In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 99 The Old Man of Heavenly Secrets, Sun Baifa
"The Storyteller Old Man", "Little Red".

The two pieces of information appear unremarkable.

However, the combination of these two pieces of information immediately made Gu Shaoan think of two people.

Immediately, Gu Shaoan shifted his gaze and looked at the old man.

At first glance, the old man seemed unremarkable, with a thin face and a frail body, but his eyes, which should have become cloudy with age, were unusually bright.

When his gaze fell upon the two-foot-long pipe on the table, Gu Shaoan's eyes froze for a moment before he silently looked away.

He moved to Sun Xiaohong in front of him.

The girl in front of me was dressed like an ordinary farm girl, but she had delicate and pretty features, especially her eyes, which looked like two black pearls.

In another two or three years, she will probably be just as beautiful as Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan.

With such an appearance, an ordinary person would simply not walk around outside freely.

Despite his appearance, he still dares to travel around telling stories and performing for money, without showing the slightest fear when facing strangers. If he didn't have some tricks up his sleeve, how could he have such confidence?

All these details had already confirmed Gu Shaoan's suspicions about the grandfather and grandson's identities.

Bai Xiaosheng, the Heavenly Mystery Elder ranked first on the Weapon Ranking, Sun Baifa, and his granddaughter, Sun Xiaohong.

"interesting!"

Gu Shaoan never expected that this trip to Hengshan Sect with Abbess Miejue and others would bring such an unexpected surprise: he would actually meet the legendary number one on the Weapon Ranking, Tianji Laoren, who is rarely seen in the martial arts world.

Fortunately, Bai Xiaosheng's Weapon Ranking only includes one hundred people. Moreover, although it is called a Weapon Ranking, it also takes into account the strength and internal energy attainment of those who are listed, and it does not exclude women or people from the demonic path.

In addition, those listed on the Weapon Ranking are all martial artists whose internal energy cultivation has at least reached the Qi Condensation stage.

Otherwise, if we only consider divine weapons, the Emei Sect's Heaven-Slaying Sword would certainly be on the list.

Once they're on this list, the Emei Sect won't be as peaceful as it is now.

At the same time, Sun Xiaohong was momentarily stunned by Gu Shaoan's overly handsome face, but was brought back to her senses by her grandfather's call of "Xiaohong".

Two blushes instantly rose on her fair cheeks, like ripe apples. She quickly lowered her head, her long eyelashes concealing the panic in her eyes, and her voice carried a hint of shyness: "Thank you, thank you for the reward, young master!"

As she spoke, she held the gong tightly in her hand, the conspicuous silver ingot seemingly burning hot. She turned around quickly, almost in tiny steps, and hurried back to Sun Baifa's side, her hair fluttering gently by her ears with the movement.

"What? Are you blinded by the money, or have you been bewitched?"

Sun Baifa took in the girl's reaction, feeling both amused and moved.

Having lived to such an old age, how could he not understand why his granddaughter lost her composure for that moment?
He lowered his voice and muttered in a tone only his granddaughter could hear, with a hint of teasing and the unique sigh of an old man, "Sigh, my granddaughter's all grown up now."

Before he finished speaking, his gaze subtly drifted towards Gu Shaoan.

Looking at Gu Shaoan's handsome face and outstanding temperament, even Sun Baifa couldn't help but secretly praise him.

He understood why Sun Xiaohong had lost her composure.

"This little boy's appearance and demeanor are almost as good as the old man's when he was young."

Just as Sun Baifa had this slightly shameless thought, he saw Gu Shaoan, who was sitting in the distance, suddenly look in his direction.

Sun Baifa felt a slight chill in his heart. The wrinkles on his face instantly deepened, and he forced out the most common, somewhat obsequious and grateful smile of a commoner. He bowed and kowtowed repeatedly in Gu Shaoan's direction, uttering indistinct words of thanks.

His voice was deliberately slightly hoarse: "Thank you so much for your generous reward, young master! Thank you so much for your generous reward, young master! You truly have the heart of a bodhisattva and the face of a noble person!"

His posture, his expression, and his humble, ingratiating tone perfectly portrayed an old storyteller from the lower class who had unexpectedly received a great reward, filled with both joy and fear, enough to fool ninety-nine percent of the diners in the restaurant.

