Chapter 1623. Today, I’ll not return until I’m drunk; I’m so happy that I got ahead of myself

Ouyang Ji’s directness was also quite unexpected to Ling Yuxian. Who would have thought that the aggressive posture he had earlier would be because of this reason?

However, this didn’t rule out the possibility that Ouyang Ji was doing it on purpose, trying to put on a show for the outside world.

Gu Changge could actually guess Ouyang Ji’s general intention. He was a smart guy, and right now, he was exactly the kind of person Gu Changge needed by his side.

“Gu Gongzi, rest assured, whether you agree or not, whatever has happened today, I can swear on my Dao heart that I will not reveal a single word of it,” Ouyang Ji said sincerely, ignoring Ling Yuxian’s arrival. “Chu Xinyue is very arrogant and conceited, thinking I’m infatuated with her beauty, but I was just deliberately flattering her. A woman like her is too self-important. If you need, I can take her down at any time and use her as leverage to make Chu Gucheng hesitate.”

Gu Changge glanced at him, smiled faintly, and said, “There’s no need for that. Since you’ve said it, how could I not trust you?”

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ji’s face showed joy. He took out a jade token from his bosom and handed it to Gu Changge. “As a token of sincerity, this is my life token. Gu Gongzi can use this to contact me at any time. If there’s anything, just give the order.”

Having said this, he looked at Ling Yuxian with a hint of apology and said, “Earlier, I acted hastily, and I may have offended you. I hope Miss Yuxian can forgive me.”

He didn’t know the relationship between Ling Yuxian and Gu Changge, but seeing Ling Yuxian standing silently by the side while the two spoke made it clear that their relationship was far from ordinary.

After finishing his words, Ouyang Ji didn’t stay any longer. He left the life token behind, bowed, and directly turned to leave.

Gu Changge watched his departing figure, his gaze carrying a hint of intrigue. He didn’t say anything more. He looked at the life token Ouyang Ji had handed over and casually put it away. This token might come in handy later. After all, since Ouyang Ji had said so, he was bound to offer something as a pledge.

“I thought he was an idiot who didn’t know his place, but it seems he’s not so foolish after all,” Ling Yuxian said after Ouyang Ji had left, glancing at Gu Changge.

She had heard most of their conversation, and she was also surprised. So, Gu Changge intended to deal with the Xianchu Haotu? But what did he think he could do? How could he shake an entire force like Xianchu Haotu with just his own power? That seemed a little unrealistic.

“People who get this far are rarely idiots. They just know how to assess the situation and cater to their own interests,” Gu Changge replied with a smile.

Ling Yuxian nodded, thought for a moment, and then curiously asked, “Are you really planning to deal with the Xianchu Haotu? But you and the Xianchu Haotu don’t seem to have any grudges?”

Gu Changge looked at her and smiled, “When did I say that I’m going to deal with the Xianchu Haotu? Isn’t it the Xianchu Haotu that wants to deal with me, to take revenge for Chu Xiaocheng’s offspring, Chu Xiao?”

“If you don’t want to say more, then forget it,” Ling Yuxian muttered, rolling her eyes. She didn’t believe his words.

The longer she interacted with Gu Changge, the more she found herself unable to see through him. His thoughts and intentions were hard to guess, hard to fathom.

This feeling of being surrounded by a fog sometimes drove her crazy. She wanted to catch him and dig into him to find out the truth.

However, the more she tried, the more she realized that she was, unknowingly, growing more and more curious about him.

Everything about him had become so interesting, to the point where her interest in him was almost greater than her obsession with cultivating and becoming stronger.

Ouyang Ji came quickly, but he also left quickly. The group of powerful disciples from the Xiaoyao Heavenly Palace, who had confronted the elders of the Yuxian Palace, also retreated rapidly, and no real battle occurred.

However, the commotion caused by this incident still caught the attention of many cultivators and factions in the capital of Xianchu Haotu. Many rushed to the scene in the first instance, eager to watch the excitement.

No one knew the reason why the young master of the Xiaoyao Heavenly Palace, Ouyang Ji, had a conflict with the Yuxian Palace. But many cultivators noticed that when Ouyang Ji left, he looked quite disheveled, covered in injuries, with blood at the corner of his mouth, and his aura was extremely weak.

