Chapter 545: Our Own Respective Terms

“It was thanks to this Gu King that my cultivation journey advanced so rapidly, allowing me to successfully reach the realm of Profound Mastery despite the scarcity of resources in Nanzhao.”

“However, fortune and misfortune are two sides of the same coin. Starting three years ago, not only did I stop receiving any benefits from the Gu King, but I began to suffer its backlash day and night. My Cultivation stagnated, and I even faced the risk of it regressing.”

Lady Lan’s gaze shifted to Chen Sheng as she continued:

“It wasn’t until Chen Sheng came to the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect that I learned the Gu King is actually one of a pair, born of Yin and Yang. He holds its counterpart, the Yang Gu. A lone Yin cannot create, and a lone Yang cannot thrive. Only through Yin-Yang Convergence, with both Gu united, can our shared affliction be resolved and our powers taken a step further.”

“So… he used that to threaten you?” Ouyang Ke couldn’t help but interject, his tone still laced with indignation.

Lan Yufei slowly shook her head.

“No. At first, Chen Sheng only tried to persuade me, hoping I would hand over the Phoenix Yin Gu King to resolve my predicament. But… Ke’Er, that Gu King has been entwined with my very life force for many years of cultivation. It has practically become part of my Dao Foundation. How could I part with it so easily?”

She glanced at the silent Chen Sheng, then looked back at her son, her voice lowering slightly.

“After weighing my options… I was the one who suggested we become cultivation partners. It’s the only way for the Yin and Yang Gu to coexist harmoniously within our bodies, mutually beneficial, without one having to be forcibly stripped away.”

“But he’s already engaged!”

Ouyang Ke couldn’t help but exclaim.

“I know.”

Lan Yufei’s expression was calm, even holding a hint of frank acceptance.

“That’s why I never coveted the title of his official wife. To have a place of my own, to be his cultivation partner and pursue the Great Dao together… for me, that is already a blessing.”

As if to completely dispel her son’s doubts and hostility, she changed tack slightly, shouldering more of the responsibility herself.

“I should have told you about this sooner. It’s just… when I thought about how you and Chen Sheng are friends, equals of the same generation, I found it difficult to broach the subject. I kept waiting for the right moment to gently break the news. I never imagined you would find out this way…”

“I…”

Ouyang Ke opened his mouth, but his throat was dry. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.

The good news was that his mother hadn’t been coerced. It wasn’t the humiliating situation he had envisioned.

The bad news… was that this was all his mother’s choice. She was even willing to become a secondary wife.

This complete reversal of the truth threw Ouyang Ke’s mind into turmoil, and for a moment, he couldn’t process it.

Worse still, he didn’t know how to face the two people sitting side-by-side before him.

Seeing her son’s crestfallen expression, Lan Yufei felt a pang in her heart, but her tone remained firm.

“Ke’Er, this is the truth. Chen Sheng has not wronged me. On the contrary, ever since we’ve known each other, he has helped me mitigate the Gu’s affliction, and just yesterday, he gave his all to help when the sect’s very survival was at stake. While our relationship involves mutual interests, it is not entirely without affection. You… must not misunderstand him any longer.”

Ouyang Ke was silent for a long time—so long that the very air in the room seemed to stagnate.

Slowly, he lifted his head. With a complex gaze, he looked at Chen Sheng, who had said little, and spoke with difficulty.

“Chen Sheng, you…”

“Ke’Er.”

But Lan Yufei cut him off, her tone both solemn and corrective.

“Now that everything is out in the open, propriety must be observed. He is now… in a way, your elder. You should address him as ‘Uncle Chen.'”

“Uncle… Chen?”

Ouyang Ke’s expression stiffened instantly. He froze on the spot as if struck by an Immobilization Spell.

Those two words were heavier than a mountain, threatening to crush his last shred of resistance.

Seeing this, Chen Sheng just smiled warmly and waved his hand, breaking the tense and awkward atmosphere.

“Ah, Lady Lan, you’re being too serious. What does it matter if I’m an elder or not? Ouyang and I met when we were just starting out and we hit it off. Why be bound by such formalities? From now on, let’s just stick to our own terms. I’ll still call you Ouyang, and whether you call me Chen or Uncle Chen, it’s up to you. Don’t force it.”

Upon hearing this, Lan Yufei’s brow furrowed. She wanted to say that this would throw the generational hierarchy into disarray and was a breach of decorum.

But after a look at Chen Sheng’s gentle but firm gaze, and another at her son’s pale, rigid face that was on the verge of crumbling, she swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue. All that escaped was a nearly inaudible sigh.

Ouyang Ke took a deep breath, as if it took all his strength. He wanted to say something, but his mind was completely blank.

He subconsciously tried to stand, but his body swayed uncontrollably and he nearly stumbled.

Chen Sheng knew the younger man was still struggling to accept the situation. His expression turned serious as he said:

“Ouyang, do not worry. I will treat your mother well.”