Chapter 355 The Starry Sky and Grand View on the Hilltop

Many people knew that Gu Xingyun had a mansion on Winter Mountain that was beyond the imagination of many people. It was called Zijin Pavilion, which was dubbed as Kunlun City’s branch in Huating by people in the outside world.

Kunlun City had no branches. This power group, whose name didn’t sound official at all, was actually the highest power center of the special warfare agencies in Zhongzhou State. The Special Operations Headquarters in various regions of Zhongzhou State, the Special Operations Bureaus in various provinces, as well as the secret service agencies that did not have a clear scope of responsibility but still played their part, were all directly affiliated to Kunlun City. Accordingly, Kunlun City had no necessity to establish a branch. If something had to be its branch, then it must be Huating Special Operations Bureau.

However, Gu Xingyun’s preference for Zijin Pavilion was known to all. Zijin Pavilion was located on the hillside of Winter Mountain, covering an area of nearly 20 hectares. Inside, there were only a dozen or so famous villas scattered around the edge, with a six-story Zijin Pavilion in the center. In terms of geomantic omen, it was a standard, well arranged and natural place for gathering blessing. In addition to the artificial layout of a myriad of stars surrounding the moon, there was a faint sense of having the opportunity to enjoy the fate of Winter Mountain.

Gu Xingyun believed in fate, so whenever he went to Huating, he lived in Zijin Pavilion. Many times when he gave orders by holding a meeting of southeast special warfare agencies, he would set the meeting place here if he was in Huating.

Unlike the turbulent Youzhou or Kunlun with flying snow all over the sky, this place enabled the viewer to have a sense of openness when beholding Huating.

Therefore, Gu Xingyun had always regarded Zijin Pavilion as his own blessed land.

When he returned to Zijin Pavilion from the Sky Academy, it was already ten o’clock at night. The Sky Academy hosted a dinner whose atmosphere was not serious and yet not relaxed. After thoroughly enjoyed himself, Gu Xingyun returned directly to Zijin Pavilion.

Li Qingcheng was sitting in the hall, playing chess with herself.

The soft crystal lights glowed in the hall. Under the lamplight, the girl gazing intently at the chessboard was poetic and picturesque.

Her beauty was like spring rain.

Her beauty was not violent or abrupt. Instead, it was natural, elegant, and delicate. Often in silence, it had been imprinted in the depths of the human soul.

When Li Qingcheng saw Gu Xingyun coming in, she looked up, stood up subconsciously, and said, “Dad.”

“Make two cups of tea.”

Gu Xingyun ordered without any emotion and sat down casually on the sofa.

Li Qingcheng nodded meekly and turned to leave.

Gu Qianchuan sat across from Gu Xingyun, glanced down at the chess game in which Li Qingcheng amused herself, and said casually with a smile, “Qingcheng is very bright. In the next few years, as you recuperate, polish her performance. A few years later, she is not necessarily worse than today’s Song Ci. She should have a bright future.”

Gu Xingyun, too, was watching the chess game, but his mind was entirely elsewhere.

Kunlun City did not have the almost endless and luxurious resources that the Wang family of Beihai possessed, so everyone in Kunlun City was trying to improve their strength. Moreover, Li Qingcheng was not in favor as Wang Yuetong was in the Wang family of Beihai, so she practiced Martial Arts very hard. Now, at the age of twenty, she had entered the stabilization phase of the Fire-flaming Realm with a solid foundation. With her aptitude, although she did not have Wind and Thunder Veins or Heavenly King Heart, she would have a chance to enter the Thunder-shocking Realm within three or four years if she was carefully trained.

A twenty-four-year-old Thunder-shocking Realm expert was still a young and stunning woman. Even if such a person was not unparalleled, she was at least rare.

“We’ll talk about it later,” Gu Xingyun said indifferently after thinking for a while.

…

“It’s a waste of aptitude.”

Gu Qianchuan insisted on it intentionally or unintentionally, not stingy with his own evaluation of Li Qingcheng.

Gu Xingyun lowered his head, and his eyes looked a little complicated.

Instead of delight, there were only complicated emotions in his eyes at the sight of such a wonderful daughter.

