Jiang Luo quickly finished reading the report.
Ji Yaozi had an ordinary background. He was born in a rural village, and his mother was a peasant woman. She drowned when he was three. With no other relatives, he was orphaned and sent to a county orphanage, where he lived until he was five.
At age five, a Taoist took him as a disciple. When Ji Yaozi appeared again, he was already the owner of the funeral parlor.
Ji Yaozi had never attended school, and there was very little traceable information about him. From what could be found, nothing seemed off.
But Ji Yaozi knew Feng Li and was well-informed about the Fated One. His connections with the Fated One and Daoist Elder Wei He ran deep.
He knew the prophecy about the Fated One in crystal-clear detail and even understood the Fated One’s personality well enough to begin doubting the prophecy itself.
Every little detail pointed to Ji Yaozi being someone who hid his true depths. But what caught Jiang Luo’s attention even more was: on the day Chi You stormed the Lian family, every single member was taken away—why was it that only the Fated One and Ji Yaozi were missing?
How did Ji Yaozi escape? Was he with the Fated One?
Jiang Luo’s mind was full of questions.
Thinking back, Jiang Luo realized something else. Ji Yaozi had always had absolute confidence in the artifacts he crafted. He had said that no one would ever see through the secret of the Soul Capturing Pendant—and Jiang Luo had believed him. Yet, the Fated One had seen through it. Not only that, he hadn’t exposed it, but had even deliberately let Jiang Luo use the pendant to see into his inner realm.
Before, Jiang Luo had simply thought it was because the Fated One was too powerful and had sensed something off. But if looked at from another angle—it was possible that the Fated One hadn’t seen through the pendant’s disguise at all. Maybe he understood Ji Yaozi well enough to understand the kind of tools Ji Yaozi made.
Jiang Luo put down the file and absentmindedly touched the Yin-Yang hoop on his hand.
The Fated One had crafted the Yin-Yang hoop. But Ji Yaozi could also remake it… There must be a relationship between Ji Yaozi and the Fated One that Jiang Luo hadn’t uncovered yet.
“He went back to the funeral parlor?” Jiang Luo thought for a moment. “I’ll go see him in a bit.”
Ye Xun interjected, “I’ll go back with you.”
He gently stroked Little Pink’s long rabbit ears. “It’s time to let Kuang Zheng fix her.”
“Alright.” Jiang Luo smiled and looked at the others. “About what Brother Hei said last night—‘vegetable woman’—do any of you have any ideas?”
Ge Zhu thought for a moment and said, “I only thought of the story of Bi Gan having his heart dug out from The Investiture of the Gods.”
Zhuo Zhongqiu laughed. “What a coincidence, I thought of that too.”
In The Investiture of the Gods, Jiang Ziya divined that Bi Gan would have his heart removed, so he cast a spell on him in advance to make sure Bi Gan wouldn’t die even if his heart was taken out. He also instructed Bi Gan to hurry home and not speak to anyone on the way.
On the way, Bi Gan met an old woman selling water spinach. Curious, and reminded of the fact that he himself had no heart, he asked, “What happens if a person has no heart?”
The old woman replied, “If a person has no heart, they die.”
Startled, Bi Gan suddenly remembered Jiang Ziya’s instructions—but it was too late. He felt a twisting pain in his chest and fell dead from his horse.
When Brother Hei told them not to speak to the “vegetable woman” on the road, this was the first story that came to their minds.
Jiang Luo thought of it too, but the more he thought about it, the more uncertain he became. “If it really is about Bi Gan’s heart being dug out, what is Brother Hei trying to hint at? Is he saying the Fated One isn’t a true god—and that if the Fated One realizes he’s just a human, he’ll die immediately? Or is he saying the key to killing the Fated One is to remove his heart?”
Everyone fell into silence.
Wenren Lian said, “There’s another version of Bi Gan’s story. If the vegetable woman had answered, ‘A person without a heart can still live,’ then Bi Gan would have survived. Could it be that the Fated One, in order to become a god, must also ask others whether he can become a true god—just like the fox spirit Feng Zheng?”
“Or maybe it’s hinting that the one who’ll kill the Fated One is an old woman?” Lu Youyi’s imagination went wild.
Ge Zhu sighed. “That old woman was a monster in disguise.”
Jiang Luo’s thoughts spiraled.
