Chapter 2057 - 81: That Day Has Come

Changye, Gu Family Ancestral Hall.

The remnants of the long night’s twilight faded away, and dawn’s light came sweeping in with the warm breeze.

This warm breeze roamed the streets and alleys, swirling up falling leaves like fireflies, difficult to trace.

"Elder Zhou, today is a good day."

Du Wei pushed the wheelchair, a gentle smile on his face.

The soft morning light fell upon him, accompanied by the breeze, refreshing his spirit, warming him from head to toe.

"Indeed..."

After Zhou Wei retired from the North Continent Battlefield, he returned to Changye to recuperate.

Now the Security Committee had been entirely handed over to Du Wei to manage. His chosen "successor" was quite impressive, as the arrival of the Extraordinary Era had increased the difficulty of the Security Committee’s oversight tasks several times, yet Du Wei cooperated with three institutions to manage the whole Jiangbei District flawlessly.

Zhou Wei had to admit he was getting old. With the wave of the Extraordinary Era sweeping over, the world had changed, and the speed of systemic reform was too fast.

He knew that even if he were thirty again, he couldn’t do what Du Wei had done.

A faint smile lingered on Zhou Wei’s old face.

Today was indeed a good day.

Warm sun and gentle breeze.

The most important thing is... the old fellow who was always reluctant to leave the North Continent Battlefield and return home had finally returned.

In fact, Zhou Wei had long wanted to see Gu Qilin.

But he had his bones broken several times on the North Continent Battlefield; one must rest for a hundred days for such injuries. His every move was watched by Du Wei, even getting out of bed had someone to assist him; sneaking out was out of the question.

Just recently he finally recovered, and under Du Wei’s personal escort, he came to the Gu Family Ancestral Hall to visit his old friend.

The Gu Family Ancestral Hall used to be bustling all the time, but now it was different.

Gu Family’s young talents, the mainstay, had almost all gone to the two major battlefields.

As for the well-known "Night Watchman" of the Five Continents, more than ninety percent participated in the Gu Castle battle on the North Continent Battlefield...

Thus the small alley leading to the Ancestral Hall had become somewhat deserted.

After Mr. Gu returned from the North Continent, the Ancestral Hall became even more deserted.

For no other reason than the fact that the old man liked solitude, Gu Nanfeng ordered the Night Watchman to stay at the Ancestral Hall entry, forbidding idle people from entering and disturbing the old man’s rest unless urgent.

"Good morning."

With a friendly face, Elder Zhou greeted the two Night Watchmen at the entrance.

Of course, he was not an "idle person."

The Night Watchmen knew that Mr. Gu didn’t care to see anyone, yet this old friend was someone he yearned to meet face to face.

"Elder Zhou!"

"Elder Zhou, Mr. Du Wei!"

The two Night Watchmen bowed deeply.

Du Wei had been smiling as he pushed the wheelchair forward, but his gaze inadvertently fell on the large banyan tree at the entrance. He frowned, asking, "Remember some time ago this banyan was lush. How in just a few days... has it started withering?"

This remark caught Zhou Wei’s attention and aroused curiosity among the two Night Watchmen.

"Indeed, it seems peculiar..."

One Night Watchman muttered softly, "Seems like it started happening just within these few days."

They recalled that a few days ago when escorting the old man back to the Ancestral Hall, the banyan wasn’t like this.

The other Night Watchman, having joined Gu Family many years ago, faltered in memory, "I remember many years ago, similar scenes happened..."

Overnight, the banyan tree at the Gu Family Ancestral Hall shed its leaves, covering the ground.

For a long time, the Gu Family tradition held that the banyan could ward off evil. When the tree shed its leaves back then, everyone believed it had shielded Gu Family from calamity.

Zhou Wei’s gaze suddenly grew somber.

"Go. Take me to see Gu Qilin."

He forcefully patted the chair back, his voice intensely stirring.

The sealed sanctuary within the Gu Family Ancestral Hall was very strong, forbidding spiritual power from scattering freely.

As soon as he said this.

The Night Watchmen and Du Wei recognized the ominous sign, and rushed towards the artificial lake where Gu Qilin often went fishing.

...

...

The long night burned away; the sunlight was gentle.

The breeze fluttered, causing ripples on the surface of the artificial lake.

The old man huddled in the chair still grasped his long fishing rod.

The waves shimmered, the line swayed, but no one pulled the line.

The old fellow closed his eyes, tranquilly falling asleep; his temples’ white hair, thin shirt, and the comfortable wooden chair all swayed along with the warm wind.

"Creak."

"Creak."

This warm breeze chillingly swept across the heart.

Du Wei stood there stunned, and the faces of the two Night Watchmen turned deathly pale.

Gu Qilin’s Spiritual Aura had dissipated...

The wind with the sun’s warmth blew across his face, yet could not awaken the cold body.

Eventually, he drowned in sleep under the starlight-dimmed night sky, never seeing the dawn’s soft glow.

Gu Qilin... was dead?

Du Wei’s mind spun tumultuously; he wanted to speak but couldn’t utter a single word.

Instinctively, he looked at Elder Zhou, but the old man in the wheelchair as still as a statue, alone, slowly pushed his wheelchair forward.

Du Wei saw only a desolate, lonely silhouette...

He reached out to stop the two Night Watchmen who were about to step forward to investigate, meeting their eyes, Du Wei shook his head, his gaze filled with sadness and resolve.

The three silently retreated several steps, leaving the dock on the artificial lake empty.

Old man gazing at old man; the artificial lake was eerily quiet.

No one knew what Zhou Wei was thinking.