Chapter 77

"Where is Father-in-law heading?" Jiang Sishui seized the opportunity, casually using the term "Father-in-law" in private.

Zhao Zhao Zhao Qiying's pretty face flushed slightly as she said, "Father and my second sister have returned to the Central Plains Escort Agency."

Jiang Sishui was stunned and asked in surprise, "Father-in-law agreed so readily?"

Zhao Zhao Zhao Qiying rolled her eyes at him and retorted peevishly, "I already belong to you, so naturally I will go with you. My father is not an unreasonable man."

Hearing this, Jiang Sishui was overjoyed.

This father-in-law is excellent; he is sensible and knows the ropes!

If only every father-in-law were like him!

It was fortunate that Zhao Zhao Tianhao could not hear Jiang Sishui's inner thoughts, or he would surely return to strangle him!

Every father-in-law?

He speaks as if I should feel honored.

Is having me as a father-in-law not enough? How many more father-in-laws do you want?

After the conclusion of the "Zhenlong Chess Gathering," the scene was a complete mess.

Su Su Su Xinghe directed the disciples of the Deaf and Mute Sect to handle the corpses, while Jiang Sishui asked the women to wait briefly before heading straight for the mountainside.

After a while, Jiang Sishui carried Wu Wu Ya Zi's corpse up.

The martial arts of the Xiaoyao Sect are linked to the heart meridians and blood qi; as long as the skill exists, the person lives, and if the skill vanishes, the person dies.

Seeing Jiang Sishui reach the Grandmaster realm overnight, Su Su Su Xinghe had mentally prepared himself for Wu Wu Ya Zi's death, yet upon actually seeing his master's remains, he could not help but shed tears.

An old man with white hair and a face full of wrinkles cried like a child.

"Young Master Jiang, you mentioned an elder related to me; is it him?" Wang Wang Wang Yuyan asked, looking at Jiang Sishui.

Jiang Sishui nodded and said, "He is your maternal grandfather, Wu Wu Ya Zi."

"My maternal grandfather?"

Hearing this unfamiliar term, Wang Wang Wang Yuyan paused for a moment.

From childhood to adulthood, Li Li Qingluo had never mentioned a single word about her natal family to her, so Wang Wang Wang Yuyan did not even possess the concept of "maternal grandfather" or "maternal grandmother."

It was as if such relationships simply did not exist in her family tree.

Suddenly having a maternal grandfather appear now left her somewhat at a loss.

Thinking she did not believe him, Jiang Sishui continued, "If you have doubts, you can ask your mother later."

Wang Wang Wang Yuyan naturally believed him, after all, she had read the diary.

However, she could not appear too abrupt, so upon hearing this, she nodded.

At this moment, Su Su Su Xinghe wiped his tears, stood up, lifted Wu Wu Ya Zi's corpse, and positioned him to sit upright against a large green stone, then turned to help Jiang Sishui.

Jiang Sishui did not resist and sat beside Wu Wu Ya Zi's corpse according to Su Su Su Xinghe's wishes; after a brief thought, he understood the intention.

Indeed, Su Su Su Xinghe straightened his disheveled clothes, suddenly knelt before Jiang Sishui, kowtowed, and said, "The unworthy disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect, Su Su Su Xinghe, pays respects to the new Sect Master of our sect."

Seeing their master act this way, the "Eight Friends of Hangu" also knelt and bowed.

Jiang Sishui did not dodge but calmly accepted their salute.

In fact, Jiang Sishui did not wish to become the Sect Master of the Xiaoyao Sect; after all, he did not found the sect, nor did he want an additional ancestral master looming over him.

Wu Wu Ya Zi could be his master because he had shown him kindness; Jiang Sishui repaid kindness with kindness, so he did not mind.

However, Yaozi had shown him no kindness or favor whatsoever.

He did not want to be invincible in the future yet still rank two generations below someone else.

Therefore, after killing Ding Chunqiu, he had made up his mind: once he accepted Wang Wang Wang Yuyan, he would pass the position of Xiaoyao Sect Master and the sect's martial arts to her.

Since Wang Wang Wang Yuyan was Wu Wu Ya Zi's granddaughter, doing so would repay the debt of Wu Wu Ya Zi transmitting his skills.

Of course, the debt of "Ten Directions Extinguished" remained even greater and could never be fully repaid.

Moreover, since Wang Wang Wang Yuyan would become his woman by then, although he would not be a member of the Xiaoyao Sect in the future, he would still assist from the sidelines.

However, these were matters for the future, not the present.

Besides wanting to win over Wang Wang Wang Yuyan, he also sought to use this identity to obtain the "Eight Desolates and Six Harmonies Solely I Am Supreme Art" from the Old Lady of Tianshan!

Among the three major internal cultivation methods of the Xiaoyao Sect, the "Eight Desolates and Six Harmonies Solely I Am Supreme Art" represents longevity, the "Northern Dark Divine Art" represents devouring, and the "Small Formless Art" represents transformation.

Integrating these three arts could synthesize the "Heavenly Long, Earthly Eternal, Ageless Ever-Spring Art," which would undoubtedly be a sacred scripture!

Jiang Sishui was not yet certain if the system would reward him with a powerful internal art, so he had set his sights on the "Heavenly Long, Earthly Eternal, Ageless Ever-Spring Art."

