Gu Changge made an inviting gesture and, without any hint of politeness, took Liu Qingqing's fair and smooth wrist, akin to jade, and walked towards the direction of the Gu Family Inner Court.
This scene once again had Wang Yu grinding his teeth in anger!
Usually, within the Sect, just to see Junior Sister Liu, he had to create all sorts of opportunities to bump into her just to exchange a few words.
Up until now, he hadn't even been able to touch a finger of Junior Sister Liu!
But what about this good-for-nothing kid?
He actually took Junior Sister Liu's hand right in front of him!
For a moment, although Wang Yu still maintained a smile on his face, inwardly he had cursed the two of them a thousand times over!
In his presence, she always pretended to be virtuous, but now she was so intimate with a good-for-nothing!
Even the goddess-like image of Liu Qingqing in his heart started to crumble at that moment—after all, in the past, Liu Qingqing had always been someone people only dared to admire from afar and not to defile.
But now, all of that had shattered, broken by a good-for-nothing who couldn't cultivate!
"Didn't we have to pay for the meal earlier at the guest house?" Liu Qingqing let him lead her down the street, asking curiously.
In the few days of contact, Gu Changge didn't seem like the type who would bully the common people recklessly using the Gu Family's influence in the city.
But the feast at the guest house earlier certainly wouldn't have come cheap for ordinary people, yet she hadn't seen Gu Changge pay the bill.
"There's no need for such trouble,"
"The guest house knows my name,"
"As a member of the Gu Family's direct lineage, all ordinary expenses in the city don't need to be paid by myself,"
"There's a special place set up, and every month they can go there to collect the expenses the direct lineage has incurred at their establishments,"
"As for all the expenses, they will be deducted from the next month's monthly salary,"
"This way, it eliminates a lot of hassle," Gu Changge explained with a light chuckle.
Upon hearing his words, Liu Qingqing paused in her steps.
She had heard that the Gu Family were all stubborn, and once they held a grudge against someone, it was a fight to the death.
But now it seemed that the Gu Family was not like the rumors suggested; they actually took very good care of even the ordinary people.
The establishment of the place for direct lineage to collect expenses and not having to pay was seemingly a convenience for the Gu Family's direct lineage, but it actually protected the merchants in the city.
After all, they made their living in the Gu Family's main city—if they encountered someone from the Gu Family's direct lineage and were actually given money, they might not dare to accept it; they would rather suffer the loss themselves!
"This method isn't bad, it could be tried in the Liu Family's city as well," mumbled Liu Qingqing to herself.
However, the conversation between the two made Wang Yu behind them curl his lip in disdain.
Nothing but a bunch of lowly citizens—in this Cultivation World where only the powerful have a voice, why bother about their feelings?
Without strength, one couldn't turn the tables; strength was the only truth!
Soon, the three of them had arrived outside the Gu Family Mansion, and Wang Yu looked at the grand entrance of the Gu Family without any emotion—it was nothing compared to the palaces of the Imperial Family.
Due to his status as part of the Gu Family's direct lineage, Gu Changge's entry and exit from the mansion naturally did not require any proof; the gatekeepers all recognized him.
Still, out of habit, he touched his waist, but then his brows furrowed.
"Where did the Jade Token go..."
Gu Changge muttered to himself, looking down at his feet and then turned to look back the way they came.
"It must have fallen at the restaurant," Wang Yu thought to himself, relieved that the youngster had finally noticed. If he had only realized it back at the Gu Family home, who knows if he would have gone back for it himself?
"Forget it, I'll go look for it."
"Qingqing, you take Brother Wang back first; the Heavenly Cold Sect folks probably don't want to see me right now," Gu Changge said with a smile, spreading his hands.
Seeing this, Liu Qingqing didn't say much and nodded in agreement.
"Remember to take the Soul-Shaping Pill soon, and if you need any other elixirs to aid you, you can ask my Third Uncle. He should be able to help you find them." Gu Changge didn't think much of it, waved his hand, and went back towards Guest House, looking down at the ground as he searched along the way.
The Gu Family's jade token of the direct lineage wouldn't be something anyone in this city would dare to pick up and keep; although it's somewhat valuable, it's certainly not worth the risk for anyone to try and sell it—that would be a death wish.
"Let's go, Junior Sister Liu, but what did Brother Gu mean by his words just now?" Wang Yu asked with a satisfied smile as the two finally parted, walking shoulder to shoulder with Liu Qingqing.
But Liu Qingqing showed no emotion and deliberately took a couple of steps to distance herself, casually saying, "Brother Wang can ask the Elder later," with no intention of engaging in a conversation with Wang Yu.
Watching Liu Qingqing's retreating figure, a hint of resentment flashed in Wang Yu's eyes.
As a member of the Northern Domain's Imperial Family, even eligible to vie for the position of great power, and also a direct disciple of the Sect Master of the Heavenly Cold Sect—how could any of his identities be less prestigious than that waste from the Gu Family!
That waste could hold her hand, and yet he didn't even have the privilege to chat shoulder to shoulder with her!
His hatred for Gu Changge increased in his heart, but the thought of his imminent death from the poison of the Green Bamboo Snake made him smile relaxedly and follow Liu Qingqing's steps.
After all, Liu Qingqing would not stay with the Gu Family. Once Gu Changge dies, their engagement would be nullified. Once back at the Heavenly Cold Sect, he would have plenty of chances!
...
Before long, Gu Changge was back at Guest House. He told the attendant that he was there to pick up something and went up to the third floor.
However, before entering the private room they'd been in before, he started circulating his spiritual energy, remaining on alert.
He wasn't a fool; how could his identity jade token just fall for no reason, especially after encountering Wang Yu? Was it really such a coincidence?
As he slowly opened the door and saw his jade token on the wooden floor not far away, he wondered how there could've been no sound if it had dropped normally—how could he have not noticed at all?
These inconsistencies made him even more cautious.
But considering he was in the Gu Family's main city, what could anyone possibly do to him?
He probably just wanted to separate him from Liu Qingqing. From the moment they met, he could feel that Wang Yu had an interest in his fiancée, probably a pining fool!
He stepped forward and bent down to pick up the jade token, quickly rubbing it before hanging it back at his waist.
As he prepared to leave, however, he suddenly sensed a streak of green coming at him from the corner of his eye!
Alas, with his alertness, there was no chance he would fall for it. With a single step, he left nothing but an afterimage in his original place, his figure already by the window.
It was then that he clearly saw what that green flash was—a small snake!
Although he'd dodged the initial attack, the snake quickly changed direction and lunged at his neck!
"A second-tier Demon Beast with the aura of the Sky-controlling Realm?" Gu Changge slightly raised an eyebrow, grabbed a chopstick from the table, which under the power of his formidable Lingfeng Nine Swords technique, even the chopstick faintly emitted a sharp edge!
With a swift motion, just as the snake was less than a meter away from him, he found the right moment and threw the chopstick, bolstered by his spiritual energy and the Lingfeng Nine Swords, directly piercing through the snake's mouth and impaling it!