Rest in a Demon's Embrace

Note:

Gu Tianhu is the son of the patriarch. The Hu is the character for tiger.

Gu Tianyu is the alias Luo Xiao uses. The Yu is the character for jade.

Tian, the character used to give all the members of this specific generation.

....

"Tianyu, please come closer." Gu Xingyu tried to be as friendly and welcoming as possible. He did not know much about Luo Xiao's personality but feared that this young man would be intimidated by the various elders of the Gu family.

His clear favoritism made many of the people present within the hall frown, and the gazes thrown at Luo Xiao were also more inquiring and hostile than before. A few also glanced at Gu Tianhu to see what reaction he had.

However, those who decided to look at Gu Tianhu's expression were somewhat conflicted as they noticed a strange interest in the young man's eyes. It did not seem as if he was hostile at all, it felt more like he was eager to get to know this young man better.

Gu Tianhu was, indeed, eager to get to know Luo Xiao. He was the only person, with the exception of the patriarch, who knew of the real identity of this young man, and he wanted to see what kind of person was able to make their revered master turn from a ruthless and bloodthirsty demon to a gentle and considerate lover.

From a very young age, Gu Tianhu had been taught in secret to become a loyal and devout follower of the Seventh Demon King, and this belief had become an ingrained part of his core.

Throughout his life, he had never been able to do anything special to assist his master, but now he had finally gotten a task, and he was eager to perform well. At the same time, he also hoped that this fake cousin would help him gain a better understanding of his master.

However, only the father and son pair were eager to get closer to Luo Xiao; the rest all looked at this young man as an outsider who was disturbing their peace. They did not wish to welcome him, nor did they want to share their resources with him either.

The elders were equally unhappy as they wished for their own descendants to gain as much power as possible. These elders were all from the side branches, as the old patriarch only sired a pair of siblings, where one was the current patriarch, while the other was his sister, who eloped with an unknown man.

These elders were not worried previously, as Patriarch Gu was not close to any particular branch, but when his own sister's descendant appeared, they could already see the pampering and favoritism he would receive, and their eyes were shining in unwillingness and envy.

Gu Xingyu was more mature than his son, and he clearly sensed the hostility that was aimed at this young man. He could not help but nod his head approvingly, as he noticed the calm expression of Luo Xiao's face.

He did not believe that Luo Xiao could not sense the dissatisfaction these people held towards him, but he knew his background. He did not need to bow or cower in front of them, but he did not have to be arrogant either.

Luo Xiao knew his identity well. He stepped forward with calm steps and gave a small bow to Gu Xingyu. His bow displayed respect but was not overly humble either.

"Uncle." Luo Xiao's current identity was as the nephew of the patriarch, and according to the story they had come up with, the two of them had known each other for a long time, so it was only natural that Luo Xiao would refer to him in such a familiar way.

However, while Luo Xiao felt no problem with this address, Gu Xingyu felt his heart beating irregularly with a bit of excitement but also fear.

He knew full well that Luo Xiao was to be his second master in the future. He was merely a subordinate, but right now, this young man was bowing to him and politely referring to him as an elder of his family. Such honor was truly overwhelming.

Even Gu Tianhu by the side could not help but throw a jealous gaze at his father. How he wished to be called cousin by this young man. He wanted to be the one that was close to this new member of their family, and he did not want his father to take all the attention.

Luo Xiao noticed the eagerly excited young man by the patriarch's side, and seeing the eagerness to get to know one another, Luo Xiao's lips twitched slightly.

He gave a similar bow to Gu Tianhu and called out, "Older Cousin." The call made Gu Tianhu as proud as if he was walking on clouds, and the stern and steady persona he had displayed in front of the Gu family previously was about to be shattered with his own hands.

In fact, Gu Tianhu was a very steady person. He was strong and dependant, but he had always admired Jiang Yao to a point where he placed the demon prince on a pedestal for heroes that no one else could reach, so when he suddenly got close to the prince's lover, he was unable to maintain his cool.

"Welcome, Cousin!" Before Gu Xingyu even had the time to say anything, Gu Tianhu had already greeted the young man, and the rest of the hall had become very silent in an awkward way. Everyone was looking at the person by their sides, wondering if they had missed some important information.

Why would Gu Tianhu be this eager to get familiar with his cousin who would fight for affection with his father, and might even take away his resources? Even his mother was in complete disbelief as she witnessed her son behaving as a child for the first time in many years.