Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband

Perhaps it was bad luck, or perhaps their standards had grown higher. After wandering the black market for quite some time, they failed to find anything of real value. During this period, a few bold vendors attempted to sell them so-called treasures allegedly sourced from ancient ruins. Unfortunately, every item turned out to be fake.

At one stall, Gu Yao’s expression turned peculiar as he purchased a few seeds. These seeds appeared to have been stored for far too long, with almost all their vitality drained. Oddly enough, Gu Yao didn’t haggle much; he casually handed over a few spirit stones to the vendor. The stall owner, delighted, quickly accepted the payment and disappeared into the crowd.

“What kind of seeds are these?” Tian Feirong asked curiously. He didn’t think Gu Yao had been scammed—he just felt that with his poor luck, even if there were treasures right in front of him, he probably wouldn’t recognize them.

Gu Yao picked up one of the nearly petrified seeds and said, “This one is a seed of the ‘Muqi Fruit’. Just finding this makes this trip to Xiong Tou Fortress worth it.”

Chi Changye raised an eyebrow. He could sense an extremely faint trace of vitality within the seed. To anyone else, it would just be a worthless, dead seed. But Gu Yao was different. If this ‘Muqi Fruit’ could be successfully cultivated and paired with the ‘Huoqi Fruit’, it would greatly benefit Gu Yao.

For a cultivator with both wood and fire spiritual roots, finding and using both these spiritual fruits together was an incredibly rare and valuable opportunity.

The ‘Huoqi Fruit Tree’ from the Yan Clan’s secret realm had been entirely transplanted into Gu Yao’s personal space. Once the fruits ripened, Gu Yao had shared a few with Tian Feirong. Neither Tian Feirong nor the chubby young man had questioned what happened to the tree itself.

Both Tian Feirong and the chubby young man sighed in relief. “At least there’s been some gain,” they thought. As for whether the seeds could actually be cultivated into a tree, that went without saying.

After all, Gu Yao had a knack for turning the impossible into reality. They had complete faith in him.

The two of them also casually bought a couple of items before leaving the black market with Gu Yao. In fact, there were a few slightly valuable objects hidden among the piles of junk. However, they were only useful to cultivators who had yet to establish their foundations. After some thought, the two decided not to buy them, hoping that some other lucky cultivator might stumble upon them and benefit.

After leaving the black market, various gazes continued to follow them. The earlier “coincidental” tests within the market had all failed to affect Gu Yao’s group, leaving the observers more cautious than before.

Before long, a grand mansion that stood out significantly from its surroundings came into view. Unlike the rough and chaotic environment of the area, the mansion was tall, neat, and overly luxurious, glittering with golden decorations.

The chubby youth pointed at the mansion and asked, “The owner of this place must have quite the status?”

Zhao Dagou, trembling with fear, replied, “The person living there is Boss Jin of Xiong Tou Fortress. He commands a significant number of followers. Ever since I arrived here, Boss Jin has always been around, and no one has been able to shake his position or that of the two other leaders for years.”

The chubby youth chuckled. “Boss Jin? No wonder the place is decked out with so much gold for show.”

The four of them had no intention of digging deeper into the mansion’s background and were about to leave when a familiar voice behind them caused Gu Yao to pause slightly. Tian Feirong also looked back with some curiosity.

From within Boss Jin’s mansion, a group of people emerged. One of them was speaking eagerly:

“We’d be incredibly grateful if you could put in a good word for our Gu family. Here, take these bottles of pills for now. If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to let us know.”

As he spoke, he handed several jade bottles to the group of cultivators, who accepted them with subtle but pleased expressions. Smiling more sincerely now, one of the cultivators said:
“Alright, our boss often speaks fondly of your Gu family’s ancestors, mentioning how long it’s been since they last met. Oh, and Boss Jin also admires the talented individual from your family, the one who’s become famous across the entire Tianlin Continent. Honestly, if your family has any pressing matters, reaching out to him would solve everything. By the way, the ‘Xia Ling Dew’ you’re asking for is one of Boss Jin’s most treasured possessions.”

The steward of the Gu family forced a bitter smile. “Alright then, I’ll visit again some other time. I’ll take my leave for now, and I appreciate your help.”

“Safe travels.”

As the Gu family group departed, the cultivators from Boss Jin’s mansion watched them go, mocking expressions on their faces.

One of them opened a jade bottle, glanced inside, and said, “The Gu family really pulled out all the stops for us this time. Normally, they’d never sell pills like these, and now they’re just giving them away for free.”

“Yeah, remember how proud the Gu family used to be? Now look at them! They’re a mess, and it’s all their own doing. Did you see the steward’s face when we mentioned their so-called ‘genius’? They’re the ones who pushed him out, and now the Gu family has become the weakest in Yuanyang Town.”

“Why does the Gu family need ‘Xia Ling Dew’ from Boss Jin anyway?”

“Don’t ask. It’s none of our business. Let’s just focus on our duties. Time to head back.”

None of them noticed the group of four not far away. Zhao Dagou was trembling, thinking to himself that eavesdropping near Boss Jin’s mansion was asking for trouble. However, to his surprise, no one noticed them—not even the Gu family members who had hurried past earlier.

