Chapter 316: Traitor

Chapter 316: Chapter 315: Traitor

Pei Yin and Ji Shiyin inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Thank goodness she was just an aunt. For a second, I thought we were getting another great-aunt.’

Jian Yu had accepted so many such offerings that she wasn’t concerned about being indebted. A time would surely come when she would be needed.

She accepted it without any qualms and introduced Ji Shiyin to the Hu Clan Elder. “He’s my partner.”

Hu Shishen was quick on the uptake. “The Young Master’s business is my business. The Young Master’s partner is my… COUGH, COUGH. When it comes to the Ji Family’s affairs, I will certainly help wherever I can.”

Jian Yu and Ji Shiyin were left speechless.

Pei Yin opened his mouth to speak.

Jian Yu handed him three Beast Plants, which successfully shut him up.

Hu Shishen mused, “I’m usually quite busy, so a part-time job isn’t convenient. But for my Young Master’s sake, I won’t make any demands about compensation. If you have minor injuries or illnesses, go to the hospital. Only come find me if the hospital can’t do anything for you.”

“Alright.” The Ji Clan Leader accepted the contact information. When he saw it included a specific address, his face lit up with a huge smile.

Forget the Imperial City—barely anyone in the entire galaxy had Hu Shishen’s contact information.

Ji Heyan tried to persuade her again. “Mother, we should just apologize.”

Granny Ji gritted her teeth and stubbornly held on. “No matter how smug they are, I am still an Elder of the Ji Family!”

Although she had guessed that Jian Yu came from an unknown, long-lived family—one that was even rarer and more formidable than the Feather Clan.

But Granny Ji still couldn’t swallow her pride and apologize to a junior.

Meanwhile, in just a few words, the Ji Clan Leader had settled on a nominal position and compensation package for Hu Shishen, even granting her the special privilege of entering and exiting the Ji Clan’s grounds as she pleased.

The moment she heard this, Granny Ji scoffed, “Hmph. That package isn’t even as good as my second brother’s.”

Knowing Jian Yu was the one with the real say, she stared intently at her, hoping to see her get angry and renege on the deal due to the less-than-generous terms.

Unfortunately for her, Jian Yu’s face was impassive, giving nothing away.

Even Hu Shishen looked completely nonchalant, showing no intention of backing out.

Seeing this, the Ji Clan Leader relaxed a little. However, he still explained the robbery-like arrangement with Granny Ji’s second brother.

He also gave his assurance. “This is just the basic compensation, which she’ll receive monthly. Should a situation arise where we need Master Shishen to take action, we will, of course, offer something she fancies as an additional reward.”

Hu Shishen waved her hand nonchalantly. “Let’s leave it at that.”

She turned to Granny Ji and said, “Your second brother is an outsider, so it’s fitting to pay him more. I’m different. The Young Master of the Ji Family is my Young Master’s partner. We’re all family here.”

Jian Yu didn’t believe “being family” meant her people should be short-changed. Even close brothers keep clear accounts, after all.

Besides, Hu Shishen had come because of her; she couldn’t let her be wronged.

Fortunately, the Ji Clan Leader wasn’t foolish enough to alienate a life-saving Healer just to gain a small advantage, which made Jian Yu feel a little better.

Hu Shishen had come to make a show of support. After a brief tour, she departed, riding her iconic Qilin Soul Beast.

Jian Yu waved, seeing another one off.

Ji Shiyin was overcome with curiosity. ‘What kind of family does Jian Yu come from? Why do they all have different surnames?’

The people of the Ji Clan were curious too, but they didn’t dare to ask directly, fearing that even beating around the bush might offend her.

Granny Ji, however, had no such scruples.

Seeing that they were shamelessly pressing their advantage, she flew into a humiliated rage and snarled:

“A family no one has ever heard of, yet one person comes out and calls her ‘Young Master,’ and you all believe it? Use your heads! If they were truly that powerful, how could they be reduced to just a few scattered individuals? And why do they all claim to be orphans? For all we know, the entire clan consists of nothing but these few reclusive survivors!”

She looked toward Ji the Third, expecting him to back her up.

But no matter how Granny Ji glared at him, Ji Heyan feigned blindness, pointedly ignoring her.

No one was a fool. Even if Jian Yu’s family was small, every single member was an elite. They were not to be trifled with.

‘As for claiming to be orphans, perhaps it was simply a family tradition?’

Besides, while Hu Shishen was all smiles, the moment her gaze shifted, the contempt deep in her eyes would unintentionally show.

Even a complete fool could see they came from the same clan. The arrogant expressions on their faces were practically identical.

The only exception was Jian Yu, the Young Master, who just seemed… very well-behaved.