That was the daughter of him and Li Xi.

Gu Xingyun was sure Li Qingcheng was his biological daughter.

But he didn’t like her at all.

Every time he saw the mother and daughter, Gu Xingyun always remembered some old things that he did not want to remember.

“You don’t like her?” asked Gu Qianchuan, although the result was self-evident.

…

Gu Xingyun glanced at him without speaking.

Gu Qianchuan smiled and said softly, “If you really don’t like her, you might as well leave her in Huating. Zijin Pavilion can be given to Qingcheng as the dowry.”

“What do you mean?”

Gu Xingyun reached out to arrange the chessboard. His tone was a bit chilly, but not directed at Gu Qianchuan.

Gu Qianchuan was also organizing the chessboard.

Clearly, he played white pieces, but he broke the rules and put a piece on the chessboard first. He said blandly, “I mean what you think. Why can’t Qingcheng play the same role as Li Xi did? Isn’t our Phoenix Pavilion prepared for Qingcheng? What are you hesitating about?”

He chuckled, playing with the chess pieces in his hand, and continued, “History repeats itself, so does the past. Throughout history, there have been many examples of men losing their power because of women. Who can tell exactly whether our Kunlun City became mighty because of the sword or a woman?”

“Crack!”

Gu Xingyun crushed several pieces in his hand with a deadpan expression, his face cold.

Gu Qianchuan smiled. His relationship with Gu Xingyun had not been harmonious. Naturally, he spoke without regard to Gu Xingyun’s feelings. Furthermore, Gu Xingyun was so severely hurt that Gu Qianchuan was not afraid of his sudden attack.

The fragments of chess pieces slipped from Gu Xingyun’s hands.

Gu Qianchuan said blandly, “I’ll just appreciate your kindness for giving me more chances to move my pieces.”

Gu Xingyun took a deep breath, slowly put one piece on the chessboard, and said indifferently, “What’s the use of Qingcheng staying in Huating? Li Tianlan?”

“Li Tianlan cannot survive this maneuver.”

Gu Qianchuan shook his head. “We don’t have to waste resources on him. He is really amazing. Under normal conditions, Qingcheng would be the most suitable person for him. Now that the general trend is complete, he is just a nonentity who will be crushed by the general trend soon. If I really wanted to let Qingcheng get close to him, I would let her go to Jiangzhe or Guandong instead of staying in Huating.”

He looked up at the thoughtful Gu Xingyun and added with a smile, “For the Wang family of Beihai, Huating is of great significance.”

The Wang family of Beihai…

The Wang family of Beihai!

Gu Xingyun raised his eyelids.

“Wang Shengxiao?”

“Wang Shengxiao.”

The hall suddenly quieted down.

The atmosphere became somewhat oppressive.

Gu Xingyun seemed to be hesitating and thinking and it took him a long time to slowly put a piece on the chessboard. He said, “Not now. Wait for a few years.”

Gu Qianchuan raised his eyebrows slightly. For a while, he did not grasp what Gu Xingyun meant. He thought for a moment, then his face changed, and he said slowly, “You’re not optimistic about Wang Tianzong and Wang Shengxiao?”

The period of a few years was subtle and made him think of a lot all at once.

Before Gu Xingyun could speak, Gu Qianchuan said quickly, “Is it because of Wang Qinglei? The internal problems of the Wang family of Beihai have been exposed more and more in recent years. And a large part of the reason is because of Wang Qinglei. Wang Qinglei indeed stands a chance in the next term. Even if the Southeast Group knows something, it has no way to back down and can only push Wang Qinglei up the career ladder forcibly. Even Wang Tianzong dares not risk the foundation of the Southeast Group, but…”

He hesitated and finally said, “But even if Wang Qinglei were in that position, would Wang Tianzong lose?”

“Who knows?”

Gu Xingyun said bluntly, “At present, the Wang family of Beihai has only exposed some problems, the sharpest antagonism, however, has not yet formed. There’s just a straw in the wind. Who can see the end clearly? In three years, everything will probably be clear.”

Gu Qianchuan remained silent.

In recent years, the Wang family of Beihai still seemed mighty, but some of its accumulated internal conflicts had been getting out of control. One of the biggest reasons was naturally Wang Qinglei.

