Manager He did not take Ji Zian’s childish threat to heart, but through this incident, Ji Xiu had made his stance clear. To persist further would be futile and might even provoke Ji Xiu to take action personally—a consequence he couldn't afford. Despairing, Manager He bowed his head and retreated to the corner to wait for Shen Lang’s questioning.
Satisfied, Ji Xiu led Ji Zian into the inner study to rest. With most of the managers aware of Ji Xiu’s terrifying martial prowess, Shen Lang’s subsequent interrogation was incredibly smooth. Those willing to return the embezzled silver did so immediately; those who refused only dared to play dead, not daring to threaten her.
Shen Lang didn't waste words. She clapped her hands three times. Clap, clap, clap! A hundred burly guards appeared at the door. "Take them away," she said coldly. "Send them to the officials."
The stubborn managers panicked, begging for mercy and promising to pay, but Shen Lang ignored them, signaling the guards to move quickly so as not to pollute her son’s environment. With the tough nuts cracked, the remaining soft persimmons were easy to handle.
…
Inside the study, Ji Xiu praised her: "My lady’s talent for managing accounts is better than mine."
Shen Lang blushed. "It’s not my work. I hired professional bookkeepers." She had remembered Ji Xiu’s advice from Huizhou: professional tasks should be left to professional people. She had replaced the stale blood of the Shen family with new bookkeepers, managers, and guards.
A festive meal followed, and the family settled back into the residence. That night, while Shen Lang helped Ji Xiu wash his back, she confessed: "Madame Shen is dying. It was my doing."
Ji Xiu remained calm. "No one knows, right?"
Shen Lang was shocked. "You don't blame me at all? That’s a human life..."
Ji Xiu chuckled. "Killing for a life—is there something wrong with that? Based on my temperament when I forced her to step down, do I look like someone who cares for empty reputations of filial piety?"
Shen Lang pondered this and nodded. "You're right. Perhaps this is how people in the Jianghu are."
…
Ji Xiu’s rest was interrupted the next evening by a loud ruckus in the courtyard. The Eldest Young Master, despite being kicked out, had broken in to demand that Shen Lang hire a famous doctor for the dying Madame Shen.
Ji Xiu was speechless at the man's stupidity. Madame Shen’s illness was Shen Lang’s deliberate revenge; why would she help? Furthermore, the man had disturbed his and Zian's sleep.
Seeing Ji Zian’s eyes flashing with irritation, Ji Xiu acted before his son could commit murder. He dragged the Young Master by the collar all the way to the front gate and kicked him out. "If you take one more step inside, the consequences will be dire."
The Young Master fled, shouting "I am a waste!" in terror. A few days later, news came that Madame Shen had died a horrific death, her throat shredded by a mysterious coughing fit. It was karma for the lives she had taken in the back courtyard over twenty years.
…
Three years passed in peace. Ji Xiu taught both his wife and son martial arts. Ji Zian was now a teenager, cold and talented, while Shen Lang managed the business.
However, the "Demonic Sect" suddenly resurfaced, terrorizing the North and moving toward Yangzhou. Shen Lang felt an instinctive, bone-deep fear. "Husband, I feel like I've seen this in a dream. The Demonic Sect kills us, and they take Zian away..."
Ji Xiu held her hand. "By tomorrow, you won't have to be afraid."
That night, Ji Xiu left. By morning, the head of the Demonic Sect Leader was delivered to the local magistrate's gate. The wealthy merchants of Yangzhou, who had been living in terror, rejoiced.
But there was a catch. According to the Demonic Sect’s rules, the one who kills the old leader becomes the new one. A swarm of black-clad cultists began stalking Ji Xiu, begging him to lead them. Ji Xiu killed a few to warn them off, but they were remarkably persistent.
Finally, twelve-year-old Ji Zian stood up. "He is my father. Since he won't be your leader, I will. We are father and son; there is no difference."
The cultists, desperate for a leader to avoid infighting, knelt immediately. Ji Xiu frowned, but Zian argued: "If I don't take them, they will scatter and cause chaos. Isn't it better if I manage them?"
Ji Xiu sighed. It seemed fate was hard to change; Ji Zian was destined to be the Demonic Sect Leader in every timeline.
…
Another ten years passed.
Fu Luoyang inherited the Martial Arts Alliance. He was a righteous and kind leader. Meanwhile, his younger brother, the original protagonist Fu Chang’an, remained a carefree youth who just wanted to travel the world.
The original heroine, Shen Bingyao, ended up marrying a wealthy salt merchant in Yangzhou who had long admired her.
Ji Xiu was initially baffled. He had only intended to save his son, but he had accidentally butterfly-effected the entire plot. The hero wasn't the Alliance Chief, and the heroine wasn't the Chief's wife.
But as he watched eighteen-year-old Ji Zian—who now had a family, friends, and a genuine smile—Ji Xiu realized it didn't matter. The world was safe, and his son was whole.
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