Qingshi County.

"Greetings, Eldest Young Master!"

"The Eldest Young Master is back~"

"..."

At the Gu Mansion, Gu Zheng walked through the main gate in casual attire. The guards, servants, and maids he passed along the way all stepped aside, bowing and greeting him with delight.

Gu Zheng nodded in response as he walked.

"My son, you’ve returned."

Having received the news, Gu Sihai hurried out to greet him.

"Father, how has everything been at home lately?" Gu Zheng asked casually. "Nothing’s happened, has it?"

"Everything is fine."

Gu Sihai walked alongside Gu Zheng, chuckling. "Well, if you’re asking if anything happened, there was that brat Gu Feng. He got taught a lesson and was so devastated he hid in his room for three days. When he came out, he stopped running around outside and now just buries himself in martial arts training every day."

"Oh? Something like that happened?"

Hearing this, Gu Zheng asked with curiosity, "Who beat him? Was it a Grandmaster? Did Gu Feng not announce his identity? Or use my name?"

"If he dared to use your name, I’d have crippled him myself!"

Gu Sihai snorted. "It was a little girl, only ten years old, who fled here with her father and brother. Although she isn’t a Grandmaster, she’s not far off. That little girl has incredible talent for the Martial Dao. Ping’an, that Bibo Smoke Mist Technique of yours? She reached Mastery in ten days."

"Gu Feng heard about it and thought it must be a trick, so he went to test her. He ended up getting knocked down in just a few moves. Utterly humiliated, haha..."

It was just a minor scuffle, not something Gu Sihai would blow out of proportion.

Especially since Gu Feng was the one who started it.

Not to mention, his opponent was just a ten-year-old girl.

"Mastery of the Bibo Smoke Mist Technique in ten days?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Zheng stopped in his tracks. "For real?"

He also wasn’t bothered that Gu Feng had been beaten.

It wasn’t like he was bullied for no reason.

"It’s true."

Gu Sihai knew what Gu Zheng was getting at. He also stopped and nodded. "Not long after Gu Feng returned, the little girl’s father and brother brought her over to apologize. They insisted on leaving a hundred taels of silver. I had Pan’Er test the girl, and she really has cultivated the Bibo Smoke Mist Technique to Mastery."

He paused, then added, "By now, she’s probably reached Minor Achievement."

"That’s impressive."

Gu Zheng’s eyes darted thoughtfully. "Father, take me to see this little girl."

"Huh?"

Gu Sihai was startled. "Ping’an, the girl didn’t hurt him badly. Gu Feng deserved it. Besides, they’ve already apologized."

"I’m not going to settle scores with her."

Gu Zheng gave his father a speechless look. "I want to see the girl’s aptitude. If it’s good, taking her on as a disciple wouldn’t be a bad idea."

"This..."

Gu Sihai was stunned.

But then his eyes grew brighter and brighter. "Yes, yes! With that girl’s talent, bringing her into our fold would be an absolute gain. A pity she’s a bit young."

As he said this, he glanced at Gu Zheng and sighed.

"Father, you’re overthinking it." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Gu Zheng was growing more speechless. "Human lives are cheap these days, but talent is rare."

The Celestial Change may be a disaster, a great calamity.

But it is also an opportunity for everyone, for all living beings, in fact.

It’s not uncommon for ordinary people of the past to shine brightly when given the chance.

...

Just a few minutes after arriving home.

Gu Zheng was led back out the main gate by Gu Sihai, heading straight for a slum area in West City.

Of course, "slum" was the old name for it. Nowadays, as long as a house in the city hadn’t completely collapsed, someone would buy it.

"Lately, more and more refugees have been fleeing to the city, and places to live are becoming scarce. The County Magistrate has already started restricting the influx of people."

Seeing Gu Zheng observing the pedestrians, Gu Sihai explained, "He’s preparing to build a new district in Wuli Town, outside the city. He plans to heighten and reinforce the town walls. That way, he can move the excess population from the city out there to work, which should prevent any trouble."

"Lord Tong is a man of vision," Gu Zheng nodded.

Wuli Town was the closest township to the county seat, truly less than five li away.

"Yes, Lord Tong is a rare and good official."

Gu Sihai sighed wistfully. "There have been a lot of fights, thefts, and disturbances in the city lately. Thankfully, that Lu Guangbei you introduced, Ping’an, joined the Government Office as a Chief Constable and is helping Han Ming share the burden. Otherwise, Han Ming would have collapsed from exhaustion by himself. That kid is extremely grateful to Lu Guangbei now."

"It’s not too late for him to realize it," Gu Zheng chuckled. "By the way, has Lu Guangbei broken through?"

"He has," Gu Sihai nodded. "He’s also close to Mastery with the Bibo Smoke Mist Technique. He’s just been busy. Otherwise, Lu Guangbei would be nearing Minor Achievement by now."

"Here, we’ve arrived."

As they were speaking, the two of them stopped in front of a small, dilapidated hut.

"This is where the little girl lives."

Gu Sihai said, stepping forward to knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

A gaunt, frail-looking woman in her early twenties with a pale face peered through a crack in the door and asked, "Zhou and the others aren’t here."

"Zhou isn’t here?"

Hearing this, Gu Sihai frowned. "What about Dingding? Is Dingding here? I’m Gu Sihai..."

"Master Gu!"

Suddenly, a shocked cry came from behind them.

Gu Zheng turned to see a middle-aged man with dark skin and exhaustion etched between his brows. His eyes were wide as he ran over hastily.

"Master Gu, what brings you here?"

The middle-aged man trotted up to Gu Sihai, stopping apprehensively. He asked nervously, "Did something happen to Young Master Gu? Did his wound reopen?"

