Chapter 1 After the Reunion

A quarter of an hour later, Gu Shen finally returned to his seat. This table was full of "captain"-level powerhouses who had executed the reboot mission. They had known each other in the training camp and shared life and death in the disaster zone. Now, gathered at one table, they were quite lively.

"Big shot, finally finished being busy?"

Zhong Yuan teased with a smile.

Gu Shen sighed, helplessly saying, "Perhaps I should make it clear to them that although my surname is Gu, I wasn't born into the Gu family of Nagano."

Zhong Yuan laughed. "Even so...now that the Gu family has completed its merger, besides that old man and Gu Nanfeng, I'm afraid few people have more influence than you."

Gu Shen knew the "purpose" of these people in seeking him out.

It was just that... these so-called "powerful figures" at this stage simply wanted to greet him and become familiar faces.

They probably also knew about the Saint Adjudicator.

Gu Shen didn't want to expose what these guys were thinking. Life was like a play, and everyone needed some "face" on the stage of power in the Five Continents.

"I just saw... Grand Duke Xiang Chen seemed to have an appointment with you as well?"

Fisher was quite interested in Xiang Chen and asked.

"Yes."

Gu Shen smiled and said, "It was arranged for his student, the garrison of Dongning City. We both come from Dongzhou, so he probably wants to chat with me."

As for what they would talk about, he wasn't sure and didn't think too much about it.

"Xiang Chen is a very good person." Fisher gave a high evaluation.

He recalled the past and slowly said, "When I first came to Beizhou, I was unfamiliar with everything in Central City. Thanks to Lord Osmond's introduction, Grand Duke Xiang Chen took great care of me and even offered me an invitation to study with him..."

Gu Shen: "..."

He already guessed the outcome of this matter.

"You also know that the thing I hate most in my life is 'studying'..."

Fisher touched the fish tank on his head and said awkwardly, "In the end, I went to Deepscale City. Before I left, the paper books he gave me as gifts are still gathering dust on the bookshelf."

From this, it seemed that Xiang Chen's reputation and character were really good.

Indeed... who would hate a "teacher" who was content to read and teach others?

"Someone's coming."

Suddenly, Mu Wanqiu lowered her voice and said this to Gu Shen telepathically with a somber expression.

Gu Shen narrowed his eyes slightly and looked in a certain direction of the banquet hall.

The captains at the table all sensed an aura that attracted the mind.

The lively venue suddenly became a little quiet.

The crowd parted.

Making way for this stunning woman "radiant with light."

...

...

"Hello... Mr. Gu, my name is Meng, Meng Xizhou."

This was a young woman draped in a light veil, not wearing too much clothing. Her eyebrows and eyes were clear, like blue溪water or游clouds in the high sky, making it difficult to look away after just one glance... Such a pair of pupils seemed to be found only in newborn infants.

Because this woman's appearance was so stunning, many "gentlemen and celebrities" in the banquet hall unconsciously fell into this woman's gentle eyes for more than ten seconds. Then they realized their impoliteness and quickly looked away. But strangely, after looking away, no one felt that this was a faux pas.

Because with such beautiful eyes, anyone would want to take another look.

Devoid of any wicked thoughts.

It was the most instinctual desire in the depths of the human heart—the pursuit of beauty and light.

After much anticipation, no one expected that this woman, who had captured everyone's attention as soon as she appeared, would walk straight past the tables in the venue and finally come to Gu Shen's front.

She reached out her hand and gave a simple self-introduction.

And Gu Shen, sitting in his seat, also stared at these eyes very seriously... He looked longer than anyone else because he looked more seriously than anyone else.

Meng Xizhou's eyes were full of "light."

This was a "light" that was purer than the blessing on Meng Xiao.

When this pair of pupils landed on him... the Underworld Fire Seed subconsciously wanted to break away from the spirit sea between his eyebrows and float out, because it felt the stimulation of the other half of the opposing force, destined by fate.

After a long time.

Gu Shen recovered.

He stood up and, instead of shaking her hand, bowed slightly, offering a traditional Dongzhou greeting: "So it's Divine Maiden, I've heard of you for a long time."

This woman had too much light about her.

Gu Shen was worried that if he shook her hand... she would notice something strange.

If it wasn't necessary, it was better to avoid it as much as possible.

Another reason was that Chu Ling was also staring at this scene.

"What a beautiful girl." Chu Ling's gaze never left Meng Xizhou. Her voice was calm, but every word she spoke made one's heart tremble: "It's a pity... she is a truly thorny rose. She was born to be considered the inheritor of the Light Fire Seed. If there are no accidents, she will inherit the mantle of the Light Divine Seat in the future."

Gu Shen knew what Chu Ling meant by this.

He was the Underworld King.

Meng Xizhou was Light.

The two were like water and fire. According to the development of the previous Light and Underworld King... he and Meng Xizhou would probably have to fight sooner or later.