Currently, he had obtained the "Northern Dark Divine Art"; if the original plot remained unchanged, the "Small Formless Art" should still be at Mandala Manor, leaving only one art missing.

In the future, if he had the chance to visit Tianshan and deal with Wu Xingyun, the identity of Xiaoyao Sect Master would prove useful.

Since he was the Xiaoyao Sect Master, accepting Su Su Su Xinghe's salute was only natural; there was no need for false modesty at this moment.

After asking the few of them to rise, Jiang Sishui said, "Senior Brother, you arrange Master's funeral affairs; if there is anything you need me to do, just speak up."

Su Su Su Xinghe readily agreed, then turned and hurried away.

Jiang Sishui paid him no further mind and turned to Wang Wang Wang Yuyan, saying, "Before Master passed away, he instructed me to take care of you mother and daughter; Wang Wang Yuyan, if you have any matters, you may also tell me."

This statement was, of course, a fabrication.

Previously, Wu Wu Ya Zi had immediately selected a successor upon meeting him and directly transmitted his skills; this series of outrageous moves had left Jiang Sishui somewhat bewildered.

After the transmission, Jiang Sishui did recall this matter, but seeing Wu Wu Ya Zi gasping for breath while delivering his last words, looking as if he might expire at any moment, he had not felt it appropriate to interrupt.

Of course, if Jiang Sishui had truly wanted to speak, he would have had the opportunity to do so.

It was just that after thinking it over, he ultimately dismissed the idea.

There was no other reason; it was simply because Wu Wu Ya Zi had never been a good father.

Wu Wu Ya Zi neglected Li Li Qiushui due to his obsession with the statue of Li Li Canghai, eventually causing the couple to turn against each other and part ways.

Yet these two were so engrossed in their romantic entanglements that they never cared for their own daughter, not even bothering about whether Li Li Qingluo lived or died.

So if he had told Wu Wu Ya Zi about Li Li Qingluo and Wang Wang Wang Yuyan before Wu Wu Ya Zi died, how would Wu Wu Ya Zi have felt?

Would it have been more relief? Or guilt and self-reproach?

Either way, it would have caused Wu Wu Ya Zi to lose face.

Furthermore, how could Jiang Sishui explain how he knew about their relationship in the first place?

Given these considerations, Jiang Sishui ultimately concealed the matter, never revealing it to Wu Wu Ya Zi even as the man drew his last breath.

.. ..... 0

And now, lying to Wang Wang Wang Yuyan was naturally a way to find a reason to keep her by his side.

Otherwise, with no blood or familial ties between them, how could he ever take that first step?

Wang Wang Wang Yuyan, of course, had no idea that the "grandfather's dying wish" was entirely fabricated; she believed Jiang Sishui's words implicitly.

After all, Jiang Sishui had mentioned this matter early on in his diary.

"Thank you for your trouble, Young Master Jiang."

Wang Wang Wang Yuyan spoke softly, her voice clear and tender, sweet and sticky, so that hearing it made one's bones feel as though they had turned slightly to mush.

"I owe my master a great debt; doing these things is only what I should do."

Jiang Sishui replied earnestly, then turned his gaze to Sister Sister Azhu: "And this young lady is..."

Seeing Jiang Sishui putting on airs and pretending not to know her, Sister Sister Azhu couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly.

The young girl's eyes, bright as lacquer, widened before rolling around; with an expression that was neither quite a smile nor quite serious, she sighed lightly: "I thought Young Master Jiang had eyes only for my young mistress, and that even if he glanced at a little maid like me, his gaze would remain empty, seeing nothing."

Because she had read his diary every day and thus knew something of Jiang Sishui's character, Sister Sister Azhu spoke boldly, unfrightened by the ruthless methods he had displayed when killing.

Seeing her smiling with brimming eyes, her pupils lively and spirited, her snow-white, delicate face full of elfin mischief, Jiang Sishui found himself greatly pleased.

Catching the faint, subtle fragrance drifting from the young girl, Jiang Sishui felt his soul stir; he felt that the girl before him had gained several degrees of charm, now little inferior to Wang Wang Wang Yuyan.

At that moment, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly: No wonder this was the woman about whom Helmsman Qiao Feng could say in the book, "Sister Sister Azhu is Sister Sister Azhu; among the four seas and myriad nations, through a thousand autumns and ten thousand years, there is only one Sister Sister Azhu."

Sister Sister Azhu and Sister Sister Abi were different.

Although Sister Sister Abi was also carved from powder and jade, beautiful as a flower, a rare beauty indeed, when compared to someone like Wang Wang Wang Yuyan, whose looks represented the absolute peak, the gap between them was obvious at a single glance.

It was just that Sister Sister Abi possessed excellent temperament and a wonderful personality, a typical example of a delicate beauty from a humble home.

Being with her and listening to her speak made one feel utterly relaxed, as if a weary traveler had finally found a harbor for the soul.

Thus, Sister Sister Abi's beauty lay more in her inner qualities than in her outward appearance.

Sister Sister Azhu, however, possessed all three qualities in equal measure.

Her countenance was lovely and striking, vivid and fragrant, falling short of Wang Wang Wang Yuyan's by only a hair's breadth; her personality was lively, adorable, and understanding; her temperament was spirited and mischievous.

— Author's Notes —

?? Seeking flowers ???