Concealed weapon

"Y-You... Are you truly a B-grade talent?" Chi Lian asked, his voice strained, words barely escaping his lips. His trembling hands clutched tightly onto the youth in front of him. It took all of his experience and self-control to prevent himself from shouting.

"Indeed, esteemed Elder, this is the truth I have been hiding from you during this past week. I hope that the esteemed Elder can find it within his heart to forgive me for my transgressions"

Qin spoke politely, but his demeanor was far from humble. He realized that acting as a timid servant now would only increase the old man's wariness toward him.

"...Before seeking forgiveness, explain the reason for your actions...Gu Yue Qin" the elder's voice held a measured tone, his demeanor now more composed. The initial surprise had subsided, allowing for more focused contemplation. His age and status weren't merely for show. His eyes flickered with a myriad of thoughts. Suddenly, Qin's seemingly erratic actions started to make some sense to him, as if pieces of a puzzle were aligning. And even though he asked for an explanation, he would take Qin's words with a grain of salt, for he knew that trusting someone who had recently deceived him would be foolish beyond measure.

"Esteemed Elder, I can swear upon my very life that my intentions were pure..." At these words, Chi Lian had to suppress the urge to snort.

'If your intentions were so pure, why did you slither like a snake in the grass, allowing people to boss you around despite having this talent? Aren't you just a viper ready to strike?' Chi Lian thought angrily, but he swiftly recognized the fallacy of his judgment under the influence of his emotions.

'Alas, what viper would willingly exit its hole and expose itself? That's giving up one's advantage, offering up one's life...there must be something else to the matter...' Chi Lian pondered, his thoughts swirling like leaves in the wind, searching for the hidden truth within Qin's actions.

As Chi Lian's thoughts raced, Gu Yue Qin's voice continued to echo in the dim silence of the room.

"I can also swear that I have not revealed this secret to anyone else...."

At these words, despite his lingering skepticism, Chi Lian couldn't help but suppress a small smile. It was precisely the assurance he was seeking from Qin, and if proven true, it would make Qin's true intentions as clear as daylight to someone as seasoned as Chi Lian.

'If he isn't working against my Chi family as I presumed... Then he seeks our backing!' The realization reverberated within Chi Lian's mind, growing more resolute as he thought about further evidence aligning with this thought.

'Despite having a peak B-grade talent, It can't be forgotten that he is also an orphan. There are dogs in the streets with more backing than he has...This boy understood his need for resources and decided to try and use my Chi family to compensate for his poverty...but I already understood this fact from the moment I laid eyes on him for the first time 7 days ago...but that was before he revealed his talent!'

Chi Lian sensed he was close to unraveling the boy's intentions.

'By the manner in which he addresses me, it appears he's not keen on further offending me... and with his earlier mention of delivering good news, it suggests his aim is to continue his association with my Chi Family in exchange for resources...'

For someone like Chi Lian, whose family had failed to produce a B-grade talent and resorted to perilous methods to fake his grandson's abilities, this was a blessing from the heavens! Not only did a youth with the potential to become a rank 4 Gu master suddenly appear, but the greatest boon, if Qin's words were to be believed, was the fact that nobody else knew of his B-grade talent!

A hidden blade is much more dangerous than one flaunted in one's hand, and this applies to humans too! Having such an advantage over his political competitors was simply unfair! This was the reason why all the youths of the clan were forced to attend the awakening ceremony together, specifically to prevent the elders from nurturing their talent in secret while deceiving everyone else.

'But now such an opportunity has come directly to my doorstep!' A joyous voice echoed in Chi Lian's mind, urging him to burst into laughter with delight, yet he swiftly suppressed it!

Considering the situation from a purely profit-driven perspective, this seemed too good to be true, and as life had taught him, such prospects were often illusory, mere deceptions for the stupid and the reckless.

He concealed any hint of joy from showing on his face and maintained a penetrating gaze into Qin's serene eyes, pondering his next words.

'The greatest boon from this situation comes from this B-grade talent who willingly submits to my Chi Family... and this boon is even greater when one considers the hidden status of this B-grade. However...this boy is too crafty! Too ambitious! Too dangerous!' Chi Lian thought as he observed the calm demeanor of Qin, patiently waiting for him to put his thoughts in order.

