Translator: Dj22031

Editor: Dj22031

Advance chapters available for patrons on Patreon. And a chapter can be sponsored by buying me a ko-fi.

With You Jingyan absent, You Xu was the most powerful. Aside from leaving the Medicine Spirit Valley, no one dared stop her from going wherever she wanted within the valley.

After searching around without finding the containment bracelet, You Xu went to her brother’s room and actually found it in a drawer.

She took out a letter she had already written and placed it on the table, then gathered her belongings to prepare for her escape.

A bed, a soft couch, various medicines, dried meat… You Xu suddenly realized that this containment bracelet was an essential item for escaping from home; with it, she could make a light escape.

“Cui Zhi, let’s go.”

Not daring to linger too long, unsure when You Jingyan would return, they used the same method as before: she hid inside the bracelet, and Cui Zhi led her out.

The journey was smooth, and once they reached a safe area, Cui Zhi released her.

Seeing Cui Zhi’s expression, as if she wanted to persuade her again, You Xu ignored her. She remembered that although she had left a letter for You Jingyan, telling him not to worry, she was still afraid of burdening Cui Zhi. So she took out another letter and gave it to her, saying, “If my brother punishes you, give him this letter, and everything should be fine.”

Cui Zhi wanted to say something, but You Xu just waved goodbye and walked away gracefully.

You Xu first found a corner, took out the aging potion her brother had concocted, and applied it to her face. This potion could temporarily age one’s appearance by fifty years. She also applied some to her neck and hands. After an hour, when the potion took effect and her skin wrinkled, and she finally began her journey.

Traveling alone and without the ability to protect herself, beauty was a danger.

She applied the potion every five hours to maintain her old-woman appearance, and no one gave her a second glance along the way.

After walking for half a day, she realized a problem: where was Black Rock Mountain?

You Xu: “78, send me Shen Jue’s location.”

78 pouted and said, “You don’t have any points.”

“…”

Ah, without points, you can’t move an inch, You Xu thought sadly. She’d better save up points in the future and become a points master.

What to do without a map and navigation? Use the most primitive method— ask for directions.

So You Xu found a kind-looking auntie and asked, “Excuse me, how do I get to Black Rock Mountain?”

The auntie glanced at her and said, “Who would know how to get to Black Rock Mountain? Ordinary people can’t get there.”

The women who were chatting idly instantly exploded when they heard the words Black Rock Mountain.

“I heard that a great demon king lives there and eats people’s hearts.”

“It’s full of man-eating demons, it’s too scary, why would anyone want to go there to die?”

“I also heard that the river there is red all year round, and the corpses are piled up as high as mountains.”

….

They talked all at once. You Xu listened for a while, but didn’t get any useful information, so she left. She asked several different people but still couldn’t get any answers.

She thought that she couldn’t catch a demon to ask, so she could only search aimlessly.

Although her body had improved considerably thanks to her efforts, the long journey was still too much for her. If it weren’t for the food and medicine stored in her containment bracelet, she would have died on the streets long ago.

Sometimes she could hitch a ride on a horse-drawn carriage or donkey cart. After traveling for half a month like this, she had passed through about three or four counties and arrived at a small village. Just as she was about to rest, she found the entire village gathered by the large river at the village entrance.

She wasn’t one to join in on crowds and initially didn’t want to pay attention, but hearing the children crying, she couldn’t help but go forward to see what was going on.

As she pushed through the crowd, she overheard most of what was happening. The gist was that their village was within the territory of a certain demon, and that demon liked to eat children’s hearts. Therefore, they had to send five children away every six months to ensure the safety of the entire village.

You Xu grasped the key phrase “eats hearts” and hurriedly squeezed to the front.

There was a large bamboo raft on the riverbank, and five children— two boys and three girls— were tied together, all crying hoarsely, their eyes red and swollen.

You Xu glanced at the crowd around her. Some were sobbing uncontrollably, some were weeping, some were angry but dared not speak out, some were fearful, and some were numb.

You Xu stepped forward and said, “May I ask if I can ride on the bamboo raft with you?”

Upon hearing this, everyone, regardless of their previous expressions, instantly became shocked. After a moment of silence, a cacophony of voices surged forth.

“Is this old woman tired of living?”

“This is the first time I’ve heard of someone willingly offering themselves up to a demon.”

“What happened to her that made her so despondent?”

A younger woman spoke to her kindly, “Do you know that once you ride on this bamboo raft, you’re gone forever?”

Faced with the crowd’s discussions and pointing fingers, You Xu thanked the woman and boarded the bamboo raft, holding tightly to the edge for fear someone would pull her off.

The gray-haired village chief glanced at her, showing no concern that an old woman could save the children, and simply said, “It’s getting late, we should let them go.”

Two strong fishermen came out and pushed the bamboo raft into the river. At that moment, cries pierced the sky.

The women on the bank cried until they fainted, while the children on this side cried uncontrollably. You Xu gently patted the children’s backs to help them catch their breath.

The bamboo raft drifted further and further away with the current, and the people on the bank disappeared from sight. The children cried incessantly. Just when they seemed to tire of crying, one would start crying, and another would start crying, one after another.

You Xu untied them and touched each of the little ones.

The little girl sobbed, “I… I’ll never see my parents again.”

The little boy snorted, “I’m afraid of monsters.”

“I wonder if monster bites hurt?”

“Nonsense, of course! We’re going to die, it’ll hurt more than my dad hitting me.”

You Xu took out some jerky from her storage bracelet and distributed it to them. As children from ordinary families, they rarely got to eat meat, so the jerky immediately drew their attention.

“Meat!”

“It smells so good!”

You Xu watched the group of children clutching the jerky in their hands, biting into it with their front teeth, and suddenly felt like she was feeding hamsters.

She noticed a little girl watching others eat with longing but not taking any from her own hand. You Xu asked her, “Why aren’t you eating?”

The little girl wiped away her tears and whispered, “I want to save it for my mother.”

You Xu stroked her head gently and said, “You eat first. I have plenty here. When you come back, I’ll give you more so you can take it to your mother.”

The little girl asked blankly, “Can we come back?”

You Xu wiped her tears and said, “Yes.”

After she finished comforting the children, the bamboo raft stopped in the middle of the river. She noticed the current still had momentum, and there were small whirlpools not far away, but the raft remained as still as a rock.

You Xu began to wonder if she had made a mistake. Could it be an offering to the river demon?

Just then, two people appeared on the raft, one bald and one one-eyed.

The bald man said, “Why are there children again? Didn’t the king say he wouldn’t eat children’s hearts?”

The one-eyed man revealed a cunning glint in his eyes and smiled wickedly, “If the king doesn’t eat them, then we can have them for free!”

The bald man pointed at You Xu and said, “Why is there an old woman here?”

The one-eyed demon didn’t care much: “Who cares? Why not take her? We’ll bring her back too. Who knows, the king might eat her.”

The bald man scratched his head: “So ugly… will the king eat her?”

The one-eyed demon was getting impatient: “Whatever she looks like, her heart is the same.”

You Xu: You want to eat me, and you call me ugly? Is that really okay?

The one-eyed demon grabbed her collar with one hand and the two children with the other, then flew away. The bald man followed closely behind with the remaining children.

You Xu was left hanging in mid-air, unable to breathe, clutching her collar, making muffled sounds like a hanged ghost.

The one-eyed demon ignored her completely. Fortunately, demons could travel thousands of miles and soon arrived at their destination.

In the distance, they saw a large black mountain, with dark flames rising from the crevices of the rocks, and black birds circling around, feeding on carrion.

The sky suddenly darkened, thick, heavy clouds blanketing the mountaintops, flashes of lightning occasionally streaking across the landscape, and the booming thunder sounding like muffled drumbeats.

There was no vegetation, only a monotonous, gray-black landscape.

You Xu: Wow, the environment is so harsh.

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“We were in a hurry to get back to see the young lady, so we didn’t have time to ask too many questions. We only heard that quite a few people were cheated out of their money by the second manager of the Chang Le gambling den.”

Jiu Jin poured tea and served it, smiling as she said, “That second manager tricked people into depositing money, offering them two percent interest every month, and quite a few people actually fell for it.”

“Actually, those in the know understand. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Money shops only offer one or two percent interest a year. Who can give you two percent interest every month out of thin air? It must be usurious lending.”

“It’s just that no one says anything, and they don’t ask, so they just accept the interest without a second thought.” Jiu Jin shook his head.

Ba Liang looked around, a hint of disdain in her eyes, “The young lady was made to stay here after returning to the mansion?”

This governor’s mansion is too shabby.

Giving their young lady such a small, dilapidated house to live in, who are they looking down on?

“Yes, I see this little courtyard, it seems like the young lady isn’t the only one living here?” Aunt Huang also frowned.

Yu Linlang patted their hands, “It’s just a temporary stay. Once we transfer our household registration from their house, we can return to Jinling openly and honestly, without having to hide anymore.”

The three of them looked delighted and nodded in unison.

“By the way, the rice you requested should arrive in a few days.” Ba Liang’s expression turned serious as he thought about the important matter at hand.

Yu Linlang nodded. “Did you encounter anything along the way?”

“Nothing major, just a long journey, and we encountered three groups of river bandits. Fortunately, we met people from the Dafeng Merchant Guild along the way. They were very warm and friendly, and we hitched a ride with them, so nothing else happened.”

Yu Linlang raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on her lips. “Hmm.”

“This year, not only are the harvests in Qizhou and Qingzhou poor, but the livelihoods in Weizhou Prefecture will also be difficult after winter.” Aunt Huang sighed. “Since Miss intends to stay here temporarily, she should make plans as soon as possible.”

As they were talking, they heard Mama Hu calling from outside, “Miss Yu, Miss Jiu Jin!”

Aunt Huang and Ba Liang frowned involuntarily upon hearing this inappropriate address.

“Who are you calling Miss Yu?” Aunt Huang opened the door and yelled at the old woman. “All the girls in this house, young and old, are surnamed Yu. Which one are you calling Miss Yu?”

“What? My Miss was thrown out into the world by you since she was little, so she doesn’t even deserve a birth order, is that it?”

Xiang Ling and Xiang Ye, following behind Mama Hu, lowered their heads and dared not utter a sound when they saw Aunt Huang’s unfriendly expression.

Mama Hu was startled.

Jiu Jin walked out and smiled at her, “Mama Hu, this is my young lady’s personal cook, Sister Huang.”

“That’s Ba Liang, the young lady’s personal maid. I mentioned it to you yesterday. My young lady has quite a few capable people around her, so she doesn’t really need the three of you.”