This scene, witnessed by many cultivators, led to various rumors and speculations. Especially when people connected this to the fact that Ouyang Ji, the young master of Xiaoyao Heavenly Palace, had been getting closer to Chu Xinyue, the second princess of Xianchu Haotu, lately, it inevitably made people think further.

Could it be that Chu Xinyue had something to do with Ouyang Ji’s actions? Did she make him stir up trouble with the Yuxian Palace? After all, Chu Xinyue’s younger brother, Chu Xiao, had a huge connection to Gu Changge’s death, and now Gu Changge was the eldest senior brother of Yuxian Palace’s Xianyun Sect.

However, some cultivators thought this was unlikely. After all, it was the time of Chu Gucheng’s birthday celebration. As the second princess of Xianchu Haotu, how could Chu Xinyue be so tactless as to do something that would damage the royal family’s reputation?

It was more likely that the young master of Xiaoyao Heavenly Palace was trying to flatter Chu Xinyue, which led him to take such an action.

While all the factions and cultivators were speculating, the Xianchu Haotu royal family quickly issued a clarification. They apologized to Yuxian Palace for the incident and stated that, as the host, they had failed to fulfill their duties, which led to this situation.

At the same time, Xianchu Haotu also warned all factions and sects that at this crucial time, any incident that interfered with the sovereign’s birthday celebration would be seen as a blatant disregard for the rules and an affront to Xianchu Haotu.

Chu Gucheng’s eldest son, the current crown prince of Xianchu Haotu, Chu Wushang, also personally went to the Yuxian Palace’s territory to apologize, hoping to calm Yuxian Palace’s anger.

With the attitude of Xianchu Haotu being so clear, Yuxian Palace naturally could not continue to hold a grudge. After all, there was no real loss in this matter.

Moreover, as the person involved, Gu Changge didn’t say much either.

“I’m sorry, Xinyue. I’ve let you down. I didn’t expect that guy to be so strong. I wasn’t his match at all.”

“Not only could I not avenge you, but I also lost face.”

In a palace, Ouyang Ji’s face was pale and weak as he lay in bed, his aura depleted.

“Young Master Ouyang, don’t say that. I’m already very happy that you tried to help me. Seeing you so seriously injured, I feel very guilty and heartbroken. That guy is indeed ruthless. He struck so hard. This is the true Dao-level holy medicine I brought from the palace; it will help you recover quickly.”

Chu Xinyue stood by the bed, her face filled with guilt. As she spoke, she took an ancient wooden box sealed with a seal from one of her maidservants and personally handed it to Ouyang Ji.As she handed the wooden box to Ouyang Ji, her hand inevitably brushed against his arm.

Chu Xinyue’s eyes deepened instantly. Initially, she had some doubts about Ouyang Ji—how could he be so incompetent? Based on the situation at the time, he had been heavily injured shortly after entering, forcing him to flee quickly.

But from her inspection now, it was clear that Ouyang Ji’s injuries were indeed serious. There was a terrifying and domineering aura lingering in his body, continuously devouring and damaging his vitality.

Ouyang Ji had survived through three Heavenly Decay Tribulations, yet he was so weak in front of Gu Changge, with no ability to resist at all. She had greatly underestimated Gu Changge’s strength.

“Young Master Ouyang, you should rest early. I won’t disturb you further. I’ll come to see you again tomorrow.”

Chu Xinyue understood that this could not be blamed on Ouyang Ji. She suspected that even if she herself faced Gu Changge, her outcome wouldn’t be much better than Ouyang Ji’s.

After Chu Xinyue left, Ouyang Ji shook his head and sat up from the bed. He glanced at the wooden box Chu Xinyue had sent but had no interest in opening it.

“I was originally worried that Chu Xinyue might see through me, but Gu Gongzi is far more terrifying than I imagined. He had already guessed my intentions before I even arrived. He even anticipated that someone would check my injuries afterward, so he deliberately left such severe marks in that palm strike…”

Thinking about this, Ouyang Ji couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of awe. He had never imagined that such a meticulous and calculating person existed in this world—his methods were inscrutable, and his strength was beyond imagination.

