Gu Zhitíng froze.
He took the tea, slowly sipped it, then let his gaze fall on Wang Shi's well-preserved face, where fine wrinkles were still faintly visible.
He hesitated for a moment before lowering his voice. "Qingtong is no ordinary child... She was born with an innate spiritual grace. She never cries or fusses, and pure qi surrounds her. Flowers and plants flourish in her presence, while birds circle her and refuse to leave. I suspect she possesses some kind of Special Physique."
The smile on Wang Shi's face instantly froze, replaced by shock and solemnity.
Though she was no cultivator, she had been the mistress of the Gu Family for so many years and was far from ignorant. She naturally understood the weight of her husband's words.
"A spiritual physique..."
She murmured the words, then drew in a sharp breath. "My lord, are you certain? If that's true, then..."
"Almost certainly."
Gu Zhitíng said gravely, "I've searched through the surviving records in the family, and though there's no explicit mention, every sign points to it."
Wang Shi's face went pale, then paler still. She knew this was both an immense opportunity for the Gu Family and a Steel Saber hanging over its head. "My lord, this must never get out! My Gu Family... can't protect an opportunity like this."
"Do you think I don't know that?"
Gu Zhitíng gave a bitter smile. "But Qingtong is growing up, and how long can we hide such strange signs? The manor is full of people, and if word slips out, the consequences will be unthinkable."
"Then... then what should we do?"
Wang Shi grew anxious too. She paced back and forth across the room, growing increasingly restless.
The fate of the Gu Family was at stake. Even this usually composed mistress of