Chapter 276: Present, why haven't you had a breakdown yet?

"It's true, really, it must be true! How would this junior brother dare to deceive Senior Brother?"

I absolutely dare!

"Don't believe me? I have a witness! You know that Imperial Concubine Ran Yeting, right? She can vouch for me! Shall I write her a letter to verify it if you don't believe me?"

My Sister Ran will surely not let me down!

Under the repeated, sincere assurances and the bluffing of the tiger-skin banner pulled out by the little junior brother, Jian Xinxin, although still feeling that something was not quite right, chose to read the letter with half-belief.

There is nothing much to say about the content of the letter; "Li Long" naturally did not directly cave in, as that would be too strange.

On the contrary, "Li Long" in the letter did not mention a word about caving in, but instead spoke in a wistful and nostalgic tone about the past when the four of them traveled the world together.

It has been many years since they last parted as brothers, and now that many of the other brothers have passed away, he misses the days of the past all the more.

As the letter unfolded, the past events emerged one by one before Jian Xinxin's eyes, vivid and clear.

By the time he had read halfway through, Jian Xinxin no longer doubted the authenticity of the letter.

Many of the trivial matters mentioned were extremely private, known only to those who had personally experienced them back then.

And most importantly, the genuine, unfeigned emotions conveyed by the person in the letter moved Jian Xinxin.

At the end of the letter, "Li Long" mentioned his children in a natural tone.

When they parted back then, Li Long had no offspring, but now he has a house full of children, and some have even begun to continue the family line themselves.

A hundred years of time is, for the brief life of a mortal, a case of things remaining but people changing.

For those who cultivate the Dao, this period of time is also not short.

Fortunately, however, both of their strengths are great enough to withstand the passage of time.

At the end, "Li Long" invited Jian Xinxin to return to Wentian to see his nephews and nieces, and also to stay for a while.

With the preceding buildup, such words were reasonable and appropriate; they would neither lower the Emperor's status nor appear abrupt.

And when Jian Xinxin finished reading, Ren Yidao spoke at the right moment:

"Anyway, that's how things are, and that's the situation. You take your time reading, I won't disturb you!"

Leaving his bewildered Senior Brother behind to be lost in thought, the considerate junior brother voluntarily chose to leave this time to him alone.

He understood that what Senior Brother needed most right now was to be alone.

If Senior Brother were to drop little pearls 【tears】, and he, the tactless one, were still here acting as a lightbulb, how awkward that would be.

Time to go, time to go.

And not long after Ren Yidao left, a little head quietly poked out from the grass in the distance.

Fox-fox sneaking. JPG

A palm-sized white fox held a Recording Stone in its mouth, hiding secretly under the leaves to observe and record every move of Jian Xinxin.

"If Senior Brother drops little pearls and I don't manage to film it... how awkward that would be!"

The Fox Tail Clone hid cautiously in the dark corner just like that, setting up the camera.

"How could I, the great reporter Ren, miss such a scene!"

"Photography, I am serious about it!"

……

……

"Not to mention, I really am a good junior brother who moves the Divine Path Sect! If you don't believe it, go ask around the Divine Path Sect, who wouldn't be convinced?"

"No! That's not right, I shouldn't think like that." Ren Yidao shook his head, shaking off the wrong thoughts in his mind.

"That is too self-deprecating!"

"I am clearly a good younger brother who moves Beigan!"

Top Ten Figures Who Move the Divine Path Sect (×)

Head of the Top Ten Figures Who Move Beigan (√)

"For the sake of these two brothers reconciling, I, as the younger brother, have really racked my brains along with Sister Ran!"

"Hmph hmph~"

After accomplishing a major task, the high-spirited Ren Yidao did not go directly to find Senior Sister, but instead sauntered into the prison under Luoyue Peak.

What Jing Yueqin, what Senior Sister, not familiar, not familiar.

A man still needs to focus on his career; romantic entanglements should be set aside!

Having been out and about for quite a while, leaving the Merit Party on the back burner for so long, Ren Yidao still missed it a little.

He was also looking forward to what it would look like now.

Just thinking about it, he felt a little excited!

Has little classmate Duan Xiaoling had a breakdown? Has she... cough cough!

Not right.

Is it whether those guys are still living well?

It is truly something to look forward to!

Not rushing in all at once, Ren Yidao stopped at the door, took a deep breath, and sighed:

"How should I put it? Why do I feel a sense of nervousness like opening a blind box now?"

It has the aesthetic of a rice cooker with half a pot of leftover rice that has been forgotten for half a year.

By that time, it is no longer a question of being afraid of mold growing inside, but suspecting that a new civilization has already been born within...

That is not being a coward, that is reverence for civilization!

"Once this door opens, there will be no way to escape it."

So... shall I open it?

Of course I'm opening it!

Click.

