NOVPUBOld Gu Six didn’t insist on carrying her. Even though his daughter had slimmed down a bit, she still had some weight to her.
This was one solidly built girl.
The silver wolf would wander around when it had nothing to do. It was already quite familiar with the path down the mountain, so there was no need to scout ahead.
It was also mentally exhausted—who would’ve thought that not a single one in this big family was human?
It had thought there might be at least one normal one, but turns out the most normal beings here were the four wolves.
It wanted to tell Chang’an, “You should lose some weight,” but it didn’t dare, so it could only grumble in its head.
Even when it was human, it couldn’t win a fight against her, and now it stood even less of a chance.
Most importantly, it didn’t dare try. The silver wolf nearly shed a tear of sorrow.
Old Gu Six flicked his fingers in a quick gesture, and in the blink of an eye, his dark hair turned silver, cascading down to the hollow of his legs, loose and untied.
His coarse linen clothes transformed into a luxurious violet-gold robe, made of an indistinguishable fabric—the same material as Chang’an’s white scholar’s dress.
The hem and cuffs were embroidered with ancient, intricate patterns. As a light breeze stirred, his sleeves fluttered, giving the illusion he might ascend at any moment.
If not counting the vague memories from when she was still in an egg, this was the first time Chang’an had seen this side of her father.
His expression was aloof, his gaze sweeping over everything with the detachment of a deity looking down on mortals.
“Dad, isn’t this a bit too much?” This was his true form—his original appearance as a god.
Old Gu Six ruined the majestic image with a goofy grin. “Sweetheart, don’t you think this outfit looks good?”
He waved his sleeves—this was the most comfortable attire he owned.
Chang’an facepalmed: Can’t stay cool for more than three seconds.
“Maybe you should change back. This is too flashy—it practically screams ‘rich.’ What if someone tries to rob us? Are you gonna fight them or not?”
Old Gu Six considered it and snapped his fingers, reverting to his coarse linen clothes—though his hair remained silver.
“Sweetheart, let’s leave it like this. This is how I originally looked.”
Chang’an thought it wasn’t bad. At least acquaintances wouldn’t recognize them easily.
Even if his features hadn’t changed much, the world was full of doppelgängers—just look at how easily domineering CEOs found replacements for their lost loves.
Old Gu Six’s appearance had become even more striking, and he looked younger too, now resembling a man in his early twenties.
Youthful as he seemed, his aura was stronger than ever—an innate, oppressive majesty radiated from him.
Assuming he was being serious, that is.
Right now, as he walked while munching on a sweet potato pancake, even a dog would bark at him.
As for Chang’an’s transformation—unless you were her father, no one would recognize her.
“Dad, can’t we just fly out of here?”
“Let’s walk. Take it easy—I just barely managed to fix this world. Don’t break it again.” This world was so fragile it was exhausting; the slightest misstep could shatter it.
The silver wolf led the father-daughter pair on a shortcut—a relatively smooth path—and they reached the small town outside the mountains in just two days.
As usual, the silver wolf took the lead, Old Gu Six drove the mule cart, and Chang’an lounged inside like a lazy little fish.
Old Gu Six’s silver hair was too distinctive, and paired with his devastatingly handsome face, it made young women and married ladies alike turn their heads for a second glance.
He drove the cart calmly through the streets, as if this were an everyday occurrence.
Chang’an was amazed, but also thought her father’s looks were too attention-grabbing.
Her Old Gu Six had every trait of a male lead—tall, long legs, ridiculously good-looking, high combat skills, wealthy, and a personality that could switch on a dime.
The only thing he lacked in this little world was political power.
Oh, and Chang’an didn’t know if he had abs. She’d never seen them—that was for his wife’s eyes only.
Probably though. A martial artist wouldn’t just be a slab of pork belly, right?
Chang’an pinched her own soft tummy and sighed. Then again, maybe martial artists could be pork belly.
Once they left the town, Old Gu Six turned to Chang’an. “Sweetheart, let’s head to Liangzhou County first.”
“Is there a system there?” Chang’an crawled out of the cart and sat beside her father, her chubby little hands gripping his sleeve—the road was rocky, and holding on kept her steady. 𝘯𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝑐𝑜𝑚
“Sweetheart, maybe you should go back inside? This fabric isn’t that sturdy. If it tears, it’d be embarrassing.” His robe was already loose, and with Chang’an tugging at it, it nearly came undone.
Chang’an quickly let go—but the moment she did, the cart wheel hit a rock, and she lost her balance, tumbling face-first toward the ground.
“DAD! SAVE MY FACE!!” Her panicked squeak sounded like a newborn lamb.
Old Gu Six moved lightning-fast, snatching her by one plump arm before she could kiss the dirt.
Chang’an: This is ridiculous. I’m just chubby—why is my balance worse too?
Old Gu Six plopped her back into the cart. “The road’s rough. Stay inside. There’s a ‘Rise to Power’ system in Liangzhou County. Let’s see what this ‘system’ thing really is.”
“How do you know it’s a ‘Rise to Power’ system?”
“Saw it.” Once Chang’an was settled, Old Gu Six resumed driving.
Chang’an just went, “Oh,” and didn’t press further. Almost forgot—Dad’s a god. Of course he’d know.
They traveled along the main road, and at the gates of nearly every county town, they could see displaced refugees waiting to be resettled.
Local officials were diligently registering the displaced, distributing relief grain, and arranging villages where they could settle.
The officials and relief grain dispatched by the imperial court were still on their way, so for now, the grain being distributed came from local granaries.
The granaries didn’t have enough, and part of the supply had been donated by wealthy local merchants.
Some young noblewomen, seeking to bolster their reputations, had brought their servants to the city gates to hand out porridge.
Yamen runners maintained order.
Passing through several counties, everything seemed fine on the surface—until they neared the border of Liangzhou County. There, a violent clash erupted at the city gates.
From a distance, they couldn’t make out the exact cause, but they could see refugees falling in the chaos.
Some on the outskirts, clutching their families and what few belongings they could carry, covered their mouths and noses as they fled in panic toward Old Gu Six and his daughter.
A kind soul, seeing the pair heading toward the city, waved frantically and shouted, "Don’t go! Don’t go! There’s plague ahead!"
Their eyes were filled with terror and confusion, as if they had no idea where to turn next.
But for now, the most important thing was to get away.
This disaster was the first major test for the newly enthroned emperor. If he could resolve it, his reign would likely proceed smoothly. If not, someone more capable would inevitably step forward to handle it.
The chosen one would then face his next trial. If he kept failing, the heavens might replace him—after all, they wouldn’t waste effort on incompetence.
Chang'an and her father, Old Gu Six, were tasked with solving problems beyond mortal means—like mending rifts in time and space or expelling intruders from other realms.
Mortal troubles were none of their concern.
Without hesitation, Old Gu Six turned around and took a side road to leave. His current appearance created an unbridgeable distance between him and others; as they traveled, no one dared approach them.
Unlike their previous flight from famine, when people constantly stopped them to ask questions or beg for a ride, now no one even thought of getting close.
The gap between them felt like the awe one feels gazing at a towering mountain—so high it pierces the clouds, so daunting that the thought of climbing it never even arises.
Old Gu Six found this quite convenient—it saved them a lot of trouble.
When they passed through Qingyuan County under Donglin Commandery, they had just entered the city when a mechanical voice rang out.
