"Hm?"
Zhen Xi was stunned for a long time, staring blankly at Jiu Jing beside him.
The young warrior was also looking at him, his expression sincere.
After a short period of silence, Zhen Xi thought for a moment, then said, "Cousin, I'm just a country girl, and I'm not that smart either. I can't be fashionable. That's why my mother always told me that if I don't understand something, I should just ask and answer directly. Even if I offend someone, it's still better than pretending to be powerful and being looked down upon.
I actually have a lot of questions that I want to ask, but this is too impolite … … You won't mind, right? "
Jiu Jing was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Please speak."
Zhen Xi thought for a long time, then asked directly, "So cousin, do you want me to betray Miss Hu Po and side with you?"
"It's fine even if you don't side with me. I just want you to stay away from this quagmire," Jiu Jing replied. "Zhen Xi, you don't belong here. It's not that I look down on you, but that you're not suited for such dirty matters. "
"Cousin, do you know about my situation?"
"I've investigated a bit, and I've also heard a bit about it." Jiu Jing pulled out a string of prayer beads from his sleeve and handed it over. "That's why I brought this for you."
The aged coral prayer beads glowed faintly, and there was also a faint fluctuation of Origin Substance.
This was a treasure from the Tiantai Sect, and it was something that monks used to get close to Buddhism and awaken a Spirit. After hundreds of years of support, it wasn't inferior to any other Śarīra. It was a treasure that would be treasured in any temple.
It was easy to use, and there were no restrictions. All one had to do was carry it with them and meditate, and keep their mouth shut. Within three years, if they chanted a hundred thousand times, they would be able to condense a Spirit.
Every time they chanted, they would inject their own Origin Substance into it bit by bit. As long as they were focused enough and worked hard enough, they would be able to raise their Origin Substance to a higher level in three years.
Unfortunately, not everyone was able to do it.
Not just anyone had this kind of determination and perseverance. Even among the most devout and dedicated monks, there were very few who could complete this long and arduous ascetic practice.
However, it was still a way to solve the problem.
Zhen Xi looked at it for a long time but didn't take it. "Cousin, are you trying to bribe me?"
"This isn't a price. It's just a favor I'm offering as an elder brother."
Zhen Xi thought for a moment and asked, "Help means that I can refuse, right?"
"Whether you accept it or not, it's up to you. This isn't a recruitment price. You can accept it without worry."
"… Although I really want it, forget it."
Shinichi shook her head. "I'm sorry."
Jiu Jing nodded. "I know it's rude to suddenly come here and say these things, so it's fine."
"No, it's not that I have a problem with you. It's my own problem."
She smiled awkwardly and looked at her relatives who were looking at them. "Cousin Jing Jiang, it's already hard for a girl from the countryside to stand up straight and talk to people from the city. After lowering my head once, I'm afraid that I won't have the courage to raise my head again. "
"…"
Jiu Jing was stunned. After a long silence, he lowered his head and apologized, "I was rude."
"It's okay. Cousin, you have good intentions."
Shinichi said seriously. "So, I have to be honest with you. Thank you for your help, but I'm sorry, I won't give up."
"You're so straightforward, Shinichi."
Jiu Jing sighed. "You didn't even give me a chance to say anything. Should I call you stupid or troublesome? Maybe you're better than I thought. "
He shook his head in self-mockery. "Failure is expected. However, although what I'm going to say next may be seen as a scoundrel trying to drive a wedge between us, I still have to tell you."
After a short pause, Jiu Jing said, "Please be careful of Hu Po."
"Cousin, are you saying that Hu Po is using me?" Shinichi asked doubtfully. "I know that for now."
"If she's just using you, then I'm using you too."
Jiu Jing shook his head. "I just want to tell you that that woman … doesn't have the warmth and compassion you think she has. She's also not someone you can trust.
Shinichi, before you, out of all the candidates for the head of the house, the only one I care about is her. To be exact, I'm afraid of that woman's existence.
Right now, the Riken family is in decline, but if that woman becomes the next head of the house, I'm afraid that the Riken family will cease to exist in the future.
I've known since eight years ago that she's a cold-blooded monster without any emotions. "
"That's … a bit too much."
Shinichi frowned. "Is Hu Po cousin such a scary person?"
"Do you know who was the head of the Riken family before my adoptive father?" Jiu Jing asked. "It was Hu Po's biological father."
The girl was stunned.
"That's right. Hu Po is the legitimate princess of the Riken family. At the same time, she's also the one who has the right to inherit the house.
