NOVEL NEXT Chapter 28 - Retaliation
The three people outside, especially the third steward, couldn’t believe they were being treated this way. Since he became the third steward, even with the grand steward and second steward above him, wherever he went, he was always highly respected. So when he learned that the Third Master had sent someone to fetch Gu Yao, he took the task on himself.
In his mind, it was just a quick trip. What difference did it make if it was on Tian family’s turf? They weren’t going to fight with the Tian family, so what could possibly stop them from taking Gu Yao back? After all, Gu Yao was still a member of the Gu family.
He also thought that Gu Yao would eagerly follow him back upon hearing the message. He believed that someone who had never lived outside the Gu family would never survive on their own. Otherwise, why would so many cultivators refuse to go hunting outside the town and instead crowd to become guards of the Gu family? They were all after the same thing—the high-paying, prestigious job. Countless cultivators died every year in the dangerous wilderness and at the jaws of beasts.
“Third Steward, what if we just break the door down?” one of the guards suggested, trying to please him.
The third steward gritted his teeth and said, “Fine! Break it down! I don’t believe we can’t bring Young Master Gu Yao back!” He spat the last four words with gritted teeth. He had never taken Gu Yao seriously before. The young man’s life was worse than that of his own son, and neither the head of the Gu family nor Gu Yao’s biological father cared about him. Even if he accidentally harmed Gu Yao, who would come to his defense?
If he couldn’t bring Gu Yao back, how would he face the ridicule when he returned? The steward’s position was highly lucrative, and countless people were watching, hoping to pull him down.
“Yes, Third Steward, step back and watch us!”
The two guards stepped forward, drawing their blades and striking the gate. With a loud crash, the gate fell, and one of the guards kicked open the wobbly doorframe and marched in. The third steward followed closely behind.
But as soon as they entered the courtyard, the scene in front of them changed. The guards were startled. “Where is this?”
“I understand now, it’s a formation! Didn’t we hear that Gu Yao’s man killed two cultivators with a formation? Otherwise, why would Madam Fang be punished by the family head to stay behind closed doors for a year? Be careful! So, this is Gu Yao’s move—using a formation against his own family!” The third steward thought about how to report this to the Third Master and give Gu Yao a harsh lesson. After that, Gu Yao would never get any benefits from him again. But now, he shouted loudly, “Gu Yao, I was sent by the Third Master and the family head to fetch you. Quickly deactivate the formation and come with us. The family head will forgive everything!”
“Young Master Gu Yao, the family head has already dealt with the Fang family and Madam Fang. The Fang family has been expelled, and Madam Fang has been punished with a year of closed-door reflection!” The implication was clear: Gu Yao, don’t get too arrogant, or else, as a junior, how will the family head handle you?
But no matter how much the third steward shouted, there was no response from outside the formation.
The formation was controlled by only one person—Chi Changye. He glanced back at Gu Yao’s room. Since the formation was activated, it was impossible for him to detect any movement outside. He must be experimenting with the pill furnace right now, so he couldn’t care less about what was happening outside. This was for the best, as it would spare Gu Yao from being bothered by this sycophantic steward.
The three men received no response and had no choice but to break through the formation. They realized they couldn’t find their way back, and they were stuck. They didn’t believe that some unknown brat could trap the Gu family’s guards and steward, so the steward took out his magical tool from his storage bag, preparing for a fight.
Suddenly, dense fire serpents streaked toward them. One of the guards shouted, “Run!” and took the lead, running in the opposite direction. The third steward and another guard had no choice but to follow.
However, after running for a short distance, the three men found themselves stuck in a swamp. They could only watch helplessly as the mud rose above their feet, pulling them down deeper. The steward quickly took out a fireball talisman and hurled it toward the swamp. With a loud “boom,” the explosion startled the third steward. This wasn’t just the effect of the fireball talisman.
“Not good, what is this? Is it poisonous gas?” The third steward saw black smoke creeping toward his body. He quickly slapped a defensive talisman on himself. Normally, he would never have used such a talisman, but since Gu Yao had made him lose so much, he would remember this debt!
“Ah—!” One of the guards was writhing on the ground. Unlike the third steward, this guard couldn’t use talismans freely, as they cost one or two hundred silver coins, and defensive talismans were even more expensive.
The third steward thought that the defensive talisman would keep him safe, but he watched in horror as black spots appeared on his body, and his strength began to fade. Terrified, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground. What kind of poison was this?
“Third Steward, help me, please help me!” One of the guards crawled to the third steward’s feet and grabbed the hem of his robe, pleading. When the third steward saw his appearance, he was even more horrified. The guard’s body was almost entirely covered in raw, exposed flesh. Looking around, the steward realized they were already outside the door. The main door, which they had destroyed, was still in ruins.
“This is a warning for your disrespect! If you dare to bully others with your power again, don’t bother coming back! Get out—”
“Hey, isn’t that the third steward from the Gu family? Why are the Gu family people here again? Didn’t Gu Yao get kicked out by the Gu family? Why are they still coming here again and again?”
“Tch, you wouldn’t know this. It used to be that Gu Yao was useless, and even the servants didn’t take him seriously. But now, just look at the state of these three, you can tell that Gu Yao is no longer the easy target he once was.”
“Sigh, I heard it’s all thanks to that young master Chi. Men with men, it’s never going to last.”
“Then it’s up to Gu Yao to worry about that. If, as you say, men are unreliable, then if Gu Yao returns, won’t he just end up with the same treatment as before?”