Xiu Jizong’s grandfather had been sent away, and Xiu Jizong slowly woke up.
He had been in a deep sleep and had no idea that his life had been turned upside down.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he instinctively reached out to Xiu Wancheng: “Daddy, hug—”
Xiu Wancheng’s face turned ashen.
In front of so many people, he couldn’t do much to a child, so he just coldly cursed, “Bastard.”
Xiu Jizong had never seen his father like this before and burst into tears, turning to his grandmother, who had always doted on him:
“Grandma, Daddy is being mean. I want to go to the amusement park.”
His grandmother, already feeling dizzy and overwhelmed, became even angrier and snapped viciously, “Don’t call me Grandma, you little brat born of a whore! I’m not your grandmother!”
Xiu Jizong cried even louder: “Grandma is bad, Grandma is bad! Mommy, I want Mommy-“
“What kind of people are you two, to dare curse my son like that?” Gan Yanmei was furious.
She rushed over to pick up Xiu Jizong while hurling insults back at Xiu Wancheng and his mother.
The onlookers couldn’t help but shake their heads at the scene, sighing deeply.
They all remembered how, just moments ago, the Xiu family had treated this child as a precious treasure, fussing over him.
The stark contrast was bitterly ironic.
The situation was chaotic, and Chen Fashi, unable to mediate, clutched his chest and fumbled for a pack of blood pressure medication from his toolkit.
Shi Pengpeng quickly handed him a bottle of mineral water.
“Thank you,” Chen Fashi gasped, waving his hand.
“I can’t take it anymore, I’m really getting old. If I ever take on such rituals again, I’ll have to make sure the family gets a paternity test first. Otherwise, I won’t survive. If it weren’t for meeting Miss Shi today, I might have lost my life here…”
Shi Pengpeng nodded in agreement: “Wise decision.”
As the family was on the verge of a physical fight, relatives from the Xiu family quickly stepped in, some trying to mediate while others dispersed the crowd.
Shi Pengpeng, afraid of getting caught up in the melodrama, hurriedly bid farewell to Chen Fashi.
Chen Fashi also wanted to leave, but since he hadn’t received the final payment yet, he exchanged WeChat contacts with her and reluctantly parted ways.
As she left, Shi Pengpeng overheard Xiu Wancheng’s mother crying, “Wancheng, contact that woman immediately and have her return my precious granddaughter. We’ll raise her properly, and when I pass away, they can kowtow and burn paper offerings for me…”
Shi Pengpeng rolled her eyes and, while no one was paying attention, slipped out through a side door.
She found Cai Baojun and Wen Miao and said, “Quick, quick, I’m starving. Let’s go eat.”
Cai Baojun and Wen Miao: “…”
***
Once seated in the restaurant and after ordering, Cai Baojun and Wen Miao still looked utterly bewildered.
Shi Pengpeng knew what they wanted to ask and didn’t hold back, skillfully explaining the Liangyi Academy to them.
Both of them were aware that there were many religious-related colleges and majors in the country, so they quickly accepted the premise.
Cai Baojun scratched her head: “So, what happened earlier was real?”
She had always thought it was some kind of folk performance with psychological comfort elements.
Shi Pengpeng smiled but didn’t elaborate much, giving a universal answer:
“If you believe it, it exists. If you don’t, it doesn’t.”
Wen Miao was still immersed in the gossip about the Xiu family and asked curiously, “So, if the child isn’t biologically related, does that mean the ancestral sacrifices don’t apply to him? What about adopted children? Are they useless then?”
“That’s not how it’s calculated,” Shi Pengpeng said.
The legal connections in the underworld are a continuation of legitimate relationships in the mortal world, emphasizing legality and compliance, meaning they must follow the proper channels.
As long as the adoption or marriage is done through formal procedures, it is considered a genuine family, and the underworld’s legal principles recognize it.
On the contrary, families like the Xiu Wancheng’s, who deceive and falsify, or those who traffic children, may fool people in the mortal world, but they cannot deceive the laws of the underworld.
Cai Baojun and Wen Miao suddenly understood.
Cai Baojun asked resentfully, “What about those without children? Is life in the underworld very hard?”
She was, after all, a staunch non-maritalist.
“Not at all. The underworld, just like the mortal world, has its own organization and rules,” Shi Pengpeng explained.
