The Dragon

Lu Yandong said, “Si Miao is also here. You’ve always been close to her, and you wouldn’t want her to grieve for you.”

He understood her well. With her father and brother gone, surrounded by enemies, with no hope of survival, what else did she have to cling to? Her only attachments were Gu Huaiyou and Si Miao, both still alive.

Threatening everyone that she would destroy the Qilin Marrow if they didn’t release Gu Huaiyou and Si Miao?

She wouldn’t dare. Lu Yandong knew her, knew that using Gu Huaiyou as leverage would work, and wouldn’t release him until they completely controlled her.

Would she really destroy the Qilin Marrow? Then Gu Huaiyou and Si Miao would have to be sacrificed.

It was a test of who could be more ruthless. Betting on Gu Huaiyou’s life, she wouldn’t dare and was bound to lose.

Gu Fuyou appeared dazed, her gaze dim as she looked towards Gu Huaiyou.

“Alright. Alright,” she said blankly, not sure whether she was relieved that Si Miao was alive, agreeing to Lu Yandong’s threat, or simply resigned to the helplessness of the situation. She spoke to Zuo Yuezhi, “Xiaoyao City is now in your hands, my father and brother are gone. Gu Huaiyou and Si Miao pose no threat to you. I’ll give you what you want, just spare them. You won’t suffer any loss.”

Zuo Yuezhi nodded, “Our Zuo family doesn’t kill without reason. If Master Gu doesn’t act out, we won’t take his life needlessly. Until Master Gu and Miss Si Miao can fend for themselves, City Lord Lu will take care of them, ensuring a carefree life.”

The irony in his words was striking. It sounded like care but was actually surveillance and soft imprisonment. After all that had happened, how could he talk about living freely?

Gu Fuyou responded, “Alright.”

“What do you mean alright?” Gu Huaiyou’s eyes were fiery red, glaring at Gu Fuyou. He had always been soft-spoken with a smile in his eyes, but now he looked furious, “To be treated like cattle in exchange for my survival, how is that alright, Gu Fuyou?”

His spiritual power was sealed. He tried to grab a spirit sword from a nearby cultivator to end his life, but was immediately restrained by Lu Yandong.

Gu Fuyou, weakened by blood loss and feeling powerless, fell to her knees; dizziness overcame her as the Fire Pearl slipped from her grasp, and Zuo Yuezhi quickly moved behind her to seal off her spiritual power.

Gu Fuyou turned towards Lu Yandong, her disheveled appearance and eyes reflecting an overwhelming mix of emotions: the enduring pain of parting with Zhong Michu, intense rage, and hatred that made her eyes even redder, all under the burden of harsh realities. Offering a bitter smile to Gu Huaiyou, she said, “Because of the Qilin Marrow inside me, our father, big brother, sister-in-law, and Yi’er… they’re all gone.”

Gu Huaiyou choked up, his voice hoarse, “Silly sister, it’s not your fault.”

Gu Fuyou replied, “Brother, you’re all I have left. I want you to live well, you and Si Miao. You can still live a good life, even if it’s just you two…”

I’m willing to be a prisoner for a lifetime.

She collapsed on the ground, her consciousness slowly fading away. Exhausted, she longed to sleep, perhaps forever…

As she felt herself being lifted by someone, a voice said, “Elder, we’ll meet again at the Immortal Sect Assembly. Please, City Lord Lu, take good care of Master Gu. Since you’ve promised Gu Fuyou, there must be no mistakes.”

“No need to worry, Protector Zuo. As a child of an old friend, I will certainly take good care of them.”

“Child of an old friend, ha-ha-ha, yes, yes, yes.”

Her thoughts were fragmented. The Biluo Sect and Xu Ling Sect, now not fighting or grabbing for power, seemed to have struck some sort of deal.

Soon, she couldn’t hold on any longer and sank into complete darkness.

When she came to, everything felt skewed. Her body slumped forward as she groggily opened her eyes to the sound of horses snorting and commotion outside. Sitting up, she realized she was in a carriage.

The curtain was lifted by a Zuo family cultivator who said, “Awake? Good, we’ve arrived. Come out.”

Arrived where?

Gu Fuyou noticed she was unharmed, her wounds treated. She wasn’t bound, only her spiritual power sealed, probably because the Zuo family wasn’t worried about her running away. She stepped out slowly and found herself atop a magnificent carriage of the Zuo family.

Disembarking, she felt a chilly breeze. She looked around, enveloped in mist, and in front of her stood a grand palace.

They had reached the Zuo family’s Thirty-Three Skies.

The cultivator gestured for her to walk ahead, and a group followed her to the palace gates. Gu Fuyou stopped abruptly, her face draining of color as she gazed up at the tower walls, her entire body trembling with cold dread.

Her eyes widened in shock, unable to look away from the sight on the wall.

Someone below shouted, “Hang it higher!”

“Let the people of Nanzhou see what happens when they defy the Zuo family!”

Each breath felt like thousands of knives piercing her heart and lungs.

The pain was unbearable.

Hanging on that wall was the corpse of her elder brother.

The well-dressed young master below, satisfied with his command, unfolded his fan and leisurely admired the view. Noticing someone behind him, he turned, saw Gu Fuyou, and smiled broadly. Snapping his fan closed, he walked towards her.

“Father just went in to report to grandfather about capturing the Qilin Marrow. Didn’t expect you to arrive so soon.”

