Chapter 155: Gu Zixi's Investigation Report

The three-day high-dimensional symposium finally came to an end. This meeting, which felt more like a science fiction discussion, had truly indulged many attendees. The outcome, in truth, held little of substantial value, but as a platform for exchange, Xiao Kaitian was already quite satisfied.

He certainly couldn't just come out and say, "I am from a higher dimension." Such a claim would undoubtedly land him in custody, locked away in a lab to be studied at length.

As matters reached a temporary conclusion, Xiao Kaitian’s phone chimed, signaling the arrival of a new email. He retrieved it and saw it was the investigative report regarding Gu Zixi, which Yu Mei had mentioned.

After a moment’s hesitation, he forwarded the email to another encrypted account, then deleted the original file, erasing any traces before feeling secure enough to open his personal computer and log into the encrypted mailbox.

For reasons unknown—perhaps a residue from this body’s past or a peculiar instinct—his first impression upon seeing Gu Zixi was one of warmth. This petite girl seemed to have stepped into his sunlight, and Xiao Kaitian felt his entire being brighten as a result.

He lit a Marlboro cigarette, filling the office with a mingling scent of nicotine and tar. Squinting against the haze, he stared at the screen, hesitating for the first time on whether to open the email.

Once he did, Gu Zixi transformed entirely into someone who might intersect with his own life.

He already had enough troubles—between the Xiao, Bian, Su, and Qin families, four great clans entangled with his fate; his parents’ matters remained unresolved. Now, with his entry into the martial arts world, more adversaries were sure to arise.

Dragging Gu Zixi into this mess was hardly a clear choice; until his own problems were settled, he wished for no harm to come to his family or friends.

Yet her case involved the second young master of the Bian family—perhaps she had long been part of a larger scheme.

Xiao Kaitian set the cigarette down in the ashtray, his expression cold as he clicked to open the file.

After decompressing the entire email, a folder named “Gu Zixi Investigation Report” appeared. He clicked it open, and a mechanical female voice prompted: “This file is encrypted and will self-delete after one viewing. Confirm opening?”

Closing the office door behind him, Xiao Kaitian expanded his divine awareness to monitor the surroundings. Only after confirming all was clear did he press “Confirm.”

Gu Zixi’s life story unfolded slowly before him.

Gu Zixi, female, appeared two years younger than Xiao Kaitian. The records identified her as the second daughter of the Gu family, one of the eight great clans of the capital.

She was not a child born into this world with hope or expectation. The Gu family had conceived her because her elder sister, Gu Luoyan, suffered from a congenital marrow disease, requiring a suitable bone marrow transplant.

However, the Gu bloodline was unique; despite nationwide Han-Tang matching, no suitable donor could be found. The doctors’ advice was to have another child, hoping this child’s marrow would qualify for transplantation.

Thus, Gu Zixi entered the world solely to save her sister, Gu Luoyan, who was otherwise incurable.

Fortunately, the Gu family’s vast wealth meant having such a child was not a burden. According to the records, aside from a difficult period following the transplant surgery at age six, Gu Zixi’s childhood bore no particular abnormalities.

Compared to her elder sister, the prodigious Gu Luoyan, skilled in arts and letters and hailed as a favored child of heaven, Gu Zixi was inconspicuous—there was nothing remarkable about her in any aspect.

In group photos, she was often overlooked, standing quietly in a corner.

The only notable detail was her unusual closeness to the young Xiao Kaitian, who was then considered a simpleton. Somehow, Gu Zixi liked sticking close to him.

For a time, the Gu family even entertained the idea of a marriage alliance between her and Xiao Kaitian. To them, the union of an unremarkable second daughter and a fool was not without merit.

Alas, at that time, there was Jiang Churan standing in the way, leaving Gu Zixi with no chance.

Their lives intersected most strikingly at school; wherever Xiao Kaitian went, Gu Zixi attended as well.

The files included photos from various periods showing the two together—Gu Zixi still bearing a hint of baby fat, standing beside a grinning Xiao Kaitian, evoking a certain charm.

The turning point came the year Xiao Kaitian graduated high school. At a small private gathering hosted by some clan heirs, something unclear occurred. The resulting rumors claimed Xiao Kaitian attempted to assault Gu Zixi and even crippled the second young master of the Bian family.

This part of the report was marked with a red underline. The investigator’s note added: “According to incomplete information, some say the second young master of the Bian family tried to assault Gu Zixi publicly, prompting Xiao Kaitian to intervene and accidentally injure him.”

Xiao Kaitian’s eyelid twitched. This version seemed highly plausible. The “former self,” a fool, had no interest in Gu Zixi, let alone Jiang Churan; such acts were out of character.

The Bian family was blaming him entirely—excellent, very excellent.

In any case, the outcome recorded in the report was that the clans jointly intervened, resolving the matter by arranging a marriage between the Bian family’s second young master and Gu Zixi, while Xiao Kaitian wed Zhao Qixi. This sealed the power equilibrium among the families and closed the chapter.

Nonetheless, a lasting grudge remained between the Xiao and Bian families, making their future clashes commonplace.

After confirming the marriage, Gu Zixi’s life, according to the files, turned miserable. The Bian family’s second young master was a marginal figure and disabled; with her betrothal reduced to a mere formality, Gu Zixi’s standing within the clan plummeted.

Next introduced was her bodyguard, Jiang Yun, whose name was also underlined in red.

Officially, Jiang Yun was Gu Zixi’s protector and a disciple of the Hengshan Sect under the Changbai Martial Bureau. In reality, though, he was likely tied to the Bian family’s second young master.

Many Bian family scions trained in the Hengshan Sect, making such connections inevitable.

Then, two words struck Xiao Kaitian sharply: “Abuse!”

Unable to resist, he lit another cigarette and continued poring over the files.

According to the investigator’s covert findings, Jiang Yun likely subjected Gu Zixi to prolonged abuse.

Whether the Gu family knew was unclear; the report did not say. But several attached photos clenched Xiao Kaitian’s fists, his jaw tightening involuntarily.

Suddenly, he understood why Gu Zixi was so thin—years of immense psychological torment had taken their toll.

The report suggested the Bian family’s second young master might have also been involved in the abuse.

Xiao Kaitian’s hand holding the cigarette froze. He stared blankly at the screen as ash silently fell.