kind as me; take it from an experienced senior."


With the gust of cold air, Gu Fe vanished like fresh snow on a sunny day. However, Yingyue couldn't move. Even after five minutes when Wang Yang stirred awake, she stayed rooted in the chair.


"What happened? Senior Gu?"


Wang Yang's concerned words didn't reach Yingyue. Cold sweat ran down her face and body, soaking her silk robes. Her eyes remained wide open, too terrified to even blink.


"S-She's…" However, her quivering lips could only form one sentence. "…She's just like h-him."


"What?"


Wang Yang had no way of knowing, and Yingyue was in no shape to explain.


The icy hands that touched her shoulders reminded her of the shadow, a shadow that has chased her since childhood. The shadow that killed her parents and wrapped his cold, unfeeling fingers around her neck that faithful night.


Unlike what she expected, that shadow still haunted her.


The shadow of Gu Changge still fed on her fear.


***


On the eastern veranda of Plum Peak, an area with a high diversity of spirit flowers and trees, Li Muchen arranged some tea and snacks on the small tea table. Butterflies danced with the steam of hot water, and birds chirped on the window to accompany the rare sunny day in the freezing winter.


He had finished brewing the five finest tea leaves he had, a special blend of tea for his guest. And right on cue, a knock came from the main entrance. The gates opened, registering the familiar qi. The heels clacked in the distance, approaching at a measured pace.


"Is that Dang Hao blend?" Gu Fe said, taking in the fragrance from the teapot as she arrived. She turned to Muchen and sported her usual smile. "You prepared my favorite tea, Peak Master Li. Aren't you a romantic?"


"I heard from the grapevine that you enjoyed it, so I tried," Li Muchen said, maintaining a smile of his own. "Don't be too harsh on me if it's not good."


"You already get full points for trying." Gu Fe chuckled, helping herself to a cup. "This is delightful." She chimed after a sip.


"You're too kind," Muchen said.


"And you aren't, Peak Master Li." She closed in on him. "You've left me hot and heavy for months. I almost did something terrible, you know?"


"It couldn't be helped." Li Muchen cleared his throat.


"Everyone has their secrets, I understand." Gu Fe nodded. Arms crossed below the ample bosom. "And, as the fish that was hooked first, I have nothing to complain about."


"So, am I finally allowed to know the big plan you've created with the Gu family and Bian Que?" she asked with upturned eyes.


"Looks like I won't have to explain a lot."


"Of course, I pay special attention to Peak Master Li's activities."


"That makes me somewhat worried." He said.


"Don't. It comes from a place of love and respect." Gu Fe winked before her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "So, who is your target?"


Gu Fe had gone over the targets in her head. To her, the Demonic Sect cultivators that have laid low for the years kicked up this incident. And these set of Demonic cultivators had an obsession with the Gu family, showing an increased aggression and deviousness in their methods.


So, it wasn't a wonder to her that the target required Li Muchen, Qian Yun, Bian Que, and the Gu family together to crush them. Her heart thumped in excitement, a sense of exhilaration she hadn't felt in a century.


Finally, Li Muchen parted his lips to give her the answer she so desperately sought.


"The target is your father, Gu Changge."
...
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[Overload69]

From her birth, Gu Fe had heard about how great her father was. A benevolent and kind man who helped those weaker than him and spent his days outside of the family's luxury estate to save the poor and unfortunate. She had heard it from the maids, butlers, elders, and most of all, from her mother.


However, when she first met him at four years of age, darkness was all she saw within him—an endless darkness suppressed behind a fake smile.


A darkness that swallowed her mother whole right in front of her.


By the time she had a grip on her life, Gu Changge was kneeling on the execution platform. Bloodshot eyes and disheveled hair, not an ounce of his former dignity and regalness. She remembered that bitter day vividly. Even more so because that man smiled, looking at her.


It wasn't the fake and pretentious smile he showed her before, but a smile of relief that he didn't have to hide his ugliness.


Gu Fe still remembered that smile whenever she had good days as a reminder, a reminder that her work wasn't done.


"You don't seem too shocked hearing he is alive," Muchen said and took a seat opposite the calm Gu Fe.


"I knew he was." Gu Fe admitted, the day of execution still replayed in her head. "I spent three decades to find that bastard's empty grave."


