Translator: Anubis Translations
Gu Feng looked bewildered, instinctively protecting the storage pouch at his waist as he took several steps back, eyeing the crowd with vigilance.
His frightened expression was almost comical.
"Hand it over!" Gu Xing sneered, snatching the storage pouch from Gu Feng's waist. He quickly glanced inside before tossing it to Gu Tianba, who didn't even bother to look and simply fastened it to his own waist.
"Gu Xing is keeping your storage pouch for your own good. The world is a dangerous place, not something a naive youngster like you can handle. There might already be a gang of ruthless thugs waiting outside the Gu family estate, just waiting for you to step out. This huge sum of spirit stones is more of a death warrant for you. It's better to leave it with the Gu family!" Gu Tianba said solemnly.
"You... how can you do this? I'm the outer disciple of the Sunset Glow Sect, personally appointed by Elder Liu. How dare you—"
By the end of his sentence, Gu Feng's voice had grown so faint that even he lacked conviction.
The Gu family members sneered, showing no hint of concern. Did he really think he could make it to the Sunset Glow Sect alive? Would Elder Liu really come to hold the Gu family accountable for the death of an insignificant nobody? Even if he wanted to, without evidence, it would be futile. This kid was overestimating his own importance.
Gu Feng hung his head, fists clenched, his face a mix of frustration, anger, and resentment—a truly vivid expression.
"What? Not willing to leave? Should I have someone carry you out?" Gu Xing stood with his hands behind his back, a slight smirk playing on his lips as he spoke in a mocking tone.
"My... my parents served the family, shed blood for it. You can't treat me like this!"
As soon as he said this, scattered laughter erupted. The Gu family showed no sympathy for Gu Feng, only contempt.
"You're right! If you walk out without a single spirit stone, people might think the Gu family has no humanity, bullying a poor orphan like you!"
Gu Xing nodded slightly, then turned to Gu Tianba, who was seated at the head of the room, and said loudly, "Father, Gu Feng is pitiful. Should we give him some travel money?"
"Hahaha, my son speaks wisely. Generosity is the glorious tradition of our Gu family. After all, Gu Feng still carries our blood. Let's give him a break! Someone, take Gu Feng to the treasury. Let him take whatever he wants, as much as he can carry!" Gu Tianba winked at a disciple beside him, who immediately understood and gave a sinister smile as he approached Gu Feng.
"Shouldn't you thank the family head for his generosity?"
"Thank you, Family Head," Gu Feng muttered, his face filled with resentment. "Can I... have my storage pouch back? Otherwise, I won't be able to carry much."
The storage pouch? Hahaha, what is this kid thinking? Doesn't he understand this is a blatant insult? What a fool.
"Follow me. Of course, you can choose to leave right now," the guiding disciple said disdainfully.
"I... fine, I'll take it!"
After Gu Feng left, the Gu family members in the meeting hall burst into laughter.
"Gu Feng has no backbone. Should we spare his life?"
"For safety's sake, it's better to kill him."
"Poor thing. If Gu Tianqing knew his son was such a coward, he'd probably kick open his coffin in anger."
"Hahaha—"
After passing through several corridors, they reached the Gu family treasury—a three-story building guarded by disciples and protective arrays.
"Go in. You only have half an incense stick's worth of time. Make the most of it."
Gu Feng entered the treasury with a grim expression. As soon as he stepped inside, he bypassed the elixirs, weapons, and cultivation manuals, heading straight for the spirit stone storage room.
The valuable items were all protected by arrays, so he couldn't take them even if he wanted to. Even if he could, he wouldn't be able to get them out. His target had always been the spirit stones.
Soon, he arrived at the spirit stone storage room. The sight was dazzling—a room filled to the brim with diamond-shaped crystals. A rough estimate put the number at over two million.
It was the end of the year, and all of the Gu family's external funds had been gathered, counted, and were ready to be distributed. This sum of spirit stones was crucial to the operation of the entire Gu family's business chain. If it were lost, the upstream and downstream merchants would be in chaos, and the Gu family would inevitably decline.
Gu Feng was no innocent lamb. From the very beginning, he had been plotting to bring down the Gu family.
With a simple trick, he had succeeded, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.
Of course, now was not the time for pride. The urgent task was to move all these spirit stones into three incense burners, transforming them into divine fluid. Once he reached a safe place, he could slowly refine them and turn them into his own strength.
With this in mind, Gu Feng wasted no time. He rolled up his sleeves, and the pile of spirit stones in the room visibly decreased.
He was drenched in sweat, his face flushed, his spirits at an all-time high.
These weren't just piles of spirit stones—they were the stepping stones to his rise. With these spirit stones, his strength would undoubtedly take another leap.
As the half incense stick of time was about to run out, Gu Feng had emptied the entire room of spirit stones. He collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
After catching his breath, he wiped the sweat from his forehead, straightened his robe, and steadied his emotions. With his head hanging low, he slowly walked out of the treasury, picking up a long sword and a few bottles of elixirs along the way.
"Oh, you're right on time!" The disciple guarding the treasury glanced at the items in Gu Feng's arms and almost burst out laughing.
No eye for quality, picking up worthless stuff. And he had the nerve to call himself a young master. What a joke.
After being inspected by the crowd in the meeting hall, Gu Feng was finally allowed to leave the Gu family.
"Hahaha, Xing'er, you're too harsh. Gu Feng only took three bottles of elixirs, and you insisted on taking two back," Gu Tianba laughed heartily.
"Father, even the worst elixirs aren't picked up off the ground. Even though he's going to die soon, what if he takes them on the road? That would be a waste," Gu Xing chuckled.
"My son speaks wisely. As the future head of the family, you must strictly control unnecessary expenses. Only then can our Gu family continue to prosper!"
"I will remember your teachings, Father. I'll make some preparations and set out after dark to kill that kid."
"Good, go. Take a few more people with you."
...
Gu Feng stood at the entrance of the Gu family, his silhouette desolate. He muttered curses under his breath as the gatekeepers chased him away, leaving in a state of disheveled indignation.
"Ah, a fat sheep gone. Gu Feng didn't even have a storage pouch with him."
"We expected as much. That fool would rather let the Gu family benefit than us!"
"The Gu family is really something, letting Gu Feng take only a few hundred spirit stones, a worthless sword, and a bottle of elixirs."
"Let's scatter. It's all worthless stuff, not worth our time."
"..."
The ruthless figures lurking around the Gu family lost interest upon seeing Gu Feng's pitiful state and quickly dispersed.
Walking along the main road of Cloud Dwelling City, Gu Feng headed straight for the city gate.
Outside the gate, he turned to look at the place where he had lived for eighteen years, feeling a sense of nostalgia. "Cloud Dwelling City, I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to return in this lifetime."
With that, he turned away with a flourish and walked toward the distant future.
From the moment he stepped out of Cloud Dwelling City, the legendary life that belonged to him began to unfold!
(End of the Chapter)
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