The Servant Quarters. The Dining Hall.
It was noon, and the servant disciples were having their meal.
The dining hall was filled with the aroma of food. Although it was nothing more than coarse tea and bland, watery rice, for these disciples at the absolute bottom of the hierarchy, it was already a rare luxury.
Gu Changyuan held a chipped bowl of thin porridge, sitting silently in a dimly lit corner.
His seat was extremely isolated; almost no one would ever notice him there.
This was entirely by his own design.
Over the past three years, he had grown completely accustomed to this invisible existence. He drew no attention, caused no trouble, and silently waited for his opportunity in the shadows.
But today, trouble came knocking anyway.
"Yo, isn't this our Profound Heaven Sect's former number one genius?"
A mocking, eccentric voice drifted in from the entrance.
Gu Changyuan looked up and saw Chen Xuanfeng striding into the hall with several Inner Sect disciples in tow.
The servant disciples in the dining hall hurriedly stood up and bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Chen."
Chen Xuanfeng waved his hand dismissively, his sharp gaze locking directly onto Gu Changyuan in the corner.
"Sit down, all of you. I'm not here for you."
He strode purposefully toward Gu Changyuan, his habitual cold sneer hanging on his lips.
"Gu Changyuan, it's been a while."
Gu Changyuan set down his bowl and chopsticks and slowly stood up.
"Senior Brother Chen, what brings you here?"
"Nothing much. Just wanted to check in on an old friend," Chen Xuanfeng looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "I heard you've been running to the back mountain a lot lately. What exactly are you so busy with?"
Gu Changyuan's heart sank slightly.
Just as he suspected, Chen Xuanfeng had been having him monitored.
"I'm not busy with anything," he replied calmly. "I just go to the back mountain to pick some common herbs to subsidize my living expenses."
"Pick herbs?" Chen Xuanfeng burst into raucous laughter. "A cripple with completely shattered meridians needs to pick herbs? You can't even cultivate anymore; what use do you have for herbs?"
The Inner Sect disciples behind him immediately joined in the mocking laughter.
Gu Changyuan didn't speak; he simply stood there quietly.
He knew Chen Xuanfeng was testing him.
If he showed even the slightest hint of abnormality, Chen Xuanfeng's suspicions would be confirmed.
"What, nothing to say?" Chen Xuanfeng stepped forward, looking down at him from a high horse. "Are you feeling guilty about something?"
"I have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about," Gu Changyuan said lightly.
"Is that so?" A flash of vicious malice crossed Chen Xuanfeng's eyes. "Then get on your knees and kowtow to me three times. Do that, and I'll believe you."
The dining hall instantly fell dead silent.
Everyone turned to look at Gu Changyuan. Their eyes held pity, but also a sick sense of schadenfreude.
Inside his sleeves, Gu Changyuan's fists quietly clenched.
He could vividly feel that Feng Jiuli was perceiving his emotions through the Soul Pact.
She could definitely feel his explosive, boiling fury.
But he couldn't lash out.
It wasn't the right time yet.
"Senior Brother Chen must be joking," he lowered his head, his voice perfectly calm. "I am merely a lowly servant disciple. I am not qualified to trouble Senior Brother Chen."
"Oh?" Chen Xuanfeng raised an eyebrow. "Are you refusing me?"
"I wouldn't dare," Gu Changyuan said smoothly. "I merely feel that a dignified Inner Sect disciple like Senior Brother Chen has no need to make things difficult for a piece of trash."
Chen Xuanfeng's expression shifted slightly.
He clearly heard the hidden sarcasm in Gu Changyuan's words.
"Are you mocking me?!"
"I wouldn't dare."
"You absolutely dare!" Chen Xuanfeng violently slammed his palm onto the wooden table, making the bowls and chopsticks jump into the air. "Gu Changyuan, do you honestly think you are still the number one genius from three years ago?!"
"Right now, you are nothing but a piece of trash! A cripple worse than a pig!"
"If I tell you to kneel, you kneel!"
He reached out and violently grabbed Gu Changyuan's shoulder. His spiritual energy surged as he ruthlessly tried to force Gu Changyuan to the ground.
But Gu Changyuan didn't budge an inch.
Chen Xuanfeng's face instantly changed.
He realized, to his absolute shock, that he couldn't push Gu Changyuan down at all.
"You—"
"Senior Brother Chen," Gu Changyuan slowly raised his head, his eyes so terrifyingly calm it sent shivers down the spine. "I said, I will not kneel."
The two locked eyes.
Chen Xuanfeng saw something deep within Gu Changyuan's gaze that made his blood run cold.
That look...
That was absolutely not the look of a broken cripple.
"Hmph!"
He abruptly let go and took a step back.
