Chapter 36.2 What’s going on?
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He initially thought he would sleep until morning, but unexpectedly woke up in the middle of the night. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a tall figure looming by the bedside, startling him. “Holy cow!”
The figure didn’t expect him to wake up and froze in place.
“Who are you?” Lin Zhaohe quickly turned on the lights, and under the glaring light, he saw the appearance of the figure. “Damn, you’re a ghost, aren’t you? Standing next to me in the middle of the night…”
The figure was none other than one of the disciples Lin Zhaohe had met at Gu Xuyu’s house earlier in the day. Dressed in black, he silently stood by Lin Zhaohe’s bed, gazing at him, even more terrifying than the female ghost above Lin Zhaohe’s head.
“What are you doing here?” Lin Zhaohe asked. “Shouldn’t you be standing by your master’s bedside?””
The disciple said, “I actually want to, but I’m afraid my master will kill me.”
Lin Zhaohe：“……” In all honesty, he believed there was a high probability that Gu Xuyu would not hold back if he took action.
The disciple: “What kind of enchantment do you have? My master is such a cold person… Did you seduce him with your own body?”
Lin Zhaohe quickly made a gesture to pause and said, “That’s enough. What kind of absurd words are these? Let me be clear, my relationship with Gu Xuyu is pure as water. What exactly is going on between you and your master?”
The disciple: “It’s a long story…”
Lin Zhaohe: “Take your time. Maybe if you explain it thoroughly, I can help you.”
The disciple began narrating their past with Gu Xuyu, starting from the beginning.
Lin Zhaohe listened groggily, and at first, it seemed quite normal. However, as the disciple reached a certain incident where he became possessed, something felt off. Lin Zhaohe’s drowsy eyes widened instantly. “What did you say? What happened between you and your master?”
The disciple spoke slowly, emphasizing each word, “Intimate encounters.”
Lin Zhaohe remained speechless.
He really wanted to light a cigarette and calm down. Unexpectedly, Gu Xuyu, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, had engaged in such actions.
It was well known that “Immortal of Shu” was a popular novel among the masses. However, Lin Zhaohe had never read the original work. He never expected that beneath its seemingly upright facade, the novel would contain such thrilling plot twists.
After listening to the description, Lin Zhaohe couldn’t help but applaud, “Such lewd and immoral matters exist in this world!”
The disciple: “?”
Lin Zhaohe: “I was joking…”
The disciple: “But now my master seems to have lost those memories. You have to help me.”
Lin Zhaohe: “How the hell am I supposed to help you? Each one of you looks honest and upright, but behind closed doors, you engage in such scandalous activities.”
The disciple coldly retorted, “If you don’t help me, then…”
Lin Zhaohe: “Then what?”
The disciple: “Then I’ll watch you sleep every night.” Killing Lin Zhaohe would definitely anger Gu Xuyu, but a little harassment would be acceptable.
Lin Zhaohe: “…” This person must be a reincarnation of a female ghost, right?
Lin Zhaohe was shocked by the shamelessness of this person. He couldn’t help but wonder if people nowadays had no shame when it came to pursuing romance.
However, even if Gu Xuyu’s disciple didn’t resort to such threats, Lin Zhaohe would still have to help. After all, the issue raised by Gu Xuyu was about his disciples behaving strangely, and it was necessary to ask Zhuang Lao for help in finding out the cause.
Now that the reason was more or less known, Lin Zhaohe wondered whether Gu Xuyu could accept this harsh reality.
After daybreak, Lin Zhaohe, who understood everything, went upstairs to find Gu Xuyu.
Gu Xuyu seemed to have stayed awake all night, still in the same posture as when Lin Zhaohe left, sitting on the couch playing a game.
Lin Zhaohe sat down beside him and said, “Friend Gu…”
“What is it?”
“Do you think there might be some unexpected situations when these two worlds merge?”
Gu Xuyu stared at the little character on the screen fighting a boss, without turning his head. “What are you referring to?”
“For example, the loss of certain memories that should have existed.”
Gu Xuyu was also an intelligent person, and upon hearing Lin Zhaohe’s words, his actions slightly paused. “Are you suggesting that I have lost my memories?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Is there a possibility for that?”
Gu Xuyu shook his head. “Absolutely not.”
Lin Zhaohe hadn’t expected him to be so confident and continued, “Not even a slight possibility?”
“For cultivators, memories are attached to the soul. If memories are damaged, it means the soul has also been affected. I couldn’t possibly be unaware of it.”
“Has your soul truly never been damaged?”
“Well, it has been damaged a few times…”
“You see, that means there is a possibility!”
After this analysis, Gu Xuyu, who was initially convinced, became somewhat hesitant. “Although that may be true…”
“You see, even you have doubts! Think carefully, have you forgotten anything important?”
Gu Xuyu: “…” What could he have forgotten?
Lin Zhaohe thought that if he ever became unemployed, he could consider brainwashing people in a pyramid scheme.
Under his guidance, Gu Xuyu actually started to doubt whether he had forgotten something important. He appeared hesitant and bewildered. “Which memory did I forget?”
“Did your disciple go astray?”
Gu Xuyu shook his head, “How would I know?” He was busy with his own cultivation, and he didn’t have the time to monitor his disciples comprehensively.
“Look,” Lin Zhaohe clapped his hands, “we found it! You have forgotten this specific memory!”
Gu Xuyu: “……”
Lin Zhaohe: “On that day when your disciple went astray, you happened to encounter him and helped him…” He looked at Gu Xuyu with encouraging eyes, hoping to assist him in finding his lost past.
