CHAPTER 332: CHAPTER 286

"There are a few, still not certain, I’m going to make some phone calls." In the study, there was a phone designated for the family patriarch, equipped with encryption and anti-theft measures. Call after call was swiftly made, one secret instruction after another was issued, and by the time all the arrangements were finished, more than an hour had passed.

Mr. Ji watched him handle the tasks methodically and with meticulous thought, feeling greatly comforted in his old age.

"Xiao Feng, come have a good talk with Grandpa," Mr. Ji said with a smile, full of affection, after Ji Feng finished his busy work. Ji Feng, however, felt a chill run down his spine.

Ji Feng’s scalp tingled, even the name "Xiao Feng" was a sign that the old man had everything figured out.

Ji Feng wondered how long it had been since the old man had called him "Xiao Feng" like that, and every time he did, with that kind of smile, Ji Feng knew he was in for trouble. He really wanted to escape, but seeing the old man smiling like the Buddha, he didn’t have the courage to run.

"Grandpa, what do you want to talk about?" Ji Feng became as defiant as a dead pig facing boiling water.

"Tell me how you met that girl." Mr. Ji took a sip of tea, appearing all ears.

"It’s a long story," Ji Feng said, glancing at the old man’s eager curiosity. He had never seen an elder so curious about how his grandson met a girl.

"Then give me the short version of the long story."

"I met her in Shanghai." That was short enough, wasn’t it? A few words summarized it all, simple and clear.

"So, the last time you insisted on following Old Mo to Shanghai, it was for her, eh?" Mr. Ji finally refrained from asking how Ji Feng knew the girl was in Shanghai. It seemed like the foolish boy had known in advance. He originally wanted to ask about whose medical skills Lan Tian had learned from. But the foolish boy was naive and sincere, and even if he asked, Ji Feng wouldn’t tell him, so Mr. Ji gave up on pressing him for answers.

"Mhm." Ji Feng grunted in response.

"After all, she’s already married, there’s no fate between you two. For her sake, you should stay away from her in the future." Mr. Ji restrained himself over and over again, but still couldn’t help it. This was his own grandson who would be taking over his position in the future; he couldn’t let a woman ruin his prospects.

A shadow fell over Ji Feng’s eyes, and after a while, he said, "Grandpa, you’re worrying too early. Whether we can stay here is not for us to decide. Maybe one day we will leave, never to return." A somber shadow flickered across Ji Feng’s eyes, tinged with melancholy.

Even if Lan Tian didn’t say it, Ji Feng could sense that in this life, her cultivation pace was very fast. She seldom cultivated on a daily basis, deliberately slowing down her speed, yet her cultivation was still higher than in her previous life.

"Even if she leaves this place, she is still in Shanghai. A grown man shouldn’t be so infatuated, it’s unseemly. A woman is just one of life’s many landscapes; if you miss this one, maybe the next will be even better."

Mr. Ji felt somewhat annoyed with Lan Tian. Those intent on achieving great things must avoid deep, prolonged relationships. It was because of her that his most proud grandson lost the spirit of a fighter. Plus, he couldn’t blame Xu Xiu—even if Lan Tian could save his life, how long could he live, another five years, or ten? The foolish boy was different; he had a long life ahead of him, with many things waiting for him to accomplish.

Once the matters here are settled, send her away quickly, far away, not loitering around him. Over time, feelings will naturally fade; that’s all there is to it.

It’s not that he was ungrateful, but the influence that girl had on the foolish boy was too profound, affecting his decisions. He would not allow a woman like that by Ji Feng’s side; no one could.

The foolish boy had reached the age suitable for marriage. He sifted through potential brides from several families in his mind, selecting the most fitting candidate for his grandson’s wife.

Ji Feng noticed that the old man had suddenly taken a dislike to Lan Tian, and he swallowed back the words he had intended to argue her case with, knowing his grandfather all too well—the more he said, the more the old man would dislike Lan Tian.

"Grandpa, you don’t understand, but you will someday."

...

Lan Tian certainly didn’t know Mr. Ji’s dislike for her was because of Ji Feng, and even if she did, she wouldn’t care. She only chose gu for Mr. Ji because of Ji Feng; if not for him, she wouldn’t bother dealing with him at all.

As long as Mr. Ji doesn’t touch her reverse scale by threatening her family, she could tolerate these little issues, including the fact that Mr. Ji disliked her.

Upon returning to her room and closing the door, she set up an Array inside. From her Sleeve Universe, she selected a peach branch thick as an adult’s arm and used the Spirit Sword to cut it into palm-sized pieces before carving them into materials suitable for Array Formation.

After reaching Foundation Establishment, her success rate at inscribing Arrays greatly increased, and she was much faster. She chose the Destruction God and Soul-locking Arrays from the Top Ten Ancient Cruel Array, engraving each into the peach wood materials. As her Cultivation had increased, so had the power of the Arrays; combining the two could trap a Golden Core Stage Cultivator with no issue. Killing might not be possible, but severe injury was likely.

When one set of Array inscriptions was complete, seventy percent of the spiritual energy in her Dantian was depleted, showcasing the immense power of the ancient Arrays. Thankfully, she was in Hidden Dragon Mountain, where spiritual energy was abundant, allowing her to sit in meditation and recover quickly. In about an hour, eighty percent of the spiritual energy in her Dantian was restored. Almost two hours had passed, and the second set of Arrays was still not engraved.

The two Arrays complemented each other, with ordered offense and defense, and were extremely powerful when used together. With just one Array, the power was significant, but Lan Tian always felt insecure. Taking the mother poison would surely alert the enemies, and if the hidden adversary were at the Golden Core Stage, killing her would be easy.

To ensure absolute safety, Lan Tian felt that two Arrays were not secure enough; she should inscribe a third. She expanded her Divine Sense to find where Ji Feng was, informing him that the preparation would take a little longer and that he and his grandfather could wait for her in the old man’s bedroom.

Ji Feng was no stranger to Lan Tian’s ability to communicate across distances and wasn’t surprised. He coaxed Old Ji to the bedroom and took out a chess set to play.

Having completed the engraving of the remaining two Arrays, it was already eleven o’clock at night. Lan Tian headed straight to Mr. Ji’s bedroom, carrying three sets of Arrays with her, where the grandfather and grandson were still playing chess.

As the night wore on, Mr. Ji had not won a single game against Ji Feng. Halfway through their current game, Mr. Ji seemed to have a winning position and was unwilling to give up, insisting on finishing the game. Ji Feng glanced towards Lan Tian, and after seeing her nod, he silently sat back down.

After entering, Lan Tian waved her hand to create a spiritual energy shield, then moved around the room, her Divine Sense methodically checking every inch of the room’s objects and arrangements. A cultivator’s methods were mysterious and unpredictable; it was impossible to guard against them all. Otherwise, Mr. Ji and Ji Feng would not have been poisoned by someone. Without a thorough inspection, she wouldn’t feel at ease—who knew if there were other things lurking in the room.

Lan Tian’s inspection was meticulous, checking behind the wardrobe, the ceiling above, under the bed, and the corners of the walls back and forth several times. Only when she was certain there were no traces of other cultivators in the room did she feel relieved.

Lan Tian’s odd behavior was merely observed by the grandfather and grandson, who did not say anything extra.