A monster disguised as an old woman killed Bi Gan. Was this suggesting that only someone who can possess others and control puppets—like Chi You—could use a puppet to kill the Fated One?
Three heads are better than one—and there were more than three here. In just a few moments, all kinds of possibilities were being laid out, each sounding reasonable. Jiang Luo felt his head spin, increasingly unsure of what Brother Hei was really trying to say. He decided to ask Cyril, “What do you think Brother Hei’s hint meant?”
Cyril turned red from holding it in. “I don’t have any memories of interacting with Brother Hei…”
“It’s okay.” Jiang Luo said gently, “Cyril, just go with your gut. Don’t let us influence you. Use your intuition—what do you feel Brother Hei meant?”
Cyril thought seriously, hesitated, and said, “I think… I think he meant the simplest interpretation.”
Jiang Luo asked, “That the Fated One will die if he has no heart?”
Cyril nodded shyly. For some reason, Cyril always felt that because he didn’t speak Chinese, Brother Hei would explain everything to him in the simplest possible terms. At least, after hearing Bi Gan’s story, what Cyril picked up was only its most superficial layer—so it made sense to him that it meant the Fated One would die without a heart.
Jiang Luo nodded slowly, thoughtful. “I get it.”
Maybe Brother Hei really didn’t mean anything that complicated.
The Fated One is a false god.
Many people had told Jiang Luo that the Fated One wasn’t a god.
Before he became a god, he was human.
“What happens if a person has no heart?”
“If a person has no heart, they die.”
If the Fated One loses his heart—he dies.
But… could it really be that simple?
Jiang Luo couldn’t figure it out, so he decided to put it aside for now.
That afternoon, he and Ye Xun returned to Baihua University.
Ye Xun went to find Kuang Zheng for repairs, while Jiang Luo headed to the funeral parlor near the university.
At the shop entrance were stacks of funeral wreaths. The door was half-open, half-closed. Jiang Luo, acting like he owned the place, pushed the door open and walked in—only to see Ji Yaozi holding a basin of water, cleaning the wooden shelves.
Spring was in full swing. The weather was mild and pleasant. Yet Ji Yaozi was bundled up in a thick coat. Hearing the door, he turned around, and when he saw it was Jiang Luo, he grinned before speaking. “Yo, what brings you here?”
Jiang Luo circled around him twice. “Are you hurt?”
Ji Yaozi was puzzled. “Hurt? Why would I be hurt?”
Jiang Luo gave him a strange look, and Ji Yaozi returned the look in confusion. Suddenly, Jiang Luo said, “Something happened to the Lian family.”
Ji Yaozi was startled, the cloth in his hand falling to the floor. “What happened to the Lian family?!”
The more disbelieving he looked, the deeper Jiang Luo’s brows furrowed. “You don’t know? That day I went up the mountain to find the Fated One, and you and Daoist Elder Wei He took me there.”
Ji Yaozi looked dazed. “I remember that, but after we watched you go in, Daoist Elder Wei He and I left. I went back to my room to catch up on sleep. When I woke up, the Fated One had taken me down the mountain… Something happened after I left?”
Jiang Luo didn’t answer but asked instead, “Where did the Fated One take you?”
Ji Yaozi hesitated, glanced around, then lowered his voice, “Changbai Mountain.”
So after being beaten by Chi You and fleeing, the Fated One still took Ji Yaozi with him—and even brought him back to Changbai Mountain?
No matter how Jiang Luo looked at it, it felt suspicious. He eyed Ji Yaozi up and down, making Ji Yaozi’s hair stand on end. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Jiang Luo said, “You really don’t know anything about what happened on the mountain?”
Ji Yaozi shook his head earnestly, almost wishing he could split open his head to prove it. “I really don’t!”
“Come with me,” Ji Yaozi put down what he was holding and led Jiang Luo into a sealed room. “What exactly happened on the mountain?”
Jiang Luo didn’t answer right away. “You first—why did the Fated One take you with him?”
Ji Yaozi dodged, “How would I know what he’s thinking?”
Jiang Luo fixed his eyes on him for a few seconds. “Daoist Elder Wei He stayed behind. So did the younger generation of the Lian family, who were used by the Fated One as shikigami. But only you were taken away. When we were on the mountain, I didn’t see any particular closeness between you and the Fated One. So why did he bring only you at a critical moment?”
Ji Yaozi caught the key phrase and pressed, “Critical moment? What kind of critical moment?”
