Chapter 276: Ai's Reflections

Qianye circled his residence, unceremoniously claiming everything Zhang Xuance had brought. He picked up a few seasonal fresh fruits and handed them to little Zhujī, letting her munch on them slowly at the side. Then he opened the courtyard gate and let Jirui in.

Jirui had been standing outside the courtyard for an entire hour, but he showed no sign of impatience. When he saw Qianye, his face lit up with a smile, bowing and nodding. However, Guan Zhongliu, who stood beside him, had a grim expression, eyeing Qianye with some hostility.

Qianye showed no respect for Jirui, but as Jirui’s subordinate and old friend, the stubborn-tempered Guan Zhongliu couldn’t help but look unhappy, despite Qianye's formidable combat power.

Ignoring Guan Zhongliu, Qianye simply nodded at Jirui and said, “Come in.”

Guan Zhongliu wanted to follow, but Jirui, being astute, turned and said, “You go back. I have something to discuss with His Excellency.”

Reluctantly, Guan Zhongliu agreed.

Qianye frowned slightly and barked, “Stop!”

Guan Zhongliu halted and turned, asking, “What is it?”

Qianye sized him up and coldly said, “Why, did you grow some backbone while we were away, or do you have a new patron now?”

Jirui was startled and quickly stepped in front of Guan Zhongliu, smiling apologetically, “Old Guan has been having some bad luck lately, and he’s in a foul mood. Your Excellency, please don’t take this fool too seriously.”

As he spoke, Jirui pushed Guan Zhongliu away, and then turned back to Qianye with a smile.

Qianye returned to the living room and sat down, looking at Jirui. In the time they hadn't seen each other, Jirui had become plumper, a clear sign that he had been living a life of ease and neglecting his cultivation.

“City Lord Ji, it seems you’ve been doing well these days.”

Jirui trembled and forced a smile, “There’s not much for me to do, just collect a bit of money. What more could I want?”

Qianye nodded and said, “Young Master Zhang seems quite satisfied with you, very satisfied. Even Chief Guan doesn’t hold me in high regard anymore. I heard that after he arrived, you’re still the City Lord?”

Jirui’s smile became even more strained, and sweat began to form on his plump face, “Everyone knows my position as City Lord is just a title. They keep me here because of my efforts in developing Southgreen. Now, I don’t get involved in anything, and Guan Zhongliu’s title is just a nominal one. What can he control? Just a hundred or so guards in my residence.”

Qianye remained silent, simply watching him.

Jirui grew increasingly uneasy, sweat pouring down in layers, but no matter how much he wiped, it wouldn’t stop.

Finally, Qianye spoke, “City Lord Ji, you seem uncomfortable?”

Jirui laughed bitterly, “I don’t know what it is, but whenever I see you, I feel weak all over. It’s not discomfort, just... fear. It’s strange, even when I faced the Wolf King, I never felt like this. Did you gain some kind of extraordinary experience in the Great Vortex, Your Excellency, that made you so powerful?”

Qianye raised his eyes slightly, “City Lord Ji, you’ve been good at talking to sit in this position for so long. I am still me. If there’s any change, it’s that my cultivation has advanced to the sixteenth level, which is still one level lower than you.”

Jirui shook his head vigorously, “Levels mean nothing to you. I’ve never seen a sixteenth-level cultivator defeat a divine general in a single move.”

“You didn’t come here to talk about this, did you?”

“Your Excellency, I wanted to talk to you about Young Master Zhang… Zhang Xuance’s visit to Southgreen.”

“Go ahead.”

Jirui finally had the chance to wipe his sweat and recounted the whole story from beginning to end.

Just as he finished, he sensed something odd behind him. Despite Qianye sitting in front, he couldn’t help but turn around. As he turned, he saw the small, mischievous face of Zhujī.

Jirui found this face familiar, and suddenly, a flash of insight hit him, reminding him where he had seen it before.

“It’s you!” Jirui screamed, and his body went limp, falling off the chair. He rolled a few times, hitting the wall, and finally sat up, leaning against it, pointing at Zhujī, trembling, unable to speak.

He finally remembered Zhujī, recalling her notorious act of poisoning countless mercenaries. At that moment, her innocent expression looked like a predator eyeing its favorite prey. Instinctively, he touched himself, wondering if he had already been poisoned.

“Zhujī, come here.” Qianye called out.

The little girl reluctantly came over, climbing onto Qianye’s back, whispering, “You don’t look very tasty…”

“Indeed!” Jirui was terrified.

Zhujī added, “Even cooked, you’d be too greasy.”

Qianye sighed, “Don’t say such things in front of others.”

Jirui felt like he had been granted a pardon, elated, silently vowing to increase his meals, aiming to gain another thirty pounds in a month.

The people around Qianye were no ordinary ones! This little girl was a cannibal.

Qianye pointed to the chair, “City Lord, sit. Are you afraid of me and her because you’ve done something wrong and are feeling guilty?”

Jirui, startled, quickly said, “Your Excellency, I’ve told you everything. Now, I don’t even plan to cultivate further. What else could I be guilty of?”

By the end, Jirui’s voice carried a hint of bitterness.

Qianye pondered for a moment and said, “I understand the situation. You may leave. I’ll make a decision once I have all the details.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.” Jirui bowed and left the courtyard, walking quickly. It was clear he didn’t want to stay any longer.

After Jirui left, Qianye sat quietly, lost in his thoughts.

Zhujī, however, was restless, jumping around the courtyard. Finding nothing new, she climbed onto Qianye again, digging in with all her might.

She wasn’t gentle, even while being playful. Qianye, with his constitution, felt a slight pain. An ordinary strongman would have had several ribs broken by now.

Noticing Zhujī’s restlessness, Qianye asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m itchy, all over. My bones ache, and I want to... fight, or spray poison.” Zhujī panted, her mouth open.

Qianye, concerned by her panting, lifted her up, examining her closely and asking a few questions to understand the cause.

It turned out the six-armed giant’s heart was too nourishing, rapidly propelling her beyond ten years of growth. Now, waking from her slumber, she was growing every moment, unable to release her excess energy. By nature, this was the season for hunting and killing. Spider Demons, especially those born in the same brood, would start preying in the vast world. Their enemies included not only ferocious beasts and other dark races but also their own kind from the same season.

In the bloody slaughter, only the strongest would survive and potentially awaken great intelligence. Although the Spider Demons had gradually entered civilization and could control infighting, their innate instincts still lingered.

Zhujī was now showing signs of aggression. Most Spider Demons at this stage were driven by instinct, but Zhujī had developed considerable intelligence. She dug into Qianye, thinking deeply.

“What are you thinking?” Qianye asked, intrigued by her intense concentration, even as she absentmindedly pushed against him.

“Dad, you should go to war.”

“Oh, against whom?” Qianye asked with interest.

“The ones who took your things! They look strong, and it would be fun to fight them.”

“Why go to war?”

“Because if you go to war, I can fight too, and spray poison.” Zhujī accidentally revealed her true thoughts.

Qianye was both amused and exasperated. This little one was too clever, trying to provoke him into a retaliatory war just to satisfy her own desires. Other Spider Demons at this age would just sneak out to kill based on instinct, right?

Patting her head, Qianye said, “Wait a few days. There will be a fight.”

Zhujī pouted, reluctantly agreeing, “Fine, I’ll wait.”

Nodding, Qianye fell into deep thought.

As evening approached, the room grew dim. Zhujī, looking around, eventually lit a lamp herself. Spider Demons, with their keen senses, were not affected by darkness, but Zhujī, raised by Song Zining and Qianye, was used to having light.

She ran to Qianye, resting her chin on her hands, staring intently at him.

After a while, Qianye noticed, “What is it now?”

“Dad, what’s wrong with you?” Zhujī countered.

“Me? Nothing.” Qianye was puzzled.

“You’ve changed a lot, you...” Zhujī struggled to find the right words, but her rapid growth left her vocabulary limited.

After much thought, Zhujī found the right words, “You’re always distracted.”

“Distracted?”

“Yes! Many people talk to you, but you don’t pay attention. It takes a long time for you to realize they were talking to you. Hmm, they think you’re ignoring them, and they develop hostility.”

Qianye looked at Zhujī, his eyes showing a flicker of surprise, “Can you sense their hostility?”

Zhujī nodded vigorously, “It’s very obvious.”

Since he had killed Zhang Xuance’s four guards and severely injured the divine general, everyone in Southgreen treated Qianye with utmost respect, carefully concealing any ill will. Yet, Zhujī could sense it, showcasing a terrifying innate ability.

“Alright, I was just thinking.”

“About what? Auntie?”

“...Yes.”

“If you miss Auntie, go talk to her.”

Qianye was silent, then softly said, “She’s already gone.”

“When will Auntie come back?”

“...I don’t know.”