In the small stone room, there were six people. Gu Qihua, still veiled in smoke, was mimameidr, looking to see if his healing powers were needed. Jin Sung quickly noticed the white-robed figure who touched him. The baby was cradled by his mom as he slept soundly. The new mom was completely focused on her newborn, making anything other than his small frame nonexistent to her. Only Old Man Dog was in motion. His bony and decrepit body moved faster than most people in the room could think, let alone see. His body was in the perfect position for his only leg to arc into the head of the mysterious man. Only a moment separated the kick meeting the head and the head meeting the wall. However, in that tiny window, two very similar things happened. Old Man Dog moved at such a fast speed, and his only thought was to kill this man. It was extremely shocking when two pairs of eyes looked at him. One pair was filled with humor and looked down on him, like someone looking at their favorite dog pushing its head against its owner's leg. That gaze came from the man, paired with his lips lifting up at the corners, hinting at a smile. The other pair of eyes belonged to the newborn baby. From between his mother's beautiful face and her cascading white hair, he could barely see the two men on the verge of a fierce fight. Old Man Dog expected the first gaze. He may be long past his prime, but he was fairly experienced when it came to battles. What made his blood run cold was the second gaze. When he discovered where the stare was coming from, specifically which one, his blood was as good as frozen solid. His mind could not contain the reality, and as such, he stood still. In his long history, this was the first time Old Man Dog stopped his own attack.
The next moment, the man in the white robes turned into light and vanished into the void. The other three people standing immediately reacted, each using their preferred way of attack to strike nothing but the air where the man once stood. They all looked at each other for a moment, wearing the same questioning expression on their faces. Before any of them could voice their thoughts, the gruff voice of Old Man Dog spoke.
"Forget it. Look at the baby."
All of the eyes in the room were now focused on the baby looking back into the other people in the room. Now that they could have a good him their sencess told them the same thing. This was a mortal child. That fact is concidered normal, however this clan is anything but. For them in the entire long and bloody history, there has never been a child born as a mortal. Further even the fact that there was a mistyries man in the stone room gave them further pause. They did not know his goals and such were left to only speculate.
Jin Sung slowly made his way towards his family. His beatufil wife and Dao companion was the weakest he has ever seen her. Even after fighting many days and nights againts uncirmoutable odds she would still look prestine and elegant. Covered in sweat and with fatigue pushing her eyes towards closing, Gu Cuixia was just moments away from fainting. But at the same time Jin Sung had never seen such a bright smile on her face. With just a look he was enchanted all over again and would fight the world to protect this peace. Moving closer he supported his love.
Gu Cuixia looked up from her baby towards her beloved and with a soft smile rested her head on his chest. With a small sight she named her baby.
"Gu Shuangtu"
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With that Gu Cuixia succumed to her exhaustion and finally rested.
The other people in the room all had their own thoughts. Only Old Man Dog looked like he aways does. His back on the floor and nursing his wine gourd. There was a silent conversation happening between the other three. Many opptions and ideas were shared with just a glance all about how to deal with the new information. After all the can be said was, there was only one thing left to confirm.
"Ok since neither of you have the guts to ask and Old Man Dog cant be bothered. Where is my nephew birth item ?"
Gu Qihua was looking at the other two men who in turn were looking everywhere but her. No douth, they were doing so to find the item in question.In the Gu clan every single one of the people born in the stone room receives two things. The first is the nurture of the room as they are born. It is said that humans are born pure. It is only when mortals come in contact with the impurities of the world do they strafe away from their inicial perfection. What the stone room does is to put a protective layer on the baby so that until they start cultication their purity cant be tainted. It also has the benefit of boosting their inate talents, making them stronger from the start. The sececond and more valuable is the birth item. To celcebrate the birth of another member of the clan the stone room gifts the newborn an items that is coneced to them. Whatever the item may be its a treasure that is specifily made to compliment the weilder. Each and every treasure is uniqe and is the most helpful item for its user during their long cultivation georney.
As everyone was looking all over, Old Man Dog looked at the stone door with a nasty expression. Suddenly, everything in the room slowed down. It was as if all of reality was stuck inside molasses or amber, slowing down until it was encased and turned still. It only looked that way, but reality was much scarier. It wasn't that they were slow, but that time itself was slowing around them. Only Old Man Dog stood up on his one good leg and looked at the door. Even he didn't notice the baby's stare that followed his gaze.
From outside the stone door, a man was walking leisurely. Step by step, he seemed to have all the time in the world as he would stop and look around the ancient chambers. He was tall and well-proportioned. He had short and thinning hair that was slowly receding. His face was old and sharp, adorned with the wrinkles that come with wisdom. His expression was contemplative as he made his assured steps towards the stone room. When he pushed the door to the stone room open, his eyes met Old Man Dog's stare. The moment they saw each other, the air in the room seemed to escape for its life. It rushed out, leaving only the suffocating pressure of two peak existences trying to kill each other with only their wills. After sufficiently greeting one another, the newcomer looked towards the new mother and baby. Only for a moment did his gaze pass over Jin Sung, but a scowl marred his elegant features. It quickly vanished when his gaze fell onto Gu Cuixia. It was warm and comforting, a gaze reserved only for his favorite descendant. When he reluctantly moved his gaze to the baby, it again changed to confusion and disbelief. Old Man Dog chuckled when he noticed that. The baby in question was still looking around in pure confusion and disbelief.
"He is a mortal," were the first words the uninvited guest said. He looked like a calm lake before an inevitable storm. The air was charged with a suffocating aura, like ozone.
"Yes," Old Man Dog confirmed. He was unimpressed by the show of force that was enough to sink continents.
"What about the birth item? Where is it?"
"Don't know," Old Man Dog replied.
Again, the air in the room seemed to become solid. Even Old Man Dog was pushed back half a step. In that moment, with extreme zeal and hatred, the newcomer lunged at Jin Sung with killing intent enough to drown the world. Old Man Dog was caught off guard and couldn't make it in time to save Jin Sung. What happened next was considered to be the biggest secret of the Gu clan.