My Back Aches

Over the past few days, rumors had sprung up throughout the Imperial Capital.

Rumors about the empire's God of War, Gu Lingxiao, bringing ruin to the nation and misery to its people at the border had spread like wildfire, fanned by those with ulterior motives.

The matter had sparked fierce debate in the Imperial Capital.

Some believed it was entirely fabricated, a deliberate attempt to slander the Gu Lineage.

Others, however, believed that while Old Chancellor Gu was indeed a loyal minister and an accomplished commander, the same might not hold true for his descendants.

Opinions varied, and no conclusion had been reached.

But as public opinion fermented, the Gu Lineage's reputation had nonetheless suffered greatly.

Meanwhile, in a private room at a luxurious restaurant in the Imperial Capital.

Zhang You, whose injuries had mostly healed, sat across from a young man dressed in snow-white robes, peerlessly handsome.

With a flattering smile, Zhang You said, "Young master, that move of yours was brilliant. These days, everyone in every street and alley of the Imperial Capital is talking.

"They say the General Who Guards the North has spent all these years at the frontier committing deeds that outrage heaven and defy all decency, embezzling untold amounts of gold and silver.

"It won't be long before the Gu Lineage's reputation for loyalty and virtue starts to stink."

The white-robed young man shook his head slightly.

"Mere rumors cannot shake the Gu Lineage's standing in the Great Li Dynasty.

"Once Old Chancellor Gu emerges from seclusion, given his prestige among the people and his influence in both military and political circles,

"these rumors will vanish like smoke and clouds."

Zhang You ventured, "Young master, are you using this move to pressure the Gu Lineage, probe the Right Chancellor's situation, and force him to show himself?"

The white-robed young man shook his head again.

"That old chancellor is far too formidable, both in seniority and in personal strength.

"Using ordinary political schemes against him would only turn cleverness into folly.

"The elders of my Huangfu Lineage have more thorough arrangements for dealing with him. He is not my target."

Zhang You's eyes shifted.

"You mean...?"

The white-robed young man said calmly, "In the Gu Lineage's second generation, Gu Lingxiao guards the frontier. Though he is mediocre and incompetent, arrogant, extravagant, and debauched,

"he does command a powerful army and hold the border. It would be difficult for us to affect him."

"In the Gu Lineage's third generation, the eldest daughter, Gu Yanshuang, possesses extraordinary talent and serves as deputy commander of the Tiger Guard, one of the Twelve Imperial Guard Divisions.

"She is the one holding up the Gu Lineage now-a tough bone to gnaw.

"As for the second daughter, Gu Qingxuan, a powerful martial artist supposedly took her as a disciple when she was young. She left home to cultivate, and there has been no word of her since."

At this point, the white-robed young man tapped his fingertips against the table.

"The greatest weakness in the Gu Lineage's third generation is still that Third Young Master of the Gu Family, Gu Chenfeng!"

Hearing Gu Chenfeng's name, Zhang You immediately recalled that day at the Rare Beast Garden.

The pain of that bastard whipping him until his head bled, crushing his hip beneath his foot, and swindling away his banknotes.

Venom filled his eyes.

"Young master, last time you said you already had an idea for dealing with that bastard...?"

Rather than answering, the white-robed young man asked a question.

"I hear Gu Chenfeng composed a poem called 'Drunken West Chamber' at the Thousand Beauties Pavilion a while ago, and it made his name throughout the Imperial Capital?"

Zhang You scoffed.

"Hmph, an ignorant wastrel like Gu Chenfeng can write poetry?

"Who knows whom he hired to write it for him? Yet he actually managed to win Lady Su's heart with it.

"Whenever I think of that bastard getting to hear Lady Su's 'most enchanting' voice, my heart aches!"

The white-robed young man gave a quiet, knowing smile.

"I was still wondering how to lure Gu Chenfeng into the game. This poem came at precisely the right time.

"I will make Gu Chenfeng and the Gu Lineage stink for ten thousand years-and use him to obtain that item from the Gu Lineage."

At this, Zhang You's eyes also lit up with excitement.

"Young master, what exactly is your plan?"

Using his folding fan as a brush, the white-robed young man wrote three characters on the table.

"Golden Kylin Gathering!"

Clack!

Inside a private room at the Thousand Beauties Pavilion.

Gu Chenfeng casually tossed an exquisitely decorated invitation onto the table.

