My Sexy CEO Wife-Chapter 206 - 204: Abyss of Magic (Part 2)

"Zhu Feng's father disappeared?" Gao Fei frowned, "Who did Zhu Feng learn his Gu Art from? It couldn't have been from his father, could it?"

"He learned it from his father," the fort man nodded with certainty, "Zhu Feng's father was a genius, extremely proficient in Gu Art. Despite being an elder, his reputation was even higher than the Village Chief's. To call him the number one person in Nine Bends Fort would not be an overstatement."

"The number one person in Nine Bends Fort?" Gao Fei raised an eyebrow, "Is he that impressive?"

"Very impressive," the fort man nodded again, "Not just anyone can become an elder. First, you must possess great skill, second, a high reputation, and third, you have to defeat all your rivals. Only when you meet these three conditions can you become an elder. Once you're an elder, you wield supreme power—if you dislike someone, you can easily have them killed with just one word."

"If Zhu Feng's father was so formidable, why didn't he become the Village Chief?" asked Gao Fei, "The Village Chief should be more powerful than an elder, right?"

The fort man shook his head, "Given Zhu Feng's father's abilities, he definitely could have become the Village Chief, but he himself did not wish to."

"Why not?"

"Because it's too exhausting."

"Exhausting?"

"Being a Village Chief means great power but also many responsibilities. You'd need to spend a huge amount of time managing the fort every day. As a result, the time for practicing Gu Art would diminish. Zhu Feng's father was passionate about Gu Art, devoting most of his energy to its study—he simply had neither the energy nor the spare time to manage the fort.

So, it's not that he couldn't be the Village Chief; he simply did not wish to be one."

"So that's how it is."

"I saw Zhu Feng's father when I was young; he was very handsome and radiated a captivating charm. Who knows how many women were secretly in love with him... I originally thought Zhu Feng's father would definitely become a Gu Art Grandmaster. Not just me, everyone thought the same, but then... for some reason, Zhu Feng's father suddenly disappeared. Nine Bends Fort mobilized everyone to search for him.

After several years, they still hadn't found him, and then people started to say that Zhu Feng's father had died..." The fort man sighed, "It's such a pity! A formidable figure vanished just like that. If Zhu Feng's father were still alive, by now, he probably would've become a Gu Art Grandmaster."

"Did Zhu Feng's father really die?"

"Uh..." The fort man hesitated for a moment, "What do you mean by that?"

Gao Fei pursed his lips, "It's often said, 'No body, no death.' Without seeing a corpse, you can't say he's dead."

"If he isn't dead, why hasn't he returned all these years?" asked the fort man.

"There could be many reasons, like being trapped somewhere? Or perhaps due to some special reason, he can't return?"

"That seems unlikely, doesn't it? Zhu Feng was bullied and left the fort in a huff. If Zhu Feng's father were still alive, how could he stand by and watch his own son be mistreated?" The fort man paused, then added, "If it were me and my son got bullied, I definitely wouldn't let it go."

Gao Fei shook his head, "People are different. Some are very protective of their children, while others don't care about theirs at all."

"Impossible," the fort man shook his head vigorously, "Zhu Feng's father is definitely not that kind of person. He cared a lot about Zhu Feng—that's why he taught him Gu Art and instructed him wholeheartedly…"

"Tell me, how old were you when Zhu Feng's father disappeared?" Gao Fei asked.

"…Six or seven years old…" replied the fort man.

"Six or seven? You were just starting to understand things, right? How much can you remember from when you were that age?"

"I... even though I was young, I was quite sensible. Besides, over the years I've heard the elders talk about Zhu Feng's father, and most of it was in praise." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Most of it?" Gao Fei smiled slightly, "So there's still a small part that doesn't speak well of Zhu Feng's father?"

"Everyone has different opinions; some admire Zhu Feng's father, and some despise him," the fort man shrugged, "That's pretty normal."

"Alright, I won't argue with you anymore," Gao Fei waved his hand, "Discussing someone who's been missing for years is pointless... Right now, I just want to know how I can save my friend. Brother, since you can recognize the Indifferent Gu, surely you must have a way to treat my friend, right?"

The fort man shook his head, "I can't do it..."

"How can you not do it?" Lu Hao became anxious as soon as he heard this, "Don't worry, I won't shortchange you. As long as you can save my friend, I'll give you a generous reward. Whatever you want, I can give it to you—don't doubt my capacity. I have great resources, and I can fulfill many of your demands, for real!

I'm not lying!" Lu Hao's usual way was to sway people with material possessions, and it had rarely failed.

Nowadays, it is a materialistic society where material comfort is the priority.

"I am merely an apprentice in Gu Art, with limited abilities; I lack the power to treat your friend," the fort man explained.

"Damn!" Lu Hao's eyes widened, "If you can't treat him, then why talk so much nonsense? What, are you just toying with us?"

"Lu Hao!" Gao Fei glared at Lu Hao, "Shut your mouth!" After scolding Lu Hao, Gao Fei turned to look at the sullen-faced man from the stronghold, "Brother, don't mind him, he's just anxious to save someone, which is why he's being rude..."

"I understand." The man from the stronghold waved his hand, "Though I can't heal your friend, I know someone who can."

"Who?" Gao Fei and Lu Hao asked in unison.

"Devotion Severing Gu is an advanced Gu Art; ordinary people can't remove it." The man from the stronghold explained, "Only a Gu Art Master might have a way to cure your friend."

"Gu Art Master?" Gao Fei's eyes brightened, "Where can we find a Gu Art Master? Does your stronghold have one?"

The man from the stronghold shook his head with a bitter smile, "Our stronghold indeed had a Gu Art Master, but alas... he passed away many years ago."

"Passed away?"

"Go to Nine Bends Fort," the man from the stronghold suggested, "There are Gu Art Masters in Nine Bends Fort, and not just one at that. Devotion Severing Gu was used by Zhu Feng, and Zhu Feng was once from Nine Bends Fort. Both emotionally and logically, Nine Bends Fort should cure your friend, but..." He suddenly paused.

"But what?" Lu Hao pressed on.

"The people of Nine Bends Fort... they have quite the temper and are not easy to deal with," the man from the stronghold confessed, "When you go to ask for their help, they will definitely make things difficult for you, setting conditions.

You must endure it, do not conflict with them, and try to agree to whatever conditions they offer." he said, before lowering his gaze to Xu Lingxiu lying on the ground, "For the sake of your friend, just bear with it."

Hot-tempered? Not easy to deal with?

That's just being arrogant!

Actually, without the man from the stronghold needing to remind him, Gao Fei could guess that with great power often comes arrogance—this is human nature. Just like a poor person who becomes wealthy overnight would undergo a significant change in mindset, becoming arrogant and insufferably proud.

Gao Fei nodded with a smile, "As long as they're willing to heal my friend, I can put up with some unpleasantness."

Lu Hao nodded, "As long as they're not too unreasonable, I can bear it."

"Glad you understand," the man from the stronghold nodded, "There's no time to lose. Head to Nine Bends Fort now. This woman's condition is critical. Any further delay, and she might be in danger of losing her life."

"Where is Nine Bends Fort?"

"Go in this direction, across three mountains, and you'll arrive. It's a bit of a distance, and the road isn't easy. It's better during the day, but at night, ferocious beasts come out to hunt. Be careful, hide if you can, and try to avoid conflict with those beasts."

"I truly appreciate you telling us so much. Lu Hao, what are you spacing out for? Hurry up and thank the man!" Gao Fei chided, giving Lu Hao a nudge.

"Oh, right, thanks." Lu Hao pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket and handed it to the man from the stronghold, "Here, spend it."

"Uh... there's no need." The man from the stronghold returned the money.

Lu Hao frowned, "You think it's too little?"

"No," the man from the stronghold shook his head, "I spend most of my time living in the mountains, hardly ever going out. There's nowhere for me to spend this money."

"I see…" Lu Hao looked embarrassed, unsure of what to do. His way of showing gratitude was to give money, but now that the man refused, Lu Hao was at a loss.

"How about this," Gao Fei smiled, "We owe you a favor. If you ever need help, just contact us." He then handed the man from the stronghold a card, "My contact information is on this card. Whenever you're out, you can reach me from any public phone booth."

"Here's mine too." Lu Hao searched himself and handed over a card as well.

This time the man from the stronghold did not refuse, "In this vast world, our encounter is fated. If there's a chance, I'll come to find you and you can treat me to a drink, a good drink at that."

"No problem!" Gao Fei nodded, "We'll not only treat you to a drink but also to a great meal!"

"We're off then, till we meet again!"

Gao Fei gave the man from the stronghold a fist salute before turning to leave.

Lu Hao, carrying the unconscious Xu Lingxiu, quickly followed. In the blink of an eye, the silhouettes of the three disappeared into the vast mountains.

The man from the stronghold watched as Gao Fei and the others disappeared, sighing softly, "Your journey to Nine Bends Fort is now a matter of fate, fortune or misfortune—will be up to you. The people there are very fierce... Zhu Feng, I never expected you would be dead… And before your death, you afflicted a woman with Devotion Severing Gu.

You really went to great lengths..." He lamented the bittersweet sorrow of love turned to hate, "Ah..."