Chapter 464: The Forbearing Elder Gu
The Gu Family’s main hall was in complete chaos.
Because Gu Feiyun had gone mad.
He was crying one moment and laughing the next, spouting all sorts of nonsense.
"SOB... Ah Chen, your father is useless! I can’t avenge you! I’ve failed you!"
"Hahaha... Damned! You’re all damned! Not a single one of you is innocent!"
"Are you all enjoying this dog-eat-dog spectacle? Hahaha! But why can’t I bring myself to be happy? Qiuyu! Don’t leave me! SOB..."
Elder Gu, Gu Tiannan, slapped Gu Feiyun hard across the face and roared, "Feiyun, Ah Chen has been dead for a month! Get a grip! You’re a direct heir of the Gu Family. What kind of woman can’t you have? I’ll find you another wife! Don’t throw your life away over some woman like Yang Qiuyu!"
At the mention of Yang Qiuyu’s name, Gu Feiyun seemed to snap. He lunged forward, his hands wrapping around Gu Tiannan’s throat as he roared, "You old bastard! Don’t you dare say that bitch’s name! I’ll kill you!"
Worried he would injure his son, Gu Tiannan couldn’t bring himself to fight back by Cultivating. In an instant, his face was beet-red from the chokehold.
Gu Feiyun’s brothers’ faces paled. They rushed forward and pulled him off.
"Feiyun, have you lost your mind? How could you be so disrespectful to Father?"
Restrained by his brothers, Gu Feiyun struggled futilely, screaming curses. "That bitch! That bitch Yang Qiuyu! I’ll drink her blood and eat her flesh!"
Gu Tiannan gasped for air. It took him more than ten seconds to catch his breath. He pointed a trembling finger at Gu Feiyun and yelled, "He’s mad! Feiyun has gone completely mad! Lock him in the solitary room! Don’t let him out until he’s calmed down!"
"Yes, sir!"
His brothers tried to drag Gu Feiyun to the solitary room, but in his frenzied state, he was surprisingly strong. He actually managed to throw them off!
"Are you trying to hurt me, too? You’re all dogs of the Yang Family! Hahahaha!"
Just then, the butler, Pang Fei, burst in, looking panicked.
"Elder Gu, Young Masters, this is bad! Someone has broken into the Gu Family estate!"
Gu Tiannan immediately grew tense. "Is it someone from the Jinling Yang Family?"
"No."
Gu Tiannan breathed a small sigh of relief, then his expression hardened. "My Gu Family is one of the top families in the Provincial City! Our honor will not be challenged! Men, seize the intruder!"
Pang Fei’s face drained of color as he quickly interjected, "You can’t! You mustn’t! The intruder is the designated successor of the Hu and Zhu Families—Cheng Yuan!"
’Cheng Yuan?’
Hearing the name, Gu Feiyun’s gaze flickered, and his laughter grew even more maniacal. "Hahahaha! Cheng Yuan is here? Looks like he’s come for revenge! You’re all going to die! Every last one of you!"
Gu Tiannan’s eyes narrowed. "’He’s just an outsider disciple! Who gave him the audacity? Today, I will teach him that the Gu Family estate is not a place just anyone can barge into!’"
Ignoring Gu Feiyun’s ravings, the Gu Family members, led by Gu Tiannan, stormed out of the inner hall, radiating killing intent. They were going to make Cheng Yuan pay a heavy price.
In the front courtyard, Cheng Yuan stood alone, yet the Gu Family guards were steadily backing away.
They were no match for him. With every move Cheng Yuan made, another guard fell.
Soon, Cheng Yuan had pushed his way into the main courtyard.
Seeing Gu Tiannan surrounded by his retinue, Cheng Yuan narrowed his eyes. ’Finally, the man in charge.’
The guards instantly found their courage again, rushing forward to plead their case to Gu Tiannan.
"Elder Gu, this kid is attacking people indiscriminately! He’s already injured more than a dozen of our men!"
Gu Tiannan’s face was as black as ink. He pointed a finger at Cheng Yuan’s nose and spat, "Brat, don’t think you can trample on the Gu Family’s dignity just because you’re the successor for the Hu and Zhu Families! Get on your knees and apologize right now! If you do, perhaps I’ll consider Alliance Leader Hu and Zhu the Fifth’s reputations and spare your miserable life!"