Zuo Tianlang approached Gu Fuyou and, using his fan, lifted her chin to inspect her. “So, the Qilin Marrow is inside you. It’s surprising that such a rare treasure would reside within someone as ordinary as you.”

Zuo Tianlang noticed that Gu Fuyou was intently staring at the wall, her lips quivering but not uttering a word. Following her gaze, he looked up at the wall and joked, “What’s the matter? Haven’t seen your brother in a while? Don’t recognize him anymore?”

Suddenly, Gu Fuyou turned to face him, her eyes filled with hatred. She shouted, “I will kill you!”

Zuo Tianlang was caught off guard. To him, what could a woman with sealed spiritual power do? Even if she had her powers, Gu Fuyou wasn’t a match for him. So he dodged slowly, and she managed to scratch his face with her nails.

Zuo Tianlang stepped aside, touching his face and flicking his folding fan. Gu Fuyou was then swept away by a gust of wind, falling to the ground. A Zuo family cultivator approached Tianlang, reminding him, “Young master, the Protector ordered that she must not be harmed before the Immortal Sect Assembly.”

Zuo Tianlang was indifferent: “We can have Du Pan heal her later.”

Just then, a man emerged from the palace gates, looked up, and demanded, “Who hung that up there? Take it down!”

Upon seeing the man, Zuo Tianlang called out, “Uncle, I ordered it. The world should see the consequences of opposing our Zuo family.”

Zuo Qingfeng, shirtless and wrapped in a robe, with bandages on his shoulder and a missing right arm, stood taller than Zuo Tianlang and looked down at him, “Even if you won against him, there’s no need for such mockery, especially since you didn’t win fairly. What are you so proud of? Take it down!”

Zuo Tianlang frowned and remained silent, showing clear defiance. Qingfeng insisted, “I said take it down!”

“Listen to your uncle, Tianlang.” Zuo Yuezhi, having just returned from reporting to the elders, interjected.

Reluctantly, Tianlang ordered, “Take it down.”

The body of Gu Shuangqing was then pulled up from the tower. Qingfeng snorted, “Elder Brother, you should take time to discipline Tianlang. Instead of growing in power, he’s becoming more arrogant. Even my words don’t work on him anymore.”

Zuo Yuezhi laughed lightly, “You know his temper. He’s been like that since childhood, uncontrollable.”

Zuo Qingfeng didn’t respond. His main reason for coming out was to take a look at this so-called Qilin Marrow. He approached Gu Fuyou, stroking his chin and commented, “Tsk, the Qilin Marrow is within such a young girl. Just by looking, one can’t tell anything special…”

As he spoke, Gu Fuyou got up, somehow grabbing a hairpin from her hair and lunging at Zuo Qingfeng with it. Zuo Qingfeng, quick to react, didn’t dodge. Instead, he unleashed his Hollow Void stage pressure, and Gu Fuyou collapsed.

Struggling, she cursed, “You beasts, you’ll get what you deserve.”

Zuo Qingfeng lifted her by the collar with one hand, bringing her closer. Seeing the fierce look in her eyes, he chuckled, “You indeed are Gu Wanpeng’s daughter. Those eyes are very much like his.”

“Pity, your strength is far less than his. If your brother were here, maybe he could exchange a few blows with me. You, not a chance.”

Gu Fuyou bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. Zuo Qingfeng commented with interest, “Your father was killed by me, turned to ashes. That battle was exhilarating. See my missing right arm? Your father did that.”

Zuo Yuezhi cautioned, “Younger brother,” signaling Qingfeng not to say such things to Gu Fuyou.

“What does it matter?” Zuo Qingfeng said with a laugh to Gu Fuyou, “I’m letting you know because your father was a worthy and respectable opponent. But don’t bother thinking about revenge. I’m telling you, even if you’re not a prisoner of the Zuo family, someone like you could never kill me in this lifetime. Seek revenge in your next life.”

Suddenly remembering something, Zuo Qingfeng pulled a blood-stained blue silk pouch from his pocket. Releasing his grip, Gu Fuyou fell to her knees. The pouch was small compared to Qingfeng’s large hands. Pinching it between his fingers, he extended it towards Gu Fuyou, saying, “Your father wasn’t completely empty-handed. This was with him.”

Gu Fuyou, stunned, reached out her hand. Qingfeng placed the item in her palm.

Zuo Yuezhi frowned and said in a deep voice, “Younger brother,” worried it might be some kind of magical artifact.

Zuo Qingfeng reassured, “Elder brother, it’s nothing significant.”

Zuo Yuezhi signaled to the others, “Take her to the dungeon.”

Two cultivators supported Gu Fuyou, escorting her inside the palace. She moved like a puppet, dazed and compliant, as they took her down to a dungeon that spiraled downwards, divided into layers, each holding a few prisoners.

She was brought to the deepest level. It was brightly lit, and the cell looked more like a luxurious room than a prison. She was pushed inside, the door closed, and barriers activated.

This became her isolated, secluded prison.

Gu Fuyou opened the blood-stained silk pouch and spilled its contents into her hand: fragments of jade, shattered so thoroughly it was impossible to tell what it originally was. But she knew it was the birthday gift she had given her father, the jade bracelet she had smashed to pieces.

Finally, she couldn’t bear it any longer. Overcome with despair, she covered her head and let out a heart-wrenching cry.