"This looks like a great item," Gu Zhao said with a smile.
"I'm just glad you can use it. Let me help you with your shoes!" The Silk Embroideress beamed, happy that she could be of help to Gu Zhao. She bent down, about to use the hem of her clothes to wipe his feet.
Gu Zhao was startled and quickly stopped her. "I can do it myself."
Gu Zhao came from a wealthy family. In fact, he knew a few kids from similar backgrounds who were old hands at clubbing and karaoke. While they didn't exactly live lives of nightly debauchery, having someone wash their feet and put on their shoes was child's play—as tame as it gets.
But Gu Zhao had spent all his time on Cultivation and Martial Arts Training under his grandfather's guidance since he was a child. He'd never experienced any of that. Though he'd seen it, heard about it, been envious of it, and even boasted about it, he'd never actually done it himself and wasn't used to the idea.
He rubbed his feet against his pant legs, scraping off some of the dirt, and then slipped on the leather boots. They were a surprisingly good fit; the Silk Embroideress had clearly been very thoughtful.
Seeing Gu Zhao put on his own shoes, the Silk Embroideress pressed her lips together, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes.
Elder He glanced at the Silk Embroideress, then at the gentle and polite Gu Zhao. An unreadable expression crossed his face as he asked tentatively, "Mage, may I ask what your plans are now?"
'What are my plans?'
Elder He's question caught Gu Zhao off guard.
He truly felt overwhelmed, with a thousand things to sort out, and he really didn't know what to do next.
A routine afternoon Cultivation session at home had somehow resulted in him transmigrating.
Right after arriving, he was robbed by bandits and ran into a Female Ghost that wasn't even human. If his golden finger hadn't been so powerful, he might have been pleasured to death by now.
'Speaking of my golden finger…'
Gu Zhao now knew that the Five Thunders Order could transport him across worlds, activate his Innate Qi to grant him Magical Power, and even help him kill monsters to level up and aid his Cultivation.
As for its other functions, like the purpose of the Thunder Seed that circled the Five Thunders Order, those remained to be explored.
'But,' Gu Zhao thought, 'my survival isn't just because of the Five Thunders Order. It's mainly because I've been cultivating since I was young, putting in a solid ten years of hard work. I was wise and calm at the critical moment, and I'm skilled in all sorts of Demon Suppression techniques!'
Gu Zhao put his hands on his hips. "As expected of a protagonist! This is all thanks to my own hard work!"
The Five Thunders Order: "..."
So, besides continuing to explore the other potential functions of the Five Thunders Order, he also needed to test which Magic from his Tao Scriptures were usable.
'That's my capital for surviving and making a life for myself in this world!'
Not to mention, the woman calling herself the Divine Maiden of the Golden Wind Sect meant she was part of an organization. Heaven knows if this Golden Wind Sect would come looking for him. He had to increase his strength, and fast.
Compared to that, exploring this new world wasn't a priority. Besides, he was still absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, and the Magical Power in his body hadn't reached its saturation point.
Gu Zhao thought for a moment. Instead of going to some place called Xiuyue County, it would be better to stay in Cui Mountain Village for a while.
The place wasn't completely isolated, but it didn't have much contact with the outside world, which was perfect for his plan to lay low for a while. And since he had saved the entire village, they probably wouldn't object to him staying for a bit.
'As for an excuse…'
Gu Zhao looked at Elder He. Wasn't the excuse ready-made?
"To be honest, Elder He, I've just been through a major ordeal and it's not convenient for me to travel right now. I was hoping to stay in the village for a while. Would that be possible?" Gu Zhao asked.
"Possible, of course it's possible!" Elder He quickly agreed. "There's a spare room in the courtyard. It belonged to the Silk Embroideress's parents. If you don't mind, Mage, this old man will have her clean it up for you."
"Thank you very much, Elder He." Gu Zhao nodded his thanks and handed an ingot of silver to Elder He. "Please take this as payment for my stay."
The bandits had just ransacked the place, smashing many of Elder He's pots and jars. But just a moment ago, he had given the entire bundle of loot to the villagers who came in, keeping nothing for himself.
Gu Zhao could tell that although Elder He held high prestige in the village, the village as a whole was poor. With no living children, he was raising his granddaughter by himself. While others might help them with food and drink, their life was still very difficult.
Elder He had given him a lot of information, and Silk Embroideress He had helped him secure a piece of loot. Gu Zhao instinctively wanted to return the favor.
"Mage, how could this old man possibly take your money?" Elder He hurriedly protested, adamantly refusing it.
But when the Silk Embroideress heard that Gu Zhao was going to stay at their home, her eyes lit up. Forgetting all about the silver, she turned and ran off. "I'll go get the room ready for the Mage!"
"I'll be staying in your home, eating and drinking. I have to pay my way."
"Mage, we couldn't possibly! You saved all our lives! Even if you stayed for a hundred years, we would provide for you!"
"The bandits made a mess of your home. You'll need to replace many things."
"They were just worthless pots and jars. I'll have Bo Qing get some more from the county next time."
"Then at least let it be for the Silk Embroideress to get two bolts of cloth for new clothes."
"..."
Elder He took the silver. Just then, Gu Zhao saw the Silk Embroideress return, having finished cleaning the adjacent room. She overheard their conversation, and her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.
"Mage..."
"Please, stop calling me Mage." Gu Zhao finally realized he hadn't introduced himself. "My surname is Gu."
"Then I shall call you Young Master Gu!" Elder He said immediately.
"Alright!" Gu Zhao nodded and followed the Silk Embroideress to the room next door.
Although the room looked like it hadn't been lived in for a long time, it was clear it had been regularly cleaned. The Silk Embroideress simply made the bed, setting out a pillow and a thin blanket, and placed an oil lamp on the table by the window. With that, the room was ready.
She had even brought the oil lamp over from Elder He's room.
Gu Zhao looked at the patched clothes on Elder He and the Silk Embroideress, then at the relatively new-looking thin blanket on the bed, and his brow furrowed slightly.
Elder He's expression tightened. Thinking Gu Zhao found it taboo, he quickly explained, "The Silk Embroideress's parents had an accident in the mountains."
The Silk Embroideress also looked at Gu Zhao nervously.
"You've misunderstood," Gu Zhao reassured them. "What I mean is, these are her parents' belongings, after all. You've taken such good care of them. It wouldn't be right for me to use them."
"It's right, it's right," Elder He said repeatedly. "You are our savior. Even if her parents were still alive, they would insist you use these things. How could it not be right?"
The Silk Embroideress also looked at Gu Zhao with anticipation.
So Gu Zhao stopped refusing. "My Cultivation schedule is uncertain," he said. "I won't necessarily be sleeping here."
Gu Zhao explained his plans. He would go into the mountains to cultivate from time to time, so his meals and sleep schedule would be irregular. He might only return to the village during the day or be out and about, so he told Elder He not to go out of his way to prepare things for him.
After explaining everything, Gu Zhao glanced at the sky, sensed the Five Thunders Order in his mind, and then left the village under the watchful eyes of Elder He and the Silk Embroideress, heading into the forest behind the mountain.
A moment later, Gu Zhao found a secluded corner.
"Teleport!"
"SWOOSH!"
...
「In a lavish underground palace.」
A handsome man, bare-chested, was entwined with seven or eight enchanting and completely naked women, their bodies writhing sensuously. With every breath, a dark-red, sinister aura filled the hall.
Suddenly, the handsome man seemed to sense something and turned his head to look in a certain direction.
"Where is my Incense and Candle Divine Statue?"