Chapter 716 Fate

After the family banquet was over, the guests dispersed.

Although there were some twists and turns, everything was generally peaceful, and it could barely be considered a "host and guest enjoying each other."

Late at night, in the study of the head of the Gu family.

Shangguan Ce and Gu Shouyan sat across from each other, making tea and talking by candlelight at night.

The two grew up together and practiced together. In addition to being the heads of the family, they were also old friends.

Although the Shangguan family is stronger than the Gu family, the gap is not too big.

Gu Shouyan is slightly older than Shangguan Ce.

Both of them have lived for hundreds of years, gone through ups and downs, and have both calculations of interests and deep friendship.

Gu Shouyan had an upright temperament and always spoke out when something happened. He said in a deep voice:

"You want to take back all Shangguan's business?"

These businesses were all located in some monastic industries near the border of Qianxue State, and were originally managed by the Gu family.

Shangguan Ce nodded, "The Shen family paid a high price, and I transferred it to them. Compared with our Shangguan family operating it by ourselves, we can earn 20% more profit."

Gu Shouyan sneered, "Is the Shen family so kind?"

Shangguan Ce said: "Whether you have good intentions or not, the interests are here."

"What benefit?"

Shangguan Ce shook his head, "This can't be said."

Gu Shouyan sneered, "What other benefits can there be? It's just spiritual stones, elixirs, connections... Oh, and the quota for the four major sects?"

Shangguan Ce remained silent.

Gu Shouyan continued to make tea by himself and fiddled with the tea leaves in the tea can.

Shangguan Ce's eyes narrowed slightly and he sighed, "The Shen family should have also come to see you, but you rejected them flatly?"

Gu Shouyan said "hmm".

Shangguan Ce said: "This is a gesture of goodwill, Brother Gu. Even if you don't accept it, you should still give him some room for change..."

Gu Shouyan said with a cold face, "Those villains from the Shen family are useless."

Shangguan Ce shook his head, "In front of aristocratic families, we only care about interests and not about virtues. You must first put aside virtues when doing things, otherwise it will be easy to act on impulse and delay the development of the family."

"If you don't tell me, don't tell me. That's your business, but don't teach me how to do things." Gu Shouyan had a strong temper.

Shangguan Ce probed: "Then the Shangguan family's business..."

Gu Shouyan waved his hand, "Take them all away. Originally, your Shangguan family's wife was taking care of them. If you want to take them back, just tell her."

"Most of the monks in my Gu family are from Tao Tingsi. They are not good at business. These monastic properties are only used to supplement the family income. They are tasteless and it is a pity to throw them away. They also have to trouble that girl Wan'er. It is not worth it. ”

Shangguan Ce breathed a sigh of relief.

Gu Shouyan didn't want to pay attention to him, and he was cooking tea by himself, looking at the steam of tea, concentrating on it, obviously not taking these gains and losses seriously.

The room felt a little dull for a while.

After a long time, Shangguan Ce's eyes darkened slightly and he sighed:

"The Gu family... will be in trouble."

Gu Shouyan was surprised when he heard this and raised his eyebrows.

He and Shangguan Ce grew up together, and he knew exactly what kind of virtue Shangguan Ce was.

This man is selfish, sophisticated and self-serving.

But if it doesn't involve his own interests or those of Shangguan's family, he can also be considerate and speak more frankly.

So even though he disliked Shangguan Ce's virtue and felt that he was too scheming, Gu Shouyan still had a good friendship with him after so many years.

After all, with his level of cultivation and status, there are only a few monks left who can really speak a few words and chat for a while.

Gu Shouyan asked, "Who is causing trouble for my Gu family? The Shen family?"

Shangguan Ce still shook his head, "You know everything I said, but I can't say anything you don't know."

Gu Shouyan was very disappointed, so he poured himself a cup of tea and drank it slowly.

He did not persuade Shangguan to defeat him.

Shangguan Ce could only take matters into his own hands and poured himself a glass.

The tea tastes a bit bitter and astringent, so it is not considered a good tea.

But Gu Shouyan liked the taste of this drink.

Shangguan Ce didn't like it very much, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he drank the tea silently, looked at Gu Shouyan's white hair on his temples, and sighed slightly:

"Brother Gu, a man is capable of bending and stretching..."

"There are so many aristocratic families above who show their goodwill to the Gu family. As long as you give them a little face, the Gu family will not... still be unable to advance to the fifth rank."

Gu Shouyan glared, "Give me face for what? Do they want me to give them face? They want me, the power of the Gu family, to give them face! They want Daolv to give them face!"

"Does the power belong to my Gu family?"

"Does Daolv belong to my Gu family?"

"The power of the Taoist court, the authority of the Taoist law, is taken from the way of heaven above, and from the common people below. How can I, the Gu family, be so virtuous and capable that I dare to take it as my own and use power for personal gain?"

Shangguan Ce had a headache, "There are some things that others can do, but you, the Gu family, can't do it? Are you, the Gu family, the only one who is noble?"

"It doesn't count as noble," Gu Shouyan said with a look of disdain on his face, "I'm happy with it."

Shangguan Ce suddenly lost his temper.

Gu Shouyan glanced at Shangguan Ce and found that his old friend, at least at this moment, was not so careless and really cared about him, so he sighed:

"You are obsessed with fame and fortune. You know more about fame and fortune than I do, but this matter is actually far from as simple as you think."

"Over the years, my Gu family has had Patriarch Dongxu, and he already has a fifth-grade background..."

"Although some of the aristocratic families hate my Gu family to the core, there are also some who have a close friendship with my Gu family. No matter how popular they are, they will not be reduced to the point of being isolated and helpless."

"Even several times, I have stepped one foot into the threshold of the fifth level, but I was still unable to go further due to many constraints."

Gu Shouyan said in a low voice, "Is it child's play for a real Daotingsi fifth-grade family?"

"My Gu family abides by the laws of Taoism. Too many people don't want my Gu family to take this step forward."

Shangguan Ce frowned slightly.

"Furthermore," Gu Shouyan muttered to himself, "do you think that if I accept the overtures from those aristocratic families and collude with them, they will accept me as the Gu family?"

Gu Shouyan shook his head, took a sip of tea, and continued:

"If I don't accept their overtures, then my Gu family will be a wild wolf."

"Even if they are tigers and leopards and want to eat my Gu family, they still have to worry about my Gu family fighting back and tearing off a few pieces of flesh."

"And if I take advantage of them, then my Gu family will become a dog!"

"On the surface, they may be polite, but secretly, they look down on me even more."

"When I encounter some ugly things and they throw a bone, I will bite it and clean up the aftermath for them."

Gu Shouyan's face was stern, his eyes were like swords, and he snorted:

"Are they worthy of this group of silverfish?"

"Even if my Gu family is risking their lives to bite off the meat from their bodies and eat it, I won't beg for mercy and lick the bones they throw at me!"

Shangguan Ce thought for a moment, then shook his head and sighed:

"Brother Gu, you are still a little extreme. My Shangguan family can advance and retreat together with the Gu family, and they also..."

Gu Shouyan said with a strong expression: "If you go to the official policy and accept the Shen family's overtures, you will be able to have good relations with the Shen family, because you are essentially the same kind of people."

"And I'm not."

"You and I have never been the same person."

Shangguan Ce was startled, his eyes slightly cold, but not annoyed.

Gu Shouyan continued:

"The head of the family is like this, and so is the family."

"Your Shangguan family and Shen family's prosperity is based on profit. As for my Gu family, working in Daotingsi, the fundamental reason is to rely on the 'roots' to build a family."

"If the Shangguan family suddenly talks about 'root bones', I'm afraid they will die in the blink of an eye."

"Similarly, if my Gu family doesn't care about the 'roots', even if it is strong for a while, it will only be destroyed in an instant."

Shangguan's strategy was slightly absent-minded.

He always thought that his elder brother had a tough temper, acted in a rigid manner, and didn't know how to adapt.

Unexpectedly, he was not as stubborn as he appeared.

He actually understands many things.

And it seems that he can see it more clearly than himself.

Shangguan Ce sighed in his heart, as expected, the real person cannot be judged by his appearance.

He poured a cup of tea for Gu Shouyan and said calmly:

"Brother Gu, just take care of yourself."

I hope that in the future, the Shangguan family and the Gu family will not go down the same path as fire and water.

Gu Shouyan said "hmm", took the tea and drank it.

At this point, basically everything that needs to be said has been said.

The two of them drank tea separately. Although they did not speak, they did not scheming with each other, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.

Gu Shouyan suddenly remembered something and glanced at Shangguan Ce curiously, but did not ask.

