Death… and me

Gu Miao Ling pursed her lips, and looked at this youngster who had suddenly appeared. She was unable to control the glistening teardrops that were twinkling in her eyes. She felt her throat choking, and was unable to say anything. So, she just lowered her head, and softly groaned.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem…" Gu Yun Lan felt somewhat unhappy. So, he coughed several times. Then, he thought in his heart, [I — such a big and living person — is standing here. Can't you see?]

"Khaff… khaff… Foster Father… you're also here?" Gu Du Xing moved his eyes away from Gu Miao Ling. Then, he rubbed his hands together, and smiled awkwardly.

"What do you mean 'I'm also here'?" Gu Yun Lan angrily said, "This is my home. Where else would I be if not here?"

"Ahem, ahem… I meant… shouldn't you be in the study room at this time?" Gu Du Xing hastily gave an explanation.

"Huh? What's the matter? Is this Old Man interfering in your matter?" Gu Yun Lan rolled his eyes, "Gu Du Xing, what do you mean?"

Gu Du Xing was flabbergasted by this, "No…"

"What 'No'?!" Gu Yun Lan angrily said, "You unfilial child! You disobedient brat! Shameless little rascal, you didn't even pay respects to me after you came back. You only shouted 'Sister Xiao Miao'…"

Gu Yun Lan snorted. This old man's anger had become as high as a mountain, "Is it that this Old Man is no longer your foster father? He's only your father-in-law now, huh? How can you be so dissolute? You ran into my house, and went straight for my daughter. Then, your first sentence after you saw me was —'you're also here'?"

Gu Du Xing's face turned red; through and through. He admittedly felt guilty.

Gu Miao Ling's cheeks turned red like a tomato as she blushed. She then jostled her father who had been talking unreasonably in her opinion, "Father… you go out first…"

Gu Yun Lan became dumbfounded. However, he unconsciously nodded, "Fine… I'm leaving…" But then, he suddenly came to a realization, and shouted in a blaming tone, "Daughter, you're also driving me away?"

The faces of the two young people turned black.

"Fine… I'm leaving. It seems that I'm in the way. I'm of no importance here…" Gu Yun Lan was furious on the outside. But, he was happy on the inside as he was walked out. He thought in his heart, [I wouldn't have been here in the first place if it hadn't been so long since I had last seen my daughter. I just wanted to see how my daughter was doing… Humph.]

He arrived at the exit of the pavilion. Then, he casually asked, "Du Xing, what cultivation level are you at now? Have you become a second grade King Level Expert or not?"

However, he thought in his heart, [It's almost impossible to reach that level so quickly. He had broken through to the first grade of King Level last year… His speed is already very quick. So, I shouldn't be too demanding…]

Gu Du Xing respectfully replied, "I've luckily fulfilled my mission. I'm now at the peak of the first grade of Sword Emperor Level! I'll break through to the second grade soon."

Gu Yun Lan nodded since he believed that he had over-anticipated. He then twirled his beard with his fingers, "The peak of first grade Sword Emperor is not bad. Put more efforts, and you'll soon break into the second grade of King Level. And, I hope that you'll rush to the Emperor Level in ten years…"

He stepped outward while saying this. He was walking very calmly.

However, he had taken only three steps when his entire body suddenly shivered at first. Then, his body stiffened. He was at a loss of words. He suddenly turned around, "What did you just say? First grade Sword Emperor? At the peak…?"

Gu Du Xing scratched his head. He felt somewhat puzzled as he replied, "Yes."

He thought in his heart, [Foster Father is very funny. I'm a first grade Sword Emperor. But, he wants me to try harder so that I can break into the second grade of King Level… Won't I have to work in the backwards direction for that?]

"First grade Sword Emperor… the peak…" Gu Yun Lan hissed. The hand he was stroking his beard with… was shaking. So, he clutched his beard, and his face contorted as a result. He then absentmindedly turned his head, and walked outward while staggering.

He suddenly yelled, "Sword Emperor?!" It must be mentioned that he was completely sober. But, he still felt as if he was in a daze. He then leant to one side, and fell into the lotus pond with a 'plop' sound. The pond's water splattered everywhere as a result.

[Am I dreaming…?]

[Did he truly say that he's a Sword Emperor…?]

