After Qi Quan was invited upstairs, the banquet hall buzzed with heated discussion.
"Is she... is she really Senior Qi?!"
"Someone of her stature, why would she come?"
"Yes, I truly never expected to see her here today!"
"Wuwuwu, how is she so perfect?"
"How on earth did the Fu family manage to invite her?"
It wasn't that they looked down on the Fu family, but such were the unspoken rules.
If today were the birthday of the Fu family head, the leaders of various sects and the heads of prominent families would likely have come to offer congratulations.
But this was merely the coming-of-age ceremony for the Fu family's young lady.
Those leaders and family heads were all Fu Luanfei's seniors; they wouldn't come in person, only sending their elite disciples with gifts, which was already giving considerable face.
In their minds, Qi Quan was on par with these grand figures, even a presence surpassing them.
Such a titan shouldn't have appeared here.
As Fu Luanfei led Su Nuanuan downstairs, many people gathered around her.
"How did you manage to invite her?"
"Oh my, if Senior Qi could attend my birthday party, I would surely die of happiness!"
"So jealous."
"Wuwuwu, when will Senior Qi come down again? I want to see her a few more times."
"Me too, she looked so incredibly beautiful today!"
Amidst her helplessness, Fu Luanfei felt a secret thrill.
In the past, it was always others benefiting from their association with the Fu family; the Fu family had never basked in someone else's glory.
Admittedly, this feeling was novel and somewhat exhilarating.
"Hehehe, Sister Quan attended my birthday party before too. Back then, I was just like you, surrounded by people asking all sorts of questions," Su Nuanuan whispered close to her ear.
At that time, Qi Quan had saved three top-tier second-generation heirs and was a benefactor to the Su family, giving her a transcendent status within Longjiang City.
But that was only among ordinary people.
Now, Qi Quan had become a transcendent existence within the entire mystical world.
Su Nuanuan felt immensely proud by association.
The two young women, sharing this similar experience, smiled in unison.
In truth, today's birthday banquet was merely a pretext.
If the Fu family had specifically and separately invited Qi Quan, it would have undoubtedly drawn others' attention. Using the birthday banquet as an excuse made it much more reasonable.
Of course, some might wonder why a titan would attend a young girl's coming-of-age ceremony, but even if suspicious, they wouldn't investigate deeply.
Perhaps the titan simply enjoyed attending such occasions.
A short while later, it was time for the ceremony.
Under everyone's anticipation, Qi Quan reappeared in the banquet hall, accompanied by the Fu family head, Fu Jiuchong.
Fu Jiuchong was quite reticent in public.
If it were another family's father, he might have given a lengthy speech on stage, expressing wishes and hopes for his daughter's future.
He did not.
He only said one sentence.
"Fu Luanfei, a fourth-level, second-rank Celestial Master, my only daughter. From today onward, she is an adult. She is officially the heir of our Fu family."
That was it.
The crowd: ???
While this was a foregone conclusion, announcing it so hastily and abruptly like that—was it really appropriate?
The system remarked with feeling: 【Is he giving his final instructions?】
Qi Quan: 【Yes.】
【He's a real man!】
Qi Quan thought so too.
A family head with cultivation reaching the seventh level, willing to risk himself for a sister who suffered a tragic accident many years ago... he was indeed worthy of respect.
Fu Luanfei was also a bit stunned.
Prior to this, she had been completely unaware of this matter.
"Dad?" Her voice softened, as if that could negate the suspicion growing in her heart.
Fu Luanfei only knew that saving her aunt required three trustworthy eighth-level Celestial Masters and sufficient spiritual energy; she was unaware of the final condition.
But now she guessed something.
She stared intently at Fu Jiuchong, waiting for his answer.
Meeting her questioning gaze, Fu Jiuchong did not deny it. His eyes conveyed reassurance as he said, "You stay here and entertain the guests. I'll go attend to Senior Qi."
"Dad!" Fu Luanfei grabbed his wrist. "I can't handle it alone. I need you here."
Fu Jiuchong sighed softly and said, "I believe in you. I taught you myself, after all."
He paused. "Believe in me, and believe in Senior Qi."
Fu Luanfei understood very clearly that this matter had been buried in her father's heart for nearly twenty years; he would not abandon it halfway.
She felt lost and helpless now.
She didn't know what to say.
Try to persuade Dad not to go? The words wouldn't come.
But after hearing her father's words, she couldn't just stand by and watch him walk into danger.
Father and daughter understood each other well.
Fu Jiuchong said quietly, "I've told you before, this matter is very important."
This wasn't just about saving Fu Jiuge; it was also about uncovering the truth of what happened back then.
A terrifying enemy lurked in the shadows, and they had to root him out.
Fu Luanfei understood his meaning.