Shangguan Ce seemed to feel something, put down the teacup, and said slowly:

"Brother Gu, just tell me if you have anything to say."

Gu Shouyan nodded and said bluntly:

"There's one thing I don't understand. How can you, a person who only cares about interests, have such deep prejudices against others? Are you so prejudiced against others?"

"Today's dinner, that elder of the Shen family made things difficult for Wan'er, it was unbecoming, and you didn't say a word?"

Shangguan Ce was silent, "He's just a fool..."

He took a sip of tea, brushed the tea leaves, and said calmly, "The Shen family married her here to test the attitude of my Shangguan family."

"The Shen family has shown goodwill to us, and we must also show our attitude."

"Even if she keeps messing around, we have to be polite. After all, she just earned the Shen family's spiritual stone and is soft-spoken."

"And the other rooms in Shangguan's house are actually using her as a weapon to put pressure on Yi'er..."

"The other members of the Shangguan family have long been eyeing the position of the head of the family. If they can't take it from me, then they can take it from Yi'er."

"This kind of thing will never happen in the future, and I will not interfere."

"I am the head of the family, but I am also just the head of the family. The real power lies in the hands of the ancestors, and I cannot decide many things."

"If Yi'er has the ability to serve everyone, then he can naturally become the head of the family. But if he can't control others, it would be a good thing to let someone else take this position as soon as possible. Otherwise, he will not be indecisive and damage the foundation of the family."

"As for Wan'er..." Shangguan Ce's eyes darkened, "She was implicated by Yi'er."

"Anyone with a discerning eye can see that Yi'er is too affectionate and cares too much about Wan'er, so Wan'er naturally becomes his destiny."

"Husband and wife are one, and if Wan'er makes a mistake, then Yi'er makes a mistake."

Shangguan Ce sighed slightly: "If Yi'er is just a child of an ordinary family, not the son of the head of the family like me, and is not involved in the dispute between the heads of the family, then naturally no one will think of embarrassing Wan'er."

"As a young couple, they just need to live in peace."

"It's a pity that their identities are not ordinary..."

Gu Shouyan nodded.

"As for hearing people..."

Shangguan Tactics pondered, his eyes complicated, "Although the Shangguan family and the Wen family have a rift and have not intermarryed for generations, it is not a blood feud."

"Otherwise, the marriage between Yi'er and Wan'er will be cut off from the very beginning. No matter how hard Yi'er begs, it will be impossible."

Shangguan Ce glanced at Gu Shouyan and said calmly: "But I am indeed not optimistic about this marriage from the beginning to the end."

"The Wen family is just one aspect. I don't hate the Wen family, but there is really no benefit to the Shangguan family from marrying the Wen family..."

"In other words, the benefits are not big enough."

"Yi'er has a good background, good talents, and excellent appearance. Although some children are affectionate and indecisive, this makes women more popular."

"When discussing the marriage, I have several marriages in my hands. These women are of direct bloodline, have first-class family status, are of good appearance, have spiritual ore as dowry, and are extremely powerful."

"Being married to them will be of great help to my Shangguan family, to me as the head of the family, and to Yi'er's future as the head of the family."

"Yi'er will have a smooth journey in the future."

"But……"

Shangguan Ce sighed deeply, "Yi'er disappoints me so much. He doesn't want any of these good marriages. He only wants to say, 'I won't marry anyone who isn't you', and insists on welcoming this girl Wan'er into the door."

"Wan'er is not a bad kid. He values ​​love and justice as much as Yi'er. Although he is a little willful, he has a good heart."

"But as the future wife of the Shangguan family, she is not qualified at all."

"In addition, this is the first time Yi'er has disobeyed me like this."

"His marriage, through its operation, could have huge benefits. The status of my Shangguan family could also be further improved towards the unattainable sixth rank. However, everything backfired and all the plans were in vain..."

Even though Shangguan Cecheng's palace was very deep, he couldn't help but open his eyebrows slightly, showing a sullen expression.

Gu Shouyan probably understood.

Sitting in the position of the head of the family, many things are not as simple as they appear.

He also understood Shangguan Ce's mood.

"But," Gu Shouyan frowned, "What about Yu'er? That's all Wan'er. After all, Yu'er is your biological grandson in a single line. You can't do that because this girl Wan'er has alienated even your biological grandson..."

Shangguan Ce's eyes darkened, his expression changed, and he seemed to have something unspeakable.

