109: Chapter 109 A Family of Three

In the mist, Li Xiuyuan's golden vertical pupils watched Gu Xiao, who sat motionless on the shore, with a complex expression.

He had not expected that what Gu Xiao said before entering the Ancient Grotto-Heaven would actually come to pass.

Countless threads of karma are interwoven in this world; every word you speak and every action you take may branch out into infinite possibilities.

This incident was destined to become a heart demon, buried deep within Gu Xiao's heart.

"Do you know what happened?" Fan Ming asked as he walked into the mist.

Li Xiuyuan was silent for a moment before saying, "A heart demon has taken root."

He did not explain everything, but instead asked Fan Ming what useful clues he had found.

Fan Ming recounted everything he had discovered one by one.

"Guiliu Society? How come I've never heard of these people before?" Li Xiuyuan asked in surprise.

Fan Ming said, "When the Lord River God led the aquatic clans to conquer the world back then, he didn't just kill everyone he encountered; he recruited a group of people under his command.

Those people had a fanatical faith and devotion to the Lord River God. After the Lord River God died, these people did not go extinct; instead, they passed down their faith through bloodlines and texts, lying dormant until modern times, when they founded the Guiliu Society."

"This organization acts with extreme discretion, leaving almost no traces in the outside world, and the Jiantian Bureau knows very little about them."

The appearance of the Guiliu Society was completely unexpected to the Jiantian Bureau.

After being low-profile for so many years, for them to be so ostentatious now—even actively provoking the Jiantian Bureau—the only logical explanation is that these people are seeking revenge.

Not long ago, the Lord River God was severely injured, and the Guiliu Society appeared brazenly, killing members of the Jiantian Bureau to avenge the Dragon Lord and help him find a way to resurrect.

This explanation makes perfect sense, but in Li Xiuyuan's view, it wasn't enough.

For an organization that has kept a low profile for so many years, to expose their entire organization to the light just to avenge the Lord River God seemed a bit too impulsive.

"Killing people with such fanfare, recording videos to provoke the Jiantian Bureau, and even voluntarily admitting the purpose of the Guiliu Society—these actions are too deliberate."

"I feel like they have ulterior motives," Li Xiuyuan said.

Fan Ming nodded, "We think so too, but we can't figure out their intentions for the time being."

Because of some changes in the situation, coupled with the fact that the Guiliu Society was clearly targeting Li Xiuyuan, Li Xiuyuan could not act rashly right now, regardless of what they were planning behind the scenes.

No one knew what trump cards the Guiliu Society had, and with the crazed deities of the Ancient Heavenly Court around, it was unclear if they had any connection to those mad gods.

Li Xiuyuan could not return to Yunfeng Mountain for the time being and could only wait at Swallow Rock for the next Ancient Grotto-Heaven to open.

He didn't intend to return to Yunfeng Mountain either. Although he was still injured, with Qing'er providing treatment from behind the scenes, plus the physicians arranged by the Jiantian Bureau, his injuries would be healed in a few days.

What Li Xiuyuan was worried about now was still Gu Xiao's condition.

However, he was, after all, a White Flood Dragon, and there was a limit to what he could do. He couldn't help Gu Xiao overcome his heart demon, so he found Fan Ming and asked him to contact someone who could help Gu Xiao.

...

In the autumn season at Dongting Lake, the autumn wind was chilly, and a light drizzle drifted from the sky.

At the entrance of an elementary school, Lu Xingyun got out of the car holding an umbrella. "Teacher Lin, thank you for your hard work. I'm here to pick up my child after school."

At the school gate, Lin Xiaoxiang stood beside Lu Zhixing. As a teacher, she would wait until all students had been picked up after school before returning to the school.

Lin Xiaoxiang smiled slightly and shook her head. "It's no trouble. Zhixing, go back with your father."

"Mr. Lu, have a pleasant dinner."

Lu Xingyun was stunned upon hearing this, then gave a wry smile. "This kid, he tells everyone everything."

Although he was divorced from his ex-wife, Lu Xingyun had not completely cut off contact with her. Every month, he would arrange to have a meal with her, mainly to let his ex-wife know about Lu Zhixing's situation.

