strokinit Chapter 114 My Uncle-Master is really domineering!
Chapter 114 My Uncle-Master is really domineering!
Lu Yuan's face instantly darkened.
Oh shit!
Is this never going to end?!
Of course, Lu Yuan didn't immediately take action upon hearing "Tan Jiji".
The person in front of me had a completely different demeanor from the imposter I had met before.
Lu Yuan looked him up and down without making a sound, his brows furrowing.
"How can you prove that you are Tan Ji from the Xingyou Tan family?!"
"What family credentials do you have? What makes you think your name is Tan Jiji?!"
Lu Yuan's way of asking questions was very tricky.
The newcomer, Tan Jiji, was completely bewildered.
A big question mark appeared on his face, which was twenty-six or twenty-seven years old and etched with the marks of time.
"...I...this..."
"I can't prove that I am Tan Jiji either..."
At this point, Tan Jiji herself was stunned, and asked back with a strange look on her face.
"Am I famous?"
Uh……
Lu Yuan pondered for a moment, "That's hard to say..."
Tan Jiji stopped worrying and reached for her trousers at her waist as she spoke.
"We certainly have family credentials, but I don't know if you recognize them..."
Before he could finish speaking, his hand suddenly stopped moving.
He felt as if he had been struck by lightning, staring intently at what was behind Lu Yuan.
"Junior Sister Shulan!"
"What are you doing here?!"
Ok?
Lu Yuan was startled and subconsciously turned his head to look at Shen Shulan, who had been silently following behind him.
Tan Jiji's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, the gloom between her brows vanished, and her eyes burst forth with a burning light.
He completely forgot about Lu Yuan's questioning just now.
His gaze was fixed on Shen Shulan, and he couldn't help but take a step forward.
"Junior Sister Shulan! Is it really you?!"
His voice rose in urgency, sounding particularly abrupt in the quiet rural twilight.
That once weathered face was now flushed with an unnatural blush, and the eagerness in his eyes was almost burning.
"I'm Tan Jiji! From the Tan family of Xingyou!"
Shen Shulan was slightly taken aback by the wave of heat that hit her face.
Her cool eyes first glanced at Lu Yuan, as if asking what was going on.
Then, his gaze fell on Tan Jiji's face, and he examined her carefully for a moment.
Her delicate eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but she quickly regained her usual calm.
She shook her head, her voice still as cold as ice striking stone.
"Sorry, I don't recall it."
In an instant, Tan Jiji was in a panic…
"You...you don't remember?"
"Six years ago, in Hantan Town at the foot of Taiyin Mountain, your Wuqing Temple led the team to clear out the Ice Corpses, while our Tan family was responsible for setting up the outer perimeter to provide support!" Tan Jiji's excitement froze instantly, turning into an expression mixed with loss and anxiety.
He seemed completely unable to accept this fact, speaking rapidly as if pouring beans, desperately rummaging through his memory for details.
"That winter the snow was particularly heavy. You were wearing a snow-white fox fur coat, and your hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin."
"You'll stand under that old pine tree at the town entrance and direct the operation, holding a bronze mirror to survey the earth's energy!"
"I remember you saying... that the source of the ice corpse's malevolent energy wasn't underwater, but in the dry well at the east end of town!"
Tan Jiji gestured as he spoke, his eyes shining with an alarming intensity.
"I had just taken over the family compass at that time, and I wasn't familiar with its operation, so I almost misdirected it!"
"It was you who glanced at me as you passed by and casually pointed out, 'The Dui position is three inches off, the Xun palace should fill it in,' which prevented me from making a big mistake!" Lu Yuan, who was standing to the side, was stunned.
Good guy.
There's a lot of information here.
However, there was one thing that Lu Yuan finally understood.
The Tan Jiji in front of me... is probably real.
Moreover, judging from this, he seems to be a prominent figure among the younger generation of the Xingyou family.
Uh……
They may not necessarily be very talented or famous.
It's also possible that... he's the only son of the younger generation in the Xingyou Tan family.
After all, Uncle-Master Crane had said before that these ten families sounded mysterious, like some ancient clan or hidden family from a fantasy world.
In fact, the larger of these ten families may have dozens of members.
The smaller ones couldn't even gather enough people for a mahjong table.
After all, with more people around, it won't be so mysterious anymore; it will eventually slip up in the real world.
This might be the only one of the younger generation in the Xingyou Tan family.