Gu Xuyu clearly seemed distracted and said, “When did he go astray? Why is his temperament so impatient? It seems he needs to spend a few more years cultivating his character on the Cliff of Reflection.”
Lin Zhaohe: “But he has already gone astray! You must help him, right?”
Gu Xuyu:, “Guiding him into the sect was already the greatest opportunity I bestowed upon him. What he chooses to cultivate afterwards is no longer my concern.”
Lin Zhaohe thought to himself that this didn’t quite match the storyline described by the disciple. According to the eldest disciple’s account, Gu Xuyu should have been an outstanding master who appeared cold on the outside but had a passionate and warm heart.
“Moreover, how could my memory be lost when he went astray?” Gu Xuyu said. “It doesn’t make sense.”
Lin Zhaohe pondered for a moment and said, “Have you ever considered why all your disciples have strange attitudes towards you?”
Gu Xuyu shook his head, finding the situation equally inexplicable. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sought Zhuang Lao’s help.
Lin Zhaohe said with conviction, “Have you ever considered that you might be afraid… afraid of certain societal judgments?”
Gu Xuyu furrowed his brow and asked, “Afraid of what?”
“Just… afraid of some worldly opinions.” Based on the descriptions of the eldest disciple and the reactions of the other disciples, when carefully considered, this plotline was quite terrifying. He admitted that he wouldn’t be able to accept it himself.
Gu Xuyu still wore a perplexed expression, not understanding the meaning behind Lin Zhaohe’s words.
Lin Zhaohe realized that it wouldn’t be appropriate to speak directly about such matters. He decided to give Gu Xuyu some space for contemplation. Patting his shoulder, he advised him to carefully recall the fragments of lost memories. If all else failed, Lin Zhaohe thought it would be better to gather all the disciples and explain things clearly.
With a solemn expression, Lin Zhaohe departed, leaving Gu Xuyu questioning the meaning of life.
After a day of intense reflection, Gu Xuyu still couldn’t remember anything. Following Lin Zhaohe’s suggestion, he decided to confront his several disciples.
They arranged to meet at Zhuang Lao’s company. Lin Zhaohe asked Xiao Ci to reserve a conference room specifically for their gathering.
Puzzled, Xiao Ci asked, “Brother Lin, aren’t you on vacation? Why are you here for a meeting?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Don’t you know? I’m currently helping Gu Xuyu find his soulmate.”
Xiao Ci exclaimed, “Gu Xuyu? He’s here too? Wow—I really like him! But what do you mean by ‘soulmate’?”
Lin Zhaohe couldn’t explain directly, fearing the disclosure of client confidentiality. He vaguely stated that Gu Xuyu needed to use the conference room to resolve a personal matter related to his love life.
Xiao Ci became even more perplexed and asked, “A love life issue? But isn’t that novel completely devoid of romantic scenes?”
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhaohe paused for a moment and said, “Ah? No romantic scenes at all? But what about him and his disciples…”
Xiao Ci: “There aren’t any, but I did ship Gu Xuyu with his eldest disciple. They make such a sweet pair, hehehe.” The young girl chuckled with a mischievous look, her thoughts wandering to who knows where.
Lin Zhaohe: “Shipping? But I thought there were no romantic scenes? How can they be shipped?” He wasn’t very familiar with these terms and felt a bit confused.
“Brother Lin, you don’t understand,” Xiao Ci laughed gleefully, “As long as we want them to be shipped, even two people who have never met can be paired together—”
Lin Zhaohe’s pupils dilated as he listened to Xiao Ci’s words, suddenly struck by a chilling speculation.
Xiao Ci: “What’s wrong, Brother Lin?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Have they arrived?”
Xiao Ci: “It seems like they have. Several men dressed in ancient-style clothing just entered.”
Lin Zhaohe exclaimed, “Damn it! Something big is happening!” He turned around and dashed towards the conference room.
However, he was already too late. Gu Xuyu had entered the conference room with his disciples, and a horrifying recap was already underway.
The one making the presentation was Gu Xuyu’s eldest disciple, who had visited Lin Zhaohe last night. He even prepared a ppt presentation, attempting to vividly narrate their tales of love, hate, and rivalry to his beloved master.
Lin Zhaohe desperately wanted to intervene, but he didn’t know how to broach the subject. Upon seeing him, Gu Xuyu casually gestured for him to sit down, while he propped his chin up and prepared to listen to his disciples explain the situation.
“Master,” the eldest disciple began, “On that night……”
Gu Xuyu: “?”
Lin Zhaohe felt like burying his head under the table.
As the disciples affectionately described the events and presented various unsightly ppt slides, Gu Xuyu’s expression underwent a transformation. It started with an impassive face, then turned into confusion, followed by suspicion, shock, and eventually reverted back to impassive. Lin Zhaohe felt as though he could see all the emotional turmoil playing out on his face. Gu Xuyu seemed to have reached a breaking point.
“Xiao Yu,” Gu Xuyu’s friend also didn’t remain idle. He gazed at Gu Xuyu with tender eyes, causing Lin Zhaohe to shudder with goosebumps. “Even if you don’t remember our most beautiful moments, you must remember Xiao Xu.”
Gu Xuyu furrowed his brow, “Who is Xiao Xu?”
The friend said, “Of course, it’s the child you bore for me…”
Lin Zhaohe: “…”
Gu Xuyu: “…”
With a cracking sound, the glass table in front of Gu Xuyu shattered, clearly due to an uncontrolled outburst of strength. His pupils dilated and contracted, his expression frozen in disbelief. “Whose child did you say?”
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