The girl's name was Gu Yunyou, and among the younger generation of the Gu Clan, her strength was considered exceptional.
With her striking beauty and formidable power, she had no shortage of admirers.
Though she couldn't compare to Xun'er, ever since Xun'er had left the clan, Gu Yunyou had become something of a little goddess among the younger disciples.
But her heart had always belonged to one person—Gu Fei, the undisputed leader of the Gu Clan's younger generation.
She had loved him for years, long before he had ever made that fateful request to the Patriarch—to marry Xun'er.
Every night, Gu Yunyou would lie awake, tormented by the same question—Why wasn't I enough?
Xun'er had left the clan early, while she had grown up beside Gu Fei. Shared laughter, whispered secrets, countless memories—shouldn't that have meant something?
And yet, even after Gu Fei married Xun'er, Gu Yunyou couldn't stay away. Night after night, she found herself drawn to this place, reliving the past in silence.
Gu Fei was extraordinary—how could she ever let him go?
Tonight, when she saw him again, he seemed even stronger than before. His aura was unfathomable, his future impossible to predict.
Gu Fei was absorbed in studying his system panel, unaware of her presence. Gu Yunyou propped her chin on her hands, watching him in secret—until, without realizing it, she lost herself in the sight of him.
Her cheeks burned. Her breath hitched.
Gu Fei's senses sharpened instantly.
"WHO'S THERE?!"
His gaze snapped toward the disturbance—only to land on the familiar face of his childhood companion, Gu Yunyou.
Gu Yunyou flinched, her heart lurching. Had he noticed her watching him all these nights?
[Emotion Detected: Gu Yunyou – Panic. Emotional Value +3.]
Desperate to hide her embarrassment, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind—
"B-Brother Gu Fei… why aren't you with Xun'er?"
Her voice trembled.
But something was different.
The moment Xun'er's name left her lips, Gu Yunyou expected to see that familiar softness in Gu Fei's eyes—the warmth that always appeared when he spoke of his wife.
Instead, his expression remained cold. Distant. As if Xun'er were nothing more than a stranger.
"I don't need to be with her."
Gu Yunyou's pulse stuttered.
"D-Don't need to…?"
A strange emotion flickered in her chest. Without thinking, she pressed further—
"W-What do you mean?"
Gu Fei met her gaze, his voice steady.
"Xun'er and I are getting a divorce."
Gu Yunyou's breath caught.
[Emotion Detected: Gu Yunyou – Anticipation. Emotional Value +5.]
The system's prompt flashed in Gu Fei's mind.
He studied her flushed face, the hope flickering in her eyes—and realization struck.
Was she… happy about this?
Did she—
Before he could speak, a sharp, furious voice cut through the night.
"I WON'T DIVORCE YOU!"
Both Gu Fei and Gu Yunyou turned toward the sound.
There, standing at the entrance of the courtyard, was Xun'er—her eyes blazing with fury.
[Emotion Detected: Xun'er – Rage. Emotional Value +100.]
Her glare locked onto Gu Yunyou, hostility radiating from her like heat from a forge.
Gu Yunyou instinctively stepped back, her gaze darting to Gu Fei for help.
Xun'er saw the motion—and her temper flared hotter.
"WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?"
Gu Fei's voice was cold as ice.
"You have someone else in your heart, yet you still dare to cling to me?" His words dripped with disgust. "Do you take me for a fool?"
Xun'er's lips pressed into a thin line. She couldn't deny her mistakes—but that didn't mean she would tolerate this.
If she hadn't come, would Gu Fei have—
"Then what are you doing with her?" Xun'er snapped, her voice trembling. "If I hadn't shown up, would you have already replaced me?"
Her imagination ran wild, feeding her fury.
Yes, she cared for Xiao Yan—but that didn't mean Gu Fei could turn to Gu Yunyou!
[Emotion Detected: Xun'er – Rage. Emotional Value +100.]
Xun'er's nails dug into her palms as she spat out the words festering in her heart.
"Is she the reason you want a divorce?"
Gu Fei looked at her—really looked at her—and felt nothing but exhaustion.
Xun'er was as beautiful as ever, grace and elegance woven into her every movement.
But she wasn't the girl he once knew.
"Gu Xun'er," he said quietly, "is that really what you think of me?"
"I've known Yunyou since childhood. If I cared for her like that, wouldn't I have married her instead?"
His voice hardened.
"You know exactly why I want this divorce."
Xun'er's eyes burned, but she refused to look away.
She wasn't blind. She had seen the way Gu Yunyou looked at Gu Fei for years.
Before, it hadn't mattered—Gu Fei had never given other women a second glance.
But now?
Now, he was hers. Even if she didn't love him, she wouldn't let some upstart steal him away!
"Do you really want to end this?" she demanded.
Gu Fei's laugh was bitter.
"What else is there to say? Should I stand by and watch you give everything I've given you—to him?"
Xun'er's defiance wavered. Shame flickered across her face.
[Emotion Detected: Xun'er – Shame. Emotional Value +80.]
Behind Gu Fei, Gu Yunyou stood frozen, absorbing every word.
So that was why he wanted a divorce.
Xun'er had betrayed him.
Gu Fei had no interest in continuing this farce. His gaze turned toward the darkened horizon.
"It's late," he said flatly. "Both of you—leave."
Xun'er's eyes widened.
He was dismissing her?
But Gu Fei's expression brooked no argument. With no other choice, Xun'er and Gu Yunyou descended the mountain in tense silence.
Alone at last, Gu Fei returned to his quarters.
He didn't dwell on the night's events. Instead, he pulled up his system panel and cultivated tirelessly until dawn.
The next morning, Gu Fei went directly to a hall deep within the Gu Clan.
He hadn't slept all night, and his thoughts about Xun'er were now settled.
If half a year of devotion couldn't win her heart…
Then it's time to let go.
It was ironic—he had been the one to propose this marriage to Gu Yuan.
Now, he would be the one to end it.
A bitter smile crossed his lips before he pushed the thought aside. At least last night's emotional outbursts had given him a decent harvest of emotional value.
Gu Fei waited in the grand hall, the air thick with silence.
Then—without warning—a figure materialized in the Patriarch's seat.
A man in plain linen robes, appearing no different from an ordinary middle-aged scholar.
Yet his presence alone made the space around him tremble.
Gu Yuan.
Nine-Star Dou Saint. Late Stage.
A being who stood at the absolute peak in an era without Dou Emperors.
His gaze settled on Gu Fei, assessing.
As the Patriarch, he held great pride in Gu Fei's strength and leadership.
As Xun'er's father, he had once approved of this marriage.
Gu Fei felt the weight of that gaze—like the pressure of an entire mountain pressing down on him.
But he didn't falter.
He had made his decision.
"Patriarch," Gu Fei greeted, bowing respectfully.
Gu Yuan nodded slightly. "You've grown stronger."
A pause.
"But you're not here for my praise, are you?"