Chapter 120: First Encounter with Gu Baici

Gu Yi’s remark about "everywhere" actually meant that one would inevitably encounter such things regardless of the location. His first reaction was to look up.

"No matter where we are, we must always look up at the sky above us."

Yan Gou (The Dog) was truly a cynic; he squinted his already small eyes. "And what if we are in a sealed chamber?"

"Then look at the earth; we must always look down upon the land."

Yan Gou raised another objection. "What if we are in a place like the Great Rain Palace? We aren't standing on the earth here."

At this rate, nothing would hold true.

The Eighteenth Floor Master burst into hearty laughter.

"Nothing in this world can be forced to be perfect; one must realize that perfection is, in itself, imperfection. Look at the Mo Clan—they possess great fortune, yet they must also endure great tragedy. Choosing such a thing does not depend on whether it exists everywhere, but rather, it depends on your own 'Immortal Path'."

Gu Yi couldn't immediately think of anything he felt a particular connection to.

"But once found, how should one merge it with oneself?"

"If you truly find it, that part will not be difficult."

Long-Legged Cat and Yan Gou both nodded in agreement. Gu Yi asked, "How long did it take the two of you to learn it?"

"I was fast," Long-Legged Cat said proudly. "It only took me eleven years. Yan Lang wasn't as good; he took thirteen years."

Yan Lang was deeply displeased. "What thirteen years? It was clearly twelve years and a little bit more."

"Are nine months just 'a little bit'? What is wrong with calling it thirteen years?"

Gu Yi had no interest in their squabble over months. Eleven years? Was eleven years supposed to be short?

He lay back on the ground, watching the clouds drift by, falling into a state of dull listlessness. "Am I truly going to waste my time away here?"

Outside, the battle must still be raging fiercely.

Yan Gou had always been like a hyperactive child; mischievous as ever, he mimicked Gu Yi and lay down beside him.

Gu Yi sighed; he sighed too. Gu Yi turned his head; he turned his head too.

"What are you doing?"

"What are you doing?" Yan Gou retorted, then poked him. "Hey, little Gu Yi, is there anyone left in your family?"

"My family? I suppose there is still my elder sister and my apprentice."

Long-Legged Cat scoffed. "You? You have an apprentice? Hahaha."

Gu Yi was in a bad mood, so he picked up a rock and threw it at him. "Shut up!"

The petty creature immediately jumped up, outraged. "You dare throw things at me?!"

"Not only will I throw things at you, I’ll throw them at your mother, too!"

Long-Legged Cat was furious, but he dared not retaliate.

Yan Gou, likely amused by seeing Long-Legged Cat humiliated, was delighted, almost wishing to swear brotherhood with Gu Yi on the spot.

"So, you are from Luyang," the Eighteenth Floor Master deduced.

"I am not from Luyang; I didn't grow up there. My sister is from Luyang. And by the way, she is a famous chef there."

Though the Eighteenth Floor Master’s expression didn't change, his ears twitched imperceptibly at the word "chef," and even the bird-like Long-Legged Cat began to dream of delicacies.

"Don't bring it up; I get hungry just talking about it," Gu Yi smacked his lips. "The Embroidered Perch she makes is truly tender, smooth, and fragrant. Eighteenth Floor Master, you surely wouldn't know of it, as the Imperial Treasure Pavilion didn't open until many years after you left. Today, it is one of the Four Wonders of Luyang. From high-ranking ministers to the common folk, there is no one who doesn't love the Embroidered Perch."

*Plop.*

Gu Yi felt a water droplet land on his arm. He turned to see that the jerk Yan Gou was drooling. Disgusted, Gu Yi felt his skin crawl. "What are you doing?!"

It seemed being trapped in this place had made them quite miserable. It had actually made the poor guy cry with hunger.

Long-Legged Cat was already sensitive to fish; hearing about a dish as delicious as the Embroidered Perch made his mouth water uncontrollably.

"Eighteenth, I want to go out."

"So fragrant..." Yan Gou seemed almost intoxicated.

Gu Yi wondered if it was really necessary to go that far—could they smell the fragrance just from his description? Was this an otherworldly version of "quenching thirst by thinking of plums"? But just as he was about to speak, he suddenly smelled a fragrance wafting through the air.