“If you really can’t handle it, you can go back to Madam’s courtyard. An old woman who can’t even call the proper titles is useless.”

“Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Third young lady, please forgive me. Yes, it’s just that this old woman is slow-witted and doesn’t know manners. She deserves a beating.” Mama Hu was quite flexible and immediately slapped her mouth to admit her mistake when she saw that things were not going well.

Yu Linlang came out and glanced at her, asking expressionlessly, “Another death?”

Mama Hu’s face twitched, and she hurriedly waved her hand and replied, “No, no. But something did happen in the mansion. The old lady asked all the young ladies, along with the madam and concubines, to go to her courtyard for questioning.”

….

The old lady’s residence, Yuhua Garden, was located in the southeast corner of the mansion, in the best and most spacious location.   

Yu Linlang came alone this time, led only by Mama Hu.

Passing through the corridor and entering the courtyard, she immediately saw the eldest daughter, Yu Qiuping, kneeling pale-faced at the main gate.

Two maids lay prostrate beside her, beaten and unable to move.

Yu Linlang glanced at them indifferently, then followed the trembling Mama Hu inside. After announcing her arrival, she entered the old lady’s main room.

The old lady was dressed in a brocade red robe today, her white hair covered in frost, and her expression was even colder than before.

Time had refined her temperament, giving her a unique nobility and beauty. Even with the deep wrinkles on her face, her former beauty was still evident.

The usually quick-witted Concubine Cui, under the old lady’s imposing presence, dared not act recklessly today, standing obediently beside her sisters, silent.

Seeing Yu Linlang enter, she looked at her with her clear, autumn-water-like eyes.

Yu Linlang bowed respectfully and walked slowly to the side.

“The Governor has arrived.”

Many of the women in the room were unaware of what had happened, but upon hearing that Governor Yu had arrived, their spirits lifted.

Madam Huo took a sip of tea, glancing at the timid and cowering Concubine Ma with a hint of mockery in her eyes. “There must be some people who don’t know what happened today. Let Master tell you.”

Governor Yu stormed in with a cold, angry face, first bowing to the old lady, then glaring angrily at the timid Concubine Ma, shouting, “Concubine Ma, what a spoiled daughter you’ve raised!”

Concubine Ma knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly and crying, “Master, please forgive me, Madam, please forgive me. It’s all my fault. I didn’t know how to advise Miss. If you want to punish me, then punish me. I’m willing to bear the consequences.”

“Can you bear the consequences?” Governor Yu suddenly stepped forward and kicked Concubine Ma, knocking her to the ground, still not satisfied.

“Do you know what your good daughter has done? She’s secretly been lending money at exorbitant interest rates without telling the family!”

“Heavens!” Concubine Cui covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide with surprise. “How could Miss do such a thing?”

Yu Zhihua’s face went cold, her small hands clenched into fists. “Eldest sister is truly foolish. Lending money at exorbitant interest rates is illegal. What about Father? Doesn’t this put him in a very difficult position?”

“This matter has now reached the ears of the Heir Apparent and Lord Lu! It has completely disgraced me!”

Madam Huo sneered repeatedly. “The eldest daughter’s foolishness has implicated the entire Yu family. What will others say about her sisters in the future? I think it’s better to cut the Gordian knot and send her to a nunnery to calm down, so as not to implicate her many sisters.”

Concubine Ma collapsed to the ground, her face pale with fright, and kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy, “Madam, spare her! Master, spare her! Old Madam, please have pity on the eldest daughter! She was just confused for a moment. She’s only seventeen years old. How can she go to a nunnery to suffer for the rest of her life?”

The old lady, holding a bracelet, stared at Concubine Ma with a cold expression for a long time before speaking in a low voice, “Madam, didn’t you say last time that you had found a family for the eldest daughter? If things are well, let her marry into that family, and this trouble can be put to rest as soon as possible.”

“Seventeen isn’t a young girl anymore. If you keep picking and choosing, she’ll become an old maid.”

Concubine Ma trembled, tears streaming down her face as she repeatedly kowtowed, “Madam, Madam.”

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Before meeting the skinny man, Fu Ke had considered countless possibilities, but she never imagined that he would also have been reborn. And judging from his excited expression, he was reborn from the same life as her.

She suddenly smiled brightly, her eyes crinkling and her dimples deepening: “Skinny!”

The skinny man pinched himself hard, almost doubting he was dreaming.

Ya Ya leaned against Fu Ke’s chest, curiously looking at the two strangers who had suddenly appeared. They seemed quite familiar with her sister.

“Xiao Bai, you too…” The skinny man realized what Fu Ke meant when he called her name. Xiao Bai had also been reborn; otherwise, she wouldn’t know him.

Fu Ke knew what he wanted to ask and nodded.

The skinny man felt he had so much to say and so many questions, but it wasn’t appropriate in front of so many people. His eyes stung.

“I’m going back to D City. What about you guys?” Fu Ke held Ya Ya, freeing one hand to stroke Qiu Yi’s head, remembering the corpse still stored in her spatial dimension.

The truth was cruel to Qiu Yi, but she had promised 707 she would tell him.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yi looked nervously at the skinny man. The skinny man had found his Xiao Bai, but he hadn’t found his mother yet.

However, to Qiu Yi’s disappointment, the skinny man quickly said, “I’ll go with you!” as if afraid Fu Ke would run away.

“…” Qiu Yi bit his lip, feeling a pang of sadness. He thought that even if his master wanted to go back with Sister Fu, he would ask for his opinion first.

Fu Ke smiled slightly, noticing the skinny man’s confusion. Because despite her having changed drastically since her previous life, the skinny man still recognized her.

“Qiu Yi?” Fu Ke looked down at the little guy, his face showing hesitation, struggle, and reluctance.

Finally making up his mind, Qiu Yi looked up at Fu Ke: “Sister Fu, I want to find my mother. I won’t go back with you.”

The skinny man was somewhat surprised; it seemed the child had grown bolder during this time, even daring to walk alone?

However, he didn’t say anything. Bringing Qiu Yi out in the first place was a misunderstanding. Qiu Yi always called the skinny guy “Master,” but the skinny guy refused to acknowledge it.

Qiu Yi was indeed somewhat dependent on the skinny guy, after all, the skinny guy had taught him a lot, and after they came out, he had indeed protected him.

But the skinny guy didn’t have much affection for Qiu Yi.

After he was reborn with his memories, his past life experiences were indelible. This made it difficult for the skinny guy to give his heart to anyone now, except for Brother Long and Xiao Bai.

Even though he seemed to treat Qiu Yi quite well, Qiu Yi actually had no place in his heart.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have not asked about Qiu Yi at all after seeing Fu Ke.

Fu Ke glanced at the researchers: “You all go back to your cars.”

Instantly, everyone around left, they just obediently got back into their cars but didn’t dare to take the opportunity to drive away. Only Skinny, Qiu Yi, and Fu Ke holding Ya Ya remained at the back of the courtyard.

Fu Ke wanted to speak but didn’t know what to say. In both her past and present lives, she rarely interacted with people and didn’t know how to comfort them. She also didn’t know how to say anything in a way that would minimize the harm to Qiu Yi.

After a moment of silence, Fu Ke simply and bluntly released the corpse from the space.

A person appeared out of thin air on the ground, lying there as if asleep, a slight smile on her lips, radiating tranquillity.

Previously, after her blood had drained, Qiu Yinlan’s body had become extremely withered, but after being placed in the space for so long, not only had it not decayed, but her body had also been almost completely repaired.

However, the space did not have the ability to bring the dead back to life.

Even if Qiu Yinlan’s body looked healthy, even if she appeared to be asleep, she was still just a corpse.

Upon seeing the corpse on the ground, Qiu Yi’s mind went blank for a moment.

“Mom!” Qiu Yi rushed over, kneeling beside the corpse and embracing Qiu Yinlan’s body. “Mom, Mom, wake up! Qiu Yi is here! Look at me!”

But the touch was icy cold. He shook Qiu Yinlan’s body repeatedly, but her eyes wouldn’t open.

Tears streamed down his face. “Mom, you’re my only mother! How could you abandon me like this?”

Qiu Yi burst into tears, his voice filled with sorrow and despair, releasing a heart-wrenching sob. If it weren’t for Fu Ke this human-like cheat code, the zombies would have been attracted long ago.

“Sister…is Brother’s mother dead?” Ya Ya grabbed Fu Ke’s clothes.

“Your mother is dead!” Qiu Yi’s crying stopped abruptly, his eyes red and fierce as he glared at Ya Ya, who was being held by Fu Ke. Ya Ya was terrified and quickly hid in Fu Ke’s arms.

But Fu Ke’s arms couldn’t hold her any longer, so she weakly said, “Ya Ya’s mother is also dead.”

“…” Qiu Yi stared wide-eyed at the little bundle in Fu Ke’s arms. She looked very small, at least two or three years younger than Qiu Yi.

Fu Ke held Ya Ya and handed her to the skinny man.

The skinny man was suddenly shoved with a little bundle and immediately scrambled to hold Ya Ya. He then froze, wide-eyed, too afraid to move. He hadn’t even held Qiu Yi when he was travelling with him!

“Sister…” Ya Ya looked like she was about to cry.

“Be good,” Fu Ke said softly. Ya Ya obediently stayed in the skinny man’s arms without saying a word, so adorable it was heartbreaking.

But the skinny man looked at the little bundle in his arms and thought Xiao Bai was cuter.

Fu Ke walked over and squatted down beside Qiu Yi. She then looked at Qiu Yinlan and said, “She’s dead. I’ve been keeping her, intending to give her to you.”

Qiu Yi pursed his lips tightly, his tears still wet on his face. “My mother, how did she die? Sister Fu?”

“Let’s cremate her first, then I’ll tell you slowly, okay?” Fu Ke asked.

“No, I… I want to see my mother again.” Qiu Yi shook his head violently.

“Skinny, take Ya Ya to the car in front of the yard. I’ll come back in a bit.” Fu Ke turned to Skinny and said.

Skinny’s heart sank slightly. Xiao Bai meant to get rid of him…

“Okay.” Skinny carried Ya Ya away, feeling a pang of sadness. Xiao Bai now had secrets she couldn’t let him know, and he felt a bittersweet ache.

Fu Ke didn’t know how to tell Qiu Yi tactfully, so she simply told him everything she knew. Including the fact that Qiu Yinlan, whom he met, was actually 707.

After Fu Ke finished speaking, Qiu Yi didn’t react for a long time. Fu Ke looked over, and his small face was expressionless.

