Fairy, you call this repaying a debt of gratitude?

Five years have passed in the blink of an eye since we parted ways.

Five years is enough time for the rise and fall of the elites of the Central Continent, and enough time for countless old stories to be buried by time.

Gu Hanfeng had already reached the Nascent Soul stage at the age of fifteen. With such talent, he should have been able to dominate the Central Continent. However, he cut off his own path and lived a life of not asking about cultivation, not seizing opportunities, and not getting involved in disputes.

For the past five years, he deliberately avoided all people and things related to the Weishui Sect, stayed away from Zhongzhou, and spent his days traveling alone in the desolate mountains and wilderness, living a life of just getting by.

He told himself countless times that if fate had not brought them together, he should not force it.

It was as if as long as he was numb and indifferent enough, the pain of the past could vanish.

Until this day, a chance encounter shattered his self-perceived peace of mind.

It was late autumn, the wind was blowing fallen leaves, and the scene was desolate.

In a desolate mountain, Gu Hanfeng sat leaning against a blue stone, his expression lazy and indifferent, watching the clouds drift from left to right in the sky. But just then, a deep and aged voice suddenly came from behind him.

"I never imagined that after five years, the former number one prodigy of the Hundred Sects Alliance would have fallen to this state."

Gu Hanfeng remained motionless, slowly raising his eyes to look over.

The newcomer wore a plain white robe, had white hair and a graceful posture, and possessed an extraordinary demeanor.

Gu Hanfeng had a slight impression of him.

Five years ago, when Wei Shuizong was preparing for his grand wedding, this person was a guest of honor at Wei Shuizong's wedding and witnessed the sensational marriage.

Gu Hanfeng had known him before this.

He is an elder of the Lone Smoke Sect, which is located in the Vast Sea Continent and is one of the five great immortal sects.

He never expected that the people from the Immortal Sect would still remember him and even come all the way to find him in this desolate wilderness. Although he did win the championship of the Hundred Sects Alliance, in the Immortal Sect, he was at most just a disciple with a little talent, far from being a top-tier disciple.

But none of this concerned him; he had no intention of currying favor with the powerful. He withdrew his gaze and replied casually:

"I never expected that you would care so much about someone as insignificant as me."

The old man slowly approached, his gaze falling on the man's forlorn face. He sighed softly and went straight to the point: "Do you know that the wedding at the Weishui Sect five years ago was not as simple as you see it? On the day I was a guest at Weishui, it happened to be the eve of the wedding, and I overheard Chen Yuncheng and his only daughter, Chen Qiuyu, arguing fiercely."

Gu Hanfeng frowned upon hearing this. He couldn't help but feel irritated whenever he heard about people or things related to five years ago. He asked directly, "What does Senior want to say? Just say it directly. There's no need for all this beating around the bush."

Although he still addressed her as a senior, there was no longer any respect in his tone.

Gu Hanfeng's words had no effect on the old man, who continued to finish his sentence:

"That day... Chen Qiuyu refused to agree to the marriage even at the cost of her life. It was the sect leader who threatened her with the lives of tens of thousands of disciples and the century-old foundation of the Weishui Sect, cutting off all her escape routes."

Hearing this, Gu Hanfeng interrupted him, sneering, "Senior's words are eloquent, but they're all empty promises. And even if they were truly true..."

He paused, then continued,

"Five years have passed, do you think I still care?"

"I am now just a carefree cultivator, powerless and without influence, with only my cultivation being somewhat decent. Senior, you specifically sought me out and dug up old grievances from five years ago. It's hard not to suspect that you want to use me as a pawn in your game."

At this point, he raised his eyes and looked directly at the old man, his gaze sharp: "I've seen too many sectarian power struggles and exchanges of interests. People, driven by selfish desires, are most adept at fabricating past events and sowing discord. How can I be sure what you're saying is true? What if this is just a pretext you've come to deceive me for some unspeakable benefit?"

"Furthermore, five years is a long time; too many things can change in that time." Gu Hanfeng lowered his eyes and continued, "People change, things change. But since she told me herself that it was her choice, that was her final decision. Since she has made up her mind, it is a good match, and I will not interfere."

Gu Hanfeng spoke frankly, as if that passionate emotion had truly long since vanished with the wind.

Upon hearing this, the old man was not angry at all; instead, he threw his head back and laughed heartily.

"Young man, you haven't lost a single bit of your shrewdness."

As the laughter subsided, the old man's expression shifted from playful to solemn: "I will not lie to you today, nor do I need to. If you truly do not believe me, you can boldly ask her yourself. I believe that she... would never deceive you. Furthermore, I will tell you the whole truth about Xie Lingran."

"Xie Lingran is a man of deep cunning, adept at manipulating people's hearts and weighing pros and cons. He used his so-called grand ambitions to trick the sect leader of the Weishui Sect into agreeing to a marriage, but his grand ambitions were nothing more than a means to wreak havoc on the Central Continent and seize power. How can this be considered a good match?"

The old man's gaze was intense, and his question struck at the heart: "You've spent every day with Chen Qiuyu, and you know her pure and kind heart. Ask yourself honestly, if such a clean and insightful woman hadn't been forced, would she willingly fall for someone as sinister and cunning as Xie Lingran? Would she abandon you, who treated her sincerely, to choose someone she barely even knew?"

Listening to the old man's words, Gu Hanfeng remained noncommittal, but while he appeared unmoved, he was actually forcibly suppressing his surging emotions, trying to convince himself with reason:

Even though she had her reasons, she ultimately didn't explain and chose to let go.

But the old man seemed to have seen through his insincere struggle. He sighed helplessly and said in a calm tone, "I will not hide it from you. I did come to you today with selfish motives. I am telling you the truth not out of pure kindness."

Five years ago, you were of no use to me, so I naturally didn't bother with your grudges, let alone tell you the truth. But things are different now. I need your help to accomplish that great undertaking that can overturn the world.

"Therefore, I am telling you the truth, albeit belatedly."

"I'm putting my words here today: the decision is entirely in your hands, and no one can force you. If you want to rewrite the regrets of the past, I will do everything in my power to help you. If you truly no longer care, then let this truth simply pass by like the wind."

After he finished speaking, the woods fell silent.

Gu Hanfeng slowly closed his eyes.

Those memories he thought were long gone suddenly came rushing back.

A gentle smile under the peach blossom tree at fifteen, the life-saving grace when she was seriously injured and on the verge of death, the constant companionship in the side courtyard of the Weishui Sect, the obsession with guarding her through arduous cultivation day and night, the hall full of red makeup on the day she emerged from seclusion, and the heartless words in the hall, "I did it voluntarily."

......

Each scene is as clear as yesterday, never fading away.

For the past five years, he has deliberately numbed himself, deliberately avoided things, and deliberately pretended to be calm.

But now that the truth is laid bare before him, his deepest obsession and resentment have quietly resurfaced.

Sure enough, there's no way I could accept this...

Reason told him again and again that it was the choice she herself had made, and regardless of her reasons, it was now a fait accompli.

But the stubbornness and resentment in his heart raged on, leaving him no room to breathe.

Now, the truth revealed by the old man has given him an excuse that has been delayed for five years, a reason to break the status quo and overturn the ending.

Since he was forced into this situation back then, and since all his resolute actions were forced acts of forbearance, he would rewrite it himself, rewriting the ending that he had been unwilling to accept for the past five years.

After a long while, the wind rose and the leaves fell, and the desolation dissipated.

Gu Hanfeng slowly opened his eyes and coldly uttered a few words:

"I've agreed to this deal."