Destiny

Fate

After the family banquet ended, the guests dispersed one after another.

Though there had been a few twists and turns, by and large, everyone had remained safe and sound. It could just barely be called "host and guests alike thoroughly pleased."

Late that night, inside the Gu Family Head's study.

Shangguan Ce and Gu Shouyan sat facing each other, brewing tea and talking by candlelight deep into the night.

The two had grown up together and cultivated together since childhood. Aside from being family heads, they could also be counted as old friends.

Though the Shangguan Family was stronger than the Gu Family, the gap was not especially large.

Gu Shouyan was slightly older than Shangguan Ce.

Both of them had lived for several hundred years and weathered wind and rain. Between them there were calculations of profit, but there was no lack of deep friendship either.

Gu Shouyan was upright and straightforward by nature, and when he had something to say, he had always spoken without hiding anything. In a deep voice, he said, "You want to take back all of the Shangguan Family's businesses?"

These businesses were all cultivation-related industries near the Ganxue Prefecture border, and had originally been handed to the Gu Family to manage.

Shangguan Ce nodded. "The Shen Family offered a high price. If I transfer them over, we'll gain twenty percent more profit than if our Shangguan Family ran them ourselves."

Gu Shouyan sneered. "The Shen Family is that kindhearted?"

Shangguan Ce said, "Whether they're kindhearted or not, the profit is right there."

"What profit?"

Shangguan Ce shook his head. "That, I can't say."

Gu Shouyan scoffed. "What profit could there be? Nothing more than Spirit Stones, Pills, connections... Oh, and the slots in the Four Great Sects?"

Shangguan Ce fell silent.

Gu