Chapter 103: Choosing to Face It

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Liu E finally saw through the whole series of events. Since the truth was as it was, he had no choice but to admit that he had been blind. But that was fine—now that he had come to realize it, he no longer needed to hold back. He owed a sincere thanks to Gu Zhiheng for his righteous act of cutting ties with family and rescuing him from misery. For so many years, he had blamed himself for being useless and causing his brother’s death. But now, Gu Zhiheng had delivered a harsh blow that woke him up completely. The past was behind him; all he wanted now was to follow Gu Zhiheng faithfully and focus on what he ought to do. If there ever came a day involving Jing Shushu and Gu Mojiang, he would face it head-on and resolve it once and for all.

“I’m back, and I’ve thought it through—I’m choosing to bid a proper farewell to the past,” he said calmly, but it was clear that he meant every word. Gu Zhiheng glanced at him without a word. Seeing things clearly, they would continue moving forward on the chosen path. The past could be glanced at occasionally but should never stop one’s steps.

To celebrate Liu E’s newfound clarity, Gu Zhiheng took everyone to his family’s restaurant for a hearty meal. Afterwards, the group dispersed in all directions. Such an occasion was worthy of another round of drinks—perhaps even drinking until they could no longer stand. After all, none of them were lightweights when it came to alcohol. Having drunk together so many times, even those with the weakest tolerance could hold their own much better than ordinary people.

“I promise, tonight we’ll drink through the night—no one leaves sober!” Liu E led the charge, downing a glass in front of everyone. The others saw clearly that he had truly let go of the past and sincerely rejoiced for him. They all began to drink glass after glass, and before long, Liu E was drunk and collapsed. Watching him fall, Chu Zhaoting grinned slyly and said, “He’s still no good—only a few bottles in and he’s out. Come on, let’s keep going.” As Liu E’s rival, Chu Zhaoting’s words were enough to irritate him.

“Ah, wounded by love, truly pitiable. Thankfully, he’s come through it now,” the others joked and laughed, paying no mind to the figure sprawled on the sofa. They were all seasoned drinkers; a little alcohol was no problem, and soon enough, they’d be up drinking again.

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“Let’s have a good drink tonight. Once everyone’s sober, it’s time to set off again,” Gu Zhiheng said, looking at the group and voicing what everyone was thinking.

Indeed, it was time to move on.

During Liu E’s absence, Chu Xingran had already prepared the talismans for Gu Zhiheng. With the blessings of these talismans, Gu Zhiheng’s strength had grown by leaps and bounds. No one knew exactly how far his cultivation had advanced. But one thing was certain: the more talismans he bore, the stronger Gu Zhiheng became. At the same time, he grew colder and more ruthless.

Though he had spent a few days with Liu E and learned about human emotions and social dealings, it seemed he no longer needed such things. “There’s a forbidden zone in the Ye District. I believe what’s there is connected to Gu Mojiang. I plan to take a look,” Gu Zhiheng said calmly, paying no heed to whether the others agreed or not. He wasn’t asking for their opinion—he was informing them.

Hearing this, everyone’s expressions changed. They opposed Gu Zhiheng’s idea of going to the forbidden zone alone. It was too dangerous. Gu Zhiheng, knowing their disapproval, didn’t care and continued drinking with them. In truth, he knew exactly what he was doing. Even if they disagreed now, when the time came, they would still follow his lead. Their curiosity matched his own; they just worried too much, while he simply went directly for what he wanted.

He had some knowledge of the Ye District and felt something was off—most likely linked to Gu Mojiang. Even if it wasn’t, Gu Mojiang had probably stayed there before, and past events were likely related to him. A strange urge kept pushing Gu Zhiheng to check the forbidden zone in Ye District, even if there was nothing in Qieme County, he had to look.

Knowing he couldn’t convince them now, Gu Zhiheng quietly settled down and casually drank with them.

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By around four or five in the morning, Gu Zhiheng had finally gotten everyone to pass out. He found help to load them all into cars and then pressed the accelerator, heading straight back to their hotel. Knowing they wouldn’t wake up until late morning, Gu Zhiheng didn’t mind the lost time. After a quick wash, he went to rest. They would leave whenever they got up. If they dawdled and did other things, departure might be delayed by a day.

Sometimes, you just couldn’t rely on them—especially when drunk, each one was less dependable than the last. In fact, this group could be downright absurd, capable of making one speechless.

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“It’s already four in the afternoon. If you woke up so early, why didn’t you wake us?” Mo Han sat on the sofa, clutching her stomach and glaring fiercely at Gu Zhiheng. He had no conscience—just because he could drink didn’t mean everyone else could. She didn’t know how much he had forced down her throat last night, but now her stomach hurt badly.

The others looked unwell as well, clearly suffering aftereffects of intoxication—headaches and stomachaches alike. Among them, only Gu Zhiheng and Qing Xiu appeared unaffected, calmly watching the others.

There was no helping it—this master and disciple pair were utterly heartless.

“Alright, get yourselves together and let’s eat. Once we’re full, we’ll hit the road!” Qing Xiu glanced at them with disdain. This group was utterly useless.

“Hit the road? Are you trying to kill us all?” Chen Yuan’s face stiffened, her whole body tense. She hoped she hadn’t misheard Qing Xiu. What was going on? Did they want to kill them? They hadn’t done anything wrong!

“She means once we eat, we leave. How much longer do you want to waste time dawdling?” Gu Zhiheng rubbed his forehead. One dared to speak, the other dared to listen. Such ignorance was truly terrifying!