"Home"

A few minutes earlier.

Gu Shiheng and Gu Jinzhi left the Small Building and walked side by side along the flagstone path in the back garden.

The setting sun stretched their shadows long, and the atmosphere was heavy.

It was not until they passed a flower bed that Gu Shiheng stopped, turned to his son, and said with a chuckle:

"Your grandfather only asked you to test her, but you went all out. Weren't you afraid of offending your wife and getting barred from her bed?"

Gu Jinzhi's handsome features stiffened almost imperceptibly. He said, "You watched the video recording, so you should understand. If I hadn't gone all out, I couldn't have beaten her."

The fierce battle from earlier replayed involuntarily in his mind—the ghostlike footwork, the sword light so sharp it defied reason, and Unity of Heaven and Man and the innate White Lotus...

Countless images intertwined, and a trace of lingering dread remained in his heart.

In all his more than twenty years, when had he ever been so thoroughly humiliated in a clash with someone his own age?

This humiliation had even diluted the joy of breaking through to Great Accomplishment with the "Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber."

Gu Shiheng was equally shaken by this.

Heaven knew how shocked he had been when he watched the video. By the end, he had even grown somewhat numb.

A First Order had nearly slain a Third Order in reverse—and that Third Order was a prodigy like Gu Jinzhi, who already possessed the ability to fight across realms...

"Your grandfather and your mother really found you a 'little monster' for a wife..." He shook his head with a bitter smile, then seemed to remember something and pressed on, "There's nothing wrong with this girl, is there?"

Gu Jinzhi gave his father a look that clearly said, Do you really need to ask?

After a moment of silence, he analyzed the matter clearly and methodically:

"Her 'Cold Pond Sinking Jade' is extremely polished. Even while using a training sword, she was still able to keep the sword's cry at an extremely low volume. She is definitely at the Minor Accomplishment realm."

"To reach this level with 'Cold Pond Sinking Jade,' five to ten years of arduous practice would be the bare minimum."

He paused, then continued, "As for the innate lotus, you saw it in the video as well. I don't understand the profundity of the 'Great Yin Jade Lotus Treasure Scroll' very well, but it has always been the symbol of the Jiang Family's core inheritance."

"There shouldn't be any problem with her identity."

Gu Shiheng let out a long breath. "In that case, I'm relieved. Your mother... sigh—"

He raised his head and looked toward the sunset descending from the horizon. "With the Liang Family's habit of protecting their own regardless of right or wrong, and their deep-rooted partiality, I thought she would find you a scapegoat."

Gu Jinzhi's expression remained calm, though his eyes shifted slightly.

"I told her that I would never accept anyone going to Western Xinjiang in my place."

"If she insists on doing so, I'll accompany whatever woman she finds to her death..."

"She promised she would respect my choice."

Gu Shiheng gave a bitter smile. "If that were useful, would your grandfather have gone to such lengths to have you test that girl?"

As he spoke, he shook his head. "Sigh, I truly didn't expect your mother to be so... law-abiding this time... Tsk, it's unlike her usual style..."

"Now we can rest easy. Even if she wanted Jiang Xue to take your place, the Jiang Family Head wouldn't agree."

Gu Jinzhi: "..."

He naturally understood his mother's methods. This time was indeed abnormal.

"Forget it, let's not think about this anymore!" Gu Shiheng patted his son's arm, his voice full of encouragement and expectation. "Even for the sake of such a wonderful wife, you have to work hard to stay alive, understand?"

"As for the Zhang Family..." He pondered. "I'll join forces with several familiar factions and do my best to mediate. The events of thirty years ago were all just their side of the story. Don't the Zhang Family know that? The two families don't have a blood feud. As long as we handle things properly, there may still be room to maneuver."

"As for the battlefield..." Gu Shiheng looked at his son's tall, straight figure, his eyes filled with a father's pride. "I believe in my son. Mere Abyssal Monsters won't be able to do anything to you!"

Such a wonderful wife?

The word "wife" burned Gu Jinzhi, and his thoughts drifted.

Countless fragments flashed through his mind uncontrollably.

The excited words he had first heard in Zeng Yi's voice message:

"Take his place and die? I'm willing! If I could go to Western Xinjiang's front line and squat in a bunker in his place, I'd laugh myself awake at night. Believe me or not?"

Later, there had been Jiang Han's furious interrogation:

"I want to see just how far you're willing to go for that kid Gu Jinzhi!"

"You're really determined to go to the battlefield?"

And today... there was her, casually draping an arm around his shoulders;

Her on the Training Ground, her sword light cascading like a waterfall, swift to the extreme and incomparably fierce;

Her beneath the shroud of the White Lotus phantom, rising to deliver her final strike and losing with honor intact;

And her... pouncing at him like a little wildcat, wrestling with him in a tangled heap, utterly without technique yet somehow... stirring a strange feeling in his heart...

Finally, the scene froze on the moment they had first met—

He had stood on the second-floor balcony, looking down over the railing.

She had just gotten out of the car. A breeze lifted her skirt, and she instinctively reached down to hold it in place before looking up.

Their eyes met. It was a fleeting, stunning glimpse, and time seemed to freeze in that instant.

The image of that taciturn little girl from years ago was gradually covered by this vivid, lovely figure.

The faintest smile quietly crept onto Gu Jinzhi's lips, softening the coolness between his brows.

"Oh?" Gu Shiheng keenly caught the change. His face lit up with surprise and teasing. "What's this? Has your iron tree finally blossomed? You've fallen for her?"

The warmth vanished from Gu Jinzhi's face without a trace.

