16: Chapter 16 Feigning Compliance, First Encounter

The front hall of the Gu Family was brightly lit.

Gu Yan had changed into a dark blue long gown and sat upright in the main seat.

His face, appearing nearly forty years younger, was sharply defined under the candlelight, his eyes deep and calm, revealing no trace of emotion.

Shen Qingxue and Bai Linger stood on his left and right, respectively, waiting behind him, their expressions somewhat tense.

The voice of the gatekeeper, Old Zhang, came from outside the door: "Old Ancestor, people from the Wang family have arrived."

"Let them in." Gu Yan's voice was calm and without waves.

Soon, two figures walked in from outside the door.

The person leading them was not the Family Head that Gu Yan had expected, but a middle-aged man wearing gray tight-fitting clothes with a sharp appearance.

This person's temples were bulging high, and his eyes flashed with sharp light as they opened and closed. His gait was steady, and his stance was extremely stable; he was clearly a martial artist.

Following behind him was the trusted steward of the Wang family.

However, this steward no longer had any of the arrogance he displayed at the rice shop yesterday; he kept his head low, not daring to even breathe loudly, while holding an exquisite brocade box in his hands.

As soon as the man in gray entered the door, his gaze, like a falcon, locked directly onto Gu Yan in the main seat.

When he saw Gu Yan's appearance clearly, his pupils contracted uncontrollably; he was evidently shocked by the sight of "rejuvenation."

However, he quickly regained his composure and bowed indifferently to Gu Yan: "I am Retainer, serving as a Guest Elder for the Wang family. I heard that Old Master Gu has just recovered from a major illness, so my Family Head has specially prepared a humble gift and ordered me to come and visit."

As he spoke, the steward behind him hurriedly stepped forward and presented the brocade box in his hands.

"You are thoughtful." Gu Yan's gaze lingered on the gray-clothed Retainer for a moment before moving away.

He did not reach for the brocade box, nor did he invite the other party to sit down; he simply picked up the teacup beside him, blew on it gently, and pushed aside the tea leaves floating on the water's surface.

This was a silent display of contempt.

A flash of anger crossed Retainer's eyes.

As a Cultivator at the Qi Refining Stage 2, where in Luoyun Town was he not treated as an honored guest? Even the Family Head treated him with courtesy.

When had he ever received such cold treatment?

He suppressed his displeasure and continued: "Old Master Gu has impressive methods; not only have you recovered from your illness, but you have also returned to your youth—truly a joyous occasion. However... Old Master, your actions were perhaps a bit too heavy-handed. My Young Master Wang Tianba is merely of a childish Heart-Nature; he was just joking with your household's servant, yet you crippled his arm. If this were to spread, I fear it would be detrimental to your reputation, Old Master?"

These words were soft on the outside but hard on the inside; ostensibly, he was reasoning, but secretly, he was shifting the blame, even using "reputation" to threaten him.

Gu Yan finally put down the teacup.

He raised his eyes, looked calmly at Retainer, and said slowly: "When juniors squabble, a broken arm can just be healed. But if elders intervene, that breaks the rules."

Retainer's expression sank instantly.

The other party's words not only brushed off Wang Tianba's evil deeds as "squabbling" but also subtly mocked him, an elder of the Wang family, for improperly intervening in this matter.

"What a sharp tongue!" Retainer laughed in extreme anger. "Gu Yan, I won't waste words with you! You injured my Young Master; this matter cannot possibly end like this! You set the terms, and we will accept them!"

He no longer concealed his intentions, revealing his true purpose.

As he spoke, a powerful aura erupted from within his body!

Qi Refining Stage 2!

This aura turned into invisible pressure and swept out in all directions!

Inside the front hall, the candlelight was pressed down and swayed violently to one side, and the teacup on the table made a faint "humming" sound.

Shen Qingxue and Bai Linger, standing behind Gu Yan, felt a tightness in their chests, as if pressed by a giant boulder; their breathing became difficult, and their faces instantly turned pale.

This was the pressure of a Cultivator!

For a Mortal, this pressure was enough to shatter their courage and force them to their knees to beg for mercy!

A look of triumph appeared on Retainer's face.

He wanted to use his Qi Refining Stage 2 cultivation to ruthlessly humiliate and suppress this ignorant old thing!

He wanted the other party to understand that even among immortals, there were differences in strength!

However, his triumph did not last long.

Because he saw that Gu Yan, who was at the center of the pressure, still had a calm and indifferent expression on his face.

Gu Yan even had the leisure to pick up the teacup again, bring it to his lips, and blow on it gently once more.

The tea in the cup remained perfectly still, not even the slightest ripple appearing.

Retainer's pupils contracted violently once again.

How is this possible?!

How could someone who had just stepped onto the path of immortality at the First Level of Qi Refining be so composed under his pressure?

Just as he was in shock and doubt.

An aura, even more solid and heavy than his, was released slowly yet overwhelmingly from Gu Yan's seemingly ordinary body!

This aura was like a waking beast opening its eyes.

Boom!

The two invisible auras collided fiercely in the air of the front hall!

There was no earth-shattering roar, only a dull "pop" sound, as if the air had been torn apart.

The pressure released by Retainer was like a popped bubble; it instantly disintegrated and vanished without a trace.

Gu Yan's aura, however, did not lose momentum; instead, it pressed down heavily on Retainer like an invisible mountain!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Retainer's face instantly turned the color of pig liver, and his body uncontrollably retreated three steps; with each step, he left a shallow footprint on the hard bluestone floor!

The Qi and blood in his body churned, and he felt a sweetness in his throat, nearly spitting out blood on the spot, which he forcibly swallowed back down.

He forced himself to steady his stance, looked up, and stared fixedly at Gu Yan with an expression as if he had seen a ghost.

"You... you are also at Qi Refining Stage 2?!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief.

How could this be?!

An old man who was lying in bed waiting to die just a few days ago had not only stepped onto the path of immortality within a few short days, but his cultivation had actually caught up to him, a "Senior" who had painstakingly cultivated for over a decade?!

This was simply a fantasy!

Gu Yan did not answer his stupid question.

He slowly put down the teacup, and as it collided with the table, it made a soft "clack" sound.

In the quiet front hall, this soft sound felt like a heavy hammer, striking Retainer's heart hard.

Gu Yan raised his eyes; in his deep pupils, there was no longer any gentleness, only an indifference like looking down at ants.

"If your master wishes to break the rules, I, Gu Yan..."

"will accept it."

"Now, you can take your things and get out."

Retainer's face turned from green to white.

The other party's words were calm but filled with an unquestionable domineering air.

He knew that he had kicked an iron plate today.

The other party's strength was not only not weaker than his, but even... vaguely a few points stronger!

Staying any longer would only be asking for humiliation.

He gritted his teeth and squeezed a few words through them: "Fine... fine! Gu Yan, we... will see!"

After dropping a meaningless parting threat, he didn't even dare to retrieve the brocade box, turned around, and fled the Gu Family residence in a wretched state, taking the already terrified steward with him.

Watching their retreating backs as they fled in panic, Shen Qingxue and Bai Linger, who had been forcing themselves to stay standing, finally let out a sigh of relief.

The look they cast at Gu Yan was filled with unprecedented admiration and peace of mind.

As long as this man was here, the Gu Family had nothing to fear.