20: Detox

“Miss Su, I ask you to show me, Gu Tianzong, some respect and take your people away.”

The moment Gu Tianzong landed, his massive Aura pressed down, instantly unsettling the two guards beside Su Yuheng, causing them to involuntarily kneel on the ground.

Even Su Yuheng couldn't help but take half a step back.

The gap between the Third Level of the Hunyuan Realm and the Hunyuan Realm Peak was like the difference between heaven and earth, as if separated by several mountain ranges.

Su Yuheng knew that if she were to act now, she definitely wouldn't gain much advantage. Even with two Divine Weapons on her, she couldn't defeat Gu Tianzong; at best, it would be a four-six split situation.

Thus, she put away the Star Emperor Sword, glared fiercely at Gu Luoqing, and immediately said, “Gu Luoqing, consider yourself lucky today, but this matter will absolutely not end here.”

After speaking, she commanded, “Let’s go!”

The next second, Su Yuheng and the two Void Refining Realm guards vanished from the entrance of the Longevity Chamber.

Only after confirming Su Yuheng had left did Gu Tianzong finally relax, turning to look at Gu Luoqing.

“Thank you, Old Ancestor, for saving me.”

Gu Luoqing respectfully bowed to Gu Tianzong.

“Alas~”

Gu Tianzong shook his head.

“Luoqing, continuing like this is not a solution. The Tianxia Chamber of Commerce is powerful, backed by six other forces and Old Ancestor Tianyu.

Our Longevity Chamber is currently weak and isolated. If we want to survive, we must find someone reliable to lean on.”

Gu Luoqing remained silent.

She understood the meaning behind Gu Tianzong's words: to marry He Yunchuan, the son of the City Lord of Star Luo City, and become his Dao Companion.

This was also the desire of the entire Family. He Yunchuan was a Prodigy of this era, already an Eighth Level of the Hunyuan Realm expert despite being less than a thousand years old.

Coupled with the vast network and resources behind Star Luo City, once the Gu Family formed an alliance through marriage, they would no longer have to worry about being annexed by Su Yuheng.

But Gu Luoqing was unwilling to marry He Yunchuan, because He Yunchuan was extremely frivolous, arrogant, and narrow-minded—he was simply not the suitable candidate for a Dao Companion in her eyes.

However, the Longevity Chamber of Commerce was currently being suppressed by the Tianxia Chamber of Commerce to the point of near bankruptcy. If they didn't choose the marriage alliance, being annexed was only a matter of time.

Furthermore, Gu Luoqing had been tormented by headaches for years, preventing her cultivation from advancing, gradually creating a huge gap between her and Su Yuheng.

It seemed that marriage was the best and only choice.

Seeing Gu Luoqing remain silent, Gu Tianzong could only sigh.

“Child, the Old Ancestor knows you are proud, but this concerns the Gu Family’s millennia of reputation. Many things are beyond our control. Think about it carefully.”

“I understand, Old Ancestor. I will consider it carefully.”

“Alas~”

Gu Tianzong sighed, said nothing more, and flew directly out of the city on his sword.

Boom—

Not long after Gu Tianzong left, a huge explosion startled Gu Luoqing.

Looking back, she saw a plume of black smoke rising from the direction of the Pill Furnace.

“Shen Lian?”

As if she had realized something, Gu Luoqing decisively transformed into a streak of light and flew toward the Pill Room.

Inside the Pill Room, six Pill Furnaces had been blasted into ruins.

Yet, Shen Lian ignored it all, focusing entirely on a Medicinal Pill in his hand that radiated a golden glow.

The medicinal fragrance permeated the air, instantly spreading throughout the depths of the bamboo forest.

“It’s barely acceptable.”

Shen Lian muttered expressionlessly, then activated the Ice Spiritual Qi within his body, gradually cooling the scorching hot pill.

Just then, Gu Luoqing, disturbed by the massive commotion, rushed into the Pill Room.

Just as she was about to speak, she was immediately drawn by the pill in his hand.

“This is a Supreme-grade xiyuan pill?”

“It’s a pity it was only half a step shy of reaching Emperor-grade. One could only call it a waste.”

After speaking, without waiting for Gu Luoqing to reply, Shen Lian directly swallowed the xiyuan pill.

Gu Luoqing hadn't recovered from her shock. She looked at the Pill Furnaces blasted into ruins, then recalled the Supreme-grade Medicinal Pill Shen Lian had held earlier.

In that instant, she seemed to realize something incredible.

“Fellow Daoist Shen, do you truly understand Alchemy?”