Looking at Sun Baifa's near-perfect disguise, Gu Shaoan couldn't help but smile inwardly.

Thinking to himself, Sun Baifa truly lived up to his reputation as a seasoned veteran of the underworld, having spent decades hiding his identity and struggling in the lower echelons of society. His skill in disguise was truly masterful.

If he hadn't already guessed what Sun Baifa was up to, he probably wouldn't have been able to see through the clues in such a short time.

However, Gu Shaoan's unusual gaze eventually attracted the attention of others around him.

Sitting next to him, Yang Yan blinked her big eyes and curiously followed her senior brother's gaze to look at the ordinary grandfather and granddaughter. Then she asked in a low voice, "Senior brother, why are you staring at that old man and that little girl? Is something wrong?"

Although the little girl who had just come over with the gong asking for a reward was also pretty and cute, after spending three years with Gu Shaoan, she naturally knew that Gu Shaoan was by no means the kind of person who was eager for sex.

I would never stare at someone so rudely without a reason.

Upon hearing this, Gu Shaoan did not look away, but spoke softly and calmly, uttering words that were enough to make those around him ponder:
"Junior sister, look at that old man. Did you notice anything different about him compared to ordinary elderly people?"

"the difference?"

Yang Yan paused slightly, then turned her gaze back to Sun Baifa, who was putting away the small table as if he were about to happily pocket the silver. She then replied, "This old man has very bright eyes and is full of energy."

"Not bad." Gu Shaoan smiled gently.

His voice was still not loud, just his usual tone of voice.

But it was clear enough to reach the ears of the several fellow disciples beside him and Abbess Juechen in the front row.

"In the past few years, you and your senior sister have been studying medicine with me, so you should know that even if an elderly person is still in good health, their eyesight is not clear due to the decline of qi and blood, and their vision will be somewhat dim or cloudy, as if covered by a thin veil."

"But look at this old man, his eyes are clear and bright, like black stars, with an inner radiance. How can he show any signs of old age?"

Upon hearing this, not only Yang Yan and Zhou Zhiruo, but even Abbess Miejue and Abbess Juechen, who were sitting in the front row sipping tea, subconsciously raised their eyes. Their sharp gazes swept over Sun Baifa like invisible probes, and their eyes held a hint of scrutiny.

Gu Shaoan continued speaking, as if dissecting an interesting object.

"And when this old man was telling stories and calling out to his granddaughter, his voice was loud and clear, penetrating the noise of the room effortlessly."

“When an ordinary elderly person reaches this age, even if their voice can still be loud, it will inevitably become somewhat hoarse and dry. But this old man’s voice is full of energy, mellow and full, without the slightest hint of decline.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Sun Baifa's seemingly ordinary two-foot-long pipe on the table, before finally settling on Sun Baifa's hunched, ingratiating figure. With a hint of barely perceptible amusement, he admonished the two women.

“An old man who should have been nearing the end of his life had eyes and a throat far superior to those of a young man, walked lightly, and had a deep and steady breath.”

"When you encounter someone like this in the future, remember to be careful. In general, the other party is either a person with ulterior motives after disguise, or a master who is hiding his true abilities in the city."

Gu Shaoan's analysis, though not loud, struck Yang Yan and Zhou Zhiruo's hearts clearly, like ice beads falling onto a jade plate.

This prompted the two to look at Sun Baifa again, just as Gu Shaoan had suggested.

The more they looked, the more they felt something was wrong.

Almost the instant Gu Shaoan finished speaking, Sun Baifa, who was bending over to pack his things, stiffened slightly, and even the pipe he was holding trembled slightly.

A sense of unease suddenly rose in his heart, like a boulder being thrown into a calm lake.

"Wow~ What a sharp-eyed and observant little kid!"

Sun Baifa never expected that the young man could detect something amiss from his carefully maintained disguise that had gone unnoticed for decades, after only glancing at him from across a few tables and listening for a moment. He could discern something was wrong from such easily overlooked details as his eyes and voice.

That insight is simply terrifying.

Perhaps it was his curiosity that made Sun Baifa, who had already stood up, instinctively raise his head and look in the direction of Gu Shaoan again!

However, the moment he looked up, he found that Gu Shaoan's gaze was fixed on him.

Eye to eye!