However, it was not the scent of food.

It was the scent of a woman.

"A mere long-haired monster. Is this Great Rain Palace a place you can just leave whenever you please?"

The Eighteenth Floor Master had already closed his eyes, and upon hearing that familiar voice, Gu Yi performed a single action:

Tearing a strip of cloth, he covered his eyes.

One's life was not a joke.

But Long-Legged Cat and Yan Gou didn't seem to care; they only appeared much more docile. "Palace Master Gu, why have you come?"

Palace Master Gu moved without a sound. If not for the fragrance, one would never have known she had arrived.

"Baici, are you looking for me?" The Eighteenth Floor Master’s tone carried a hint of surprise. It seemed that Great Rain Palace Master Gu Baici rarely came to this place.

Gu Baici wore a simple, plain dress. Her figure was slender and delicate as if she had no bones, and the fingers she exposed were as white as seashells.

This aura of purity and temptation alone was enough to overwhelm a twenty-something like Gu Yi, so the moment he heard she had arrived, he chose not to look.

"Today, who ate my food? Was it you two beasts who couldn't control your mouths again?"

"No, absolutely not," Yan Lang and Long-Legged Cat shook their heads repeatedly. "Don't you know? After all these years, we have learned to follow the rules."

Gu Yi silently stepped behind the Eighteenth Floor Master.

But how could Gu Baici let him go? "Is it the newcomer? Does he not know the rules of my Great Rain Palace, nor that I detest men who steal?"

*Oh no*, was stealing a chicken going to be a problem?

But she asked who *ate* it, not who stole it.

Gu Yi spoke with passionate indignation: "Palace Master Gu, I can tell you that although the four of us ate your chicken together, I was the one who stole it. If you want to kill someone to vent your anger, kill me. It has nothing to do with the other three."

Long-Legged Cat and Yan Lang were moved. They had been demons for so many years; who had ever been willing to speak up for them? Gu Yi truly did not treat them poorly.

Gu Baici scanned the group. "All four of you ate it?"

Long-Legged Cat and Yan Lang felt their legs tremble; they sensed something was wrong.

Gu Yi repeated himself: "Palace Master Gu! A real man takes responsibility for his own actions! They did eat it, yes, but I was the one who truly stole it!"

This spirit was indeed admirable, but Long-Legged Cat and Yan Lang thought, *Damn you, why did you have to mention again that we ate your chicken?*

Yet, they couldn't exactly say Gu Yi was dragging them down; he *had* said he would take responsibility.

Only the Eighteenth Floor Master remained silent, calmly sipping his tea with a sense of leisure.

"Are you truly not afraid of death?" Gu Baici seemed to have drawn closer; her question held the coldness of a haughty noblewoman.

Gu Yi’s mind raced. *What do I do now?*

He had broken the rules of the Great Rain Palace. In this critical moment, he remembered what Shu Yu had said: *Make the Palace Master appreciate you.*

But what kind of person would appreciate a woman full of resentment toward the world, a woman full of prejudice against men? It wasn't an easy question.

However, it didn't seem impossible either. Gu Yi felt he had grasped a trick: the image of an ideal man in a woman's eyes. And surely, Gu Baici had witnessed many lies.

She asked if he was afraid of death...

"I am!" Gu Yi began his performance, speaking with unwavering firmness. "But I cannot lie simply because I fear death. As the saying goes: 'Life is what I desire; if there is something I desire more than life, I will not seek to survive at all costs. Death is what I loathe; if there is something I loathe more than death, there are perils I will not avoid.'"

"Empty words and nonsense! If you are a gentleman, why do you engage in theft?"

Gu Yi did not dodge or retreat. "The Eighteenth Floor Master is a senior from my Luyang Academy. I respect him deeply. If sacrificing my body can fulfill his wishes, I would do so until my last breath. A gentleman is not just someone who keeps himself clean; he is also someone willing to make sacrifices."

Gu Baici recalled the question she had asked him that day in the palace: "You claim to be a gentleman; then why, when I asked if you would look at me if I didn't kill you, did you answer 'yes'? Is a gentleman like you also lecherous?"