"No, no."

Gu Sihai quickly waved his hand reassuringly. "Don’t be nervous, Zhou. I didn’t come to cause trouble this time, though I am looking for Miss Dingding..."

"Then what are you doing here!"

A little girl with a pale face, short-cropped hair, and a similarly gaunt frame that made her look more like a boy than a girl, glared at them and demanded in a sharp voice, "If you’re here to kill me, then kill me! Just take me and let me bear the crime, but stop bothering my family!"

"You, shut your mouth!"

The middle-aged man’s face darkened. He pointed at the little girl and shouted in a low voice, "How dare you be so insolent! Is that any way to speak to people? Get on your knees right now!"

"I won’t!"

Zhou Dingding stubbornly lifted her chin. "The worst that can happen is death. My mother is dead, my second brother is dead, and my little sister is dead. It’s no big deal if I die too."

"You..."

"Alright, alright." Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Gu Sihai quickly tried to placate her. "Miss Dingding, I really didn’t come to cause trouble this time. That little misunderstanding between us was settled last time. We came here because we want to..."

"Ping’an, say something!"

Gu Sihai said, looking at the silent Gu Zheng and urging him on. "Weren’t you the one who wanted to come?"

With that, he introduced Gu Zheng to the middle-aged man and the others.

"This is my eldest son, Gu Zheng, also known as Gu Ping’an. He’s the one who wanted to see Dingding."

"Oh, oh, so it’s Eldest Young Master Gu..." Zhou Zhenyue began to bow subconsciously, but halfway through, he froze. His eyes widened as he stared at Gu Zheng and exclaimed, "You’re Gu Zheng... Lord Gu!?"

"Where? Where is Lord Gu?"

"What? Lord Gu is here?"

"It really is Lord Gu!"

"Xu Qiuming of the Huaiyang Xu Clan pays his respects to Lord Gu!"

"..."

Zhou Zhenyue’s shout had drawn out all the neighbors, who gathered in the street, staring at Gu Zheng with a mixture of excitement and fear.

Some shouted, some bowed, and some even dropped directly to their knees.

Gu Zheng’s name was already a legend in Qingshi County.

Even among the refugees, most had come here because of him.

Because Qingshi was Gu Zheng’s hometown.

The patrols of the Demon Suppression Guard also lingered here longer than in other places.

After many such patrols, there were basically no Demon Fiends to be seen in Qingshi County.

Ultimately, all the credit for this was attributed to Gu Zheng.

...

"My dear neighbors, please, rise."

Facing the crowd’s greetings, Gu Zheng clasped his fist in a salute to all sides. His voice was calm, yet it carried clearly to every person’s ears.

"Ping’an is here on business today. I hope you will all forgive the intrusion and go about your day."

"Of course, of course! Please, Lord Gu, go ahead."

"You heard him! Everyone spread out, spread out! Don’t get in Lord Gu’s way."

"..."

The crowd chattered noisily as they slowly dispersed.

Even those who wanted to curry favor didn’t dare approach at this moment.

However, they didn’t go far, whispering amongst themselves nearby and occasionally glancing back toward Gu Zheng.

Gu Zheng paid them no mind, turning back to Zhou Zhenyue and Zhou Dingding.

"Shall we talk inside?"

"...Yes, yes." Zhou Zhenyue snapped back to his senses. He hunched over, his face plastered with a smile, and opened the door, inviting Gu Zheng to enter first.

Gu Zheng didn’t stand on ceremony and stepped through the doorway.

Once inside, he saw the nervous-looking woman in her twenties standing in a corner of the small courtyard. He gave her a nod before continuing straight into the main hall.

Once Zhou Zhenyue, Zhou Dingding, and Gu Sihai had all entered.

Gu Zheng looked at Zhou Dingding and asked bluntly, "My name is Gu Zheng. You probably know my identity and background by now. I came today to see your aptitude, which I find to be excellent. So I want to ask, are you willing to accept me as your master?"

"As a Registered Disciple, for now."

Gu Zheng added.

He would be going to the Capital City soon and couldn’t stay in Qingshi for long.

Accepting her as a Registered Disciple first would establish a connection, allowing him to observe her progress later. It was much more flexible than taking her on fully and then just ignoring her.

"Huh?"

While Zhou Dingding was still dazed, Zhou Zhenyue was already responding in a trembling voice filled with surprise and excitement, "Will... willing! She is a hundred times, a thousand times willing!"

As he spoke, he pushed down on Zhou Dingding’s shoulders, forcing her to her knees with a THUD.

"Quick... quick, kowtow to your master!"

"Don’t force her," Gu Zheng said softly. With a wave of his hand, a Divine Wondrous energy surged, transforming into a gentle force that pushed Zhou Zhenyue away.

Then, he looked at Zhou Dingding, who straightened her back, lifted her head, and stared right at him with wide eyes. He chuckled lightly. "Well? Are you willing?"

He asked so directly.

It was because Gu Zheng had activated his Eyes of Golden Flame and saw that Zhou Dingding’s bones were actually glowing!

This was the manifestation of a special Constitution.

It was fundamentally different from the King’s Body of a Noble Family, a Half-Demon Body, or a Divine Weapon Body.

The physiques of those latter types were different in their entirety.

Whether it was Royal Blood, a Half-Demon, a Spirit Beast, or a Divine Weapon, their Bloodline Power had been passed down for dozens of generations. Once awakened, it would spread to affect the entire body.

Zhou Dingding’s case was different.

Gu Zheng had read related materials at the Demon Slayer Bureau.

Hers was a case of postnatal stimulation following the Celestial Change.

Just like those mutated animals and plants, her Constitution was beginning to transcend the ordinary!