Chapter 52: Gu Qing Yi’s Gratitude
The Extreme Net Café had ceased operations. Where once the glow of screens illuminated the night, now only darkness remained. This small building had been fully leased by the proprietress. The first and second floors were transformed into the internet café, while the third floor housed three small rooms where she and her younger brother resided.
In the farthest room along the corridor on the third floor, the proprietress sat at her desk, fingers flipping through the contacts in her phone, her eyes filled with worry and disappointment. Before her sat an untouched meal box—one meat dish, two vegetables. She had barely taken two bites before it turned cold, a thin layer of grease congealing on the surface.
The air conditioner was off, yet her frustration made her feel unbearably warm. The ashtray on the table brimmed with cigarette butts, each one snuffed out hastily. She was not a habitual smoker, but stress had driven her to it. In the past two days, she had smoked so much that her voice had gone hoarse.
Throughout the day, she had made countless calls, reaching out to people, hoping to find someone who could connect her to the owner of Falling Cloud Retreat. Yet, at the end of the day, what was she but a small-time business owner? Running an internet café was no grand enterprise. Even if she knew a few fellow businesspeople, they were mostly suppliers—those who sold computers and accessories—or local restaurant owners. Mere small-time merchants like herself.
No matter how much she tried, she couldn’t find anyone with access to Falling Cloud Retreat.
What little information she did gather was troubling: it was said that the owner of Falling Cloud Retreat had deep connections with powerful figures, with the rich and influential frequenting his establishment.
This only deepened her unease.
As she stared blankly at her phone, lost in thought, there came a soft knock at the door.
Startled, she lifted her head. “Who is it?”
“Boss Lady, it’s me—Xiao Gu.”
At the sound of that familiar, soft-spoken voice, the proprietress let out a breath of relief. She hurried to open the door and found Gu Qing Yi standing outside, holding a plastic bag containing a meal box.
“Xiao Gu! It really is you!” The proprietress’ voice carried a mix of joy and surprise. “You left without a word a few days ago and never came back. I thought… I thought you had found the person you were looking for or perhaps had returned to your hometown.”
Pulling Gu Qing Yi inside, she carefully examined her. Only after confirming that the girl was clean and unharmed did she relax slightly. “Good, good. You seem well. At least you haven’t suffered outside.”
“I’m fine, Boss Lady,” Gu Qing Yi said softly, setting the meal box on the table before turning to look at her. “I brought this for you.”
The proprietress was taken aback. She glanced at the meal box, then forced a smile. “Xiao Gu… That’s very thoughtful of you. I was worried when you left so suddenly. I even thought about going to look for you, but… I got caught up in some things and couldn’t make the time.”
Gu Qing Yi nodded, pulling the proprietress down to sit. Then, with a careful gesture, she opened the meal box and pushed the chestnut-braised pork toward her. “Boss Lady, eat this. I remember you saying you liked this dish.”
The proprietress hesitated, then reached out to hold Gu Qing Yi’s hand, her gaze softening as she brushed a stray strand of hair from the girl’s forehead. “Did you find the person you were searching for?”
“Yes, I found them.”
“Then…”
“Everything is settled. Don’t worry about me.” Gu Qing Yi nudged the meal box toward her again. “Eat. It won’t taste as good once it gets cold.”
She had used Vital Energy Circulation to keep the meal warm all the way here.
The proprietress forced another smile, picking up a chestnut with her chopsticks and putting it in her mouth. Yet, after chewing for a moment, she set her chopsticks down, grasping Gu Qing Yi’s hands once more. “Are you planning to return home soon? Do you have enough money?”
Gu Qing Yi didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she studied the proprietress’ face, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. “Boss Lady… have you been crying? Did someone bully you?”
“No one bullied me. I’ve just been troubled by some business matters.”
“That’s not right.” Gu Qing Yi shook her head, her expression serious. “You look like you’ve suffered a grievance.”
The proprietress forced a laugh, but her eyes betrayed her. “It’s nothing. Just some store-related troubles. Even if I told you, it wouldn’t change anything. You’re just a young girl; you don’t need to worry about such things.”
“No, something is wrong. Your three younger brothers aren’t here, and the café is closed.” Gu Qing Yi frowned as she observed the room.
The proprietress froze. A thought flashed through her mind—
[Wait… the café’s doors are locked. How did Xiao Gu get up here?]
Before she could ask, Gu Qing Yi had already risen to her feet. Her voice was calm but carried a weight that left no room for refusal.
“Tell me—who bullied you?”
“I…”
Gu Qing Yi saw that the innkeeper lady still harbored suspicion. She let out a soft sigh, placed a gentle hand on the woman’s shoulder, and whispered, “Forgive me, innkeeper lady.”
“Hm?”
The woman blinked in confusion, but before she could react, the young Gu before her exhaled a delicate breath toward her. The moment that breath touched her, her vision swayed, and in the next instant, all faded into darkness.