“Put away your skepticism. What you see yourself is the absolute truth!”

The answer she received was Shen Lian’s arrogant voice.

“I told you not to disturb me these few days. I’ll let today slide, but if there’s a next time, the cooperation is canceled, and you won’t have to rely on me to cure your headache!”

“I am truly sorry, I just...”

Thinking of the possibility that her nightmarish headaches would relapse, Gu Luoqing immediately apologized repeatedly.

At this moment, Shen Lian exuded an undeniable Aura, filling her with heartfelt reverence.

“I don't want to hear your explanation. Get out immediately. Within three days, do not allow anyone to approach this place!”

“Understood. Please rest assured, Fellow Daoist Shen!”

Gu Luoqing immediately withdrew from the Pill Room as commanded, and incidentally set up a Barrier within the bamboo forest to prevent anyone from approaching.

The Medicinal Pill inside Shen Lian’s body began to take effect at this moment.

He immediately sat cross-legged on the spot, closed his eyes, and began guiding the medicinal power toward his internal organs... Meanwhile, three hundred miles outside Wushuang City, by the edge of a clear lake, Su Yuheng gazed at her beautiful reflection, her eyes filled with frost.

“Despicable!”

Suddenly, she roared and instantly struck out with a palm.

Instantly, the entire lake surface churned into a thousand-zhang Dragon waterspout.

“Gu Luoqing, how dare she speak to me like that! She is truly utterly despicable!”

Just thinking about how Gu Luoqing had lectured her today made Su Yuheng feel intensely furious.

“What is she? What gives her the right to lecture me?”

“She dared to provoke me by bringing up that trash Shen Lian? Simply despicable, infuriating, and hateful!”

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but strike out another palm, and the water Dragon waterspout in the Void Realm immediately turned into a torrential downpour.

The two Void Refining Realm guards standing behind her lowered their heads and remained silent.

They had rarely seen Su Yuheng get so angry. The only time they recalled her losing her temper was directed at the trash Shen Lian.

A moment later, Su Yuheng finally calmed down.

She asked coldly, “Is there any way to bypass Gu Tianzong? No matter what, I want that bitch Gu Luoqing dead!”

A guard was shocked upon hearing this: “President, please calm down. If we kill Gu Luoqing now, the Gu Family will definitely fight the Tianxia Chamber of Commerce to the bitter end.”

Su Yuheng scoffed: “Why should I care so much about a mere declining Gu Family? The only person in the Gu Family who makes me wary is Gu Tianzong.

If I invite the Great Senior Sister to assist, couldn’t the two of us together eliminate a Su Tianzong?”

The other guard said, “President Su, Sect Master Lu is currently in a critical standoff period with the Demon Region.

I’m afraid she won’t have time to attend to the situation here. I urge President Su to endure for a little longer.”

Su Yuheng closed her eyes and gradually fell into contemplation.

Everything that happened today was caused by that trash Shen Lian. If it weren't for him, how could so many problems have arisen?

In fact, even now, Su Yuheng still didn't believe that Shen Lian would actually attack the Tianxia Chamber of Commerce.

After all, Wushuang City was guarded by Chen Tianhua, a dignified Void Refining Realm expert. How could Shen Lian, with only Spirit Transformation Realm cultivation, possibly kill him?

Moreover, among the guests who died there were many with profound cultivation. How could Shen Lian alone have annihilated them so easily?

Most critically, in her mind, Shen Lian had always hovered around her like a dog; he absolutely wouldn't do anything to displease her.

The more she thought, the more unstable Su Yuheng’s Dao Heart became. The more she thought, the more agitated her emotions grew.

Just then, a guard spoke up: “President, don’t you find Gu Luoqing’s behavior today a bit suspicious?”

Su Yuheng opened her eyes: “How so?”

“Gu Luoqing has always looked down on Shen Lian. Why did she suddenly start speaking up for him? This is highly unusual.”

“Hmm? Are you suggesting...”

“President Su, I was wondering if Shen Lian might be hiding at Gu Luoqing’s place?”

“Impossible!”

Su Yuheng rejected the idea without thinking.

“That trash wouldn’t look at any other woman besides the seven of us, let alone Gu Luoqing. Doesn’t he know that Gu Luoqing and I are incompatible like fire and water?

Wouldn't he be afraid of me getting angry if he associated with her? Impossible, he wouldn't dare!”

Her ingrained stereotype of Shen Lian made her subconsciously believe he wouldn't do anything to make her "unhappy."

She absolutely could not accept a scenario where Shen Lian teamed up with her arch-rival to oppose her.