"If it's not convenient, just forget it."

Gu Shouyan just asked in passing and didn't insist on Shangguan Ce's answer.

After all, this is a family matter of the Shangguan family.

Gu Shouyan poured himself another cup of tea and began to sip it slowly.

Shangguan Ce's face was covered with a shadow. After being silent for a long time, he finally sighed and spoke slowly:

"When Yu'er was born... I asked an ancestor from Qintian Prison to tell his fortune."

Gu Shouyan was stunned and frowned slightly.

Shangguan Ce continued: "Yu'er..."

He paused for a moment, closed his eyes deeply, then slowly opened them, with a cold tone, "Since Yu'er was born, his destiny has been to be a 'dead person', a mutilated body, not a living person. people……"

Gu Shouyan's hands trembled and he looked shocked.

Then his eyes darkened, "Fate matters may not be true..."

Shangguan Ce shook his head, "You don't know the identity of that ancestor. His fortune telling can't be wrong."

"And...I can see it too."

"Yu'er, this child, has been different from others since he was a child. Although he seems to be good, his spiritual consciousness is naturally weak, as if his soul is incomplete. Moreover, he can occasionally see things that ordinary monks cannot see, and he can do Some incredible nightmares, like...a baby with one foot half-stepped into hell..."

Shangguan Ce's eyes were a little painful, "So every time I see Yu'er, I feel like there is a thorn in my heart."

"He is my only biological grandson whom I finally got, but he is destined to die young and cannot be raised..."

Gu Shouyan looked stunned for a long time, then suddenly looked at Shangguan Ce, mercilessly, and sneered:

"You were too scumbag when you were young, and you will become extinct when you are old. You deserve it."

Shangguan Ce looked ugly, but he was unable to argue.

Seeing his expression, Gu Shouyan sighed, and finally softened his tone, "Can't we save him?"

Shangguan Ce looked bitter, "No one can change things like fate."

"Fart!" Gu Shouyan's face darkened, "If you really can't change, there won't be any words like 'change your destiny against the will of heaven'!"

Shangguan Ce sighed: "These are the original words of the ancestor. Back then, he said that Yu'er's fate was forged innately. The secret of heaven is too deep and the cause and effect are too great. It cannot be reversed by human power..."

Gu Shouyan asked in a low voice: "What kind of cultivation level does that ancestor have?"

Shangguan Ce pointed to the sky.

Gu Shouyan felt a chill in his heart and said no more, but he also knew in his heart the weight of this assertion.

After drinking tea, Shangguan Ce left.

Gu Shouyan sat alone at the table, not drinking tea. He sat in a daze, and the innocent and well-behaved look of Yu'er that day came to mind again.

Gu Shouyan couldn't help but feel pain in his experienced heart, and sighed in a low voice:

"A good boy, but he has a bad life..."

…

Mo Hua had a big meal and stayed one night at Gu's house. He was going back to Taixumen early the next morning.

The four words "deep blessings" written by Mr. Xun were given to Wen Renwan in ink paintings.

Although old Mr.

When Wen Renwan took over this calligraphy, he was also flattered.

Patriarch Dongxu is a top figure in any family in Qianzhou, and ordinary disciples have no chance to meet him, let alone receive a handwriting.

Wen Renwan wanted to return the gift to Mr. Xun, but he thought that the old man didn't care about this.

So she packed a lot of food and drink, as well as some second-grade formations, books and formations, and gave them all to Mo Hua.

They are all things that Mo Hua likes.

Mo Hua declined a few times symbolically, and then accepted it happily and with peace of mind.

Before leaving, Gu Changhuai also found the ink painting.

The two sat on the steps at the door and chatted briefly.

"I have something to tell you," Gu Changhuai thought for a while and said, "Some time ago, a group of demon cultivators of unknown origin poured into the vicinity of Ganxuezhou."

"Demon cultivators?" Mo Hua was stunned.

Gu Changhuai nodded, "The origin has not been found out yet, and it is not clear how many there are and what their cultivation is."

"The range of activities is also limited to the second and third grade small states near Ganxuezhou. The plot is unknown, but they must have no good intentions."

"Daotingsi has begun to arrest them, but the current situation is not easy to say..."

Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua again and reminded:

"Although you are "confined" and cannot leave Ganxuezhou, you are unlikely to encounter them, but just in case, you should still be careful."

"Yeah." Mo Hua nodded.