Chapter 198: How Can You Pry into a Genius’s Realm

Chapter 198: Chapter 198: How Can You Pry into a Genius’s Realm

Liu Chen stopped and looked at Junior Sister Suyao. The Advanced Magic she had brought him was certainly a pleasant surprise, but simply being his junior sister was enough to make him want to look after her.

"I’m fine with anything."

Ji Suyao said with a goofy grin. Liu Chen heard this and shook his head helplessly. Whenever he asked his junior sister about food, this was almost always the only answer he got. She wasn’t a picky eater at all. As long as Liu Chen was the one cooking, she would eat with great gusto. Sometimes, she would even stand up mid-meal, as if afraid someone would try to steal her food.

"Then what was that outburst all about?"

Ye Linglong pointed helplessly at Ji Suyao’s head. She had previously thought that Suyao might have developed an inferiority complex in front of their senior brother because of the Spirit Contract. But now, it was clear she had been overthinking things. Suyao didn’t seem to have any such feelings at all; she had simply shouted because she was bored and wanted to make her presence known.

"You’re the one who’s crazy."

Ji Suyao clutched her head and made playful gestures at Ye Linglong from afar. Liu Chen, who had just scooped up a Spirit Fish, watched this scene with a slow smile.

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"Here, these are your Spirit Contract Jade Tokens. Senior Brother has already signed the Spirit Contract. From now on, you are nominally his Servants."

After dinner, Ji Suyao returned to the courtyard where her parents were staying. This courtyard had not been established using resources from the Great Xia Royal Family, so it still belonged to them.

"Did that senior brother of yours say anything?"

Lady Ji pulled Ji Suyao into her arms and couldn’t help but ask. Signing the Spirit Contract meant that besides being his junior sister, Ji Suyao now had another layer to her relationship with him. There were far too many disciples who would use such a situation to demand favors in return. Although she knew her daughter wouldn’t be truly wronged even if that happened, Lady Ji didn’t want her daughter to be forced into doing things she didn’t want to do because of them.

"No."

Ji Suyao recalled the scene. After they finished signing the Spirit Contract, her senior brother’s first words had been, "What’s for dinner tonight?" He hadn’t mentioned the Spirit Contract at all. Clearly, her parents weren’t asking about that, but about the aftermath of signing it.

"Is that so?"

Lady Ji let out a sigh of relief, but she wasn’t completely at ease. Perhaps there was nothing to worry about for now, but who could say if things would change later on.

"After we get to Purple Cloud Valley, we can buy a shop and start a small business."

Ji Ming nodded. Since there were no immediate issues, they needed to plan for their time in the Purple Cloud Valley Marketplace. Once Peak Master Mo left with his group, if they didn’t have any bargaining chips in the marketplace, they might not be able to win over any Inner Sect Disciples and thus secure their right to survive there.

"Linglong’s parents are also going to the Purple Cloud Valley Marketplace. Maybe you can cooperate with them then."

Ji Suyao said calmly. This was news she had gotten from Linglong, who had mentioned it several times. Even if Suyao didn’t understand the implications, she knew she needed to pass this information on to her parents. As for the rest, it was beyond her comprehension.

"Cooperation is indeed a possibility."

Ji Ming’s eyes narrowed. He understood now. If four Meridian Passage Realm cultivators joined forces, they would be a considerable power in the Purple Cloud Valley Marketplace. The Second Grade Spirit Chef was an Honored Guest Elder of the Ye Family, and they were now the Servants of that same Spirit Chef. In this situation, people would inevitably try to get close to the Second Grade Spirit Chef through them. In this regard, their two families were in the same boat.

Instead of fighting amongst themselves, it would be better to unite. Then, even if they couldn’t actually help those disciples who wanted to contact the Second Grade Spirit Chef, they could still curry some favor, which would help their future development in the Purple Cloud Valley Marketplace.

Even after Peak Master Mo left with his group, four Meridian Passage Cultivators with the potential to break through to the Qi Refining Realm—and who had a connection to the former Peak Master of Purple Bamboo Peak—would be a priority asset for Purple Bamboo Peak. It might even be possible for them to integrate into Purple Cloud Valley itself.

There was another possibility. Peak Master Mo certainly couldn’t make too many arrangements openly, but he might secretly find other reasons to place his people within Purple Cloud Valley. After all, they were the parents of his disciples; he couldn’t just let them fend for themselves.

Placing a single, unified force would be much simpler than placing four individual Meridian Passage Cultivators. If the four of them allied first, it might reduce the difficulty of the task.

However, this was all just Ji Ming’s speculation. What would actually happen remained to be seen. In any case, there was nothing wrong with the four of them uniting first.

"We will visit the Ye Mansion tomorrow."

Ji Ming made up his mind. This was all his own speculation. Only by meeting with Linglong’s parents could he confirm if they thought the same way. In the past, though their families had been acquainted, their relationship wasn’t deep. But from now on, that could be completely different.

"Okay..."

Ji Suyao didn’t know what her father was thinking, but she nodded anyway. She would definitely have to tell Linglong about this so her aunt and uncle could prepare.

"Silly girl, do you have any idea what he’s thinking?"

Lady Ji stroked Ji Suyao’s head, feeling a little helpless. Even she didn’t know what her husband was thinking at that moment. But that was precisely why she had fallen for him in the first place. The only time he had ever lost his composure in all these years was when he defied the Royal Family’s pressure to avenge her clan. That incident was what made her truly certain that his becoming her dao companion was not just for show—even if the price had been a bit high.

"I don’t know. Why?"

Ji Suyao looked up, confused. Her mother didn’t usually ask questions like this. Besides, as far as she knew, her mother probably didn’t know what her father was thinking either.

"It’s nothing. To be honest, I don’t know either."

Lady Ji gently poked Ji Suyao on the head. Ji Suyao, who had been looking up, saw her expression darken. She didn’t know when it started, but that Ye Linglong person had also developed a habit of poking her on the head. It hadn’t bothered her before, but now that her own mother was doing it, Ji Suyao felt like Ye Linglong had been taking advantage of her.

"It’s getting late. I’m going back."

Ji Suyao slowly got up. She was going back to get her revenge on Ye Linglong.

Ji Suyao left in a huff. Ji Ming and Lady Ji looked at each other with a hint of helplessness in their eyes. Technically, this was Ji Suyao’s home, but the girl had been staying at the Ye Family’s residence this whole time. It was truly a bit exasperating.

"Do you think there’s a chance for Suyao and... him?"

After Ji Suyao was long gone, Lady Ji turned to her husband. After spending so much time with her daughter lately, she naturally understood that she had completely fallen for him—the kind of fall that not even ten bulls could pull her back from.

"I don’t know. We’re just ordinary people. How could we possibly fathom the world of a genius?"

Ji Ming shook his head. He once thought his own Talent was quite good, but even now, he hadn’t found the path to Meridian Passage Peak. After the position of Crown Prince, which had been all but his, was snatched away, he had been forced to disguise his Cultivation at the Meridian Passage Middle Stage to avoid being eliminated prematurely.

But that young man had appeared on the scene as a Second Grade Spirit Chef, an achievement the First Grade Spirit Chefs of Thunder Mountain and Qingxu Hall hadn’t managed in a lifetime.