Chapter 311 - 310

Pei Yin was dumbfounded.

’That’s it? Wasn’t Granny Ji supposed to be some kind of badass?’

He’d half-expected this to be a fight to the death, and that he’d end up laid out on a slab next to Ling Gou and the others.

Ji Shiyin was stunned too. Granny Ji had been taken down by the Little Flying Bear in a single combo? He could hardly believe it.

It wasn’t their first fight, but the previous encounters had always been thankless struggles. Even when he won, it was a bitter victory, as he’d just get pressure from the higher-ups for no good reason.

Jian Yu was floored.

She, too, felt it was all rather sudden.

The great bird Granny Ji rode in on had an oppressive aura, and the sidelong glance it shot her made Jian Yu uneasy.

Of all the Contracted Beasts she had encountered, this was the first Alien Beast that neither tried to get close to her nor feared her, but instead treated her as an enemy.

Jian Yu had wanted to secretly sever the Spirit Contract between Granny Ji and the Long Feather Bird.

But when her invisible, odorless red mist penetrated its defenses, it only broke through the two outer barriers. The old woman remained perched atop it, cursing away, as unshakable as a mountain and showing no reaction whatsoever.

Jian Yu had just managed to break through those two strange protective barriers, but before she could make her real move, the Little Flying Bear swatted Granny Ji right off her perch.

Pei Yin turned his head to ask Jian Yu, "Did you do that?"

"I think so," Jian Yu said, her brow furrowed. Her delicate, flower-like features lent her a certain sorrowful air.

The smile on Ji Shiyin’s face deepened, and he saw nothing wrong with his own words. "Little Flying Bear," he said, "we’ve got powerful backing now."

The Little Flying Bear looked adorably dazed, but it didn’t forget to quickly plop down on the old woman’s head.

Its short, white, fluffy tail spun frantically on its rump as it threw itself into Jian Yu’s arms. "Big Sis, I was so scawed."

Jian Yu caught the soft, fluffy creature. "Pat the fur, no more fright. Pat the ear, just a little fright. Pat the paw, your soul stays tight."

The Little Flying Bear turned away and shyly covered its face, but its paws were so chubby they couldn’t quite hide its eyes.

For a creature barely three years old, it was surprisingly articulate. "What did my master and I ever do to deserve such a wonderful Big Sis?"

Jian Yu ruffled its fur. ’What a cute little nose.’

"How dare you! This is outrageous!" Granny Ji scrambled to her feet, her face a mask of bewildered fury. "This is absolute rebellion! Ji the Third, can’t you control your own son?"

Ji Heyan wiped at his tears, sniffling. "But my son doesn’t listen to me anymore."

When you play a part for long enough, you start to become it. Even if he wasn’t truly a filial son, his performance had become so practiced it seemed completely sincere.

Ji Heyan had no problem pocketing the majority of the things he got from his son.

But now, with Mai Yue dead, his own son’s eyes were filled with disappointment. He’d not only cut off all resources and funding, but sometimes he even looked at his father as if he were an enemy.

Ji Heyan knew how absurd his own anger was. He opened his mouth to speak but found he’d lost the nerve to confront Ji Shiyin.

"Useless waste of space!" Granny Ji shoved Ji the Third aside.

She had never been so humiliated in her life.

Granny Ji straightened her clothes, smoothed back her hair, and stood ramrod straight.

She spoke to Ji Shiyin in a venomously sweet tone, "I may address you respectfully as Young Master Ji, but I am first and foremost an Elder of the Ji Family, and only then your grandmother. Do you wish to be placed in confinement for maliciously injuring a clan elder?"

Ji Shiyin’s expression darkened.

"This woman is unbelievable. Why are you still putting up with her?" Jian Yu turned to Ji Shiyin. "When are you planning to request to leave the clan?"

’If you can pull the weed out by its roots, do it. If not, she had no intention of sucking up to these horrible relatives just to get the cold shoulder.’

Jian Yu refused to waste her energy on pointless infighting.

’If Ji Shiyin couldn’t resolve this, she wouldn’t mind finding a way to make him pack up and leave, and fast.’

Pei Yin chimed in, "Yeah, Yan, didn’t you say you were going to ask to leave the clan?"

