Crowds gathered in front of the Gu Clan's grand gate, filling the street until not even a falling leaf could touch the ground. Everyone wanted to witness how the Gu Clan would receive the Lin Clan today. But even more than that… they wanted to see her.
Lin Xingyu.
The heavenly genius whose beauty and talent had shaken half the region.
And they all wanted to confirm one rumor—
Was she truly going to marry the Gu Clan's "useless" young master?
"Look! That's the Lin Clan carriage!" someone shouted, pointing at the luxurious procession entering the city.
The leader carriage was pulled by two massive beasts—snow-white stallions with faint dragon scales running down their necks and glowing breath curling from their nostrils.
"How extravagant… that's the Heavenly Stamping Horse, right? A beast with faint dragon bloodline!"
"Tsk tsk—only ancient families can show off like this. If an ordinary cultivator dared use such beasts, the beast clans would tear them apart."
"We can't forget that the Gu Clan is still the number one Ancient Clan," another added, raising his chin. "They deserve this level of respect."
But the next voice dropped the mood instantly.
"I heard Gu Qingxuan also has mounts… but can't ride them because they refuse to accept him as their master."
A ripple of laughter followed.
"Oh, you mean those flood-dragon geniuses? I heard his father personally ordered the Flood Dragon Clan to send nine young dragonlings to serve his son."
"Eh? How come I never heard that?"
The first speaker snorted proudly. "Because those flood dragons never accepted him! Even when Gu Chen tried to force them to submit, they'd rather die than recognize the trash as their master."
A beat of silence—then realization dawned on others.
"No wonder no one heard about it… such shameful matter would be hidden from outsiders. That's truly embarrassing for Gu Qingxuan."
More whispers rose, buzzing through the crowd like a swarm of bees.
By the time the gossip reached its peak, the Lin Clan's procession had already reached the gates. Among the carriages, one stood out above all—elegant, crystalline, with soft moon-white curtains swaying gently.
Inside, a celestial aura gathered around a fairy-like figure sitting quietly.
Lin Xingyu.
Her cold, serene demeanor was like untouched winter snow. Even with the noise outside, even hearing every insult thrown at Gu Qingxuan, she remained indifferent—expression unreadable, eyes as calm as a frozen lake.
But her personal maids were far from calm.
Lin Xin clenched her fists. "Young Mistress… why is Gu Qingxuan not here? Everyone knows how much he used to chase after you."
Lin Xingyu's brow twitched slightly. Her face remained cold, but even she felt something was off.
Her absence was… unusual.
Lin Yao, the second maid, huffed angrily. "It must be his clan elders. They're probably afraid he'll embarrass them in front of us."
"That must be it," Lin Xin agreed. "There's no other explanation."
Outside, the gossip continued relentlessly.
"Did you hear? They say Lin Xingyu advanced to the sixth stage of Foundation Realm just last month!"
"And she awakened a Frost-Moon Spirit Vein. She'll surely enter a top-tier sect in the future."
"Tsk. Such a heaven-favored girl… how could she end up marrying Gu Qingxuan? That young master only knows how to cause trouble."
Another voice scoffed. "Right? He's handsome, but talentless. Carried entirely by his parents. He still hasn't left the Qi Refining Realm!"
"Him marrying her… what a waste."
Lin Xingyu's cold eyes remained lowered, but a tiny, unreadable shift passed through them.
She heard everything.
She simply chose not to react.
The Gu Clan's massive bronze gates slowly opened with a deep, resonant hum, runes glowing faintly along their surface. The moment the gates parted, the noisy crowd fell into a hush.
Gu Chen stepped out first, his expression wearing a friendly smile yet carrying the natural authority of a man who had once dominated an era. At his side was his stunning wife, Tang Yuru—graceful, elegant, and possessing a fairy-like charm that made cultivators lower their eyes in respect.
A few watchers whispered in envy.
"No wonder Gu Qingxuan is so handsome… look at his parents.""Such a pity the young master has no talent…""If he inherited even half of their strength, he'd be a monster."
Gu Chen's voice rang out, steady and warm.
"Lin Haoyu, old friend—we welcome you and the Lin Clan to our humble home."
Despite the authority in his tone, there was clear familiarity in his words. In the past, these three—Gu Chen, Tang Yuru, and Lin Haoyu—had been the top geniuses of their generation. Gu Chen ranked first, Tang Yuru second, Lin Haoyu third.
Lin Haoyu smiled, though there was a faint twitch in his eye.
"As expected, you are still as vibrant as before. Miss Tang, long time no see."
After greeting his old rival, he turned to Tang Yuru—thinking silently:
Gu Chen, you bastard. You stole her from me, and now you even want to steal my daughter for your son?
Tang Yuru bowed slightly."Brother Haoyu, you grace us with your presence once again."
Then, as if she had been waiting for someone else, she glanced behind him.
"Where is our daughter?"
Lin Haoyu's mouth twitched harder.
Are you really trying to snatch all my treasures!?
Before he could respond, a soft footstep echoed like ripples across the atmosphere. Curtains lifted on the Lin carriage, revealing a fairy-like figure stepping down.
Lin Xingyu.
Clad in frost-blue robes, she moved with ethereal grace, her presence alone causing the surrounding qi to stir in admiration.
"Greetings, Mr. Gu. Greetings, Mrs. Tang."
She bowed gently, like a celestial maiden descending from the heavens.
Tang Yuru's eyes softened instantly.Gu Chen nodded approvingly.
But Lin Haoyu's brows furrowed again—because after scanning the entire welcoming party…
He did not see Gu Qingxuan.
"Gu Chen… where is your son?"
As if only now realizing the absence, Gu Chen looked around sharply.
"That brat—where did he go?"
His gaze swept across the Gu disciples standing in formation, but all of them lowered their heads nervously. None dared to answer.
Finally, Gu Feng stepped out."Master, I will go check on Young Master immediately."
Lin Haoyu and the rest of the Lin Clan exchanged troubled glances. Their expressions grew colder by the second.
This was not what they expected at all.
Wasn't the Gu young master rumored to be a hopeless simp? Someone who would lick the boots of the Lin Clan just to catch a glimpse of Lin Xingyu?
Yet now…On the day she arrived,In front of the entire city…
He was nowhere to be found.
The crowd murmured in astonishment.Lin Xingyu's calm expression froze for a brief second.Her maids exchanged confused glances.
The Lin Clan felt slighted.The Gu Clan felt embarrassed.And tension began to fill the air.