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Chapter 1705: The Mighty Gu Family (2)

“Hey, Little Li, hurry up and look at this!” In a tall tower, Gu Xuande condensed a screen of water, which he now stared at. He couldn’t help but beckon Qing Li over.

The image on screen was the entrance to Gu City. Ye Zichen was clearly visible, right down to his every change in expression.

When Qing Li heard his call, she glanced at the screen. “They’re here?”

“They only just got here.” Gu Xuande grinned wickedly.

When she saw this, Qing Li immediately sensed a problem. “Have you been up to your usual petty tricks?”

“You still understand me best!” Gu Xuande’s eyes flashed with excitement. He looked around deviously, then whispered a few words in Qing Li’s ear.

Despite herself, Qing Li froze, at a bit of a loss. “That’s a bit much, isn’t it?”

“What’s ‘a bit much’ about it? I still haven’t even gotten serious! If he can’t even make it through the city gate, what right does he have to see us?” Gu Xuande looked serious and proper, but then, he laughed gleefully. “Don’t overthink this! Let’s hurry up and see how the little guy’ll make it inside.”

Authority!

Standing before the city gate, Ye Zichen found his lapels inexplicably drenched in sweat.

He fixed his gaze, then strode forward, every step a challenge. Walking was so difficult, he felt like his legs had been filled with lead. When he glanced at Lan Tu and Gu Luolin, it seemed they’d long since reached the gate, and the characters on the signboard didn’t seem to have influenced them in the slightest.

It seemed the characters only had this effect on guests!  

The dense spiritual pressure came like the tide, bearing down on Ye Zichen with such intensity, he struggled to move freely.

But it was strange: so long as he lowered his head, the pressure disappeared. It was only when he looked up that the pressure crashed into him like a tidal wave.

What prestige! What a show of force!

If he wanted to go in through Gu City’s gate, he’d have to lower his head!

Although he was drenched in sweat, Ye Zichen’s eyes flashed with disdain. He didn’t care how those who’d gone before entered the city, but no matter what anyone said, he refused to lower his head to the Gu Family.

He was, after all, the head of his alliance, and moreover, the chosen of the starry sky, the Emperor Star! 

He raised his leg and took a step….

The closer he got, the more intense the pressure, and the greater the force obstructing him. Ye Zichen puffed up his chest and forged ahead, but he felt as if the pressure would shatter his bones.

“What’s up with him?” Gu Luolin stood in the gateway, her eyes flashing with confusion. However, Lan Tu was just as befuddled.

The Gu Family’s guests had never behaved like this when entering the city before. Just as he was starting to get suspicious, a transmission entered his sea of consciousness. 

When he heard it, Lan Tu immediately straightened at the waist, his gaze serious. Then, he saw Gu Luolin walk towards Ye Zichen, seemingly about to help him. He immediately reached out and pulled her back. “Young Miss, the family head told us to stay here and let Alliance Master Ye walk over himself.”

“Ah?” Gu Luolin’s little jaw dropped. She licked her lips, but she still obediently stopped in place.

She didn’t fear anyone in the family except her dad; she was terrified of him. It wasn’t that he was mean to her, but he always seemed tense. Looking back, she’d never once seen him smile. She’d been terrified of her father since a young age.

She dared not go any closer. She could just stand there, her eyes flashing, as Ye Zichen struggled ahead.

Beneath this spiritual pressure, the rims of Ye Zichen’s eyes were completely bloodshot. He gnashed his teeth, resulting in an audible grinding noise. Bean-sized beads of sweat poured down his face, dripping from the tip of his nose and into the dirt. 

A full hour passed.

All that time had gone by, but Ye Zichen had only gone about fifty meters.

 “Interesting! Interesting!” Ye Zichen inwardly laughed in fury. He could sense that his body was reaching the limits of what it could bear.

If he forced himself to go any further, there was a ninety percent chance the bones of his shin really would shatter. All he had to do now was lower his head. If he lowered his head, he could walk into the city without obstruction.

But he…

He was a tough nut to crack.

“You want to make me lower my head? Well, I refuse! This pressure is coming from that blasted sign, isn’t it? Well, I’ll just have to destroy it!”   

Suddenly, Ye Zichen stepped several meters back. He not only stopped advancing; he even retreated. Standing in the doorway, Gu Luolin and Lan Tu were visibly baffled. However, before they had time to wonder what he was thinking, a powerful blast of wind rose up outside the city gates. 

Winds howled across the earth, picking up rocks.

Two tornadoes whirled into the heavens, dispersing the accumulated clouds completely. The winds stirred up dust and sand, and all who saw it instinctively narrowed their eyes into slits.

“Heh, the kid’s frantic!” Gu Xuande watched Ye Zichen lose his temper on screen. He laughed and clapped his hands, as if he were a child who’d never grown up. Who knew what Gu Luolin would think if she saw her unsmiling father now? 

“He’s got skills, too. His attainments in wind are comparable to Luolin’s.”

“Family Head, the Lord of the Big Dipper is here.” An elderly woman walked in from the stairway. 

 Gu Xuande, who just a moment ago had been laughing like mad, immediately wiped the smile off his face. His mirthless expression emanated an air of authority. “See her in.”

The woman stepped out, and before long, Ye Rong walked inside, clad in simple white robes. 

“Ye Rong greets you, Clan Uncle.”

“Little Rong, you’re here! Take a seat!” In the time it took to lift his hand, his energy rose and hovered around him.

Ye Rong was the Master of the Big Dipper, but even she was intimidated by Gu Xuande’s aura. She nodded slightly, then sat at one of the stone table’s chairs.

Qing Li, who was right up against Gu Xuande, found it ridiculous despite herself. Just moments ago, Gu Xuande was relentlessly childish, laughing like a little kid, but now, he suddenly had the bearing of a clan head. To an extent, at least. But then, she knew full well that Gu Xuande’s laughter was reserved for when the two of them were alone together. Ordinarily…

He was the lofty, unapproachable head of the Gu Family!

“I called you here because your son is visiting us too. It’s most likely been a long time since you last saw him, so I thought this was a good chance for mother and son to reunite.”

“Zichen is here too?” exclaimed Ye Rong.

Qing Li hadn’t told her earlier that Ye Zichen was coming, and Ye Zichen had given no indication of his plans either.

She’d come here since they’d called for her. After informing Chao Feng, Chao Feng dared not delay her in the slightest, and he told her to leave for the Gu Family post haste. 

She would never have guessed this had something to do with her son.

“He sure hasn’t! Look at the water screen. He’s still at the city gates, isn’t he?” Qing Li was always open about her thoughts and feelings. Although she was Ye Rong’s senior, they interacted more like sisters.

When she saw Ye Rong’s astonishment, she giggled and pointed at the screen.

“What is Zichen doing….?”  

“If I’m not mistaken, this kid’s trying to destroy Gu City’s signboard,” chuckled Qing Li.

 When Ye Rong heard that, her heart clenched. “There’s no way that’s acceptable! I’ll go grab that rebellious child and bring him back. Clan Uncle, please don’t take offense!”  

“No harm done. Let’s just leave him to it.”

“But what if he breaks the sign to the city…?”  

“Breaks it?” Gu Xuande still flashed her that unreserved smile. “If he can break my sign, I not only won’t blame him, I’ll even reward him generously!”