I Have Medicine

Chapter 590 - (The Real Danger) “My disciples, you may go.”

Coming out, from start to finish, was unexpectedly easy for Gu Zuo. He had originally thought that something so difficult for parents in the modern world to accept would, in the eyes of a clan patriarch, at the very least elicit some displeasure, requiring him and his big brother to plead multiple times before the rigid atmosphere might break. He never expected that right away, his adoptive mother Liu Suyan would be gentle and understanding, offering great assistance. And the two elders he subsequently met showed no hint of reproach, becoming even more satisfied after little Changsheng appeared…

Gu Zuo was truly delighted.

This was actually due to the differences in their worlds.

Although this world was indeed predominantly heterosexual and had an ancient setting, firstly, martial prowess was revered; secondly, martial artists had long lifespans; thirdly, clan interests outweighed individual interests; fourthly, he had no flaws to be criticized for, other than not being female and thus unable to produce offspring; and fifthly, there was the partiality of the Gongyi family elders towards his big brother, Gongyi Tianheng… Under these multiple factors, he was naturally accepted quickly.

Among these, the most important factor was the clan’s interests.

Consider this: since Gongyi Tianheng’s birth, even during his period of weakness, he had never caused the Gongyi clan to lose benefits. On the contrary, he had brought them considerable gains through his own abilities. After his meteoric rise, he further led the entire Gongyi clan into an environment they had never dared to imagine. The Gongyi family’s development could be said to be entirely achieved by Gongyi Tianheng alone. It was his self-restraint that prevented the Gongyi family from becoming his personal domain, but in reality, the entire Gongyi family was actually under Gongyi Tianheng’s control. Who would dare to cross him, to displease him? Once he was offended, the Gongyi family’s development would inevitably stagnate from then on, and there was a very high possibility of its complete collapse.

In the past, many people attracted to the same sex had no choice but to marry wives, only associating with men privately, precisely because their power was insufficient, and the benefits they brought to the family could not compare to those brought by marrying a wife. Otherwise, they wouldn’t need to care about the family’s opinion at all.

Families and their members are interdependent; it’s either the east wind overwhelming the west wind, or the west wind overwhelming the east wind. Clearly, at present, Gongyi Tianheng was utterly overwhelming the Gongyi family.

Therefore, Gongyi Tianheng never believed he would fail in coming out from the very beginning. And the reason he bothered to come out at all was merely because the elders in his family valued him immensely, and there was deep affection among family members. Furthermore, he wasn’t worried about his father and grandfather obstructing him, because Gongyi Yan and Gongyi Zhuoyue had extensive experience. As former patriarchs, they prioritized clan interests and would not go against Gongyi Tianheng’s wishes; as father and grandfather, they also deeply understood Gongyi Tianheng’s character—he would always persist in decisions until they were achieved. As for lineage and descendants, Gongyi Tianheng wasn’t an only child, so there was no need to worry excessively about this; at most, there would only be some regret regarding his own offspring.

Gongyi Tianheng’s only concern was that the two elders might be temporarily displeased, causing difficulty for his Ah Zuo. Hence, he initially wanted his mother to know first, then gradually reveal it to his father and grandfather.

Due to Gongyi Tianheng’s years of weakness in the past, he and his family members all had mutual trust and respect in abundance, but lacked intimacy. Far less so than Gu Zuo and his parents.

Additionally, Gongyi Tianheng was more concerned about his mother than his father and grandfather.

His mother, Liu Suyan, was an extremely traditional woman who loved and valued each of her children equally, showing even more pity for Gongyi Tianheng, who had been weak for over ten years. Gongyi Tianheng was even more unwilling to hurt her feelings, so his original plan was to proceed slowly.

Unexpectedly, while he cared for his mother, his mother was even more broad-minded. She had not only already perceived the feelings between him and Ah Zuo but was also willing to actively advocate for them, which even made Gongyi Tianheng, who was usually reserved and polite in front of family, momentarily lose his composure and feel a deeper closeness to his mother.

Of course, this doesn’t mean Gongyi Yan and Gongyi Zhuoyue only cared about clan interests.

It’s just that in such families, the affection between men is always overshadowed by the clan’s survival. They were already unwilling to force Gongyi Tianheng, and there was no damage to the clan, so why wouldn’t they fulfill his wishes?

Therefore, when dealing with Gu Zuo, before little Changsheng appeared, they simply maintained their usual steady, not overly intimate attitude. After little Changsheng appeared, they became even more willing to accept him.

Gu Zuo, after all, had never lived within a clan. Even if he knew clans were important, he had never imagined how deep the waters of a clan ran, or what kind of bonds and cohesion existed within them. He naturally didn’t understand the intricacies and couldn’t comprehend that the kinship between elders like Gongyi Yan and Gongyi Tianheng was destined to be nowhere near as pure as the affection between him and his own father.

However, Gongyi Tianheng wouldn’t intentionally let Gu Zuo know about these intricacies.