Pushing the heavy door open with force, Ren Yidao walked in with high spirits.

"Be happy! Your Chairman is back!"

"I'm back!"

Walking in with long strides, Ren Yidao shouted in high spirits, breaking the silence within.

"Hm?"

But the scene before his eyes seemed to have some discrepancy with the scene Ren Yidao had imagined...

No, not some, but a rather large discrepancy!

In Ren Yidao's projections, there were only two possibilities for the Merit Party nowadays.

Either Duan Xiaoling had governed well, fulfilling all of Ren Yidao's requirements, keeping the number of Merit Party employees at the previous level without further reduction.

Or, Duan Xiaoling had collapsed, given up, and the Merit Party employees had all died out, ushering in a miserable doomsday.

He would thank Heaven if she could even leave him with any people; if she could manage to not lose any staff, he would already be burning high incense.

Beyond that, Ren Yidao dared not ask for more.

After all, she was his own Junior Martial Nephew; even if problems arose, he did not intend to give Duan Xiaoling any trouble.

However, Ren Yidao never expected that Duan Xiaoling would actually provide a third answer.

An astonishing answer that exceeded his expectations.

Looking back and forth, Ren Yidao smacked his lips and said to himself:

"Is this... for real?"

For real or fake?

The Labor Reform Space before him was completely silent; even Ren Yidao's intrusion did not affect the work they were currently performing.

Yes!

They were actually working.

The labor reform convicts, who had been on the verge of collapse under Ren Yidao's exploitation, were now working with complete focus!

They seemed completely unaware of their Chairman who was visiting incognito, still immersed in their own work.

The wooden fish under their hands were tapped into afterimages, the prayer wheels were spun into wheels of wind and fire, the prayer beads were clicked loudly, and even their kowtowing had developed a rhythmic cadence.

Watching them be so devoted, Ren Yidao instead became the intruder disturbing it all; bewildered, he felt out of place with his surroundings.

"Wait, huh?"

Not only that, but every one of their faces carried a faint smile, as if being able to do these things was already a supreme stroke of luck.

And the biggest difference between them and before was their eyes.

There was light in their eyes!

In the eyes of every one of them, an inexplicable luster flickered, radiating vibrant vitality.

After looking around, Ren Yidao could only squeeze out six words:

"Damn, these young people!"

How did she manage it?

Ren Yidao was shocked.

Honestly, even if Ren Yidao did it himself, this was likely the most he could achieve.

Could it be that she is truly a genius?

"No, impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Ren Yidao shook his head, denying this unrealistic possibility.

"Our Xiao Ling is such a good child, how could she do something like this!"

In his impression, Duan Xiaoling was such an innocent child!

There must be some hidden reason.

Yes, that must be it.

"Junior Martial Nephew Duan~ Senior Uncle is back!"

After searching a circle and finding no one, Ren Yidao placed his hands by his mouth and called out softly, hoping to find Duan Xiaoling, who had created this scene.

"I see you, don't hide anymore~"

After calling persistently for a long time without hearing a reply, he finally heard the sound of a door opening behind him.

Click.

"... Senior Uncle Ren? What are you doing?"

"Eh? Ah! Nothing."

Ren Yidao turned his head and saw Duan Xiaoling looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"Senior Uncle, you're back."

"Ah, yes, just got back today." As he spoke, Ren Yidao calmly pulled his hands, which had been inserted into a jar, back out.

He would never admit that he had just been bewitched by a rice jar while looking for his Junior Martial Nephew and had lost himself halfway.

"I see. Since you're back, I'll be heading back." Nodding at Ren Yidao, Duan Xiaoling turned her head and was about to leave.

"Hey, hey, wait! Don't be in such a rush to leave!" Ren Yidao hurriedly called out to stop Duan Xiaoling, and followed his Junior Martial Nephew, who was walking without pause, out of the Labor Reform Space.

"You child, what's the rush? Stay a little longer!" Having finally caught up to Duan Xiaoling, Ren Yidao pressed down on her shoulders and muttered.

To tell the truth, not seeing Junior Martial Nephew Duan's collapsed state actually left Ren Yidao somewhat disappointed.

How could this be?

How could it be like this?

Shouldn't you be completely broken down and falling apart, then grabbing me by the throat to denounce me?

Why are you so calm?

It makes me feel quite uncomfortable. (Scratches head)

Caught by Ren Yidao, Duan Xiaoling did not continue to run away; she turned around and looked at him in confusion.

Her slightly furrowed brows and impatient expression were written all over with one sentence:

What else is there?

"Oh my, thank you for your hard work taking care of this bunch of guys for me. How could your Senior Uncle not thank you properly?"

Ren Yidao's reason was very sufficient.

You helped me with such a big favor, I must thank you properly.

But what puzzled Ren Yidao was that Duan Xiaoling did not accept the gesture, but instead shook her head and said, "... No need, I didn't do anything."

