Chapter Sixty-Two: Penniless

“Auntie, good morning!”

Just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Gu Weiyu heard movement outside and guessed that Mrs. Niu and the others had risen. She, too, stepped out of her room and immediately ran into Mrs. Niu.

Mrs. Niu paused in surprise. “It’s still early. Xiaoyu, why don’t you sleep a bit longer?”

Gu Weiyu smiled sheepishly. “I couldn’t fall back asleep…”

Mrs. Niu assumed she simply wasn’t used to the bed and didn’t think much of it, turning to make her way toward the kitchen.

Gu Weiyu hesitated for a moment but followed after her. Back in Qingshan Village, she’d often helped Qin Shi with chores, so she naturally walked over. “Auntie, is there anything I can help you with?”

This time, Mrs. Niu was genuinely surprised. Men were not supposed to step into the kitchen, and she certainly hadn’t expected Gu Weiyu to follow her in.

“You’re a boy—what are you doing in here getting in the way? Go out and play.” Mrs. Niu waved her off.

Gu Weiyu hesitated at her words but stayed by Mrs. Niu’s side. “Auntie, there’s something I’d like to ask you for.”

As Mrs. Niu kneaded dough, she replied offhandedly, “What is it?”

“Auntie, do you have any of Tiger’s old clothes or shoes he’s outgrown? I’d like to exchange a set with you for some silver.” Remembering what Mrs. Niu had said the night before, Gu Weiyu felt it necessary to change into a different outfit.

Though Tiger was about her age, he was half a head taller and sturdier, so she wanted his old clothes and shoes.

“Tiger’s old clothes?” Mrs. Niu suddenly recalled what Gu Weiyu had said yesterday, feeling a bit uneasy. “Why do you suddenly need a change of clothes?”

“Auntie, I’ve been wearing these for several days now…” Sensing Mrs. Niu’s discomfort, Gu Weiyu deliberately made a face of distaste.

Mrs. Niu relaxed, secretly thinking Gu Weiyu was being fussy, but said aloud, “I’ve kept Tiger’s clothes from last year. Wait here, I’ll fetch them for you.”

Before long, Mrs. Niu returned with a patched set of old clothes and a pair of shoes with a hole in the toe. “Here, it’s all here.”

Gu Weiyu tried them on for size. They fit perfectly and were very clean. “Auntie, here’s the silver for you.”

Mrs. Niu glanced at the silver in Gu Weiyu’s hand—three or four taels at least—and shook her head. “It’s just some old clothes, hardly worth so much.”

Without another word, Mrs. Niu returned to kneading dough. Gu Weiyu quietly left the silver on the kitchen counter. “Auntie, I’m leaving now.”

Leaving? Mrs. Niu stopped, looked up, but the kitchen was already empty.

She assumed Gu Weiyu had left the kitchen to play, but when she looked down, she saw the silver by the counter.

Mrs. Niu picked up the silver and hurried out, just as Wang Wu came in from washing up. He looked at his wife’s flour-covered hands in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

“Did you see Xiaoyu just now?” Mrs. Niu asked urgently.

Xiaoyu? Wang Wu shook his head in bewilderment. The two of them searched the house, but there was no sign of Gu Weiyu anywhere.

Had she… truly left?

Without mentioning the ripples Gu Weiyu’s departure cast over the peaceful Wang family, Gu Weiyu set out directly for Danyang City.

She was now dressed in Tiger’s old patched clothes and wore the shoes with holes that exposed her toes. Her hair was gathered into a messy knot, secured by a makeshift bamboo hairpin she’d carved along the way.

At a glance, she was dusty and disheveled—completely changed from the day before, and entirely unremarkable.

Still, upon closer inspection, one might notice something off. After all, she was already at the seventh level of Qi Refining; her bearing was markedly different from an ordinary mortal.

On the road, Gu Weiyu dared not let Qingtuan emerge, nor did she reveal her storage pouch, which she kept hidden close to her chest. She simply used Gale Step to hurry along.

A hundred miles was a daunting distance for mortals, but nothing to a cultivator.

Gu Weiyu left Wang Village at dawn and reached the outskirts of Danyang City by late morning.

Standing atop a hillside, she gazed at Danyang City sprawled below—a mighty dragon lying between heaven and earth, even grander than Qin County.

She exhaled, descended the slope, and merged with the flow of people heading into the city.

Surveying the line, she noticed that everyone wore bright, flowing robes with the air of immortals. Looking down at herself, she fell silent.

Orz… Had she overdone her disguise?

There was an upside: no one paid her any attention, which meant she was quite safe.

Gu Weiyu hesitated, wondering if she should change clothes and queue up again, when a voice called out from behind.

“Hey, are you alone?”

She turned to see a white-robed youth queuing behind her, smiling amiably.

“Yes,” Gu Weiyu nodded slightly, not inclined to say more.

“What a coincidence, so am I. I’m Chu Liuxing. What’s your name?” the youth continued cheerfully.

Chu Liuxing? Gu Weiyu’s brow furrowed. For no particular reason, she felt an inexplicable aversion—she disliked anyone named Chu!

This time, she didn’t even bother to turn her head. “Hu Xiaoyu,” she replied coolly.

Perhaps waiting in line was simply too dull, or perhaps the youth was naturally chatty. Despite Gu Weiyu’s taciturn responses, he kept talking to himself.

Still, Gu Weiyu gleaned quite a bit of information from his rambling.

For instance, Danyang City was named after the Danyang Sect, whose sphere of influence it was. Years ago, Danyang City was just a small market outside the sect, but as more cultivators gathered, it expanded into its present size.

Also, every entrant to the city had to pay three spirit pearls, and after dusk, no one could linger in the markets or streets unless they’d found lodging or someone willing to take them in. Otherwise, they would be driven out of the city.

Gu Weiyu was secretly amazed—three spirit pearls just to get in? Did that mean everything in the city cost spirit stones as well?

She couldn’t help but worry about her future. Back at the Gu residence, she’d never had to think about food or shelter.

Now, her purse was pitifully light. Whether it was meals or lodging, everything required spirit stones. She had only about twenty left—just thinking about it made her anxious!

Chu Liuxing’s favorite topic, however, was his own background. He bragged about being a second-generation cultivator for nearly half an hour, making her ears ache.

She even suspected that Chu Liuxing had struck up conversation with her solely to boast of his own “noble” birth—that was his ultimate aim.

Gu Weiyu felt nothing but scorn. She herself was a cultivator of the nth generation! Her family had produced an ancestor in the Nascent Soul stage—just mentioning it would scare him to death!

Of course, she kept these thoughts to herself.

At last, it was Gu Weiyu’s turn at the head of the line. She swiftly handed over her three spirit pearls and slipped away in a flash.

“Hey, brother—I wasn’t finished talking!” Chu Liuxing’s plaintive voice trailed after her.

Gu Weiyu’s feet moved like the wind, carrying her even faster.

“Master Chu, making new friends again?” The gatekeeper, clearly familiar with Chu Liuxing, teased with a grin.