“’Xia Ling Dew’? Boss Jin actually has ‘Xia Ling Dew’?” Gu Yao asked Zhao Dagou curiously.

Zhao Dagou quickly answered, “It’s been rumored recently. They say Boss Jin acquired about a dozen drops of ‘Xia Ling Dew’ years ago. It’s a rare spiritual substance of heaven and earth, formed only under specific conditions over a hundred years. It’s said to be an excellent remedy for internal injuries.”

“Is someone from the Gu family injured? Even their own pills can’t help anymore? Is it the family head or the ancestor who’s often in seclusion?” Gu Yao asked, his curiosity piqued. He had heard of Xia Ling Dew before. While it was indeed effective, it wasn’t particularly rare to him. Moreover, his ability to refine top-grade pills often produced effects superior to those of Xia Ling Dew.

Zhao Dagou shook his head. “I haven’t heard anything. Even if someone is injured, we wouldn’t get wind of it. Boss Jin might dare mock the Gu family, but people like us wouldn’t dare to even think about it.”

For lower-level cultivators like him, the Gu family still carried significant influence. At most, they would laugh at the Gu family’s misfortunes in private, but no one would openly disrespect them.

“Do you want to go take a look?” Chi Changye asked, glancing at Gu Yao.

After a moment of thought, Gu Yao nodded. “Alright, let’s go see. We need to head that way to find someone anyway; it’s on the way.” He then waved dismissively at Zhao Dagou. “You can leave now. Consider yourself lucky for running into us today. Don’t count on the same luck next time.”

“Yes, yes! I’ll change my ways immediately! I’ll leave now!” Zhao Dagou scrambled off in a panic, running as fast as he could, wanting to get as far away from the group as possible. He couldn’t believe he had been given a chance to live. Even after running a considerable distance, his legs were still trembling.

Gu Yao and his companions took to the skies, flying directly above the area. Below, they caught sight of the Gu family group traveling on lizard-horned horses. The Gu family steward wore a grave expression, clearly preoccupied with his thoughts. Gu Yao, however, did not linger and flew straight past.

The steward, sensing something, instinctively looked up at the sky, but there was nothing there except birds flying by. Dismissing it as his imagination, he assumed it might have been some creature watching them from above.

“Steward, do you think Boss Jin will agree to help the Gu family? If not… should we try reaching out to Young Master Gu Yao?” one of the attendants, a trusted bodyguard of the family head, asked cautiously. Normally, no one would dare say such a thing, but the current situation made even those close to the family head resentful and regretful.

If only they had valued Gu Yao more in the past. Perhaps things would be different now. Even Tian Feirong, with his average aptitude, had managed to establish his foundation by staying by Gu Yao’s side.

The steward sighed and shook his head. “You’ve only heard outsiders praise Young Master Gu Yao for his kindness and resourcefulness, but that’s only for those who haven’t wronged him. Have you forgotten what happened during the time he stayed in Yuanyang Town after leaving the Gu family? Everyone the Gu family sent to visit him was humiliated and sent back immediately.”

“If there was any chance of mending the relationship, the family head would likely kneel before Young Master Gu Yao if necessary. But alas…”

“Alas, what?”

The steward sighed again. “The grudge between Gu Yao and the Gu family runs too deep. They’ve wronged him too much. And Young Master Gu Yao is not someone who values blood ties or family connections above all else. Unless his biological mother were still alive, there would be a sliver of hope. Otherwise, there’s nothing we can do.”

Now everyone sees the Gu family as short-sighted. They let someone as exceptional as Gu Yao slip away. While the family still benefits slightly from the fact that Gu Yao bears the Gu name—deterring others from targeting them—it’s also the reason they are constantly mocked and humiliated.

“What about Young Master Gu Yang?”

The steward shook his head. “He’s been gone for ten years without a single word. Even the family head has lost hope. If he were making any progress, he would have at least come back during the last Ascension Conference.”

“And what about Young Master Gu Chen?”

The steward’s expression darkened, and the others quickly fell silent. Even those closest to the family head didn’t know Gu Chen’s whereabouts. They could only hope the family head hadn’t made any foolish decisions regarding him.

On the road, Gu Yao and his three companions had already entered Yuanyang Town. Fatty looked around curiously. Among the four traveling together, three had come from this very town. He thought to himself that this small, unremarkable town must now be famous across the entire Tianlin Continent.

Fatty’s guess was spot on. For a time, Yuanyang Town did see an influx of visiting cultivators—some out of curiosity and others hoping to bask in the glow of a genius. However, they left disappointed. The cultivation environment in Yuanyang Town was dreadful, with sparse spiritual energy and poor resources. Reaching the Foundation Establishment stage here likely required pooling all of a family’s resources. Producing individuals like Gu Yao and his companions seemed like sheer, astronomical luck.

Moreover, after hearing about the state of the Gu family, the visiting cultivators were even more disheartened. They left one after another, which in turn disappointed the locals, who had hoped the influx of outsiders would boost their business.

Gu Yao paused and asked, “Should we head to the market first to find Boss Dong? Or should we split up? Second Brother Tian, do you want to go back and check on the Tian family?”