CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 45: WHO’S LOOKING FOR ME?

Gu Qingqing finished her lunch and was practicing calligraphy. This was a task given to her by Wen Guiyun, who required her not to forget her practice even when going out to play. It was not only to ensure her handwriting was good but also to cultivate her mind.

Gu Qingqing’s cultivation level was improving rapidly. At only five years old, she had already reached the third stage, which was an extraordinary achievement in the Xuantian Continent. Even among Wen Guiyun’s group, she was considered quite remarkable.

However, cultivating was not just about cultivating Spiritual Power but also about cultivating the mind. If one’s state of mind was unstable, they could easily fall into a state of madness. That’s why Wen Guiyun had Gu Qingqing practice calligraphy to stabilize her mind.

When Zhuo Tingqiu arrived, Gu Qingqing had just finished writing the last character.

Seeing the sword in Zhuo Tingqiu’s hand, Gu Qingqing remained calm. Before giving the gifts, Nan Hua and the others had shown them to Gu Qingqing and said that the items weren’t particularly valuable to them, which is why she agreed to gift them. After all, Zhuo Tingqiu was her friend, not theirs, so there was no need to help her give gifts.

"Qingqing, thank you for the gift, I really like it!" Zhuo Tingqiu raised the sword in his hand, joy evident in his eyes and brows, clearly indicating he genuinely liked it.

"As long as you like it!" Zhuo Tingqiu’s happiness over the sword made Gu Qingqing happy as well, indicating that the gift was not given in vain.

"You don’t know, when my father saw those gifts, his eyes went wide. Haha, I have never seen him so flustered before." Zhuo Tingqiu, who had been holding back for a while, couldn’t help but vent in front of Gu Qingqing.

Thinking about that scene, Gu Qingqing couldn’t help but laugh along.

Overwhelmed with joy, Zhuo Tingqiu performed a sword dance for Gu Qingqing to release his excitement before being called away by the servants to try on his outfit. Tomorrow was his birthday banquet and the day to confirm his status as the Young Master, so the outfit had to be perfect.

After he left, Gu Qingqing did not remain idle. She reviewed the Swordsmanship taught by Si Lin and went over the knowledge imparted by Mu Chen and the others.

...

In the courtyard where the Nalan Family resided, a guard hurriedly returned from outside and entered Nalan Jin’s room.

"Young Master Jin, I found out that a very powerful demon beast appeared on the Red Ruby Beach near Shangyang City this morning. It was killed by Young Master Zhuo’s friend," the guard reported with great respect, his head lowered.

"How powerful was the demon beast?" Nalan Jin tapped his fingers on the table and asked.

"According to witnesses, it was at least at the sixth stage!"

"Oh?" Nalan Jin’s fingers paused, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "No one saw how they killed that demon beast?"

"No one. It’s said there seemed to be a Barrier at the time, obscuring the vision of outsiders. Even Master Zhuo couldn’t break through it!"

His fingers paused again, and Nalan Jin frowned slightly, his expression a bit complicated. "Are they really that powerful?" he murmured to himself, glanced at the guard on the ground, and dismissed him.

Once he was alone in the room, Nalan Jin stood up from his chair and paced the room.

"Able to cripple Lan Shaoxin’s hand with one move and kill a demon beast above the sixth stage, what exactly is their cultivation?" he muttered to himself as he walked, "Such characters, with no news of them on the continent, who exactly are they?"

The expression on his face changed, finally concluding that Nan Hua and the others’ identities were certainly not simple, and possibly not something they could provoke. After pondering for a while, he left the room and headed to Nalan Qing’s room.

Since that day, Nalan Jin had restricted Nalan Qing to stay in the courtyard, and recently Nalan Qing was in a very bad mood. Seeing Nalan Jin enter, she did not respond.

"From now on, avoid dealing with the Lan Family, and don’t provoke Mr. Nan anymore. They’re not people you can afford to provoke. Don’t end up dragging down our Nalan Family!" Nalan Jin spoke coldly, ignoring Nalan Qing’s attitude.

Nalan Qing looked at Nalan Jin, her expression both puzzled and angry.

"Remember what I said, don’t act foolishly; you’re not the only smart person in this world." Nalan Jin’s tone towards Nalan Qing was very indifferent. He had always been displeased with Nalan Qing’s reckless cleverness. This time, Nalan Qing almost caused big trouble, so he spoke even more bluntly.

After speaking, he ignored Nalan Qing’s reaction and turned to leave.

Once the door closed, Nalan Qing couldn’t help sweeping everything on the table to the ground, her gaze towards the door full of malice.

...

A night passed, and before dawn, the Zhuo Family was already bustling with activity.

Today was Zhuo Tingqiu’s birthday banquet and the day the Zhuo Family confirmed Zhuo Tingqiu as the Young Master. Everyone in the Zhuo Family was vigilant, ensuring nothing went wrong today.

Early in the morning, many recipients of invitations arrived at the Zhuo Family, invited to the banquet venue to mingle with acquaintances and strangers alike.

Gu Qingqing did not rise very early, but she had specially prepared herself for today.

She wore a light blue dress, her hair styled into dual buns, with matching tassels hanging beside her ears. After a period of thorough care, she had changed a lot since first arriving at Spirit Hidden Mountain.

Her fair skin seemed flawless, with large, clear eyes resembling stars, a straight and pretty nose, and cherry-like lips, creating an adorable persona. Especially when she looked at you with her bright eyes, it was utterly heart-melting, making one want to give her anything!

"Little Qingqing is truly adorable today." Rong Ye patted the bun on Gu Qingqing’s head, but instead of getting angry when she glared at him, he laughed instead.

Gu Qingqing was very mindful of the bun on her head, and puffed her cheeks at Rong Ye, then ran behind Nan Hua.

Nan Hua glanced at Rong Ye, then looked back at Gu Qingqing, "Yes, Little Qingqing is certainly the most adorable girl today!"

Mu Chen and Jun Wu nodded in agreement. Little Qingqing is the cutest and most adorable, no objections allowed!

With this, Gu Qingqing immediately flashed a happy smile, her eyes curving with her laughter.

Nan Hua lifted Gu Qingqing up and, accompanied by servants, walked towards the venue of the banquet.

At this time, the flower hall of the Zhuo Family was filled with people. Those seated here were representatives sent by major forces, while those from smaller sects and noble families could only sit outside.

Today, Zhuo Tingqiu wore a black Brocade Robe symbolizing his identity as the Young Master. Due to his young age, he did not wear a crown but tied his hair with a band. Handsome as he was, when he kept a straight face, he indeed had some of the demeanor of a Young Master!

He was busy socializing alongside Zhuo Zhen Song, receiving many compliments. Forewarned, he responded politely, his demeanor commendable, earning approving nods from those friendly with the Zhuo Family.

Amidst this atmosphere of everyone exchanging pleasantries, a middle-aged man in a scarlet-purple Brocade Robe suddenly spoke up.

"I heard that Young Master Zhuo has a very powerful friend. Why haven’t we seen this person today?" The middle-aged man, none other than Lan Weiguang, had a faint smile on his face, but his eyes were cold.

The flower hall suddenly fell silent. Everyone looked from Lan Weiguang to Zhuo Tingqiu and Zhuo Zhen Song, noticing the smiles fading from their faces.

Just as Zhuo Tingqiu was about to speak, a wild yet lazy male voice suddenly came from outside the flower hall.

"Who’s looking for Young Master?"