There is nothing here.
Only a weathered, haggard face.
The old man stared at the water and said softly, "You know? These wounds are nothing. Sixty years ago, I suffered even more serious injuries."
"In the battle at South Ladder Fortress on the North Continent, a shell hit half of my body... and just exploded."
Gu Qilin spoke calmly, "I was seriously injured and passed out. In that moment of the explosion, I thought my life was over, and even if I survived, I would only be left with half... After sleeping for three days and nights, I woke up to the doctor’s report that, apart from extensive burns, I had only broken a dozen or so bones."
Gu Shen’s expression was somewhat animated.
Most Transcendents would have died from such injuries... A few, like the "Undead" Song Ci, would also have been severely damaged. Burns are the most painful type of injury, and even with extraordinary healing abilities, one would need to endure a long recovery period, where every minute and second is a torment.
One has to admit that the young Gu Qilin possessed terrifying body repair capabilities.
"I left the hospital in half a month."
Gu Qilin smiled and asked, "Not bad for an old man’s body, huh... When the war reached Luyin City, I eagerly rushed to the front line, and then I was hit by another shell. This time was unluckier than the last; my head nearly came off, and I was laid up for a whole month."
After hearing this, Gu Shen fell completely silent.
He seriously doubted whether Mr. Gu’s ability was "Infinite Scale" or rather "Undead."
"One month later, I rushed to the battlefield again."
Gu Qilin spoke faintly, "Just like that... I can’t count how many artillery shells hit me, how many bullets I took. Amidst gunfire and bullets, I fought until the North Continent Emperor’s War ended. The new Emperor became a good friend of mine, but unfortunately, he wasn’t so lucky in life and died too soon. Not long ago, I was still burning paper money for him."
"While burning paper money, I even mocked the guy, having seen long ago that he wasn’t robust enough to live long."
His voice was somewhat hoarse, "The irony is... it won’t be long before it’s your turn, yours and Nanfeng’s, to burn paper money for me."
In the rippling mirror of the lake, the old man reached out and touched his own cheek.
He was no longer young.
This body, which could once withstand cannon fire in its prime, had also aged.
"Gu Lushen... truly is a bastard," Gu Qilin coughed and said darkly, "If I were ten years younger... I would definitely skin that brat."
After saying this, he paused for a moment in silence, then smiled forlornly, "Maybe ten years isn’t quite enough..."
Gu Qilin couldn’t bear to look at the old self in the mirror of the lake.
The tide of the times pushed him to the pinnacle.
And it also pushed him into the abyss.
It’s an irresistible force, unavoidable by anyone.
He took a deep breath, lifted his head, leaned back in his wheelchair, and sat up straight.
"I’ve always thought that besides fighting, I had only one other strength, and that is my accurate judgment of people."
Gu Qilin looked at Gu Shen and said with a smile, "I set my sights on you, on Gu Nanfeng, on Gu Changzhi... You all will become remarkable people."
"But I also set my sights on Gu Lushen."
Establishing a new faction.
Gu Lushen indeed accomplished many things ordinary people could not.
He stood at the summit of Changye, becoming a leading figure among the three institutes and five great families.
Only, all of this was in opposition to Gu Qilin’s vision.
Moreover, it was diametrically opposed.
"I even thought of... handing the Gu family over to him."
The old man narrowed his eyes slightly, the wrinkles on his forehead deepening. He lit a cigar and slowly exhaled a large puff of smoke, saying with a smile, "What a... foolish act."
He could not say them to others.
And Gu Shen was patient, quietly listening to the old man’s heartaches that had nowhere else to be uttered, his fingers inside his garment, touching the letter, ready to take it out at any moment.
After finishing the cigar, Mr. Gu spoke faintly, "I guess it’s from Gu Changzhi."
(PS: This volume is coming to a close. About the minor details following the mausoleum, I still need to explain them carefully, which may be more subdued, so I will write them as a long Chapter.)