Chi Lian would admit with no shame that if it was him at 15 years old standing in such a position, under the fiery gaze of a rank 3 Gu master, let alone looking unfettered, he might have even fainted from the stress. However, Qin appeared entirely unaffected by the weight of the situation...

Finally, after a few breaths of silence, Chi Lian's elderly voice, deep and resonant, filled the room with its weight. 

"Gu Yue Qin, you still did not answer my question. Why did you hide your talent during the awakening ceremony?... And don't you dare lie to me, boy..." 

The threat was clear as day to see, and Qin's facade of indifference seemed to finally crack a tiny bit, with his obsidian-black eyes widening ever so slightly, betraying a hint of unease.

"Well...My grandfather always used to say that the most dangerous are not the thieves that come running towards you with their blades unsheathed, but those that pretend to be farmers before stabbing you in the back." He paused as if recalling a tale he had heard many times in the past

"They would blend into the fields, tilling the soil by day and plotting at night, waiting for the unsuspecting to let down their guard...I am not knowledgeable about cultivation, but I believed that keeping my talent hidden would benefit whomever I chose to serve..."

"Hmm, that is deep wisdom coming from your grandfather," Chi Lian spoke dismissively, not really believing such words to be spoken by a mere mortal. However, what he didn't expect was an even greater crack appearing on Qin's uncaring mask. His ever-present smile was completely wiped away, replaced by a furrowed brow and a slight trembling of the lips, betraying a vulnerability that Chi Lian hadn't seen before.

"Indeed... he was a great man," Qin's voice quivered slightly, carrying a hint of emotion. His gaze seemed to grow distant as if he were peering into a scene from the past, illuminated by the flickering flames of memory. "But he got devoured by wolves during the last beast tide... along with my father, my mother, my brother, and my sister." As the words flowed from his lips, Qin's eyes reddened, a storm brewing beneath their surface. His jaw clenched with a fierce determination, yet no tears betrayed the turmoil within.

Chi Lian observed the scene with a hint of pity, yet his gaze never ceased scanning Qin's expression, intently searching for any trace of deception but finding only genuine sorrow... and beneath it, a simmering hatred.

Qin's teeth clenched tightly, breaking him out of his reverie. Where his eyes had been calm and tranquil before, akin to a serene lake, they now churned like a raging sea. It was evident that he struggled to contain his emotions, the turmoil within threatening to overflow.

"That was the day I swore that I would not rest until all the wolves on Qing Mao Mountain are eradicated...but I am not suicidal, nor am I unaware of my limits..."

Qin's once turbulent emotions appeared to have subsided, yet the warmth of his earlier smile remained absent. Instead, he regarded the old man before him with an intense, fiery gaze.

"I lack an A-grade talent like Fang Zheng's, so I understood that my only path to realizing my dream required sacrifice. Pouring my primeval essence out of my aperture during the awakening ceremony to feign having a C-grade talent, seeking Chi Chen's permission to serve the Chi Family, and hiding my talent until this moment...these actions were all part of my strategy. My aim? To elevate myself into a more valuable asset...one I'm prepared to exchange for strength."

Qin's words weren't loud but they were filled with conviction as he stared deeply into the elder's eyes, and with a voice that conveyed unyielding resolve, he declared.

"I, Gu Yue Qin, do not dream of status, wealth, or companionship. What I crave above all is strength. Strength to avenge my family. For this purpose, I am prepared to sacrifice my freedom, my future, and even my life for the Chi Family..."

At this, for the first time during the entire conversation, a genuine smile graced the elder's weathered face. As he observed Qin's resolute expression, a flicker of hope ignited within him, convincing him that the heavens had indeed bestowed upon his Chi Family a formidable pawn.

And if one were to peer through the tapestry of existence, where reality intertwined with possibility, one would see the ongoing struggle of fate's threads attempting to ensnare Qin's body. Yet, as always, these golden threads found themselves absorbed by the Gu serving as his soul. Amidst this cosmic dance, Qin's luck quietly grew, slowly, yet steadily.