Qiu Yi didn’t speak, so Fu Ke silently stayed by his side. She had promised 707 that she would take good care of Qiu Yi. Since she had made a promise, she would definitely keep it.

“I’ve known for a long time that she might not be my mother, but I just haven’t been willing to admit it,” Qiu Yi said, holding Qiu Yinlan’s hand and lowering his head.

Fu Ke looked at Qiu Yi in surprise. He knew?

“I remember when I arrived at the D City base, I ran into my mother at the entrance. Her face was familiar, but I couldn’t find that familiar expression. Especially when she looked at me, her eyes were unfamiliar.”

Qiu Yi smiled faintly. “But I didn’t want to admit it, I refused to admit it. She is clearly my mother, how could she not be my mother?”

Even if 707 was impersonating Qiu Yinlan, they were still two different people. But Fu Ke hadn’t expected Qiu Yi to be so sensitive.

“Qiu Yi, don’t resent 707. She was only here in place of your mother because she was entrusted by her.” Fu Ke said hesitantly, afraid that Qiu Yi would resent 707 because of this.

Even though 707 was no longer here, Fu Ke understood. If it weren’t for Qiu Yi, 707 wouldn’t have fought so hard.

Qiu Yi didn’t speak; he just looked at Qiu Yinlan’s face.

He didn’t resent 707; he knew 707 loved him too. And in Qiu Yi’s heart, 707 was also his mother.

But both his mothers were no longer by his side. He had lost them both.

Fu Ke sighed, looking at the silent Qiu Yi, and didn’t force him: “I’ll cremate her, and then you can take the ashes back, okay? I promised 707 I would take good care of you.”

Qiu Yi looked up at Fu Ke, his fingers, tightly holding Qiu Yinlan’s hand, turning slightly white.

“Okay.” He nodded with difficulty but couldn’t bear to let go.

Fu Ke reached out and covered Qiu Yi’s eyes.

Flames rose from her palm, and in the blink of an eye, Qiu Yinlan’s body was engulfed in flames. The flames avoided Qiu Yi and Fu Ke, and even though Qiu Yi had been holding Qiu Yinlan’s hand the whole time, the flames didn’t burn his hand.

Until she turned to ashes.

“Ah!!” Qiu Yi instantly broke down and cried. He couldn’t see because his eyes were covered, but when his palm became empty, he couldn’t stop wailing.

Fu Ke, holding Qiu Yi, took out a bottle from her spatial storage and put Qiu Yinlan’s ashes into the bottle to use it as a container. She didn’t have an urn in her storage, so she could only use a bottle temporarily.

She placed the bottle containing the ashes in Qiu Yi’s hands: “Alright, let’s go back.”

Qiu Yi hugged the ashes tightly, his eyes red, his nose red from crying, and his face streaked with tears.

He nodded and followed Fu Ke step by step out.

When they got there, they saw that the skinny man hadn’t gotten into the car; he was holding Ya Ya and staring intently at Lan Zhi. While Lan Zhi stood there motionless, as if he had become a statue.

Qiu Yi followed Fu Ke in a daze; when Fu Ke stopped, he stopped; when Fu Ke left, he left.

Fu Ke told Qiu Yi to sit in the car, and when she turned around, she still saw the skinny man staring intently at Lan Zhi.

She almost suspected that the skinny man had fallen in love with Lan Zhi at first sight, staring so intently, as if he couldn’t get enough of looking at him.

“Skinny, what’s wrong?” Fu Ke tilted her head, wondering if he had really fallen for Lan Zhi.

Skinny looked at Fu Ke and raised his chin, asking, “Who is he?”

Fu Ke took Ya Ya from Skinny’s arms, and Ya Ya breathed a sigh of relief. She felt uncomfortable being held by Skinny; he didn’t know how to hold a child, but Ya Ya didn’t dare say anything. So she could only obediently stay in Skinny’s arms.

Now back in Fu Ke’s soft, fragrant embrace, she smiled happily, “Sister!”

Fu Ke smiled, feeling Ya Ya’s joy, and she felt happy from the bottom of her heart as well. Ya Ya’s smile seemed to have a certain infectious power, capable of dispelling unpleasant emotions.

However, when she heard Skinny ask her who Lan Zhi was, Fu Ke looked at Lan Zhi, whose bloodshot eyes were hidden behind black sunglasses: “Like me, he’s also a zombie, and he’s retained his sanity.”

Skinny was surprised and looked at Lan Zhi with even more suspicion and scrutiny.

“He’s a level five zombie?”

“Level three, but since becoming a zombie, he hasn’t forgotten his human memories. He’s maintained his sanity,” Fu Ke emphasized again.

He had his memories from the beginning, not just regained consciousness after advancing in level.

The skinny man was still staring at Lan Zhi.

“…” Fu Ke looked at the skinny man: “Skinny, you like him?”

The skinny man almost choked on his own saliva, looked at Fu Ke and said sullenly, “No, I just think he looks a bit like someone I know.”

Someone he knew? In her previous life, Fu Ke remembered that they hadn’t met Lan Zhi. Could it be that they met him after she died?

“His name is Lan Zhi. He was captured by a laboratory to be experimented on, and I rescued him,” Fu Ke said.

“Oh…” The skinny man nodded.

Suddenly, he looked up at Fu Ke, then his gaze gradually shifted to Lan Zhi: “Lan Zhi?”

The skinny man’s face turned ashen.

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Some observant people noticed that the gaze wasn’t fixed on the lines of equations Yan Han had written, but on Yan Han herself!

More and more people gathered around, many of whom also glanced at the questions, and all stared in shock at the thin boy. “Wow, Ran Guanjun, you’re already doing college entrance exam questions!”

“What? Ran Guanjun is doing college entrance exam questions?!”

Someone’s comment was naturally overheard by those with sharp ears.

Many of them were “residents” of Class 10, some having spent more than a semester together. They knew each other’s general abilities and levels and would often keep an eye on each other. If someone started studying earlier or became exceptionally diligent, the others would feel the pressure.

Moreover, it was unclear when or who started this habit, but if someone was noticed to be suddenly diligent or making progress, others would invariably gather around them and, just like they did with Yan Han before, inexplicably belittle that person.

Now, upon learning that their former rival seemed to have studied diligently this summer, two couldn’t help but say, “Ran Guanjun, you’re so diligent! So hardworking!”

“Yeah, Ran Guanjun, you’ve really worked hard this summer! I bet you’ll do very well on the next exam, hehe.”

The short boy, surrounded by several classmates, blushed slightly and looked somewhat indignant.

But he simply stood there without saying a word, trying to appear completely calm as he waited for Yan Han to finish writing the solution.

He actually didn’t know how to do this problem at all— it was not the kind of problem you encounter while doing practice problems, but one he hadn’t even learned that part of the material. He had just randomly picked a seemingly difficult problem to stump Lin Jianlu.

Of course, he wasn’t so reckless in practice. He also considered that if Lin Jianlu couldn’t solve the problem either, he could at least offer some explanation to belittle him. So, he reviewed the solution process and memorized the relevant knowledge points beforehand.

Unexpectedly, Lin Jianlu didn’t get the answer, but Yan Han next to him solved the problem easily!

What he didn’t expect was that he was not only shocked but also very angry. He was mainly angry at his classmates. Every time he studied hard, they would inevitably praise him like that. On the surface, it was praise, but their tone was full of sourness, which made people uncomfortable.

And what was wrong with these people? Shouldn’t they be united against a common enemy at this time? Instead, they started by being sarcastic towards him. How could he not be angry!

Ran Guanjun was also angry at himself. Why did he have to provoke the top student? He was really bored!

While the others were making sarcastic comments and flattering Ran Guanjun, Yan Han solved the problem smoothly.

He ignored what the people around him were saying, handed the scratch paper to Ran Guanjun, and said, “I didn’t calculate the final result, but the process should be fine, right?”

The last part of the question was directed at Lin Jianlu.

Lin Jianlu: “Yeah, not bad.”

Reassured by Lin Jianlu’s approval, Yan Han then said to Ran Guanjun, “Take a look at the steps. You can ask me if you don’t understand anything.”

Ran Guanjun: “…”

He had seen the solution steps beforehand, and he knew that Yan Han could solve the problem as soon as he wrote the third line of equations.

Moreover, he could do it effortlessly without any special analysis.

He really wanted to tell the sarcastic classmates next to him to stop being sour, that these two were the ones they should be envious of.

But even if he couldn’t say such things, pointing it out would make him seem petty and lacking in manners. This was probably a long-standing unspoken rule in Class 10 and Ran Guanjun knew this well and wouldn’t break it.

He still kept his gaze on Yan Han and Lin Jianlu.

A student who had fought his way up from Class 17, someone never seen on the school’s honor roll before, could solve this problem…

Judging from their interaction, it was obvious that Lin Jianlu had been explaining the problem to Yan Han. The fact that Yan Han didn’t look for the answer after finishing the problem but directly asked Lin Jianlu showed that Lin Jianlu definitely knew the answer too; no testing was needed.

Unable to offend the old classmates, he could only vent his anger on the newcomer.

Ran Guanjun deliberately didn’t look at Yan Han’s scratch paper again, instead muttering, “I didn’t expect the top student to be so arrogant, too lazy to even answer a question.”

He said this with a smile, sounding like a joke.

Then he turned to Yan Han, giving him an even brighter smile: “Thank you, Yan Han, I’ll analyze it when I get back.”

He reached for Yan Han’s scratch paper, but before he could touch it, Yan Han slammed it onto the table.

His movement was too fast, so he didn’t notice the force, and his palm slammed onto the table with a loud “thud.”

The students who had been enthusiastically discussing the problem earlier fell silent at the sound.

In the quiet atmosphere, Yan Han spoke up. His gaze then fell on Ran Guanjun, and a sudden irritability and hostility appeared in his eyes. He gave off a completely different vibe than when he was engrossed in solving problems; it was as if his entire demeanor had changed.

Yan Han said, “Regardless of who you asked or who told you in the end, didn’t we solve this problem for you?”

Ran Guanjun: “…”

He was startled by Yan Han’s imposing manner, and when he suddenly heard him say “we,” his heart skipped a beat.

It was common for people in the class to make jokes like, “XXX is putting on airs again, not even explaining the problems,” but nobody really cared or took it to heart.

Because if you asked someone about truly valuable and insightful problems, unless you were very close, no one would genuinely and honestly explain them to you.

Everyone wanted to keep their knowledge to themselves.

