Volume One, Chapter 2: The Five Arts of the Mystical Gate—Mountain Arts, Medicine, Physiognomy, Inquiry, and Divination

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A powerful current, accompanied by excruciating pain, tore through Gu Chenxiao’s entire body. Unable to withstand it, he passed out on the spot.

“Ninth Master!” the bodyguard cried out in anguish.

The thunderbolts were still rumbling overhead. Before another one could strike, Yan Chu hurriedly reached out and took back the jade pendant from Gu Chenxiao’s hand.

The moment the pendant returned to her grasp, the thunder rolling behind the clouds seemed to pause. Then it rumbled twice in a deep, muffled warning before reluctantly dispersing.

Yan Chu let out a sigh of relief and glanced at the man on the sofa, whose features had been blasted beyond recognition. She sighed inwardly.

Turning around, she removed the immobilization talisman from the bodyguard.

The instant he could move again, the bodyguard lunged toward Gu Chenxiao.

He pinched Gu Chenxiao’s philtrum, called emergency services, and did everything he could think of.

The room descended into utter chaos.

“Don’t worry. He won’t die.”

Yan Chu put the jade pendant back into her pocket, then took out a pill and placed it in Gu Chenxiao’s mouth.

“Wait…”

The bodyguard wanted to stop her, but remembering the uncanny way she had immobilized them moments ago, he found himself caught between advancing and retreating. In the end, he could only watch helplessly as their Ninth Master was forced to swallow the medicine.

Fortunately, only a few seconds after the pill went down, Gu Chenxiao’s eyelids twitched. A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes.

“Ninth Master!” The bodyguard hurried over and carefully helped him sit up. “Are you all right?”

The Ninth Master had always been frail. Although his health had improved considerably over the years, the old madam and old master remained deeply concerned, frequently reminding those who attended him to keep a close eye on his condition.

Gu Chenxiao shook his head. He could feel a warm current spreading from his lower abdomen through every limb and bone.

The agony of being struck by lightning had vanished completely. In fact, he felt even better than before.

Almost instinctively, Gu Chenxiao looked at his palm. The jade pendant was gone.

He frowned, and the young woman said, “I’ve taken back the pendant. Of course, if you want to be struck by lightning again, I can return it to you. But I only have one Rejuvenation Pill left.”

The implication was clear: if he got struck again, she would have no medicine left to give him.

“Rejuvenation Pill? You know medicine?” Gu Chenxiao tested his condition and detected a faint, bitter herbal taste lingering in his mouth.

Yan Chu nodded. “I know a little.”

Of the five arts of the mystic tradition—mountain, medicine, physiognomy, divination, and destiny—she had some knowledge of each.

Still, when it came to medicine, she was no match for her Second Senior Brother.

Gu Chenxiao’s gaze deepened. A single pill had instantly erased the injuries caused by the lightning and left him in better condition than before.

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Such medical skill was hardly what one would call merely “knowing a little.”

Perhaps she could cure Rose’s illness.

The man’s distinct knuckles tapped against the armrest. Anyone familiar with him knew that gesture meant he was weighing his options.

Gu Chenxiao was a businessman. He calculated the gains and losses of everything with perfect clarity.

He disliked being manipulated or schemed against. When the young woman’s master had arranged this marriage years ago, it was true that the arrangement had saved his life. But Gu Chenxiao refused to believe that her master had not harbored at least some desire to lay claim to the Gu family’s power and wealth.

That was why he had resisted when the young woman first came to him to fulfill their engagement.

But now that he knew the marriage was indeed tied to his survival and could not be called off, there was no reason not to go through with it. Marrying this little girl would not be an inconvenience.

He could simply treat her as a decorative wife. The Gu family was wealthy enough to support one more person.

And now he knew that she also possessed considerable medical skill…

Gu Chenxiao’s tapping fingers came to a halt. Suddenly, he said, “Since this marriage can’t be called off, then let’s get married.”

Yan Chu was startled.

Could being struck by lightning really have made him see the light so quickly?

She regarded him cautiously. “You’re… sure?”

Gu Chenxiao nodded. His gaze was deep and compelling, making him look like a big bad wolf about to lure an innocent young girl away.

“We’ll register this afternoon. You have your identification documents with you, don’t you?”

Yan Chu had brought all her documents, but there was still one problem.

She took out her identity card and said with utmost sincerity, “I’m not yet old enough to marry legally.”

Gu Chenxiao fell silent.

He had never expected this.

The man stared at the date on her identity card. The young woman had only just reached adulthood.

In other words, when her master had arranged their engagement, she had barely been born.

Seeing the complicated expression on his face, Yan Chu felt awkward as well.

Before her master passed away, he had kept the engagement secret. Only when he was on his deathbed had he told her about it, repeatedly instructing her to honor the arrangement and assuring her that this man was her destined soulmate.

So after taking care of her master’s funeral, she had immediately followed his final wishes and come to find Gu Chenxiao. She truly had not thought things through that far.

Yan Chu cleared her throat and was about to explain when the man said, “It’s not a serious problem.”

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*

When Yan Chu walked out of the civil affairs bureau, she stared at the freshly issued red marriage certificate in her hand, still somewhat dazed.

She was married just like that?!

Gu Chenxiao glanced at the young woman’s bewildered expression, and a faint sense of guilt suddenly rose within him—the guilt of an old ox devouring tender grass.

Though the tender grass had come willingly to his door, it had only done so because circumstances had left her no choice.

He cleared his throat. “Don’t worry. Now that we’re married, I’ll take responsibility for you.”

Yan Chu had just been about to say that it was unnecessary when a black card appeared before her.

“This is an additional card linked to my account. Take it. Buy whatever you need.” Gu Chenxiao was generous with money. “Also, where are you staying now? I’ll have the driver help you move.”

“No need…”

Gu Chenxiao frowned. “Now that we’re married, naturally we should live together. Don’t tell me you want separate rooms immediately after getting married?”

Although marrying her had not been his choice, once he had decided to go through with it, he would not shirk the responsibilities that came with it.

Even if he could not give her enough love to make theirs a normal marriage, he would still give her the dignity and standing befitting Mrs. Gu.

Yan Chu was speechless.

“That’s not what I meant,” she explained. “I’ve always lived with my master in a mountain monastery. This is my first time coming down from the mountains, so there’s no need for me to move. Once I’ve taken care of the matter my master entrusted to me, I’ll come find you.”

Before her master passed away, one of his old friends had called to say that his young grandson had suddenly begun acting like a different person, as though he might be possessed by something unclean. He hoped her master could come and take a look.

But at the time, her master had already been gravely ill and unable to get out of bed, while she had been too busy caring for him to leave.

As he approached the end, her master had instructed her to handle the Gu family marriage first, then go and investigate the matter.

Before coming to the Gu family, she had already contacted her master’s friend. He would be arriving shortly to pick her up.

Gu Chenxiao had never imagined that the young woman had spent her entire life living in the mountains.

Looking into her clear, limpid eyes, he felt as though someone had pinched his heart. An inexplicable tenderness and ache slowly spread through him.

The emotion was unfamiliar. His expression remained cold as he said, “As it happens, I have business at the company that needs my attention. Shall I give you a ride since I’m going that way?”

Yan Chu smiled and declined. “No need. Someone is coming to pick me up.”

Gu Chenxiao said nothing more. He gave her a reserved nod and turned to leave.

He had taken only one step when someone suddenly grabbed his arm.

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