The reason for their divorce wasn't particularly complicated; his ex-wife felt that Lu Xingyun's job was too dangerous and wanted him to change careers. But this job wasn't something one could just change on a whim. In the end, his ex-wife couldn't take it anymore and chose to divorce.

Getting back into the car with his son, Lu Xingyun fastened his seatbelt and said, "After dinner today, I'll take you home first. I have some urgent business and need to go on a business trip."

Lu Zhixing, sitting in the back seat, immediately looked indifferent. "Alright then."

"Don't make that face. I can't help it. Besides, this time it's for your Uncle Gu; I have to go and offer him some guidance," Lu Xingyun immediately explained.

Hearing this, the young and composed Lu Zhixing immediately knew it must be a serious matter, so he said, "Go ahead. Give my regards to Uncle Gu and Uncle Li."

"Alrighty."

Lu Xingyun started the car, then froze. "Uncle Li?"

"Yeah, that White Flood Dragon, isn't his name Li Xiuyuan?" Lu Zhixing said.

Lu Xingyun rolled his eyes, then immediately chuckled. "Right, right, right, Uncle Li. When I get there, I'll be sure to pass on the message."

Stepping on the gas, what Lu Xingyun was thinking about wasn't the dinner with his ex-wife, but Li Xiuyuan.

Undoubtedly, as long as nothing went wrong, Li Xiuyuan's transformation into a dragon was a certainty. If he was willing to accept being called "Uncle Li," it would allow his son to build a connection with him in the future, and Lu Zhixing's future would be limitless.

The car drove the whole way. The place for the dinner was an ordinary restaurant. After the father and son got out of the car, they went to a small private room on the second floor.

Sitting in the private room was a woman in her thirties with a gentle temperament; this was Lu Xingyun's ex-wife, Li Ya.

Seeing Lu Zhixing enter, Li Ya immediately stood up and said, "Zhixing, long time no see."

"Mom!" Lu Zhixing smiled and walked forward, letting his mother pinch his cheeks.

"It's been a month, and you've lost so much weight. Look at your face."

"Don't pinch the kid so hard, his face is all red," Lu Xingyun said from the side.

Li Ya rolled her eyes at Lu Xingyun, completely ignoring him, and turned back to look at Lu Zhixing with a doting smile. "Mom has already ordered the food; it's all stuff you love to eat."

After sitting down, Li Ya didn't directly ask about her son's grades; after all, both she and Lu Xingyun had witnessed Lu Zhixing's excellence.

Besides his studies, Li Ya couldn't ask much else; she knew how Lu Xingyun took care of the child.

She still scolded Lu Xingyun a few times like before, but she knew her limits and didn't say too much.

Although they were divorced, during such dinners, they would still talk about the past. Furthermore, with Lu Zhixing present, both tried to steer the conversation toward pleasant topics.

Lu Zhixing would chime in from time to time, then sit there eating while smiling and listening to the two of them continue talking.

It wasn't until Lu Zhixing finished his third bowl of rice that Lu Xingyun lit a cigarette and said, "Son, if you're full, let's head back."

"I'm not full yet, you two keep talking," Lu Zhixing shook his head.

Seeing his slightly dazed expression, it was clear he was in a food coma.

Lu Xingyun had no choice but to look at his ex-wife.

As parents, they naturally knew that Lu Zhixing was doing this just to experience a little more of that fleeting time as a family of three.

Li Ya wiped away her tears, turned around, put a gentle smile back on her face, and patted Lu Zhixing's head. "Zhixing, don't eat anymore."

Lu Zhixing had intended to continue adding rice, but his movements came to an abrupt halt. He then put down his bowl and sighed. "I'm full."

By the time the dinner ended, it was almost nine o'clock.

The three of them came out of the restaurant, and the night breeze, carrying the scent of osmanthus, blew from the street corner.

Lu Zhixing shivered and hunched his neck. Li Ya turned up his collar and brushed the dust off his shoulders.

After watching Li Ya leave by taxi, Lu Zhixing rubbed his eyes and returned to his usual composed demeanor, standing beside his father.