After the family split up, I achieved martial arts sainthood.

This martial art must be practiced!

Gu Xin stood there for a long time, his resolve growing stronger.

Li Jinyu and Zhao Baoyin emptied their savings to raise twelve taels and six mace for him.

The minimum apprenticeship fee at all martial arts schools in Qingyuan County is twelve taels of silver.

The apprenticeship fee is enough!

This undoubtedly opened the door for him to learn martial arts.

This kindness must be remembered.

Gu Xin put the money in his pocket and turned back to the old house.

The ancestors of the Gu family were once servants of a large clan. Later, the clan declined, and Gu's grandfather was freed from slavery.

Relying on the carpentry skills learned from the family, they made a living, and by the time it was passed down to the old man, Gu Qiusheng, they had accumulated some wealth.

This old courtyard house is the largest of them.

In the open-air courtyard of the old house, the old man Gu Qiusheng lay on a rocking chair, resting in the cool air. His hair was white and his face was full of wrinkles.

The marks left by time are exceptionally clear.

Sitting next to the old man was a middle-aged man, about forty years old, slightly overweight, who was fanning the old man with a palm leaf fan.

This is Gu Xin's uncle, Gu Qi.

The middle-aged woman next to Gu Qi, who was embroidering a handkerchief, was Liu Mei, Gu Xin's aunt.

My aunt was of medium height, dressed elegantly, and knew how to dress well, giving her a kind of rough-around-the-edges sophistication.

Opposite the three of them was a stone table.

The stone table was directly opposite the three of them. A boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old was lying on the table, with an open thread-bound book standing in front of his head, obscuring his drowsy appearance.

This is Gu Xin's cousin, Gu Hong.

Father and son are two of a kind...

Seeing Gu Hong's pretentious attempt to read, Gu Xin couldn't help but sneer.

With someone like that, how can you expect him to pass the imperial examination?

I fear that one should not forget to tell one's father at the family sacrifice.

Instead of waiting until he passes the imperial examination to learn martial arts, he might as well find a block of tofu and smash his head against it, taking a gamble on a second chance.

"Hey, Gu Xin, what's with that expression?"

Gu Xin's sneer was overheard by his aunt Liu Mei, who immediately turned around to question him, clearly displeased.

"I laugh at you for mistaking sheep dung for pearls."

Faced with his aunt's blunt questioning, Gu Xin did not mince words in his response.

Ever since his father passed away, this aunt has been very mean to them, a widow and her orphan.

"What do you mean by that? Gu Xin, who are you calling a sheep dung ball?"

Liu Mei was furious. She threw down the half-embroidered handkerchief, stood up, and made as if to teach Gu Xin a lesson.

Gu Xin's face hardened, and he glared at her expressionlessly.

The aggressive Liu Mei immediately became timid and hesitated before lowering her raised hand.

Eighteen-year-old Gu Xin was already over 1.7 meters tall, a full half a head taller than her.

In addition, his years of hunting have given Gu Xin a robust physique.

His angular face, when made cold, appeared even more stern.

"Gu Qi, look at your good nephew! What kind of attitude is this?"

Not daring to reprimand Gu Xin, Liu Mei hurriedly turned to look at the old man Gu Qiusheng and her husband Gu Qi.

You're not afraid of me, but do you dare to disobey the old man?

"father!"

Gu Qi looked at Gu Qiusheng knowingly, and began to reprimand him with a stern face: "Gu Xin is outrageous! How could he treat his aunt like that?"

This kind of collaboration between the couple has become second nature to them.

Gu Qiusheng, who had been pretending to be asleep, opened his eyes upon hearing this and scolded him irritably, "Shut up!"

"Father, aren't you being a bit too biased? It was clearly Gu Xin who started the trouble first, so why are you blaming us but not him?"

Liu Mei persisted, not only refusing to give up but also accusing the old man of being unfair in his dealings.

Those who are favored truly have nothing to fear...

Hearing his aunt accuse the old man of favoritism, Gu Xin couldn't help but laugh out loud again.

How can a person be so shameless?

"Dad, did you see that? He's still stirring up trouble!"

Liu Mei seemed to have caught Gu Xin in a compromising situation and hurriedly and righteously accused him.

Seeing this, Gu Qiusheng glared at Gu Xin with annoyance.

"Shin-chan, apologize!"

You want me to apologize?

Gu Xin looked at Gu Qiusheng carefully to confirm that the other party was not joking.

Jin Yu-ge is absolutely right!

They're just taking advantage of the fact that I've lost my parents and have no one to rely on.

That's why they dare to suppress me so recklessly.

"Father, you see? He won't even listen to you anymore."

Seeing Gu Xin remain silent, Liu Mei felt as if she had seized an even bigger weakness against him and couldn't wait to curry favor with Gu Qiusheng.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qiusheng's face turned ashen.

"I think he's just jealous that he's not as lucky as Hong'er, who was able to study literature and take the imperial examinations. So he's deliberately causing trouble and trying to disrupt the peace in the family."

Liu Mei, always eager for drama, continued to fan the flames: "Father, if you let him continue making trouble, it will ruin Hong'er's motivation to study and his chances of passing the imperial examinations. Don't blame Hong'er for being unworthy in the future."

Upon hearing this, Gu Qiusheng's expression changed drastically, and panic appeared in his sinister eyes.

The Gu family had been reduced to a state of utter depravity for generations, and they had finally found hope for bringing glory to their family in Gu Hong. They could not afford any mishaps.

"Gu Xin, what are you still standing there for? Quickly apologize to your aunt!"