She was momentarily dazed, then slowly released Fu Jiuchong's wrist.
Fu Jiuchong took a final look at her and left the banquet hall with Qi Quan.
In the eyes of the guests, it appeared to be a scene of a daughter reluctant to let her father go, and a father encouraging his daughter to grow up and become independent.
They smiled understandingly, unaware that within the Fu family's secluded backyard, an isolation array had already been set up.
On the way to the backyard, Fu Jiuchong shed his public reticence. As if making a final account, he revealed the events of the past to Qi Quan.
"Actually, evil Celestial Masters have always existed. It's not that the mystical world hasn't cracked down on them."
Qi Quan nodded.
She had heard about this from Qin Ruo. Ten years ago, when Qin Ruo first entered the mystical world, evil cultivators were being suppressed, like rats scurrying in dark sewers.
Of course, this timeframe was based on Qin Ruo's own experience.
The mystical world's campaign against evil cultivators likely began even earlier.
"Over twenty years ago, Jiuge was also part of the team hunting evil cultivators. She uncovered a lead, left a letter, and hurried away from home. For a long time, there was no news of her."
Fu Jiuchong's voice grew hoarse and heavy. "It was nearly a year later that we found her. By then, she had become mentally impaired, her spiritual power completely depleted, and her dantian almost destroyed."
The system whimpered: 【So tragic!】
"We desperately tried to save her, barely managing to preserve her dantian. However..." He smiled bitterly. "...the family discovered she had given birth."
Qi Quan: ?
The system was shocked: 【What's going on?! So Ling Sheng's mother left home not pregnant, but was found having given birth to a child, and that child is Ling Sheng?】
Qi Quan instinctively glanced at Ling Sheng.
The young man's expression was calm, as if the matter being discussed had nothing to do with him.
"Later, we learned she was already pregnant when she left home."
Qi Quan: ??
The system: 【Ah, this... plot twist.】
The system: 【Wait, was Ling Sheng's mother married...?】
"That missing child is likely my brother-in-law's," Fu Jiuchong said.
The system: 【...Could you please not talk in such breathless bursts?】
Qi Quan asked, "What about Mr. Fu's brother-in-law?"
"The day before Jiuge left home, my brother-in-law received another assignment and went on a business trip to Longhu City. Later, he suddenly lost contact and was never heard from again. Back then, a servant cleaning up found a pregnancy test in the trash and told us. That's how we knew Jiuge was pregnant when she left."
Qi Quan: "..."
She did want to clarify Ling Sheng's origins, but Fu Jiuchong proactively telling her all this—what was his intention?
"Senior Qi," the man with a sorrowful expression suddenly stopped and said solemnly, "If something happens to me..."
Qi Quan interrupted him, "Mr. Fu, are you entrusting your orphan to me on your deathbed?"
Fu Jiuchong: "..."
"Miss Fu is intelligent and wise, and she has the support of the elders. You don't need to be so pessimistic."
"But Jiuge's child," Fu Jiuchong said with shame, "I don't know if he's alive or dead, nor do I know where he is, but I sense he is still alive. Presumably, the evil cultivators want to use him as a bargaining chip or hostage."
"I know the official authorities are bound to crack down on the evil cultivators. You are the Chief Consultant for the official side. If one day, you encounter Jiuge's child, could you look after him a little?"
He had never met his nephew and couldn't use mystic arts to divine his whereabouts. Since his nephew was still alive, he also couldn't use his sister's hair for guidance.
Qi Quan sighed softly: [He thinks really far ahead.]
System: [He's a good man. But how does he know you'll recognize the child's identity if you meet him?]
[As long as I see Fu Jiuge today, I can tell from her facial features.]
[Oh, right.]
Qi Quan said calmly, "Mr. Fu, let's start the treatment early. Don't waste any more time."
Fu Jiuchong: "..."
The three of them arrived at a secluded courtyard.
The courtyard was set with an array. Inside, two Level 8 Celestial Masters were already waiting—one a male Celestial Master in his thirties, and the other a female Celestial Master around thirty.
Of course, they only appeared to be in their thirties.
Both Celestial Masters' gazes fell upon Qi Quan.
They had heard of Qi Quan, and while they initially had some doubts, seeing her now completely dispelled them.
They actually couldn't gauge her depth!
Fu Jiuchong said respectfully, "Greetings to both Elders. Thank you for your trouble."
"That girl Jiuge is pitiful," the female Celestial Master said. "We also want her to be freed from her suffering soon."
The male Celestial Master said solemnly, "Let's begin."
The group entered the room together.
"Wait," the female Celestial Master suddenly noticed Ling Sheng. "Who is he?"
Why does he have such a low presence?
Qi Quan: "..."
She had indeed placed talismans on Ling Sheng to conceal his constitution, but it shouldn't make him this unnoticeable.
Could it be Ling Sheng's own skill?
Because he was a Natural Spirit Body, he could perfectly blend with his surroundings, reducing his presence?
She said, "My assistant."
The two Celestial Masters: ???
What? You need to bring an assistant for spellcasting?
Qi Quan took her bag back from Ling Sheng, pulling out many spirit talismans brimming with spiritual energy. She said, "During the spellcasting, if spiritual energy runs low, my assistant can replenish it."
Of course, the spirit talismans were both a backup and a cover.
She just wanted Ling Sheng to see his mother.
Fu Jiuchong: ?
He asked, "Did you know this would happen all along?"
Otherwise, why would she bring a bag full of spirit talismans just to attend a birthday banquet?
Wait, that's a whole bag!
...
If he wasn't mistaken, those talismans were all Level 6 or above!
Since when have high-level spirit talismans become so common?
The calm expressions of the two Celestial Masters also cracked slightly.
Qi Quan: "No, it's just a habit when going out."
The three of them: "..."
After a moment of silence, the five of them stepped into the room.
Inside, a woman with excellent bone structure lay on a low couch.
"Bone structure" was all one could say, as she was terribly emaciated.
Although the Fu family had repaired her dantian for her, it was only a patchwork job, not fully healed.
If not for the trace of spiritual energy nourishing her body, Fu Jiuge would likely have passed away long ago after all these years.
Qi Quan spoke calmly, "Let's begin."
The female Celestial Master immediately began setting up the array.
Using a forbidden technique required a special array. She had studied it for many years and was extremely proficient in its setup.
After the array was set, the male Celestial Master took out a stack of top-grade jade talismans and placed them around the array stones.
As long as the spiritual energy within the jade talismans didn't run out, the forbidden technique array would not fail.
Fu Jiuchong lay down beside Fu Jiuge.
Qi Quan and the two Celestial Masters sat in three positions around them.
Ling Sheng remained outside the array.
His gaze stayed fixed on Qi Quan.
The forbidden technique was activated.
Under the spellcasting of Qi Quan and the two Celestial Masters, Fu Jiuchong's living soul drifted out of his body. To keep the living soul strong in both reason and power, the three Celestial Masters had to establish a connection between the living soul and Fu Jiuchong's spiritual platform.
This was a crucial part of the forbidden technique, and no mistakes could be allowed.
The three of them formed seals at Fu Jiuchong's spiritual platform.
The forbidden seals were extremely complex and precise, requiring the casting Celestial Masters' full concentration without the slightest lapse.
However, this wasn't difficult for Qi Quan.
Celestial Masters capable of cultivating to Level 8 naturally possessed far greater focus than ordinary people. The other two Celestial Masters weren't struggling too much either.
But forming the seals required an immense amount of spiritual energy.
The spiritual energy of the forbidden technique array was being rapidly consumed. The spirit talismans beside the array stones were dwindling.
Before this, the Fu family had never performed such a forbidden technique. They didn't know exactly how much spiritual energy it would require, so they had taken out all the spirit talismans the Fu family had stored away.
Piles of spirit talismans turned to ash.
Qi Quan could clearly feel that the initially abundant spiritual power was gradually becoming thin and weak.
Finally, the forbidden seals were completed.
Fu Jiuchong's living soul was suddenly infused with vitality. The living soul floated in the air, smiled at the three of them, bowed, and without hesitation, entered Fu Jiuge's brow.
After entering Fu Jiuge's brow, he needed to find the barrier she had once erected to seal herself off. Only by shattering that barrier could her memories and consciousness fully return.
Qi Quan and the two Celestial Masters continuously channeled spiritual power into the forbidden seals.
Each time the living soul struck the barrier, the spiritual power on the forbidden seals sharply decreased. The three had to keep infusing spiritual energy without stop.
The glow of the forbidden technique array gradually dimmed.
The stockpiled spirit talismans were about to be completely exhausted.
Just as the two Celestial Masters prepared to exhaust their own spiritual power, the array suddenly blazed with light again! The spiritual energy flowing into the forbidden seals tripled!
Right, there was an assistant outside the array!
Ling Sheng stared unblinkingly at the array. Seeing its glow dim, he threw out a stack of spirit talismans, landing them beside the array stones.
He couldn't see clearly what was happening inside. His fingers tightly clutched Qi Quan's bag, which was filled with talismans, yet a sense of unease still grew in his heart.
...
He didn't know if all this would be enough.
Inside the array, Qi Quan was still relatively at ease, while the other two Celestial Masters gradually showed signs of fatigue.
Maintaining such intense focus and precise control for so long was becoming difficult even for Celestial Masters accustomed to long periods of quiet cultivation.