"That is incorrect. Everyone has an appreciation for beauty. You are the fairest immortal in the world; my wanting to look at you is both the truth and perfectly natural. Do you wish to find a gentleman who thinks you are ugly? I don't think you will find one, for he would certainly be lying."

*Bang!*

Gu Baici had a temper. Hearing the word "find," she instantly became displeased and swung her sleeve violently. Fortunately, the Eighteenth Floor Master extended his teacup, blocking the force of her palm. Because it was done without a sound or ripple, Gu Yi, with his eyes covered, did not even notice.

"Regardless, this child possesses a righteous spirit. Please, Baici, spare him."

"Hmph!"

Gu Baici flicked her fingers, and Gu Yi floated into the air.

"Baici!" The Eighteenth Floor Master twisted his feet, and his spiritual energy erupted. The pressure in the space reached its peak, instantly freezing the other three! Gu Yi even broke into a sweat—this Eighteenth was truly terrifying.

However, Gu Baici did not listen to his advice. She flew up, her spiritual energy enveloping Gu Yi. "If you want to kill me, then come and try. In any case, I am taking this person away."

How could the Great Rain Palace Master be easily intimidated? But the Eighteenth Floor Master was indeed worried that she would harm Gu Yi.

*Whoosh!*

His silver hair moved with the wind. He rose from the ground and gave chase. To Long-Legged Cat and Yan Lang, it looked like the Eighteenth had pushed his palm toward Gu Baici, only to brush past her at the last moment.

Gu Baici flew away rapidly without even turning her head.

"Eighteenth! Why didn't you teach that crazy woman a lesson?!" Long-Legged Cat, unable to bear it, jumped up after she left. "She took little Gu Yi! What are we going to do now?"

Yan Lang grinned. "Do you think she finds little Gu Yi amusing? Haha."

*Idiots.*

Faced with Long-Legged Cat's questioning, the Eighteenth Floor Master only sighed silently, filled with helplessness. "How could I possibly kill her?"

Long-Legged Cat cursed loudly: "You dirty old lecher! You must have fallen for that crazy woman, otherwise, why do you act like this every time?"

*Huh?!*

The Eighteenth probably had too good a temper, and these two beasts were becoming increasingly disrespectful. He glared at them fiercely, and Long-Legged Cat shuddered, immediately changing into a smiling face. They were creatures who remembered the taste of food but forgot the pain of a beating!

As for Gu Yi, having been taken away, his heart hammered in his chest. *What is the meaning of this? Why take me? And should I take off this homemade blindfold or not? If I take it off, I might be stunned by her beauty and then killed instantly. But if I don't, I see nothing—isn't that the same as being at her mercy?*

Most importantly, he still had to maintain the appearance of a "gentleman" who sacrifices himself for righteousness.

He kept cursing the Eighteenth Floor Master in his heart. This guy was so unreliable—watching him face death without saving him, and even after making a move, did he end up showing mercy because of her beauty? *Does Gu Yi deserve to be shown mercy?*

Since he could see nothing and his body was dragged along by Gu Baici’s spiritual energy, unable to move, he heard the wind whistling by his ears. Finally, he felt a drop and crashed onto the ground.

It seemed he had fallen from the sky again!

Before he could think, Gu Yi heard a "thump, thump, thump" sound, like someone stepping quickly, followed by a "thud."

*Did Gu Baici fall down too?*

"Pfft..."

What was this? Gu Yi couldn't see; he could only rely on sound. It sounded like Gu Baici had landed and rushed forward, but lost her balance and fell, spitting out blood...

That was the picture the sounds painted for Gu Yi, but it didn't seem logical. The Eighteenth Floor Master hadn't done anything to her. How could she be injured?

In truth, his perception was correct.

On a spacious, soft couch, the Palace Master was half-propped up, turning her head to look at the person in the hall, her breathing heavy.

Gu Yi frowned; he kept thinking, and he felt something was wrong.

"Palace Master Gu, are you alright?"

*Thump.*

Another sound. After that, there was not a single noise.

"Palace Master Gu? Are you okay?"

Gu Yi was baffled. He had planned how to look cool, but what was this? Had she fainted? Regardless, he had to act like a gentleman. He couldn't secretly remove the blindfold to look at her.