"Gu Changyuan, remember this well. The Grand Sect Tournament is exactly three months away. When that time comes, I will personally teach you the true meaning of regret."
With that, he spun around and aggressively marched out of the dining hall, his lackeys scrambling to follow.
The dining hall slowly returned to its previous calm.
The way the servant disciples looked at Gu Changyuan had grown noticeably more complex.
Some felt pity, some felt a grudging admiration, while others simply thought he was arrogantly overestimating himself.
But Gu Changyuan didn't care.
He simply sat back down in his corner and continued eating his thin porridge.
As if absolutely nothing had happened.
That night, in the hidden cave of the back mountain.
"I felt it."
Feng Jiuli looked at Gu Changyuan, a trace of deep concern in her eyes.
"You were incredibly furious today."
Gu Changyuan nodded silently.
"Chen Xuanfeng came looking for trouble."
"I know," Feng Jiuli said softly. "I felt your emotions perfectly through the Soul Pact."
She paused for a moment before adding, "It must have been agonizing to hold back."
Gu Changyuan fell silent.
Yes, it was agonizing.
For three years, he had been constantly holding back. Enduring the humiliation, enduring the mockery, enduring the disdain and trampling of absolutely everyone around him.
He thought he had completely gotten used to it.
But today, when Chen Xuanfeng tried to force him to his knees, he realized he could still feel blinding fury.
That fury had been suppressed for three years, but it had never truly disappeared.
"Feng Jiuli."
"Mm?"
"Do you think... I am a coward?"
Feng Jiuli looked at him and remained silent for a long moment.
"No," she said firmly. "You are not a coward. You are simply waiting."
"Waiting?"
"Yes," Feng Jiuli elaborated. "A coward surrenders under pressure. But you never surrendered."
"You are merely waiting for the absolute perfect moment—a moment where you can execute a fatal, one-hit kill."
"That is not cowardice. That is supreme wisdom."
Gu Changyuan looked at her, a profound look flashing in his eyes.
"How... do you know?"
"Because I am exactly the same," Feng Jiuli said lightly. "Betrayed by my closest kin, violently cast down from the highest peak, yet still quietly waiting for the perfect opportunity for revenge."
"We are the exact same kind of people, Gu Changyuan."
Gu Changyuan fell entirely silent.
He looked at Feng Jiuli, at her beautiful, icy face, and at the deeply hidden trace of warmth within her phoenix eyes.
"Thank you," he said.
"For what?"
"Thank you for understanding me."
Feng Jiuli froze for a second, then the corners of her lips turned up slightly.
"We are companions. Understanding each other is only natural."
The two shared a knowing smile.
Although it was merely a faint, fleeting smile, the atmosphere inside the cold stone cave grew significantly warmer.
"By the way," Feng Jiuli suddenly asked, "Today, when Chen Xuanfeng tried to force you down by the shoulder, you didn't budge."
Gu Changyuan nodded.
"Yes."
"Did he notice?"
"He should have noticed something," Gu Changyuan analyzed calmly. "But he would never suspect that my cultivation has completely recovered."
"He will simply assume that my physical body is just slightly stronger than an ordinary mortal's."
Feng Jiuli frowned.
"You must be careful. Chen Xuanfeng is incredibly petty and vindictive. Since he has grown suspicious, he will definitely continue to investigate you."
"I know," Gu Changyuan nodded. "Which is exactly why I need to accelerate my plans."
"Accelerate your plans?"
"Yes." A flash of absolute, terrifying resolve ignited in Gu Changyuan's eyes. "I must break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm before the Grand Sect Tournament begins."
"Only by breaking through to Foundation Establishment will I be qualified to participate in the tournament."
"Only by participating can I publicly obliterate Chen Xuanfeng."
"And only by publicly defeating him can I finally wash away three years of absolute humiliation."
Feng Jiuli looked at him and remained silent for a moment.
"Are you certain?"
"Absolutely certain."
"Then I will help you," Feng Jiuli declared. "When you attempt the breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, I will personally stand guard for you."
Gu Changyuan looked at her, a flash of deep gratitude in his eyes.
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me," Feng Jiuli said lightly. "We are companions."
"Besides..." She paused, the corners of her mouth turning up in a wicked smile. "I really want to see how you are going to thrash Chen Xuanfeng."
Gu Changyuan froze for a second, then let out a genuine laugh.
"Then it's a promise."
Outside the cave, the moonlight flowed like silver water. Inside the cave, the two companions shared a knowing smile.
Three months later, at the Grand Sect Tournament, they would completely stun the world.
But before that, Gu Changyuan had one monumental task left—breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
And he was going to make sure that when he did, he would shock absolutely everyone.