Gu Shaoan's lips slowly curved into a clear yet perfectly timed smile—a perfectly standard, friendly, and polite smile.

The smile was extremely polite, yet also extremely confident and open.

Sun Baifa's heart skipped a beat, and the hairs on the back of his neck almost stood on end.

"Something's not right with this little guy."

At the same time, the gazes of Abbess Miejue, Abbess Juechen, and others were now fixed on Sun Baifa as if they were physical objects.

They were all seasoned veterans of the martial world, and perhaps they had been misled by the superficial appearance of the street vendors and hadn't paid much attention. But after Gu Shaoan's explanation, and combined with Sun Baifa's barely concealed look of surprise and the aura he exuded in that instant, how could they not understand that this seemingly ordinary old man was no ordinary person!
Abbess Juechen frowned slightly, a hint of seriousness flashing in her eyes. Her mind was racing, as if she was trying to deduce the identity of the old man in her sight from the information she already had about martial arts masters.

Abbess Miejue's fingers gently caressed the rim of the teacup, her gaze as deep and cold as a still pool, revealing neither joy nor anger, but Sun Baifa could clearly feel the weight of her scrutiny.

However, before Sun Baifa could pull Sun Xiaohong away, Gu Shaoan suddenly called over the waiter.

When the waiter came running over upon hearing the commotion, Gu Shaoan took out another piece of silver and tossed it to him, saying, "Waiter, could you please go upstairs and book a private room, and bring out some more fine wine and dishes?"

Immediately afterwards, a voice quietly and abruptly entered Sun Baifa's ears.

"I am Gu Shaoan, a junior disciple of Emei. Would you be so kind as to join me for a few drinks, senior?"

The precise, subtle yet clearly transmitted power caused Sun Baifa to pause almost imperceptibly, a hint of surprise flashing in his aged but bright eyes.

"Transmitting sound through true qi, at this age he has already reached the realm of returning to the innate stage?"

As the number one ranked weapon on the list and a renowned figure for decades, the Old Man of Heavenly Secrets is already quite experienced.

Over the years, he has impersonated a storyteller and seen countless people; Sun Baifa's eyesight is truly astute.

Almost immediately upon seeing Gu Shaoan, she could tell his age from the obvious childishness on his face; he was about the same age as her granddaughter.

They also recognized Gu Shaoan and his companions as disciples of the Emei Sect from the emblems on their clothes.

It's remarkable that someone so young has already reached the level of returning to the innate realm.

The fact that it came from a second-rate sect like the Emei Sect piqued Sun Baifa's interest even more.

The next second, the deliberately crafted, humble, and ingratiating smile on Sun Baifa's face melted away as quickly as ice and snow meeting the sun, replaced by a calm and serene demeanor, as deep as a still pool.

The deliberate attempt to appear "old" and "mercenary" vanished instantly, and the straight back, though not dramatically so, naturally exuded a profound and dignified composure.

It is a kind of composure that comes from having experienced the vicissitudes of life, seen through the ways of the world, and possessing extraordinary power, yet needs no external embellishment.

"Ah……"

A very soft sigh, tinged with a mix of emotion and amusement, escaped from Sun Baifa's lips; it was almost inaudible.

He raised his eyes, this time his gaze no longer darted away, no longer feigned, but calmly met Gu Shaoan's deep, smiling eyes, as well as the scrutinizing and probing gazes of the Emei Sect members.

"grandfather?"

Sun Xiaohong, who was standing to the side, sensed the subtle, inexplicable change in her grandfather and immediately tugged at Sun Baifa's sleeve nervously, asking in a low voice.

"It doesn't matter."

Sun Baifa gently patted his granddaughter's hand, his tone gentle and reassuring.

His gaze swept across the faces of everyone in Emei, finally settling on Gu Shaoan. In his eyes, which had seen it all, a hint of appreciation and a strong interest in an "interesting junior" emerged.

The next second, Sun Baifa's lips moved slightly, but his voice rang in the ears of Gu Shaoan, Abbess Miejue, and the others.

"Since that's the case, this old man will shamelessly ask for a cup of wine."

Sun Baifa's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but it had lost the deliberate hoarseness he had previously displayed, returning to its original clear and peaceful tone.

The voice that appeared in their ears caused Abbess Miejue, Abbess Juechen, Yang Yan, and Zhou Zhiruo to completely change their expressions.

