The sun rose over the Gu Clan, casting a golden light on the white stone walls.
Usually, the morning was a time of disciples training in the courtyards, servants sweeping the jade paths, or the elders meditating in their courtyards.
Today, however everything seemed to be chaotic today.
The plaza in front of the main gate was packed, and it looked like a chaotic market day. Hundreds of disciples, servants, and others had gathered, forming a massive crowd around the gate.
A frantic hum of gossip filled the air, punctuated by horrified gasps and panicked whispers.
"Is that... is he dead?!"
"He has been stabbed straight through the heart!"
"It's the Chen Clan heir! How can they kill him?"
"By the Heavens, look at his chest! The calligraphy... it's carved right into his flesh!"
"A gift from the Bai Clan? The Bai Clan assassinated our VIP guest?!"
"Look lower... Oh gods, it's gone. He has been completely castrated!"
"And look at the empty glass vial tied around his neck! Did they drug him before the Bai assassins killed him?"
Chen Long's corpse was still hanging there, suspended upside down by his ankles from the high beam. His blood had drained out hours ago, leaving a dark, sticky puddle on the pristine white jade pavement below. He swayed gently in the morning breeze, a gruesome, mutilated pendulum of shame and war.
No one dared to touch the dead, castrated, branded young master of a major allied clan. To tamper with the dead young master Chen was a life-ending move.
Suddenly, the frantic crowd parted like the Red Sea, as the hush fell over the plaza.
"Young Master Gu is here!"
Gu Chen walked through the crowd. He looked, as always, the calm, dignified man that he was.
His white robes were spotless, replacing the ones that had been shredded in the explosion last night. His black hair was tied up meticulously with a jade crown, hiding the bandage on his forehead.
But beneath the pristine facade, Gu Chen was a boiling cauldron of rage.
Gu Chen finally stopped about ten paces from the gate.
As he looked up at the swaying corpse, his left eye twitched, and inside his wide sleeves, his fingers were curled into fists so tight his fingernails drew blood from his own palms.
The silence was deafening, and even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Gu Chen stared at the dead body, as he stared at the carving.
"GIFT FROM BAI CLAN FOR GU CLAN, THE IMPOTENT PIG."
The words burned into his retinas.
The crowd was hyperventilating over the first half of the message. The Bai Clan had just declared open war. But Gu Chen's eyes were locked dead onto the word "Impotent."
He felt a cold, slimy sensation coil in his gut. He felt personally attacked.
To the outside world, he was a dashing, desirable genius. Women threw themselves at his feet daily. He rejected them with polite, noble excuses about "focusing on the Dao" or "waiting for the right destined partner."
But deep down, a terrifying paranoia ate at him in the quiet of the night. He has never been with any woman in his life.
What if he wasn't just holding back?
What if the intense, burning Yang technique had permanently ruined his internal Yin-Yang balance?
What if, when the time finally came to take a woman, absolutely nothing happened?
"Impotent," he whispered in his mind, the word tasting like bile.
'Was this a hidden message directed at him?'
'We know your secret, Gu Chen. You play the stud, but you are just a eunuch in white robes.'
Gu Chen realized his entire scheme from the night before had backfired catastrophically.
He had planned to let Chen Long drug Gu Ling so he could swoop in and save her, playing the ultimate hero.
But now?
His chance was ruined. He had lost the chance to take advantage of a drugged Gu ling where despite sleeping with him, Gu Ling would be the one feeling grateful to him.
'He ruined everything!' Gu Chen thought, a wave of dizzying frustration hitting him, 'Whoever did this... they didn't just assassinate Chen Long. They dismantled my plot, stole my loot, and dragged us into a war with the Bai Clan. And made us lose favour with the Chen Clan.'
"Young Master?" one of the guards asked tentatively, stepping forward, his forehead slick with sweat. "The Chen Clan envoys will be here soon. Should we... cut him down?"
Gu Chen snapped out of his spiral of thoughts.
No this can't do. He needed to recover his image immediately. He needed to be the decisive Hero.
"Cut him down immediately!" Gu Chen's voice boomed, perfectly laced with righteous, sorrowful anger. "This is a barbaric atrocity! The Bai Clan has gone too far this time!"
He pointed a trembling, dramatic finger at the hanging corpse.
"Cousin long was our esteemed guest!"
"Cover his body!"
