Young master..?

Gu Guangzhi was relieved that he was saved from the overbearing Bai Zan but he was skeptical of Tie Xing De's intentions for saving him.

'Did Tie Xing De step in because he wanted the mutated wolf for himself? Perhaps, I could use the reputation of Tie clan as a righteous faction against him to escape from this situation. Nevertheless, I did not expect my water wolf to be a mutated beast. I guess calling it a water wolf is not appropriate. I need to learn more about this.', thought Gu Guangzhi.

Tie Xing De observed the look on Gu Guangzhi's face and gestured him to take a walk, "If you think I am doing all this to obtain the mutated wolf you have, you are mistaken. Mutated beasts are rare but not unobtainable. I am doing this more on the orders of an external elder in the clan." Tie Xing De paused and asked, "Say Guangzhi, do you know who you truly are?"

Gu Guangzhi's confusion was clearly shown on his face. He didn't know how he had caught the interest of an external elder in the Tie clan or how to answer that question. Looking at the expression on Gu Guangzhi's face, Tie Xing De continued, "I guess not. It was truly a stroke of fate. When I reported back my findings on the moon bats to the clan, your name was included in the report. Such minor details don't usually catch his attention but when the external elder heard your name and learnt that you were originally from the Gu Yue clan, he asked me to bring you to him."

Gu Guangzhi was visibly tense at the moment. The Tie clan was well known for locking up criminals in their Demon Suppression Tower. He spoke up, "If this is about my actions back on Qing Mao mountain, I have my reasons for that."

Tie Xing De dismissed his concerns, "Oh, I learnt about those from my investigation. Those are minor affairs in the my view. I am talking about your lineage in the Gu Yue clan." Gu Guangzhi was agitated that Tie Xing De dismissed his loss as a minor affair but he remained stoic. Tie Xing De continued, "Your clan leader, Gu Yue Bo, was actually second in line to become the clan head. He had an elder brother name Gu Yue Chao who was a far better gu master. But when Gu Yue Chao was offered the position to become the clan head, he rejected the clan and escaped. However, unbeknownst to many, Gu Yue Chao had an illegitimate son in the clan. He couldn't go back for him so he abandoned him. Several years later, he came to know that his illegitimate son had married a member of the Bai clan and started a family."

Gu Guangzhi was shocked when he heard this, "Do you mean to say that…"

Tie Xing De replied, "Yes. That Gu Yue Chao who escaped the Gu Yue clan is your grandfather and currently an external elder in the Tie clan."

A myriad of thoughts were swirling in his mind. He finally asked, "Why did he leave the clan?" Tie Xing De shrugged and replied, "He wouldn't say. After he became a member of the Tie Clan, he rarely kept tabs on the Gu Yue clan. I think he completely gave up when he learnt that his son had died in the wolf tide."

Gu Guangzhi was still walking in a daze when they reached his house. As he entered, he could see an old man talking to Yu Wen Zi. Upon noticing his arrival, the old man turned to look at Gu Guangzhi. There was a slight resemblance among them. A dark thought had entered Gu Guangzhi's mind, 'Were my parents sacrificed in the wolf tide because the clan figured out our relation to Gu Yue Chao?'

While he was still deliberating about the past, the old man swept him in an embrace, "Grandson… I am sorry I couldn't get to you sooner. I thought you were killed in the wolf tide as well. I am sorry." Just a few moments ago, Gu Guangzhi was angry at Gu Yue Chao for abandoning them but when he saw the tears in Gu Yue Chao's eyes, he could only see an old man who longed for his family. He forgave him and opened his arms to hug his grandfather back. Upon receiving this hug, Gu Yue Chao suddenly felt overwhelmed and cried a bit more.

"External elder, this is unbecoming of you.", said Tie Xing De, "If anyone sees a Rank 4 gu master such as yourself in this state, they will laugh at our Tie clan."

Gu Yue Chao was annoyed at Tie Xing De but he soon composed himself and stood straight. Only now did Gu Guangzhi notice that his grandfather was actually a Rank 4 peak stage gu master. Gu Yue Chao turned to Yu Wen Zi, "Thank you for taking care of my grandson for all these years. I regret not keeping in contact with you or else I would've known about my grandson sooner."

"You two know each other?", asked a surprised Gu Guangzhi. He was still reeling in from the fact that he got reunited with his grandfather. He couldn't fathom what other secrets lie hidden from him.

"Yes.", replied Yu Wen Zi. "In fact, that is one of the reasons I took you in as my disciple. Your grandfather helped me a lot when I was younger. Had I known that your grandfather had joined the Tie clan, I would've reached out to him sooner."

"This happened some time after I escaped the Gu Yue clan. We were…", Gu Yue Chao trailed off, "We went our separate ways after a while and lost contact with each other."

Gu Guangzhi could sense the tone of secrecy from his grandfather. It was the same tone that Yu Wen Zi would use when Gu Guangzhi asked him about his past. He wasn't sure if he was ready for any more revelations today. He decided to look into it another day.

A thought popped up in his mind, "If my grandfather is an external elder in the Tie clan, does that make me a… Young master?"