Wang Qinglei was now a member of the Zhongzhou Decision Making Committee and the top leader of Wuyue Province.

In earlier years, he was the Governor of Wuyue Province. After it was decided that he would serve as the top leader and enter the Decision Making Committee, some conflicts gradually began to surface.

But it remained to be unknown whether it was because that Wang Tianzong was too confident, or the Southeast Group trusted Wang Tianzong too much, or their own resources were a little tight, the Southeast Group did not take the matter seriously and continued to push Wang Qinglei into the Decision Making Committee, when these signs appeared.

In the general election three years later, it was almost a certainty that Wang Qinglei would move closer to the center of power. He was not old, so he was able to both strive for a higher position and guard his current one. If he made up his mind to rise abruptly based on his accumulated strength, even if his rank remained the same, it wouldn’t be a problem for him to enter the center of power from Wuyue.

By then, the two magnates of the Southeast Group that had a good relationship with Wang Tianzong would retreat. If Wang Qinglei went further, he would become the new banner of the Southeast Group.

And he would be a highly ranked banner.

Even if the Southeast Group viewed Wang Qinglei unfavorably, they were unlikely to replace him, given his position. For the foundation of the group, they could only bite the bullet and choose to support Wang Qinglei.

By that time, it would be the start of a real struggle between the powerful Wang Tianzong and the influential Wang Qinglei.

One was in charge of Beihai Province, while the other controlled the Southeast Group.

That was the struggle between power and force.

Only then could we see what would happen to the Wang family of Beihai vaguely.

It wasn’t because Gu Xingyun was not optimistic about Wang Tianzong and his son that he did not let Li Qingcheng approach Wang Shengxiao. It was because he did not know what Wang Tianzong would do in these three years. It was never a good thing to get involved when everything was so complicated and confusing.

“The problem inside the Wang family of Beihai is one thing.”

Gu Xingyun continued, “On the other hand, I’m injured, and Qingcheng must be by my side. Do you plan to leave her alone in Huating? You’re really daring. If Qingcheng is out of control, aren’t you afraid that woman will go crazy and kill you?”

Gu Qianchuan’s face changed, and he put on a wry, undisguised smile.

…

…

On the top of Winter Mountain.

When Gu Qianchuan smiled bitterly, under the stars, Li Tianlan, who had been sitting here watching the scenery for a long time, hung up the phone in his hand.

…

Li Tianlan whispered, “I can confirm that the motorcade that just entered belongs to Gu Xingyun and Gu Qianchuan.”

“Have you really decided?”

Lin Youxian sat beside Li Tianlan. Even though he knew Li Tianlan’s purpose, he was still in disbelief.

“It’s not a decision.”

Li Tianlan said with a smile, “I told Gu Xingyun that I wouldn’t let what happened last time go easily. I wonder if he took that seriously.”

Lin Youxian’s mouth twitched and he said arduously, “I suppose he never expected you to be here now.”

“Me too.”

Li Tianlan laughed and said softly, “Since I came back, many people have asked me how powerful I am now…”

“It’s hard for me to answer this question…”

Li Tianlan chuckled. “Because I don’t know that myself… Tonight is an opportunity. They might as well test how mighty I am.”

He pointed down the mountain.

The light in Zijin Pavilion at the foot of the mountain was dimly discernible.

“I’ll go and have a look,” he said.

…

Lin Youxian neither spoke nor stopped him.

Li Tianlan descended the mountain alone.

Clad in white, he stepped on the ground barefoot.

Behind him was the starry sky and grand view of Winter Mountain.

In the night, the figure in white walked straight forward.

In Lin Youxian’s line of sight, Li Tianlan’s figure grew more and more unreal, but his steps became stronger.

The sky over the Winter Mountain was full of stars.

Lin Youxian watched Li Tianlan’s back quietly, and his eyes gradually became solemn.

Under the starlight at the top of the mountain, Li Tianlan’s figure became entirely illusory in his sight.

He seemed to have been fully integrated into the starlight. It was as if he had disappeared entirely and yet was everywhere.

Between reality and illusion, only his steps remained firm and unhurried.

…

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