NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12 - You Belong to Me; I Will Take Care of Everything
Jun Jiuxiao returned to his cave dwelling, pondering over what his master had told him. The matter of a few disciples from affiliated sects joining the outer sect was trivial and didn’t require his personal involvement as the Holy Son.
His master must have other intentions. Jun Jiuxiao paced back and forth.
It seemed certain people within the Holy Land were becoming restless again. If that were the case, it was time for him, the Holy Son of Xuantian, to demonstrate his authority.
After a moment of contemplation, Jun Jiuxiao gave orders, “Elder Pu, find out which of the prospective Holy Sons have been active recently.”
“And send these jars of spirit wine to my master,” Jun Jiuxiao added, having forgotten to give them to Jun Wuqi during his visit.
“Understood.” Elder Pu silently carried out Jun Jiuxiao’s orders as always.
Jun Jiuxiao then used a voice-transmitting jade to instruct Old Jiu, “Investigate whether there are any disciples among the batch sent by the affiliated sects who have particularly tragic backgrounds, blood feuds, or were once considered wastes but have suddenly become geniuses.”
“…Also, look for those with a beautiful master, a fiancée they’ve broken off an engagement with, or those who like to make grandiose statements like ‘Don’t underestimate the young and poor.'”
Jun Jiuxiao added another remark, “Pay special attention to anyone with the surnames Ye, Xiao, Su, or Lin.”
For the first time, Old Jiu was puzzled by Jun Jiuxiao’s orders. However, he blindly worshiped Jun Jiuxiao and was his most ardent follower. Even if he didn’t understand Jun Jiuxiao’s reasoning, he would convince himself that there was a good reason behind the Holy Son’s actions.
“Holy Son, if there are such people, do you want me to get rid of them?” Old Jiu asked.
“No need. Just confirm whether they exist; don’t do anything else.”
Jun Jiuxiao suspected that the disciples joining from the affiliated sects this time would include a protagonist, so he had Old Jiu investigate. He only wanted to confirm the presence of such individuals, not kill them.
His game was just beginning—how could he play if the protagonist were dead?
Old Jiu said no more. He understood that the Holy Son’s orders were to be executed perfectly, so he immediately mobilized his subordinates to investigate the names and details of the disciples sent from the affiliated sects to Xuantian Holy Land.
Old Jiu was not in Xuantian Holy Land, so Jun Jiuxiao always contacted him through the voice-transmitting jade. He would only come to Xuantian Holy Land to report back after completing Jun Jiuxiao’s tasks.
With Jun Jiuxiao’s help, Old Jiu had established an intelligence organization named “Nine Gates.” Old Jiu originally wanted to name it after Jun Jiuxiao, but Jun Jiuxiao refused, not wanting to be too conspicuous.
(T/N; Jiu = Nine)
As a compromise, Old Jiu named it “Nine Gates,” superficially related to his own name but actually representing Jun Jiuxiao. Old Jiu’s name, however, had no connection to Jun Jiuxiao; it was a coincidence. Old Jiu was ninth in his family, and after his entire family was killed, he didn’t want to mention his surname anymore, so he simply called himself Old Jiu.
…
A few days later, Jun Jiuxiao felt it was time for Ji Lanqing to come to him.
Sure enough, early one morning, Ji Lanqing came to the cave entrance to seek an audience.
Jun Jiuxiao activated the formation barrier and let her in.
As soon as Ji Lanqing entered, she knelt and kowtowed, saying, “Thank you, Holy Son, for the gift of the pills and the cultivation technique. In the future, I will repay you with my life.”
Jun Jiuxiao remained silent, looking down at Ji Lanqing.
After a while, he finally spoke, “Stand up.”
Ji Lanqing stood, head slightly lowered, standing sideways.
Jun Jiuxiao asked slowly, “Have you restored your foundation? Can you start cultivating?”
“My foundation has been restored, and I have already entered the Qi Gathering stage,” Ji Lanqing replied, her expression unchanged, but Jun Jiuxiao could hear the excitement and happiness in her voice.
Hm, she reached Qi Gathering so quickly. Truly deserving of being the female protagonist.
“Here are some spiritual herbs you can use, along with a magic artifact I prepared for you. Take them.” Jun Jiuxiao handed her a storage bag he had prepared in advance.
Of course, Jun Jiuxiao didn’t give these away for free; he had accepted a mission from 2233 in return, which gave him two thousand points.
Seeing the female lead accept the storage bag, Jun Jiuxiao continued, “I haven’t cultivated your technique, so I can’t guide you directly. However, Elder Liu Neng from the outer sect cultivates a simplified version of the ‘Nine Heavens Burning Art.’ I’ve instructed him to help you, so you can go to him if you have any questions.”
“If he can’t help, come to me, and I’ll find a solution for you.”
Ji Lanqing was about to kneel again, but Jun Jiuxiao used his spiritual power to lift her up, preventing her from kneeling.
“You don’t need to kneel. Just focus on cultivating well. You are my maid; having low cultivation would disgrace me.”
“And in the future, don’t kneel so easily. My maids don’t need to kneel to anyone, nor should you fear anyone. You belong to me, Jun Jiuxiao. I’ll always protect you.” Jun Jiuxiao said these words with great dominance, exuding an aura of supremacy.
Ji Lanqing would never forget this scene: Jun Jiuxiao sitting high above, seemingly untouched by the dust of the world, as if everything in this world was insignificant before him, and everyone should bow at his feet.
More importantly, no one had ever told her, “You don’t need to be afraid; I’ll always protect you.”
Her mother only told her to endure; her so-called father and clan members only took her bones and blood, found her disgusting, and called her a worthless, ugly monster.
The maids and servants were opportunists, doubling their bullying when they saw those in charge despised her.
Even the maid who stayed by her side treated her well on the surface but secretly wished for her death.
She had never been treated so well in her life, and her heart wavered.
But after a few breaths, Ji Lanqing regained her clarity and started doubting again. Why is he treating me so well? What does he want from me?
Thinking this, Ji Lanqing’s wavering heart hardened once more. She respectfully replied to Jun Jiuxiao, “This servant will cultivate diligently and will not bring shame to the Holy Son.”
“Alright, you may leave now,” Jun Jiuxiao said coldly.
“Yes.” Ji Lanqing quietly left.
As soon as Ji Lanqing exited, Jun Jiuxiao immediately dropped his serious demeanor, lazily leaning back in his chair. “This female lead is truly guarded. I saw her waver just now, but she regained her composure in just a few breaths. Impressive. I admire her.”
He then chuckled softly and murmured, “What an interesting person. I’m getting more and more intrigued by her.”
2233 was still diligently working, searching through piles of data for tasks that could be completed in advance. Even capitalists would envy Jun Jiuxiao for having such a diligent, tireless employee.