Chapter 542 – The Beggar

　　The Business Division was either obscure or explicit in any sect.

　　Half of them were disciples who didn’t have much talent for cultivation but could still cultivate, albeit barely, and the other half were disciples from wealthy families who didn’t have much talent and wanted to make a name for themselves.

　　If a sect wanted to continue to flourish, it was bound to have an inseparable relationship with money. The Business Division, which was independent of the Alchemy, Craftsman, and Dao Divisions, was the place that dealt with money.

　　Qi Feiqing was like a fish in water here. Not long after he officially entered the division, he had mixed up with all kinds of dudes here.

　　Looking back from the future, the years he spent in Myriad Dao Academy would be the most glorious and comfortable years in his life. His brother was far in the sky, and he was beyond reach. Although his two friends always urged him to cultivate, they would not beat him up like his elder brother. Qi Feiqing found a perfect balance between cultivating, doing business, and wandering, and he was extremely comfortable.

　　However, it could be regarded as Qi Feiqing’s good destiny. His brother in the family held up all responsibilities in order to grant him a world of freedom.

　　Having said that, back to the present, during the Dao Division’s assessment on the seventh day, Yan Tianhen specially invited Gu Ruyu to come to watch Yin Nian’s assessment.

　　The assessment method changed every day. Which assessment method was selected depended on luck. The seventh day was the most traditional, bloody, and beautiful — duels.

　　Duels, as the name suggested, was for two or more people to compete with each other, regardless of their specializations. Whoever drew the same lots would fight each other.

　　Therefore, it was not difficult to see two disciples fighting each other in the Daoist arena, and see the disciples have varying occupations, such as array master, swordsman, talisman cultivator, and Dao cultivator.

　　Although some people were doomed to suffer losses in the tournament format, the good thing was that the examiners of Myriad Dao Academy didn’t just look at the outcome. They paid attention to the details, the application of skills, and the hidden potential.

　　Because tournaments were very beautiful, the number of disciples watching was obviously several times more than that of the previous few days.

　　Yan Tianhen came early and occupied a good viewing position.

　　Gu Ruyu was sitting on his left and Qi Feiqing was sitting on his right.

　　Qi Feiqing said, “Ruyu, your second brother is going to compete on the stage today.”

　　Gu Ruyu gave a hum and did not speak.

　　Qi Feiqing continued, “Your second brother always looks shy and doesn’t like to talk, but his smiles are a little cute. I really don’t know if…Aiya, what are you pinching me for?”

　　Qi Feiqing didn’t think when speaking. Yan Tianhen pinched his thigh and said, “Shut your mouth.”

　　Qi Feiqing stuck out his tongue in hindsight and said, “I forgot, I’m sorry.”

　　Gu Ruyu nodded and said, “I originally intended to let him go back, but he insisted very much and said that he had already discussed this with my mother. After thinking about it, I think it would be okay. In fact, I don’t want to leave him at home. I don’t feel at ease if he says something to my mother that shouldn’t be said.”

　　Yan Tianhen said, “It’s indeed more appropriate to put him right under your eyes.”

　　Qi Feiqing took a look at Gu Ruyu and said, “I don’t think Gu Ning is that annoying, but your third brother bullies him all the time. It’s still alright when you’re there. If you’re not at home, won’t Gu Ning be bullied to death by your third brother? So I think it’s better for him to come here, he’s quite pitiful.”

　　Gu Ruyu’s face sank and said, “Gu Feiyang, that brat, I will discipline him sooner or later.”

　　There were three sons in the Gu family, and there was little difference in age between the latter two.

　　The eldest Gu Ruyu, the second Gu Ning, and the third Gu Feiyang.

　　Even the youngest, Gu Feiyang, was sixteen years old now.

　　Gu Ning was not really the actual Gu Ning. The real second son of the Gu family had been lost nearly ten years ago. Nobody knew whether he was stolen or got lost by himself. No matter what method the Gu family used, he couldn’t be found in heaven and earth.

　　Madam Gu couldn’t bear the blow, and her mind gradually went wrong. She washed her face with tears every day. When she was in a bad mood, she cried to find her baby son, and her health deteriorated day by day.

　　In the winter of that year, it snowed heavily, and the whole Royal Heavenly Capital turned into a snowy city. It was very cold. On the snowiest and coldest day of that year, Gu Ruyu found a beggar at the foot of the Royal Capital on his way back to his house where few beggars could be seen.

　　And that child, probably seven or eight years old, was dressed in tatters. The little one shrank into a ball and hid himself in the corner, wishing to turn himself into an ant, so that he could hide in the cracks in the ground and no longer suffer.

　　But in the end, he was just a person.

　　Snow had already fallen layer after layer on his head. If Gu Ruyu hadn’t seen him shaking uncontrollably, he would have thought that this person had already frozen to death.

　　Cultivators were naturally not afraid of the snow in the world, but how could the snow in the world of immortals be comparable to the snow in the mortal world? People who could feel cold would still be cold, and the wind would still cut across their faces and still hurt.

　　Gu Ruyu stopped in his tracks.

　　He threw a bag of spirit stones in front of the child, but the child did not raise his head, still shivering.

　　Gu Ruyu looked at him for a moment and said, “Take the money, go to a warm place, and buy some food to fill your stomach.”

　　The dirty child raised his head very slowly. His eyes were not big, but they were very bright. His face was pointed. His little face was blue and his mouth was purple. It was obvious that he was too cold to speak. What’s more, don’t expect him to get up and walk.

　　However, even so, he still managed to hold the money bag which was very close to him with trembling hands.

　　Gu Ruyu’s entire lifetime’s quota of compassion was all used up at this time.

　　The eldest son of the Gu family, who had always been an aloof and distant man, came up to the little beggar and picked him up from the ground. The little beggar’s whole body was stiff; no one knew whether it was because he was afraid to stain Gu Ruyu’s fur cloak, which was whiter than snow, or whether he was too cold to relax.

　　Just like this, Gu Ruyu took the child back home under the dumbfounded expressions of the servants, looking as though they’d been struck by lightning.

　　However, after entering the door of the Gu family, Gu Ruyu threw the little beggar to other people, and told them, “Wash his body with warm water, and then make some soft and warm food. He hasn’t eaten for many days and also never fasted, so he can’t stand strong things.”

　　Gu Ruyu seemed to have the style of taking care and in charge of the family, so people naturally followed his orders.

　　The little beggar had a name, but Gu Ruyu couldn’t remember what his name was now.

　　But since the day when Madam Gu mistook the little beggar for her second son whom she couldn’t find, it didn’t matter what his original name was. Since then, he became Gu Ning, the second young master of the Gu family.

　　Gu Ruyu was a little relieved, but also a little miserable.

　　His baby brother was so young when he was lost, and he didn’t know how much he suffered outside. In the end, his position was replaced by another, and the favor he deserved was also snatched away by another.

　　It’s just that Gu Ruyu had always been inexpressive about his happiness and anger, but his third brother was different.

　　Gu Feiyang didn’t get much attention from Madam Gu ever since he was a child, because she lost her second son. All of Madam Gu’s thoughts were on the second son. However, Gu Feiyang also missed his second brother very much, so he could understand his mother.

　　However, ever since a fake came, Madam Gu gave all the warmth to that fake. She insisted on taking the fake with her wherever she went. She had to spoil the fake with any items that were delicious, fun, or useful.

　　Gu Feiyang’s heart became unbalanced. He was forbidden by Gu Ruyu to say a word in front of Madam Gu, but no one cared about what he did secretly. His eldest brother managed everything and was busy every day, so he didn’t know how Gu Feiyang dealt with the fake son at all.

　　As for the whole Gu family, the Gu family’s army had been guarding the Purple Emperor’s Heavenly Capital and had been stationed outside the Royal Heavenly Capital for many years, and seldom returned home. Not only did Gu Ruyu have to cultivate every day, but he also had to network with the other young masters. He went out early and returned late every day, and was absent for most of the time.

　　So Gu Feiyang held the most authority in the entire Gu family.

　　He bullied the fake son however he wanted. As long as Gu Feiyang did not leave a mark on his body and the person was not killed, it was good enough. After Gu Ruyu found out, he dragged Gu Feiyang all the way to the law enforcement hall and beat him almost to death.

　　Since then, although Gu Feiyang didn’t dare to trouble Gu Ning too much, his hatred and resentment for him went up to a higher level. He gnashed his teeth at the fake son, and even said such words as “If he’s here, then there’s no place for me.”

　　Gu Ruyu was pulled back from his thoughts by the sound of a bell. He looked at Gu Ning, who was opposite to Yin Nian on the martial arts platform. He didn’t know what he was feeling right now.

　　He didn’t know whether it was right or wrong to bring Gu Ning back, but he, Gu Ruyu, was a man who did things with a clear conscience to heaven and earth, and he never regretted it.

　　Gu Ruyu didn’t keep a close eye on Gu Ning because he was a “fake” and didn’t refuse to teach anything. On the contrary, he gave Gu Ning the treatment of the second young master of the Gu family. Besides the fact that Gu Ruyu was not very close to him, he had all the things the third Gu brother had, and he could learn everything that the third Gu brother could learn.

　　And Gu Ning probably treasured this cultivation opportunity that was difficult to come by, because his Gu family sword techniques were stronger than third brother’s, although this was related to their youngest brother being lazy.

　　At this time, the sword Gu Ning was holding was brought out from the Gu family.

　　It couldn’t compare with the Pagoda sword of Ruyu’s, which was passed down from generation to generation, but it wasn’t much worse. However, it wasn’t really good either.

　　Gu Ning had an allowance every month, but Gu Ruyu never knew where all his money was spent. Gu Ning was about to grow up, and his appearance could be called beautiful at most. He couldn’t compare with all the beauties in Myriad Dao Academy.

　　He isn’t very distinctive, doesn’t stand out, and even makes people feel that like he doesn’t exist.

　　Yin Nian used a puppet, yet it was not a pure puppet.

　　Behind him was Bifang, who had become the size of a tiger cub. From time to time, it sprayed a mouthful of fire. In front of him stood a mechanical puppet without a face, but was as tall as he was.

　　The mechanical puppet looked dazed, making a creaking sound with every step it took. It didn’t seem to be of any use at all, and it might even drag Yin Nian down.

　　However, everyone knew that this puppet was definitely not that simple.

　　Yin Nian looked at Gu Ning at the opposite side and said with a smile, “Dude, let’s just spar, don’t fight to the death, okay?”

　　Gu Ning said, “Yes.”

　　After the bell rang, Yin Nian took the lead and made a move, and Gu Ning drew his sword firmly to block the blade from the puppet’s right hand.