After the defeat of the Zuo Family, the major families that were dependent on the Zuo Family wanted to meet Gu Fuyou. Out of habit, they used to go to the main city every once in a while to pay homage to the Zuo Family City Lord and offer spiritual stones.
However, except for Xiao Zhongting, Gu Fuyou had never summoned them. Even when they were attacking the Zuo family, it was mostly Xiao Zhongting who contacted them, and few people had seen Gu Fuyou in person.
Gu Fuyou occupied the thirty-third heaven, and taking over Nanzhou was a foregone conclusion.
A new clan leader naturally has many new rules. Many people are watching the wind. Having lived in the hands of the Zuo family for many years, they have become worldly-wise and are looking for opportunities to please Gu Fuyou. Gu Fuyou does not have a family background and needs capable people around him. If he wins her favor at this time, he will surely rise to prominence and his family will be prominent.
Some people were also worried. Gu Fuyou had dealt with Zuo Yuezhi and others with thunderous means and showed no mercy. He had even tortured Zuo Tianlang. Those who were closer to the Zuo family, or those who had not joined Gu Fuyou after the war, were worried, fearing that Gu Fuyou would wipe out these "remnants".
Finally this day has arrived, some are happy and some are sad.
The remaining heads of the major families arrived at the Thirty-Third Heaven one after another. No one was absent. At a glance, there were sixty or seventy people.
After ascending Lihentian that day, he walked towards Zhuling Broken Terrace, just like a court official visiting the emperor.
The palace gate was repaired by a group of slaves who had nothing to do all day, and they actually restored the gate to its original state with only ruins left on the ground.
Gu Fuyou leaned on the railing of the watchtower, holding her cheek and looking at the passers-by. There were some people among them whom she recognized. They were just nodding acquaintances of the Gu family. She didn't remember the elders who had met her once or twice, but some of the younger generations who had been classmates with her and now became the heads of their own families were among that group of people. There were one or two people in that group who were deeply remembered, so after such a long time, she still remembered their faces.
Xiao Zhongting came over with a leather scroll in his hand, "Sir, this is the details of those people in the Zuo family that you want to check."
Gu Fuyou let Xiao Zhongting's hand untie the straps, twisted the scroll and took it over. When she brought it in front of her, the scroll was completely unfolded and she glanced at it from top to bottom.
After looking at it for a while, he stood up, rolled up the scroll, and said, "Let's go."
After going down the watchtower, Gu Fuyou looked at the person beside him and asked, "Do you have anything to say?"
Xiao Zhongting was a little hesitant and seemed to be about to speak.
"About the Zuo family?"
"No, sir, it's about you."
"how?"
"… "
"It's okay to talk about it." Gu Fuyou said, "You know I'm not a person with so many rules. You don't need to worry about it."
"Among the noble families..." Xiao Zhongting paused, "There is a family head who wants to marry you."
Gu Fuyou was stunned. After a while, all the wrinkles on his face wrinkled up. "The rumors in Nanzhou are so fierce. Could it be that they don't believe that I am Gu Fuyou? They don't know that there is no one at home... Could it be that they are targeting Yi'er?!"
"No." If she was really Qingluan, no one would dare to imagine it. After all, the Qingluan tribe looked down on the human race, and the offspring born with the human race were mixed blood, with a very low status, and were hated by the Qingluan tribe. It was precisely because of the rumor that she was Gu Fuyou that some people who had some contact with the Gu family in the past, or even classmates with Gu Fuyou, were always closer to her than others, so they had some hope.
Gu Fuyou looked at the way Xiao Zhongting was staring at her, and she suddenly realized and felt both amused and confused. "Ha, my God, they like me."
"What do you think?" Gu Fuyou asked Xiao Zhongting.
Xiao Zhongting thought for a while and answered truthfully: "If you want to win the hearts of the people and unite the noble families, it is not impossible to pick a prestigious family among them."
