A young girl stood in the courtyard, her childish face brimming with arrogance.
The three great families of East Desolation Commandery: the Gu Family, the Wei Family, and the Song Family!
Gu Chen's father had once been the most dazzling heir among the Gu Family's patriarchs, which was why Wei Qingyu's parents had begged to arrange a childhood betrothal between her and Gu Chen.
But after Gu Chen's parents died in an accident, the Wei Family never mentioned the matter again.
This marriage agreement could originally have been treated as though it had never happened, but Wei Qingyu could not bear having once been bound to Gu Chen by marriage. In her previous life, she had come to break off the engagement with great fanfare.
Creak—
The door was pushed open. Gu Chen looked at the girl before him, proud as a peacock, his gaze cold.
This scene was exactly the same as in his previous life.
"Gu Chen, the fact that I didn't come here with great fanfare to break off the engagement is already giving you face. Don't fail to appreciate favors. Hand over the marriage certificate!"
"Your strength in your previous life was ultimately only from your previous life. This time, I absolutely won't let you surpass me again!"
Wei Qingyu was brimming with confidence.
After Wei Qingyu broke off the engagement in her previous life, Gu Chen became the laughingstock of the Gu Family. Yet Gu Chen rose powerfully, and in just three years, his Cultivation Level surpassed Wei Qingyu's several times over.
Back then, after witnessing Gu Chen's formidable strength, Wei Qingyu instead fell secretly in love with him and did everything she could to mend their relationship.
In the end, she had even relied on her relationship with Gu Chen to break through all the way to the Emperor Realm!
Yet deep in Wei Qingyu's heart, she still harbored a grudge over this matter.
Why did Gu Chen cultivate faster and become stronger than her!?
Wei Qingyu believed she had already given Gu Chen plenty of face this time. Then, in the next instant, Gu Chen took a step forward, leaped into the air, and kicked Wei Qingyu hard in the lower abdomen.
Wei Qingyu's body bent like a shrimp, and the tremendous force sent her flying three or four meters away.
"You actually dared to attack me?"
Shock filled Wei Qingyu's eyes.
"Originally, if you had obediently handed over the marriage certificate, we could have gone our separate ways from now on. But one day, you will definitely pay the price for what you did today!"
"There are always people beyond people, and skies beyond skies. You may have been strong in your previous life, but in this life, I will definitely be stronger!"
As she said this, a trace of chill appeared on Wei Qingyu's face.
In her heart, she felt that she had only just returned and had not yet begun cultivating the techniques from her previous life, which was why Gu Chen had managed to catch her off guard.
After all, her mind contained countless powerful cultivation techniques that Gu Chen had gathered from all sorts of secret realms in his previous life. Wouldn't restoring her strength be as easy as turning her hand over?
Wei Qingyu firmly believed that her talent was greater than Gu Chen's. As for why Gu Chen had been so formidable in her previous life, he must have encountered some fortuitous opportunity later on!
Faced with Wei Qingyu's threat, Gu Chen directly cut her off. "Did you come here to break off the engagement, or to lecture me?"
"I don't have time to listen to your lectures. You're not worthy of being heard!"
Wei Qingyu clenched her fists, fury surging into her eyes. "Gu Chen, you brought this upon yourself! Looks like you need to be taught a lesson today!"
In the next instant, Wei Qingyu appeared before Gu Chen and threw a punch without hesitation.
Bang!
Wei Qingyu's heavy, forceful punch was caught by Gu Chen without so much as a change in expression.
"Teach your head a lesson!"
Gu Chen sneered and lashed out with a clean, sharp roundhouse kick, viciously striking Wei Qingyu across the waist!
Bang!
Wei Qingyu's body flew backward like a kite with its string cut.
"You! Don't you know how to cherish a delicate flower..."
Wei Qingyu sucked in a breath from the pain, her words full of grievance.
"What are you feeling wronged about? This fight..."
"Isn't over yet!"
"Do you think I can't beat you to death?"
Bang!
In an instant, a cold glint flashed through Gu Chen's eyes. He swung his fist and smashed it heavily into Wei Qingyu's face.
Stars burst before Wei Qingyu's eyes. She struggled to raise her head, only to see Gu Chen raise another fist, her eyes filling with horror.
"Did you think this was a spar where we stop at the right point?"
"Did all the combat skills from your previous life get trained into a dog's belly?"
"Your reactions are slower than an old person's, and your mind is as naive as some sheltered young miss who knows nothing of the world!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Punch after punch, Gu Chen battered Wei Qingyu until her face blossomed open.
