Chapter 49: Three Matters
“Little Yan… you’re awake.”
Gu Qing Yi’s gaze fell upon Chen Yan. The young lady’s face bore a faint crimson hue, her soft, delicate voice carrying an awkward formality as she greeted him.
Chen Yan could tell that she was making a deliberate effort to maintain the demeanor of an elder, but it felt somewhat unnatural—almost comically out of place.
He sighed inwardly but maintained a smile. “Miss Gu, good morning.”
“Mmm…” To his surprise, Gu Qing Yi’s face grew even redder.
“Have you eaten yet?” he asked.
“…Not yet.” The young lady stole a glance toward the kitchen, anticipation flickering in her eyes. “I… don’t know how to cook, so I was waiting for you.”
Chen Yan forced a bitter smile. So he still had to take care of her? With polite restraint, he replied, “Then please wait a moment. I’ll prepare breakfast.”
Truthfully, he had no intention of cooking. After days of exhausting endeavors outside, the thought of lighting a stove in the morning felt burdensome. There was instant ramen at home, but after consuming it for days on end, he now found it repulsive. Instead, he simply picked up his phone and ordered takeout—some fried dough sticks, two cups of soy milk, and four boiled eggs.
Then, recalling the other ‘guest’ in the courtyard’s pool, he scratched his head. “By the way, that old turtle you brought… what does it eat?”
Gu Qing Yi shook her head. “I don’t know. Probably fish and shrimp. If it doesn’t work out, we can return it to the wild lake in the mountains and let it fend for itself.”
Chen Yan cast a glance at her.
Making someone serve as a housekeeper without pay was already harsh enough, but expecting them to bring their own provisions too? Even the most ruthless of landlords wouldn’t go that far.
While waiting for breakfast to arrive—about half an hour or so—the two of them sat in the living room, facing each other in an awkward silence.
Last night, they had spoken until quite late. Chen Yan had asked her many questions—about the Chen family, about the Domain Realm, and about the Old Madam’s true identity.
Gu Qing Yi had explained that in the Domain Realm, Chen Jue was the sole heir of the direct lineage. After his disappearance, the Chen family’s main branch had all but perished. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have traveled to this world to find him.
As for what calamity Chen Jue had provoked, Gu Qing Yi was uncertain.
Regarding the Old Madam, she only revealed that the woman was one of the most renowned figures among the Thirty-Six Venerables—a true ancestor of the Ghost Race in the Domain Realm.
The Ghost Race, however, was not what people in this world imagined ghosts to be. In reality, neither here nor in the Domain Realm did the dead transform into spirits.
Rather, the Ghost Race was a lineage of cultivators who walked the path of ghostly arts.
As for the Domain Realm itself… Gu Qing Yi mentioned that there were rules governing her passage through the Realm Gate into this world. She was not allowed to disclose too much about it—unless Chen Yan chose to acknowledge his Chen family heritage and return. Only then would he be considered one of their own, free to learn the truths of that world.
Otherwise, she could only reveal so much.
Besides that, she also spoke of cultivation.
Chen Yan had perused every manual left by the Old Madam, finding detailed records on martial arts techniques and spells—but nowhere did they explain the hierarchy of cultivation realms. For the past month, his training had been like groping in the dark.
According to Gu Qing Yi, cultivation was divided into three major tiers:
Mortal Cultivation, Transcendence, and Sainthood.
Each tier contained multiple stages:
Mortal Cultivation—the path of the common cultivator, consisting of three ranks: Entry, Return to Origin, and Platform Ascension.
Beyond Platform Ascension lay the first great bottleneck. Those who overcame it would step into the Celestial Realm. Those who failed would remain mere mortal cultivators forever. In the Domain Realm, over 99% of practitioners were fated to remain within this tier their entire lives.
Transcendence, for those who broke past the mortal threshold, consisted of: Celestial, Golden Body, and Primordial Spirit.
To step into this realm was to be recognized as a true powerhouse within the Domain Realm.
The road beyond Celestial was incredibly treacherous, with each stage forming a monumental divide. Talent and luck were both essential to progress.
