Chapter 40: Recognizing Relatives

Ninth Sister leaned on the railing and sat down, her plain hands waving lightly, and a force of true qi penetrated Liu Xiaolou's body, unsealing his true qi. The force was gentle, like spring rain moistening things.

"Tell me, how did you come to Dongting? How did you know I was here? Why are you talking nonsense and wanting to be my nephew?" As she spoke, Ninth Sister couldn't hide a slight smile at the corner of her mouth.

Liu Xiaolou climbed up from the ground, sighed with a mournful face: "I am stupid, I really recognized the wrong person. I originally thought the one in the sedan was my aunt whom I had never met, but who knew it was you, Miss. It's truly a coincidence."

Immediately, he said again: "It is said that the net of Heaven is vast, sparse but not leaking. Could it be that I didn't do the thing I promised you that day, so Heaven sent me to your side again? Please give your orders, Miss. If there is anything you need, I will not refuse."

Ninth Sister looked at Liu Xiaolou and suddenly said: "Turn around. Turn around..."

Liu Xiaolou was dazed: "Ah?" He still turned around as told.

"Turned too much, turn back a bit, face the Golden Pool."

"Oh."

Liu Xiaolou faced Ninth Sister with his side, occasionally turning his head to look at her. What was this girl doing?

Ninth Sister didn't speak, her eyelashes fluttering, not knowing what she was thinking.

After a while, Ninth Sister sighed long: "Are you really Seventh Sister's nephew? How come I haven't heard that she has a relative like you?"

Liu Xiaolou hurriedly said: "Are you my aunt's younger sister? Then calling you aunt is actually not wrong."

Ninth Sister shook her head and said: "I am not from the Zhou family, I am here to visit a friend, and the one I am visiting is your aunt—if Seventh Sister is really your aunt. Tell me..."

Zhou Qiniang's biological mother was the first wife of the direct son of the Zhou clan leader. The couple died early due to some reason. The identity that Xingde Jun set for Liu Xiaolou was a relative of Zhou Qiniang's biological mother's family, and it was a distant relative that even if the Zhou clan leader knew, he wouldn't have the heart to inquire about.

Once this relationship was stated, Ninth Sister said coldly: "So that's it. Is life too difficult, so you came to take advantage?"

Liu Xiaolou accompanied her with a smile: "It's not like that. I am also alone now. Aunt is my last relative, so I want to come and visit and see her."

Ninth Sister hummed: "I can help you ask, but don't have the wrong idea. If you hope to climb a high branch and rely on my Seventh Sister, she may not be convenient to move you, but this girl can make you wish you were dead!"

Liu Xiaolou nodded: "Rest assured, I'm just here to visit relatives. If Aunt gives any gifts, I won't take a cent."

Ninth Sister's face cleared slightly: "Just wait."

Liu Xiaolou hurriedly presented the sachet: "A token of trust, my aunt will know as soon as she sees it... Miss, can I turn around now?"

"No need!" Ninth Sister pointed, and Liu Xiaolou was pointed down again, and she went out of the courtyard by herself.

Liu Xiaolou lay in the pavilion for a while, footsteps came, and a woman rushed into the pavilion, looked at Liu Xiaolou for a few times, and her eyes immediately turned red: "Nephew... it's really you!"

Ninth Sister finally believed it, unsealed Liu Xiaolou's meridians. Liu Xiaolou looked at this woman's appearance, she was indeed very beautiful, but she looked significantly older than Ninth Sister. This time he confirmed it, and hurriedly recognized his relative: "Aunt—"

Ninth Sister watched the aunt and nephew hugging and crying, and after feeling emotional, she retreated outside the pavilion, leaving some space for the two, but she didn't mean to leave. She was worried that this Seventh Sister was too kind and was taken advantage of without knowing it.

For rogue cultivators from Wulong Mountain, she had always maintained a high degree of vigilance and faint disdain.

The maid Xiao Qin she brought poured tea and sent it into the pavilion. When she came out, she blinked at her, her face strange. Although Xiao Qin was a maid, she was like a sister to her, so Ninth Sister followed Xiao Qin outside the courtyard and asked: "What?"