Those who made it into Class 10 all shared a common trait: they were all academically weak, excelling in a few subjects while being relatively weaker in others.

Asking those who excelled in a subject they were weaker about often resulted in rejection.

The reasons for this refusal are twofold: first, they didn’t want to waste study time on questions; second, they feared the other person might master the subject and put it on their own in the next exam.

This was common in Class 10, almost a given.

Some were more tactful, glancing at the question and then regretfully saying they didn’t know; others were more direct, saying they didn’t know without even looking at the question.

Therefore, in this atmosphere, people weren’t used to asking each other questions or explaining problems. If they encountered something they don’t understand, they either asked the teacher or tried to figure it out themselves.

Many were afraid to interact with the teacher and chose to study on their own, discuss with a few close friends, or, as a last resort, hire a tutor at home on weekends. In short, this was the prevailing atmosphere in the class; mutual help?

It didn’t exist in this class.

Everyone was used to it, and they even jokingly mocked those who refused to explain.

Those who were truly capable, who simply didn’t want to share, didn’t care what others said.

They were all in the same class, and all top students. Even if they weren’t particularly sociable, at least they wouldn’t cause too much trouble on the surface. They could just laugh off any sarcasm, knowing they’d still excel in exams and get into Class 9 anyway. No matter how much others envied or mocked them, it wouldn’t matter.

But when it came to Yan Han, while Lin Jianlu didn’t care, he couldn’t adapt to this distorted learning environment.

The elder brother always spoke his mind.

He continued, “First of all, we answered your questions seriously. This isn’t an obligation or our duty. Do you think I’m bored?! I wrote such long formulas for you, and you just say thank you with a grateful heart. I don’t want to hear anything else.”

“…”

Unexpectedly, the school beauty’s words were so sharp that Ran Guanjun blushed, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed.

He tried to argue, “I didn’t mean I wasn’t grateful to you. Didn’t I just say thank you?”

“That’s my second point.” Yan Han stood up. He was taller than Ran Guanjun, almost looking down at him, and then, under the other’s evasive gaze, he held up two fingers: “Not just me, but watch your words in front of him in the future.”

Yan Han was getting angry. Didn’t he even know who Lin Jianlu was?

Daring to mock him, he must have a death wish.

He wasn’t originally this angry, but although the class representative had also had ulterior motives, he had at least asked a math question.

Everyone knew that Lin Jianlu’s math was top-notch, so asking him any difficulty level wouldn’t be unreasonable.

But this Ran Guanjun directly asked a rather difficult college entrance exam physics question to a second-year student who had switched from arts to sciences, and a student who hadn’t gotten into Class 9 because of the science section of the placement exam. This was clearly making things difficult for Lin Jianlu.

Yan Han had seen countless people, and he could spot this kind of petty person at a glance.

From the other person’s initial tone and attitude, it was clear he was there to embarrass Lin Jianlu.

Normally, Lin Jianlu was capable enough and didn’t need to prove anything to these people, so Yan Han hadn’t taken it to heart.

But this guy dared to insult him with his words?

He wouldn’t tolerate this.

Whatever the class was like before was none of his business, and he didn’t want to interfere.

But anyone bullying Lin Jianlu was absolutely unacceptable.

Wasn’t the class’s atmosphere unhealthy?

Well, he’d set the record straight today.

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In a panic, Jiu Ding turned to Ying Qiao for help: “He’s crying!! What should we do?!”

He was internally screaming, “How could he still be crying?!”

My head is about to explode!!!

“…”

Ying Qiao’s expression twisted for a long time, and he remained silent for a while.

After all, it was the first time he had ever seen a cauldron cry; it was both novel and surprising.

He saw Jiu Ding trying to coax him helplessly, but it was clearly not working, as his expression grew increasingly frustrated.

After a while, Jiu Ding covered his ears and said in despair, “Why don’t we go buy him some milk? He keeps crying.”

Ying Qiao pursed his lips, staring coldly at the cauldron. After a moment’s hesitation, he said firmly, “No, we can’t spoil him.”

Jiu Ding: …

He wanted to cry too qaq

Perhaps because his expression was too pitiful, Ying Qiao stared at the cauldron for a while, then suddenly said, “Try telling him that Ji Xian will be here soon.”

“?”

Although he didn’t understand why he should say that, Jiu Ding did as he was told and repeated Ying Qiao’s words to his wailing, silly brother.

Jiu Ding hadn’t held out much hope, but before he could finish speaking, the thunderous crying abruptly stopped. The silly brother groaned for a while, then made a new request: “I want Ji Xian, Ji Xian, Ji Xian, Ji Xian!”

Jiu Ding: …

What exactly is wrong with this repeater?

He could only act as a messenger, relaying his foolish brother’s words to Ying Qiao once again.

Ying Qiao sneered after hearing this, and kicked the bronze cauldron without hesitation, laughing coldly, “It really is you.” His expression suddenly turned extremely cold: “Want milk? I’ll give you some every day from now on. I’ll bring Ji Xian here and have her watch you drink it.”

I just hope that once Geng Chen’s mind is clear, he won’t regret it.

Thinking of this scene, Ying Qiao’s gloomy expression immediately brightened, and he said to Jiu Ding in a gentle tone, “Tell him to drink his milk obediently every day, and Ji Xian will come to see him soon.”

Jiu Ding: ???

He stared at Ying Qiao with wide eyes, feeling that Ying Qiao’s expression was somewhat sinister.

But the milk is for my silly brother, and the person is someone he’s looking for. So there seems to be no reason to refuse.

Jiu Ding could only relay the original message to his silly brother, and also threaten him, telling him to behave and not to cry, otherwise he would have no milk to drink and no Ji Xian.

This tactic worked very well; the other party indeed kept quiet.

Jiu Ding breathed a slight sigh of relief, secretly glad that his silly brother had only started talking to him now and ignored him all those years before, otherwise he probably would have been driven crazy by the noise.

After the two came out of the cubicle, Ying Qiao was in a good mood and asked the staff to buy a few boxes of milk and send them over.

When Jiang Lan arrived, he saw the compartment where the bronze cauldron was stored wide open. The cauldron was placed in the middle of the room, and half of the white liquid inside could still be vaguely seen. Jiu Ding was squatting next to the bronze cauldron, muttering something to himself. Ying Qiao stood at the door with his arms crossed, watching with a smile on his face.

Jiang Lan: ???

He peered inside with a puzzled expression, then hesitated and asked, “What’s in the cauldron? Milk?”

It smells milky, it looks like milk.

But what’s the point of pouring so much milk into the cauldron?

“Hmm.” Ying Qiao nodded his chin toward the bronze cauldron and said with a half-smile, “Geng Chen wants to drink milk.”

Jiang Lan was now even more confused: ????

Who? Geng Chen?

He wondered if his memory was playing tricks on him: “Geng Chen? Didn’t you say Geng Chen was your uncle?”

Why does he still want to drink milk?

Ying Qiao said unhurriedly, “Yes. But he may have slept in the cauldron for too long and become a little mentally challenged.”

They’ve forgotten who they are, yet they still try to beg for milk.

“…”

Ying Qiao’s tone was so nonchalant that Jiang Lan couldn’t tell whether he was joking or serious.

Does sleeping too much really make you mentally disabled?

Jiang Lan was a little skeptical, but then he thought of the Taowu living a very comfortable life in the detention center, and realized it wasn’t impossible.

After all, Taowu seems much dumber now than before.

However, it’s also possible that he himself simply became smarter.

He then changed the subject, looked at Ying Qiao with sympathy, and comforted him, “It’s good that he’s alright. But what are we going to do in the future?”

I’m a little worried, not knowing whether this situation is temporary or permanent.

They had originally planned to wait until the bronze cauldron was properly healed to try and get some other clues, but now it seems unlikely that they will be able to get anything out of it for the time being.

“No rush.” Ying Qiao wasn’t worried at all; in fact, he seemed quite pleased. “I’ll contact Ji Xian first and tell her the good news. With Ji Xian around, he should be able to recover faster.”

Once Geng Chen recovers, he might want to revert to a previous save and start over.

But what does that have to do with him?

Ying Qiao thought to himself with schadenfreude.

….

Ying Qiao instructed the staff that once the ordered monster milk arrived, they should pour a vat of it into the bronze cauldron every day, and then they would take some time to check on Geng Chen’s condition.

After listening to them talk for a while, Jiu Ding finally understood that the silly brother was not his brother. He was a little disappointed and asked eagerly, “If he’s not a spirit, then what is he?”

They clearly came from the same cauldron, so how come they’re neither the spirit of the vessel nor his brothers?

This involved Geng Chen’s stupid past. Ying Qiao found it too troublesome to explain, so he thought for a moment and said to him, “The one in the cauldron is Geng Chen, a member of the Ying Long clan.” Looking at the dejected expression on Jiu Ding’s face, he continued, “According to cause and effect and sequence of events, he is not your brother, but your father.”

Jiu Ding was shocked: “Huh???”

How did my silly brother suddenly become a generation higher for no reason?!

He disagreed!

Ying Qiao carefully considered their relationship and nodded affirmatively, “He is indeed your father.”

First, King Yu created the embryo of the cauldron, and then on the day of Geng Chen’s death, a wisp of dragon soul was injected into the cauldron, and the nine cauldrons was completed.

Objects like the Nine Cauldrons, lacking spiritual energy, were inherently unlikely to develop sentience, and the presence of a spirit within them was extremely rare. The appearance of Jiu Ding was most likely due to the power of Geng Chen’s remnant soul.

So, all things considered, it’s not wrong for Jiu Ding to call Geng Chen “Dad”.

Ying Qiao glanced at Jiu Ding, mentally calculating that he was essentially raising Geng Chen’s son. Once Geng Chen’s mind returned to normal, not only would he have to pay for Geng Chen’s living expenses, but he would also have to pay for Jiu Ding’s as well.

What kind of logic is there in this world where a nephew raises his uncle and then raises his uncle’s son?

He quickly jotted down a long note for Geng Chen in his notebook, and his expression immediately brightened.

After settling Geng Chen in, the group prepared to leave the Demon Management Bureau. They planned to have dinner first, and then Ying Qiao would try to contact Ji Xian.

Before leaving, they stopped by to visit Chen Hua again.

To facilitate her treatment, Chen Hua was currently staying at the Demon Management Bureau. Bi’an had forcibly taken on the role of family member, staying with him at the hospital to take care of him.

As soon as Jiang Lan and the others arrived at the door, they heard two people arguing inside.

Chen Hua said, “I’ll eat it myself.”

While Bi’an said: “Lie down, I’ll feed you.”

