This is the true immortal of the Taoist sect.

As the night passed, Gu Jiantang slowly opened his eyes and stretched.

After regaining consciousness, his expression suddenly froze.

Looking at my body and feeling it more closely, I realized it was still the same.

His vital energy was completely depleted, his blood and qi were exhausted, and he didn't have much of a chance to live.

Strangely enough, he slept soundly last night, as if the biting cold wind of the night had disappeared and spring had returned overnight.

Gu Jiantang glanced at the sky; it was gloomy.

A morning breeze blew by, and I couldn't help but shiver.

"Ouch...it's so cold..."

He rubbed his hands together vigorously, walked out of the corner, drank a few mouthfuls of rainwater from a broken jar not far away, then took out the half rice cake from his pocket and ate it with the rainwater.

Once there was something in my stomach, I felt much better.

Gu Jiantang walked out of the ruins, crossed two streets, and came to a shop selling rice, flour, and cooking oil.

The shopkeeper just opened the door.

Gu Jiantang walked over and greeted him with a smile:

"Manager Mo, what are we making today?"

Shopkeeper Mo was a slightly overweight middle-aged man in his forties. Gu Jiantang usually worked for him. Shopkeeper Mo would provide him with a meal at noon, and if there were any unsold rice cakes or pastries in the evening, Shopkeeper Mo would let him take them home to eat.

But things seem a little different today.

Shopkeeper Mo's eyes darted away as he saw Gu Jiantang approaching.

He did not respond to Gu Jiantang's question.

Gu Jiantang's smile froze instantly. He immediately realized something, and his eyes gradually dimmed.

Manager Mo couldn't bear it and sighed, saying:

"Hey... Little Gu, don't blame me, people from the Holy Sect came after you left yesterday..."

Gu Jiantang nodded blankly, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Manager Mo, and turned to leave.

He has experienced this situation many times before.

Over the years, whenever he settled down, someone from the Holy Sect would come to disrupt his peace.

Even though his vital energy was depleted and everyone knew he didn't have many years left to live, those people still didn't want him to have an easy time.

Gu Jiantang was even somewhat numb. He had resisted at first, but now no matter how much he resisted, it was all in vain.

If it weren't for the Holy Lord's order not to take his life directly, he would probably be dead long ago.

Gu Jiantang stood on the street, looking up at the sky. The sun, covered by clouds, offered no warmth.

However, he quickly shook off his negative mood, took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, muttering to himself:

"Gu Jiantang, live one day at a time. Stay alive, because only by staying alive can there be hope..."

These self-talks were like encouragement to him, and his depressed and sad mood was instantly restored.

Gu Jiantang then began asking door to door, seeking a job that would allow him to survive.

On the bustling street, Li Daoxuan's figure appeared out of thin air.

Those who passed by watched him appear out of nowhere without any surprise.

It was as if he had always been there.

Looking at Gu Jiantang's apologetic smile and recalling his earlier self-talk, Li Daoxuan couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

He still remembered the scene when he first met Gu Jiantang. On that flying boat, Gu Jiantang stood at the bow, facing the wind, with outstanding demeanor and imposing presence.

Which of the female disciples on the flying boat wasn't secretly watching him?

At that time, Gu Jiantang was a prodigy of the Qingyun Sword Sect, one of the three great holy sects.

But now, he's actually humbling himself like this for a meal.

Perhaps in the eyes of others, Gu Jiantang had his spine broken and lost his dignity.

But in Li Daoxuan's eyes, Gu Jiantang was the one he valued most at this time.

Only when a person falls to the bottom can you see how much potential they truly possess.

Li Daoxuan, who had originally planned to observe for three days, changed his mind and decided that there was no need to observe any longer.

Gu Jiantang is fully qualified to be his disciple.

Just as Li Daoxuan was about to step forward, several young men in white robes, dressed in the standard attire of Qingyun Sword Sect disciples, walked over from not far away.

They held long swords, had sharp eyes, and their demeanor was completely different from that of the surrounding people.

People on the street looked at the three young men in white with awe and dared not even look up to meet their eyes.

Gu Jiantang had just been kicked out of a restaurant and was about to go to the next one when he bumped into three young men in white.

Upon seeing that familiar white robe, Gu Jiantang's expression changed slightly. He then immediately lowered his head, pretending not to recognize the person, and quickly left.

"stop..."

A sword aura landed directly at Gu Jiantang's feet, sparking sparks and forcing him to stop.

"Who do we have here? It's none other than Senior Brother Gu, the head disciple of the third generation of Xi Jianfeng..."