If Xianchu Haotu had been schemed against by such a person, even a Great Luo Golden Immortal would likely be unable to save them.

As a result, the guests in the capital of Xianchu Haotu had realized that there were turbulent currents running beneath the surface. The dazzling celebrations, the luxurious food, and the festive dances were probably just a façade.

Nonetheless, this didn’t affect Chu Gucheng’s birthday banquet. The main feast eventually began.

The grand banquet stretched out like an endless dragon, laid out from the imperial palace all the way through the streets.

Brilliant rays of light surged in the sky, celestial mist drifted, and auspicious signs filled the air.

Between the palace towers, silver waterfalls cascaded, and the divine mountains and sacred peaks were wrapped in chaotic aura. Many figures moved between them, resembling celestial beings traveling, much like the Emperor of Heaven inviting his ministers in mythical stories.

The sound of the qin and se, the booming of cauldrons and bells, the golden sounds of jade vibrating, mountains and lakes bordered by blooming immortal lotuses and flowing clear springs—such a scene was nothing short of a heavenly realm.

Among the palace towers, ancient immortal mountains rose and fell, with rays of light shooting in all directions, as if countless auspicious clouds were descending.

“The Tianyu Human Clan presents 9,000 pairs of Ancient Tianyu feathers!”

“We present 90,000 Tianyu Qiankun Immortal Pills!”

“We present 30 million pounds of Eternal Bright Spring Water!”

“The Nine Heavens Dao Sect presents 600 stalks of Nine-Colored Divine Bamboo!”

“We present 300 Original Ancient Magnetic Mines!”

“We present 100 Xuan Yin Heavenly Nests!”

…

One by one, the guests began to offer their gifts. Each item was a rare treasure in the world, capable of causing great tremors in the outside world, and would be fiercely contested by all parties.

For example, among the gifts was the Nine-Colored Divine Bamboo, an incredibly rare material for refining tools, one of the easiest materials to inscribe Dao patterns on in the world.It appeared as though clouds were rising, and mist was swirling, with large amounts of chaotic energy enveloping it. The object was less than six feet long, consisting of nineteen sections.

It was dreamlike and surreal, at times seeming to vanish into nothingness, at times dispersing without form, drifting in the flow of light, incredibly mysterious.

Such a material, even beings at the Dao realm would covet it. And now, six hundred stalks were sent as a gift.

This shocked many of the guests. What kind of wealth and power did one need to have to present such a gift?

The guests attending the birthday banquet were all important figures, each holding great power in their respective sects, factions, and civilizations. Naturally, they would have deep reserves of rare treasures.

Later on, some guests even presented complete ancient world seeds, rough weapon prototypes forged from fragments of the Great Dao, and Void Dao Lakes from deep within space and time. These gifts were exceedingly rare, things that ordinary cultivators had never even heard of.

Even the Saintess of Xiyuan personally appeared and presented a scroll of ancient drawings infused with the radiance of the Dao.

The elders of Yuxian Palace, representing the Yuxian Palace, presented an extraordinary treasure permeated with Dao realm rules. It contained multiple Dao rules within, with an astonishing origin.

The withered ancient Buddha from the Buddhist Kingdom of Lailai presented a string of prayer beads that the Buddha Master always wore. Each bead had an incredible origin, imbued with a deep Zen meaning and radiant Buddhist light. It could suppress evil, containing many unimaginable powers.

The people from the Guangming Temple presented a golden robe with black-and-white Qi flowing through it. The interplay of light and darkness evolved into the divine mystery of Dao giving birth to all things.

An elderly starry figure from the mysterious Yin Ru Cave also presented a mysterious gift—a sealed silk pouch that hadn’t been opened.

Even she didn’t know what was inside; this was a gift personally instructed by the master of Yin Ru Cave, who had asked her to bring it.

The presence of this gift made all the guests incredibly curious. No one had heard of Yin Ru Cave before.

But the strength of the elderly woman standing before them was far superior to the guests present, leading people to suspect that she had already passed through eight Heavenly Decay Tribulations.

And the master of Yin Ru Cave she spoke of—what kind of strength did they possess?

Chu Gucheng wore a wide, joyful smile on his face, greatly pleased. He accepted all the gifts.