The fake Tan Jiji from the Ghost-Controlling Liu family knew that there was such a person in the Xingyou Tan family.
Since they are both among the top ten, they are bound to have some information sharing.
Then he casually picked up the name of the real Tan Jiji in front of him and used it.
However, what Lu Yuan didn't expect was...
Wuqing Temple even has a cooperative relationship with the Xingyou Tan family, one of the ten families...
Hey……
Originally, Lu Yuan was genuinely curious about the affairs of the ten families, but had nowhere to ask.
The old man's notes were just a jumbled mess of random thoughts.
Now it seems we could ask Shen Shulan!
Meanwhile, Shen Shulan, standing beside Lu Yuan, listened to Tan Jiji's incredibly detailed description.
Shen Shulan's cold gaze finally showed a very subtle fluctuation.
Her long eyelashes drooped down, as if she were searching her mind for that memory.
It was lifted up again.
"...Cold Pool Town, Dry Well."
Shen Shulan repeated the two words softly, then looked at Tan Jiji again. Her gaze now held less of the pure unfamiliarity and more of a sense of realization. Seeing this expression, Tan Jiji instantly came back to life, her voice trembling with excitement.
"Junior Sister Shulan, you finally remembered me?!"
Shen Shulan:
"No, I don't know him."
Tan Jiji: ..."
Lu Yuan: ..…….…”
Immediately afterwards, Shen Shulan scrutinized the petrified Tan Jiji with her cold, scrutinizing gaze.
"However, since you can describe the scene from that day, if you say so, then it must be so."
Tan Jiji: ..."
What do you mean by "if I say it is, then it is"...?
That's definitely it!!
Before Tan Jiji could recover from her internal injuries, Shen Shulan spoke again, his tone still cold and aloof.
"Is there something you need?"
Tan Jiji was completely at a loss for words. After a long pause, she finally managed to squeeze out a sentence with extreme embarrassment.
"Well... it's nothing really..."
This matter...
It's a bit awkward...
Lu Yuan, who was watching from the side, was so embarrassed that he was digging his toes into the ground...
Just as the atmosphere was about to completely turn cold, Lu Yuan finally stepped forward and broke the dead silence.
"Um... could you please show me your family credentials?"
"Although I don't know her, my senior sister Shulan should."
Regardless, we need to find out this person's identity completely first.
Since the Xingyou Tan family can cooperate with Wuqing Temple, it at least proves that they are not heretical.
If this Tan Jiji is indeed from the Xingyou Tan family, then please come in and ask him what he is here for.
Didn't this guy just say something about thanking me on behalf of the Xing You family?
It must be related to the Ghost-Controlling Willow family.
The old man is currently searching for the Ghost-Controlling Liu family. If he could learn something from Tan Jiji, it would be of great help to him!
As soon as Lu Yuan spoke, Tan Jiji seemed to have found a way out, and immediately nodded, quickly taking out an antique-looking waist tag from her trousers.
Lu Yuan didn't understand, nor did he pretend to. He took it and handed it directly to Shen Shulan next to him.
Shen Shulan took it and examined it carefully for a few seconds.
Then, she turned to Lu Yuan and nodded seriously.
"Uncle-Master, this is the waist token of the Xingyou Tan family, that's right."
The words fell.
The huge question mark on Tan Jiji's face was almost overflowing.
These two...
One of them called the other person "senior sister".
The other one also called the other's senior uncle...
Are the seniority system in this outsider sect really this messed up?
If that's the case, and the person is not at fault, then please come in.
Lu Yuan handed the waist tag back.
"Come inside, it's cold outside."
His voice was flat, revealing no emotion.
"You probably haven't had dinner either, have you?"
Tan Jiji carefully put away the waist token, looking somewhat flustered in the face of Lu Yuan's invitation.
He nodded.
"Yes... I just arrived..."
"I saw the people in this village gathering here, thinking I'd come and take a look, and then I heard about Master Lu Yuan's name."
Lu Yuan had already turned and walked into the house, his back to him, his voice drifting over.
"You knew about me before?"
Tan Jiji followed Lu Yuan into the room, but her gaze involuntarily drifted toward Shen Shulan, who was standing side by side with Lu Yuan.
"Yes, the news of Master Lu Yuan eliminating the evil spirit in the dry well on the mountaintop has spread throughout the nearby villages."
Lu Yuan didn't stop walking, nor did he seek credit; he said directly:
"It wasn't me, it was my master."
