Chapter 64: What Does a Win-Win Situation Truly Mean?

In the Giant Mountain Sect, a tall, plump man with fair skin was half-sunken into his chair, while Wen Lianggong of the sect sat beside him, speaking in a hushed voice.

This fat man was none other than the Venerable White Elephant, also known as Daoist White Elephant.

Previously, he had met someone in Huiyong of the prefectural city and heard an intriguing rumor: in recent days, the Yu family of the Distant River had been thrown into utter disarray, even losing a core disciple, all at the hands of a so-called demon.

A cultivator with a fierce air had appeared in Tongren—not at all the sort to be up to any good...

Daoist White Elephant suspected that the cultivator who had shown up at the Giant Mountain Sect was the very same person who had wreaked havoc on the Yu family.

He waited for quite some time before hearing that Gu Changqing had arrived at the main gate. Only then did Daoist White Elephant rise with a hearty laugh and go out to greet him.

The moment he saw Gu Changqing, who was tall and imposing, a secret thought flashed through his mind: what a menacing man!

The latent savagery about Gu Changqing was like a beast of the wild, ready to devour at any moment.

Now, Daoist White Elephant was almost certain—eight parts out of ten—that this was the man the Yu family sought.

With a booming laugh, he said, "This must be Fellow Daoist Gu? I am known as White Elephant; you may call me Daoist White Elephant! Please, let us speak inside!"

Gu Changqing smiled and nodded, walking shoulder to shoulder with him.

He couldn't help but feel his hand twitch, itching to give Daoist White Elephant a good thump.

At such close quarters, surely the man would have no way to dodge?

He didn't know exactly how strong Daoist White Elephant was, but sensed that even if he was superior, he couldn't be overwhelmingly so. If he struck, he might well break through to the fourth layer of Qi Refinement.

The more he thought about it, the more peculiar his gaze became.

Was he really walking beside a plump, fair-skinned man? No—this was a rare treasure for advancing his cultivation!

Yet Gu Changqing reluctantly suppressed the urge.

What interested him more was the Nine Mountains and Twelve Ridges.

He felt that place would suit him—perfect for opening up new ventures and forging fresh glories.

After they were seated, Daoist White Elephant made some polite conversation, then asked with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, you appear quite young. Where do you hail from? Do you have a master or lineage?"

"I find your question rather impolite," Gu Changqing replied with narrowed eyes.

"No offense intended," Daoist White Elephant chuckled. "I have always been straightforward. To be frank, the greatest power in the Southern Province is the Azure Cloud Daoist Sect. Yet, you clearly are not one of their disciples, and cultivators from outside the province are rare..."

"How do I not look like a disciple of the Azure Cloud Daoist Sect?" Gu Changqing asked with a smile.

"How do you resemble one?" Daoist White Elephant countered.

They exchanged a glance, then both burst out laughing.

"Besides the Azure Cloud Daoist Sect, there are the Nine Mountains and Twelve Ridges. But you are not one of them either. To be honest, I am a disciple of Lotus Ridge, one of the Twelve Ridges," Daoist White Elephant said, finally getting to the point.

"Our Lotus Ridge is a gathering of independent cultivators who band together for mutual support. Over the years, we've grown in size and always welcome lone cultivators with open arms! If you have nowhere else to go, why not come and see Lotus Ridge?"

Gu Changqing looked up. "Doesn't sound like things are going well for Lotus Ridge."

If they couldn't even ascertain his origins before trying to recruit him so eagerly, either Lotus Ridge was in dire straits and desperate for new blood, or they wanted something else from him.

"Not as you imagine," Daoist White Elephant explained. "Though there is occasional strife among the Nine Mountains and Twelve Ridges, it's not excessive. Only by uniting can we stand against the Azure Cloud Daoist Sect!"

"Among the Nine Mountains and Twelve Ridges, some are formal sects, while others—like our Lotus Ridge—are mutual aid groups for itinerant cultivators. At Lotus Ridge, we do not ask about background or lineage. Come and go as you please!"

"Surely you know how hard it is for lone cultivators. In the path of cultivation, one must have the right method, resources, companions, and a place to train. Sect disciples lack for nothing, but for us, it's another story.

First, our techniques are incomplete or ill-suited.

Second, we lack guidance and peers for discussion.

At Lotus Ridge, not only can you exchange insights with fellow cultivators, but we've also amassed a collection of manuals over the years. If you stay long enough, you will surely find a few that suit you."

"Thus, few who come to Lotus Ridge ever leave. To be honest, I myself was guided onto the path of cultivation by a White Elephant, by chance, and later joined Lotus Ridge through recommendation. I know too well the struggles of the lone cultivator."

"Moreover, though we are cultivators, our lifespans have limits. The Nine Mountains and Twelve Ridges must continually bring in new blood. Some sects seek out talented disciples everywhere; as for Lotus Ridge, we take in lone cultivators like you and me!"

Gu Changqing considered for a moment. Clearly, there was much the other party wasn't saying.

But that didn't matter.