During her last advancement at the Lu residence, Qi Quan's comprehension of the world's spiritual energy and laws had become more detailed and accurate. Her control over spiritual power far surpassed the other two, so the process of drawing spiritual energy from the array and channeling it into the forbidden seals was much easier for her.
With Ling Sheng's support, the array's glow never faded.
Fu Jiuchong's living soul relentlessly struck the barrier.
A living soul could only wield a tiny fraction of the original body's power. Even though he was a Level 7 Celestial Master, facing the barrier erected by Fu Jiuge, a Level 4 Celestial Master, it was still very hard to break through in one go.
He knew very well that the stored spiritual energy was limited. He had to break through the barrier as quickly as possible to find Jiuge's consciousness.
The spirit talismans in Ling Sheng's hands were also dwindling.
The barrier still hadn't shattered. The two Level 8 Celestial Masters frowned slightly, feeling the situation was developing unfavorably.
Qi Quan reminded them in a low voice, "Focus."
The two immediately cast aside their worries and continued controlling the flow of spiritual energy into the forbidden seals.
Fu Jiuchong desperately battered against the barrier again and again!
He could no longer care about the damage to his soul, each impact more forceful than the last.
Finally—
A crack appeared in the barrier.
He rushed towards it with elation, only to find his connection to the spiritual platform suddenly weaken.
He realized his spiritual energy was nearly exhausted!
Outside the formation, Ling Sheng had emptied his bag of all spirit talismans.
The formation's glow dimmed abruptly. Qi Quan and the two Celestial Masters clearly sensed the spiritual energy becoming thin.
"The barrier is cracked; we cannot stop halfway!" The female Celestial Master resolutely drew spiritual energy from her own body.
The male Celestial Master did the same.
Qi Quan remained impassive. Compared to the river-like spiritual power of the other two, her spiritual power was more like a vast, boundless ocean.
The two Celestial Masters felt a surge of relief in their hearts.
Thankfully, the family head had managed to invite such a divine being!
Even if they had sought help from other eight-level Celestial Masters from different families or sects, none could match Senior Qi Quan's capabilities, and their trustworthiness couldn't be guaranteed either.
With the eight-level Celestial Masters' spiritual power flowing into the forbidden seal, Fu Jiuchong's life soul regained strength. He strained to batter the crack, which grew larger and larger, on the verge of shattering completely—
The connection weakened again!
Even piles of spirit talismans couldn't sustain it for long. The spiritual energy reserves of the eight-level Celestial Masters themselves were insufficient for the consumption of the forbidden technique.
The two eight-level Celestial Masters had completely depleted their spiritual power.
Only Qi Quan remained.
They watched her nervously, silently praying in their hearts that she could hold on until the end, until the barrier was broken, until Jiuge returned.
No matter how vast the spiritual energy within Qi Quan's body was, it was not infinite.
Soon, she too was about to face the brink of exhaustion.
The formation, losing its spiritual power support, gradually dimmed until its glow was almost extinguished. Through the now-thin formation shield, Ling Sheng watched Qi Quan's spiritual energy output grow increasingly faint.
He remembered Qi Quan's warning not to reveal his constitution in front of others.
But he also knew clearly that Qi Quan did not want the forbidden technique to fail.
Ling Sheng's face was expressionless, but a trace of anxiety flickered in his eyes.
He glanced at the other two Celestial Masters who were resting, his gaze gradually darkening, a faint gray spiritual energy shimmering in his palm.
This spiritual energy would instantly plunge people into a deep sleep.
Just then, Qi Quan suddenly opened her eyes. A surge of immense spiritual power poured entirely into the forbidden seal...
Perfectly synchronized with Fu Jiuchong's life soul striking the barrier.
Boom—
The barrier shattered abruptly.
Fu Jiuchong immediately probed deep into the spiritual platform, finding the slumbering Fu Jiuge.
Fu Jiuge's soul was damaged and required spiritual energy to awaken.
Now, only Qi Quan was left!
The two Celestial Masters stared intently at Qi Quan. They knew well that the last powerful strike had likely drained Qi Quan's spiritual power completely.
Ling Sheng pressed his lips tightly together.
At such a critical moment, knocking out those two would be utterly inappropriate.
How could he help Qi Quan?
The young man closed his eyes, his fingers digging deeply into the surface of his bag, leaving deep marks.
He understood Qi Quan's purpose in agreeing to the Fu family's request was to sever the karmic ties between him and the Fu family.
The young man suddenly opened his eyes, determination flashing within them.
He tried to open his mouth, his voice as faint as a mosquito's hum, barely audible.
"Grant... her... power!"
With each word, his face grew paler. By the time the last syllable fell, a trickle of blood suddenly overflowed from the corner of his mouth. He staggered back, bumping into a solid table with a muffled groan.
In the vast, mysterious heights of the sky, a faint golden light seemed to appear.
Torrential spiritual energy poured entirely into Qi Quan's body!
Qi Quan seemed to sense something, glancing sideways at the young man outside the formation, pale and spitting blood. Her heart trembled slightly.
As the spiritual power flooded into her, she seemed to feel the power of laws from a distant, lofty realm.
That was...
She opened her eyes wide in surprise.
Abundant spiritual energy infused the forbidden seal, maintaining the operation of the forbidden technique.
But Qi Quan had no more attention to spare for Fu Jiuchong.
She remembered what Ling Sheng had once told her.
—He could not speak.
Within the Mystic Arts, there were paths of the sword, talismans, formations, and many obscure methods, but one existed only in legends, extremely rare.
This legendary method was known as—
Word-Soul.
The language of a Word-Soul Master could kill, but it could also save.
Yet such a powerful method surely came with restrictions.
Before Word-Soul Masters fully mastered the laws, they could not speak lightly. Even if they spoke, it could only be about trivial matters.
If the words spoken exceeded the laws they controlled, they would suffer backlash from those laws.
When Qi Quan's spiritual power was nearly exhausted, with her hearing sharper than that of the two eight-level Celestial Masters, she faintly caught a whisper.
She initially thought it was an auditory hallucination, but upon receiving the sudden influx of spiritual energy, she suddenly remembered.
The other two hadn't spoken, so the speaker could only be Ling Sheng.
His current state was clearly the result of backlash from Word-Soul laws.
Qi Quan couldn't help but increase the intensity of the spiritual energy she channeled.
Finally—
Fu Jiuchong awakened Fu Jiuge.
With the aid of the innate spiritual energy, the forbidden technique was successfully completed!
Qi Quan could no longer concern herself with Fu Jiuchong and Fu Jiuge. She rose and walked over to Ling Sheng, feeling both helpless and deeply moved.
In truth, she still had reserves, enough for Fu Jiuchong to awaken Fu Jiuge.
The strongest strike she gave Fu Jiuchong had only exhausted the spiritual energy in her dantian. At the Human Sovereign realm, she could store spiritual energy not only in her dantian but also in her meridians.
But Ling Sheng didn't know that.
He only saw her nearing depletion and...
For that, he did not hesitate to invoke Word-Soul laws beyond his control.
Qi Quan took the young man's hand. Abundant spiritual power poured into Ling Sheng's body, gradually soothing the injuries from the backlash.
She also used a cleansing technique to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth.
The other two Celestial Masters were focused on the condition of Fu Jiuchong and Fu Jiuge and didn't notice this side.
Ling Sheng's face was pale, but the corners of his mouth were lifted high, his amber eyes burning brightly as he looked at her.
Qi Quan smiled and said, "Let's go home."
Her expression remained calm, but beneath the calm surface of the lake, ripples had already begun to form.
Ling Sheng nodded and followed her.
"Wait a moment."
An extremely hoarse voice sounded, rough from years of disuse, vocal cords unaccustomed to speech.
Qi Quan turned around.
A woman with thick, dark hair sat up from the low couch. Though her face was pale and she was skin and bones, she still carried the grace of her youth.
Having lost her senses for so long, the moment she regained consciousness, an intense feeling arose within her.
Her gaze shifted from Qi Quan to Ling Sheng.
Qi Quan raised an eyebrow.
It was normal for a mother and child to share a connection; the intuition of cultivators was even sharper.
Though they hadn't seen each other for nearly twenty years, the bond of blood could not be severed.
Fu Jiuge quietly gazed at Ling Sheng.
But Ling Sheng only looked at Qi Quan.
The entire room fell into an inexplicable silence.
Qi Quan pondered: Fu Jiuge was Ling Sheng's mother. If she wanted Ling Sheng to stay with the Fu family, should she be the one to play the villain?
"Jiuge, what's wrong?" Fu Jiuchong's life soul had returned. Seeing Fu Jiuge awake, he was overjoyed, but her expression worried him.
Fu Jiuge came back to herself and looked at Qi Quan again. Her smile was stiff from years of unused muscles, but the sincerity in her eyes was unmistakable.
"Thank you for saving me."
Her gaze did not linger on Ling Sheng again.
Qi Quan stood at the doorway, locking eyes with her for several seconds. Two extraordinarily beautiful women instantly reached a silent understanding.
Ling Sheng's identity would not be revealed.
He would continue to follow Qi Quan, completely becoming a member of the Lakeside Villa.
"No need for thanks." Qi Quan turned and left.
Fu Jiuchong hurriedly said, "Senior Qi, I am a man of my word. What was the condition you mentioned earlier?"
Qi Quan had already walked out of the courtyard, her soft, low voice drifting over.
"The condition has already been met, Mr. Fu. We are even."
Fu Jiuchong: ???
Front courtyard banquet hall.
The guests had already dispersed. Fu Luanfei looked at the empty room, feeling a sour, swelling ache in her heart.
She quietly curled up on a sofa in the corner.
Su Nuanuan had stayed behind to wait for Qi Quan. Seeing her sorrowful expression, she squatted down in front of her and asked worriedly, "I could see you were forcing a smile earlier. Did something happen?"
"It's nothing." Fu Luanfei forced herself to perk up and asked, "You haven't left yet?"
"No, I'm waiting for Sister Quan."
Hearing "Sister Quan," Fu Luanfei couldn't help but feel a jolt of energy.
She immediately straightened up and said, "Can you tell me about Senior Qi? She's so powerful, surely nothing is difficult for her, right?"
"I don't know about that." Su Nuanuan said proudly, "But I do know that if Sister Quan is willing to take action, she must be confident of success!"
She keenly sensed that Fu Luanfei was nervous, and what she was nervous about was related to Sister Quan.
Fu Luanfei's eyes brightened slightly: "Really?"
"Actually, I don't know much about your mystic world affairs, and I don't know the specific situation. But before, Sister Quan wrote about some martial arts tournament in 'The Diary of a Wealthy Family,' and you went. You even showed me photos others took. Since so many people admire Sister Quan, something very exciting must have happened that day, right?"
Fu Luanfei thought of that day when Qi Quan effortlessly controlled the self-destruction of a Level Seven Celestial Master. Instantly, she felt a surge of strength pour through her body.
She is so powerful, so unfathomable.
She definitely can—
A tall figure suddenly stepped into the banquet hall.
Fu Luanfei stood up abruptly, her voice hoarse and strained, her expression anxious as she asked, "Senior Qi, how did it go?"
Qi Quan was still wearing her black evening gown, her fair skin glowing like jade under the lights.
Like a powerful yet gentle elder, she said calmly, "There's no need to worry."
The heavy stone in Fu Luanfei's heart instantly fell away.
She looked at Qi Quan with gratitude, bowed deeply, her eyes slightly warm.
"This junior will never forget your great kindness and virtue!"
Qi Quan smiled slightly. "No need."
She looked at Su Nuanuan. "Let's go back."
Su Nuanuan: "Alrighty! Goodbye, Luanfei!"
Fu Luanfei watched their departing figures, lowered her head to wipe away a tear, then turned and ran towards the backyard.
In the car on the way back.
Shen Hui was driving, Ling Sheng sat in the passenger seat, while Qi Quan and Su Nuanuan sat side by side in the back.
Having just performed the forbidden technique, she was somewhat mentally fatigued. Qi Quan leaned against the seat and closed her eyes to rest.
[Host, this mission felt a bit dangerous.] The system finally found a chance to speak.
Qi Quan: [How so?]
[Look, you used a forbidden technique and ended up with no spiritual energy left in your body. Even without Ling Sheng, you could have held on until the last moment, but at the moment your spiritual energy was exhausted, if someone had taken the chance to attack you, wouldn't you have had no way to resist?]
Qi Quan: ...
She said helplessly, [Do you have some misunderstanding about me?]
[Huh?]
[Even if I exhaust my spiritual power, no one present could harm me.]
[Why?]
Qi Quan: [Level Eight Protective Talisman.]
System: !!!
The supreme expert is still the supreme expert. It was naive.
Qi Quan: [And one Level Eight Retribution Talisman.]
System: [What's a Retribution Talisman?]
[If someone attacks me, they will suffer double the retribution.]
System: Amazing, my host!
It shouldn't have doubted the host's life-preserving methods.
Back at the villa, Qi Quan instructed Shen Hui: "We return to Longjiang City tomorrow."
Shen Hui immediately agreed and began packing.
Su Nuanuan felt very reluctant. "I wish Sister Quan lived in Longjing."
"Your home is in Longjiang too." Qi Quan said with a smile.
Su Nuanuan: "Oh, right!"
After graduation, she would go back to work in Longjiang City.
Qi Quan went upstairs to her room, taking Ling Sheng with her.
She sat on the small sofa, looked at the still pale-faced young man, and asked, "Is your injury better?"
Ling Sheng nodded, half-knelt before her, tentatively reached out his hand, fingertips exuding wisps of spiritual energy, gently brushing against the back of Qi Quan's hand.
The spiritual energy was smooth, without any sense of obstruction.
It seemed he was indeed almost recovered.
Qi Quan said, "You never speak because you know your words have the power of verbal incantation?"
Ling Sheng nodded again.