Beyond Transcendence lay the path of Sainthood.
Sainthood was divided into Venerable (Lesser Saint), Earthly Venerable (Saint), and Heavenly Venerable (Great Saint).
Reaching Sainthood required more than just talent and fortune—it was a feat of destiny itself!
The Domain Realm held only two Great Saints, four Earthly Venerables, and thirty-six Lesser Saints—a total of just forty-two individuals who ruled over the countless cultivators of the realm.
Last night, Gu Qing Yi had revealed three crucial matters to Chen Yan:
The Sainthood tier had a fixed number of slots.
The Domain Realm’s Heavenly Dao had a set number of slots for transcendents: two Heavenly Venerables, four Earthly Venerables, and thirty-six Lesser Saints.
No more, no less.
Only when a saint perished would a new one rise. If all forty-two positions remained occupied, no one—no matter how talented—could ever break through beyond the Primordial Spirit stage.
Thus, in the Domain Realm, those at the top were also called the Saint Rank.
Lesser Saints were called Lesser Saints.
Earthly Venerables were True Saints.
Heavenly Venerables were Great Saints.
Cultivators in this world could never ascend to the Celestial Realm.
Even if one obtained the most profound cultivation methods, even if they possessed unmatched talent, breaking through into Celestial was impossible while remaining in this world.
No matter how hard Chen Yan trained, even with the techniques left by the Old Madam, so long as he stayed here, he would never transcend the Mortal Cultivation tier.
This was an immutable rule of the world.
Gu Qing Yi didn’t know the exact reason, only that the elders of her lineage had declared it so. The most likely explanation was that the Domain Realm contained spiritual energy, while this world did not.
Transcendent-level power could not be freely used in this world.
Thus, when Gu Qing Yi arrived in this world, she could only wield the strength of a mortal cultivator, not daring to unleash the might of the Heavenly Mortal Realm. Should she attempt to do so, the world’s very fabric would retaliate against her—at best, she would be cast out, flung beyond the world’s boundary into the turbulent void of space, where even fate itself dared not predict her end. At worst, the world’s laws would strike her down in retribution, reducing her to mere dust in an instant.
“So, when you told me you were a Heavenly Mortal, that you could take me flying and let me stride through the world unhindered, you were just lying to me?” Chen Yan demanded, his indignation flaring.
Had he not just confided his sorrows of a wandering half a life? And now she tells him she cannot take him soaring through the skies?
“Not exactly. My cultivation is indeed at the Heavenly Mortal Realm, but here, I cannot wield its power. However, in your world, where there is no true inheritance of cultivation, I am still more than enough to keep you safe!” Gu Qing Yi said with a calm confidence. “In this realm, I can only exert the strength of a Peak Platform Ascension cultivator, but since your world’s restrictions do not allow anyone to surpass this level, I am already at the pinnacle of your world.”
Chen Yan mulled over this revelation and eventually let out a breath of resignation. If nothing else, Gu Qing Yi was indeed standing atop this world’s martial hierarchy.
It was sufficient.
As for the name Gu Xiao Niang, it was not a whim of Chen Yan’s. After some discussion, they had agreed upon it.
Calling her “mother” outright? Even if someone put a blade to his neck, Chen Yan would not utter such a word. And Gu Qing Yi herself would find it unbearable.
Calling her “Niang” alone? That was still a bit too awkward.
Thus, after much deliberation, they settled on Gu Xiao Niang—a compromise between the two extremes.
However, there was one thing Gu Qing Yi had chosen to withhold from Chen Yan—such as her destitution upon arriving in this world, her days of toil at Extreme Net Café, or the infamous KFC Family Bucket robbery incident.
Not because she was embarrassed—well, perhaps just a little.
But more importantly—
All that grand talk of striding through the world unchallenged, striking down foes who dared provoke him…
That had been a bit of an exaggeration.
When she first arrived, she had been so hungry she nearly collapsed. She didn’t even dare flaunt her cultivation wantonly. Even when stealing a Family Bucket, she had to cautiously pray to the ancestral masters for forgiveness…
It had been a miserable state—eating scraps, sleeping in the streets—until the net café owner took her in.
The Domain Realm had its own laws, and cultivators could not simply rely on their power to act with impunity.
In cultivation, there existed something known as Disciplinary Vows. These were not mere words on parchment but mystical oaths intertwined with the Heavenly Dao itself.
To put it simply:
An Evil Cultivator might swear—“I shall commit villainy for my entire life! If I dare do good, let the Heavenly Dao punish me!”
A Righteous Cultivator might vow—“I shall walk the path of virtue! If I ever fall to corruption, let the Heavenly Dao strike me down!”
These were not trivial matters, and Gu Qing Yi had no intention of explaining them to Chen Yan.
After all, it wasn’t as if this fellow would ever set foot in the Domain Realm… right?
After breakfast, Chen Yan idly opened his phone and placed an online order for various groceries—fish, meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, and a fair number of other essentials.
Being the great philanthropist that he was, he even bought some fish and shrimp for the old turtle.
A glance at his phone balance made him sigh.
Providing for Gu Qing Yi was one thing—after all, in an ethical sense, she was his Little Mother.
Consider it filial piety.
But why was a housekeeper so expensive to feed…
Feeling somewhat wronged by the injustice of it all, Chen Yan opened the door and called out to the old turtle, who was basking in the sunlight in the courtyard.
“First—since you’ve already taken on a human form, stop lying flat on the ground outside! If a guest walks in and sees you, they’ll think a lunatic lives here!” Chen Yan said, his tone slow but firm. “Second—since you’re the housekeeper, you can’t just sit around idly. From today onward, cleaning, laundry, and cooking are your responsibilities.”
The old turtle blinked, looking at Chen Yan, then turned his head toward Gu Qing Yi in silent appeal.
Gu Qing Yi remained impassive. “Xiao Yan is right.”
Someone had to do the chores. And if it wasn’t him, was she supposed to do it?
She had worked tirelessly at a net café for days on end without complaint. Now that she had ascended to house matriarch, why shouldn’t she enjoy some well-earned leisure?
The old turtle sighed. “I shall obey the decree of the Heavenly Mortal.”
Chen Yan scrutinized the withered old man before him. “Do you even have a name?”
“…No.”
“Then I’ll give you one. Since you’re a turtle cultivator, your surname will be Gui. As for your name… turtles are long-lived, so let’s call you Gui Geng.”
Gui Geng?
That sounded disturbingly like being stewed into turtle soup…
The old turtle dared not argue and nodded begrudgingly in acceptance.
Thus, for the remainder of the morning, Chen Yan dragged Gui Geng around the villa, teaching him the ways of modern appliances—washing machines, microwaves, dishwashers, sterilizers, vacuum cleaners…
By noon, Gui Geng was already diligently dragging a vacuum from room to room, painstakingly cleaning the entire house.
Chen Yan glanced at his efforts. Hmm… a bit slow. But, well, he was a turtle. No rush.
After all, no salary was involved.
Turning his head, he glanced at Gu Xiao Niang lounging in the living room—
And couldn’t help but twitch at the sight.
This so-called Little Mother was sprawled lazily on the couch, watching television with an air of utter contentment.
On the screen, a ridiculous immortal idol drama was playing, and she seemed thoroughly engrossed in it.
A bag of sunflower seeds sat open before her.
“Lunch will be Braised Chicken Rice,” Chen Yan called out.
Gu Qing Yi didn’t even lift her head, still fixated on the screen. “Mhm!”
Just yesterday, she had still been an elegant fairy-like maiden.
Today, she had transformed into a northern village woman.
Yet, despite the thick rural accent in her casual speech, her voice remained delicate and soft.
How did she manage that? Speaking like a hardened village woman yet maintaining a naturally charming, gentle tone?
After lunch, Chen Yan left behind his one mother, one turtle and stepped out.
He had a proper matter to attend to.
He needed to gather the necessary items.
For he was about to prepare for a ceremony—
A Ghost Marriage between Gu Xiao Niang and his deceased father…
Just thinking about it left him in a sour mood.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation