Qian Ye 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 Qian Ye, his face lit up with a smile, bowing and nodding. However, Guan Zhongliu, who stood beside him, had a grim expression, eyeing Qian Ye with some hostility.
Qian Ye 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 Qian Ye’s formidable combat power.
Ignoring Guan Zhongliu, Qian Ye 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.
Qian Ye frowned slightly and barked, “Stop!”
Guan Zhongliu halted and turned, asking, “What is it?”
Qian Ye 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 Qian Ye with a smile.
Qian Ye 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?”
Qian Ye 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.”
Qian Ye 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, Qian Ye 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?”
Qian Ye 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 Qian Ye 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.” Qian Ye called out.
The little girl reluctantly came over, climbing onto Qian Ye’s back, whispering, “You don’t look very tasty…”
“Indeed!” Jirui was terrified.
Zhujī added, “Even cooked, you’d be too greasy.”
Qian Ye 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 Qian Ye were no ordinary ones! This little girl was a cannibal.
Qian Ye 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.
Qian Ye 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, Qian Ye sat quietly, lost in his thoughts.
Zhujī, however, was restless, jumping around the courtyard. Finding nothing new, she climbed onto Qian Ye again, digging in with all her might.
She wasn’t gentle, even while being playful. Qian Ye, with his constitution, felt a slight pain. An ordinary strongman would have had several ribs broken by now.
Noticing Zhujī’s restlessness, Qian Ye 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.
Qian Ye, 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 Qian Ye, thinking deeply.
“What are you thinking?” Qian Ye asked, intrigued by her intense concentration, even as she absentmindedly pushed against him.
“Dad, you should go to war.”
“Oh, against whom?” Qian Ye 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.
Qian Ye 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, Qian Ye said, “Wait a few days. There will be a fight.”
Zhujī pouted, reluctantly agreeing, “Fine, I’ll wait.”
Nodding, Qian Ye 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 Qian Ye, was used to having light.
She ran to Qian Ye, resting her chin on her hands, staring intently at him.
After a while, Qian Ye noticed, “What is it now?”
“Dad, what’s wrong with you?” Zhujī countered.
“Me? Nothing.” Qian Ye 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.”
Qian Ye 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 Qian Ye 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.”
Qian Ye was silent, then softly said, “She’s already gone.”
“When will Auntie come back?”
“…I don’t know.”
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