Back in his dorm, Gu Zhen habitually checked his phone and noticed it ringing, displaying a familiar name on the screen: Yao Wen
Seeing the name, Gu Zhen recalled a gentle woman with short hair—his predecessor adoptive mother.
He wasn't sure why she was calling him now.
But with a casual guess, he figured it couldn't be anything good, so he promptly hung up.
His time was for cultivation—where would he find the time to deal with such nonsense?
Not long after, the phone rang again. Annoyed, Gu Zhen blocked the number and ignored it.
After handling that, he took out a star power enhancement potion, downed it, and began cultivating.
....
Gu Yue glanced at Yao Wen, who put down her phone and shook her head.
"That ungrateful brat actually hung up on me!"
Gu Yue face darkened as he slammed his palm onto the wooden table.
"If I catch him, I'll beat some manners into him!"
"Maybe we should just let it go…" Yao Wen offered carefully. "Gu Yi got those resources on his own...It wouldn't be right to…."
"Let it go?"
Gu Yue cut her off sharply. "Right now, Gu Ming needs all the resources he can get! The academy and family share isn't enough! That F-rank loser is just wasting everything anyway!"
His tone grew more agitated with every word.
"We raised him for sixteen years. Asking for a few resources in return—what's the problem? And now he even dares to block my calls? He has grown wings, huh?!"
Yao Wen flinched at his rage but said nothing further. She was merely a Realm-one Star Martial Artist with a low-tier F-rank superpower. In a family where strength was everything, her words held no weight.
In the world of Star Martial Artists, Power dictated Authority.
If Yao Wen had been stronger, perhaps things would be the other way around. Gu Yue would be the one lowering his head.
Suddenly, Gu Yue eyes lit up.
I've got it!
"He's still listed as a member of the Gu Family. That means he's still bound by family rules."
"If he breaks those rules…" A cruel smile spread across his face. "Let's see how the family punishes him!"
Without another word, he rushed out of the room.
The Gu Family, being one of the top three families in Sunmoon City, had thousands of members and a rigid internal system. Gu Zhen might have been cast aside, but his name hadn't yet been erased from the family registry.
That meant he was still bound by family law.
Once you joined a clan like the Gu Family, getting out wasn't easy.
Gu Yue was from a side branch, while Gu Lang, the elder he was about to visit, belonged to a distant collateral line—but one with the potential to become a main branch. The difference in their status reflected in where they lived.
After a 20-minute walk across the sprawling family estate, Gu Yue finally arrived at a grand courtyard.
There, sitting in quiet contemplation, was Gu Lang, one of the Gu family Discipline Elders.
"Uncle Lang," Gu Yue greeted with utmost respect.
"Ah, Gu Yue! Come in, sit," Gu Lang said with a smile, quickly recognizing the young man. His relationship with Gu Yue father was close, and Gu Ming—Gu Yue son—had shown impressive talent so it was worth remembering.
"Uncle Lang, I actually came today to ask for a favor," Gu Yue began.
"Gu Yue, as long as it doesn't cross any lines, I'll definitely help," Gu Lang replied, patting his chest.
Translated, it meant: I'll help if it's minor, but not for big issues, and principles depend on the reward.
"Rest assured, Uncle Lang, it's well within your means," Gu Yue said, pausing before continuing. "Do you remember that kid I adopted?"
"Gu Yi… right?" Gu Lang frowned, thinking hard before recalling Gu Zhen name.
"Exactly"
"But didn't he run away from home?" Gu Lang said slowly. Saying he was kicked out would tarnish the family reputation, so a nicer excuse was used.
"Yeah, but now he's taken some resources from the family. How should we handle it?" Gu Yue said, picking up the cue seamlessly.
"What resources did he take?" Gu Lang asked, sipping tea leisurely.
"A hundred star power enhancement potions," Gu Yue replied without hesitation.
"Pfft!" Gu Lang spat out his tea.
A hundred potions weren't much to him—just a small sum.
Composing himself, Gu Lang regained his calm.
"Alright, I see potential in Gu Ming. I'll personally sponsor him a hundred star power enhancement potions"
"Thank you, Uncle Lang!" Gu Yue said, delighted by the unexpected gain. After his excitement, he cautiously probed about dealing with Gu Zhen. "And about Gu Yi…"
"Don't worry. One thing at a time. Gu Yi is still part of the family. If he's violated clan law, I'll have someone deal with it."
Gu Lang knew full well what Gu Yue meant. And for Gu Ming sake, he didn't mind throwing a little weight around.
"Then I thank you in advance, Uncle Lang."
Three Days Later
Gu Zhen was deep in cultivation when a message popped up on his phone.
It was from Xie Yanwen
"Come to my office to claim your reward."
He quickly left his dorm and headed to her office.
"Teacher," he greeted politely upon arrival.
On the desk were three items:
A small pouch of Starforce Crystals A green potion An old, unassuming skill
The bag of star power crystals was a highly concentrated star power source, a stronger version of the enhancement potions, but harder for someone of Gu Zhen level to absorb.
Star power enhancement potions were essentially diluted star power crystals.
The green potion temporarily boosted mental acuity, sharpening the mind and greatly speeding up star skill learning temporary.
The last was a peculiar star skill called Star Gathering Art. It had no rank and was a half-complete spirit-type skill. Mastering it would allow faster star power channeling, boosting cultivation speed.
However, it was complex to learn, being a book rather than a star skill stone, and wasn't strictly a star technique.
Faced with these three rewards, Gu Zhen made his decision in mere moments.