"What Golden Kylin Gathering? Never heard of it."

Across from him, Ouyang Cai picked up the invitation with a smug expression.

"Third Young Master, you've never even heard of the Golden Kylin Gathering?

"It's an annual highlight of the Imperial Capital's literary world.

"Not only will prominent families with scholarly traditions from the Imperial Capital attend,

"but so will talented scholars from the Imperial Academy, upright civil officials from the Imperial Capital, and even the great Confucian scholars of our age.

"Ordinary people could never get an invitation from them."

"Oh... so it's a high-end cultural salon in the Imperial Capital."

"A salon?" Ouyang Cai looked puzzled.

"If it's a literary gathering, why did they invite me?"

Gu Chenfeng felt that his reputation ought to earn him a place at the Imperial Capital's "Consort Selection Contest."

Ouyang Cai explained, "Third Young Master, that 'Drunken West Chamber' you dedicated to Lady Su has shaken the literary world. How could the Golden Kylin Gathering leave you out?

"Besides, the Golden Kylin Gathering is hosted by the Shangguan Lineage, and this time, Shangguan Bingxin is organizing it.

"She personally sent out the invitations, asking both of us to attend."

"Shangguan Bingxin."

Gu Chenfeng recalled that intelligent, beautiful woman.

Then he remembered the jade pendant at her waist.

It could actually elicit a response from the Phantom Martial Divine Ruins.

When they parted at the Rare Beast Garden, he had even entrusted a Silvermoon Demon Wolf cub to her care.

He had originally intended to use this to "stock his fishpond," spend more time with her, and figure out what that jade pendant did.

But lately, he had been so busy cultivating and refining pills that he had forgotten even the fish in his pond.

To think she had now approached him of her own accord.

"It makes sense that she invited me, but she invited you too...?"

Gu Chenfeng's gaze was rather impolite.

Ouyang Cai's face reddened as he explained, "My literary talent is indeed slightly inferior to yours, Third Young Master, but holding the Golden Kylin Gathering costs money.

"My Ouyang family contributed quite a bit to this gathering."

"Oh... so you bought your way into the cast. That makes sense."

"Third Young Master, are you going or not? I need to give Miss Shangguan an answer."

"I'll think about it. I've been working day and night lately. I'm honestly a little tired."

Gu Chenfeng yawned and rubbed his lower back, his gaze unconsciously flicking toward the west chamber on the top floor.

He truly had been too busy these past few days.

Ever since breaking through to the Source Qi Realm, Gu Chenfeng's strength had increased dramatically.

The explosive growth in his physique and strength meant his potential had increased as well.

To stabilize his cultivation as quickly as possible and turn it into combat power,

Gu Chenfeng had been spending his nights in the Phantom Martial Divine Ruins, practicing the Iron Elephant Art and the Tiger-Subduing Spear Technique.

During the day, he had to come to the Thousand Beauties Pavilion to refine pills.

After all, he had signed a contract with the Myriad Treasures House, and Liu Fuyan had been generous enough to give him a Source-Melting Pill outright.

As promised, Gu Chenfeng also had to refine more pills for delivery.

Today, for instance, he had spent another entire day refining pills, leaving his lower back aching.

To Ouyang Cai's ears, however, those words were naked boasting.

By now, who in the Imperial Capital did not know that the Third Young Master of the Gu Family visited the Thousand Beauties Pavilion every day for secret trysts with Lady Su?

The two went at it from daylight until dark. With the Third Young Master's constitution, how could his kidneys take it?

Of course, no matter how much the Third Young Master's back ached, it could not compare to the ache in Ouyang Cai's heart.

After all, Lady Su had once been an inviolable goddess in his heart as well.

Now, however, she shared the Third Young Master's bed.

Even though he had already accepted the truth,

seeing Gu Chenfeng flaunt it like this still left Ouyang Cai feeling stifled.

"Enough said, Third Young Master. I'm going home to tackle Three-Star!"

Gu Chenfeng was astonished.

"You've already broken through to two-star Body Tempering?"

Ouyang Cai shook his head. "No. A few days ago, I took a concubine at three-star Body Tempering Realm."

"Fucking impressive!"

Gu Chenfeng gave him a thumbs-up.

After Ouyang Cai left, Gu Chenfeng picked up the invitation once more.

His fingers stroked the cover, a sharp gleam flickering in his eyes.

"The Golden Kylin Gathering, three days from now..."