"We must preserve the dignity of Cousin Long and the Chen Clan. Inform the Patriarch at once. The Bai Clan will pay in blood for this insult!"
The disciples rushed forward, scrambling to bring a ladder and a large shroud.
"And Elder," Gu Chen added, his voice dropping an octave so the crowd could still hear his 'wisdom'.
"Investigate that empty vial around cousin Long's neck."
"If the Bai Clan assassins dared to use a banned substance on one of our own and Cousin Long caught them, we must know the truth."
"We won't just seek justice for Chen Long, but the Gu Clan won't let harm befall on our dignity."
Gu Chen was quick to think on his feet. He was spinning it flawlessly. He was rallying the clan for war while simultaneously making sure the righteous Chen Long even in death will make sure the Chen Clan was behind them.
"Yes, Young Master! You are wise and just!" the Elder bowed deeply.
Gu Chen spun on his heel and marched away, his face dark as a thundercloud. He had saved face for now, but the headache was only just beginning.
Meanwhile back in the inner courtyard of the Gu Clan.
The morning sun filtered through the heavy, red silk curtains, casting a warm, hazy glow over the massive canopy bed.
Gu Fan was deeply asleep, his exhausted body sinking into the plush mattress. His 4th Stage Body Tempering physique was passively absorbing the ambient Qi in the room, recovering from the grueling, marathon of dual-cultivation session from the previous night.
Suddenly, a familiar blue interface flickered in his mind.
[System Notification: Parasitic Network Daily Siphon Complete.]
[Host 1: Xiao Mei (Mortal) - Siphoned minimal ambient vitality: +2 Yin Vitality Units.]
[Host 2: Gu Ling (1st Stage Spirit Realm) - Siphoned significant morning meditation Yin Cultivation Qi: +150 Cultivation Units.]
[Host 3: Madam Li (3rd Stage Origin Realm) - Siphoned massive residual Yin Cultivation essence: +5,000 Yin Cultivation Units.]
[Applying 10x Parasitic Multiplier...]
[Total Passive Gain: +20 Vitality, +1,500 Yin Cultivation Units, +50,000 Yin Cultivation Units.]
And with that a rush of pure, dense energy flooded into his dantian, instantly washing away the lingering fatigue of the night.
Gu Fan stretched luxuriously beneath the silk sheets, a satisfied groan escaping his lips. Building a parasitic empire while sleeping was truly a cheat code.
Just then he felt a soft, warm sensation press against his lips.
Gu Fan stirred in the bed as his eyes fluttering open.
Madam Li was leaning over him, wearing a loose, incredibly sheer white silk robe that barely concealed her generous cleavages.
Her dark hair fell over her shoulders, and the icy, strict Matriarch was gone.
Her cheeks were flushed with a rosy glow, and her dark eyes looked down at him with deep, absolute adoration.
She looked like a woman who had just been thoroughly, utterly claimed.
Madam Li kissed him again, her lips lingering softly against his.
"Good morning," she whispered softly.
Gu Fan smirked lazily, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her against his side, "Morning, Mother. You look very happy. Glad, I managed to satisfy you."
Madam Li blushed deeply, resting her head comfortably on his bare chest. She traced a finger lightly over the defined muscles of his stomach.
"You did," she murmured playfully, "But the rest of the clan is not. I just received word."
"Oh?" Gu Fan asked, feigning ignorance as he buried his face in her sweet-smelling hair, "Did something happen?"
Madam Li tilted her head up, a wicked, amused smile playing on her lips. She looked at the man who had completely derailed the town's politics overnight.
"Don't be so innocent."
"They found the body at the main gates," she whispered, her eyes shining with a mix of awe and lingering adrenaline.
"Just like I had expected."
"The whole estate is in an absolute uproar. The Elders are screaming about a declaration of war, the Chen Clan envoys are demanding answers, and Gu Chen is running around trying to manage the chaos."
Gu Fan let out a deep, rumbling laugh that vibrated against her cheek.
"Perfect," Gu Fan said, pulling her up for a deep, lingering kiss, "This will keep him occupied."
"And while we let the 'Hero' deal with the mess. I think we have time for one more round before breakfast."
Madam Li's eyes shone as she heard him, and putting her leg over him, as she straddled his hips, letting the loose white silk slip entirely off her shoulders.
"We have all the time in the world!"