Before fully mastering the laws of verbal incantation, he could not speak lightly. The more he spoke, the more the power of his incantations would diminish.
Things are always more valuable the rarer they are.
The system sighed: [Ling Sheng's constitution is almost breaking the rules. How much merit must he have accumulated over lifetimes? Probably even more than Ji Shengzhe's, right? But it might also have been bought with the suffering of his first nearly twenty years.]
Qi Quan: ...
She ruffled the young man's hair, receiving a pleased response from him, which lightened her mood considerably.
"Go back and rest."
Ling Sheng seemed somewhat reluctant, but still obeyed Qi Quan's words and left. However, before going out the door, he turned back to look at Qi Quan once more.
Qi Quan: ...
He did look a bit pitiful, but she still had important matters to attend to.
Qi Quan stood up and walked towards the computer room.
The system knew she was tired today and, for once, didn't urge her to write and update. Who would have thought she would take the initiative to turn on the computer.
It was extremely surprised: [Host, are you going to write?]
Qi Quan: [Mm.]
System: Suddenly feels like manna from heaven.
The Fu Residence.
Fu Luanfei rushed to the backyard. Seeing her father completely unharmed and her aunt restored to clarity, she was so excited her eyes reddened.
She called softly, "Aunt."
Fu Jiuge smiled, a touch of charm gathering at the corners of her eyes, her voice low and hoarse as she said, "Big brother just told me about you. I was thinking Luanfei must be both beautiful and spirited. I wasn't wrong."
Fu Luanfei was amused.
She had never interacted with her aunt while she was lucid. This was their first formal meeting, and with just one glance, she felt an infinite fondness.
"Jiuge, I plan to tell the Investigation Department about what happened back then." Fu Jiuchong said solemnly.
He had already briefly explained the current state of the mystic world to Fu Jiuge.
Fu Luanfei said without hesitation, "The mystic world has been in chaos for so long. With just our family's strength, we cannot shake those evil cultivators. Cooperating with the authorities is indeed the best choice."
She paused, "However, the fact that I gave birth, let's not mention that for now."
"Alright." Fu Jiuchong agreed, then asked hesitantly, "And your husband..."
Fu Jiuge's expression turned sorrowful. "It's unlikely he's alive. But we made a Dao Companion pact. I can sense that his soul still exists."
"We will definitely find him." Fu Jiuchong said gravely.
The Su Family Villa.
After finishing a chapter and putting it in the draft box, Qi Quan received a message on her phone.
[Li Guoyan: Fu Jiuge has woken up.]
Qi Quan's mind stirred. If the Investigation Department had only received news of Fu Jiuge's awakening, Li Guoyan wouldn't have specifically mentioned it to her.
[Li Guoyan: She proactively explained the case from that year to the Investigation Department. The case is related to the bloody pills you asked about before.]
Qi Quan was slightly surprised: [She found a clue?]
[Li Guoyan: Yes. She followed the clue to Longhu City, but unfortunately, she was ambushed, seriously injured, and went into hiding. She was discovered by a Buddhist cultivator who took her away.]
The system exclaimed in shock: [It's Ding Ji! So that's how Ling Sheng fell into Ding Ji's hands!]
Everything connected!
[Li Guoyan: That Buddhist cultivator was likely a peripheral member of the evil cultivator organization. His cultivation wasn't high, but he knew many forbidden techniques. He wanted to perform a soul-searching technique on Fu Jiuge to obtain more information and curry favor with his superiors. Fu Jiuge had no choice but to choose self-sealing. By the time the Fu family found her, she was in a village in Longhu City, taken in by a kind elderly couple.]
Qi Quan understood.
Ding Ji, having failed to get what he wanted, was naturally unwilling. But with the situation tense back then, it was inconvenient for him to travel with a woman. Learning she was pregnant, he... abandoned her with a kind-hearted family.
Once the child was born, he would have two hostages.
Two hostages are always more valuable than one.
But he never expected that Fu Jiuge's child would be a natural-born spirit body.
The child was born with immense spiritual energy.
Ding Ji was overjoyed.
Harboring selfish motives, he kept this a secret. Leveraging the advantages of the natural-born spirit body, he quickly became a high-level Celestial Master.
Having tasted the sweetness, he naturally became even more unwilling to let go.
After obtaining the child, he originally planned to kill the now-useless Fu Jiuge. But the Fu family soon investigated, forcing him to flee with the child in haste.
Moreover, if Fu Jiuge died, the Fu family would certainly seek furious revenge. It was better to let them rescue a mentally incapacitated person. While they busied themselves treating Fu Jiuge, they would have less energy to pursue the child's whereabouts.
Ding Ji succeeded.
He used Ling Sheng as a tool for storing spiritual power, from the moment of birth, for a full nineteen years.
