Chapter 865: Building Castles out of Clouds in the Sky

“And you just stood there and let him walk all over you like that?! You surprise me…”, a man with a short black beard which completely framed his face along with his black hair looked away from the scenery in the window he stood in front of, to the Martial Alliance representative, whose office they were in.

“You just weren’t here… you didn’t see those eyes…”, the latter shook his head, speaking with the tone that clearly said ‘you wouldn’t understand’. He was still shaken despite it already being evening, several hours after his meeting with Wu Long.

“Hah, to think a Mortal Transcendence brat was able to shake you so much”, the man who was by the window showed a slightly mocking grin, though it was clear he was doing so knowing it would be taken well by his friend.

“Whatever… if you wish to go after him or the Sunflare Emberfruit he now has, count me out… although if you listen to your old friend’s heartfelt advice, you will also not pursue that youn-… that man”, the Martial Alliance representative spoke in a heavy tone, not reacting to that clear friendly provocation.

“It seems he really got to you”, his visitor spoke as he approached an armchair and sat down, this time speaking with a more sincere surprise.

“I don’t know… something felt off about him in that moment… I knew… against all reason… I knew he was giving me some kind of last chance”, the Martial Alliance representative spoke as he also sat down in another armchair, heavily sinking into it, as if crushed by the weight of his thoughts, and then turning to his friend and leaning a bit forward spoke in a half whisper, with widened eyes, “And it was real… the consequences of that choice he gave, they were real… I could feel it”

He spoke the last bit with an expressive grunt in the slightly louder voice, grabbing his robes on his chest and shaking them.

The one he spoke to started intently at his old friend for a bit, almost not recognizing him. Or rather, having forgotten when he last saw him so panicked. Perhaps in their youth, thousands of years ago, when they both had much to fear.

“Haa~, fine… I won’t try anything. Happy now?”, he then sighed, in a slightly defeated voice, “It’s not like I don’t have problems of my own without that”

“Good”, the Martial Alliance representative nodded, visibly relieved, “Good choice, my friend”

They knew each other well enough to see when they spoke sincerely, and when they just nodded along to each other to avoid arguing.

It seemed that the worry that tortured him began to slightly subside, as he stretched his hand for a teacup.

Even a light smile appeared on his face after taking a sip of the tea, “Hehe, still, the mighty Master of the Wei Dynasty’s Pill Tower having problems… is it about your son?”

“Tsk, you know me too well… of course it’s about him! Haa~ I should’ve had a son earlier in life~… no, the other way, later, right about now, when things finally stabilized and I have time to spare on guiding him… this one’s a complete failure…”, the Pill Tower Master shook his head with a sigh.

“Hmm? Gu Pengli’s a failure? I thought you were fairly satisfied with his talent and progress? You were usually just annoyed by his arrogance and impatience in trying things above his level which came from that high talent…”, Martial Alliance representative made a surprised face, as this was the first time his friend used such strong language even if he often complained about his son.

“His talent and progress in Alchemy are both fine…”, the Pill Tower Master made a hand gesture that showed it was another matter entirely, “He is just too… immature and fickle… too easily distracted… as well as stubborn as a donkey. Now, he spotted some kind of woman at a store in Alchemy Markets and became completely obsessed with her, throwing tantrums and won’t listen to reason…”

“Hahaha, that is normal for him, is it not? I seem to remember he had such episodes with women in the past, he usually got tired of them fairly quickly once he finally got them”, the Martial Alliance representative spoke in an even lighter tone as listening to the Pill Tower Master’s worries and problems seemed to take his mind off of his earlier heavy thoughts.

“No, not like this. At those times he was just a youngster with hormones. This time he’s truly obsessed. He’s adamant that I have to spend all of the Pill Tower’s might to search for this ‘perfect woman’ of his, whom he doesn’t even know the name of! She could be a figment of his imagination for all I know!”

“Isn’t that just a young man’s passion?”

“I would’ve agreed with you in the past, when he was at least at the age to behave this way. No, at this point I am fairly certain he is a complete failure. Before all of your Dual Cultivator guests scatter I should go visit them about Conception Medicine”

“You’re thinking of having another heir already? Is this one really such a lost case? He’s barely 50 years old… he’ll learn in a century or two… look at the Imperial Princes…”

The Pill Tower Master turned a gaze of narrowed eyes to the Martial Alliance representative, “You’re telling me that just because there’s a bigger pile of shit nearby, the smaller pile of shit that I am looking at is not shit? Of course he’s better than the Imperial Princes, anyone would look better with them in comparison! You don’t just pick a random pebble from the road to discern if a jade is good quality in comparison, you pick another jade! Besides… look at you, so gleefully talking when it’s not your problem… some friend you are…”

“Hahaha, alright, alright, sheesh… I was just trying to lighten your mood. I just thought you were making too hasty of a decision”, the latter raised his hands in a reconciling gesture.

“No, my wife and I have already extensively discussed it, we rushed to have Gu Pengli because there were early signs of the Generational Wave coming, and as a result did so right at the time when we were both busy with the Gu Family matters for his formative years… I have to get a better heir, even if he doesn’t participate in the opening of the Secret Realm, or my position in the greater Gu Family will become unstable”, the Pill Tower Master revealed a cold and calculating gaze.

“Heh, you and your wife are both birds of a feather… she’s perhaps even more cold-hearted than you”, the Martial Alliance representative shook his head with a wry smile, now realizing that it was all already decided way before this conversation already happened. His friend was just making it seem that this was a decision he was struggling with at the moment.

It wasn’t that uncommon among higher-level cultivators, especially in positions of power to have almost no familial love for their children, viewing them as one of the factors which expanded their own power.

But these two, husband and wife, were in a league of their own.

Even though the Martial Alliance representative didn’t say it out loud, he was now fairly certain it was the wife’s decision to discard Gu Pengli as a potential heir, which she talked her husband into, as she often did, using his ambitions to manipulate him into fulfilling hers.

After all, she wasn’t satisfied with being a wife of an inconsequential Grand Elder of the Pill Tower before, pushing him into various dark schemes to become the Pill Tower Master thousands of years ago.

Now, she wasn’t going to let their son shake that position that she clawed from the cold dead hands of the previous Pill Tower Master.

And then something in his eyes changed as this conversation seemed to remind him of something. The visage of the Profound Union Pavilion’s prized Heaven’s Chosen Disciple appeared in his mind.

He slightly hesitated to bring up the next topic, as he saw Wu Long speaking with her, but having not paid much attention then, to him it looked like a simple cursory conversation. So he decided to proceed.

“Speaking of those Gu Family matters some time ago… the one your side of the family supported for the new Main Branch Family Head position did lose, but didn’t the one who won against him have a problematic daughter sometime after succeeding the position? Your side of the family even wanted to cause a stir about it to try and shake him”, the Martial Alliance representative asked.

“Hm? Yes, yes he did. Haa~, that one too is a headache for the Main Branch Family head…”, the Pill Tower Master sighed heavily, seemingly sympathizing with the children-related problems, even if it was a rival candidate to the one he supported.

He then continued, his face showing he was trying to remember the details, “She should be around 25-27 right now… give or take a couple of years… anyway, she had absolutely no talent in Alchemy Dao, and didn’t want to become involved in the Alchemy Association’s business at all… even refusing a marriage arrangement route…”

“Quite the unruly daughter to have, huh?”, the Martial Alliance representative chuckled, though there seemed to be something else stirring within his gaze.

“Tell me about it, rumor among the Family has it, she was spouting some nonsense about becoming a rogue cultivator or joining a Sect… psst, as if someone bearing the Gu Family name would be ever allowed to roam about doing Heaven knows what and tarnishing our great family name”, the Pill Tower Master scoffed, “Though we ultimately failed to make it an issue, a bigger issue anyway since it wasn’t a son but a daughter, his son is annoyingly quite capable…”

He then turned to his friend with a narrowed gaze, “Why do you ask anyway? Did you finally decide to have a son and are already searching for a bride for him? Haha! As they say, don’t start preparing for a great harvest while you haven’t even sown the seeds! Besides… even if you really are serious about it, and searching for someone from the Gu Family, there are better choices I can try and arrange. From my side of the Family of course. Even if her status is the highest among the unmarried ones, she’s hidden away like the shame of the Family she is… I doubt she’ll ever be allowed to leave the Branch Family mansion at this point”

“Hah! As if I’d want to have children after listening to you for the past half a century complaining about yours… no, it’s just there’s a new prized Disciple of the Profound Union Palace called Li Yunxi, with blue hair and light green eyes…”

“Li Yunxi?”, the Pill Tower Master leaned forward from his armchair, “And those features… but it can’t be, do you think…?”

“Hmm, if it’s true, it’s too shameful to make public… they must be searching for her in secret, but as long as she fled the Land of 10,000 Dynasties of the Great Ro Dynasty to the one under Great Fang Dynasty… there’s basically no way to find her…” the Martial Alliance representative nodded, he then turned a conspiratorial look to the Pill Tower Master, “Should we…”

“No, let’s make sure first”, the Pill Tower Master spoke with a smile, “But if it’s true… think of the uproar! We might still put in a new Main Branch Family Head after all… but we have to be very careful about how we do it… I have to consult my wife”

‘Of course you have to’, the Martial Alliance representative inwardly rolled his eyes. He got along with this friend in everything, except that wife of his who always gave the Martial Alliance representative the chills, which was why when the two friends met, they met mostly at the Martial Alliance Headquarters or out in the City, not in the Pill Tower or the Pill Tower Master’s mansion.

But the Pill Tower Master already had his head in the clouds, and turned a look of excitement and gratitude to his old friend, “If it’s really her… you might just be looking at a future Great Fang Dynasty Alchemy Association Branch Elder… no, even Branch Master would not be too much of a stretch, and one who will be eternally indebted to you!”

The two men began laughing, already seeing and anticipating a bright future, not realizing that a dark, malevolent star was hanging in the skies of that imagined beautiful scenery.

Hehe ^^

I hope you are all doing great today my dear readers!

Thank you for reading, and your incredible support!!! ^^