"Don't be so polite! I've seen it all; not only is not a single one of them missing, but their condition is also much better than before! You're still being modest here!"

Ren Yidao thought Duan Xiaoling was sulking and being difficult, but he didn't expect that Junior Martial Nephew Duan's brows would furrow even tighter after hearing this.

"No, I really didn't do anything. Their current state has nothing to do with me."

"Eh?"

Seeing Duan Xiaoling emphasize it again, Ren Yidao also tasted a different flavor in her words and narrowed his eyes, "It's really not you?"

"Mm, it's not me. I didn't do anything at all."

At such a close distance, Ren Yidao did not believe that Duan Xiaoling could deceive him.

What's more, she had no reason to deceive him.

"Since it's not you then." Pointing to the peaceful scene behind him, Ren Yidao raised an eyebrow and asked, "... Then what is this situation?"

"You wouldn't tell me that they did it themselves, would you?"

Duan Xiaoling looked at Ren Yidao and slowly lowered her head, "That's right."

"Eh? Really?"

"Mm, really."

"..."

Looking at Junior Martial Nephew Duan's serious expression, Ren Yidao could no longer laugh; he turned back to look at the tightly closed door behind him.

Oh no, it seems like something has started to go wrong somewhere.

Not returning directly, Ren Yidao dragged Duan Xiaoling to another secret room and had her sit down.

"Xiao Ling, tell me everything you did." Ren Yidao narrowed his eyes slightly, "No matter how small the matter is, tell me everything."

Seeing Ren Yidao being so serious, although Duan Xiaoling felt he was making a mountain out of a molehill, she still did not mock him.

Toward this Senior Uncle, she still had a considerable degree of psychological trauma to this day.

Her own Dao God, that group of evil ghosts and yakshas, still did not recognize her as their master to this day, but instead regarded Ren Yidao as their master.

No, not master; in their words, Ren Yidao had another strange name—Foreman.

At the thought of this, Duan Xiaoling wanted to slap herself for insisting on going up to challenge him back then.

Why did you have to go and provoke him!!?

If you hadn't gone up on stage back then, wouldn't there have been so much less trouble?

Regretting it now.

And at this moment when Ren Yidao returned, Duan Xiaoling had originally thought about taking revenge on him, to at least get some interest back.

However, when she saw the other party again just now, Duan Xiaoling understood one thing.

He had become stronger again.

Much stronger than before!

Now that Ren Yidao hadn't done anything, just by standing there, her Dao Gods began to become restless.

They were excited, and they were also terrified.

She couldn't beat him to begin with, and now she couldn't even afford to provoke him.

Having learned this sad result, Duan Xiaoling's mood was quite unpleasant, and she intended to slip away to avoid the sight, but she didn't expect to be forcibly kept behind.

Aren't those guys doing pretty well?

What is there to ask about.

Although she grumbled in her heart for a long time, after a moment of silence, Duan Xiaoling still spoke honestly:

"I really didn't do anything special."

So annoying.

If I couldn't beat him, I wouldn't listen to him at all.

"For the first few days, I followed your requirements and provided them with limited food..."

Ren Yidao's brows moved, and he asked: "The first few days? It changed later?"

Detective Huhu keenly discovered a loophole in the suspect's words.

"Don't interrupt me." But he didn't expect to be glared at impatiently by his Junior Martial Nephew, who threatened:

"If you interrupt me again, I won't say anything."

"Oh—please, please go ahead!"

Fine, fine, fine, you have the bigger chest, you speak first.

Seeing Ren Yidao raise his hands in surrender, Duan Xiaoling then gave a light hum and continued:

"At that time, they were no different from when you left, but then one day, I needed to go into seclusion, so I left them three days' worth of rations. I certainly didn't forget about them on purpose!"

Ren Yidao nodded; Duan Xiaoling doing so was understandable, and there was no problem with it.

Just consider it leaving food for the little animals left behind at home while I was out.

"However, that seclusion of mine went a bit beyond expectations; by the time I came out of seclusion, it was already the afternoon of the sixth day, but as soon as I came out, I took a look and refilled their food."

"At that time, although they were a bit thinner and a bit more silent, everything was still normal."

Speaking of this, Duan Xiaoling's brows furrowed slightly, as if she had thought of something, and she said uncertainly:

"Come to think of it, when I came to check on them back then, something strange also happened..."

She looked Ren Yidao up and down, then said uncertainly:

"They, it seems, drew a portrait of you?"

Ren Yidao: Hm?

"A portrait?"

"Yes! Drawn with blood..."

Ren Yidao:?

The massager I bought has arrived.

What trash, returning it, come pick it up tomorrow...

It just hurts, not comfortable at all, what use are you!

Also, it snowed at home.

It's been three years, I finally saw snow...