Chapter 56: CH-56: Some daily antics

The system notification remained floating before Gu Changsheng for several seconds.

He stared at it suspiciously, wondering whether it was finally going to provide him with something useful.

After everything he had gone through, perhaps the system had finally decided to reward his efforts.

Maybe the fortuitous encounter detection had been unlocked.

Maybe his cultivation had suddenly increased.

Maybe he had somehow obtained an ancient inheritance while sleeping.

Gu Changsheng’s expectations slowly rose.

Then he read the notification.

『Ding! Daily cultivation task has been completed.』

『Reward: 10 system points.』

Gu Changsheng’s expression became completely blank.

"..."

He stared at the notification.

The notification stared back.

After several seconds, Gu Changsheng calmly closed the system interface.

Apparently, his system had decided that emotional damage was also part of cultivation.

He leaned back against his chair and sighed.

"Ten points."

He rubbed his forehead while looking towards the ceiling, his expression filled with the exhaustion of a man who had just been personally betrayed by an inanimate object.

"At this rate, I’ll probably become an Immortal Venerable by the time the system decides to give me something useful."

There was, however, one positive aspect.

His cultivation had been progressing steadily.

The seventh stage of Qi Refinement was already considerably stronger than where he had started, and after surviving everything that had happened recently, Gu Changsheng had developed a much greater appreciation for strength.

Unfortunately, he had also developed a much greater appreciation for not getting beaten half to death.

The two things were surprisingly connected.

If he became stronger, he could avoid getting beaten.

If he avoided getting beaten, he could continue cultivating.

If he continued cultivating, he could become stronger.

It was a beautiful cycle.

Gu Changsheng nodded to himself.

"Excellent. I’ll simply cultivate."

That was the plan.

Unfortunately, the moment he opened the door of his residence, he saw Dong Mulan standing outside.

She was holding a small basket in one hand while Dodo Duckling was perched comfortably on her shoulder.

The little white swan tilted her head when she noticed Gu Changsheng.

Gu Changsheng narrowed his eyes.

"Dodo."

The swan calmly looked at him.

"You’ve been spending more time with Mulan than I have recently."

Dodo Duckling blinked innocently.

Gu Changsheng had absolutely no evidence, but he somehow felt that she was mocking him.

Dong Mulan immediately stepped forward with a bright smile.

"Changsheng, you’re finally done cultivating!"

Gu nodded.

"Yes. I was just about to continue."

Mulan’s expression immediately fell.

"Again?"

Gu Changsheng paused.

"What do you mean, again? Cultivation is important."

"I know, but you’ve been cultivating almost every day."

She walked closer, holding the basket towards him.

"And you’ve barely spent any time with me recently."

Gu Changsheng looked at her for several moments.

There was a slight pout on her face, and her eyes carried a faint complaint that was almost impossible to ignore.

He sighed.

"You know, when you make that expression, it’s very difficult to refuse you."

Mulan’s eyes immediately brightened.

"Really?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

Gu Changsheng reached out and gently poked her forehead.

"But don’t think I’ll stop cultivating completely."

"I wouldn’t ask you to."

She smiled before taking his hand.

"I just wanted you to come with me for a walk."

Gu Changsheng looked at their joined hands.

Then he looked at Dodo Duckling.

The little swan was staring at their hands with an oddly serious expression.

Gu Changsheng raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Dodo Duckling immediately looked away.

Gu Changsheng found that reaction suspicious.

Very suspicious.

...

The two walked along one of the quieter paths inside the sect, with Dodo Duckling following closely behind them.

Dong Mulan seemed unusually cheerful, occasionally pointing towards various things along the road while talking about completely unrelated matters.

She talked about a new food stall she had discovered.

She talked about a disciple who had accidentally fallen into a pond.

She talked about how Dodo Duckling had recently learned to steal food from her basket without being noticed.

Gu Changsheng listened patiently, occasionally responding with a few words.

He found himself enjoying the peaceful atmosphere more than he expected.

After everything they had experienced, simply walking through the sect with nothing trying to kill them felt strangely precious.

Dong Mulan suddenly stopped.

Gu Changsheng turned towards her.

"What happened?"

She didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, she looked at him quietly before smiling.

"Nothing."

She stepped closer.

"I just wanted to look at you."

Gu Changsheng blinked.

His face remained calm, but his mind had already stopped functioning properly.

"...Why?"

"Because you’re my husband."

Mulan said it so naturally that Gu Changsheng couldn’t even find a suitable response.

After several seconds, he coughed lightly and looked away.

"That’s... a fairly straightforward reason."

Mulan giggled.

"You look embarrassed."

"I am not embarrassed."

"You are."