"You still want revenge on him?" Muchen leaned on the chair. "You already got him executed once."


"It was through the Family Matriarch." Gu Fe was the one who alerted the family about Gu Changge's plan to devour Gu Yingyue, for her talents, and had him caught in the act. However, she didn't feel satisfied, not in the least.


"I want to twist his neck with my own hands." Gu Fe had made that her life's purpose.


The immense hatred she has for her father hasn't changed. Muchen sighed. Everything about Gu Fe had changed because of what her father did.


She left the Gu Family on bad terms, joined the Azure Sky Sect and climbed the ranks, established her network across the continent, and gathered immense funds and resources to realize her plans. She did all that in the past fifty years with the aim of revenge.


Muchen learned a lot about Gu Fe's life when he had a drink with her before regression. At that time, he didn't know that she was about to execute her plans against Gu Changge the next day.


Even if she died, she paralyzed Gu Changge from the waist down and wiped out three Demonic Sects under his control. Muchen thought of the smile Gu Fe had when he last saw her. A peaceful smile, unlike the calculating one she had now. Like she already knew her ending.


"So, my dearest Peak Master Li, do you really want to target him?" Gu Fe moved next to Muchen. "If you are doing it to woo me, there is no need."


"Partially." Muchen had gotten used to her half-serious, half-flirtatious comments in his last run.


"My oh my, I am certainly flattered." Gu Fe leaned into her chair. "But I am afraid I can't share this, even if it's you."


"It won't be easy to do this alone," Muchen said. "He'll only grow stronger with the demonic technique he has."


"I know. My only option is to kill him quickly. He is slippery like an eel after all. But that is my problem to deal with." Gu Fe placed her teacup on the table and stood up.


Gu Fe had stopped expecting help from others for a long time now. From the time her mother died, she had done everything in her power to alert the Gu Family, but no one believed her. The elders, even the patriarch, her grandfather, wouldn't take her seriously because Gu Changge's image had become that perfect.


Which family would try to go against one of their patriarch candidates with little to no evidence?


But even after she had them catch him in the act, it was too late. She knew the Gu Family would only become a burden, so she left and found a new place.


The family declared me a traitor when I tried to tell them he might be alive still. They couldn't even bear to look at me, the spawn of their greatest shame. Now that the blade has reached their neck, they react. Gu Fe looked at Muchen.


The swiftness and completeness of the plan laid out had to be his handiwork, and he was only stringing along the Gu Family for his purpose. Even if she knew that working with him would boost the chances of her success, Gu Fe couldn't agree. Not at this moment, at least.


But there is a way to make her agree. Muchen stood up.


Gu Fe was a merchant by trade and nature. She has had an interest in business since young, and a keen eye that could find profit even in the darkest annals. So, all Muchen had to do was to pitch an offer she couldn't refuse.


She was about to leave when Muchen grabbed her hand. He only had one chance, so he wanted to make it worthwhile. Because if she didn't see the potential in his plan, she wouldn't even bother coming over to talk.


"My My, Peak Master Li, you have been getting a bit too forward these days. Can't say I dislike it." Gu Fe could break free of his grasp, but she walked closer to him. Close enough for their nose to touch.


He would usually step back. However, Muchen remained unaffected by her tricks.


"Will killing him be enough?" He asked. "Will it rid you of all the years of hatred built inside you?"


Muchen already knew the answer, and he knew that Gu Fe knew too, but he had to ask. He had to bring this to her attention. Killing Gu Changge wouldn't resolve anything for Gu Fe. She hated him to the point of making his death her life's purpose, but achieving that goal with a sacrifice wouldn't amount to anything. It would only incur a loss.


Even if she kills him and lives, she would only feel empty. Muchen had been through this himself.


He had killed Gu Changge with his hands, choked the life out of him, but it didn't satisfy him. Emptiness and regret filled that burning rage in his heart. All he felt was sorrow for the lives lost. Gu Changge's death changed nothing about those who died at his hands.


At the end, regrets and long-term injuries were all he had.


That's why simple revenge won't work for someone like Gu Fe. Someone who had a greater emphasis on profit and loss.