Of course, he didn't want to become enemies with Meng Xizhou, but sometimes, fate was like this. It was beyond his control, and it wasn't something he could decide whether he wanted it or not.

Since he was already the inheritor of the Underworld Fire Seed, it was best to reduce contact with Meng Xizhou as much as possible.

The reason why Mu Wanqiu reminded him earlier was also because of this reason.

She had probably sensed the Light Divine Maiden's gaze when she was sitting here while he was surrounded by everyone earlier—

"Mr. Gu..."

Meng Xizhou smiled. She knew Dongzhou etiquette.

Gu Shen didn't shake her hand but bowed, so Meng Xizhou wasn't angry at all. Instead, she bowed in return with the same standard greeting.

Her voice was as beautiful as celestial music, and every word seemed to be blessed by light, calming the heart and refreshing like a spring breeze.

"I would like to invite you out for a chat. Would that be possible?"

She went straight to the point.

Gu Shen sighed slightly in his heart... This Light Divine Maiden's style of doing things was so direct, without even a hint of euphemism.

"Please."

In this kind of occasion, with so many people watching, he naturally had no room to refuse.

If one were to be precise, the status of Meng Xizhou, this Light Divine Maiden... was actually even more honorable than that of Grand Duke Xiang Chen earlier.

...

...

Under the gazes of everyone, Meng Xizhou and Gu Shen left their seats together and went to a private room next to the banquet hall, a secluded and elegant individual meeting room. Two attendants led the way and then closed the door and left.

"Miss Meng, it's probably not appropriate for you to meet me in front of so many people, is it?"

Gu Shen spoke first.

He maintained a certain distance and was still somewhat vigilant at the moment.

Today's banquet was a feast for Beizhou to showcase the "Traveler's achievements." In theory... Meng Xizhou was a big figure in Light City and shouldn't be qualified to attend.

"With Her Majesty the Queen above, what's inappropriate?"

Meng Xizhou said calmly, "Since I can come to this banquet hall, it means that Her Majesty the Queen has allowed it."

And needless to say, meeting alone... Her every word and action here was actually being watched by Her Majesty the Queen.

There were no secrets under the Divine Seat.

It was like that.

"Actually, I arrived in Beizhou the night before you went to the Doru River. It's just that I'm here, without relatives or friends. No matter who I want to see, everyone hides from me..."

Meng Xizhou smiled somewhat self-deprecatingly and said, "I heard that Mr. Gu has a close relationship with the Gu family of Nagano, so I took the liberty of asking to see you today... Compared to meeting in private, I think it's more appropriate to make an invitation openly in front of everyone."

Hearing this, Gu Shen felt much relieved.

The Gu family of Nagano...

He probably understood the purpose of this Divine Maiden's appointment today.

"You're looking for me... because of the broken engagement?" Gu Shen asked tentatively.

"Yes... but not only that."

"Because of the 'broken engagement,' I was imprisoned in Light City, and the Divine Seat ordered me not to go out."

Meng Xizhou lowered her eyes and smiled, "And this time I came to Central City, I 'sneaked' out. Perhaps I will be forcibly taken back in a few days, and during this time, I need to find someone I can trust to send a letter."

Gu Shen was thoughtful.

Meng Xizhou had a noble status in Light City, but when she came to Beizhou, although she was treated with courtesy, there was no so-called "trustworthy" person she could entrust.

Wait a minute... She wanted to find someone to send a letter.

"It can't be me, right?" Gu Shen suddenly had a headache.

And the hopeful gaze cast by the other party almost confirmed this guess.

"I'm sorry... Perhaps you don't know the whole picture of this matter. Please allow me to explain in detail."

Meng Xizhou's eyes were somewhat complicated.

She said in a hoarse voice, "Many years ago, Beizhou and Xizhou were once 'allies' with an intimate relationship. In the fortress garrison on the Front Winged Front, Light City and the Beizhou royal family once fought bloody battles and swore an oath of alliance. This relationship lasted for hundreds of years... It's just that in recent years, the relationship of trust between the two sides has begun to waver, and for the sake of each other's development, the two major clans have agreed on an engagement. One end of the engagement is me from Light City, and the other end is Lin Lin of the Lin royal family."

Gu Shen rubbed his eyebrows and listened patiently.

"However... the wavering relationship between the two major clans is not something that an alliance can solve."

Meng Xizhou said seriously, "Beizhou and Light City both have fundamental problems in their foundations. Even if I and that Young Master Lin get married, it may not make things better. Of course, this is not the most important reason for my breach of engagement."

"The more important point for me to break this engagement—"

Meng Xizhou looked at Gu Shen, her expression solemn, and said word by word, "I already have someone I belong to in my heart. His number in Beizhou is 'Cn021'."

Gu Shen completely fell silent.

He knew that he, this "mailman," seemed to have no choice but to be it.

Because the "Cn021" in Meng Xizhou's mouth also had a name in Dongzhou.

His name was Gu Nanfeng.