Chapter 189: A Family Reunited: Long-Awaited Reunion

At the Gu Residence on Sky Sword Mountain, a serene and peaceful atmosphere prevailed.

Dahuang trotted in with cheerful steps, quickly entering the courtyard.

It barked excitedly, head raised high. “Woof woof woof!”

Hearing the dog’s barks echoing from the courtyard, the people inside grew curious. Despite their doubts, they unanimously decided to step outside and investigate.

Creak!

With a soft sound, one of the ornately decorated doors slowly swung open.

A tall, graceful woman stepped out. It was none other than Gu Qingxiao.

Catching sight of Dahuang in the center of the courtyard, Gu Qingxiao’s face flickered with confusion before it melted into pure joy.

Without a second thought, she hurried over to Dahuang and pulled it into a tight embrace.

“Dahuang, weren’t you with my brother in the Cosmic Void? Why have you come back so suddenly?”

Gu Qingxiao paused mid-action, her eyes fixed on Dahuang with a puzzled expression.

Dahuang stood up and let out a light cough. “Well, beautiful lady, here’s the deal. My master will be back shortly. He sent me ahead to deliver the news.”

“Your shared father, Gu Ran, was rescued by us from Blackwater Prison in the Cosmic Void just half an hour ago!”

“Also, the two extraterrestrial demons guarding Blackwater Prison, along with the dozen or so that showed up later, were instantly taken down by my master and his father!”

Gu Qingxiao’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the talking dog in her arms. For a moment, she seemed to turn to stone, completely stunned.

Indeed, her entire worldview shattered in that instant. A dog speaking like a human? Unthinkable!

Yet, the shock didn’t last long. It soon transformed into overwhelming joy.

She had caught the crucial piece of information from Dahuang’s words—their father, Gu Ran, who had been missing for over a decade.

He had been safely rescued from the outside world, and their family would soon be whole again!

Struggling to contain the tidal wave of happiness surging within her, Gu Qingxiao hugged Dahuang tightly, rubbing its furry body over and over.

She couldn’t help but dance around with excitement.

“This is amazing, Dahuang! I don’t know how you suddenly learned to talk, but I’m beyond thrilled to see Father again!”

Her face beamed with emotion, tears of happiness glistening in her eyes. At this moment, Gu Qingxiao’s heart brimmed with hope and anticipation for the future.

“Oh right! I have to tell Mother. She’ll be over the moon when she hears this!”

Gu Qingxiao muttered to herself excitedly, pausing for a moment before glancing toward the nearby room.

But just as her words fell,

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two sharp sounds sliced through the air. In the next instant, two shadowy figures appeared in the courtyard out of nowhere, like ghostly apparitions.

“Who are you? How dare you trespass into the Gu family grounds!” Gu Qingxiao’s heart jolted with alarm.

Without wasting a second, she raised her palm and struck fiercely behind her.

In a flash, one of the shadowy figures dodged her attack with a swift movement.

But the other figure didn’t budge. Instead, it extended a palm to meet hers head-on.

Bang!

A muffled impact resounded. Gu Qingxiao felt an immense force surge from the opponent’s palm, sending a sharp pain through her arm as if it might snap.

Even more shocking, her hand felt clamped in an iron grip. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free.

“You shameless scoundrel! Let go of me, or I’ll make you regret it!” Gu Qingxiao fumed with embarrassment and anger, struggling with all her might while hurling curses.

Seeing no way to escape, she suddenly raised her other hand, launching another fierce strike at the figure before her.

Slap!

But to her surprise, the shadowy figure moved faster. Before she could fully execute her move, it reached out with its other hand and firmly restrained her second arm as well.

“You shameless brute! You look old enough to know better, yet you stoop to this!” Gu Qingxiao shot a fierce glare at Gu Ran.

Gu Qingyi burst into laughter. “Haha, Xiao’er, I can’t help but laugh seeing you like this!”

“Wait a minute! Who are you?”

Gu Qingxiao’s delicate brows furrowed at the sound of the voice. She scrutinized the speaker with suspicion.

Realizing it was her brother, Gu Qingyi, she froze for a moment before her face twisted with reproach.

“What are you laughing at? Can’t you see your sister is being held captive? And you still find this funny!”

“And who is this man holding me? Why won’t he let go?”

Gu Qingxiao’s gaze locked onto Gu Ran.

Gu Qingyi coughed lightly. “Xiao’er, I’ve been trained professionally not to laugh easily—unless I can’t hold it in!”

“Xiao’er, don’t you find this man familiar? Can’t you feel a pull of bloodline power resonating between you?”

Gu Qingxiao’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Gu Qingyi, muttering to herself, “How is this possible? Could such a miraculous thing exist in this world?”

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, though her heart still churned with waves of emotion.

Just then, Gu Qingxiao felt a powerful force emanating endlessly from the man before her, as if it might swallow her whole.

A shiver ran through her, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Gu Qingxiao shook her head vigorously, attempting to shake off the strange sensation.

Once she was certain she wasn’t dreaming, she mustered her courage and spoke again.

“Who exactly are you? Why do I feel an innate sense of closeness from you? Could we truly be connected by blood?”

A faint smile tugged at Gu Ran’s lips as he gazed quietly at the elegant and striking Gu Qingxiao before him.

His heart swelled with emotion.

Time had flown by. Over eighteen years had passed in the blink of an eye. The innocent little girl from back then had grown into such a captivating young woman.

And her cultivation had reached the eighth level of the Sword Saint Realm! All of this filled him with immense pride.

Yet, faced with Gu Qingxiao’s eager questions, Gu Ran decided to play a little trick on his beloved daughter.

So, he said softly, “Why don’t you think a bit harder…”

His tone carried a hint of mystery.

Gu Qingxiao frowned, racking her brain for a moment before letting out a helpless sigh.

“Ugh, I really can’t figure it out! Just tell me already, stop torturing me, okay?”

Her big, watery eyes shimmered with a pleading look, impossible to resist.

“Xiao’er, I’m your father!” Gu Ran instinctively pulled Gu Qingxiao into a tight embrace.

“Huh?” Gu Qingxiao’s expression froze, her voice laced with disbelief. “You’re really my father? Can you prove it?”

“Oh? Xiao’er, you don’t believe me?” A playful smirk curved Gu Ran’s lips.

He leaned in, brushing the stubble on his chin against Gu Qingxiao’s delicate face.

With a faint smile, he said, “Xiao’er, do you believe I’m your old man now?”

“Fine, I believe you! No one but my annoying father would prick me with his beard!” Gu Qingxiao pushed Gu Ran away with a look of mock disgust.

Gu Ran suddenly asked, “Xiao’er, do you know where your mother is right now?”

“Mother? She’s in the inner room.” Gu Qingxiao pointed to a nearby room before shouting, “Mother, come out quick! Father is back!”

“Xiao’er, what did you say?”

Shen Yue’s incredulous voice echoed from inside the room.