Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

Afterward, Xu Qinge forced a smile onto her face and said, "Your Second Uncle had something to do today; he's out drinking with his colleagues. He mentioned that he might be assigned a task and won't be returning for a few days."

Xu Qinge was determined not to let Gu Chen know about this matter; she decided to keep it from him for as long as possible, not wanting Gu Chen to get involved in this messy situation.

"Eldest Young Master, why didn't you notify us in advance of your return? I would have had the kitchen prepare some good dishes."

As Xu Qinge spoke, she turned her head to a servant and said, "Xiao Yu, go tell the kitchen that the Eldest Young Master has returned, have them prepare some fine dishes."

"Yes, Madam."

The lowly kneeling maid responded and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes as she turned, scurrying off toward the kitchen.

Gu Chen sensed something was amiss. After entering the room and sitting down, he saw his aunt and sister with red eyes; his eyebrows knitted together, he inquired, "Has something happened at home?"

Xu Qinge laughed awkwardly and said, "Everything is fine at home. What could have possibly happened? Just now, Qinyan and I were reminiscing about the past and got a bit sentimental; it's nothing."

Gu Chen turned his head, looked at his sister Gu Qingyan, and upon seeing him, she quickly nodded.

Gu Chen remained silent. He surveyed the room and noticed that many pieces of furniture were damaged and that many things were missing.

"Where is Second Uncle's favorite porcelain piece? Why is it missing?"

Gu Chen pointed to a spot where there used to be a porcelain piece that Gu Chengfeng had acquired at great expense, purportedly an antique from a previous dynasty. Its authenticity was uncertain, but Gu Chengfeng always cherished it, always keeping it there and wiping it several times a day.

Xu Qinge was startled at first; then she hurriedly replied, "As you know, Xiao Yu can be quite clumsy sometimes. She accidentally broke that porcelain piece."

Upon hearing this, Gu Chen's gaze turned toward the maid who had just returned from the kitchen.

Xiao Yu's face became tense at once, and after hemming and hawing, she ultimately could only nod, taking the blame upon herself.

Gu Chen turned his head again to look at Gu Qingyan, and said solemnly, "Qinyan, tell me, has something happened at home?"

"Nothing has happened, Big Brother; everything is as usual at home. What could have happened?" Gu Qingyan's fair complexion and bright eyes forced an unconvincing smile.

Gu Chen wasn't a fool. He could see that everyone was deliberately hiding something, and considering that his Second Uncle had not returned home, he immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Did something happen to Second Uncle?"

A flash of panic appeared in Xu Qinge's eyes, as she said, "Eldest Young Master, don't think nonsense. What could possibly happen to your Second Uncle..."

Before Xu Qinge could finish speaking, Gu Chen interjected, "Auntie, we are a family; if something has happened, we must come clean. We will face it together; don't hide it from me. If anything really happened to Second Uncle because of this, I will regret it for the rest of my life."

Seeing Gu Chen's serious expression and intense gaze, Xu Qinge opened her mouth but could no longer speak the words she had intended to conceal.

"Qinyan, you tell me."

Gu Chen's gaze fell on Gu Qingyan; his eyebrows furrowed as he said, "Don't hide anything; tell me everything that happened. No matter what it is, I will find a solution. If we delay any longer, it may truly be too late."

Upon hearing these words, Gu Qingyan couldn't hold back any longer. Her eyes reddened, and tears rolled down as she cried, "Big Brother, our father, he..."

Then, Gu Qingyan recounted the entire affair to Gu Chen without leaving anything out.

After hearing the full story from Gu Qingyan, Gu Chen flew into a rage; he stood up abruptly, a surge of anger welling up within him. His fists clenched tightly, his expression was cold and fierce, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

Seeing his reaction, Xu Qinge was startled and, worried that Gu Chen would act impulsively, said hastily, "Eldest Young Master, you must not act rashly, or else you'll fall right into their trap."

Gu Chen took a deep breath to calm his volatile emotions and sat back down, "Auntie, rest assured, I will not rush directly to the Mingjing Department to save him."

Relieved by his words, Xu Qinge sighed heavily. She was really afraid Gu Chen, with his stubborn temper, would charge straight into the Mingjing Department without a second thought.

In fact, if it were the original master, he probably would have done such a thing, for the original master placed Gu Chengfeng on the same pedestal as his father. Now that Gu Chengfeng was in trouble, the original master would unquestionably be blinded by rage and would barge into the Mingjing Department.

But Gu Chen wouldn't do that. Although his heart was filled to the brim with anger at the moment, he wouldn't allow his emotions to control him. Instead, he calmly analyzed the situation to find a solution.

"After all, this matter arose because of me. Rest assured, I will find a way to save Second Uncle and bring him back," said Gu Chen.

"Eldest Young Master, it's not your fault; you're not to blame," said Xu Qinge, speaking hurriedly.

"Big Brother, do you really have a way to save Father?" Gu Qingyan looked at Gu Chen with tearful eyes.

Gu Chen, with a grave expression, nodded and said, "Rest assured, I will definitely bring Second Uncle back."

"There's no time to lose; I'm leaving now. Auntie, Qinyan, be at ease and wait for my news at home," said Gu Chen as he got up to leave.

"Eldest Young Master, be careful in everything," Xu Qinge said, her eyes filled with worry as she watched Gu Chen leave.

"Rest assured, Auntie."

After speaking those words, Gu Chen left the Gu Mansion. He looked up at the sky, found a carriage, and rushed toward the inner city as quickly as possible.

The only person Gu Chen could think of who might save his Second Uncle Gu Chengfeng was Zhou Qing.

Soon, Gu Chen entered the inner city and arrived once again at the gates of the Zhou residence.

"Please announce my arrival. Tell them Gu Chen seeks an urgent audience," Gu Chen said to the two guards at the gate, giving them a bow.

One guard hesitated and then said, "Lord Zhou is currently resting."

Gu Chen spoke with urgency in his voice, "This matter is of utmost urgency, a matter of life and death. I implore you, brothers, to accommodate and report to Lord Zhou at once."

The two guards hesitated for a moment, exchanged looks, then nodded.

This was mainly because Gu Chen had recently visited, and the guards remembered him. If some commoner had approached wanting to see Zhou Qing for no legitimate reason, these guards definitely would not have agreed to report it. But since Gu Chen had already met with Zhou Qing before, the guards agreed to let one of them go in and report.

After a while, as Gu Chen was growing anxious, the guard who had gone to report finally returned.

"Please."

"Thank you!"

Gu Chen expressed his gratitude with a bow and entered the Zhou residence. Led by the guard, he arrived at the hall where he had previously met with Zhou Qing and saw him once again.

This time, before Zhou Qing could speak, Gu Chen took the initiative to bow and said in a serious tone, "I implore Lord Zhou to save my Second Uncle's life."