“Things like passing on the family line are outdated feudal remnants, just the obsessions of some old-fashioned people. As long as you work hard, live well, and pay your taxes legally, you are considered to have contributed to society. When you go to the underworld, you’ll still receive a share of the state’s public memorial offerings.”
She smiled and continued, “You can think of it as the underworld’s version of a pension plan.”
Cai Baojun: “Oh, oh, oh, that puts my mind at ease.”
She was incredibly diligent at work!
The Xiu family’s scandal quickly became a hot topic in Puhe Town, repeatedly forwarded in various chat groups.
Some people even recorded videos at the scene and posted them on Cat Paw Video, sparking widespread discussion.
Xiu Wancheng was socially ruined, and the Xiu clan was also implicated, losing face.
Later, Shi Pengpeng also got some juicy gossip from Chen Fashi, who revealed that Xiu Wancheng and his mother had shamelessly contacted his ex-wife, trying to get their two granddaughters back.
However, the ex-wife had already remarried, and the two daughters were now registered under someone else’s household.
The Xiu family still tried to pester them, but the ex-wife decisively blocked them.
The two daughters, filled with hatred for their grandparents, completely ignored them.
Xiu Wancheng had even considered asking Chen Fashi if there was any mystical way to help him continue the family line.
However, Chen Fashi, fearing his blood pressure couldn’t handle it, painfully declined the hefty bribe and didn’t dare take the case.
But that’s a story for another time, and we won’t delve into it further.
After dinner, Cai Baojun took Shi Pengpeng on a tour of Puhe Town and gave her some samples of local specialties.
Shi Pengpeng understood her intentions.
Since her new company had just been established and needed to update its product line, she accepted them all, planning to take them back for her colleagues to select.
By the time they were ready to return to Xiluo, the pile of local specialties Shi Pengpeng had collected was almost a small mountain.
It was impossible to carry them all, so she was about to ask Wen Miao to help ship them back when she received a message from Yan Jing.
Yan Jing: [Where are you, witch? I’m coming to pick you up.]
Shi Pengpeng: ?
AAA Local Specialty Retail & Wholesale: [Are you here on a business trip today too?]
Yan Jing: [No.]
Yan Jing: [I’m here to pick up some local specialties.]
Shi Pengpeng: “…”
By the time Yan Jing arrived at Pinghe Village, it was already dark.
Wen Miao, while helping to load a large pile of unpackaged agricultural products into his low-key yet luxurious car, smiled and said, “If I had known Mr. Yan also liked our local specialties, I would have prepared more.”
Yan Jing remained composed: “It’s fine. I can share it with Pengpeng.”
Shi Pengpeng glanced at him sideways: “Did you say thank you?”
Yan Jing turned to her, meeting her gaze with a serious expression: “Thank you.”
Shi Pengpeng: =.=
Yan Jing smiled and then said to Wen Miao, “Thank you too. I heard Pinghe Village is now a model new rural area. Cat Paw should also respond to the call…”
“Zhao, when we get back, I’ll have the operations team give more exposure to the videos from Pinghe Village.”
Wen Miao was overjoyed: “Thank you, thank you! Is there anything else you like? I’ll send it over later!”
Yan Jing: “I don’t need anything, just give it to Pengpeng.”
Glancing at Shi Pengpeng, “You’ll share with me, right?”
Shi Pengpeng: “Of course.”
The car sped onto the highway as night fell, with desolate mountains and shadowy figures on both sides of the road.
Even Shi Pengpeng, who was usually slow on the uptake, realized that Yan Jing had come specifically to pick her up.
Moved, she said, “Brother, thank you for coming all this way so late.”
Yan Jing chuckled softly, not denying it: “Mmm.”
Shi Pengpeng felt relieved: “You’ve really grown braver, not afraid of these dark mountain roads anymore.”
Yan Jing was silent for a moment before replying, “No, I’m still scared. I’m just toughing it out.”
Shi Pengpeng: “…?”
Did she hear that right?
The usually fearless Yan Jing admitting he was scared?
This wasn’t normal, not normal at all!
Yan Jing glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and continued pitifully, “I even ran into a ghost in the garage last night.”
Shi Pengpeng’s heart skipped a beat: “What happened? Are you okay?”
Yan Jing: “It’s fine. Luckily, I had the talisman you gave me, or things could have turned out badly.”
Shi Pengpeng breathed a sigh of relief, frowning slightly: “Why didn’t you call me?”