Before Ji Shiyin could explain, his eyes widened as he stared at the swarm of fat bears rolling in through the entrance.

"He’s not leaving the clan! Not leaving the clan! Young Master Ji is only requesting to be adopted into another branch," the Clan Leader announced as he arrived with several clan elders. They rode on the backs of giant bears, having rushed over in a panic.

The Clan Leader boomed, "Elder Ji, if you continue this nonsense, don’t blame us for getting rough!"

Granny Ji sneered. "My children and grandchildren may be useless, and not nearly as promising as our dear Young Master Ji, but don’t you forget how I clawed my way into this Elder position!"

She lifted her chin. "My eldest brother is a high-ranking official in the military’s Mecha division. My second brother is a Level 2S Saint-level Healer. My Contracted Beast is an endangered species that traveled a thousand miles to bond with me. I am under the protection of the Imperial Federation. Who among you dares to touch me?"

Granny Ji was perfectly composed. "I suggest you all think very carefully before deciding whose side to take."

Jian Yu stared impassively at the Long Feather Bird. ’A Contracted Beast that traveled a thousand miles to find its master? Is that why I couldn’t sever their Contract Chain? This could be tricky...’

The Clan Leader felt his breath catch, and his vision swam. ’A threat. This is a blatant threat!’

He moved to Ji Shiyin’s side and lowered his voice. "Take my advice: you can offend anyone, but you can’t offend a Healer. Your grandmother’s Contracted Beast is protected by the Empire. If this blows up, not even the Alliance can help you. Have you forgotten? Last time, your grandmother’s brother held up your Mechas in processing with a single word."

Ji Shiyin pressed his lips together.

’He had originally planned to make them pay their debts, but he’d been afraid that if he tried to settle the score all at once, Granny Ji would throw all caution to the wind, figuring she had nothing left to lose.’

’But now that he thought about it, how many years would it take for them to repay everything he’d given them?’

’It would be more satisfying to just let outsiders carve up the Ji Family and watch them grind Granny Ji into the mud.’

After a moment of silence, Ji Shiyin couldn’t be bothered to argue any further. "In that case, I’d rather just ask to leave the clan."

The Clan Leader felt a pang so sharp he could hardly breathe. "Your leaving would be an even greater loss for our Bear Clan! Without you, there’s almost no one left in the Ji Family besides Granny Ji who can hold things together. And with her selfishness, the Ji Family is doomed sooner or later!"

He couldn’t help but add, "Young Master, we have never wronged you. We’ve invested so much in your training over the years."

Ji Shiyin’s lips curved into a gentle, placid smile. "So, you’re hoping I’ll admit I was wrong, Clan Leader? That I should just ignore the embezzled funds, not demand they repay their debts, and just be a spineless Young Master who obediently helps his cousin take over?"

The Clan Leader averted his gaze. "That’s not what I meant."

He glanced at Pei Yin, then looked down at the seemingly delicate and fragile Jian Yu.

"What I mean is, you can’t resolve this alone, and while we want to help, we’re powerless to do so. Think about it. Chief Pei and your other... brothers. Is there anyone among them who can keep your grandmother in check?"

Ji Shiyin shook his head.

’None of them were involved with Mechas.’

Pei Yin mused, "I’m not a dedicated Healer, but taking on a Level 2S Healer shouldn’t be a problem."

The Ji Clan Leader sighed. "In the Imperial City, no one dares to cross you, and people are willing to show you some respect out in the interstellar community. But your age is a factor. No matter how powerful you are, you don’t have an established reputation, much less the necessary network of connections."

Jian Yu blinked slowly. "And what if we do?"

’She recalled that two of her own clan members were high-ranking officials in the Mecha division, one of whom had already reached the very top.’

’As for a Level 2S Healer... Teacher Hu—no, I should call him Hu Shishen—is secretly a Level 3S Divine Level Healer.’

’The only problem was, she hadn’t been in contact for a long time, and some of her clan members had changed their identities several times over.’

’Shi Zhao had been off the grid recently precisely because he was helping her gather their contact information.’

’Jian Yu had a good memory, and the most recent list Shi Zhao had sent her included those two from the Mecha division.’

The Ji Clan Leader looked at Jian Yu, surprised. "Who? And what’s your relationship with them?"