Big Bodhi

Nighttime.

The moonlight was dim, and the flickering snow swirled at every corner, enveloping the entire night sky.

"Master, hurry up and come back inside the house. It's very chilly in this cold weather. You’re always standing here, but waiting is not a solution."

The woman was about thirty years old, wearing a brown and red brocade embroidered skirt with intricate patterns. She carefully put a gorgeous mink fur on the man standing quietly under the eaves. Her timid gaze carried a trace of anxiety and concern.

That snow was not just any ordinary snow. Even if a cultivator accidentally touched some of it, he had to worry about cold air infiltrating his body.

The man looked cold and solemn, and the snow between his eyebrows seemed to be thicker than the layer that covered the exterior of the house.

He stretched out his hand to straighten the thick mink fur, but his eyes still did not fluctuate at all. Through the two main gates that opened dozens of feet away, he stared motionlessly at the dozens of figures that flickered and disappeared under the moonlight.

"Master, don't worry too much and take care of your health first," The woman's concern didn't seem to be fake as she continued to change his mind, "Commander Xu Jianghe personally lead people to search for him, and he will be able to find Nian'er soon."

"Shut up!"

The man turned his head abruptly, the cold light in his eyes swept across the fair and pretty face of the woman, causing her to shudder violently, and she unconsciously knelt on the ground.

"Master, concubine... this concubine is really worried about Nian'er's safety, Master, you..."

Slap!

The woman staggered by the sudden slap, and there was a bright red handprint smudged on the left side of her face. There was even a trace of blood oozing out of her normally pampered face.

"If Nian'er really died in the Qingluan Mountain, I would chase you and your daughter out of my Ji family!"

The man was like a raging lion, and even some trace of blood appeared in his eyes. Apparently, he was extremely furious.

"Nian'er has more than a dozen Ji family's military guards by his side, how could he disappear in the Qingluan Mountain so silently? It must be you, the poisonous woman, who is not willing to let Ji Quexue be mediocre and wants to get her the position granted by the Ancient City of Taichu to Ji's family. That's why you set such a trap to murder Nian'er!"

The woman knelt on the ground, covered her face and sobbed. Tears kept streaming down like beads with broken threads, and even soaked the intricate and gorgeous brocade sleeve robe.

As the wife of Ji Hong, the head of the Ji family, she had been serving him carefully for more than ten years, keeping everything in the Ji family in good order, which was highly praised both inside and outside the Ji family.

Although she was very envious of Ji Yuenian's irreplaceable position in Ji's family, she never dared to act rashly. Even Ji Quexue, the daughter of Ji's family who was born to Ji Hong, was also cowardly in front of Yuenian, and there had never been a situation where the direct descendants of the patriarchs of the other several families in the Ancient City of Taichu competed with each other.

Not long ago, Hexuan Shangzhen, who was the ruler of the Ancient City of Taichu, passed down the first edict after he was stationed here for more than 30 years. The most powerful sect in the Yuan Yan land, the Tai Yu Sheng Sect, would open its doors and recruit disciples from the 19 ancient cities under its rule for the outer sect of the Tai Yu Sheng Sect.

The several cultivator families entrenched in the Ancient City of Taichu were extremely wealthy, and they were usually very filial to Hexuan Shangzhen. So, this time, it was only logical that they each got a position to enter the outer sect of the Tai Yu Sheng Sect without examination. Naturally, the position fell to the Ji family's eldest son, Ji Yuenian, without any suspense.

Whether a living soul could cultivate or not depended on the Heart Fire, and whether the Heart Fire could really ignite depended not only on the blood relation, but also to the cultivation resources acquired later in life. Therefore, the descendants of a cultivation family had almost never had the worry of not being able to ignite the Heart Fire.

The woman raised her head with tears in her eyes, her lips trembling slightly, but she couldn't say a word.

Although Ji Yuenian was lost in the Qingluan Mountain, it was not her doing, but she knew very well that it was impossible for Ji Hong to listen to her explanation with his character. If Ju Yuenian could not be found, she and Ju Quexue would really be thrown out of the house!

With this thought, the woman crawled and knelt down touching Ji Hong's feet, and said in a trembling voice, "Master, I really didn't do it, it's really not me, Master!"

Ji Hong squatted down and gently supported the woman's trembling shoulders, his eyes were full of indifference, "For a whole day, there was no news about Nian'er. Those old immortals from the Ji Family Elders Association are related to the Ji family. All the ghosts and snakes(TN//- Side parties who wants to take the share out of the pie) jumped out, and Xu Jianghe, who left now, was already the fourth wave sent to look for Ji Yuenian. I only have two blood descendants in the Ji family, Nian’er and Ji Quexue, and Ji Quexue is a woman.”

After hearing this, the woman subconsciously stopped shaking. She was not stupid, and she was even very smart in some aspects. At this time, under the flow of her thoughts, she could figure out what was going on in an instant, but her complexion was even more difficult to look at.

If the eldest son Ji Yuenian really died in the Qingluan Mountain where the rumored demons ran rampant, the huge pressure shouldered by Ji Hong was beyond her imagination.

There were many collateral factions in the Ji family, and these collateral forces were intertwined. Although Ji Hong was the patriarch and held the position of second elder of the Ji Family Elders Association, he couldn't completely control all the collateral forces of the Ji family.

"Think about it, if Nian'er disappears completely, who will be granted the position given by Hexuan Shangzhen?"

Ji Hong gradually put away the coldness in his eyes, and his tone became much softer.

The woman said in a trembling voice, "Ji Baiyu, who is only one year younger than my son! It's the Great Elder, Ji Luoyan! It must be Ji Luoyan who bribed the guards around Nian'er and brought him into the Qingluan Mountain!"

Ji Hong looked at her silently, without saying a word.

"Master, what do you mean," The woman looked a little dazed, "Let me and Quexue confess this crime?"

"Ji Luoyan is the Great Elder, and his power within the Ji family is second only to that of mine, the patriarch," Ji Hong remained expressionless, "If I can't find Nian'er at this time, even if I confront him directly, there will be no benefit to speak of. In fact, it will let Ji Luoyan seize control and take the opportunity to send Ji Baiyu to the stage."

The woman was sobbing, unable to utter a word.

"Lian'er, I have wronged you. Let's go out and hide for a while." Ji Hong's voice sounded in her ears.

The woman's body trembled slightly, but she was stunned in place.

Over the years, no matter how good or careful she was, she had never received a single compliment from Ji Hong.

And just now, he actually called her ‘Lian'er’.

"Master, you..."

"Don't worry, after Xu Jianghe returns tomorrow, I will take the opportunity to get angry at you and Ji Quexue, and then secretly send the two of you to a safe place. After that, I will take this opportunity to support the third house in the top position. It will not leave any opportunity for Ji Luoyan."

Ji Hong stood up and turned around, but a cold light flashed in his eyes unbeknownst to the woman.