After several minutes, he heard a "rustling" sound; it seemed Gu Baici had propped herself up and woken up. She coughed twice, sounding very weak.

Gu Yi, who was running out of patience, felt a jolt of panic. *She seems sick—could she be planning to use some kind of 'harvesting Yang to replenish Yin' technique?* This old cliché—how was he supposed to handle that?

"You..."

Hearing her voice, Gu Yi instantly focused.

Gu Baici spoke with a breathy tone, indeed sounding sickly. "How long do you plan to keep that blindfold on? You talk about not fearing death, but you’ve been clinging to your life the whole time."

"Palace Master, I never said I didn't fear death; I said I feared it. It's just that someone once told me that while death is inevitable for everyone, it can be heavier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather. If I, Gu Yi, am to die, I want it to be heavier than Mount Tai. If I die simply because of these eyes, it would be too worthless, so it is better to keep them covered."

"The girl who came with you abandoned you and fled to save herself. Do you harbor any resentment?"

Gu Yi shook his head. "I was the one who told her to go, so why should I resent her? She has her own mission and life. If I were to make her suffer just because I am suffering, wouldn't that be the most selfish thing in the world?"

"Then, the Eighteenth Floor Master let you be taken by me, disregarding your life. Do you resent him?"

This Palace Master seemed very keen on testing human nature. Perhaps her past experiences had led her to distrust everyone, especially men.

"Of course I resent him! He wasn't even hurt, yet he did the bare minimum and stopped caring about me. If I were really killed by you, Palace Master, should I not resent him? Should I thank him instead?"

The room fell into a brief silence. Gu Yi didn't know what the Great Rain Palace Master was thinking.

But later, he heard her say, "Heh, I thought you would say you didn't resent him again. Why do you treat these two people who abandoned you differently?"

"Because Shu Le is a weak woman. When I am with her, I must stand up for her. But the Eighteenth Floor Master is stronger than me in every way; he does not need me to stand up for him."

"Do you like her?"

"Who? Shu Le?" Gu Yi shook his head. "I don't like her."

"If there were a woman who liked you, and she heard you had risked your life for another girl, wouldn't that be a betrayal of her heart?"

This was a trap.

Gu Yi said, "Palace Master, I don't have such luck. There is no woman who likes me, and there is no woman I like."

*That should stump you.*

Gu Baici asked with disappointment, "Then have you wasted all these years? How can there be no one?"

Gu Yi: "..." *Is it necessary to mock me like that?*

"I suppose it's because I’ve been focused on cultivation and never thought about those things. I’m an orphan; I have no parents to arrange things for me. Being alone, it’s easy to end up in this state."

"You are an orphan, too..." Gu Baici’s tone was no longer as cold and stern as before. "I will ask you again: if a woman were to distract you from your path to immortality, would you abandon her?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Seeking immortality is just a way to escape the suffering and troubles of the human world, not the purpose itself. If there is someone who makes me feel happy and joyful, then so-called immortality is not worth a single finger of hers. There is no need to seek beauty in a distant realm."

"Do you not want eternal life?"

"The meaning of life does not lie in its length, but in the life itself. If there really were such a person, if she were to live forever, I would want to live forever too. If she were not to live forever, I would not want to."

"How do you know you won't change?"

"Palace Master, where I come from, there are some very wise people. They always told me that nothing is unchanging. All things in heaven and earth are changing at every moment, so of course, I will change too."

"So, you are still untrustworthy."

Gu Yi disagreed. "Palace Master, you are asking about matters between men and women. In my view, trust does not mean being certain the other person will never change; trust is being certain that no matter how they change, you will continue to trust them."

"In the place you lived, what other principles did those wise people teach you?"

Gu Yi said, "Life is suffering; everyone is, and we must realize this and strive to live well despite it."

"You have already met Shu Yu. Are you using these words to advise me?"

"It is not advice," in a way, Gu Yi actually sympathized with them, "it is a blessing."

Gu Baici stood up unsteadily and approached him step by step. She reached out and removed Gu Yi’s blindfold.

"Open your eyes. I will certainly not kill you for this."

However, after feeling certain emotions from the Mo Clan, Gu Yi no longer wished to open his eyes.

"Palace Master, please let me return to the Eighteenth Floor Master."