Age 23 — Gu Clan Compound — Blood Domain
Training began at dawn.
Gu Chen stood in a courtyard of black stone, surrounded by a dozen clan disciples. They were young, hard-eyed, watching him with the same assessing gaze he had seen since entering the Blood Domain.
The instructor was an old man named Gu Shi. Scarred hands. Voice like grinding stone.
"You're the bastard."
Gu Chen said nothing.
Gu Shi smiled. It was not a kind smile. "We'll see if you're worth the air you breathe."
He gestured.
Two disciples stepped forward.
"Fight."
---
The first disciple attacked without hesitation.
Gu Chen moved. Faster than the disciple expected. His fist connected with the man's ribs — once, twice, three times. The disciple crumpled.
The second disciple hesitated.
Gu Chen did not.
Twenty seconds. Both on the ground.
The Soldier: Good.
The King: Respect earned.
The Beggar: Attention earned. Dangerous.
Gu Shi's expression did not change.
"Again."
---
That afternoon
Gu Mei found him in the dining hall.
"Impressive." She sat across from him, carrying a tray of food he had not seen her take. "Two Core Formation disciples in under a minute. They're talking about you."
Gu Chen ate.
"The elders are watching. My uncle is watching." She leaned closer. "Everyone is watching."
The Beggar: Told you.
The King: Information.
Gu Chen looked at her.
"What do they want?"
Gu Mei smiled. "The same thing everyone wants. Power. Usefulness. A weapon they can point at their enemies." She paused. "You're Nascent Soul. You're young. You're his blood. That makes you valuable."
"And if I'm not valuable?"
Gu Mei's smile faded. "Then you're nothing. And nothing gets discarded."
The Orphan: Like always.
The Soldier: Then we stay valuable.
---
One week
The training continued.
Gu Chen fought every day. Won every day. The disciples stopped underestimating him. Started fearing him.
Gu Shi's expression never changed.
But his eyes did. They followed Gu Chen longer. Assessed him harder.
The King: He's measuring you.
The Soldier: Let him.
The Beggar: For what?
No answer.
---
Two weeks
Gu Tianxiong summoned him.
The throne room was the same — dark, cold, heavy with something that pressed against Gu Chen's core.
His father sat on the black stone throne, watching him approach.
"You've done well."
Gu Chen said nothing.
"The elders are impressed. The disciples fear you." Gu Tianxiong leaned forward. "You're useful."
Weapon. Property. Useful.
The Orphan: Same words.
The Beggar: Same meaning.
Gu Chen met his gaze.
"What do you want from me?"
Gu Tianxiong smiled. "Straight to the point. Good." He stood, walked down from the throne. "There's a mission. A rival clan — the Mo Clan. Destruction. They've been encroaching on our territory. We need someone to... discourage them."
"Send me."
Gu Tianxiong's smile widened. "Confident. Good." He circled Gu Chen slowly. "But confidence without experience is just suicide. You'll go with a team. Experienced fighters. You'll follow orders. You'll prove yourself."
The Soldier: A test.
The King: A chance.
The Beggar: A trap.
Gu Chen nodded.
"When?"
"Three days."
---
That night
Gu Mei found him at his quarters.
"You're going on the mission."
It was not a question.
"Yes."
She was quiet for a moment. Then: "The Mo Clan isn't the real target."
Gu Chen looked at her.
"Then what is?"
Gu Mei met his eyes. "You."
The Soldier: Trap.
The King: Knew it.
The Beggar: Always.
Gu Chen's expression did not change.
"Explain."
"My uncle wants to see what you're made of. Not just in battle — in chaos. He wants to see if you break. If you run. If you come back." She stepped closer. "The Mo Clan mission is real. But the real test is you."
The Orphan: They're using us.
The Soldier: We knew that.
The King: Use them back.
Gu Chen looked at her.
"Why are you telling me this?"
Gu Mei smiled. It was a sad smile. "Because I know what it's like to be tested. To be watched. To be waiting for the moment they decide you're not worth keeping." She turned to leave. "Don't die out there."
She walked away.
Gu Chen stood alone.
The Monk: She's like you.
The Beggar: She's clan. She's not like anyone.
The King: She's information. Use it.
Gu Chen touched the pendant at his chest.
Three days.
---
Three days later — departure
The team was five.
Gu Chen. Three veteran cultivators — Gu Heng, Gu Bao, Gu Feng. And their leader, a woman named Gu Lian. Cold eyes. Sword at her hip. Cultivation level higher than anyone Gu Chen had faced.
"You're the bastard."
Gu Chen said nothing.
Gu Lian smiled. It was not a kind smile. "Try to keep up."
They left through the Blood Domain gate. The red sky gave way to normal sky. The air lightened.
Gu Chen breathed deeper.
The Soldier: Outside.
The King: Watch everything.
The Beggar: Plan your escape.
The Monk: Or don't. Not yet.
They walked.
---
Four days later — Mo Clan border
The territory changed.
Where the Blood Domain was heavy, thick, oppressive — the Mo lands were chaotic. The sky flickered. The ground shifted underfoot. In the distance, mountains crumbled and reformed as they watched.
Gu Lian raised a hand.
"We're close. Stay sharp."
They moved forward.
The Soldier: Fight coming.
The King: Watch them fight first. Learn.
The Beggar: Survive.
Gu Chen watched.
---
The attack came at dusk.
Not from the Mo Clan — from something else. Beings that moved like shadows, struck like lightning, vanished before they could be countered.
Gu Heng fell first. His throat opened before he could scream.
Gu Bao second. A blade through the back.
Gu Feng third. His head separated from his body.
Gu Lian moved. Faster than Gu Chen had seen. Her sword met shadow, and shadow screamed.
Then she turned to Gu Chen.
"Fight or die."
The Soldier: Fight.
The King: Watch.
The Beggar: Run.
The Monk: Choose.
Gu Chen chose.
He moved. His core blazed. His body responded faster than it ever had. A shadow lunged — he sidestepped, struck, felt bone break under his fist.
Another shadow. Another strike.
Another.
When it was over, four shadows lay dead. Gu Lian stood among them, breathing hard, eyes fixed on Gu Chen.
"You didn't run."
Gu Chen said nothing.
She nodded slowly. Something shifted in her expression. Not respect — but acknowledgment.
"Follow me. We're not done."
They walked deeper into Mo territory.
---
Behind them, far away
A woman in white stood at the edge of the Blood Domain.
Her hand pressed against black stone.
It cracked.
"Five down," Su Wan whispered.
"Four to go."
She looked toward the Mo lands, where a battle had just ended and a boy had chosen to fight.
"He's proving himself," she breathed. "To them. To himself."
The wind carried her words away.
"That's dangerous."
She did not move for a long time.
---
END OF CHAPTER 20