The above dialogue was repeated at least three times before Jiang Lan and the others knocked on the door, without changing a single word.

The murmured conversation inside only stopped when Ying Qiao knocked on the door.

Bi’an opened the door. His face darkened when he saw Ying Qiao. He ignored Ying Qiao and looked at his younger brother: “Why are you here again today?”

Jiang Lan said he had some business at the Demon Management Bureau and wanted to visit his sister-in-law while he was there.

He was afraid Chen Hua would hear him, so he even mouthed the words “sister-in-law” on purpose. He also secretly winked at his fourth brother, asking him how things were going.

Bi’an glanced at him, pursed his lips, and left him with a cold, indifferent back view.

Don’t ask, the answer is I’m still working hard.

Jiang Lan and Ying Qiao went into the room to visit Chen Hua and saw him leaning against the headboard, slowly drinking soup with a spoon.

Turning around and seeing them, he put down his spoon and greeted them, “What brings you here? I thought you were here to change my dressing.”

Seeing that his complexion was rosy and his expression was much more relaxed, Jiang Lan thought that although the relationship didn’t seem to be progressing, at least Fourth Brother was taking good care of him.

He gave his fourth brother an encouraging look: Go for it, fourth brother!

Bi’an: …

He turned to look at Chen Hua and saw him struggling to poke at the food with a spoon. His expression immediately turned helpless, and he snatched the spoon from Chen Hua’s hand without allowing any argument, saying, “Your bones haven’t healed yet, so don’t move for now.”

After saying that, he picked up some food and fed it to him.

Chen Hua: !!!

What are you doing in public?!

Feeling several pairs of eyes staring at him, Chen Hua blushed, unsure whether to eat or not.

After a brief standoff, he finally forced himself to eat the food that was being fed to him.

To be honest, it feels nice to be served and fed, but it’s a bit hard on the face— it makes your face burn.

Seeing Chen Hua’s face getting redder and redder, Bi’an glared at Ying Qiao and silently said: “Get lost after you’ve finished looking, don’t disturb our meal.”

Ying Qiao scoffed, ignoring him out of respect for Jiang Lan.

Jiang Lan, however, very considerately offered to take his leave.

After the two left, they considerately closed the door behind them.

Chen Hua in the room: …

Why close the door?

We didn’t do anything shameful!

After leaving the Demon Management Bureau, Jiang Lan finally couldn’t hold back his laughter.

He then excitedly told his younger brothers, “In the near future, we might have a fourth sister-in-law!”

Suan Ni kicked its ear with its hind paw, not quite believing it: “Really? Then can we ask Fourth Sister-in-law to keep Fourth Brother in check from now on?”

His fourth brother bullies him all the time; he’s so annoying.

Jiang Lan, both amused and exasperated, pinched his cheek. After thinking for a moment, he said seriously, “It’s definitely possible.”

After all, Fourth Sister-in-law looks very shrewd!

Although his fourth brother is also shrewd, he becomes a simpleton when he’s around his sister-in-law, and he definitely can’t outsmart him.

Upon hearing this, Suan Ni immediately perked up, his eyes widening with anticipation: “Then I want Fourth Sister-in-law!”

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Time flew by, and half a month passed quickly.

In the daily high-intensity training, Bai Yue’s body gradually adapted. Both his physical fitness and physique improved significantly.

At the same time, he didn’t miss any of the compulsory courses at the Comprehensive Military Academy. In order to master pheromone control as soon as possible, he also took an open course at the Pheromones Research Institute. As a result, he encountered the alpha who had played the female leader that day in class.

The other party immediately reacted as if a bomb had gone off when she saw him, questioning why he hadn’t come to her academy.

To this, Bai Yue could only appease her with a smile.

There weren’t any major problems with his studies or life. The only problem now was his relationship with Shang Yufei.

Originally, Bai Yue thought that once they both calmed down, they would be able to understand each other. He even tried to find Shang Yufei, hoping to reconcile.

However, he was too naive.

Just as he believed he needed to join the army, Shang Yufei felt the same way.

Their thoughts were completely opposite, and they couldn’t even see eye to eye.

Bai Yue didn’t care about others’ opinions, but he did care about Shang Yufei’s.

They had grown up together, and although they had argued before, never before had things been so tense.

Because this was a non-negotiable bottom line for both of them. He couldn’t think of anything to do.

“Multitasking in combat will get you hurt.” Hearing this, Bai Yue snapped back to reality.

With a “thud,” his weapon was knocked from his hand. He was slammed against the wall by the shoulder, and at the same time, a knife pierced his abdomen.

He died again.

Mu Sihan withdrew his hand, twirling the knife in his hand before putting it away: “If you’re not focused on training, then let’s end it now.”

Bai Yue’s back ached from the impact.

He forced a smile: “Sorry.”

Today was routine combat practice. His mood was inevitably affected by the standoff with Shang Yufei.

Originally, he didn’t want to bring personal feelings into the training. However, he still unconsciously drifted off.

Mu Sihan prioritized efficiency. After determining that Bai Yue would only waste time continuing to train, he quickly ended the training session and headed out of the combat center.

“Wait,” Bai Yue hesitated, then caught up. “If it’s convenient, can we talk?”

Mu Sihan turned to look at him.

Five minutes later, the two stood outside the combat center’s training facilities.

The day’s classes were over. Night had fallen, the moon was bright and the stars few. Bai Yue bought two cans of drinks and handed one to Mu Sihan.

But the other only glanced at it and didn’t reach out to take it.

Bai Yue didn’t mind and placed one can on the windowsill.

“I’m curious about something. You’re so strong, did you receive relevant training from a young age? Are you from a military family?”

Mu Sihan was silent for a moment, then replied, “No.”

Bai Yue pulled the tab: “Then, not everyone must have agreed to you entering military school, right?”

Mu Sihan frowned: “What are you trying to say?”

“Sorry, it’s my own business.”

Bai Yue smiled, “Someone very important to me seems to not want me to join the army. I’d like to know, what methods did you use to get the people around you to agree?”

Mu Sihan: “Why are you asking me?”

“We’re roommates, let’s just chat casually.” Bai Yue said, “Besides, aren’t we quite similar?”

Hearing this, Mu Sihan finally turned to look at him.

Bai Yue also looked at him, his eyes crinkling: “The fact that you look like an omega.”

Mu Sihan: “…”

Mu Sihan: “I’m different from you. You may have many important people, but for me, only myself is important.”

His tone was cold: “So I don’t care about other people’s opinions. I’ll do what I want.”

Bai Yue held his drink.

“However, I can give you a suggestion.” Mu Sihan’s eyes were half-closed, his icy blue eyes radiating a chill. “As long as you become strong enough, you can crush all those who oppose you and question you.”

Bai Yue was taken aback, then chuckled: “That’s… too exaggerated.”

However, it wasn’t without its merits. After their conversation that day, he could roughly discern that Shang Yufei’s main reason for opposing was his fear of him getting hurt.

If he gained enough strength to gain Shang Yufei’s approval, perhaps the other party would be reassured and no longer so persistent.

Thinking this, he brought the chilled drink to his lips.

The sweetness of the orange soda filled his taste buds, and he swallowed it in one gulp.

Comprehensive Military Academy, second-year floor.

Shang Yufei sat in a chair, his low-pressure aura making everyone afraid to approach, even Wu Zihao.

Wu Zihao thought that after following Shang Yufei for a year, he should be able to withstand any temper tantrums from him. But this was the first time he had seen such a situation.

Silent and utterly unspeakable, yet more intimidating than usual.

And this situation had been going on for half a month. He couldn’t figure out why. He couldn’t possibly be sullen just because he’d been dumped by that omega the other day; that was impossible.

Just as he was about to awkwardly approach again, he heard a voice behind him.

“Excuse me, could you spare a moment?”

A gentle, slightly hoarse young voice said.

Wu Zihao turned around and saw a first-year student standing by the door. He walked over: “What is it…”

Before he could finish speaking, he saw the other person’s face and was shocked.

This…this person! Wasn’t that the omega that the boss had forcibly dragged away that day?! Why was he in their class? Could it be that he came to see the boss?

Thinking of this, Wu Zihao secretly glanced at the boss again. The other person had his eyes closed, arms crossed, legs propped up on the table, adopting an attitude of “don’t bother me.” If this omega rushed forward now, he’d probably be committing suicide.

Out of a sense of chivalry, Wu Zihao whispered, “Are you here to see Shang Yufei? He’s in a bad mood right now. Tell me what’s wrong, and I’ll pass it on.”

Bai Yue tilted his head slightly and looked into the classroom.

It was break time, and there were quite a few students in the class. But for some reason, Shang Yufei’s area seemed isolated, completely empty.

And while other classrooms were quite noisy, Class 1 was completely silent. Everyone was holding their breath and moving cautiously.

Bai Yue looked away: “Is he sleeping?”

Wu Zihao shook his head, then nodded.

Anyway, whether he was sleeping or not, his boss’s current attitude meant he definitely didn’t want to talk.

“Really, if it’s urgent, tell me. I’m thick-skinned and not afraid of getting beaten up.”

Bai Yue smiled: “Can I come in now?”

Upon seeing that smile, Wu Zihao immediately forgot everything and nodded hastily. It wasn’t until Bai Yue walked around him and went inside that he realized what he had just done.

“Wait!” He didn’t want to see an omega get beaten up.

Although his boss had never done that before. But these past few days, their leader’s condition had been really off, and he was afraid of setting a precedent!

The eyes of everyone in Class 1 turned to look. They were all somewhat surprised to see a beautiful omega walk in. And when they saw that this omega was heading towards their school bully, they were even more astonished.

Bai Yue walked to Shang Yufei’s desk. The other person had earphones in, so he couldn’t hear anything.

He thought for a moment, then reached out and took Shang Yufei’s earphones.

The entire Class 1 held their breath, incredulous: He… he actually did it himself!

Sensing the music stop, Shang Yufei raised his eyelids, revealing his dark green pupils. His expression was filled with impatient malice.

Even those standing several meters away could almost feel the black pressure that pierced the sky the moment he opened his eyes.

Everyone involuntarily covered their eyes, unable to bear watching what was about to happen.

Even Wu Zihao hurriedly caught up, wanting to stir up trouble: “Boss, he…”

However, unexpectedly, the extremely terrifying black pressure only lasted for a moment. The next second, it was forcefully suppressed.

Upon seeing his boss, Wu Zihao obediently lowered his leg. His face was expressionless, but his usual arrogance was also gone.

Bai Yue: “Do you have time?”