Wei Qingyu had originally refused to accept it, but upon hearing Gu Chen's words, a tremendous sense of humiliation surged into her heart, and she fainted just like that.
"She passed out already?"
Gu Chen calmly wiped the blood from his fist with Wei Qingyu's clothes.
The little maid who had suddenly appeared nearby shuddered at the sight.
"Is something the matter?"
After wiping away the blood, Gu Chen stood and asked.
"Y-young Master, the master and madam asked you to go to the main hall."
The little maid answered tremblingly.
Why was Young Master so brutal today?
Who was that woman who had been beaten so miserably? Why did she look so much like Miss Wei?
The master and madam naturally referred to Gu Chen's uncle and aunt.
"I understand!"
Gu Chen strode away. Just as the little maid let out a sigh of relief, Gu Chen suddenly turned back. The maid's breath caught, and her entire body went rigid.
"You. Throw her out!"
Gu Chen pointed at Wei Qingyu, who lay unconscious on the ground, then turned and left.
Inside the main hall.
Gu Youwei was kneeling before a plump middle-aged man and woman, performing a grand ceremony of three bows and nine kowtows. Her forehead struck the ground with loud thuds.
They were Gu Chen and Gu Youwei's uncle, Gu Zhengchun, and aunt, Liu Caiyun.
Gu Chen sneered inwardly. Gu Youwei had not even kowtowed this hard when visiting the graves of her dead parents, had she?
"Father, Mother, please have some tea!"
Gu Youwei rose and respectfully offered them tea.
Loving smiles appeared on Gu Zhengchun and Liu Caiyun's faces. What Gu Youwei did not see, however, was the sinister, triumphant smile in their eyes.
"Quick, get up. From today onward, Youwei, you are my true daughter!" Liu Caiyun affectionately pulled Gu Youwei to her side and stroked her hair.
Yet Gu Youwei wore an expression of enjoyment.
"Father, Mother, you are even dearer to me than my birth parents!" Gu Youwei said with a smile.
"Am I interrupting? Getting in the way of your family's intimate reunion?"
Gu Chen strode into the main hall.
The moment she saw Gu Chen, Gu Youwei immediately put on a guarded expression and said vigilantly, "Gu Chen, what are you doing here? Don't you dare lecture me with that elder brother nonsense from now on. I'm not your sister anymore. I'm Father and Mother's daughter now!"
As she spoke, Gu Youwei grabbed Gu Zhengchun's and Liu Caiyun's arms, one in each hand, to display their intimacy.
"Good. I have no interest in continuing to have a sister like you, one who has forgotten her birth parents!"
Gu Chen sneered.
Did she really think Gu Zhengchun and Liu Caiyun had taken such meticulous care of her because they truly regarded her as their biological daughter?
Their actual son had been sent long ago to cultivate at the Cangshan Sword Sect, yet they had never breathed a word to Gu Chen or Gu Youwei about cultivation.
"Youwei, you mustn't be disrespectful to your brother!"
Liu Caiyun pretended to be angry as she scolded Gu Youwei, but she could not hide the smugness at the corners of her eyes. This little girl had indeed been thoroughly led astray by her.
Gu Zhengchun coughed twice before speaking. "Gu Chen, Youwei and you were raised by me since childhood, and I have deep feelings for you both. So today, I intend to formally acknowledge you siblings as my children. Your sister has already been added to the family register. What about you?"
Gu Chen shook his head. "I have parents. Though they have already passed away, the Gu Family's coming-of-age ceremony is in three days. We'll divide the family then!"
The moment he finished speaking, Gu Zhengchun and Liu Caiyun's faces darkened.
"Gu Chen, how can you say such things? Uncle and Aunt have raised us for so many years. Is there not even the slightest gratitude in your heart?"
Gu Youwei demanded angrily.
She looked as though she wanted to continue, but Gu Zhengchun stopped her.
"Since you are unwilling, then forget it."
Gu Chen had no interest in continuing to look at his hypocritical face. He rose and left.
"Father, Mother, don't be sad. I'm still your daughter!" Gu Youwei said firmly.
"Good daughter, it's getting late. Hurry back and rest!" Gu Zhengchun said with gratification.
"Your daughter takes her leave!"
Gu Youwei skipped away happily.
The main hall immediately fell silent.
After a long while, Gu Zhengchun's cold voice sounded. "It seems that little bastard Gu Chen has already seen through our scheme."
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