—
A few minutes later, Gu Qing Yi leapt soundlessly from the rooftop, her silhouette descending like a drifting leaf into the narrow alley behind the small internet café.
A pensive glint flickered in her eyes.
Luo Yun Zhai? Luo Qing? A letter of reconciliation?
—
Night had fallen completely, though it was only a little past eight. In other commercial districts, the streets would still be teeming with people, but this particular market street was different. Here, the trade revolved around incense, ancient rites, and folk magic—a business that relied on the flow of visitors to the Grand Temple nearby.
For such a place, nighttime meant solitude. Shops that specialized in blessing amulets, fortune-telling, and spirit consultations had long since shut their doors. Only a single vegetarian eatery near the main road still remained open, its dim lantern flickering in the quiet street.
Opposite Luo Yun Zhai, the teahouse had also closed for the night. Yet, atop its rooftop terrace, a small figure crouched at the edge, her gaze fixed intently on the establishment below—on the three-section courtyard behind it.
Gu Qing Yi’s alluring eyes gleamed with a cold sharpness as she inhaled deeply, then turned around. Sitting cross-legged on the rooftop, she reached out with delicate fingers and tapped the air before her. Three small objects materialized, floating in the darkness.
Any Northerner who saw them would recognize them at a glance—three Gala Ha bones, carved from the joints of a lamb’s hind leg, akin to dice in function.
With a single point of her finger, the three bones began to emit a faint golden light.
Gu Qing Yi pressed her hands together, forming a seal with her fingers, and murmured reverently:
“Honored Ancestor above, this disciple, Gu Qing Yi, seventeenth-generation direct daughter of the Gu Clan, humbly seeks your guidance!”
She waited, yet the bones remained still.
“…”
Her eyes narrowed, and she took a slow breath, reshaping the seal with her fingers. This time, her voice held greater urgency, rising a notch:
“Honored Ancestor above! This disciple, Gu Qing Yi, seventeenth-generation direct daughter of the Gu Clan, humbly seeks your guidance!”
Still, no response.
Irritation flashed in her gaze. She bit her lip, sighed in resignation, and lowered her head, her tone softening to one of weary helplessness.
“Honored Ancestor above, this disciple, Gu…”
This time, instead of uttering her full name, she hastily skimmed over the last part, as if the words burned her tongue. The murmured syllables were almost inaudible.
Yet, the moment the words left her lips, the three Gala Ha bones suddenly spun in place!
A reaction!
Gu Qing Yi rolled her eyes before quickly masking her expression. With a straightened back and solemn voice, she spoke swiftly toward the spinning bones:
“Honored Ancestor! This disciple has traveled the mortal world, possessing neither coin nor shelter. But I was fortunate to receive kindness—clothing, food, and a safe place to stay. Such generosity cannot go unanswered.
The Gu Clan lives by a sacred vow:
?A debt of gratitude must be repaid. A grievance must be avenged.?
As a direct daughter of the Gu Clan, I must abide by this vow! My benefactor now faces tribulation, and as one who has received their kindness, it is only right that I shatter this misfortune for them!
There are those who seek to harm my benefactor—I ask permission to act!”
At these words, the spinning bones abruptly stopped, dropping to the ground. Their golden glow pulsed in a rhythmic, measured cadence.
Gu Qing Yi’s voice turned sweet, delicate: “May I, Honored Ancestor, eliminate this foe outright?”
“……”
The bones lay silent, their golden light flickering softly.
She raised an eyebrow, cautiously adjusting her phrasing: “Then… may I spare him a corpse, but bury him alive?”
Still, the bones remained still.
Her cheeks puffed in frustration—so killing was forbidden.
Her eyes darted in contemplation before she continued:
“May I leave him alive, but sever all four limbs?”
“What about just breaking his legs?”
“One leg?”
“Then… removing a few fingers?”
“Tearing out his tongue?”
One after another, her questions fell upon unyielding silence.
With a resigned sigh, she cupped her chin, blinking up at the sky. Then, as if suddenly struck by inspiration, she asked in a meek voice:
“What if I merely give him a sound beating, force him to lose some wealth, and leave him with only superficial wounds?”
The moment her words ended, the three Gala Ha bones shimmered into golden dust, vanishing into the wind.
And within that drifting breeze, Gu Qing Yi seemed to hear a distant, ethereal voice:
“…Auspicious.”
A bright smile crossed her lips. The ancestor had spoken! Her actions aligned with the Gu Clan’s sacred vow!
With renewed spirit, Gu Qing Yi leapt to her feet. With a single step into the air, she soared across the street like a swallow in flight, her figure slipping silently into the courtyard of Luo Yun Zhai.
Within moments, she had traversed its three sections, landing lightly in the third courtyard.
A few steps to the left stood a towering osmanthus tree, its trunk thick as a grown man’s thigh.
Gu Qing Yi studied it briefly before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around the bark…
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation