Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 445 - Gu Yu

Everyone gradually dispersed and reluctantly returned to their cabins. Rain began pouring down from the sky, and those standing on the deck were soon drenched.

Only Liu Wuxie sat alone in a quiet corner on the warship's deck. His injuries were healed rapidly, and they were no longer severe.

He had long been soaked in the rain, and biting cold had penetrated it. But he couldn't sense the cold because his heart was colder.

He despised a world where the strong preyed on the weak and loathed the hypocritical facades people wore.

Suddenly, an oil-paper umbrella appeared above his head to shield him from the rain.

The youth, a few years younger than Liu Wuxie, had thick eyebrows and large, expressive eyes that gave him a charming appearance. His eyes, the brightest Liu Wuxie had ever seen aside from Song Ling’s, shone with purity as he tilted his head to look at him.

When their gazes met, the youth’s eyes were filled with curiosity, not a hint of fear for Liu Wuxie’s actions that day.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" Liu Wuxie asked with a smile; the youth warmed his cold heart.

"Grandfather says you're not a bad person," the youth said, holding the umbrella for Liu Wuxie to shield him from the rain.

"A bad person, a good person—who in this world can truly distinguish between them?" Liu Wuxie responded with a bitter smile. He had heard countless curses directed at him, but this was the first time someone had called him a good person. It was an ironic moment, making him question, even more, whether he was truly good or bad.

"My grandfather's words are always spot on; he's never been wrong," the youth said, his face flushing with admiration. "Many people come to him for fortune-telling, and he can predict everything with amazing accuracy." The deep affection he had for his grandfather was evident.

As his grandfather had raised him, his dependence on him was greater than anyone else's.

"Did your grandfather send you?" Liu Wuxie asked, taking the umbrella from the youth. He would have managed without it, but the rain would have soaked the boy.

"Yes," the youth replied. "He said he made some hot tea for you and wanted me to bring it over." His clear, sincere eyes made it difficult for anyone to refuse him.

"Lead the way!" Liu Wuxie was curious because the boy didn't seem to be lying. This meant his grandfather must be a remarkable person.

After all, the ability to predict wasn't something ordinary people could possess, even if they had learned the art of divination.

The vast world had many wonders, and the True Martial Continent was massive. Thus, it was natural for there to be all sorts of strange people.

The youth walked ahead of Liu Wuxie, and each step he took was well-measured. His perfect consistency surprised Liu Wuxie.

He began to wonder what kind of person could train such a youth, not to mention the youth's talent was very high. He looked no more than fifteen, but he had reached the pinnacle of the Heavenly Dipper Realm.

Judging from his words, this youth seemed to come from a village, and he wondered which village could produce such a monstrous genius.

"What's your name?" Liu Wuxie asked curiously.

"My name is Gu Yu!" the boy announced. He didn’t hide anything from Liu Wuxie, adding, "Gu as in ancient, and Yu as in jade. My grandfather said our clan has ancient origins, which is why we have this surname."

"An unpolished jade has no luster but will become flawless through a thousand years of grinding. Your grandfather must have high hopes for you!" Liu Wuxie said as they arrived at the cabin. His words, though spoken outside, seemed to resonate within.

The old man seated on the mat shuddered, surprised by how much Liu Wuxie could infer from just a name. It made him wonder if Liu Wuxie was truly only eighteen or nineteen.

As Liu Wuxie stepped into the cabin, he immediately felt its warmth. He circulated his true essence, making the water on his clothes evaporate into a swirl of white steam.

"I pay my greetings to senior!" Liu Wuxie tidied himself and respectfully bowed to the old man.

"You are indeed a young hero," the old man replied without rising, motioning for Liu Wuxie to sit. He poured a cup of tea and offered it to him. "It’s chilly out at sea. Have some tea to warm yourself!" The old man raised his own cup in a toast, exchanging wine for tea.

"I'm truly honored. How could I refuse such a generous invitation from you, senior?" Liu Wuxie replied, noticing that despite his attempts to gauge the old man, he couldn't sense any aura from him. It was as if the old man was not even present, which took Liu Wuxie by surprise. He wondered if the old man was a master of the True Profound Realm, someone who had seen through everything. He hadn’t expected such an expert to be aboard the warship.

"Your performance today was an eye-opening experience for me!" The old man smiled, unbothered by Liu Wuxie's use of Ghost Eye to observe him multiple times.

"Senior, you flatter me. I was merely trying to survive," Liu Wuxie replied with a bitter smile.

"Wuxie, Wuxie," the old man murmured thoughtfully, "I believe your parents wished for you to grow up with innocence, rather than deceit and betrayal."

Liu Wuxie’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name. His father-in-law had once told him that his parents hoped he would lead a simple life—get married and have children. That was why they named him 'Wuxie,' meaning 'without deceit.'

"But who can remain truly innocent in this chaotic world? Senior, you still haven’t told me your name," Liu Wuxie said, shifting the topic. The mention of his parents always left him feeling powerless. So much time had passed, and all he had was a piece of jade as a clue to their whereabouts. He didn’t even know where to start looking.

"Just call me Senior Gu, as I have long forgotten my name!" The old man laughed and poured another cup of tea for Liu Wuxie.

"Is Senior Gu also heading for the Blood Sea Abyssal Island?" Liu Wuxie asked. The Blood Sea Abyssal Island was filled with ruthless people, and ordinary people would go insane there.

"Gu Yu has grown up, and I want to let him experience the outside world. The Blood Sea Abyssal Island is a good place for him to grow up swiftly," Senior Gu said, caressing Gu Yu's head.

"Senior is right. The Blood Sea Abyssal Island is where someone can grow up quickly. It's dangerous and filled with countless opportunities; everyone there wants to take a piece of meat there." Liu Wuxie agreed with Senior Gu. But he suddenly paused, "But..."

"You can feel free to speak your mind!" Senior Gu gestured for Liu Wuxie to carry on without feeling restrained.

"Gu Yu is a fine piece of unpolished jade. You're not afraid he'll be contaminated after throwing him into the filthy swamp? It will turn an originally fine jade dirty." Liu Wuxie had seen countless people and could tell Gu Yu had little experience with the world and was naive about worldly affairs.

If exposed to the world's darkness now, he might be tainted. This was why Liu Wuxie felt placing such a fine jade in the Blood Sea Abyssal Island was inappropriate.

"If you weren’t only nineteen, I’d think you had lived for thousands of years." Senior Gu looked at Liu Wuxie, scrutinizing this young man. This young man's bone age was nineteen, but his wisdom was comparable to his own.

"Experience often leads to rapid maturity," Liu Wuxie replied with a smile. As an Immortal Emperor who had endured many hardships since birth, it was only natural for him to appear mature.

"I had my concerns about what you said, but after a divination a month ago, I learned that someone who will greatly influence Gu Yu’s life will soon appear. That person will be on Blood Sea Abyssal Island," Senior Gu said, revealing this to Liu Wuxie. The decision to come to the island had been sudden and unplanned.

"Are you referring to me?" Liu Wuxie asked, pointing to himself. He quickly realized that Senior Gu's invitation was not merely a result of his recent actions against sea demons and swordfish.

"I was unsure before, but I am certain now. Gu Yu will not be contaminated as long as he stays with you," Senior Gu nodded. He was unsure before meeting Liu Wuxie, but he was now certain.

"Senior Gu is overestimating me. I couldn't even deal with some sea demons and needed the Dugu Clan's help to survive. How can I deserve such praise from you?" Liu Wuxie smiled bitterly.

"You would have survived even without Dugu Clan’s intervention. A surge of power inside you prevents you from dying easily," Senior Gu said solemnly.

What he said was fitting because Liu Wuxie had a surge of power within an Immortal Emperor's will.

"With senior around, no one in the Blood Sea Abyssal Island will dare to target Gu Yu, not to mention I'm a convicted person, and it's still unknown if I will survive there," Liu Wuxie said honestly. He knew the Jade Blood Yaksha would try to kill him once the ship docked.

"You may not know, but the Blood Sea Abyssal Island is strange. It's impossible for anyone who has reached the Nascent Transformation Realm to enter, and I will leave before the ship docks."

Liu Wuxie had never heard of that before, and it should be likely due to a barrier. There was a possibility the Blood Sea Abyssal Island was once the residence of a powerful individual who set up the barrier, preventing anyone above the Nascent Transformation Realm from entering.

A barrier was a spiritual array set up using the law of heaven and earth.

"Grandfather, are you leaving me?" Gu Yu asked, standing up with a look of distress. His grandfather had raised him, and they had always been together, so the thought of separation filled him with sadness.

"Child, you’ve grown up now," Senior Gu said gently. "It’s time for you to forge your own path, and I have other matters to attend to. I’ll return to see you in three months."

"But I don’t want to be away from you," Gu Yu said, his eyes filling with tears. The idea of being apart from his grandfather was upsetting.

"You’re no longer a child," Senior Gu replied with a touch of sadness in his eyes as he gazed out the window. "The future is yours to embrace. As the sole heir of the Gu Clan, I hope to see it restored to glory in my lifetime. It’s important for you to step out and grow."

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