Jiuxiao wanted to test whether he was familiar with the situation in Nanyuan. “Have the Bai family and the Yan family made any big moves lately?”
Far from Nanyuan as he was, Jiuxiao actually cared a great deal about those few clans that were at odds with the Shi family.
Shi Rongchuan knew this was Great-Grandfather Jiu’s test, so he laid out one by one the information he’d gathered.
The Bai family had recently been wanting to join with several smaller clans to swallow up the Shi family’s holdings, and was already preparing marriage alliances with those clans.
As for the Yan family, several of their young people were beginning to make a name for themselves in Nanyuan’s political arena.
On hearing “the Yan family,” Yang Zengyue felt a flicker of doubt. Her master knew the Nanyuan Yan family, could this Yan family be Yan Lingjun’s clan?
If so, then Yan Lingjun sending her off on that exchange had been deliberate!
Both Yang Zengyue and Chen Jia’er were wondering in their hearts whether this Yan family was the very Yan family of Yan Lingxuan, who in the apocalypse had become the Mid-Dimensional Realm’s supreme commander.
Hearing that the Yan family had actually begun entering politics, Jiuxiao immediately understood their scheme.
“Is that old bastard Yan Jinxi dead yet?” There wasn’t a shred of courtesy in Jiuxiao’s tone, clearly he had a serious grudge with this man called Yan Jinxi.
It astonished Yang Zengyue.
Her master had always been gentle, she’d never seen him lose his temper.
Toward the villagers of Sikun Mountain he was all the more kindly, back when medical care was still undeveloped, whenever villagers fell ill and came asking for remedies, he was full of warmth, never once falling out with anyone.
In the Sikun Mountain area, the name Daoist Jiuxiao rang loud as thunder, he had saved many and healed many.
So he was much loved and respected by the villagers around Sikun Mountain.
Shi Rongchuan clearly knew of the old grievances between the Shi and Yan families. “Yan Jinxi is still alive and well, and healthy too.”
Although they all wished Yan Jinxi would die early, how could heaven ever bend to people’s wishes?
Jiuxiao was displeased to hear it. This Yan Jinxi was forever up to underhanded tricks, with only Shi Baigu alone holding up the Shi family these past years, it must have been very hard.
Jiuxiao pressed on, “Which clans is the Bai family planning to ally with by marriage?”
Shi Rongchuan answered each in turn. “Old Master Bai has his eye on the Mo family, while stringing the Ren family along.”
Hearing this, Yang Zengyue was now quite certain of Ren Xiyuan’s identity.
She’d been thinking of making a trip back to Nanyuan to get to the bottom of the relationship between Ren Xiyuan and the Bai family.
She didn’t expect it to fall into her lap without the slightest effort.
Chen Jia’er’s face had already gone dark with anger.
That a teammate who had fought alongside them and supported them for three years turned out to be an enemy’s mole, that alone was enough to make her explode.
Not one of the Bai family was an easy bird to deal with, every one of them was the type to eat a person and not spit out the bones.
In the apocalypse the Bai family had held a whole city, sealed off its surroundings, and left survivors to die when they came.
They also went around plundering supplies everywhere, and in the end used the supplies stockpiled over years to trade Yan Lingxuan for a director’s post.
Yang Zengyue resolved that once she returned to Nanyuan, she’d deal with the Bai family, leaving them alive was only a scourge.
And the Yan family was a big problem too.
The situation in the apocalypse had actually been deeply wrong. How the Yan family rose to power she didn’t know, but she did know that Yan Lingxuan’s position didn’t match his ability.
In an apocalypse where strength was everything, Yan Lingxuan, whether in strength or in popular support, should not and could not have become supreme commander.
Yet the one seated in that position was precisely him.
Behind this, someone had been fanning the flames.
Who could it be?
Yang Zengyue had a premonition: as long as she found the person behind Yan Lingxuan, she’d be able to unravel the mystery of her master’s disappearance.
