Chapter 112: The Ancestor’s Belated Rebellion (39)

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Lou Xingluo was quite troubled, rubbing his brow for a long moment before finally feeling at ease. The person who had climbed through the window was now occupying his bed—and occupying him as well—nestled soundly in his arms. The little girl, small and curled into a tiny bundle in his embrace, evoked an indescribable tenderness. Lou Xingluo’s chaotic heartbeat finally began to steady. Pressing his fingertip to his lips and rubbing firmly twice, flashes of images crossed his mind, causing his heart to involuntarily quicken again. He forced himself to stop the jumble of thoughts and carefully shifted, intending to let her go. At his movement, the girl seemed to notice and snuggled closer into his arms. Lou Xingluo immediately dared not move.

…

The next day, when Ling Qiong stepped out of Lou Xingluo’s room, Jiang He’s expression was strange, and the way she looked at Lou Xingluo seemed as if she were staring at a femme fatale who could bring ruin to the nation. Lou Xingluo was speechless. He calmly ate breakfast, ignoring Jiang He’s gaze.

Not long after breakfast, the city lord arrived. Something must have happened last night; the city lord’s expression was grim, yet his words clearly softened. “All demands except for the city lordship can be made.” The city lord still refused to abdicate. “I only want this,” Ling Qiong remained resolute.

“Lou Xingluo, won’t you say something?” The city lord turned to him. “If Fan Kong City is lost, you’ll get nothing. Are you really going to side with an outsider against your own people?” The city lord emphasized the word “outsider.” Lou Xingluo remained unmoved. “When you sent men to hunt me down, you probably never thought we were related by blood, did you?”

To reclaim what was his, they were willing to go all out. If it weren’t for Lou Lingyu’s excessive actions back then, would he have had to snatch things away for survival? They clearly started it, but in the end, it was all blamed on him. What had he done wrong?

The city lord was speechless. Lou Xingluo’s attitude was tantamount to saying, “I’d be glad if Fan Kong City fell.” If Ling Qiong hadn’t intervened, that was exactly his plan. If they thought him a traitor beyond redemption, then so be it—let them bear the guilt.

The city lord left empty-handed once again.

…

Three days later.

The city lord had lost weight in just a few days, looking weary and haggard. Gone was the commanding presence of the man who once sat high and mighty issuing orders. He finally agreed to relinquish the city lordship. If he delayed any longer, Fan Kong City might be lost entirely. It was as if some unseen force was dragging the city toward destruction, and he was powerless to stop it. No matter how hard he tried, progress was minimal.

That prophecy…

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No one could fight fate.

Ling Qiong later learned that the city lord’s sudden concession was due to Lou Lingyu being attacked by a demon beast and left on the brink of death. As a father, the city lord was perhaps fit for the role—willing to sacrifice his power and everything else for his son. Yet at the same time, he was still Lou Xingluo’s father.

…

After the city lord agreed to step down, Ling Qiong instructed Lou Xingluo to take the Golden Dragon to deal with the demon beast. The demon beast was quite manageable. Even though the Ink Snake was not a divine beast, as the little prince of the Demon Suppression Tower, it could handle the beast.

As for those bitten by the demon beast and left unconscious?

Ling Qiong pointed at the Ink Snake. “Just have it shed some blood.” The Ink Snake bristled and roared, “Is my blood worthless? You sold me off and now want my blood too? This woman is heartless!”

Ling Qiong earnestly coaxed, “It’s precisely because it’s valuable that it can save the people of Limin. You see, saving one life is worth more than building a seven-tier pagoda. You’re saving many people—that’s like building a pagoda that reaches the heavens.”

“And all of this will be your merit! Can merit be compared to anything else? Can it be bought with money?” She finished with a sincere expression, as if her forehead bore the words “Trust me, I’m right.”

The Ink Snake was speechless—nonsense! The blood of a divine beast could only be diluted into a small tub; it was impossible to shed much. It bellowed as if it had given half its blood, but in truth, only a few drops were drawn.

After the people drank it, they quickly recovered consciousness. Though things had looked grim before, a careful tally showed that aside from heavy casualties at the city lord’s mansion, the common folk suffered almost no losses. Everyone had simply slept through it while everything was resolved.

The people grew grateful to the Golden Dragon and Lou Xingluo. However, some questioned why the matter had been delayed when it could have been resolved sooner.

Lou Xingluo didn’t need to answer—the onlookers did it for him.

The city lord had imprisoned the Golden Dragon. Everyone heard the commotion at the mansion. Clearly, it was the city lord who sought to seize the divine beast, imprison the Golden Dragon, and trap the second young master. When the situation spiraled out of control, he was forced to release them.

Now that the second young master had saved them, how could anyone blame him? The city lord was the true culprit and should be held accountable. Thus, most of the populace favored Lou Xingluo, the one destined by fate.

…

City lord’s mansion.

“This was all your scheme, wasn’t it?” The city lord’s gaze was icy, sharp as a blade slicing toward the person opposite him.

“The city lord must be joking. I don’t have that kind of power,” Ling Qiong replied innocently. “You were the one who wanted to seize the divine beast first, which set all this in motion.”

“…The Golden Dragon wasn’t traded to me by you?!” the city lord snapped.

“If you hadn’t wanted to seize it, why would I have given it to you?” Ling Qiong retorted.

“…”

Ling Qiong hadn’t really done much. She just spent money pulling cards. The story moved forward on its own. That’s the power of investing.

The city lord gritted his teeth. “…The divine beast wasn’t traded to me by you?!”

“If you hadn’t wanted to seize it, would I have given it to you?” Given the circumstances at the time, if she hadn’t traded it, would he not have taken it by force? Was that possible?

If not for their father, the boy might already have been harmed by them.

“…”

…

Lou Lingyu woke from his coma to find the matter settled. He had not only failed to become the young city lord but lost his father’s position as city lord altogether. The new city lord had taken office, and the city’s citizens were celebrating joyously.

Lou Xingluo held a prophecy marking him as the destined successor, and the divine beast Golden Dragon had chosen him. The people had little objection to him becoming the next city lord.

Although Lou Lingyu and the city lord still remained at the mansion, they were watched closely and could not leave freely. Even if the city lord had not given up, he could do little to strike back for the time being.

Others in the city lord’s mansion had witnessed the Golden Dragon’s prowess—it was not something ordinary people could contend with. So even if some there did not recognize Lou Xingluo’s status, they dared not act against him now.

Lou Xingluo had never intended to assume this position, but since it was settled, he quickly stabilized the situation.

“My little ancestor, shouldn’t we head back now?” Though indifferent to her own affairs, the little ancestor cared about Lou Xingluo, the pretty boy. Couldn’t their great cause also demand some attention?

“I won’t,” Ling Qiong refused cleanly and decisively.

“…” Jiang He was left speechless.

One day, the elders would come and drag her back by force.