But what shocked the students of Class 1 even more was this scene. This guy, who didn’t care about anyone, actually stood up obediently and followed the unidentified omega out of the classroom.

Only after their figures disappeared did they seem to come to their senses and exchange a glance.

Is this… the end of the world?

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“Are you feeling smug?” a voice came from the side.

Feng Yuanxuan was taken aback and turned his head to look. A person walked out from inside the emergency exit.

His face emerged from the shadows, holding his phone, seemingly unconcerned whether Feng Yuanxuan had seen him.

Jiao Xiu.

Jiao Xiu came out.

He had a half-smile on his face, completely different from his usual friendly demeanor.

“It’s you…” Feng Yuanxuan’s face also darkened.

Jiao Xiu still had that ambiguous smile on his face. He then turned on the phone he was holding and scrolled through it: “Huayao… Heh, Sheng Ziyou set you up, didn’t she?”

Feng Yuanxuan remained silent.

Jiao Xiu tilted his head, looking completely harmless: “Sheng Ziyou really helped you… Teacher Sheng’s favoritism is truly enviable.”

Feng Yuanxuan looked at him with a cold expression: “Teacher Sheng’s help will only be given to those who rely on their own abilities.”

“Hehe.” Jiao Xiu chuckled, stepped forward, and stood very close to Feng Yuanxuan. “Do I lack strength?”

“Jiao Xiu, what exactly do you want?” Feng Yuanxuan glanced around. It was already past midnight. Apart from the fixed cameras in the practice room, most of the staff had left.

“Can’t I just chat with you if there’s nothing wrong?”

Feng Yuanxuan narrowed his eyes, feeling that Jiao Xiu might be waiting for him.

Jiao Xiu looked at him, his expression completely hidden: “You’re quite pleased with yourself, aren’t you? You’ve already signed with Huayao. It doesn’t matter whether you debut or not, as long as you get some prestige.”

“Yes, I’m very pleased with myself.” Feng Yuanxuan, who was usually indifferent, suddenly became sharp. “And I should thank you. If you hadn’t harmed me, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity.”

Jiao Xiu sneered: “You just got lucky.”

As he said this, he couldn’t control his violent temper. Why did they get all the opportunities so easily? While he had to be so careful to get to where he was today.

Feng Yuanxuan didn’t speak but quietly looked at him.

“Feng Yuanxuan, there’s plenty of time ahead, don’t get too cocky.”

Jiao Xiu gave him a cold look, then turned and left.

Feng Yuanxuan stared blankly at Jiao Xiu’s retreating figure.

He suddenly remembered the preliminary rankings, when he felt that he didn’t actually have much ability.

After all, it seemed like he didn’t know anything else besides singing.

Jiao Xiu arrived while he was already there, and he watched as this young man bravely took the second spot in the debut lineup.

At the time, he, sitting below, greatly admired this person.

When he looked over, the other person gave him a polite and gentle smile.

Feng Yuanxuan had a very good impression of him.

Later, when the performance began, all the other trainees on stage were excellent, and there were many all-rounders who could do everything.

Jiao Xiu was the same; he danced with several other dancers, their movements synchronized and unrestrained.

Later, he performed his own original songs, which he sang quite well and wrote even better.

At that time, Feng Yuanxuan thought that if there was an opportunity in the future, he could discuss music with him again.

However, after entering the training class, Jiao Xiu became incredibly popular, getting along well with everyone. As for him, who didn’t like to talk, he only had a nodding acquaintance with him.

After that, Ji Ran’s ranking dropped, and he became the most popular performer for two consecutive performances, which made him even more arrogant.

Before forming a team last week, Feng Yuanxuan even thought that Jiao Xiu would surely debut in the center position, and he himself didn’t know if he could become his debuting teammate.

Feng Yuanxuan chuckled to himself, thinking that there must be more than just one such person. They may have a perfect facade, but only those who have suffered losses truly know what’s inside.

If I hadn’t come in first place in the last performance, and if I didn’t know how to create music, I probably would never have known what Jiao Xiu was really like.

He shook his head and walked towards the dormitory.

As for Jiao Xiu’s statement that there was plenty of time, Feng Yuanxuan wasn’t actually afraid.

He already knew his true colors in the training class, so he would naturally be wary of him. Online, Jiao Xiu had someone who could help him, but Huayao certainly wouldn’t abandon him.

There was nothing to be afraid of.

At five o’clock in the morning, Sheng Ziyou was still dreaming when her phone started vibrating incessantly.

She frowned, tossed and turned in bed several times, but didn’t move.

The phone stopped vibrating, then rang once more— it was the sound of a message.

Sheng Ziyou still didn’t move.

Then ten minutes later, a hand emerged from under the covers, eyes half-closed, brows furrowed, as it read the message.

Yang Yun had sent only one sentence—

[Sister You, I just heard an ambulance siren. Ji Ran got sick; it seems he’s already in shock.]

Sheng Ziyou was stunned. She sat up abruptly and, without even turning on the light and made a phone call to the staff member from the program team who was in charge of the trainees’ lives.

“Sister Xu, what’s wrong with Ji Ran?” Her voice was still a little hoarse, as if she hadn’t woken up properly.

The person on the other end was clearly talking to someone and hurriedly replied to Sheng Ziyou: “Ji Ran had been vomiting since the early hours of the morning. When Gu Yuzheng and the others came, he vomited some more blood and is now in shock and has been sent to the hospital.”

The staff member sounded anxious; at this point, no one had yet given an order to keep quiet, so she just told Sheng Ziyou directly.

Sheng Ziyou’s expression changed drastically.

In that instant, many thoughts raced through her mind. Ji Ran’s behavior might be due to her previous suggestion, but the current situation was clearly different from “faking illness”…

Which hospital was he taken to?

After receiving a reply on the other end of the phone, Sheng Ziyou threw her phone on the bed and quickly got up to get dressed.

If Ji Ran’s matter was really related to her, Sheng Ziyou could not ignore it, otherwise she would live with guilt for the rest of her life.

After getting dressed, she quickly washed her face, didn’t bother with anything else, and went outside wearing a hat and mask.

When Sheng Ziyou arrived downstairs, Gu Yuzheng, Lin Yidong, Fu Jiahuan, and Jing Xianglei were squatting at the door, looking completely bewildered.

“Teacher Sheng—” The moment Lin Yidong saw her, it was as if he had seen a lifeline.

“What are you doing here?” Sheng Ziyou frowned.

Gu Yuzheng said in a hoarse voice, “Teacher Sheng… please take us… to the hospital…”

Sheng Ziyou stopped and looked at Gu Yuzheng with a serious expression.

“Then tell me first, what exactly happened?”

“Tell me the truth, don’t lie to me.”

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Even under these circumstances, Li Yuebai couldn’t help but try to determine Ye Qing’s location by sound.

Ye Qing’s voice seemed to come from a very far place, with other sounds in the background.

He must be standing in a very open area, with the sounds of wind, waves crashing, and even seagulls in the distance.

The seaside, this was the seaside.

And the nearest sea was hundreds of kilometers away. It was too late.

Even a superhero couldn’t instantly travel such a distance.

Li Yuebai wanted to laugh at himself for a moment— only thinking of asking for help when death is imminent, how could he expect the other party to arrive instantly? Even if Ye Qing was a hundred meters away, he might not be able to get there in time.

“It’s too late, Ye Qing, don’t come over, remember to terminate the contract later.” Li Yuebai sent this message.

He remembered clearly that when he witnessed Ye Qing die in the earthquake at the museum, the system gave him the option to terminate the contract. Now, if he died, the system should give Ye Qing the same option.

The small black coffin in his pocket was still trembling slightly. Li Yuebai put his left hand, which wasn’t holding the gun, into his pocket and gripped it tightly. Perhaps, if absolutely necessary, he could use it to possess himself again. He just didn’t know if someone already possessed by Vila could be possessed by a dormant vampire again…

However, Ye Qing didn’t seem to have given up at all.

“Where are you? Tell me your coordinates.” — Ye Qing’s voice was flat, and he replied instantly again.

“N36°42′51″E116°56′8″” — Li Yuebai sent the coordinates, thankfully he had memorized them when he checked his phone.

“The small square in the suburban forest?” Another instant reply.

“Yes, I’m on top of the stone statue in the center of the square. There are about ten vampires in a circle about five meters away from me.” — Li Yuebai sent the text description without much hope.

“One last question.” Ye Qing’s voice softened.

What did that mean? Did he have to ask—”Did we love each other”? Why was he joking at this time? This wasn’t like him.

“Are there any lights in the square?” Ye Qing asked, catching up on a question that seemed off-topic.

“Yes, they’re on.” Li Yuebai glanced at the numerous ground lights and streetlights in the square and smiled wryly. It was already dark, and all the lights were on.

“Good, count down ten seconds, then move away from the lights.” Ye Qing calmly gave the order.

Li Yuebai obediently counted down ten seconds.

In the last second, he ran out of bullets, jumped off the stone statue, and hid himself in a crevice.

Immediately afterward, the square exploded.

It was an explosion out of thin air; a golden-red mushroom cloud instantly rose, engulfing all the vampires.

The heat was intense; even hiding behind the stone statue, Li Yuebai felt his skin being burned.

He had never seen such an incomprehensible explosion— no fuel, no fuse, no reason, yet it exploded so spectacularly.

Ye Qing had always been a god-like figure, but how could he be this powerful? He wasn’t even here!

“Are you alright?” Ye Qing rarely showed concern verbally. “Finish them off.”

Li Yuebai jolted awake, scrambling up from behind the statue.

Yes, the explosion only temporarily weakened the vampires, not killed them outright; he still needed to finish them off.

Fortunately, he had enough silver bullets.

Fifteen minutes later, Li Yuebai stood in the ashes-covered plaza, panting heavily.

All the vampires here were gone, but he could foresee more coming after him.

It didn’t matter; he’d get through one hurdle at a time and figure out a solution later.

“Are you… alright too?” After hesitating for a dozen seconds, he sent Ye Qing this message.

“Fine.” Ye Qing replied instantly, without a word more.

“Need any help?”

Ye Qing was silent for a moment, then sent a message: I’ll come back for you.

I’ll come back for you.

For a moment, Li Yuebai wanted to say yes.

If he calculated carefully, the time he’d been separated from Ye Qing wasn’t very long, but he had to admit he really wanted to see Ye Qing as soon as possible, to ask him what had happened, or just sit quietly without saying anything.

However, it seemed impossible.

“Xiao Ye, don’t be silly, in our current state…”—Li Yuebai sent this message.