Clearly, the old man's skill in transmitting sound secretly, along with the change in his expression and demeanor, was enough to show that he was indeed, as Gu Shaoan had said, a highly skilled person living in seclusion in the city.

Seeing that Sun Baifa agreed, Gu Shaoan turned to Abbess Miejue and Abbess Juechen and said, "Master, I will go up and have a chat with this senior first."

The implication was that she wanted to go alone, rather than with Abbess Miejue and the others.

Although she was puzzled by Gu Shaoan's actions, Abbess Miejue still nodded in acknowledgment.

"If anything happens, your master will be below."

A single sentence is worth more than a thousand words.

Abbess Juechen also smiled at Gu Shaoan.

Yang Yan asked in surprise, "Senior brother, can't we come along either?"

Zhou Zhiruo was also staring at Gu Shaoan, clearly wanting to be with him as well.

Gu Shaoan shook his head and said, "Since that senior is hiding his identity and disguising himself as a storyteller, he obviously doesn't want too many people to know about him. It's better if I go alone."

Upon hearing these words, Yang Yan's eyes immediately turned resentful.

She looked listless and said to Gu Shaoan, "Senior brother has changed. He used to take me and Senior Sister Zhou with him when things happened, but now he leaves us aside."

His tone was listless, his eyes were melancholy, and there was even a hint of resentment in them.

Seeing Yang Yan's expression, Gu Shaoan patted her head gently in annoyance.

"Take good care of Master and Uncle Juechen. I'll come down after we've finished talking."

After calming his senior and junior sisters down, Gu Shaoan turned and headed towards the second floor, led by the waiter.

Sun Baifa and Sun Xiaohong followed behind at a leisurely pace.

With unhurried steps, each step was silent, as if they were one with the floor beneath one's feet. Walking in the bustling lobby, one felt as if walking in another time and space. The extremely restrained aura naturally separated the surrounding noise of clinking glasses and exchanging toasts from an invisible distance.

As the group went up to the second floor, Yang Yan rested her chin on one hand and poked at the white rice in her bowl with chopsticks in the other, as if she had suddenly lost her appetite.

Seeing this, Abbess Juechen said, "Alright! Don't you trust Shao'an's character and way of doing things? Since there is such an arrangement, there must be his reasons. We can ask about the specifics later."

Yang Yan nodded in acknowledgment, but her gaze kept glancing towards the second floor from time to time.

Not only Yang Yan, but the others also suddenly felt that the food, which had seemed delicious just moments before, was now tasteless.

Once you go up to the second floor, the noise is immediately reduced.

After entering the private room arranged by the waiter, neither Gu Shaoan nor Sun Baifa spoke.

Just wait quietly.

Sun Xiaohong glanced at Sun Baifa, then at Gu Shaoan, and after a few moments, she looked at Gu Shaoan again, repeating this process without feeling annoyed at all.

This scene made Sun Baifa's eyelids twitch, and he cursed inwardly, "You heartless little devil."

A moment later, after the waiter brought out the fruits, snacks, and dishes and left, Gu Shaoan finally raised his hand.

"Senior, please."

As he spoke, Gu Shaoan handed the poured tea to Sun Xiaohong.

Looking closely at Gu Shaoan's gentle smile, Sun Xiaohong's ears turned slightly red and she nodded gently in acknowledgment.

"Thank you, sir."

Seeing his granddaughter like this, Sun Baifa rolled his eyes and picked up his wine glass, taking a habitual sip.

But after taking a sip of the drink, he suddenly realized that someone was treating him, so he downed the drink in one gulp, refilled his glass, and glanced sideways at Gu Shaoan.

"It's quite a miracle that an Emei sect could produce a teenager who has returned to the Innate Realm."

After commenting on that sentence, Sun Baifa said directly, "Speak! What do you want with me?"

Gu Shaoan put down his teacup and fixed his gaze on Sun Baifa.

"This junior wishes to know what level your internal energy cultivation has reached, senior."

Sun Baifa glanced at Gu Shaoan, then lowered his eyes again, casually picked up his pipe, took a couple of puffs, and slowly exhaled white smoke.

In an instant, the interior of the cabin was filled with the pungent smell of tobacco.

(End of this chapter)