Gu Du Xing and Gu Miao Ling were startled by this. They hastily acted in confusion, and pulled the old man out of the pond. Gu Yun Lan's body seemed like a drenched chicken. He shivered as he asked, "Are you… truly a Sword Emperor? You mean the Sword Emperor from the so-called Emperor Level?"

"Yes," Gu Du Xing earnestly nodded.

"Sword Emperor…" Gu Yun Lan pushed away Gu Du Xing's hand. He was in a daze… In fact, he was out of his wits! He walked out while swaying the entire way. Simultaneously, he kept repeating, "Sword Emperor… Sword Emperor… Sword Emperor…"

Gu Miao Ling anxiously looked at her father as he walked away. She didn't speak for a long while.

Gu Du Xing wanted to talk to her. But, he instead scratched his head for a long time. He was foolishly smiling. He didn't know what to say…

Finally, Gu Miao Ling asked in a whisper, "Have you truly become a Sword Emperor?"

"Do you think I'm lying?" Gu Du Xing foolishly giggled, and said, "I can deceive anyone. But, I can never deceive Sister Xiao Miao."

"You look hilarious!" Gu Miao Ling couldn't help but pucker her lips and smile as she looked at Gu Du Xing foolish appearance.

An earthshaking yell was heard from a distance at this moment, "Sword Emperor!!!" The pitiful Clan Lord of Gu Clan had finally come back to his senses.

"Father finally sobered up…" Gu Miao Ling moved her fluid glance around, and happily laughed.

However, she then awkwardly became silent.

The two had met after a very long time of separation. So, they had thought that they would have thousands of things to tell each other. However, they found their mind to be blank at this moment when they were finally facing each other. They couldn't utter even a word; let alone a lengthy speech.

Gu Du Xing scratched his head anxiously. He fidgeted with the tip of his toe, and made a circle on the ground. He then raised his head. He opened his mouth, and then closed it. Then, he again scratched his head…

Gu Miao Ling held the brocade that she had been embroidering earlier. She lowered her head. She seemed to be embroidering, but she hadn't done a single stitch for a long time. Her heart was hopping like a little deer… Thump, thump, thump…

"Khaff, khaff… Ahem, ahem… Ahem, ahem…" Gu Du Xing repeatedly coughed. He wanted to find a topic to talk about. But, he couldn't think of anything. So, he repeatedly coughed for the lack of a better choice.

Gu Miao Ling lowered her head. Her heart was jumping like a deer. She bit her lip, and thought; [I wonder what would be the first thing to come out of this silly guy's mouth…]

"Ahem ahem…" Gu Du Xing finally thought of a topic, "… Sister Xiao Miao, do you feel cold?"

Gu Miao Ling was startled. She raised her head, and looked at the mid-autumn sunshine. [It seems very hot these days, right?]

"No, I don't feel cold," Gu Miao Ling lowered her head, and replied.

"Ahem… then… do you feel hot?" Gu Du Xing was chiseling away at the task at hand.

"Not hot either."

"Ahem Ahem…" Gu Du Xing started to cough again. He was truly hoping at this moment, [I wish Chu Yang's eloquence could come into my body… Ji Mo's or Luo Ke Di's would also do! This is bad. Even Tan Tan can easily open up a conversation despite his eccentric personality.]

He racked his brain for a long while. Then, he finally thought of a topic. He then blissfully said, "Sister Xiao Miao, I see that you've become a little fatter than before. He-he…!"

"What?" Gu Miao Ling's face turned black. "A little fatter…?"

'Fat' was generally the most taboo word for women. So, how could Gu Miao Ling be an exception?

"All right!" Gu Du Xing rejoiced in his heart. [I've finally opened the deadlock.] He nodded with infinite confidence, and said, "Yes… Yes… It seems that your waist has also become a little thick…"

Gu Miao Ling's pretty face instantly got covered with dark clouds. Also, a storm seemed to have gathered at the tip of her brows and the outer corners of her eyes. Her loud breaths became heavy and hoarse. She then firmly pinched the brocade cloth with her slender lily-white hands. And, the joints of her fingers turned pale as a result. It seemed as if the embroidering cloth was Gu Du Xing, and it was being tortured maliciously by Gu Miao Ling…

[You deserve death…]

Gu Du Xing had realized that it was looking worse. So, he hastily recovered by giving her a smile. He had suddenly become very cautious. He then said with an insipid smile, "In fact, you're not fat… you're just healthy. Right… That's right… You're healthy… He-he…"

Gu Miao Ling stamped her feet on the ground, and stood up. She then maliciously looked at him; it seemed as if her face was sinking in water. Then, she started to walk outward whilst stamping her feet.