She didn’t expect Shi Rongchuan to supply her with so much useful information. The Shi family really did have some real skill [1]they were genuinely capable jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2946423_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2946423_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.
Nanyuan’s tangled web of great-clan relationships—Shi Rongchuan laid it out clearly in a few sentences.
In an instant she revised her opinion of him a little.
As for Jiuxiao, in Shi Rongchuan’s speech and bearing he saw the shadow of his elder brother, and felt much in his heart, gratified on his brother’s behalf.
Although the Shi family was sparse in descendants, it still had children able to hold up the family name.
Some of the questions Jiuxiao asked were things he himself wanted to know, others were to gather intelligence for Zengyue.
Those few Nanyuan clans had intricately entangled relationships. Zengyue had mentioned earlier that the apocalypse-era supreme commander of the Mid-Dimensional Realm was surnamed Yan, and he happened to know the Yan-surnamed clan of Nanyuan.
Having heard the news she most wanted, Yang Zengyue and Chen Jia’er left the hall, giving her master and his great-great-grandson space.
By now it was four in the afternoon. Yang Zengyue and Chen Jia’er went up to the third floor to tidy the guest room for Shi Rongchuan’s stay.
The third floor was hot, there were no spare fans in the house, so Yang Zengyue called the appliance shop in town and ordered an air conditioner.
As it happened the shop’s technician was free and could probably deliver and install it within half an hour.
After cleaning up, Yang Zengyue and Chen Jia’er went to sort through the goods they’d bought that morning.
Watching the two girls haul things, Shi Rongchuan’s heart clenched.
Where was there a girl who could carry two cases of soy sauce in one hand and walk ten-odd meters without so much as panting? Even he couldn’t do that!
He’d meant to go help the two, but got shooed off—
both found him in the way!
Jiuxiao knew his granddaughter and Jia’er must have some secret it wasn’t convenient to let Shi Rongchuan know, so he hadn’t let him help,
otherwise there’d have been no way to explain it.
Jiuxiao told Shi Rongchuan to sit tight, these things were only a few minutes’ work.
By the time everything was unloaded it was past five. The appliance shop technician was upstairs installing the air conditioner, and the two, temporarily free, prepared to make dinner.
Chen Jia’er washed vegetables in slow, deliberate motions, as if turning something over in her mind. Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, she said, “Sister Zengyue, could the Yan family have known about you long ago?”
Yang Zengyue’s knife paused mid-cut. “My teacher, Yan Lingjun, went through my personal file. She knew I had only my grandfather for family.”
Yan Lingjun, Yan Lingxuan, could these two be siblings?
After all, that surname wasn’t common in Nanyuan.
Yang Zengyue decided to ask Shi Rongchuan at dinner.
There was plenty of time, so the two decided to prepare a more sumptuous dinner.
They stewed potato and beef, made braised pork, aged-ginseng chicken soup, salt-baked prawns, steamed sea bass, cold-dressed cucumber, stir-fried seasonal greens, deep-fried stuffed eggplant, and the chicken feet the two had made earlier as a snack, it looked quite the feast.
After the technician had installed the air conditioner, Yang Zengyue settled the installation and other fees, then called Shi Rongchuan to the table for dinner.
All four ate quickly. During the meal it was mainly Jiuxiao asking Shi Rongchuan about Shi family matters, and about the recent situation of Shi Rongchuan’s mother, Shi Baigu.
After dinner, the four sat under the grape trellis, Nangua sprawled at Zengyue’s feet, its tail flicking back and forth.
Yang Zengyue and Chen Jia’er were scrolling through shopping sites. Fanning himself, Jiuxiao asked with concern about Shi Rongchuan’s father, Meng Yunchong, and got a piece of news that surprised him.
Only from Shi Rongchuan’s mouth did he learn that Meng Yunchong and Shi Baigu had divorced long ago.
Jiuxiao asked hurriedly, “When did this happen?”
Shi Rongchuan answered without any ripple of emotion, “The year I was four. My mother found out Meng Yunchong had another woman on the side.”
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