Chapter 66: The Follow-up Move Strikes
It was an hour later when Cheng Yuan returned home. Sister Lin had already been sent back.
Wu Xiuli had placed many offerings on the altar table and was kneeling before it with Cheng Hongbing, praying with utmost piety.
The two of them now believed completely in the Jujube Tree Immortal, having become its most devout followers.
Seeing Cheng Yuan return, they quickly waved him over. "Xiaoyuan, come and pay your respects to the Jujube Tree Immortal. If it hadn’t blocked the bullet for you, I’m afraid..."
Cheng Yuan thought his mom had a point. The Jujube Tree Immortal really had saved his life.
As Cheng Yuan was about to bow, a young, tender female voice sounded in his mind: "Master, you absolutely must not!"
Cheng Yuan froze, subconsciously glancing around, but he saw no one else. He looked suspiciously at the Jujube Tree Immortal and asked in his mind, ’Are you the one who spoke?’
"Yes, Master."
Cheng Yuan sucked in a breath of cold air. ’So there really are elves in this world?’
"When did you gain Spiritual Wisdom?"
"Just now. It’s all thanks to you, Master, for calling me the Jujube Tree Immortal. Many residents came to worship me, giving me some power of faith. This allowed me to form a preliminary Spiritual Sense. And then there was your father’s blood, which allowed my Spiritual Sense to grow rapidly and for me to gain Spiritual Wisdom."
’My dad’s blood?’
Cheng Yuan’s pupils contracted slightly. ’It seems my dad is definitely no ordinary person!’
"Xiaozao, can I move you somewhere else?"
"Yes. I can hide my Spiritual Charm in a single jujube. As long as you pick me and plant me somewhere else, Master, I can grow again."
"Can’t we move the whole tree?"
"We could, but I wouldn’t recommend it. My root system is too extensive. Moving the whole tree would certainly sever many roots, causing a great deal of Spiritual Charm to leak out and a major loss of Spiritual Energy."
Cheng Yuan nodded, indicating he understood.
"Then transfer your Spiritual Charm into a jujube."
"Okay, Master."
Soon, Xiaozao transferred all of its Spiritual Charm into a single jujube.
Cheng Yuan reached up, plucked the jujube, and put it in his pocket.
The moment the jujube was picked, the large tree instantly lost its vitality, as if it had reached the end of its life. Its once vibrant branches, full of Spiritual Energy, became stiff and dry.
The once emerald-green leaves began to yellow and gradually fall off.
CRACK. A broken branch fell to the ground.
Wu Xiuli and Cheng Hongbing’s expressions changed drastically. "Xiaoyuan, what’s happening to the Jujube Tree Immortal? Why did it suddenly wither? Is it because it blocked the bullet?"
Cheng Yuan smiled faintly. "Mom, Dad, don’t worry. The Jujube Tree Immortal is fine. She’s decided to come with us to Villa No. 1 to live there and protect you."
"Xiaoyuan, are you telling the truth?"
"Why would I lie to you?"
As he spoke, Cheng Yuan activated his Double Pupil and turned to look at Cheng Hongbing. He couldn’t help but widen his eyes!
’What is going on?’
’The injuries to my dad’s internal organs have already healed!’
’It hasn’t even been two hours!’
’A normal person with injuries this severe would need at least a few months to recover, right?’
"Dad, have you ever looked for your relatives over the years?"
Cheng Hongbing shook his head with a wry smile. "I have looked, but besides this Jade Pendant, I have no other clues."
As he said this, Cheng Hongbing took out a Jade Pendant.
The Jade Pendant was a uniform emerald green, carved with a single seal-script character: ’Cheng’.
The quality of the Jade Pendant was very high; it was clearly no ordinary object. When Cheng Yuan looked at it with his Double Pupil activated, he could actually see faint traces of Spiritual Qi.
"Dad, this Jade Pendant must be a very important clue. Have you ever tried searching for your family through the media? If your relatives saw this pendant, they would surely come looking for you."
"I placed an ad in the Luocheng paper twice. The people who called were all opportunists. Once they heard your dad was just a taxi driver, there was no follow-up."
"What about the provincial paper or the capital’s paper? Or even a TV station!"