The elders cracked their melon seeds in perfect unison. One stated flatly, “Clan Leader, isn’t it about time we gave the Young Master a proper resolution?”

For years, Granny Ji had been useless at everything but was number one when it came to tattling to her two older brothers.

Whether she was in the right or in the wrong, she was relentless. If right, she was merciless. If wrong, she’d wail about her past contributions and hardships, constantly making a scene.

They had been putting up with her for a long time.

The Ji Clan Leader wiped his face and looked at the clan members gathered around him.

Because of the grand spectacle of Huo Shi’s arrival, every member of the Ji Clan who wasn’t off-site was present.

Every last one of them was either hugging a bear or sitting on the back of one.

The Ji Clan Leader’s gaze swept over their faces. His voice rose, bringing the gavel down with a final, decisive judgment:

“Everyone in the clan has witnessed the events of this period. Young Master Ji has treated our clan exceptionally well. I, Ji Qing, swear that for the rest of my life, I will recognize him and only him as my master and as the Family Head.”

“Now that the internal threat has been dealt with, the actions of Elder Ji cannot be tolerated by our clan’s laws. In my name as the Clan Leader of the Ji Family, I hereby formally declare:”

“The title of Clan Elder is revoked from Ji Zhixiang. She is stripped of all power and authority within the clan, expelled from the Ji Clan, and has her Ji surname removed. She will revert to her birth name, Gu Zhixiang.”

“From this day forward, Gu Zhixiang has no affiliation whatsoever with our Ji Clan. All clan matters, great or small, are no longer her concern.”

Ji Shiyin pressed his lips together.

Ji Heyan’s knees buckled, and he stumbled.

Old Mrs. Gu staggered but caught her balance, glaring furiously at Ji Shiyin. “Now that it’s come to this, you must be satisfied, you ungrateful wretch! And after all I’ve done for you…”

Ji Shiyin’s eyes curved into crescents, his voice surprisingly gentle. “I am, quite satisfied.”

He had long lashes and naturally downturned eyes that formed crescents when he smiled, causing Jian Yu to glance at him a few extra times.

Old Mrs. Gu pounded her chest, her breathing growing ragged. “You… You!”

‘With her backing gone, she felt utterly hollow.’

‘Her eldest brother had disowned her, and her second brother had left for another planet with no sign of returning.’

‘Even if he did return, with Hu Shishen present, the Ji Clan people would never put up with her as they had before.’

As Old Mrs. Gu’s hatred churned, she realized the person she should despise most of all was Jian Yu.

‘Without Jian Yu, no matter how capable Ji Shiyin was, he could never have extinguished the immediate fires threatening the clan.’

‘Without Jian Yu, Ji Shiyin would never have tried to seize the position of Family Head so early, and she would never have made that absurd “joke” about letting her cousin take his place.’

‘If it had come down to it, Ji Shiyin would have been adopted out to the Li Clan, and no matter how unwilling the Ji Clan people were, there would have been nothing they could do to her.’

‘The most likely scenario would have been a stalemate between her and Ji Shiyin, leaving the Ji Clan Leader to shuttle between them, trying to appease, negotiate with, and worry about both sides.’

‘In short, it never should have ended like today, with Ji Shiyin not even needing to be chosen—he simply won with a landslide, crushing all of her leverage.’

Sensing Old Mrs. Gu’s grief and rage, the Long Feather Bird’s eyes snapped open, and it shot into the air.

It let out a long cry toward the sky.

Old Mrs. Gu snapped back to her senses.

‘I almost forgot, I still have my Long Feather Bird!’

‘This is a nearly extinct, wondrous bird! Just a few years ago, it was revered as an interstellar auspicious bird, practically a national treasure.’

‘With this Soul Beast by my side, no one can harm me.’

Recalling her trump card, Old Mrs. Gu pointed at Jian Yu and commanded in a coarse voice, “Go and scratch up her face!”

Jian Yu wasn’t much for arguing, but she was more than capable when it came to a fight.

And so, a ball of fog clamped over Old Mrs. Gu’s mouth.

The ball of fog twisted, slamming Old Mrs. Gu to the ground face-first.

The Long Feather Bird shrieked and dove straight for Jian Yu.

Ting Ying flew up to meet it, unleashing a sonic attack.

‘It’s not affected?’

Ting Ying flapped its wings, sending a blast of air toward it.

The Long Feather Bird was swept up in the current, its body slashed by numerous wind blades.

It let out a series of sharp cries.

Jian Yu tilted her head and shot it a cold glance.

The Long Feather Bird hesitated for two seconds, then wheeled around, flapped its wings, and raked its claws at Old Mrs. Gu’s face.

Old Mrs. Gu’s face was a mask of horror. “!!!”

‘Traitor!’