Tan Jiji paused for a moment, seemingly realizing something, nodded, and didn't say anything more, but instead said:
"Master Lu is too modest. Since I came to Fengtian, I have often heard of your name not only here, but also in other places." "Your reputation has truly been renowned throughout my journey."
To such flattery, Lu Yuan simply replied, "It's just empty fame."
The three entered the house, where Wang Laohan's family had already placed two large plates of freshly cooked dumplings on the kang table.
Steaming hot, with white vapor rising from the steam, and a wonderful aroma wafting through the air.
When Wang Laohan's family saw Lu Yuan leading in a stranger, they wisely refrained from asking any further questions.
He quickly added a bowl and chopsticks, then bowed and left, gently closing the door behind him.
Inside the house, only the cozy warmth of the kang (heated brick bed) and the simple yet enticing aroma of pork and cabbage dumplings remained.
This isolates the chill outside from the tension that had just been there.
"Come on up and have some dumplings."
As soon as Lu Yuan finished speaking, he and Shen Shulan took off their shoes and got onto the kang (a heated brick bed).
Tan Jiji rubbed her hands together, her face full of embarrassment.
"I...I can stand down there, my feet are a little sweaty."
Everyone: "Qianyu!"
The kang table wasn't big, but it held two large plates of dumplings with thin skins and generous fillings, plump and white, steaming with moisture that made your mouth water.
Throughout the entire first month of the lunar calendar, even at Aunt Qiao'er's house, Lu Yuan never missed eating dumplings, and he really ate his fill.
Lu Yuan thought he wouldn't eat dumplings for at least six months, but after being outside in the cold for two days and one night, now that he has a steaming bowl of dumplings... it's so delicious!
Sure enough, when adults said that kids didn't eat properly, they were absolutely right.
I'm not so hungry anymore!
Lu Yuan sat down cross-legged, his posture casual, and picked up a piece of food and blew on it.
I took a bite and rolled it in a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, and minced garlic.
The savory pork and the sweet cabbage burst in your mouth, completely dispelling the last trace of chill.
Shen Shulan sat down beside him, her posture still aloof and upright.
She picked up her chopsticks quickly, taking small bites of dumplings, her long, raven-feather-like eyelashes drooping slightly behind the rising steam.
One is carefree and unrestrained, the other is aloof and self-possessed.
The two sat side by side on the kang (a heated brick bed), sharing a plate of dumplings, and there was an indescribable harmony and tacit understanding between them.
Like the male and female heads of this household.
After a long day of working in the fields, I come home and sit on the kang (heated brick bed) to eat a hot dinner.
Xu Erxiao and Wang Chengan were two half-grown boys raised by their family.
Tan Jiji, standing alone on the ground, seemed like an outsider who didn't fit in.
Lu Yuan didn't waste any time. He swallowed a dumpling in a few bites and then began to subtly inquire about Xing Youtan's family.
After several rounds of conversation, Lu Yuan had a clear understanding of the situation.
The fake "Tanjiji" from before, apart from having a fabricated identity, provided almost all the other information that was accurate.
The Xingyou Tan family is indeed investigating the Yugui Liu family!
And they have also been trying to stop the Ghost-Controlling Liu family from raising evil gods.
These ten groups may seem like a united front, but in reality, they have never been at peace with each other; rather, they are constantly at odds.
That's why Tan Jiji thanked Lu Yuan earlier.
Lu Yuan helped Xing You and the Tan family, and helped Tan Jiji get rid of the evil god on the mountaintop.
Lu Yuan didn't ask about these questions in detail, since it was all in the past.
While eating dumplings, Lu Yuan asked curiously:
"So your Xingyou Tan family is just following in the footsteps of the Yugui Liu family, planting an evil god in front and then eliminating it behind?"
Tan Jiji nodded and said:
"Sort of, or rather... that's how it is for our two generations..."
"But in reality, our Xingyou family has more important matters to attend to, but we have no choice but to deal with the trouble caused by the Yugui Liu family."
Hearing this, Lu Yuan gave Tan Jiji a deep look and said:
"Did you come alone?"
Tan Jiji was engrossed in eating dumplings when she heard this, and nodded, giving a mumbled reply.
His gaze kept drifting unconsciously towards Lu Yuan, and then towards Shen Shulan, who was standing right next to Lu Yuan, almost touching him.