"I’m absolutely not."

"You are."

Gu Changsheng looked at her with a serious expression.

"Your eyesight must be getting worse."

Mulan laughed softly.

"You lost an eye, Changsheng. You’re the one who should be worried about eyesight."

Gu Changsheng fell silent.

He had walked directly into that one.

Dodo Duckling, who had been standing nearby, suddenly made a strange chirping sound.

Gu Changsheng looked towards her.

"Don’t laugh."

The swan immediately became quiet.

Dong Mulan covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

"You actually think she was laughing at you?"

"Of course."

Gu Changsheng looked suspiciously at the bird.

"That bird has been judging me ever since we met."

Dodo Duckling puffed out her chest, apparently offended by the accusation.

Mulan immediately defended her.

"Dodo isn’t like that."

"She’s absolutely like that."

"She isn’t."

"She is."

Mulan looked at the swan.

Dodo Duckling looked back at her.

The two exchanged a strange moment of silent communication.

Gu Changsheng watched them with increasing suspicion.

"I feel like I’m being excluded from a conversation."

Mulan smiled innocently.

"You are."

Gu Changsheng sighed.

His wife had somehow formed an alliance with a swan.

He was losing the household political struggle.

...

Over the following days, this peaceful routine gradually became normal.

Gu Changsheng cultivated during the mornings, occasionally trained with Ye Che, and spent the remaining time either wandering around the sect or accompanying Dong Mulan.

His relationship with Mulan had become considerably closer after everything they had experienced together.

There was no longer the awkwardness that had occasionally existed between them before.

They had survived danger together, shared meals, argued over completely meaningless things, and spent enough time around each other that even silence had become comfortable.

Sometimes, Mulan would simply sit beside him while he cultivated.

She wouldn’t speak.

She wouldn’t disturb him.

She would simply lean against his shoulder while Dodo Duckling rested nearby.

Gu Changsheng found himself enjoying those moments more than he expected.

Cultivation could wait a little.

At least, that was what he told himself.

One afternoon, Gu Changsheng had just finished circulating his spiritual energy when he opened his eyes and found Dong Mulan sleeping against his shoulder.

Her breathing was quiet, and her expression looked unusually peaceful.

Dodo Duckling was sitting on the other side, staring at the two of them.

Gu Changsheng looked at the swan.

The swan looked at him.

For some reason, Dodo Duckling seemed deeply invested in the situation.

Gu Changsheng lowered his voice.

"What are you looking at?"

Dodo Duckling tilted her head.

Gu Changsheng narrowed his eyes.

"You’ve been doing that a lot lately."

The swan blinked innocently.

He couldn’t prove anything.

Still, something about this bird was strange.

She seemed particularly interested whenever Gu Changsheng and Dong Mulan were together.

Whenever Mulan leaned against him, Dodo Duckling would stare.

Whenever he held Mulan’s hand, Dodo Duckling would stare.

Whenever they sat particularly close, the swan would somehow appear nearby.

Gu Changsheng had initially assumed it was simply because Mulan fed her too many snacks.

But now he wasn’t so sure.

Perhaps she was simply curious.

Yes.

That had to be it.

There was no reason for a tiny white swan to care about the romantic relationship between two cultivators.

Gu Changsheng decided not to think about it.

Unfortunately, Dodo Duckling continued staring.

...

A few days later, Gu Changsheng and Dong Mulan were sitting beneath the same tree, sharing some snacks.

Mulan had broken a rice cake into two pieces and handed half to Gu Changsheng.

"Here."

Gu accepted it.

"Thank you."

She smiled.

"You always say thank you."

"Shouldn’t I?"

"You could just eat it."

Gu looked at her.

"That would be rude."

Mulan tilted her head.

"You’re strange."

"And yet you married me."

"That’s because you’re cute."

Gu nearly choked on his rice cake.

He coughed several times while Mulan laughed beside him.

Dodo Duckling immediately became alert.

She stared at Mulan.

Then she stared at Gu.

Then she looked back at Mulan.

The guardian beast couldn’t understand what had just happened.

Why was the girl suddenly calling him cute?

And why did Gu Changsheng look like he had been struck by lightning?

The guardian beast had witnessed countless cultivators throughout her long existence.

She had seen humans fight over treasures, betray companions, destroy sects, and even start wars over ridiculous reasons.

But this?

This was somehow more confusing.

She slowly tilted her head.

Perhaps humans were simply strange creatures.

Dong Mulan, completely unaware of the ancient beast’s internal confusion, leaned closer to Gu Changsheng.

"You really are cute when you’re embarrassed."

"I’m not embarrassed."

"You are."

"I’m not."

"You are."