She was exerting her strength while stamping her feet. Even the water in the lotus pond rippled because of the shocks.

Gu Du Xing was at a loss. He blinked his eyes in confusion. [How did I offend her? Why did she become so angry all of a sudden?]

"Sister Xiao Miao…" he then cautiously said.

"Don't talk to me!" Gu Miao Ling restrained her anger as she replied.

"Sister Xiao Miao…" Gu Du Xing innocently asked, "What happened?"

Gu Miao Ling weakly closed her eyes, and stopped walking; her chest was repeatedly moving up and down. Then, she suddenly turned back, and coldly looked at Gu Du Xing. She forcibly drew out a faint line of smile from the corner of her mouth, "Little Brother, am I fat? Am I truly fat? Where am I fat?"

A deadly radiance was glowing in Gu Miao Ling's eyes!

Gu Miao Ling appeared to be elegant and supple as she stood there. She seemed to be graceful… Her stature seemed tall. Her front and back were bulged out. Her little waist could be gripped in one arm. Her figure looked extremely graceful; so much so that even the biggest nitpicker among the brothers – Chu Yang – might not have been able to find the least bit of flaw in her if he were here.

Gu Du Xing stared at her. He smelled a lingering fragrance in the wind. And, he felt dreamy for a moment as a result. He was carried away by her bewitching glance. In fact, he was fascinated. However, he also thought that Sister Xiao Miao had asked this question seriously. So, he glanced at her from top to bottom. Then, he honestly and seriously answered, "It seems to be a little fat… here…"

He had a dull look in his eyes as he gestured at Gu Miao Ling's plump chest…

"Here too… seems a little fat…" He gestured at his Sister Xiao Miao's bulged up buttocks.

Gu Du Xing fell in the pond with a plop…

And, the water splashed, and scattered everywhere.

On the shore of the pond… Gu Miao Ling retracted the leg with which she had kicked a moment ago. Her face had turned red. She gnashed her teeth in anger, "Bastard~~~"

Gu Du Xing was in an extremely difficult situation. He stuck out his head from the lotus pond, and wiped the water droplets from his face. He then said with grief and indignation, "Why would you do this? Why would you do this?"

Gu Miao Ling coldly snorted at first. Then, she started to walk outwards step by step.

Gu Du Xing jumped out of the water with a thunderous sound. He was drenched as he followed behind her. He thought in his heart, [No wonder Sister Xiao Miao got angry… Her big buttocks look very attractive now that I'm looking from behind …]

"Why are you following me?" Gu Miao Ling's pent-up anger hadn't disappeared yet. [This damned guy… He dared to call me fat…]

Gu Du Xing had gotten soaked in cold water. So, his brain had started to function well again. He hastily said, "You're my wife. Who else would I follow if not you?"

"Who… who's your wife?" Gu Miao Ling's face turned red, and her body seemed to have become weak. She weakly resisted, "I… I haven't agreed to it yet!"

Gu Du Xing didn't say anything further. The two silently walked on the road. One of them was walking ahead, while the other was behind. They soon reached Gu Miao Ling's lady chamber. Gu Miao Ling finally stopped her footsteps, "You've just come back. There are so many matters in the clan that you have to deal with. So, why are you following me? Besides, your body is soaking wet. But, you still haven't changed your clothes."

She felt somewhat sorry for him after she said this.

"Where are they soaking wet? Aren't they dry and clean?" Gu Du Xing said. He was a Sword Emperor now. So, he could easily dry his clothes using his martial power.

Gu Miao Ling silently turned her head. She couldn't help but pout and smile as she saw that his clothes were indeed dry and clean. She then said, "Quickly go… Father must be waiting for you."

"No. I want to speak with you first." Deep affection flashed in Gu Du Xing's eyes. "Sister Xiao Miao, you don't know how much I've missed you in all these years…"

….