Xiao Qin whispered: "Has Miss noticed? Seventh Sister's distant relative looks a bit like Young Master Lord Jingzhao."

Ninth Sister said disdainfully: "Where is it like? It's a world of difference!"

Xiao Qin covered her mouth and laughed: "The front face is nothing, but the side face, the maid just felt a thump in her heart..."

Ninth Sister said: "Alright, stop talking."

Xiao Qin said: "Miss, I haven't heard from Young Master Lord Jingzhao for a long time..."

Ninth Sister frowned: "Stop talking!"

Xiao Qin stuck out her tongue: "Alright. I'll go to the Zhou family kitchen to see and arrange wine and dishes."

Ninth Sister shook her head: "No need... listen to Seventh Sister's meaning, don't be in a hurry."

Not long after, Zhou Qiniang and Liu Xiaolou came out of the pavilion. Ninth Sister stepped forward and asked: "Seventh Sister, this nephew of yours..."

Zhou Qiniang said: "Thank you, sister, Xiaolou is leaving."

"Leaving?"

"He has something else to do."

Ninth Sister looked at Liu Xiaolou, and Liu Xiaolou smiled: "There will be plenty of time in the future. Today is just to recognize the door, and there will be many opportunities to walk around in the future."

Zhou Qiniang said: "Ninth Sister, I can't go out, you send Xiaolou for me."

Ninth Sister readily agreed, sent Liu Xiaolou out of the villa, and when they reached the door, her face immediately sank: "Seventh Sister's parents died early, and I absolutely do not allow her to suffer any grievances. You must have a sense of propriety in your heart..."

While pondering, she took out two silver ingots, weighing twenty taels, and threw them to Liu Xiaolou: "Take it, it's not a wasted trip. But, that's it, understand?"

Liu Xiaolou was stunned and returned the silver ingots: "Miss misunderstood. Although I am poor, I have made a living by my own ability since I was a child. I eat as much as I can, and I never accept charity."

After a pause, he looked at Ninth Sister very sincerely: "Furthermore, I am a cultivator. Perhaps in your eyes, Miss, my cultivation is not worth mentioning, but I am determined to follow the path. Mere gold and silver are not what I seek."

Ninth Sister sneered: "Very good, then you do what you say! If I know you are pestering Seventh Sister, I will definitely not be lenient!"

After saying that, she turned and entered the villa.

Liu Xiaolou touched his nose, very disappointed, and muttered to himself: "Is this Ninth Sister a fool? Can't she understand what I mean? Or is she a miser who can't bear to part with spirit stones?"

Late at night, Liu Xiaolou was hiding in an old pine tree outside the villa, feeling irritable listening to the insects and frogs in the grass, when a figure flipped over the courtyard wall and drifted over.

It was Zhou Qiniang.

"Where is he?" Zhou Qiniang asked with a trembling voice.

Liu Xiaolou waved: "Follow me."

Borrowing the night, they headed northwest, walked five miles, and entered a dense forest.

Xingde Jun had long been waiting here, holding Zhou Qiniang's hands, and the two were speechless.

Liu Xiaolou exited the forest, climbed a small hill nearby, and guarded the road from above, keeping watch for the two.

He hadn't been guarding for long when his eyelids suddenly jumped a few times, feeling something amiss behind him. When he turned around, he couldn't help but be startled. Who else could it be but Ninth Sister?

Ninth Sister was dressed in black, standing a zhang behind him, and said coldly: "Sure enough, there's a ghost!"

Liu Xiaolou immediately broke into a cold sweat and forced a smile: "Miss is here? It's truly... fate..."

Ninth Sister asked: "In the middle of the night, what are you doing sneaking around here?"

Liu Xiaolou swallowed his saliva: "This is not... suddenly felt something, cultivating here for a while, just about to break a critical acupoint, and you arrived, Miss."

Ninth Sister squinted at him: "Cunning words! I won't talk nonsense with you. Where is Seventh Sister? Where did you take her?" ===== CHAPTER 41 =====