Chapter 459: Chapter 460: The Hero’s Downfall

Senior Master Xiang was so tickled by his anger that he burst into laughter. Turning a few things over in his mind, he slapped Gu Junzhu on the shoulder, “Alright! I’ll leave Xiao Yue under your care; I can rest easy with you.”

He didn’t like it when other people’s children were too cunning, too much like honeycomb briquettes. But if his Xiao Yue could follow Gu Junzhu and learn from him, adopting that same keen intelligence, he would be more than pleased.

Though he found dealing with Gu Junzhu, who was too cunning for his liking, a draining ordeal, he couldn’t deny that Gu Junzhu’s capabilities were unparalleled among their peers.

Great mentorship breeds excellent students.

But he had grown old.

With age came the ease of becoming confused.

It would be Lingyue’s great fortune to be personally guided by Junzhu as she stayed by his side.

This thought alone made him feel completely relieved.

At the end of the day, his desire to bring Lingyue back to his side was also for her own good.

If staying with Gu Junzhu is the best option for Lingyue, why would he meddle?

The only regret is being unable to bring Lingyue home to cultivate a deep relationship and enjoy familial happiness together.

But Lingyue’s life is long, and the most important thing for her is to learn well and grow into a man as outstanding as Gu Junzhu. He cannot delay Lingyue’s growth simply to enjoy his familial pleasure.

Having finally convinced Senior Master Xiang and securing Lingyue for his beloved son, the Fifth Lord of Gu was in high spirits.

But his good mood did not last long; his smile faded after taking a phone call.

Seeing Gu Junzhu return from a separate partition where he had answered a call with a troubled look on his face, Ye Xingbei pulled him aside, “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Gu Junzhu pressed his lips together, “My father just called me, saying my nephew has come to Jiang City.”

Ye Xingbei didn’t understand, “You have a bad relationship with your nephew?”

“No,” Gu Junzhu replied, turning his gaze toward the window–his eyes haunted, “He had to retire because of injury. My father thinks the climate here is good for recovery and since I’m here, he sent him to find me, wanting me to look after him.”

His expression and tone, unusually severe, made Ye Xingbei feel a crushing sense of heaviness.

Gu Junzhu stared out the window, lost in his thoughts.

She inexplicably sensed a touch of melancholy from his silhouette standing by the window.

It struck her that she had once heard someone say Gu Junzhu had also left his workplace due to injury.

“Did you… really love your previous work?” She gently placed her hand on his arm.

Gu Junzhu chuckled, turning to look at her, “My father is devoted to protecting the nation. Since I can remember, he always told me to be like him, defending the country when I grew up… I thought I would spend my whole life striving for this ideal… But…”

He was discharged from the military due to injury.

Desperately, he could have stayed and done administrative work.

But his body was shot. There were times he couldn’t get out of bed for up to twenty days in a month.

His workplace was not a place to take care of a disabled person.

So he chose to leave.

He once heard someone say that the world’s saddest things were the fading beauty and the end of a hero.

Lying in bed, unable to move or do anything, he had experienced what the end of a hero truly meant.

Now, his nephew would have to relive the agony that he had once endured.

He heard from his father that his nephew had injured his right arm.

Exaggerating a bit, his nephew was once undefeated, but now, his right arm is immobile.

His performance ended suddenly at its peak.

The end of a hero.