"This marriage was arranged to reassure Grandfather in the first place. As for anything else... we'll discuss it after I return alive from Western Xinjiang."

Seeing his son stubbornly refuse to admit anything, Gu Shiheng smiled. "I thought you were going to say that classic line: 'Woman, I, Gu Jinzhi, will never fall for you in this lifetime.'"

Gu Jinzhi's face turned completely dark. "Dad, watch fewer of those ridiculous things. You should spend your free time cultivating instead."

Inside the Small Building, Liang Qiushi took Li Wei upstairs to the second floor.

She pushed open the door beside the master bedroom and introduced it warmly. "This is the bedroom prepared for you. I specifically had people redecorate it. Come and take a look. Do you like it?"

Li Wei peeked inside. The room was spacious and bright, probably a good fifty or sixty square meters, with a private bathroom and a walk-in closet, everything fully equipped.

The overall arrangement was elegant and comfortable. There was no excessive piling on of luxury, but every detail revealed understated refinement and care.

It was obvious that genuine thought had gone into it.

She felt inexplicably touched, but also a little puzzled. "Aunt Liang, didn't you say before... that we, we would be living together?"

Liang Qiushi smiled and pushed her into the room. "You two aren't officially married yet. For now, you'll stay separately for a few days and have some time to get familiar with each other. That way, things won't be awkward later."

Li Wei secretly let out a long breath of relief.

Thinking of the mortifying social death she had suffered on the Training Ground just now, all ten of her toes were still curled up. She wished she could dig out a three-bedroom apartment on the spot and bury herself in it.

If she really had to share a room with Gu Jinzhi tonight, she felt she would probably explode on the spot.

Meanwhile, Liang Qiushi had naturally opened Li Wei's suitcase and, like a mother who managed the household, began helping her put things away.

She carefully arranged the jewelry and other small items in the drawers of the dressing table, while the "Jiang Xue" clothing brought back from Britain was hung in the walk-in closet.

Seeing this, Li Wei hurried over to help.

But when she walked into the spacious closet, she was instantly dumbfounded.

The wardrobes along three walls were already packed with all kinds of women's clothing. Row upon row of brand-new shoes and bags sat below them... a dazzling display.

Judging by the designs and workmanship, they were undoubtedly all top-tier luxury goods.

Seeing Li Wei's stupefied expression, Liang Qiushi's smile deepened. "Look, these were all prepared for you in advance. I don't know whether they'll suit your taste. Why don't you try some on now and see if you like them?"

"Th-this is all for me?" Li Wei's voice was a little dry.

She had only ever seen such a scene in novels and television dramas.

"Of course." Liang Qiushi's tone was light and matter-of-fact.

As she spoke, she excitedly took a uniquely tailored black, white, and brown plaid jacket from the wardrobe.

Without giving Li Wei a chance to refuse, she held it up against her, occasionally making appreciative "tsk-tsk" sounds, her eyes shining brightly.

Over the next half hour, Li Wei miserably discovered that she had somehow become Liang Qiushi's clothing rack.

From elegant long dresses to sharp trouser outfits, from casual hoodies to refined jackets...

She changed in and out of more than ten outfits, was made to strike all kinds of poses, and was even required to walk back and forth around the room to display the effect.

Liang Qiushi watched with great delight, occasionally pulling out her phone to take a few pictures while murmuring, "My daughter-in-law really looks good in everything."

Li Wei was tossed around until she was dizzy, torn between laughter and tears. Yet she couldn't bring herself to reject such enthusiasm.

As she watched her try things on, Liang Qiushi summarized regretfully, "No, no, these standard sizes from ready-to-wear shops are still a little off. They're only barely wearable. Sigh, after the wedding, I'll invite some designers I know over and have them make a batch to fit you perfectly."

After all that fuss, combined with the enormous energy she had expended in the earlier match, Li Wei's head felt somewhat heavy.

Amid Liang Qiushi's gentle laughter and busy figure, a strange and unfamiliar emotion quietly took root.

In her daze, she actually found herself under the illusion that she had truly returned "home."

It was as though she really were the Gu Family's future daughter-in-law, about to begin a new life here.

The instant this thought surfaced, Li Wei felt as though she had been pricked by a needle and abruptly shuddered.

No, this was wrong!

Wake up, Li Wei!

All of this was fake. It was only an act.

I'm not Jiang Xue. I'm Li Wei! I'll leave here sooner or later. This isn't my home...

Her fierce self-warning tore her free from that illusory sense of belonging.

"Aunt Liang, I... I'm a little tired..."

She interrupted Liang Qiushi's enthusiasm, her voice carrying an almost imperceptible weariness and distance.

Only then did Liang Qiushi suddenly remember that Li Wei had just fought Gu Jinzhi. Her vital energy consumption must have been enormous.

She had been too caught up in her excitement and had neglected it.

A slightly embarrassed smile appeared on her face, and she hurriedly set down the clothes in her hands.

After carefully reminding Li Wei to rest early and call her at any time if she needed anything, she gently closed the door and left.

The room finally fell silent.

Li Wei stood there blankly for a long while before silently gathering the clothes she had tried on and carefully hanging them back in the wardrobe.

When she finished, she stared woodenly out the window.

Orange-red light dyed the horizon in brilliant colors and gilded the Gu Family courtyard in gold.

An inexplicable loneliness swept over her in an instant, silently drowning her heart.

I've lived two lifetimes, yet I still don't have a "home." Wherever I go, I'm always just a passerby...

She shook her head hard, trying to drive away the sudden sadness.

Why think about useless things?

I'd better think about registering for the Martial Arts Alliance's assessment tomorrow! My life of showing off like the wind is about to set sail in grand style!