Gu Fuyou lightly lifted the clothes on his shoulder with his fingertips, turned his head slightly, looked at Xiao Zhongting sideways, and smiled mischievously, "Go tell them that I have been stamped by others. Not to mention this life, it won't be their turn in the next life."
The two men walked to the Zhuling Broken Terrace. Everyone standing at the bottom of the stairs turned around when they heard the footsteps.
Gu Fuyou walked over from the empty aisle in the middle and said with a smile, "Hello, everyone."
Walk to the front of the crowd and stand on a step.
Everyone waited for her to walk up and sit on the throne. After a while, she did not move. Everyone looked at each other and greeted her, calling her "Sect Master."
Gu Fuyou was confused, "Sect Master? What Sect Master?"
Everyone was stunned, many people kept silent, watching the wind direction. Someone spoke quickly, "It must be the leader of Xu Ling Sect."
Someone with good eyesight refuted, "Xu Ling Sect was founded by the Zuo family. They are apostate and against heaven, and have long been unacceptable. We should establish a new sect."
Gu Fuyou smiled and said, "Everyone, I invited you here for this matter."
"Master, please speak." He still did not change his words.
Gu Fuyou said, "As you said, the Zuo family is rebellious and against heaven, and is not tolerated by people. There are still many people left in the Zuo family, some of whom have fled outside, and some are oppressed in the Lihen Heaven and Earth Prison. What do you think should be done with these people?"
The crowd was silent for a while, and then a family head said, "Those who cultivate immortality should be benevolent and virtuous. As the leader of Nanzhou, you should show mercy to these people, so as to show the difference between you and the Zuo family, win the hearts of the people, and make Nanzhou bow down to you."
Before Gu Fuyou could speak, someone said in a deep voice, "That's wrong. There is no order without rules. If those people are like Zuo Tianlang, who disregard human lives and act recklessly, we can't just let them go. If they do something wrong, they have to pay the price. How can we turn a blind eye to those crimes and let them go unpunished because of so-called mercy? This is not mercy, but hypocrisy. I think they should be punished according to their crimes. Some time ago, the sect master asked us to find out the details of those people in the Zuo family. I guess this was his intention."
Gu Fuyou remained silent. He raised his eyelids lazily and glanced at the man.
The head of a family shouted angrily, "You all are so kindhearted, but have you forgotten what the Zuo family did to us? Let them go? Ask the undead under their command whether they agree or not. How many people in the Zuo family are clean? No white lotus can grow in this muddy water. They are all stinking devils and should all be executed!"
"Killing everyone is not what a cultivator should do!"
"Good will be rewarded with good, evil will be punished with evil, the guilty should be punished, and the innocent should not be implicated. This is justice!"
"If you don't remove the roots, when the Zuo family makes a comeback, you must remember that you helped them fight back!"
Gu Fuyou started the argument and the people below started to make a mess. Gradually, everyone forgot the caution they had come with and the resolution to not talk or do much.
There were three factions in their stance. All of them were let off and punished according to their crimes, leaving no one alive.
"Since everyone is so insightful." Gu Fuyou spoke softly, but she suppressed all the voices. Everyone fell silent and looked at her. She said, "Why not take those people from the Zuo family back and deal with them as you wish."
"Including those who have fled, there are about a hundred people. Divide them among yourselves, and each of you should take two or three people."
"… "
Everyone was puzzled by her thoughts, "Sect Master..."
Some people came back to their senses. If it was true as the rumor said, the person in front of them was Gu Fuyou's soul, and the Gu family was wiped out, she should hate the Zuo family the most, and let everyone in the Zuo family die in pain. But she sent the person to them.
Gu Fuyou's eyes swept over them one by one, "You can let them go out of kindness, punish them according to their crimes, or even kill them with a sword, it's all up to you."
"this… "
"Not willing?"
Someone couldn't wait and stepped forward to express his gratitude with burning eyes, "Thank you for the reward, Sect Master!" As soon as Gu Fuyou saw him, he knew that the person was someone who had a deep grudge against the Zuo family.
Someone took the lead, and the rest said, "Thank you for the reward, Sect Master."
