When Gu Yuan pushed the door open and entered the room, he saw there were three more people inside.
Leading the group was a corpulent old man dressed in a brocade robe, not very tall, but with a round face, rosy complexion, and squinting eyes, naturally exuding an air of festivity.
His bearing and calm demeanor were not something a typical mountain villager could possess.
Behind him were two servants, each burly and with sharp eyes, carrying a certain amount of intimidation.
At this moment, Gu Yuan's father and mother were accompanying him with smiles, talking about something.
Just as Gu Yuan pushed open the door, the corpulent old man seemed to sense something and quickly turned his gaze toward him.
Upon seeing Gu Yuan, he discreetly glanced at the Identity Iron Token representing Jade Cauldron Tower's Medicine Gatherer hanging from Gu Yuan's waist, first squinting slightly before standing up with a smile:
"My surname is Wu, I am humbly the steward of Qian Mansion. You must be Gu Yuan, Mr. Gu, right?"
A sly old fox... seeing the old man for the first time, Gu Yuan instantly had a thought, but outwardly he just smiled: "Steward Wu is too kind, I am indeed Gu Yuan, but I don't dare to be called 'Mr.'; you can just call me Gu Yuan."
A sly little fox... upon seeing Gu Yuan smile, Steward Wu secretly furrowed his brows.
Previously, Gu Yuan was almost bitten to death by a few vicious dogs from Qian Mansion; later, he came to the Gu Family himself, half intimidating, half forcing them to suppress the matter.
So, Gu Yuan and him, as well as the Qian Mansion behind him, had a deep hatred.
This was something both sides understood well.
If Gu Yuan acted directly upon seeing him or showed resentment and dissatisfaction, he wouldn't be surprised, as it would be a normal reaction.
However...
After seeing him, Gu Yuan not only showed no trace of hostility but was actually courteous and could even smile at him; this was unexpected!
Gu Yuan's behavior could only mean two possibilities.
The first is that this young man is broad-minded, doesn't hold past grudges, and really has no hostility toward him or the Qian Mansion.
The second is that this young man is good at endurance, deep-minded as the sea, and has hidden his hostility due to the dangers posed by the Qian Mansion.
In his view, the first possibility was negligible.
Therefore, only the second possibility remained!
Gu Yuan wasn't without hostility; he harbored deep hostility and had only hidden it due to the powerful influence of Qian Mansion.
Yet the key is, Gu Yuan is only seventeen now!
Such a young age with such composure, this young man... is not simple!
...
Thinking of this, Steward Wu let out a hearty laugh: "Alright, I will call you Brother Gu then."
While speaking, he clapped his hands, and the two attendants behind him immediately stepped forward.
One held an exquisitely styled sheathed long sword, recognizable at a glance, and the other presented a Wooden Box which when opened, revealed silver ingots, roughly fifty taels.
"This is... a lot of money..."
On the side, Gu Yuan's father and mother were stunned at the sight, eyes fixed on the brightly shining silver in the Wooden Box, unable to speak for a moment.
The elderly couple had spent most of their lives in Gu Family Village, accustomed to hard times. Let alone thirty taels of silver, even dealing with copper coins exceeding one hundred would have been rare; naturally, they were quite shocked to see so much money suddenly.
In response, Steward Wu's smile grew more intense as he said:
"I heard Brother Gu has been practicing swordsmanship lately and needs a sword. This sword is forged from Hundred-Forged Refined Iron, part of Qian Mansion's collection. Though it may not cut through iron as mud, it's close enough, a rare weapon indeed; I'm giving it to you, Brother."
"As for these fifty taels of silver, they are compensation for Brother Gu."
With a sincere expression, Steward Wu explained:
"As the saying goes, 'It's better to resolve enmity than to maintain it.' Previously, my young master couldn't restrain those hunting dogs in time, resulting in Brother Gu getting bitten; that was our fault. My young master feels deeply sorry and has already dealt with those vicious dogs, and specially sent me today to apologize to you."
Finally, he cupped his hands: "So this sword, and these silver pieces, please accept them, Brother Gu."
For other ordinary folks, facing such a generous compensation from Qian Mansion, along with a personal apology, they would likely feel overwhelmed and excited beyond control, having to swallow any injustices or hatred felt, otherwise it would be seen as ungrateful.
However, Gu Yuan inwardly sneered continuously.
Deeply sorry? Apologizing?
Why didn't you do this earlier?
Isn't it because they found out he became a Medicine Gatherer at Jade Cauldron Tower, started learning martial arts, so he's now valued differently!
But what if he were still the old Gu Yuan?
Probably wouldn't even give him a glance if he died, right?!
Such opportunistic behavior aligns with Gu Yuan's impressions of these high-class households.
Moreover, they only sent people to Dong Gui's home yesterday, and today they already know Gu Yuan is practicing swordsmanship, intentionally gifting him a sword, what does that tell?
It indicates that Qian Mansion, upon sensing any anomaly yesterday, immediately mobilized connections to thoroughly investigate Gu Yuan's background and his actions at Jade Cauldron Tower.
Gifting Gu Yuan a sword, this is both an apology and a demonstration of their power, with implicit threats warning Gu Yuan to be sensible, otherwise even if he becomes a Medicine Gatherer or Martial Master, the Qian Mansion could easily pin him down with their influence!
Moreover, if Gu Yuan chooses to accept these benefits, it means the matter is settled, and neither side will address it in the future, nor use it as a cause for trouble, breaking rules otherwise.
If Gu Yuan refuses, this implies both sides tear their faces off, leading to a relentless situation.
The courtyard wall at the Gu Family was built with mountain rocks, naturally not high, allowing people from outside to see the inside.
Seeing this scene, it inevitably stirred the villagers outside into a commotion.
"Thank you, Steward Wu, in fact, I haven't minded the matter at all; if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have long forgotten."
Some thoughts flying through his mind, outwardly Gu Yuan shyly smiled:
"However, since you personally came to apologize, if I didn't accept, it would be too disrespectful to you, Sir, so I shall not be courteous with these things."
Steward Wu's mouth twitched slightly, his facial expression almost faltering.
Clearly harboring resentment, yet claiming to not have minded it at all, damned liar... anyone believing such nonsense would be a fool.
To be able to spout such bald-faced lies, he became increasingly certain this young man indeed wasn't ordinary.
At least, his face was quite thick!
With matters settled, Steward Wu stood up, exchanged a few more words with Gu Yuan, then bid farewell and left with his two attendants.