He looked into her eyes and gauged the hidden anger behind those silent, gem-like eyes. The viciousness dripped nonstop from the moment he asked the question. So, all he had to do was verbalize the feelings she had suppressed to kill Gu Changge.


"Don't you want to crush his pride? Strip him of his dignity and show him that no matter what he does, even after using Demonic cultivation technique to boost his power and talent, that he is nothing more than a sniveling, worthless piece of shit?" He asked.


Her pupils dilated a millimeter, but went back to the usual calm. However, she noticed Muchen's sharp gaze had captured that momentary slip.


"Well…" Gu Fe sighed before laughing. "I thought I was the only one keeping a close eye on people."


"One doesn't have to keep a close eye on people for obvious things," Muchen said, sure of his observations. "Simple revenge won't satisfy you. Not after dedicating your whole life to it. You need something more, you deserve more."


He regretted not asking her more the day they shared a drink. Muchen had his hands full because Wang Yang had caused an incident on Dragon Isles and went missing with the Pheonix Saintess. But if he had only asked one question that day, maybe things could've ended differently for Gu Fe. Maybe she would've lived longer and had a fulfilling life.


It was the regret he had after killing Gu Changge.


Now, he had the chance to do that.


"You don't have to worry about Gu Changge slipping away this time." He faced her shrewd gaze and spoke with conviction. "I'll make it worthwhile."


He's been different since the caravan attack. A bit more direct… A bit more aggressive… However, this side of him is even more intriguing… She looked at Muchen, her eyes flashed for another moment, scanning his entire body.


Instead of his beautiful, picturesque face, she saw a white blank in the shape of his face. Even after a few breaths, it didn't change, it remained as calm as a lake. That was her sign.


"Gu Fe…" Muchen's hand still clutched her soft, slender wrist. "…give me this one chance."


"If you ask like that… I have no choice but to agree." Gu Fe looked at him with upturned eyes.


"What are you…" Before Muchen could finish, he heard porcelain plates clatter behind him.


He picked up the two female disciples, Ming Chyou and Hao Chang, from the Peach Peak a bit too late. All his attention was on convincing Gu Fe when the two entered the residence. He remembered Huang Bai speaking of sending a few dishes for the feast.


"W…We apologize, Peak Master Li, Vice Peak Master Gu…" Chiyou bowed repeatedly.


She wanted to pull back the wild Hao Chang, who entered without knocking, and somehow ended up overhearing a secret conversation.


"Oh my god…" Hao Chang covered her mouth, uninterested in the rules and plates she had broken. Her doe-like eyes shone at the gossip, "Peak Master Li confessed, didn't he?" she whispered.


Muchen's lips pressed into a hard line. His eyes turned to the culprit of the matter, Gu Fe. No matter how focused he was on her, he would know if a cultivator came this close to him in his residence, unless someone messed with his senses.


People will suspect things if we meet often for no reason. She winked at him with an impish smile.


We could've thought of a better reason, at least. Muchen answered telepathically.


You just set up the perfect mood for it with your intense gaze and words. Your title of Lady Killer isn't unwarranted. Gu Fe giggled.


Muchen didn't know if he should feel relieved that she had agreed, or dismayed that she had tricked him so soon after the alliance.


"Let us talk more over dinner." Gu Fe, however, flew away like a butterfly. Full of splendor and beauty.


"They are about to have dinner later… hey, isn't that just in that novel?!" Hao Change muttered, too invested in the apparent love story painted before her eyes.


"Shut up, Chang." Chyou wanted to disintegrate out of shame and envy.


This is going to be annoying to deal with. Muchen noticed the shining eyes of the sect's famous gossiper, Hao Chang, and sighed.


However, the annoyance was dwarfed in front of the benefits. Now that Gu Fe had agreed to join in, he had a critical card in his hand to deal with Gu Changge. Even this misunderstanding that Gu Fe had created would indirectly help him secure the second card he needed.


Muchen helped Hao Chang and Ming Chyou clean up the mess, sending them away without a word. Now that he had most of his cards on the table, it was time to make his second contact with Gu Changge.


He sat down on his bed, his eyes locked on the red dot floating over a map. Fu Yuzhe had just arrived at Gu Changge's new hideout.


Time to reel the fishes in.
...
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