"Descend the mountain?"
"That's impossible, old man. It took me five arduous years to finally win over Xiaocui next door, and now you're asking me to descend the mountain!"
Looking at his master who decided his next location while drinking tea at a worn-out table, Zhou Xuan felt extreme reluctance.
"Xiaocui has been stringing you along for so many years, and suddenly agreed to you. You know why?"
"She's pregnant with Dazhuang's child from the next village, but he denied responsibility, so she plans to dump it all on you!"
The older man sitting in front of him heavily set his teacup on the solid wooden table. He looked as if he was about to scold his irresponsible student to snap him out of his naiveness. He could not understand where he went wrong, he brought him to the mountain ten years ago planning to use his lifetime of knowledge to cultivate a world-class talent.
Unexpectedly, he managed to produce an exceptional disciple, but this disciple just lacked vision, always distracted by beautiful women, showing none of the valianceness of a war god he was supposed to be.
"What?! Pregnant with someone else's child? She told me she's just bloated from overeating!"
His pupils dilated instantly, Zhou Xuan felt his mind going blank.
Xiaocui is having a baby, where does that leave him to find a wife in the future?
Within the radius of ten miles, besides Xiaocui who was an unmarried woman, there were only widows and lonely elderly left!
And one of them, old lady Chen, his master had his eye on.
"Don't worry, your master has his own arrangements."
"This is your marriage certificate. The task of leaving the mountain this time is to marry Gu Qingsui, the precious daughter from the Gu family."
The old man bent down and took out a faded red paper from his socks and handed it to Zhou Xuan.
"Gu Qingsui?"
"Is she from the Gu family who visits you once a year, always bringing plenty of treasures?"
Accepting the marriage certificate, Zhou Xuan was somewhat surprised.
He had encountered the Gu family members before, especially the suited and booted Gu Li'an, who always seemed to carry a sour face around him.
When he was younger, he would see him frequently, but then that turned into an occasional dispatch of a few subordinates bringing over some fine wine and meat. In recent years, he hadn't seen him in person at all.
"That's right, it's him. A decade has passed now, his daughter must have grown into a graceful lady." The old man, confirming Zhou Xuan's doubt, had an unusual emotion flashing in his eyes as he slowly began to explain.
"That Gu Li’an always carries a sour look on his face which is entirely off-putting."
“Is his granddaughter as pretty as Little Cui?”
Unaware of his master's peculiar emotions, Zhou Xuan asked the question he was most concerned about.
"I don’t know. You will see for yourself when you descend the mountain."
"But I heard, she is the most beautiful woman in Linhai City."
Shaking his head, the old man leaned back in his chair.
"The number one beauty!"
At this, Zhou Xuan perked up.
Xiao Cui, with her average looks, was the top beauty in their godforsaken place, he wondered what the granddaughter of the Gu family would look like?
"Indeed, but while you're venturing down the mountain, could you also do a few things for me?"
Nodding his head, the old man looked at his disciple's gleaming eyes with the knowledge that he was now open to persuasion. Taking advantage of this, the old man pressed on.
"I knew it! You old chap wouldn't let me off so easily. Just like before when you sent me to see Xiao Cui, you always made me play cupid and deliver love letters to Granny Chen."
Rolling his eyes, Zhou Xuan displayed an I-knew-it face.
But of course, the proof was in the pudding. For Zhou Xuan to find a wife, he surely had to follow his Master's footsteps.
"The Gu family has been using my reputation to expand their influence for years."
"From the looks of it, they've gained considerable power, and their attitude towards me has increasingly cooled down in recent years."
"I have some old followers in the Forest Sea City, once you've descended the mountain, investigate whether they've grown disloyal. If that's the case, annihilate them all!"
The old man's troops, the most glorious force under the command of the former war god, were spread throughout all of China.
Before Zhou Xuan could respond, the old man got up with a solemn expression and pulled out a delicate solid wood box from the worn-out drawer.
Receiving the solid wood box and opening it, Zhou Xuan found a jade piece inside.
"I know you've always disliked these manipulations and power plays, but think of this as a favor to your master. Reclaim the power of my followers and seek out the mastermind behind my downfall all those years ago, exact my revenge."
The old man waved his hand and trembled back into his seat.
"Master..."
Watching his Master's state, Zhou Xuan's eyes reddened a little.
Over the last decade, the relationship between him and the old man had evolved from that of a master and disciple to something akin to familial.
He owed the old man his life. He had been picked up, raised, and taught skills by his Master.
"Okay, I understand, Master." Zhou Xuan nodded seriously and smiled, "Once things are settled with the Gu family's daughter, I'll take you to the celebration!"
"Let's talk about that later. Perhaps, it'll be I who will invite you first to celebrate my marriage with your grandmother Chen."
The old man regained his calm and nonchalant demeanor, basking in a hint of pride.
"Cut it out."
Zhou Xuan disdainfully shook his head, gathered his belongings, and started his descent from the mountain.
Collecting his belongings was merely bundling up a ragged cloth, carrying a few simple garments, and his Master's memento.
…
At the foot of the mountain, as he looked at the bustling city, Zhou Xuan furrowed his brows. He inquired along the way and finally arrived... at a shopping mall.
"Hold on, does the Gu family live in a shopping mall?"
A clueless Zhou Xuan was full of doubts.
"Young man, do you grasp the prestigious status of the Gu family? The Gu family head is a renowned frontrunner in Linhai City, on equal footing with the three major families. It's impossible for them to live in a mall."
Someone beside Zhou Xuan, dressed in ragged clothes, initiated a conversation out of sympathy.
"Then where is the Gu family's heiress if she's not here? Everyone keeps saying she's around here."
Zhou Xuan was bemused, his confusion amplifying after going in circles.
"Hahaha..."
"Well, of course! The entire Linhai City is aware that the scion of the Wang family, who governs the Linhai underground mall, is intending to confess his feelings to Miss Gu."
"Wherever the male protagonist is, the female protagonist naturally follows."
The man beside Zhou Xuan explained, laughing heartily under his puzzled gaze.
"Female protagonist?"
Zhou Xuan frowned, feeling a bit green on his head
indicating confusion
.
"That would be Gu Qingqi, Gu family's heiress!"
"What?!"
"You're saying, a spoiled brat named Wang wants to poach out of my yard and propose to my wife?"
