Shen Lang had offended too many people, he himself didn't know who Yu Xiao was referring to.
However, he absolutely would not allow anyone to dare to have ideas about Yu Xiao and the others. Anyone who harmed them, Shen Lang swore, would pay a heavy price.
Feng Yi Jian was a top-tier sword master, and he also possessed martial cultivation at the Earth realm. With Feng Yi Jian around, at least Shen Lang didn't have to worry about Yu Xiao and the others' safety before he left.
Thinking of this, Shen Lang realized that his decision to take Feng Yi Jian under his wing was extremely wise. Even if Shen Lang himself was powerful, he absolutely could not guard Yu Xiao and the others twenty-four hours a day, year-round. Sometimes, he indeed needed a few pairs of eyes and more hands.
This way, when he wasn't around Yu Xiao and the others, there would at least be eyes to watch over Yu Xiao and Yu Fei, and hands to protect them from harm.
With this thought, Shen Lang had an idea: he could recruit more people like Feng Yi Jian in the future.
After dealing with Yu Xiao's matters, Shen Lang breathed a sigh of relief and picked up his phone to call Gu Qinghan.
The dream he had just had, though he had woken up, its content still left Shen Lang confused and troubled. He wanted to hear Gu Qinghan's voice.
"Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off. Please try again later."
Shen Lang called Gu Qinghan with anticipation, only to find her phone was already switched off. He sighed and put his phone aside.
However, unbeknownst to Shen Lang, as he put down his phone, Gu Qinghan's phone was being tightly grasped by a seventy-year-old man in a black Tang suit with white hair.
This was an ancient mansion. The man in the Tang suit sat in the main hall. Beside him was a table made of nanmu wood, and on either side in front of him sat two rows of men and women, all in their forties and fifties.
The man in the Tang suit was none other than the renowned Gu Ding Tian of the Gu family in Nan Ling. The men and women sitting below were all important members of the Gu family.
Gu Ding Tian sat in the main seat facing north, with the important members of the Gu family seated in two rows. This arrangement was only seen during the annual family meeting.
At this moment, Gu Qinghan stood in the center, her face pale then flushed, but her eyes held no fear.
"Qinghan, I'll ask you again, are you marrying Qi Tuo Jiang or not?"
Gu Ding Tian, tightly gripping Gu Qinghan's phone, spoke with a gloomy, hoarse voice.
"Grandfather, since you're asking, I can tell you again: I will absolutely not marry Qi Tuo Jiang."
Gu Qinghan's gaze was firm. She said, "Although Qi Tuo Jiang and I were classmates, I've never had a good impression of him. Furthermore, we haven't seen each other for many years. You suddenly asking me to marry him, don't you think it's abrupt, Grandfather?"
"Abrupt?"
Hearing Gu Qinghan's words, Gu Ding Tian sneered. "This marriage was arranged by me and Old Master Qi when you were born. Now it's just fulfilling the engagement, what's abrupt about it?"
"Qinghan, you are the pride of the younger generation of the Gu family, with limitless potential for the future. I intend to cultivate you well. As long as you marry Qi Tuo Jiang, you will have access to all of the Gu family's resources in the future. I have no reason to disagree."
The Gu family's resources permeated the entire Nan Ling. Gu Qinghan having access to all of the Gu family's resources?
Hearing Gu Ding Tian's words, Gu Qinghan's parents were overjoyed, but Gu Qinghan's uncles and aunts were all furious.
Gu Qinghan's father was named Gu Chao Xi, but he was an incompetent man. He originally had many resources, but they were gradually plundered by his brothers. Now, all he had left was a three percent stake in the company, from which he received dividends annually.
Therefore, Gu Chao Xi had a nickname: "Chao Bu Bao Xi" (meaning he couldn't even protect himself for a day). Not only were his family members constantly mocking and ridiculing him, but some outsiders also dared to insult him without restraint.
However, even though Gu Chao Xi was incompetent, his wife and daughter were both more capable than him.
Gu Qinghan went without saying. At the young age of twenty-five, she became the director of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Martial Guard Bureau. She had also made significant achievements recently and was reportedly being considered for promotion, with a bright future ahead.
As for Gu Chao Xi's wife, Hou Hong Ye, who was fifty years old this year, she had become the principal of Nan Ling University, her rank almost comparable to Song Sha Dao.
However, Hou Hong Ye knew that without a certain opportunity, she would only be able to stay in this position until retirement.
Hou Hong Ye had been troubled by this issue, but she never expected the opportunity to come through her daughter. She, as the mother, only found out about the engagement today.
The Qi family was one of the five great families in Nan Ling, their influence reaching far and wide. If the Gu family and the Qi family formed a union, and she became the mother-in-law of the Qi family's young master, it was possible for her to not just climb a hundred feet higher, but leap forward two or three steps.
Therefore, Hou Hong Ye strongly supported Gu Qinghan's marriage to Qi Tuo Jiang.
And when she heard the grandfather's assurance that once Gu Qinghan married Qi Tuo Jiang, all of the Gu family's resources could be allocated by Gu Qinghan, Hou Hong Ye became even more supportive.
Hou Hong Ye looked at Gu Qinghan and smiled, "Qinghan, don't hesitate, quickly agree to this marriage."
"This marriage is not only good for you, but also for the Qi family, and even for Mom. It's a win-win situation. Don't you agree?"
"No, I don't agree."
Hearing her mother's words, Gu Qinghan said indifferently, "The person Gu Qinghan marries must be someone I love, and the only reason I will marry is because of love."
"Besides love, I will not marry for any other reason, let alone someone I haven't seen in many years."
Then, Gu Qinghan looked at Gu Ding Tian and said, "Grandfather, what I said to my mother is my answer."
"Presumptuous—"
Hearing Gu Qinghan's words, Gu Ding Tian was furious. "Qinghan, the family spent countless resources to cultivate you, to achieve what you have today. Now is the time for you to contribute to the family. You want to abandon the family?"
"Gu Qinghan, aren't you afraid of losing everything you have now and becoming an utterly ordinary person?"
This was clearly a threat, implying that if Gu Qinghan did not comply, she would be suppressed and lose everything.
"I'm sorry, Grandfather, I'm really not afraid."
Gu Qinghan smiled faintly upon hearing this. "I cherish everything I have now, but if preserving it requires sacrificing myself and marrying, then I can also lose all of this."
After speaking, Gu Qinghan took her phone from Gu Ding Tian's hand, turned, and strode away.
However, after taking only two steps, Gu Qinghan's body suddenly went limp and she collapsed to the ground.
Gu Qinghan looked at the tea beside her, which Gu Ding Tian had given her earlier and she had taken a sip of, and managed to spit out with difficulty, "That tea... is poisoned?"