Chapter 22: His Sights Set Elsewhere—Escorting Cargo in His Father’s Stead!
These past few days, the threshold of the Gu household had nearly worn through from all the traffic.
Headmaster Lu of Shiyang Academy paid a personal visit, presenting 120 taels in gift-silver on behalf of the academy, celebrating Gu Lin’s stunning rise to claim a seeded spot.
That sum roughly matched three full years of Gu Lin’s academy tuition.
The chief escort of the Tongxing Escort Agency sent along 10 taels of silver as well, and chubby Wang Mu’s father, Shopkeeper Wang, waved a generous hand and gifted 10 taels plus twenty bolts of fine silk.
The county office sent 10 taels.
The Shiyang Merchants’ Guild sent 15 taels.
The Gu Family had gone from destitute to comfortably well-off in the span of a single day!
In the main hall, Zhou Man tallied up the gift money, unable to contain her excitement:
“Lin’er, we really ought to hurry and buy ourselves a proper house.”
Gu Lin smiled.
“Mother, no rush. Let’s see how things stand a month from now.”
He was confident his family’s true home would end up in Chu Province itself!
There was no way he could stay in Shiyang County any longer—Deputy Magistrate Zhao had already marked him. An ordinary man’s very possession of something valuable became his crime; the Zhao Family held near-total dominance over Shiyang County.
Gu Changchuan nodded, clapping his son on the shoulder.
“I have faith Jingming can become a Blade-Bearer!”
Just as he spoke, a knock sounded at the courtyard gate once more.
Three visitors this time, all clad in sword-master robes.
The one leading them looked to be in his early forties, carrying himself with commanding presence, three sword cases strapped across his back.
“Please, have some tea,” Gu Changchuan offered, presenting fragrant tea leaves.
He’d made a point of buying this particular tea that very morning—the Gu Family had finally earned some standing in Shiyang County, and with distinguished guests calling, he could hardly serve them well water any longer.
“Young Master Gu,” the leading figure said, smiling as he came straight to the point:
“I am an inner-sect elder of the True Sword Sect of Chuwei Prefecture. The True Sword Sect extends a most sincere invitation for you to join us, with the promise of inner-disciple status.”
“Our True Sword Sect has a Life’s Mandate-realm powerhouse holding the seat of authority, and every one of our inner-sect elders stands at the advanced Cavern Mystery realm!”
The moment he finished, Gu Changchuan hastily cupped his fists in greeting, speaking with deep respect:
“So it’s the True Sword Sect—forgive us for not welcoming you properly!”
Among the sects and factions of Chuwei Prefecture, the True Sword Sect ranked comfortably within the top ten, a truly formidable power!
The elder studied Gu Lin without blinking.
‘Strike first while the iron’s hot—this young man’s talent is extraordinary, his willpower nothing short of terrifying. He’s exactly the raw material a swordsman dreams of.’
Gu Lin declined without a moment’s hesitation.
“I have no plans to join any sect at this time, I’m afraid.”
The elder couldn’t hide his disappointment, upping the offer further:
“Should you be willing to join the True Sword Sect, the sect promises to settle your parents comfortably as well—your father could serve as a shopkeeper in one of the sect’s own establishments, and your mother could oversee the procurement of sword-robes for the sect’s disciples.”
Gu Changchuan’s eyes went wide with shock.
There was no question—this was an extraordinarily generous offer!!
Still, he said nothing. His son had already proven himself capable of standing on his own; however much a father he might be, he couldn’t make this decision for his son.
Gu Lin smiled faintly and remained firm in his refusal.
He possessed the Book of Merit—there was no possibility of him hiding away cultivating within some sect. He needed official backing, the legal authority to hunt down evildoers, so he could grow strong as quickly as possible.
The elder frowned deeply and let out a quiet sigh.
The reason he’d offered such generous terms in the first place was precisely because of Gu Lin’s terrifying willpower—a trait that aligned perfectly with the way of the sword.
The elder set down his teacup and rose, saying with a smile:
“Then let us hope Young Master Gu makes a fine showing at the Sacred Ground selection trial.”
Of course, should Gu Lin stumble and fail at the trial, the True Sword Sect would surely come calling again.
Though by then, the terms would certainly look quite different—significantly reduced, without question.
“Allow me to see you off,” Gu Lin said, personally escorting the three sword-bearing guests to the door.
Less than half a shichen later, another party arrived.
Leading them was a still-elegant, striking woman, with two men and one woman standing behind her. The young woman among them had eyes like clear autumn water, a single beauty mark between her brows, features of unrivaled loveliness, her figure graceful and lithe—all four of them wore flutes hanging at their waists.
“We come from the Heavenly Sound Sect,” the elegant woman said, her smile blooming like a flower.
Gu Changchuan was genuinely startled, cupping his fists in the most respectful greeting he could manage.
‘The Heavenly Sound Sect!’
Also ranked within Chuwei Prefecture’s top ten, and several times more powerful than the True Sword Sect!
“Young Master Gu, might you have any interest in joining the Heavenly Sound Sect?” the elegant woman asked, coming straight to the point, her smile warm:
“Should Young Master Gu agree, you would enter as an inner-sect disciple from the start, cultivating our finest arts and martial techniques.”
She too had come for Gu Lin’s willpower specifically.
Gu Lin’s talent alone, however impressive, wouldn’t have been enough to warrant her personal visit.
But willpower extraordinary enough to effortlessly defeat Shiyang County’s own Young Master Qilin—that was more than worth the Heavenly Sound Sect’s personal attention.
