For the next two days, Gu Chen stayed behind closed doors and devoted himself to cultivation.
Ever since Elder Hua had revealed a few things about Huaxia's martial artists to him, Gu Chen had known full well that Grandmaster Realm martial artists were not uncommon on Earth. If he did not hurry and cultivate, he would soon be left behind. Yet on Earth, in this Dharma-ending age, spiritual energy was so scarce it was almost negligible, and Gu Chen's progress was minuscule.
He understood that it was time to find a place rich in spiritual energy. At the very least, he needed to set up a Spirit Gathering Array to gather the sparse spiritual energy for his cultivation.
Meanwhile, Gu Beichi was busy with company affairs. That afternoon, he dragged his weary body home, exhaustion written all over his face. Even so, he knocked on Gu Chen's door.
"Dad, is something wrong?" Gu Chen emerged from his cultivation and looked at his father in puzzlement.
Gu Beichi already knew something about Gu Chen taking a leave of absence from school, and he also knew that Gu Chen had come first in his grade. So he had not interfered much with Gu Chen's decision. After all, Gu Chen was grown up, and there were many things it was not his place to question.
"There's a banquet tonight. Did you know?" Gu Beichi's voice was somewhat heavy.
A smile curved Gu Chen's lips. "It's the Zhou Family's birthday banquet for Zhou Xue'er, right?"
"That's right." There was no trace of relief on Gu Beichi's face. Instead, his expression grew even more solemn. "The Zhou Family has been pressuring us to call off the engagement for the past month. Although you said last time that you were going to cast Zhou Xue'er aside, word hasn't spread among Zhou City's upper circles. This banquet will probably be a Hongmen banquet. So I've decided to go by myself. You stay home."
"You're going alone?" Gu Chen was a little surprised.
Gu Beichi nodded. "It's Zhou Xue'er's twentieth birthday. Most of Zhou City's upper crust will surely be invited. If the Zhou Family takes the opportunity to make things difficult at an occasion like this... I'm enough to handle them on my own."
The implication was that he feared Gu Chen would not be able to withstand the pressure from the Zhou Family.
But Gu Chen did not answer. Instead, he walked straight to the corner of the room, opened the wardrobe, and began picking out clothes.
Gu Beichi was taken aback. "What are you doing?"
"Getting changed and going with you." Gu Chen's answer was simple and clear.
"You can't go!" Gu Beichi's expression changed. "Although they invited you to this banquet, the Zhou Family has clearly come prepared. They're using Zhou Xue'er's birthday as a pretext to target you specifically!"
Gu Chen turned around with a harmless smile on his face. "Dad, I'll tell you the truth. The only thing I'm afraid of is that the Zhou Family won't make trouble, that they won't tear off the mask and show their true faces!"
"You..." Gu Beichi opened his mouth, but found himself at a loss for words.
Gu Chen took a deep breath and continued, "Dad, you saw what happened with Xu Zhongwen. I'm capable of helping you shoulder the burden now. Besides, how could I let you go alone? Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
"How can Xu Zhongwen be compared to the Zhou Family? The Zhou Family is one of Zhou City's three great families..." Gu Beichi tried to persuade him further.
"It's just the Zhou Family, isn't it?" Gu Chen cut him off coldly. "They were the ones who wanted this marriage alliance in the first place, and now they want to break the engagement. How can they have it both ways? Dad, don't forget who we are. When has our Gu Family ever feared anyone in Huaxia? If Grandpa were still alive and saw me shrinking back like a coward, relying on you to take the bullets for me, he'd look down on me even in his grave!"
His words set Gu Beichi's blood boiling.
His expression changed several times before he finally gazed deeply at Gu Chen. A surge of heroic ambition welled up in his heart!
"Son, well said! If you're not afraid, what have I to fear? We'll go together!"
Gu Chen had already changed into a sharp suit. He walked out of the room and smiled faintly. "Dad, let's go!"
At five thirty that evening, Gu Chen and his father set out on time.
Zhu Jian, the vice president of Gu Beichi's company, had also been invited. His face was alight with excitement as he personally drove the two of them.
Zhu Jian was a capable aide Gu Beichi had discovered after coming to Zhou City. He was sincere and exceptionally capable, which was why Gu Beichi had felt comfortable entrusting him with such an important position.
For an ordinary man like Zhu Jian, receiving an invitation from a wealthy family for the first time was undoubtedly exciting. Even shifting gears and pressing the accelerator felt much smoother than before. Gu Beichi, sitting in the back seat, presented a sharp contrast.
Gu Beichi was dressed in a suit and leather shoes, with an extraordinary bearing. But there was not the slightest trace of joy on his face. Instead, it was frighteningly gloomy. He gripped Gu Chen's hand tightly, looking somewhat nervous.
"Dad, relax," Gu Chen said softly, trying to comfort his father.
In this life, even with Gu Chen here beside him, his father was still this nervous. In his previous life, when Gu Beichi had ventured into the dragon's pool and tiger's den alone because Gu Chen had broken his leg, things had probably been even more harrowing.
Gu Chen gripped his father's hand in return, a determined light flashing in his eyes. He swore to himself that today, not only would he let no one subject his father to the slightest insult, he would also pay back every humiliation they had suffered before!
"Even the king of heaven himself can't stop me!"
The Zhou Family was, after all, a distinguished family in Zhou City. The Zhou Group had vast holdings, and its villa had been built like a small estate. It was located in the most affluent residential district on the outskirts of Zhou City. The neighborhood was filled with buildings combining Chinese and Western styles, surrounded by woods, fishponds, lakes, and sports courts, and covered an enormous area.
The entire estate was decked out in lanterns and decorations, bustling with activity. Guests arrived in an endless stream, and even the parking spaces were filled with luxury cars. Some people of lower status could not drive their cars inside at all and had to park outside.
The drive here had taken only half an hour. It was exactly six o'clock, but many people had already arrived early. After all, banquets for the wealthy usually began around seven. They had come early not only to show respect to Zhou Xue'er, whose birthday it was, but also to the Zhou Family.
After Zhu Jian found a parking space and parked the car, servants of the Zhou Family came out to receive them.
In his previous life, Gu Chen had often visited the Zhou Family residence because of the marriage alliance between the two families. Now, seeing the familiar surroundings again, he could no longer feel the slightest ripple in his heart.
The first floor of the Zhou Family's villa was now decorated as magnificently as a hotel. Everyone invited by the Zhou Family was a person of standing in Zhou City. And a banquet was not only a way to show the hosts respect, but also a good place for members of high society to discuss business and cultivate connections.
Before he even entered the hall, Gu Chen heard a roar of voices. Everywhere were men in suits and tailcoats and wealthy ladies and young women in evening gowns and exquisite jewelry. Together, they made a dazzling sight.
"Zhu Jian, go look around for a while," Gu Beichi said.
Zhu Jian had also sensed that something was amiss. After all, given the relationship between the Gu Family and the Zhou Family, someone should have come to greet them, whatever the circumstances. Yet even now, when the Zhou Family's masters of ceremonies or servants saw Gu Chen and his father, they acted as though they had not seen them and quickly looked away.
So, when Gu Beichi spoke, he nodded and parted from them.
Since no one had come to greet them, Gu Beichi did not make an issue of it. He prepared to find somewhere to sit down.