So alike! They really are!
His icy demeanor was indeed seven or eight parts similar to that of his former Daoist partner.
However...
Gu Tang used to be someone who was indifferent to everything except cultivation.
Even after becoming partners, they rarely see each other, perhaps once a year.
Even when they meet, they barely exchange a few words, and every single one of them is related to spiritual practice.
So now, suddenly in another world, I see someone who looks a lot like my former Daoist partner.
The other person seems to be another father to his son in this world.
Gu Tang was only surprised for a moment before regaining his composure.
He didn't doubt that the high and mighty Palace Master of Feiyun was lying.
After all, given his current cultivation level and status, what would the other party gain by lying?!
"Hmm...cough cough..." Gu Tang coughed a few times, breaking the somewhat awkward silence in the main hall of Danxin Pavilion.
"You mean, Nuo'er, he..." He blinked, searching his memory, but couldn't recall any connection with this high and mighty Palace Master of Feiyun.
"Seven years ago, on the night you were about to complete your Core Formation, I encountered a dangerous situation during my cultivation and was on the verge of going berserk." Qin Junche guessed what he meant and explained indifferently, "I just happened to meet you."
"Oh..." Gu Tang replied casually.
He thought for a moment and asked, "And then I saved you?"
"Shameless!" A small voice rang out from a corner of the hall.
Gu Tang glanced in that direction.
After he woke up in this body, he had all the memories of the past.
The original owner of the body was somewhat indifferent because he was engrossed in cultivation.
But he has never harmed anyone, nor has he ever bullied others because of the sect leader's favor.
He just couldn't understand why these disciples of Danxin Pavilion were treating him so badly.
Is it really because "the tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind"?
Gu Tang seemed to be deep in thought. He turned his head and saw Ning Wan standing behind Dongfang Yu with her hands at her sides, looking at him with a complicated expression.
His originally fair and handsome face now looked deathly pale.
His hands, hanging at his sides, were clenched into fists.
Meeting Gu Tang's gaze, Ning Wan immediately turned her head away as if stung by a bee.
Gu Tang raised an eyebrow and heard Qin Junche say calmly, "Yes. You saved me."
He paused, then said, "After that, I went back to my sect to recuperate from my injuries and only came out last month. It was only after I came out that I learned that you were still alive and had given birth to Gu Nuo for me."
Qin Junche's expression was originally extremely cold, but when he talked about Gu Nuo, the coldness between his brows seemed to melt away a bit.
Even the corners of her lips softened.
He was still holding Gu Nuo in his arms, and his voice became gentle: "Gu... Nuo'er".
Gu Nuo: "..."
Gu Tang: "..."
Countless thoughts raced through Gu Tang's mind. If Gu Nuo followed Qin Junche, she would have the best cultivation techniques and the best resources.
He will be cared for and well taken care of, and from then on, his life will be smooth sailing. Becoming the legendary number one cultivator in the cultivation world is just around the corner.
Would that mean his mission in this world is complete?
Will that allow me to accumulate some merit points to help him overcome his tribulation?
[No!] A clear, childlike voice suddenly rang in Gu Tang's mind. [If you want merit points, you must raise him yourself, give him warmth, give him love, and make him no longer feel lonely.]
Chapter 7 The Son's Father is the Demon Lord (7)
"You must earn the children's approval, make them like and love you from the bottom of their hearts, before you can gain merit points!" the crisp voice added.
Gu Tang found the voice quite familiar.
Isn't this the guy who whispered in his ear when he failed his tribulation and was about to die from being struck by countless lightning bolts, telling him to go to a different world to be someone else's father, accumulate merit points, and help him overcome his tribulation?
"You mean, if Qin Junche takes Gu Nuo away now, even if Gu Nuo does well in the future, I won't get any merit points in this world?" Gu Tang thought for a moment and tried to communicate with the other person in his mind.
"Yes! For each world's mission you complete, you will not only gain one point of merit, but also recover one ninety-ninth of your previous cultivation level. So, once you complete ninety-nine world missions, you will fully recover your peak strength and be able to undergo tribulation again," the voice said again.
【Understood.】
Gu Tang has cultivated for nearly ten thousand years, and he has seen all sorts of strange and unusual things.
Although he was still a little confused, he quickly calmed down.
Coming to his senses, Gu Tang looked at Qin Junche again.
The usually aloof and cold-blooded Palace Master of Feiyun Palace was holding his son Gu Nuo in the main hall, his expression unusually gentle.
"Nuo'er." Qin Junche called Gu Nuo again, his tone much more natural now, perhaps because of the natural bond between father and son, blood ties, "You can come back to Feiyun Palace with me..."
"No!" Gu Tang suddenly spoke, abruptly interrupting Qin Junche, "Nuo'er cannot leave me."
As he spoke, he reached out his hand to Gu Nuo and called out with some guilt, "Come here, Nuo'er."
"Father!" Gu Nuo called out to him in a trembling voice, her small body struggling a few times in Qin Junche's arms.
Fearing that her son might get hurt, the Palace Master of Feiyun Palace bent down and gently placed him on the ground.
"Father!" As soon as Gu Nuo stood up, she ran quickly to Gu Tang's side.
He looked up at Gu Tang and reached out his small hand to tightly grasp the hem of his clothes.
Because of the force used, his little fists turned somewhat pale.
Gu Tangchao smiled at him and touched his hair with a hint of guilt.
Gu Nuo is very well-behaved and sensible.
But Gu Tang cultivated alone for ten thousand years, his eyes filled with cultivation techniques and secrets, pursuing the Great Dao, and never caring about any emotions.
Even if he possessed all of Gu Nuo's father's memories, he couldn't say he had deep feelings for this suddenly appearing son.
Furthermore, it's clear that Gu Nuo would be much better off following Qin Junche than following him, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator.
If that voice hadn't alerted Gu Tang, he would most likely have let Qin Junche take his son away.
Changing my mind now is only for my own merit points, so that I can successfully overcome the tribulation in the future.
"Feiyun Palace can provide the young palace master with the best cultivation environment," Qin Junche said calmly.
Gu Tang hesitated for a few seconds.
Since Qin Junche acknowledged that Gu Nuo was the young palace master, it was certain that resources would be allocated to him.
Gu Nuo is exceptionally intelligent; in that case, he will definitely be able to…
"Father..." Gu Nuo grabbed his hem and shook it gently, tilting her little head up to look at Gu Tang with pleading eyes, "I don't want to leave Father..."
He said in a low voice.
Looking at his son like this, Gu Tang felt even more guilty.
Especially when he felt Gu Nuo tightly gripping the hem of his clothes, a clear indication of her dependence and trust in him.
But he only did it for his own merit points and to transcend the tribulation...
"I will give him the best too!" Gu Tang straightened his back and looked directly into Qin Junche's eyes without fear.
Several soft laughs suddenly rang out inside the hall.
Gu Tang is not even as good as most of the outer disciples of Danxin Pavilion. How dare he compare himself to the dignified Palace Master of Feiyun Palace?!
Gu Tang seemed not to hear.
He had never considered the possibility of Gu Nuo having another father. Qin Junche was just a minor incident. According to his original plan, he could still raise Gu Nuo well.
He made up his mind, and without even glancing at Qin Junche, he walked past him and headed straight for Dongfang Yu.
"Sect Leader." Gu Tang bowed to Dongfang Yu politely, "This disciple has come to discuss something with Elder Zhu."
"What is it?" Dongfang Yu asked indifferently.
“I have a better way, using the herbs planted in the ordinary medicinal fields of the outer sect,” Gu Tang said.
"Oh?" Dongfang Yu's expression remained indifferent.
Although those herbs weren't particularly important to Danxin Pavilion, the large number of outer disciples allowed for their mass cultivation and decent yields, making them a stable source of income for the pavilion.
Moreover, some low-level pills always use these herbs.
Inner disciples aspiring to pursue the path of medicinal cultivation also need a large number of low-level herbs to practice with.
Therefore, he couldn't possibly hand over these herbs to Gu Tang based on just a few words.
Gu Tang also knew these things.
He turned to Elder Zhu and said calmly, "Outer sect herbs are mainly used to make first- and second-level pills. Among them, the first-level Golden Wound Powder, which is specifically used to treat external injuries, and the first-level Clear Heart Powder, which can cure common poisoning, are the main ones. Occasionally, second-level Golden Wound Powder or Clear Heart Powder will be produced, but the yield is extremely low. The approximate ratio is that less than ten doses of second-level Golden Wound Powder will appear out of one hundred doses of first-level Golden Wound Powder."
“That’s right.” Elder Zhu nodded.
This is no secret; the same ratio and output exist throughout the world, not just within Danxin Pavilion itself.
"If I can guarantee that these herbs can stably produce level two Golden Wound Powder, and possibly one-third of them can produce level three or even higher-grade pills, then can I manage all the herbs of the outer sect of Danxin Pavilion?" Gu Tang asked again.
"What did you say?" Elder Zhu could hardly believe his ears!
"Are you kidding me?!" Even Ning Wan, who had been standing next to Dongfang Yu without saying a word, blurted out.
"I'm not joking." Gu Tang glanced at Ning Wan indifferently.
Ning Wan was learning alchemy from Elder Zhu, he knew that.
With Ning Wan's current talent and level, the level 2 potions she makes using those low-level outer sect herbs might indeed be slightly better, but it would only be about 17 or 18 out of 100 level 1 potions that are level 2.