Gu Changchuan kept his composure outwardly, though pride swelled within him—his son, so sought-after by everyone. How could he not feel delighted?
Still, he found himself curious—why hadn’t the Heavenly Sound Sect named any specific terms?
The True Sword Sect had come with an offer full of genuine sincerity!
A moment later, the elegant woman glanced toward the exquisitely beautiful young woman behind her and spoke unhurriedly:
“I understand Young Master Gu remains unmarried. Qing’er here is the beloved daughter of our inner-sect Protector Liu—I do believe the two of you would make a rather fitting match.”
Inside the house, Zhou Man rose onto her toes, gripping the curtain tight, nearly bursting to say yes on her son’s behalf right then and there.
Gu Changchuan’s face was a mask of astonishment, a flicker of genuine delight surfacing deep in his eyes.
‘They’d even throw in a wife?’
This had to be the perfect sect, without question!
And her standing was hardly modest, either!
Now this—this was a truly generous offer!!
Something stirred in Gu Lin’s eyes, ripples spreading through his thoughts.
Truthfully, the vast majority of martial cultivators pursued nothing more than wealth, companionship, arts, and territory—join the Heavenly Sound Sect, and he’d have all four at once.
But he was different.
That night, he’d been forced into the humiliating role of a cauldron, utterly at another’s mercy, without the slightest power to resist, without even the right to preserve his own dignity.
He never, ever wanted to feel that way again.
He was determined to climb to the very peak—he had no interest in living out a mediocre life within the Heavenly Sound Sect.
Seeing Gu Lin appear to be considering it, Qing’er’s face bloomed with a shy, bashful expression.
But then—
“I’m afraid I have no such intentions,” Gu Lin said, his tone full of apology.
Qing’er’s lips pressed into a thin line, a cold frost settling over her stunning features.
The elegant woman nodded gently, saying no more, offering only a light smile:
“The Heavenly Sound Sect’s gates will always remain open to you.”
With that, she lingered no further, leading her people away.
She had recognized, clearly, Gu Lin’s unwavering resolve to charge into the Sacred Ground selection trial.
The Four Great Sacred Grounds represented power granted directly from the very heart of the dynasty—everyone yearned for it, everyone longed for it, which was precisely why they carried the honored title of “Sacred Grounds.”
But that threshold had shattered the dreams of countless supremely gifted young people before him—prodigies with talent far exceeding Young Master Gu’s had smashed their heads bloody against it. What real hope could Young Master Gu possibly have?
“Lin’er, whatever you choose, your father supports you fully,” Gu Changchuan said with a smile.
Gu Lin nodded.
***
Over the next three days, more sects came calling one after another, though these ranked only somewhere in the twenties or thirties within Chuwei Prefecture. Various offers and terms were laid out, and Gu Lin turned down every single one.
Things finally settled into quiet, yet Gu Lin found himself unusually anxious.
Time slipped away day by day, and he remained stuck at Energy Condensation Third Tier.
His true combat strength, without question, matched or exceeded Seventh Tier—and with his Literary Palace’s Righteous Energy unleashed, he could hold his own even against Eighth Tier.
But set against the Sacred Ground selection trial itself, that still wasn’t nearly enough.
‘If I have a trump card, why wouldn’t others have their own?’
‘Even a wretched woman like Li Qingwu had managed to pull out a formidable secret art—so what about the top talent from every other county academy across the prefecture? Their methods would surely prove endless and unpredictable.’
The pressure weighed on him heavily, leaving him deeply unsettled.
At the dinner table, Zhou Man and Gu Changchuan chatted idly.
Zhou Man frowned and scolded him:
“We’re not short on money now—skip this grain-escort run. Risking yourself for a single tael’s pay just isn’t worth it.”
The job should have already gone out days earlier, but the chief escort had specifically granted her husband leave; now he’d have to set out tomorrow.
Gu Changchuan set down his chopsticks and pushed back:
“That money belongs to Lin’er. Besides, I’m still in my prime—should I just sit around waiting for Lin’er to support me? And the chief escort has shown me real kindness over the years; it’s only right I fulfill my duty.”
“Don’t worry about safety—the route’s already been planned, and we have the proper travel documents from the authorities.”
Hearing this, Gu Lin spoke up quickly:
“Father, let me run this escort job in your place.”
Gu Changchuan turned to look at him.
Gu Lin continued at an unhurried pace:
“I’d like to use the trip to clear my head, settle my nerves, and prepare myself properly for the Sacred Ground selection trial.”
Gu Changchuan clearly wasn’t convinced by this explanation. He fell silent for a moment, then walked back into the inner room.
He knew his son surely had some secret behind this. But since his son had proposed it himself, he decided not to ask, and simply agreed.
He brought out a sheet of paper covered densely with route markings, laying out the planned escort path.
Gu Changchuan made a point of emphasizing:
“Whatever you do, don’t stray from the route. Stick to this path exactly, keep the patrol officers along the way properly taken care of, and there won’t be any trouble.”
Gu Lin carefully put away the map.
His whole purpose was to stray from the route.
He was practically hoping to run into bandits!!
“Don’t worry, Father.” Gu Lin produced the token given to him by the Blade-Bearers, smiling as he spoke:
“With this in hand, before the Sacred Ground selection trial concludes, hardly anyone would dare give me trouble.”
Gu Changchuan nodded without a word. It was precisely because of that token—that talisman of protection—that he’d agreed to let his son take on the escort job at all; otherwise, there was simply no way he would have allowed it.
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