Chapter 44 — IAVD (QT) Chapter 44

The black-clad men quickly paid the price for their delusions.

As mentioned before, Ji Zian’s martial arts talent was unparalleled; he was the only one truly fit to inherit the Ancestral Origin Cultivation Method. His progress was explosive; what took others twenty years, he could master in one.

In Huizhou, Ji Xiu had strictly suppressed his progress, fearing his heart couldn't keep up with his power. But after the events at the Shen residence, Ji Xiu realized that Ji Zian was no longer the lawless, cold-blooded monster of the original timeline. He hadn't killed the Eldest Young Master or Zhang Peng; he sought revenge for Shen Lang and even stood in front of Ji Xiu to protect him from insults.

Whenever Ji Xiu thought of that, his heart softened. Under such circumstances, continued suppression seemed cold-blooded. After the transition of the Shen family leadership, Ji Xiu began teaching Ji Zian the second level of the mental technique: Absorbing Pre-heaven Qi.

Now, Zian could refine energy directly from the air, granting him power far beyond his years. Combined with his beast-like instincts, he was already a "Second-rate Expert" capable of challenging those much older.

It took only the time for a cup of tea for the dozen assassins to fall. Ji Zian pulled out his small wooden sword, staring coldly at the blood on the grain.

Fu Luoyang was dumbfounded. "This is... terrifying," he whispered. Heroes come from the young, but Ji Zian was only nine! He felt like a total failure in comparison.

Ji Zian walked over to Ji Xiu, looking unusually aggrieved. "The wooden sword cracked."

It was the sword Ji Xiu had carved for him. Ji Zian cherished it so much he even slept with it. Seeing the crack, Ji Xiu asked solemnly, "Should I carve you a new one when we get back?"

"It won't be this one!" Ji Zian’s eyes flared with anger. He ran back to the fallen assassins and kicked one of the corpses out of spite.

Even back at the Lan Fortress, Ji Zian remained sullen and silent. When the Alliance Chief Fu came to offer his thanks, he was met with a high-and-mighty cold shoulder from the nine-year-old. If it wasn't for saving your useless son, my sword wouldn't be broken! Ji Zian thought.

The Alliance Chief was baffled but assumed the boy’s arrogance was a trait of a young "hidden master." He sighed, looking at his own son, and decided to focus his energy on training his youngest instead.

Fu Luoyang’s recklessness had actually paid off. By chasing the assassin, they had located the Demonic Sect’s hidden lair just ten miles away. The Alliance launched a surprise raid, heavily wounding the Demonic Sect Leader and scattering the cultists. The North was finally peaceful, though the Ma Fortress had been wiped out—a tragedy the locals strangely celebrated like New Year's, given how much they had hated the Ma family.

…

Ji Xiu spent the next few days repairing the wooden sword. He even used his light-body technique to rush to the capital to learn repair techniques from the most famous craftsman, bringing back specialized tools.

"It's just a wooden sword," the Alliance Chief laughed, offering a legendary steel blade as a replacement.

"This sword was carved by my hand. It was his first sword, witnessing his first real battle. Its meaning is different," Ji Xiu explained while working.

The Chief, moved, offered a piece of meteorite he carried. Ji Xiu refined the meteorite into the wood using a special technique, leaving a faint golden glow on the surface. The simple wooden sword was now tougher than steel and sharper than any blade. He crafted a scabbard and handed it to Zian. "Be careful. It's sharper than iron now. Don't hurt yourself."

Ji Zian’s eyes lit up as he hugged the sword to his chest.

…

The bond between Ji Xiu and the Alliance Chief grew until the older man insisted on becoming "sworn brothers."

Ji Xiu hesitated. "I am friends with Luoyang. If I become your brother, doesn't that make Luoyang my nephew?"

"Exactly!" the Chief laughed.

Ji Xiu weighed it in his mind and promptly "betrayed" Fu Luoyang for the sake of his son’s social standing. He smiled at the forty-year-old Chief and called out: "Big Brother!"

The next morning, Fu Luoyang hammered on Ji Xiu's door in despair. "How could you swear brotherhood with my father? He's ten years older than you!"

"I'm also ten years older than you," Ji Xiu replied coolly. "Hello, Nephew."

…

Ji Xiu and Ji Zian returned to Yangzhou after a thirteen-day journey. Upon entering the Shen residence, Ji Xiu noticed immediate changes. The atmosphere was professional and disciplined; the idle gossip and sycophants were gone.

In the study, Shen Lang’s voice rang out, cold and commanding. She was interrogating the managers about missing funds. "Manager Wu, you either return the silver you swallowed, or I send you to the officials. I'll give you the time of one incense stick to think about it. Next!"

Ji Xiu smiled. It seemed his wife was no longer hiding her brilliance. With the support of his power, her dormant ambition and wisdom had fully awakened. She was born to lead.

"The Master has returned," the butler announced.

Ji Xiu and Ji Zian entered the room. Shen Lang was seated high above, facing nearly sixty managers. Upon seeing them, her eyes softened with joy.

"Husband, you're back. Zian, did you miss Mother?"

"He said he did," Ji Xiu teased, looking at the boy's awkward, stoic face.

The meeting was interrupted by Manager He, who had been among the first to support Shen Lang. "Master! Please speak for me! Madame is accusing me of embezzling five thousand taels. It’s a misunderstanding!"

Shen Lang’s face darkened. She didn't want Ji Xiu involved in the "dirty" work of the family business.

Ji Xiu looked at the fifty-six-year-old Manager He. "Manager He, do you remember how we met?"

The manager’s face paled as he recalled the events in Huizhou.

"You framed my wife’s grandfather," Ji Xiu said softly. "I never intended to let you live. I only spared you because you were the first to support my wife. Now, you ask for 'fairness'?"

Ji Xiu patted Ji Zian’s head. "I am willing to bypass the man who hurt my grandfather-in-law. But I don't know if my son is willing to forgive the man who hurt his great-grandfather."

Ji Zian, clutching his new-and-improved wooden sword, looked at Manager He with a lethal, icy stare. He cooperated perfectly, his voice dropping to a terrifying whisper:

"I’ll-kill-you, okay?"