Vampires and Vilas, once they meet, it’s death.

Temporarily suspending contact with Ye Qing, the walkie-talkie started beeping urgently again; it was Director Yang.

Director Yang had been leading a search for Ye Qing; could there be new progress?

But judging from Ye Qing’s reaction just now, he hadn’t been found.

Li Yuebai answered the walkie-talkie and realized that Director Yang had encountered another case.

“Xiao Gu, we’re in the Gaobao community in the city center; a major case has occurred here.” Director Yang lowered his voice: “A new vampire has appeared and has already killed more than ten residents; the situation is extremely urgent.”

If the situation was urgent, why would he take the time to contact him?

Director Yang scanned the scene with the video intercom camera, giving Li Yuebai a general overview of the situation— it was nighttime, pitch black except for streetlights, and dozens of heavily armed colleagues stood ready, their guns all aimed at a solitary villa. No formal firefight had yet occurred.

“The criminals are hiding in the villa and have set up a magical barrier; we can’t break in,” Director Yang explained briefly. It seemed the stalemate had dragged on for a long time, and they were at a loss.

“Based on our experience, the criminals’ mind control abilities aren’t strong; they can only control a radius of ten meters. A sniper could easily kill them from ten meters away,” Director Yang said. “Unfortunately, they’re hiding inside the villa, and there are hostages being held inside, so we can’t just storm in.”

Therefore…

“So, if we can lure them out and expose them to our firepower…” Li Yuebai said.

“Yes!” Director Yang affirmed, “Xiao Gu, you have experience, give me some advice.”

If he were asking about Li Yuebai from three days ago, he probably wouldn’t have any valuable advice, only the simple and crude suggestion to blow up the villa with cannons.

But the current Li Yuebai…

“Director Yang, my next suggestion might seem absurd, but it should be effective.” Li Yuebai sighed, “That is to record my voice and play it outside the villa.”

This suggestion wasn’t just absurd; to ordinary people, it was downright insane.

Director Yang was visibly stunned for a moment, almost exasperated: “Xiao Gu, you can’t joke around at such a crucial moment!”

“I’m not joking. I have to make the announcement anyway, so I might as well do it myself.” Li Yuebai felt increasingly embarrassed by his method of communication: “Let’s try it first. If it doesn’t work, we can think of another way.”

“You… alright, alright, just one try!” Director Yang had no other choice but to agree.

“Record the following.” Li Yuebai took a deep breath and said sternly, “Listen up, criminals inside! You are surrounded. Surrender immediately, you have been warned!”

“What does the last sentence mean?” Director Yang was completely confused.

“That doesn’t matter. Just play it and see.” Li Yuebai suddenly realized that his last sentence had strayed from Gu Xisha’s identity and returned to his true self. Fortunately, the content wasn’t the problem; the important thing was to make sure the vampire heard his voice…

The walkie-talkie disconnected and reconnected five minutes later.

“Director Yang, how did it go? Did it work?” Li Yuebai asked.

“This is bizarre, it actually worked.” Director Yang must have been frowning, utterly perplexed. “After your announcement, the criminals opened the door and were immediately shot dead by several snipers.”

Indeed, comparing the Vila constitution to drugs was most fitting; so far, it had only brought desire and death.

The criminals were dead, but Li Yuebai’s heart tightened instantly.

Judging from the video, this case had blown up.

A dozen victims, such a large-scale arrest and killing.

It wouldn’t be long before the news of vampires’ resurgence spread among the public.

Li Yuebai put away his walkie-talkie and cell phone and walked towards the highway in the pitch-black night.

Behind him, the lights in the small square were all off, plunging the area into darkness. The highway was not far away, the streetlights emitting a warm glow, and cars sped past without stopping.

He had no idea where to go next. After walking along the highway for an unknown amount of time, his cell phone lit up again. He opened it and saw countless windows exploding outside, too many to close.

Every window was filled with news, all about vampires.

“Shocking! Massive murder case in the city, vampire demons have reappeared!”

“Is it fantasy or reality? Ten pieces of evidence of vampire existence!”

“According to sources, a murder case that occurred a month ago is suspected to be the work of vampires!”

The headlines were increasingly sensational and exaggerated.

Clicking on the comments, people initially dismissed it as rumors, joking and teasing, saying the news publishers must have watched too much Twilight and were confused about the difference between entertainment and reality.

But gradually, as more and more videos and photos were rapidly released, the public’s reaction shifted from complete disbelief to scepticism, and finally to panic.

It seemed this time, things were truly about to turn upside down.

Then, more people started posting aimlessly.

“Help! How can I avoid encountering vampires?”

“I suspect my roommate is being mind-controlled, what should I do? Urgent!”

“Do pure silver and garlic really work?”

“How to escape?”

If it was already like this online, the reality was likely even more terrifying.

Li Yuebai could already imagine the chaos that must be ensuing in the city.

Tonight, countless silver jewellery shops would be smashed open, and everyone would be looting the silver. Garlic too… perhaps by tomorrow morning, garlic would be priceless.

He wondered if the government and the National Security Bureau had prepared any contingency plans in the meantime.

Li Yuebai felt as if he had been swept into a raging torrent, unable to escape.

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After finishing things with Ninglu, the family of four took a private plane to a tropical island the next day.

Guoguo was incredibly excited, and Jiang Shining was also a little curious. Come to think of it, she had never been to an island before. After several hours of flight, the plane slowly landed on the island’s airstrip.

Guoguo was very excited from the moment she got off the plane. The tropical plants and the distant sea filled her with a sense of wonder.

Children were naturally energetic, and just as she was about to run out to play, Jing Xuan pulled her back.

“Guoguo, apply sunscreen.” Jing Xuan said carefully.

Guoguo could only suppress her eagerness to play as Jing Xuan pulled her into the shade of the airplane window, letting Jing Xuan apply sunscreen.

On the other side, Jing Yuan put on sunglasses. Even though he was wearing beach-style shorts and a T-shirt, he still gave off the vibe of a mob boss on vacation.

“Guoguo, do you see that woods over there?” Jing Xuan was applying sunscreen to his younger sister when Jing Yuan scared her by saying, “There are big monsters in the woods! Big tigers! If you run in, they’ll eat you.”

Jing Xuan knew that Jing Yuan was using a scare tactic to keep Guoguo away from the woods, and felt a little helpless. Since he was no longer burdened by the dynasty and had let go of the grudges from his past life, Jing Yuan’s personality had finally started to become more cheerful and talkative.

Looking at Guoguo again, she showed no fear whatsoever; she just blinked her eyes.

“What’s so scary about big monsters and tigers?” she said. “Are you afraid? Don’t be afraid, Guoguo will protect you!”

This was beyond Jing Yuan’s expectations. How could this little girl be so bold?

Jiang Shining chuckled softly.

“You underestimate her. In her previous life, she was born in a post-apocalyptic world, where not only tigers but even zombies were about to take over the world. She herself was a mutated human, covered in fur,” Jiang Shining said. “Others were the ones who were afraid of her.”

No wonder Guoguo wasn’t afraid. How could a little girl who was once treated like a monster be afraid of monsters?

The two older brothers remained silent for a moment. Guoguo, however, couldn’t wait any longer and started jumping around on the spot.

Is it ready?

Jing Xuan smiled, nodded, and took out a tracking watch from his pocket. He gently put it on the little girl’s wrist before leading her towards the beach.

Jiang Shining couldn’t help but sigh, Jing Xuan was so thoughtful and made things so easy for her.

She turned her head and saw Jing Yuan still standing to the side. He was wearing a casual beach outfit, but even though he was wearing sunglasses, he still exuded a thoughtful atmosphere, which was extremely inconsistent with his clothes.

“What are you thinking about again, Lord Jing Yuan?” Jiang Shining teased.

Jing Yuan regained his senses, took off his sunglasses, and turned to look at Jiang Shining.

“So, she and I were both adopted?” Jing Yuan said in a low voice. “You just love to bring trouble home and raise it.”

Jing Yuan was overly sensitive and prone to overthinking. Guoguo’s background reminded him of the situation between himself and Jiang Shining. Guoguo was too young to understand, but Jing Yuan could understand for her what it was like to be an outsider.

He couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. If it weren’t for Jiang Shining, they might have really met a tragic end, just like in the story.

In this sense, Jiang Shining was not only their mother, but also their savior— without her, their lives would have been very tragic.

Jiang Shining gazed at Jing Yuan, letting out a silent sigh.

“Let’s not talk about picking them up or not anymore,” she said gently. “If we have to be serious, none of you are really my children. I’m just taking on the role of your mother. Don’t you understand? Jing Yuan, to this day, you are no different to me.”

Jing Yuan was shocked.

In fact, he had always been troubled by the fact that he was not Jiang Shining’s biological son. Because he was not her biological son, he would always think about this, and sometimes he would even feel inferior, because at that time he felt that he had stolen Jing Xuan’s mother and Jing Xuan’s throne.

Even without him, Jiang Shining would still be a good mother, and her son, Jing Xuan, would be very suitable to be the emperor.

His gaze darkened slightly, his expression revealing nothing of his thoughts. However, he suddenly felt a slight itch in his palm, as Jiang Shining reached out and took his hand.

Jing Yuan’s eyes widened slightly; he was stunned. He followed Jiang Shining’s pace and walked slowly forward. She held his hand, just as Jing Xuan held Guo Guo’s hand.

“Making you emperor was my duty, and I must do it.” Jiang Shining’s slow voice rang in his ears. “At that time, the only person who could stand up to Chu Haoli’s power was you. Jing Xuan was mild-mannered and could not resist the emperor. Only you, Jing Yuan, could do it.”

Jiang Shining looked at him.

“You don’t owe anyone anything. You were born to succeed Chu Haoli. So, stop thinking about the past, okay?”

Jing Yuan’s heart was surging, and he nodded slightly.

“I’m sorry to have troubled you, Mother,” he said softly.

In this life, Jing Yuan had made up his mind to stand in front of his mother like a man, but how did he end up becoming the boy who needed Jiang Shining’s words of advice and comfort?

“Besides, that’s all from our past lives,” Jiang Shining said calmly. “Nothing about Chu Haoli is anything special. We’re starting over in this life, it has nothing to do with the past, does it?”

Upon hearing this, a hint of a smile appeared in Jing Yuan’s dark eyes.

“You’re right, we don’t care about his stuff.”

Jing Yuan withdrew his hand and instead put his arm around Jiang Shining’s shoulder.

“Have you been thinking about finding us a stepfather lately?” Jing Yuan’s tone suddenly changed as he asked.

