After resolutely leaving the Gu family with his wife and daughter, Gu Zhan came to see with growing clarity the cold indifference of the world.
Using the savings he had painstakingly set aside, he purchased a modest wooden cabin on the outskirts of the northern city.
Few families resided in this remote area, as it lay too close to the perilous Demonwood Forest to the north—its dangers enough to deter ordinary folk.
Yet Gu Zhan and his wife never once succumbed to self-pity, nor did they utter a single word of reproach toward Gu Qingli.
To support the household, Gu Zhan took on mercenary work, while Ouyang Qian transformed their humble dwelling into a sanctuary of order and cleanliness. Every branch and blade in the courtyard was meticulously tended.
Suddenly, the quiet was shattered as the loosely latched gate was kicked open. A shrill voice pierced the calm.
"Gu Qingli, you worthless piece of trash! Get out here and kneel before this young lady!"
The voice, though childlike in timbre, rang with an arrogance far beyond its years.
Hearing the commotion, Gu Qingli ran out of the house and was instantly repulsed by the sight of Gu Qinglin's haughty face and the garish presence of her mother, Han Jiao, standing imperiously in the courtyard.
In just a month, Gu Qinglin had transformed from a six-year-old girl into a pretentious heiress. The Gu family certainly knew how to mold their own.
Han Jiao's eyes swept the weathered courtyard with disdain, though behind her stood two Gu family guards—Gu Qinglin now received the highest level of protection.
"What are you doing here?" Ouyang Qian asked coldly, her brows furrowed in displeasure at their unwelcome presence.
"My dear sister-in-law," Han Jiao drawled with mock sweetness, "Little Lin is of elevated status now. She merely wished to pay a visit to young Li'er. You should be grateful."
Her words were a thinly veiled excuse. Her venomous eyes fixated on Gu Qingli's delicate, blossoming beauty with ill-concealed malice.
"We owe gratitude to no one. This is not the Gu household—you are not welcome here," Ouyang Qian retorted, clearly wishing to drive them away.
"How dare she not come out to greet me properly!" Gu Qinglin shrieked. "Guards, teach her a lesson!"
"Yes, Sixth Miss!" the guards responded at once, storming forward to strike Gu Qingli.
Ouyang Qian let out a terrified cry and rushed to shield her daughter, pulling her tightly into her arms.
"Don't you dare protect her! Or we'll beat you too!" Gu Qinglin shouted, her small figure radiating cruelty far beyond her age. The viciousness was clearly the fruit of Han Jiao's upbringing.
Jealous of the unbreakable bond between Gu Zhan and his wife—even after their exile—and fearful that Gu Qingli's stunning beauty would someday outshine her own daughter, Han Jiao had orchestrated this entire display of arrogance and violence.
Her true aim was simple: to seize the opportunity, in Gu Zhan's absence, to eliminate both Ouyang Qian and Gu Qingli.
The two guards raised their hands, gray battle aura surging forth. As first-rank warriors, they could have snuffed out an ordinary person like Ouyang Qian with ease. Clearly, Han Jiao's intent was lethal.
Moreover, the guards saw this as a chance to earn favor before the Gu family's future spirit cultivator.
But before the strikes could land, Gu Qingli's phoenix eyes ignited with fury. A surge of invisible inner force collided with the incoming aura and dispelled it in an instant.
"What?!" The two guards froze in shock. Even Gu Qinglin widened her eyes in disbelief at what she had just witnessed.
"Mother, rest for a while."
Gu Qingli helped the trembling Ouyang Qian to the side, her gaze narrowing to cold, slitted fire, fixed on Gu Qinglin and Han Jiao with an icy resolve laced with murderous intent.