Ten Years

Three full years of observation had allowed the old man of Black Alley to realize the latent potential hidden within Lou Ji's slender, fragile body. Her intellect, temperament, and cultivation aptitude could all be called the pinnacle of the mortal realm. He wanted to turn this potential to his own use, yet he knew the ceiling of his mortal flesh could never hold a giant like Lou Ji. A place like Black Alley was far too small. It could be her starting point, but it could never be her end. The old man of Black Alley knew full well that forging goodwill with such a figure in her youth would be enough. Once she grew into her own, relying on that sliver of goodwill alone would surely fulfill his lifelong wish to step out of Black Alley. Yet human greed made the old man of Black Alley want more. He wanted to seize the moment before this young girl's wings fully developed to bind her future directly to his family. It was shameless, but he did not care. For if he succeeded, when the phoenix took flight across the sky, his clan would ascend alongside her straight to the highest heavens. Still, the old man of Black Alley was acutely aware that even though Lou Ji was still young, dealing with someone of her caliber meant leaving behind no loose ends or leverage. If you offended her and failed to eliminate her at the first opportunity, you might as well wash your neck and wait for death. This was the divide between immortal and mortal, and the shackle the old man had spent his entire life failing to break. Because of this, every move and scheme the old man of Black Alley laid against Lou Ji left himself a way out. Just like placing two fighting cocks into a wooden ring and watching them tear each other apart, he merely positioned Lou Ji around people she was likely to offend. The tasks he assigned were all legitimate transactions with Lou Ji; the conflicts that arose were of Lou Ji's own making. This kind of hands-off scheme would take a long time and carry plenty of uncertainty, but its greatest strength was safety. And on the day such a conflict erupted, the old man of Black Alley put his plan into motion. Before Long Xinling appeared, the smell of gunpowder had already permeated every corner of the courtyard residence. A lecherous playboy came to the door demanding the girl, while the old man bore the pressure, standing in front of Lou Ji to play the role of protector. Yet as a mortal, the old man of Black Alley still misjudged the brazen audacity of a cultivation clan. The lecherous playboy did not care in the slightest about the power in the old man's hands, because his clan held no stakes in Black Alley. Retaliation afterward? Give me a break. The big figures above never even treated this mortal old man as human. They used him simply because he was useful. This time, the fault lay with the girl under the old man's wing anyway. So long as neither the old man's life nor those of his family were harmed, the higher-ups would never go out of their way to stand up for a mere subordinate of his. Once negotiations broke down, battle erupted. The consecrated retainer of the residence was in the same rank as the playboy's attendant, yet the moment they clashed, the retainer fell into the disadvantage, while the playboy's other attendants moved against the lower-ranking guards of the compound. From the very beginning, the fight tilted entirely to one side. These guards and retainers around him were the old man of Black Alley's die-hard loyalists; if casualties became too heavy, it would shake his foundation in Black Alley. At that moment, he barked out in fury. He invoked the powerful figure backing him and declared to the playboy that Lou Ji was his own daughter-in-law. As soon as the words left his mouth, the playboy clearly showed a bit of hesitation. Yet the old man of Black Alley's words were not just meant for the playboy; they were directed at Lou Ji. If she tacitly accepted, his plan would take its preliminary shape. Nor was the old man of Black Alley worried in the least that Lou Ji would refuse. Because this was an expedient measure in a desperate crisis; only this way could he protect her. Unfortunately, the old man of Black Alley miscalculated once again. This little girl was truly too clever. Even after scheming with such extreme caution, she saw right through him. After he spoke those words, Lou Ji lowered her eyelids behind him and murmured softly, "So that was it." Her voice was faint, yet heard clearly by the cultivators in the courtyard. The old man of Black Alley's justification lost all legitimacy. What followed was simple. Under the mocking taunts of the lecherous playboy, pressed by the circumstances, the old man of Black Alley ordered his subordinates to stand down. He couldn't fathom why Lou Ji would refuse. It was clearly nothing more than a daughter-in-law in name! But things had reached this point, and there was no turning back. And then, the old man discovered that relying only on that incomplete cultivation manual, this little girl had reached a strength nearly equal to the compound's consecrated retainer in less than two years. She had concealed her strength before him, revealing it only today. Lou Ji wanted to flee, but could not. Just as she had sensed, aside from his apparent attendants, that lecherous playboy had another consecrated retainer secretly guarding him. Their clash tore the neat, orderly courtyard to shreds, ending only when that retainer punched Lou Ji's thin little frame flying, smashing through two thick courtyard walls before landing outside. And just as young Lou Ji was struggling to push herself up from the rubble and broken tiles of the wall, a gorgeously dressed young maiden hurried out from the alley outside the courtyard into everyone's view. This seemed to be a noble young lady who just happened to be passing by. And just as everyone was wondering why such an aristocratic lady would appear here, she suddenly took hold of Lou Ji's slender, bloodstained hand as Lou Ji struggled to stand. Of course, Long Xinling had not just happened to pass by. Ever since her older brother told her about this place, she had staked out the compound for two full days. At night she had to return home, or her brother wouldn't be able to keep it hidden from their father. Today, the moment she arrived, she heard the commotion coming from inside the compound. Curious though she was about what was happening within, she didn't dare knock and ask, and could only pace in circles outside in fretful agitation. And when she saw the aloof, mysterious little girl smash through the courtyard wall and land before her, Long Xinling, as if possessed, took her hand and bolted toward the alley entrance. The retainer inside the courtyard froze for an instant and moved to give chase at once, but was stopped by the playboy beside him. Though it was only for a split second, he had caught sight of the clan crest embroidered on the girl's luxurious garments. That was the Long family of the Imperial Capital. After that day, because of this young lady Long Xinling, Lou Ji unexpectedly yet naturally became Long Xinling's personal maidservant. Long Xinling, however, lacked any self-awareness of being a noble mistress; every day, this young miss followed her maidservant around, chattering endlessly. Time flew by like a shuttle, and just like that, she stayed by her side for ten years. During those ten years, Lou Ji was like Long Xinling's shadow. She helped her eliminate many disadvantages, helped her turn from a pawn for political marriage into a court official, and helped her, with a mortal body, gain a firm footing in both the imperial court and the Long family estate. And after that, Xu Yinhe stepped in to reap the harvest. He formally brought Lou Ji, whom he had left out to grow for over ten years, under his banner. Speaking up to this point, Lou Ji wore an expression of helpless nostalgia. She... seemed to truly cherish those years. Arriving before a courtyard gate, Xu Yuan waited for Lou Ji to eliminate the retained elder inside who refused to exit with dignity. Sizing up the look on her face, he probed tentatively: "Then why are we killing Granny Long tonight?"