Gu Fuyou handed the leather scroll to Xiao Zhongting who was standing at the bottom of the stairs, "Everyone, go and get the people from City Lord Xiao."
Xiao Zhongting would destroy the spiritual roots of those in the Zuo family, and separate those members of the Zuo family who had grudges against each other from the heads of the aristocratic families.
Those members of the Zuo family would be subjected to a long period of humiliation and torture if they went there. Very good, they should also experience the pain of life.
She raised her chin, glanced at her red eyes and smiled. When she had free time, she would go and see it.
There was no need to do it myself, they would still receive retribution, and they would suffer a fate worse than death, so I didn't have to bear the heavy burden on my heart. Zhong Michu was also satisfied, she didn't touch them at all.
Excellent.
It was like I had finally gotten rid of a worry, and I felt so light.
A family head said, "Master, are you going to take the people away now?" The tone of his voice made it sound like Gu Fuyou was trying to chase the guests away.
"Why, does the Patriarch have something else to do?"
The person standing next to him continued, "Indeed... I have something to ask you, Sect Master. In the past, all the major families with spiritual veins under their jurisdiction paid tribute of 15 million to 8 million spiritual stones every year, depending on the length of the spiritual veins and the size of the cities. Those without spiritual veins paid tribute of 5 million to 1 million spiritual stones. I would like to ask Sect Master, is it still the same?"
One million spirit stones can provide all the cultivators in a small sect with the spiritual power they need for one year of cultivation.
Gu Fuyou sighed in his heart, it was no wonder that the spiritual veins in Nanzhou were depleted so quickly given the Zuo family's exploitativeness.
"No need to offer tribute, just take care of yourselves." The tone of his voice made it sound like he felt sorry for them and couldn't bear to exploit them for those few spirit stones.
Everyone was stunned, as if they couldn't believe what they heard. Not only in Nanzhou, but all five continents and four seas have the rule of offering spirit stones. It has been tens of thousands of years, and everyone almost thinks it is the law of nature.
Gu Fuyou's words seemed to tell them that the sun did not need to rise today.
Before they came, they never thought that they would not have to pay tribute. Some of them even discussed privately, and wanted to cry poor and pitiful to Gu Fuyou to see if they could reduce some spirit stones. In the end, not a single spirit stone was used, so naturally they were left alone.
Gu Fuyou remembered something and said, "The spiritual veins of Nanzhou have begun to dry up. It's all because of the Zuo family's over-exploitation. The spiritual veins also need to recuperate. In recent years, you should try to mine less spiritual mines."
Gu Fuyou looked at the quietness below and asked again, "Is there anything else?"
Finally, one of the clan heads came to his senses and said hurriedly, "The three clans are asking the clan leader to give an explanation on the grounds that the Northern Continent Immortal Sect was destroyed. Otherwise, they will probably send a large army to attack."
“I think those people just made up a crime at random. They want to take advantage of the fact that we in Nanzhou have not yet recovered from the war and annex us.” Not knowing whether it was because they shared the same honor and disgrace, or because Gu Fuyou’s words that there was no need to pay tribute were so convincing, this person spoke completely on Gu Fuyou’s side.
"Master, what do you think we should do? Even if we fight them, we are not necessarily afraid of them." He said this in a very tough manner. Even if they cannot defeat them, there is still a Dragon King.
"Hmm..." Gu Fuyou looked at Mr. Zhai. Mr. Zhai shook his head slightly at her.
Gu Fuyou pondered, what would his father and brother do, what would they do...
Indeed, it was not a wise move for Nanzhou to fight against the three sects when he had not yet adjusted himself and was seriously injured. This was exactly what Du Pan wanted.
Gu Fuyou asked, "Is there any family head with good eloquence? Would you be willing to go to Northern Continent as my envoy?"
A man stepped out, pushed his hands forward, and bowed, "I am willing to go. I wonder if the sect leader wants peace or war?" He looked young.
Gu Fuyou said: "Just drag it out with them for as long as possible."