What mattered was his growing interest in the Nine Mountains and Twelve Ridges.

"Tell me more about them, and about the strength of the cultivators there."

...

The two conversed from just after noon until their evening meal.

"I have some matters to attend to. I'll return in five days and visit Lotus Ridge then," Gu Changqing said directly.

He'd lingered here for several days already; it was time to go back.

"Then I shall await you here!" Daoist White Elephant replied with a smile.

When Gu Changqing returned to the inn, he saw Li Youling in the courtyard practicing the Three Swallow Fist. Though it had only been a few days, she already showed promising form.

After all, though Li Youling was still a ways from cleansing her marrow and changing her blood, her vitality was not lacking—it saved much effort.

"Young master!" Li Youling stopped and greeted him with a gentle bow and a smile.

"Shall I prepare hot water for your bath, young master?"

"No need," Gu Changqing waved her off. "I'll be leaving soon, back in a few days. Stay here for now. If you encounter any trouble, go to the Giant Mountain Sect!"

A hint of disappointment flickered in Li Youling's eyes.

Gu Changqing took a turn about his room, feeling oddly out of sorts for the first time—not having to immediately log out as though chased by a dog.

After a brief stay, he departed, found a quiet spot, and with a thought, the world blurred—and he was back in the bedroom of his villa at River View Garden.

He switched on the lights, undressed, and took a shower. Donning pajamas, he grabbed a bottle of juice and went to sit on the sofa downstairs.

His recent gains had been considerable, especially the sect’s art of manipulating lightness and heaviness, which was of great benefit.

He had also finally acquired some magical implements.

He’d learned two useful Daoist arts: one was the Fire Ignition Spell, the other the Geng Metal Sword Light Incantation.

The Geng Metal Sword Light Incantation, though the most basic attack spell, was easy enough to master—with a thought and a gesture, a golden sword of light would appear in the air, powerful enough to outstrip any bullet and even slice through steel.

But Gu Changqing was never short of offensive methods, so he didn't care much about the incantation. He practiced it briefly, just enough to use it when needed.

Next time he would head to Lotus Ridge—not only because the cultivators there were miscellaneous and advancement was fast, but also to acquire more spells, implements, and especially protective talismans and amulets.

Just like the ones Yu Xuanzheng had used—able to withstand a dozen Blood Sea Bee Needles. If not for Blood Prison's power to corrupt magical implements and spiritual radiance, Yu might have escaped.

After pondering all this, Gu Changqing checked his phone for messages.

There were over a dozen missed calls, mostly from subordinates in the Second Squad.

There was also a message from Ding Lizhi of the Dragon Soaring Gang—he had already begun preparations to swallow up other gangs.

Gu Changqing randomly called back a squad member.

"Captain?" Tan Li's voice came through.

"Anything happen these last few days?" Gu Changqing asked.

"Not really. It's just that you haven't been around and we were worried, so we called," Tan Li replied.

"No one from other divisions came by?" Gu Changqing asked.

"No, and there haven't been any assignments either. The chief just told us to focus on improving our strength. I heard a few new Awakened have been found recently—they've all joined the Guard!"

After hanging up, Gu Changqing mused: no visitors from other divisions meant no way to further hone the Eight Desolate Fist.

With no assignments, who knew how long it would take to break through to the fourth layer of Qi Refinement.

After thinking it over, he realized he'd have to set his sights on the Guards.

After all, there was a Guard living just next door. If they got assigned a mission, he could simply intercept it. If they were displeased, he could give them a beating.

Isn’t that the very definition of a win-win situation?

He glanced at the time—it was only just past eight in the evening. He fetched a special earpiece and placed it behind his ear. Instantly, the device fused with his skin, and a cacophony of sounds flooded in.

Some were discussing how to cook the books over the phone.

Some were locked in fierce combat.

Some were talking about their children’s education.

Some were throwing parties.

Gu Changqing filtered out the distant noises. This earpiece only received sounds; it couldn’t pick and choose which to filter—quite inconvenient.

Still, it had been a gift; he couldn't be too picky. Especially since the giver was no longer around—there was no one to complain to.

Soon, he caught a familiar female voice.

"No, I haven’t seen him these past few days."

"He doesn’t seem to have been around lately."

"If you want to make trouble for him, that’s your business... just don’t use my name!"

Gu Changqing recognized the voice—it was the long-legged one named Luo Xiu.

Soon after, Luo Xiu changed the subject. Gu Changqing grinned; it seemed she had just been talking about him.

Hmm? Someone was planning a show for him?

How delightful!

He was rather looking forward to it.

Bored, Gu Changqing pulled out his laptop and browsed online, mostly checking for recent news.

Thanks to the "Awakening Era" forum, discussions about Awakened individuals had increased on social media, and there were occasional reports of mysterious deaths—unsolved cases, all of them.

Two hours later, Luo Xiu took a call, changed clothes, and went out.

"An anomaly?" Gu Changqing’s lips curled into a smile. He had overheard an address in the southern district.

He immediately got up, changed, and drove out.

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