The system was heartbroken: [Wahhh... trapped in a cave since birth, for nineteen years! Boss, when you performed the soul-searching technique on Ding Ji, it was truly fate's design! Dealing with such an evil person, an eye for an eye is the way!]
Qi Quan replied to Li Guoyan: [Understood.]
[Li Guoyan: I plan to send investigators to Longhu City to uncover the truth.]
Qi Quan: [Good.]
The system was somewhat worried: [Twenty years have passed. The clues are probably long gone, right?]
[Not necessarily.]
The system: [Does the boss have any insights?]
Qi Quan: [If I remember correctly, the "true heiress's" adoptive parents are from Longhu City.]
[!!!]
The system said in shock: [So, this Longhu City was likely once a major den for evil cultivators!]
To suppress the true heiress's fortune, the evil cultivators deliberately orchestrated the baby-switch. They certainly wouldn't let the true heiress grow up freely, but rather under their watchful eyes.
Fu Jiuge traced the clues of the bloody pills to Longhu City, suggesting the "production base" for the bloody pills was likely in Longhu City.
The two matters converged!
From this, it could be inferred that Longhu City must harbor secrets.
The system asked excitedly: [Then are we going to Longhu City too?]
Qi Quan: [No.]
At 10 PM, readers waiting for "The Diary of a Wealthy Family" finally refreshed to see a new chapter.
[The dark energy in the southwest has dissipated, faintly revealing a sense of righteous aura.
My business trip task ends here.
It suddenly occurred to me that this is my first time on a business trip here.
Since I'm here, might as well visit the famous scenic spots.
The scenic area was packed with people, a sea of dark heads at a glance.
What you see isn't the scenery, just a mass of heads.
But from another perspective, watching the crowd has its own unique flavor.
Everyone's facial features are unique.
I've read many people's faces, but always when clients came to me voluntarily, seeing one or a few faces at a time. I've never tried observing dozens or even hundreds of faces flowing past at once.
All kinds of faces flowed before my eyes.
At a glance, most were ordinary faces, destined for a mundane life without major upheavals, with occasional minor mishaps being normal.
A few faces were more interesting.
Not far away, a young couple argued in low voices, both faces etched with irritability and impatience. Yet, judging by their features, their feelings for each other were deep, destined to grow old together.
...
Another young couple appeared intimate, but the young man's features showed rampant peach blossom luck, while the young woman's features revealed coldness and greed. It was not a good match.
Suddenly, my gaze was drawn to a middle-aged couple.
The man shielded his wife as they moved with the crowd. The wife held a lovely child in her arms, the child's sleeping face flushed with an eerie redness—
Wait.
Judging by their features, this couple had no blood relation to the child!
This couple's features were sinister, venomous, and cold-blooded, far from being good people.
My heart tightened.
Channeling spiritual energy to my eyes, I saw even more clearly!
Behind them surged a towering black energy, rolling with endless resentment. I could even hear the eerie laughter of children.
Under the bright daylight, a chill ran through me.
They were human traffickers!
No, they weren't just traffickers; they were executioners.
Their hands were stained with the blood of countless children!
If they were just traffickers for money, why kill so many children?
I immediately called the police.
The police arrived quickly, taking them to the station. The child's parents rushed over anxiously, trembling with fear.
This child was saved.
But what about all the other innocent, abducted children?
What suffering are they enduring right now?]
The new chapter ended.
Di Meng put down his phone.
He had been assigned and was traveling overnight to Longhu City to investigate the bloody pills case.
The investigator beside him asked, "Captain Di, was the boss hinting at something?"
Di Meng said with a grave expression, "Remember the Fang Lan case? Perhaps the bloody pills are related to these abducted children."
If her guess was correct, then the mastermind was truly devoid of conscience.
Hearing this, the investigator's face also changed abruptly.
After a moment, he asked quietly, "By writing this chapter now, isn't the boss afraid of alerting the enemy?"
Weren't they going to investigate the bloody pills? If they alerted the other side and they fled, what then?
Di Meng chuckled, "A criminal organization that could hide for over twenty years... Sending more investigators would be futile. Alerting the enemy might be better."
"Makes sense," the investigator said, suddenly enlightened. "The boss thinks far ahead."
Di Meng shared the pride: "Of course."
In the villa, the system was also asking Qi Quan.
[Boss, when you and Ling Sheng were at the scenic spot, did you actually encounter human traffickers? I don't remember that at all?]
Qi Quan: [You said fiction can be fabricated.]
[...]
The system asked again: [But the content of your new chapter is quite obvious. Aren't you afraid those villains will see it?]
[Seeing it is better. After hiding for so many years, it's time for them to make a move.]
System: ...
Respect, boss!