Jiang Shining was both amused and exasperated.

“How could I possibly have time to think about such things?”

Her life was very fulfilling now. She was either busy with her career or spending time with her children. She couldn’t spare a single second for anyone else.

“That’s good then,” Jing Yuan said with satisfaction. “There’s no rush for these things. We can wait until we’ve all settled down, don’t you think?”

Jing Yuan’s use of “stability” referred to the fact that Jiang Shining’s other children hadn’t appeared yet. If the other children were all the same age as Guoguo, the Chu brothers probably won’t have any problems. But if a few hot-blooded sons of the same age come along, chaos will be inevitable.

Jiang Shining naturally understood his meaning. Getting these kids to get along peacefully sounded like a huge task. If Jiang Shining’s romance were added to that, then there would be no peace in her family.

Besides… Jiang Shining had experienced five relationships on behalf of women from different eras, and she hadn’t yet shaken off the boredom of this kind of love and romance.

Because she encountered only chauvinistic men and scumb*gs along the way, Jiang Shining had never developed any special feelings towards men.

Jing Yuan’s teasing question was actually tinged with unease. After all, he was from an ancient past life, and the traces of his previous existence weren’t so easily erased. Women in ancient times naturally needed to marry. But for Jiang Shining, such matters were practically optional.

“Mind your own business.” Although she agreed inwardly, Jiang Shining snorted, “You think a lot. Whether I want to find someone or not, can you stop me?”

Jing Yuan smiled.

“Mother is absolutely right. I’m just being a busybody.”

Whether it was Jiang Shining’s comforting words that soothed Jing Yuan’s sensitive and vulnerable spot, or his relief at hearing that Jiang Shining was no longer interested in romance, he regained his previous enthusiasm.

On the other side, Jing Xuan was playing with Guoguo on the beach. When he looked up, he saw his mother and Jing Yuan talking intimately.

Jing Xuan stared blankly for a while, then sighed and lowered his head to play with Guoguo again.

When Jiang Shining and Jing Yuan arrived on the beach, Jing Xuan looked up and laughed, “You guys are walking so slowly, Guoguo can’t wait any longer.”

Jing Yuan raised his chin. “Have you ever played beach volleyball?”

Jing Xuan had never played it before, but he knew about this game, and immediately shook his head.

“I don’t want to play games; running around like this would damage my image as a CEO.”

“Apart from us, who cares about your status on this island? Let’s play some volleyball to stretch our muscles. It’s been a long time since we’ve sparred. We can have a match after we finish playing volleyball.” Jing Yuan laughed.

Jing Xuan knew he couldn’t escape and could only sigh— although he was skilled in combat, he generally didn’t like to resort to violence. He preferred to treat people with courtesy. Jing Yuan, on the other hand, was somewhat of a martial arts fanatic, and loved wielding swords and staffs.

Over here, Jing Yuan seemed to remember something and let out a sigh.

“There are too few masters in this world. I really can’t find a suitable opponent.”

Jing Xuan thought for a moment. Jing Yuan was already exceptionally skilled in his previous life, so it would be even harder for him to find an opponent in this modern world.

“Have you ever had a suitable opponent?” Jing Xuan was even skeptical about this.

Jing Yuan recalled that person’s fighting skills and upright personality… Indeed, it’s more enjoyable to fight someone you dislike. It’s also quite amusing to see someone you dislike get furious.

It’s been a year already.

The author has something to say:

Bro, don’t even think about it! There’ll be plenty of time to fight later!

….

Judging from the comments on the previous chapter, everyone really underestimated the moths! 2333 How could a newbie possibly have the skill to woo the moths? Don’t worry!

There’s just one moth that’s slightly related to the newbie’s quest, by the way =v=

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Translator: Dj2203

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I chased after Najina, who was running with Maon on her back.

The destination was about two backstreets from the general store.

That was when I entered.

To put it bluntly, it’s like the outskirts of a commercial district.

It was a townscape that could be described only as that…

I caught up with Maon after Najina put her off his back in front of a store.

Najina told us, “Oh, this is it, this is it! Don’t be shy. Please come in and think of it as your own home!”

Saying that, he went deeper and deeper inside.

There were various products in the old store.

It felt different from your average general store. I wonder…

There’s something different about leaving it at home…

“I see… so that’s what my partner thought of…”

Wozma was muttering something.

“Hey! Oji-san! The store is open so you’re here right? Don’t give up and come out!”

Najina was calling someone in a foul voice.

“Hey, you idiot!! Shut up!”

It seems Oji-san is here.

And with that, a figure even smaller than Maon-san appeared.

His long white eyebrows covered his eyes, and there was also a long beard.

He was an old man with a mysterious aura.

….

“Really, you always come here yelling!

He was quiet except when he was sipping his drink.

“And I…”

“Scary!” he exclaimed, pointing his index finger at Najina-san.

“I’m not an old man!!”

“Now now, please cheer up. We have a wonderful customer today. I came here to introduce you.”

“What, a customer?”

The man who appears to be the old man who owns the store looked at me.

“Hello.”

When our eyes met, I greeted him.

“Hey! Welcome, take your time. Considering that this idiot brought you here, you seem pretty well behaved.”

He raised his white eyebrows, which covered his eyes, and his eyes were slightly visible.

He looks at me as if observing me.

“Well, I haven’t seen them around here. Ah, I’m not blaming you for anything. I’m from outside too. So, I started selling things and now I have a shop like this…”

“Hey, enough with the old stories, give me a blanket. Oji-san, you are really quick to talk.”

“Well, I’m not an old man!”

It’s like when a certain female comedian said, “It’s not Kadono Zou![1]“

It’s similar to a scene where she responded a little angrily. It brings back some memories.

“Madam, Genta, this is a place where adventurers like us often come. It’s a place I often visit. Anyone who has been there for a while has probably been there at least once. I think he’s coming.”

Wozma explained the situation.

“From the looks of it, he seems to be a novice adventurer… but that Najina guy… You’re doing a great job showing me around! And you’re right! Good eat and sleep, that’s the only way to rest your body. Those who do this will never be able to continue anything, okay, I’ll take a closer look!”

“Wait a minute! It’s not my brother who’s using it. It’s a gift from her grandson to that old lady.”

“What? A gift from him?”

“Actually, this grandmother’s house burned down, and it’s still cold early at night, right? So at least to try not to let her get cold, we’re looking for a blanket.”

“So, a blanket…”

“Ah, but a blanket wouldn’t be necessary at this time of year, would it? But hey, what about Grandpa’s shop? On the other hand, we adventurers don’t want to camp out overnight in the winter. Even if you do, you have to be decent to get ahead of the monsters. But it’s so cold that you can’t sleep. So, we need a blanket at this time of year. I thought it might sell well.”

“…That’s right. What sells in town and what sells among adventurers are subtly different. Especially the durability against water.”

“And one more thing. It doesn’t happen. We move around carrying my luggage, so we get tired of carrying it. That’s not worth discussing. But this blanket is a size smaller…  To make it easier to carry things. But that’s a good thing!”

“Huh!?” I asked back without thinking.

“I like how small it is! As you can see, the old woman’s body is small. And it’s easier to store than a big blanket. So I thought it might be better.”

Najina-san grinned and laughs with a smug look on his face.

“S-sama…”

“Partner!”

“That’s incomprehensible, isn’t it? Grandpa, you’re a good judge of quality. There must be something good that will impress us.”

“Don’t talk, you idiot!”

“But I like it! It makes this grandson cry, seeing her shivering from the cold. So he wants to buy it for his grandma!”

“Isn’t that a pleasant story?! Hey, Najina! I’m glad you brought her here! To have a say in a story that makes this sake taste so good!”

“Heh! I knew Grandpa would say that!”

“Don’t be so cheeky, Gayo. Okay! Just wait a bit! Don’t go home, okay? I’ll let you worship this blanket!”

The old man goes back inside.

“Hey, old man. If you want to take out what you put away, I’ll help you.”

Najina followed after him.

“I’m not an old man.”

A voice of protest came from the back of the store, protesting against being called an old man for the third time today.

The tone had went up.

….

“The owner of this shop is a member of the gnome tribe and is known as the Sage of the Earth. It’s not for nothing, in fact, his discerning eye is second to none. However, the Gnomes are said to be quiet and live like hermits. That’s what they say, but apparently he’s not.”

Wozma told me about the old man from earlier.

“By the way, what was that old man’s name?”

Wozma shook his head in response to my question.

Apparently he doesn’t know.

While we were doing this, the two of them returned with a blanket.

“Now, look at this blanket.”

Saying this, the old man spread out a blanket.

It was a gray blanket. However, it was more like a square piece of fur than a blanket.

When I touch it with my hand, it felt quite soft and warm.

I asked Maon to touch it and try it on her body.

It felt just right for Maon, who is small in stature, to use.

“It’s soft and feels nice on the skin. But it doesn’t seem like it’s wool. What kind of fur is this?”

“Don’t be surprised when you hear that, Granny. This is the belly of a wolf. It’s a wolf blanket.”

“Ugh! A wolf… I’ve never heard of such a blanket.”

“I suppose so, I suppose so. But, Granny. How did it feel to the touch? It was soft and warm, right.”

“Ah, yeah. That’s right.”

“Wolves don’t sleep with their backs to the ground like we do. They … sleep on their stomach. If you sleep on your stomach, you can run away quickly if something happens. But in that case, you’ll have to lie on the cold ground for a long time. I ended up sleeping. The ground was cold, so I tried sleeping. I understand, but it’s taking away my body heat. Besides, what’s inside your stomach? It’s packed full of intestines. So of course, we can’t let it cool down. Therefore they grow a layer of fur on their belly.”

“So this blanket is warm because of this?”

“Yes, and unlike sheep that are kept in places with roofs and walls, wolves live in the mountains and forests, so it’s great for water and dirt! What do you think? Granny, would you like to try it out?”

“Well, that sounds good, but…”

“Are you worried about the price? Don’t worry. It’s cheaper to make, and it takes less work. You can tell at a glance, its fur glued together. With wool, you have to spin it into yarn and then knit it. I’ve cut down on the amount of work and made it cheaper. So it’s just one silver and six silver pieces.”

That would be about 16,000 yen in Japanese yen…

It’s a lot cheaper than before.

“What do you think, Maon-san? How about this blanket? Please let me give it to you.”

I offered.

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[1] Kazu Kusano (草野カズ), a Japanese female stand-up comedian based in the United States. I think here the reference is to the misspelling of name not changing the person.