"The TV station is too expensive... I never considered the provincial or capital papers because the old orphanage director found me right here in Luocheng. A baby not even a month old shouldn’t have been carried all over the world, right?"
Cheng Yuan thought his dad had a point, but even if there was just a sliver of hope, he was willing to try.
"Dad, can you let me hold onto the Jade Pendant? I’ll try to help you look."
"Of course. It was always meant to be passed down to you. I originally planned to give it to you on your wedding day, but I’ll give it to you now."
Cheng Yuan didn’t stand on ceremony. He put the Jade Pendant away safely and asked with a smile, "By the way, Dad, is the orphanage that took you in still around?"
"It is. I just visited the old director a few days ago. Her health isn’t good. I don’t know if she’ll make it to the New Year."
"Send the address to my phone. I want to go see the old director and the place where Dad lived as a child."
"Okay."
Cheng Hongbing sent the address to Cheng Yuan. Cheng Yuan said gently, "Dad, Mom, what did you come back to get? We’re not short on money now. You should just leave the old furniture here. It won’t match the villa anyway."
"We didn’t come for furniture. Your mother came back for your awards and certificates of honor. So that your future children can see how outstanding you are."
Cheng Yuan felt a sting in his nose. ’So Mom came back for my awards and certificates...’
"Let’s go. We’re heading back."
Cheng Hongbing got into the taxi, and the group headed straight for the Long Lake District.
An hour later, the taxi arrived at Villa No. 1.
Cheng Hongbing and Wu Xiuli went inside to hang up the awards, while Cheng Yuan went to the small courtyard, chose a spot, dug a small hole, and planted Xiaozao.
* * *
「Meanwhile.」
The Jin Family’s convoy sped along the highway toward the Provincial City.
Jin Tianxiang had finally fallen asleep, and he was sleeping soundly.
The feeling of not having a nightmare was wonderful. A relieved smile touched the corners of Jin Tianxiang’s lips.
Just as Jin Tianxiang entered a deep sleep, he saw his son again!
This time, Jin Tianxiang couldn’t wake up, because Jin Pengfei instantly destroyed his Sea of Consciousness!
Jin Tianxiang’s consciousness was trapped in his Sea of Consciousness!
The once-peaceful Sea of Consciousness became incredibly dangerous, filled with chaotic spiritual currents. Jin Tianxiang’s consciousness was shredded to pieces by the turbulence.
It took a full two hours for Jin Tianxiang’s consciousness to break free from his Sea of Consciousness.
Jin Tianxiang’s eyes suddenly snapped open. He grinned foolishly, drooling as he laughed. He had clearly been turned into an idiot.
A little over an hour passed.
They arrived at the Wang Family estate in the Provincial City.
Having received Wang Yuanju’s call, the current Patriarch of the Wang Family, Wang Yuanchen, stood personally at the main gate to welcome his little sister.
SCREECH...
The Jin Family convoy stopped at the Wang Family’s main gate.
Wang Yuanju was the first to get out of the car.
"Xiaojun, you finally remembered to come back and see your big brother? I’ve missed you to death!"
Looking at Wang Yuanju, who now had quite a few white hairs, Wang Yuanchen affectionately opened his arms.
Seeing that her brother’s deep affection for her was the same as when they were children, a powerful sense of grievance surged within her. Wang Yuanju threw herself into her big brother’s arms and began to sob like a little girl.
"Brother, your little sister has been bullied! You have to stand up for me!"
Wang Yuanchen was furious!
His little sister was the eldest daughter of the Wang Family. When she married and moved to Luocheng, he had personally gone to back her up. How dare those country bumpkins from Luocheng bully his sister?
’They’re courting death!’
Wang Yuanchen released Wang Yuanju and asked in a low voice, "Xiaojun, who bullied you? Tell me! I’ll make it right for you!"
The thought of what had just happened made Wang Yuanju furious. She ground her teeth and said, "It was..."
However, Wang Yuanju couldn’t get the next words out.
Wang Yuanju only felt a rush of blood to her head. Her mind felt like it was about to explode, and her consciousness instantly scattered. She fell, stiff as a board, in front of Wang Yuanchen!