Eight years ago, everyone who saw her had to lower their heads. Some even knelt by her side and respectfully called her 'Ji Mo'. No, now that I think about it, she was already abnormal even earlier. "
Riken Jiu Jing lowered her eyes and said softly, "She was different from us since she was very young."
She was always quiet and gentle. She would never get angry or laugh. She was just like a doll. Jiu Jing used to be like the group of children. They all followed behind the noble princess and longed to be her friend.
Even if she never cared about them.
Noble and distant.
Like an illusion.
This beautiful illusion lasted until eight years ago.
The Riken family made a fatal mistake. The general was furious. That ruthless power was exerted on the land of Yingzhou without any restraint. It was like a black cloud pressing down on the sky, causing everyone to be in a constant state of panic.
The elders argued all day long, debating who should be responsible for the destruction caused by this carelessness. The head of the house didn't say a word. It was hard for him to make a decision.
Deserted by everyone, everyone could only wait for the end of the road with their eyes wide open.
"Cut the stomach, father."
Jiu Jing, who was immersed in her memories, whispered. "That's what she said at that time."
In front of everyone, she said those cold words that they couldn't believe.
The eleven-year-old Hu Po knelt in front of her closest blood relative in the world. She lowered her head and pleaded from the bottom of her heart.
"Please cut the stomach, father." She said, "The Riken family is already at the point of life and death. As the head of the house, there's no other way to wash away the shame."
In that frozen silence, no one spoke. Only the head of the house's face gradually turned pale. He looked at his daughter who was kneeling in front of him and couldn't say a word.
"Please don't be afraid, father."
She lowered her head and said softly, "I'll help you end it."
This was the last thing Jiu Jing heard in the corridor. In her daze and fear, she didn't even notice that the tea in her hand had spilled on the ground.
Just like what she said, there was no other way.
Only this way could the mistake be redeemed.
It was said that the girl who wasn't even of marriageable age personally carried out the mistake for her father. Holding the knife, without any hesitation, she ended her father's pain and fulfilled the promise between father and daughter.
Then, she personally held her father's head and presented it to the general.
In the end, the Riken family got a chance to survive.
The price he had to pay was an unprecedented humiliation. He became a traitor among the officials, fawning over outsiders and being looked down upon by others.
But things ended just like that.
The head of the Riken family died of an illness. Then, another head of the house took over and cleaned up the mess.
As for Hu Po, she was forgotten by everyone.
"As the only child of the head of the house, she should have been taken good care of … But that kind of thing, no one can pretend that it didn't happen, right?"
"Every time they see her, everyone will only think of that face stained with her biological father's blood. It's hard to feel at ease. They can only treat her coldly, marginalize her, and let her fend for herself. Actually, when she asked to be exiled, everyone was relieved. "
"Unfortunately, everyone underestimated her."
Jiu Jing sighed softly, "She went to Dongxia, but she came back … She pretended that nothing had happened and returned in front of everyone.
It's as if she became reasonable, but in reality, who knows what she's thinking? "
"Zhen Xi, to her, there are no allies or relatives. If you expect her to help you out of kindness, you're not too naive. You need to think for yourself."
Zhen Xi was still stunned.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
It seemed that she was still in shock and hadn't reacted yet.
"Doesn't that mean that cousin Hu Po killed her own father with her own hands?" She murmured in a daze, "That's too cruel."
"Isn't it?" Jiu Jing shook her head, "It's normal to feel afraid."
"No, I mean, she had to kill her own father with her own hands."
Zhen Xi raised her head and said seriously, "I think that cousin must be sadder than anyone else right? After all, in this world, is there anyone who hates their own father? "
Jiu Jing was silent.
Being stared at by that pair of eyes without any haze, there were many things that he couldn't say.
He laughed self-deprecatingly and looked away, "There are also incompetent fathers in this world, Zhen Xi. There are also people who don't deserve to be respected … But, I think that no matter what I say, you won't change your mind, right?"
Zhen Xi nodded.
"Because we've already made an appointment."
She replied, "A promise is more important than life. Mother always taught me that … Besides, even if something happens, I think that Miss Hu Chi won't abandon me!"
When she looked at the back of the figure in the arena, the girl's eyes were filled with peace and trust.
It was as if there was nothing to be afraid of as long as she was by his side.
Jiu Jing was silent, his expression complicated.
Just holding on to a boat that happened to pass by occasionally, she went with the flow and challenged the unknown dark ocean. Was this naive or reckless?
He didn't know, and there was no need for him to say anything.
"Then, as an opponent, let's fight it out, Zhen Xi."
After saying goodbye, the young warrior took one last look at his enemy and left.
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