Jiang Luo acted as if he hadn’t heard and continued, “Earlier I asked you why the Fated One gave you the Yuan Tian Bead, and you didn’t tell me. You’re on good terms with Feng Li, and Feng Li is the Fated One’s son…”
He slowly revealed a contemplative expression.
Ji Yaozi’s heart thudded. Beads of sweat instantly formed on his forehead. He had a feeling Jiang Luo was about to figure it out. Gritting his teeth, Ji Yaozi decided to confess the secret he had long meant to take to the grave. “Because I’m also the Fated One’s son.”
Jiang Luo: “…”
He fell into a strange silence.
Ji Yaozi saw that Jiang Luo wasn’t speaking. Though nervous, he couldn’t help but feel a little smug. He was sure Jiang Luo hadn’t guessed the connection between him and the Fated One. After being played by Jiang Luo so many times, it felt good to finally get one over on him. If not for maintaining a proper elder’s demeanor, he might’ve already burst into laughter.
After a long while, Jiang Luo finally said slowly, “Old Ji, you’re over forty now, right?”
The question was just polite small talk. Jiang Luo had already looked over Ji Yaozi’s file—not only was he over forty, he was born forty-seven years ago, a full seventeen years older than Feng Li, who had just passed thirty.
Put Ji Yaozi and the Fated One side by side, and if someone had to call one of them the father, 99.9% of people would assume Ji Yaozi was the Fated One’s dad.
Ji Yaozi heard the deeper implication in his words and turned green in the face. “You brat… You’re really—” savage.
Jiang Luo, in fact, was deeply shocked.
It had already been shocking enough to learn Feng Li was the Fated One’s son. He hadn’t expected there to be another son. The Fated One’s lofty, refined image completely shattered in Jiang Luo’s mind. He couldn’t understand—if the Fated One was free from worldly desire, how could he have two sons?
Does becoming a god mean you have to put on this kind of act?
Jiang Luo would never understand the Fated One’s way of thinking.
He enjoyed the sensation of having s*x with a malicious ghost as if they were tearing each other apart—the kind of shudder that pierced through flesh and bone to the soul. Just remembering it gave Jiang Luo a slightly addictive thrill.
Jiang Luo suddenly snapped out of it. He cleared his throat lightly, his throat dry and itchy. He couldn’t believe that even at a moment like this, he’d still associate things back to Chi You… Was he seriously acting like he missed a man?
That thought helped suppress the shock of “Ji Yaozi is actually the Fated One’s son.” Jiang Luo changed the subject, “Has the Fated One gotten weaker?”
Ji Yaozi noticed how Jiang Luo recovered from his shock so quickly and was slightly disappointed. His response lacked enthusiasm. “How would I know? Once we got to Changbai Mountain, he tossed me aside. I only saw him a few times after that. It was so cold there, I nearly froze to death. The Fated One didn’t even give me a coat or a blanket. I still haven’t recovered from the snow and ice. A week ago, he brought me back from Changbai Mountain. I don’t know where he is now.”
As he spoke, he remembered his earlier question. “So what exactly happened to the Lian family?”
Jiang Luo smiled faintly. “It’s already dealt with.”
Seeing his attitude, Ji Yaozi knew Jiang Luo didn’t want to talk about it. Ji Yaozi wasn’t the type to press. “So you came today just to ask about the Fated One?”
Jiang Luo nodded. “Since you’ve told me, I should get going. Old Ji, if you hear anything else about the Fated One, let me know immediately.”
With that, he was ready to leave. Ji Yaozi walked him to the door. Jiang Luo took a few steps out of the funeral parlor, then suddenly turned around and asked, “Ji Yaozi, what’s your mother’s name?”
Ji Yaozi asked in puzzlement, “Why are you asking this? Her name is Zhao Zhirong.”
“To have given birth to a refining genius like you, she must be quite an extraordinary person, right?”
Ji Yaozi chuckled, “You’re overestimating my mother—she’s just an ordinary rural woman…”
His voice came to an abrupt halt.
If she were truly just an ordinary woman, then how could she have borne a child with the Fated One?
Ji Yaozi’s expression shifted unpredictably. By the time he came back to his senses, Jiang Luo was already gone.
Was Jiang Luo trying to hint something to him…
Ji Yaozi’s face turned serious. Without hesitation, he closed the shop door, booked a train ticket to his hometown, and hurriedly left.