In the past few days, due to Chu Xinyue’s failure to handle matters well, the host of Xianchu Haotu had been somewhat dissatisfied, his face losing some luster. But now, all those unpleasant feelings were gone.

He was in a very good mood, not because he was lacking in the gifts themselves, but because the arrival of all the guests made him feel deeply respected.

Who would still dare to spread rumors that Xianchu Haotu had been isolated by all the forces of the Xiyuan Civilization? That they were about to face a great calamity and fall into decline?

Wasn’t everyone here today to wish him a happy birthday?

He had personally sent out the invitations—who would dare not give him face? Even the usually detached Saintess of Xiyuan, who rarely interfered in external matters, had appeared in person to wish him well.

Thinking about all of this, Chu Gucheng’s emotions surged. His heart brimmed with pride and ambition. Holding his wine cup, he clinked glasses with the distinguished guests and important figures at the table.

“Everyone here today to attend my birthday, it is truly an honor for me, and today, we shall not return until we are all drunk.”

The rich aroma of celestial wine filled the grand hall. Chu Gucheng, tall and with a flushed face, appeared to have drunk quite a bit, his face entirely red. However, at his level, he naturally wouldn’t easily get drunk. With a single thought, he could dispel the effects of alcohol.

But today, Chu Gucheng was in a very good mood and didn’t care about these things. He allowed himself to drink freely, indulging in the pleasure of drinking.

All the frustration and unease of the past period were swept away in the flow of wine.

Many of the guests could tell that Chu Gucheng was in high spirits, and they didn’t want to spoil his mood, so they all raised their cups in cheers.

Gu Changge had been drinking by himself, not participating in the general festivities. His arrival had caused quite a stir and surprise among the guests in the hall. Now everyone knew that he was the mysterious young master who had appeared in the Ancient Southern Wilderness a few days ago.

At that time, he was accompanied by an elderly servant who seemed to be at the Grand Dao realm.

Many speculated that he might come from some forbidden, mysterious land. If not for the death of Chu Xiao, many of the guests would have gone up to greet him. However, in this situation, if they did so, it would seem as though they were disregarding the host, Chu Gucheng, so they didn’t dare to overstep.

“The woman who has been glancing at you from the corner of her eye is the second princess of Xianchu Haotu, Chu Xinyue…” A faint fragrance reached Gu Changge’s nose, and Ling Yuxian whispered in his ear.

Gu Changge nodded slightly and looked over. It was a beautiful woman with an elegant figure, wearing a long black gown that reached the floor, her hair styled in a high bun. She exuded an air of nobility and grace.

She was accompanied by Ouyang Ji, the young master of Xiaoyao Heavenly Palace. She had been standing by Chu Gucheng’s side, toasting guests.

Gu Changge didn’t need Ling Yuxian’s introduction to guess her identity. He had already noticed that many of the guests, including the elderly starry figure from Yin Ru Cave, had been sizing him up.

But he didn’t mind. The main reason he had come to this birthday banquet was simply to watch the excitement. Judging by how happy Chu Gucheng was now, it was likely that he would soon be just as furious.

“This second princess of Xianchu Haotu seems to be quite a figure, much more competent than her useless brother, Chu Xiao.” Gu Changge took a sip of wine, speaking casually, as if not worried about others overhearing.

Ling Yuxian’s exquisite features and flawless complexion, having drunk a bit of wine, were now tinted with a slight rosy hue, like porcelain glowing in the light.

“You should lower your voice. Don’t let others hear you,” she whispered, walking beside Gu Changge, as if she wanted to grab his hand and gently advise him.

Was he not afraid of causing trouble by speaking so directly at someone else’s birthday feast?

“Let others hear? Aren’t you someone else?” Gu Changge glanced at her with a light laugh.

Ling Yuxian froze for a moment, then her face turned crimson as she shot him a fierce glare.

At this banquet, aside from the host, Chu Gucheng, the most attention was drawn to Gu Changge, the Saintess of Xiyuan, and the elderly starry figure from Yin Ru Cave.Including guests from Xudan True Realm, the Ancient Cang Civilization, and some factions and clans from the Shangyin True Realm, all seemed quite interested. Not to mention the local factions from the Xiyuan Civilization.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.