"There is one thing you need to know. If you go on a diplomatic mission, you might be taken hostage by them." The danger is self-evident.
"Don't be afraid." The young man's eyes were scorching. "I am willing to sacrifice myself for the wise master."
Gu Fuyou's heart skipped a beat. If it weren't for the slave contract, there would be someone willing to give up his dignity and go through fire and water for her.
She felt the admiration of others, and tears welled up in her eyes, and blood welled up in her chest. Long, long ago, the people loved her father. Her father had the glory of a leader, which made people willing to fight for him.
She was also proud of him and very envious.
It turns out this is what it feels like to be loved.
Gu Fuyou cleared his throat and pretended to be serious, "You guys go down."
The three major events had been described, but there were still many minor matters that everyone had not had time to speak of. However, Gu Fuyou had already spoken, so everyone had to leave.
Everyone left one after another. Gu Fuyou suddenly caught a glimpse of someone from the corner of his eye. His eyes flashed and he walked over quickly.
The man had already turned around, and Gu Fuyou called out, "Yuansheng, stay a step."
Yuan Changsui's face turned pale, his body stiffened, and he didn't dare to look back.
This person was Gu Fuyou's classmate, and later became his fellow student. He had embarrassed and teased Gu Fuyou many times.
Yuan Changsui's talent was not bad, and he had his merits in being selected into Xuanmiao Sect. He reached the Nascent Soul stage and lived for seven hundred years. Although his appearance showed some traces of time, it remained basically unchanged. He stood in the corner before because he was afraid of being recognized by Gu Fuyou. Regardless of whether the rumors were true or not, he did not dare to face Gu Fuyou directly, fearing that Gu Fuyou would retaliate against him for what happened in the past.
Although those things happened in his youth, Yuan Changsui would recall them one by one because of those rumors, and he could not rest day or night.
Gu Fuyou walked around to Yuan Changsui and asked, "Don't you recognize me?"
After that, he touched his face and smiled, "Indeed, it would be strange if you recognized me."
Yuan Changsui half-knelt on the ground, swallowed hard, and called out: "Master..."
Gu Fuyou chuckled and said, "I call you Yuansheng, but you don't dare to call me Gu San."
"I dare not." Yuan Changsui's forehead was covered with cold sweat. "At that time, I was young, vain and rebellious, and did many ignorant things."
Gu Fuyou squatted in front of him, "Don't you think it's unfair? That little girl who was so far behind you back then has now ascended to heaven in one step."
Yuan Changsui's face turned even paler, and he was speechless. Gu Fuyou, however, was happy to himself, "I also think it's unfair."
Gu Fuyou hugged his legs. Seeing that he was frightened like this, a smile spread in his bloodshot eyes. It was evil and teasing. "Go ahead."
Yuan Changsui felt as if he had been pardoned and quickly stood up and took his leave.
"Nowadays, I rarely meet fellow disciples. If you have time, please come to the Thirty-Third Heaven to talk to me."
The man shuddered and said, "Yes," and quickly retreated.
Mr. Zhai looked at the man and asked, "Who is this? He seems to be very afraid of you, as if he is afraid that you will eat him."
Gu Fuyou stood up and said, "You can say she is my childhood sweetheart."
"Um?!"
Gu Fuyou smiled and said, "She has been teasing me since I was little. After I entered Xuanmiao Sect, we became fellow disciples. One time during class, she used a spirit beast to catch me and I almost died. If it wasn't for my senior sister helping me..."
The more Gu Fuyou talked, the more interested he became. "Oh, I want to go tell Zhong Michu that I ran into Yuan Changsui today. I want to see if she still remembers him."
He raised his foot, as if he was going to meet her, but then he remembered that Zhong Michu was in the East China Sea.
Gu Fuyou sighed tenderly, wanting to tell Zhong Michu how she felt when someone was willing to go through fire and water for her, and wanted to tell her that she had played a trick on Yuan Changsui. Only she knew these things, and only she would understand.
"I really want to see Zhong Michu."