Yan Jing remained expressionless: “There wasn’t time.”
Shi Pengpeng thought for a moment: “Set me as your emergency contact from now on.”
“Alright,” Yan Jing agreed readily, then frowned again, “But now there’s a bigger problem…”
He proceeded to share the information provided by the two ghosts.
“Such a thing exists?” Shi Pengpeng’s expression darkened, “Have you traced the source yet?”
Yan Jing: “Yes, it’s a few marketing accounts that often spread rumors. I’ve already had Wei Chi block them.”
“Is that all?” Shi Pengpeng was skeptical, “Information like the ‘Unwithering Bones’ isn’t something ordinary marketing accounts would have access to, right?”
Yan Jing nodded: “Those accounts were paid to post it. The person who actually made and submitted the video has already deleted their account, so we can’t trace their real identity.”
Shi Pengpeng scoffed lightly: “They’re quite experienced.”
But it wasn’t hard to guess.
When it came to groups skilled in online scams, none could surpass the Longevity Island.
Yan Jing sneered: “Sometimes, being too experienced can also be a weakness.”
Those marketing accounts had already been restricted due to frequently posting false information.
But after the ‘Unwithering Bones’ video was released, someone bought traffic for it, forcefully pushing it to the top of the channel.
The account that bought the traffic belonged to a troll company that had previously targeted several influencers, including Xu Qiannian.
Shi Pengpeng immediately realized: “Yu Tian Culture?”
Previously, Meng Zhen from Yu Tian Culture had tried to curry favor with Yan Jing by offering to sign her, mentioning that Yu Tian dabbled in metaphysical content.
At the time, Shi Pengpeng hadn’t thought much of it, as Yu Tian was involved in so many areas, grabbing at anything profitable.
But if the ‘Unwithering Bones’ video had come from Yu Tian Culture, that was a different story.
She pondered for a moment, “Speaking of which, there’s something that’s always struck me as odd.”
Yan Jing: “What?”
Shi Pengpeng said, “Do you remember Zhao Xiwen mentioning that the Zigan Sword was placed in the auction by the Imperial Preceptor specifically to lure you?”
Given this, the Grand Tutor should have done everything in his power to ensure that the sword would be won by Yan Jing at the auction, meaning no other formidable competitors should have been present at the same event.
Indeed, the Grand Tutor had arranged it this way, and no one from the Xuanmen sect appeared at the auction that day.
So, why did Ouyang Jue show up there?
Where did he get the information?
Yan Jing also recalled this oddity.
Upon careful reflection, Ouyang Jue’s behavior at the time was also quite strange.
He claimed to have come specifically for the Zigan Sword, but in the end, he wanted to give it to Yan Jing.
It was as if Ouyang Jue had been certain from the start that Yan Jing needed the Zigan Sword.
Yan Jing had initially thought that Ouyang Jue’s gift of the sword was an attempt to win him over, but now it seemed that things were not so simple.
After all, Ouyang Jue was the true owner of Yu Tian Culture.
Moreover, Yan Jing’s gaze darkened as he said, “The construction materials business of the Zhao family was originally supported by the Ouyang family.”
As a long-established real estate developer, the Ouyang family had collaborated with many construction material suppliers, and the Zhao family had profited the most from this.
Shi Pengpeng: “Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”
Yan Jing coughed lightly: “The relationships here are quite complicated. I didn’t want to involve you in this…”
He didn’t finish his sentence, but Shi Pengpeng already understood.
During their time at the Ling Palace, Zhao Xiwen had mentioned that Yan Jing had deliberately erased her tracks regarding the Zhao family’s ancestral grave, taking all the responsibility upon himself.
Though he was afraid of ghosts, he was never a coward.
He had always protected her in his own way, doing what he could.
However, now that Shi Pengpeng’s deeds in Biannan had become well-known, it was impossible to keep it hidden any longer.
Yan Jing’s decision to tell her now was likely to make her more cautious.
Shi Pengpeng felt a warmth in her heart: “Brother, you’re so good.”
Yan Jing:”…..”
“Can we not do this now?”
“I’m not feeling well,” Yan Jing pursed his lips, pretending to be weak.
“I’m really scared right now. Can you spend more time with me in the future?”
After a pause, he added, “I can pay more.”
Shi Pengpeng: “…”
He had become so unfamiliar.
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