Cheng Yuan chuckled coldly. "Today, I represent only myself, not the Hu and Zhu Families’ successor. Bring whatever you’ve got."
Eager to impress the Elder, a young man named Gu Miao stepped forward first, pointing at Cheng Yuan and sneering, "Brat, what else do you have besides your title as successor to the Hu and Zhu Families? You’re just a country bumpkin from Luocheng. I alone am more than enough to deal with you!"
With that, Gu Miao strode forward and swung a vicious slap at Cheng Yuan’s face.
The other Gu Family members nodded slightly at the sight.
’They’d always thought Gu Miao was just a good-for-nothing playboy, but who would have thought he’d actually step up when it mattered?’
’He had potential for the future after all.’
A faint, gentle smile even appeared on Gu Tiannan’s face.
’He’d thought that with Ah Chen’s death, the third generation of the Gu Family was a lost cause, but now... he saw a glimmer of hope.’
Cheng Yuan almost laughed out of sheer disbelief. ’A piece of trash who just barely became a Martial Artist dares to make a move on me?’
"Courting death!"
Cheng Yuan answered with a backhand of his own, but his movement was far faster than Gu Miao’s.
Gu Miao’s palm was still a foot from his face when Cheng Yuan’s slap had already connected.
All anyone heard was a loud CRACK!
Gu Miao was sent flying, crashing heavily into Gu Tiannan and making the old man stagger.
The Gu Family members paled and rushed to steady Gu Tiannan.
"Father, are you all right?"
"Grandfather, are you hurt?"
Gu Tiannan shook his arm slightly, pushing the others away, and said in a low voice, "Rest assured. I’m fine!"
Gu Tiannan then unleashed his aura, and an immensely powerful presence erupted from him.
Cheng Yuan raised an eyebrow. ’Interesting. Gu Tiannan is a Martial King?’
’Looks like he only just broke through, though.’
’The old bastard is pretty good at hiding his strength.’
’If Uncle Hu hadn’t also broken through to the Martial King realm, this old bastard might have actually taken the seat of the Dongshan Martial Arts Alliance Leader.’
The Gu Family members grew excited. ’The Elder’s aura is so powerful! Did he break through?’
Gu Feihu asked, his voice trembling, "Father! Did you... did you break through?"
Gu Tiannan gave a slight, reserved nod. "A fortunate breakthrough."
The Gu Family members trembled with excitement.
’After laying low for over a decade, is the Gu Family’s time finally here?’
Ten years ago, the Elder had already reached the rank of Grandmaster. But worried about being targeted by the Hu and Zhu Families, he had kept it a secret, planning to reveal his strength only after he completed his Cultivation to the Martial King realm.
And now, he had finally succeeded.
The confidence of the Gu Family members soared. An outsider disciple like Cheng Yuan was nothing! Even if he were a direct heir of the Hu and Zhu Families, they wouldn’t be afraid now!
Supported by his father, Gu Feilong, Gu Miao struggled to his feet and glared at Cheng Yuan. "Brat, you dared to hit me? Scared now, are you? If you’ve got the guts, try hitting me again!"
Gu Miao then strode right up to Cheng Yuan, stuck his neck out, and stared at him defiantly.
Cheng Yuan smiled. ’Why are there always people asking for a beating?’
CRACK!
This time, Cheng Yuan used a tiny bit of his True Essence.
Gu Miao was slapped straight to the ground. Half the teeth on one side of his mouth were gone, and his head was ringing.
Clutching his jaw, which had swollen to the size of a pig’s head, Gu Miao screamed, "Grandfather, this kid is courting death! Kill him! Avenge me!"
Gu Tiannan’s face was grim. "Brat, I have already achieved the rank of Martial King, yet you dare act so violently in my presence! I’d say you’ve lived long enough!"
Cheng Yuan snorted in disdain. "Just a decrepit, washed-up Martial King whose vitality is fading. What’s there to be proud of?"
Gu Tiannan was so furious he began to laugh. "Today, I’ll teach you a valuable lesson: A Martial King cannot be insulted!"