Gu Jiantang sighed helplessly, turned around, bowed deeply, and said:

"Greetings, gentlemen. What are your orders?"

Seeing this, the three young men in white sneered, stepped forward, grabbed Gu Jiantang's face, and lifted his head up.

"Oh, what happened to Senior Brother Gu?"

Another young man in white laughed unrestrainedly:

"His Qi Sea and meridians were shattered by the elder; he's already a cripple..."

"Serves him right! Who told him to get so close to that scoundrel who stirred up trouble in my sacred Lingze Land?"

...

Despite the three men's unbridled sarcasm and insults, Gu Jiantang remained calm, showing neither anger nor shame, and simply watched them quietly.

"Senior Brother Gu, are you looking for a job? What's wrong? Are you starving?"

"We were once fellow disciples, how about I, your junior brother, treat you to a Crimson Spirit Coin?"

As he spoke, the young man in white flipped his hand, revealing a Crimson Spirit Coin in his palm, which he then waved in front of Gu Jiantang.

Gu Jiantang simply said calmly:

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now..."

After saying that, Gu Jiantang turned and left.

The young man in white was taken aback; Gu Jiantang's calmness fueled his anger.

There was even an indescribable sense of humiliation.

He stepped in front of Gu Jiantang in a flash, and said coldly:

"Stop right there! Did I say you could leave?"

Gu Jiantang said helplessly:

"So what exactly do you want to do?"

The young man in white spread his legs, assumed a horse stance, pointed to his crotch, and said:

"You can leave, but you'll have to crawl through here..."

The other two young men in white exchanged glances, seemingly somewhat embarrassed.

A few jokes are fine, but treating a former fellow disciple like that in public is indeed unbecoming.

After all, in the eyes of ordinary people, they were all disciples of the Holy Sect, high and mighty.

Gu Jiantang glanced at the other person's crotch, his eyes gradually turning cold.

He stepped forward, his gaze fixed intently on the other person, and said:

"What if I say no? What will you do then? Will you kill me?"

The young man in white was stunned, his face turning ashen.

The Holy Lord personally issued an order that although Gu Jiantang was expelled from the sect, the disciples of the Holy Sect must never lay a hand on him or harm his life.

Even if he had a hundred times the courage, he wouldn't dare disobey the imperial decree.

However, the imperial decree stated that he could not be killed, but it did not say that he could not be punished.

The white-robed man, enraged, said:

"I can't kill you, but I can let you suffer some physical pain..."

After saying that, he slapped her across the face.

A crisp slap rang out, and Gu Jiantang fell to the ground.

The young man in white was about to step forward to attack when the other two quickly stepped forward and restrained him, whispering:

"Are you crazy? What if you kill him? You'll be killed too..."

After saying that, the two men helped him up and quickly left.

Gu Jiantang lay on the ground, not getting up for a long time.

The slap on his face not only struck his skin, but also his heart.

Such an insult is not something a man can easily tolerate.

But what can he do if he can't bear it? He has no ability to fight back right now.

"haven't seen you for a long time..."

Just then, a somewhat familiar voice suddenly rang in Gu Jiantang's ears.

The clouds in the sky had dispersed at some point, and sunlight streamed down, causing Gu Jiantang, who was looking up, to squint.

He shielded his eyes with his hand, and only through the gaps between his fingers could he make out that it was a young man wearing a blue robe.

The sun seemed to be right behind his head, radiating endless light.

Gu Jiantang's eyes went blank for a moment, and his mind went completely blank.

He didn't realize what was happening until the other person extended their hand in front of him.

Gu Jiantang grasped the young man's hand, who then pulled him up. He asked, "..."

"It's...you?"

His voice had become somewhat hoarse at some point.

Li Daoxuan nodded slightly.

"Yes, it's me..."

Gu Jiantang's chest began to heave rapidly, his heart churning with turmoil.

Li Daoxuan continued:

"What I said back then still stands. What's your decision?"

Gu Jiantang's shoulders trembled, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"But... I've already been crippled..."

Li Daoxuan waved his hand.

"It's alright, it's nothing. Would you be willing to become my disciple?"

Gu Jiantang unconsciously clenched his fists and remained silent for a long time.

Li Daoxuan simply watched him quietly, without urging him.

After a long while, Gu Jiantang released his hands, looked up at Li Daoxuan, and asked:

"Could you help me bring that person back?"

Li Daoxuan asked with a smile:

"What's the point of bringing them back?"

Gu Jiantang touched his already swollen face.

"Give him back..."