He was born into a clan and grew up within one, long accustomed to interacting with his father and grandfather in this manner. His deep-seated thoughts were undoubtedly influenced by this environment. If he were truly made to treat his own family in the same way his Ah Zuo treated his parents, he would probably find it more unsettling.

Next, the atmosphere became very harmonious. The Gongyi family members treated Gu Zuo as if he had always been one of them, without putting any pressure on him. Gu Zuo, who had initially felt a bit guilty that his and his big brother’s situation might disappoint this family, gradually relaxed. He simply smiled, watching the Gongyi family members dote on little Changsheng—especially Liu Suyan. She hadn’t known she had a grandson to hold before, and now that she saw him, the smile on her face became even more loving. She practically wanted to give him all the good things.

Afterward, Liu Suyan prepared a meal for them. Gu Zuo and Gongyi Tianheng ate there, and throughout the meal, they couldn’t help but share knowing glances and serve each other food. They also made sure to show due filial respect to the elders. Only after their bonds deepened at the dinner table did they collectively take their leave.

Subsequently, they returned to the Fengzong Academy to meet Gu Qi and Zhao Ji again, informing them of their successful coming out and reassuring them.

Gu Qi and Zhao Ji were indeed relieved to hear their news. Their experiences far surpassed Gu Zuo’s, and they knew Gongyi Tianheng intimately, trusting that he wouldn’t do anything without certainty. So, they weren’t as nervous as Gu Zuo, but it was impossible for them to be completely without worry.

Now that the two had so smoothly gained the support of the Gongyi family, and the other party seemed quite sincere, it was naturally sufficient. As for whether their naive son was truly regarded as a biological son by the other party… they truly didn’t have such an extravagant hope. Even Gongyi Tianheng was merely one of the biological sons, and a half-son would always be different from a biological one; there was truly no need to quibble over such matters.

In the future, when the two families officially became in-laws, if the other side treated their naive son well, they would reciprocate in kind. Give and take—that was the way of getting along.

So, the two chatted with the two elders for a while longer.

Since Gu Zuo and Gongyi Tianheng’s relationship was confirmed, at Gu Qi’s request, Gongyi Tianheng also changed the way he addressed them, no longer just calling them “Uncle,” but using the same address as Gu Zuo.

This made Gongyi Tianheng even closer to the two, and that almost invisible thin barrier between them completely shattered.

Once things were settled here, Gu Zuo and Gongyi Tianheng returned to the Blood Transformation Palace.

The Blood Transformation Palace Master had been waiting there. Seeing them arrive, he smiled slightly: “You’re back?”

Gongyi Tianheng and Gu Zuo bowed:

“Master.”

“Palace Master.”

The Blood Transformation Palace Master was also very concerned about his disciple’s affairs, so he asked, “How did it go?”

Gongyi Tianheng replied, “Both my parents and grandfather have agreed to this matter.”

Gu Zuo also said, “Both my adoptive fathers have also agreed.”

The Blood Transformation Palace Master nodded with satisfaction: “Both sides are reasonable, very good.” Then, with a rare touch of mischief, he smiled and asked, “Then, when do you two intend to hold a grand wedding?”

Gu Zuo was startled.

“No rush with that,” Gongyi Tianheng said, smiling.

The Blood Transformation Palace Master raised an eyebrow. “Surely, you’re not going to make Ah Zuo wait too long, disciple—”

Gu Zuo quickly shook his head. “It’s not Big Brother’s problem, it’s mine…”

The Blood Transformation Palace Master raised his eyebrow at him again.

Gongyi Tianheng then added, “My current strength is insufficient, and a grand ceremony would inevitably invite gossip from petty individuals. The time isn’t right yet.”

Gu Zuo and Gongyi Tianheng immediately spoke up to explain for each other, which made the Blood Transformation Palace Master chuckle. After they both spoke several sentences, they saw the Palace Master’s expression and realized this elder was merely teasing them. Only then did they fall silent, saying no more.

The Blood Transformation Palace Master waved a hand. “This matter is up to the two of you, as long as you don’t regret it later.”

Gongyi Tianheng and Gu Zuo exchanged a glance and both responded, “Yes.”

The Blood Transformation Palace Master then explained why he had called them back. “Now, disciple, your strength is considerable, and you’ve gained some renown. You can now go to the Foreign Battlefield to contend for fortune for our human race and earn some military merits.”

Gu Zuo was puzzled. “Foreign Battlefield? Is it like the Eight Desolations City…”

The Blood Transformation Palace Master shook his head slightly. “In a way, yes, and in a way, no.”

Gongyi Tianheng respectfully said, “Please enlighten us.”

The Blood Transformation Palace Master sighed softly. “Disciple, since ancient times, many races among the myriad primordial races have looked down upon our human race. And for our human race to occupy such vast territories, if not for the continuous, unrelenting struggle and sacrifice of countless individuals throughout the ages, this excellent situation we have, I fear, would not have been so easily maintained…”

As the Blood Transformation Palace Master explained, Gu Zuo slowly began to understand the true danger their human race faced on this continent.

Compared to these, what Eight Desolations City faced was truly nothing.