Gu Qiusheng stood up from the recliner and glared fiercely at Gu Xin, scolding him.

That poor kid, why can't he understand his good intentions?

Xiao Hong is your cousin. If he passes the imperial examination and becomes an official, won't you benefit from his success?

Even if things don't go well, you can still be exempted from household taxes, which will ultimately reduce your burden.

Seeing that Gu Qiusheng was actually genuinely angry, Gu Xin curled his lips and sneered, feeling utterly disappointed.

The old man has really changed!

Although I used to be biased, I still protected him to some extent.

However, ever since the Taoist priest at Baiyun Temple discovered that Gu Hong had the talent to pass the imperial examinations, Gu Qiusheng focused all his attention on Gu Hong and his attitude towards him clearly changed.

Since that's the case, there's nothing left for him to cherish in this home.

Sensing this, Gu Xin didn't back down, looking directly into Gu Qiusheng's angry eyes and laughing, "Grandpa, I'm already eighteen years old this year, and my father and mother are no longer alive."

"Whether from a legal or rational perspective, I am now qualified to be my own master."

Ok?

Gu Xin's laughter caused everyone in the courtyard to raise their eyebrows.

Aunt Liu Mei stopped her fierce attack, and Uncle Gu Qi, who was fanning himself, also stopped.

Even Gu Hong, who was feeling drowsy, put down his textbook and looked at Gu Xin with a surprised expression.

"What are you trying to say?"

Gu Qiusheng frowned slightly, his eyes fixed intently on the imposing eldest son and grandson before him.

He was tall and thin, with sharp features, and was even more handsome than when he was young.

His imposing presence at that moment actually made him feel a little flustered.

"I want to separate from the family!"

Gu Xin didn't beat around the bush and stated his decision directly.

A blood relative, full of scheming, is not as good as a neighbor with no blood relation.

What's the point of having relatives like that?

Why don't you hurry up and get away?

To avoid being implicated when lightning strikes!

"What did you say? Separate the family?"

Gu Qiusheng's eyes widened instantly, and he almost jumped up in anxiety.

How can this be allowed?

Gu Xin is very perceptive and intelligent.

Despite his young age, he has learned many skills.

In recent years, Gu Xin has made a lot of money thanks to these skills.

He is able to lie here peacefully and rest now entirely thanks to Gu Xin's tireless efforts.

This is also why he refused Gu Xin's request to learn martial arts several times.

Gu Xin went to learn martial arts, so who will go and earn money?

Who will be responsible for the expenses of this large family?

The lazy and good-for-nothing second son, Gu Qi?

Or is she just a smooth-talking second wife?

We can't just let this old man in his sixties start his own adventures again, can we?

"No! I disagree!"

Thinking about what would happen after Gu Xin left, Gu Qiusheng firmly opposed it.

"As long as I, this old man, have a breath left, I will never agree to divide the family property!"

Gu Qi and Liu Mei exchanged a glance and hurriedly nodded.

"That's right! We also disagree with splitting up the family!"

"Gu Xin, you were born a member of the Gu family, and you'll die a member of the Gu family. We're still connected by blood, how can you separate from us?"

The couple were reasonable people; they knew that their good days were probably coming to an end after Gu Xin left.

"That's not up to you!"

Gu Xin dismissed the family's objections, paying them no heed.

He turned and left, intending to pack a few of his own clothes and leave this den of wolves.

"stop!"

Aunt Liu Mei hurriedly jumped out and stretched out her arms to stop Gu Xin: "Gu Xin, you can't leave! The old man didn't agree, if you dare to leave, you'll be unfilial."

Are you trying to use filial piety to bind me?

In this feudal era, the reputation of being unfilial could indeed crush even the most pedantic and conservative people.

Unfortunately, Gu Xin didn't care.

"I'm unfilial? I've been following you since I was fifteen, after my mother passed away. In the three years since then, I've earned most of the family's money."

"The old man is able to enjoy his old age in peace, can you say it's not thanks to me? On the contrary, you all stay at home, eating and lazing around, and I'm the one who supports you."

"You call me unfilial? How dare you, you shameless wretch, say such a thing?"

Gu Xin looked at Liu Mei as if she were an idiot, then turned to Gu Qiusheng and smiled, "Grandpa, the reason I've been willing to follow you for the past three years is entirely because of the kindness you showed me and my mother for the eight years after my father passed away."

"For three years, I worked tirelessly without complaint, leaving you with not a single penny. The money I've given you is more than a hundred times what you initially gave me. I consider this debt of gratitude repaid."

"So from now on, we'll go our separate ways, and have nothing to do with each other anymore."

Gu Xin's words were like daggers to the heart, and even the shameless Liu Mei was so ashamed that her face turned red.

When Uncle Gu Qi faced Gu Xin's piercing gaze, he lowered his head in shame.

"Tonight, I'm dividing the family property, and even the emperor can't stop me! I said it!"

Gu Xin resolutely turned around and left.

If it weren't for the fact that Gu Qiusheng had previously helped them, an orphan and a widow, he would have left this den of wolves long ago.

"Gu Xin, who gave you the right to speak to Grandpa and my parents like that? It's utterly disrespectful!"

Seeing that Gu Xin was about to leave, Gu Hong, who had been sitting and watching the show, suddenly stood up and reprimanded him righteously.

He, who prided himself on having read several classic texts, planned to emulate the ancient sages and engage in a fierce debate with Gu Xin.

"Snapped!"

But his challenge was met with a crisp slap from Gu Xin.

"Bang!"

Caught off guard, Gu Hong was knocked off balance and fell to the ground.

"Who gave you the right to speak?"