Seeing Tan Jiji nod, Lu Yuan feigned surprise and said:
"You're quite impressive. I couldn't have handled that evil god on the mountaintop by myself."
"You dare come alone?"
In fact, Lu Yuan had already taken care of it.
If it weren't for that damned Tanjiji stabbing Lu Yuan in the back, Lu Yuan would probably have been able to defeat that evil god.
However, when you're out and about...
Especially after what happened with Tan Jiji last time, Lu Yuan really learned a lot and became much more cautious.
It's best to keep your cards close to your chest when dealing with people you don't know well.
Lu Yuan dared not repeat the mistake of last time, immediately unleashing a lightning spell that swirled around his hand.
Then he said something ridiculous like becoming a Celestial Master and not having to speak, because the Thunder God would speak for him.
They've really learned their lesson.
I won't do it again, I won't do it again, I'll never pretend again.
Lu Yuan's "show of weakness" made Tan Jiji's face reveal a hint of suppressed smugness.
He subconsciously straightened his chest and raised his voice slightly.
"Young Taoist Master Lu Yuan is still young, he looks to be only around twenty years old, this..."
Alas!!!
Tan Jiji's praise was interrupted by Lu Yuan's disgusted mutter before she could finish.
"How come they're still putting 'good fortune' in these dumplings even though it's almost the end of the Lunar New Year?!"
Lu Yuan frowned, holding up a dumpling that had only been half-eaten, his face full of resistance.
He ate the kind of sweet dumplings he hated most—half pork and half sugar. This sweet and salty flavor was simply the most wicked of all. "Give them to me, Uncle-Master."
A cool, clear voice sounded beside me.
Shen Shulan, who had been quiet all along, had somehow handed her small bowl to Lu Yuan.
Almost instinctively, Lu Yuan put the half-eaten sweet dumpling into her bowl.
Shen Shulan silently took back the bowl and ate the food in small bites, following the bite marks left by Lu Yuan, without wasting a single bite.
The whole process was as natural as breathing.
Xu Erxiao and Wang Chengan, sitting on the opposite kang (a heated brick bed), exchanged a silent glance.
Again!
The admiration for Brother Lu is truly like a surging river, endless and unstoppable, like the Yellow River overflowing its banks!
Tan Jiji, on the other side, was stunned when she saw this scene, and then deflated after a few seconds.
His once proud face fell, and his once upright chest collapsed.
"It's alright..."
His voice became muffled and lost all its vibrancy.
"After all, I am a few years older than you, and the magical artifacts and spells of our Xingyou family are naturally able to counter the Ghost-Controlling Liu family's system."
"That's why... I dared to come alone to find that evil god."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan's heart stirred, and he asked curiously:
"Are the relationships between your ten families mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining?"
Tan Jiji nodded slightly:
"I guess so."
Lu Yuan immediately pressed for details, his eyes filled with eagerness:
"Could you tell me about the Ghost-Controlling Liu family?"
"To be honest, we've been searching for them ever since last time."
"If you could provide some clues..."
Before Lu Yuan could finish speaking, Tan Jiji suddenly raised her head and shook her head resolutely.
"No."
His gaze became unusually serious, even carrying an almost obsessive determination.
"Our ten families have sworn a blood oath that none of us may reveal the secrets of the other families to outsiders, no matter how heinous the crime may be." As he said this, he looked directly at Lu Yuan, his tone heavy and serious.
"The Taoist priest might think that our Xingyou family is closed-minded, knowing that the Ghost-Controlling Liu family is causing trouble, but refusing to make it public."
"But our Xingyou family never claims to be righteous, much less acts on behalf of Heaven."
"This is merely a long-standing feud between our two clans."
Seeing his sudden excitement, Lu Yuan's hand, which was holding a dumpling, froze in mid-air.
Hey!
What's your rush!
If you don't want to talk, then forget it!
The lively atmosphere at the dinner table, however, quietly cooled down at some point.
Perhaps it started when Lu Yuan asked about the "Ghost-Controlling Liu Family".
Or perhaps, it started from the moment Lu Yuan threw the sweet dumpling he didn't like into Shen Shulan's bowl.
No one spoke anymore.
The only sounds in the room were the soft clinking of chopsticks against bowls and plates, and the sounds of chewing.
Old Wang knocked on the door halfway through and came in to ask if there were enough dumplings. He then brought several large bowls of piping hot dumpling soup to the group.
"Original soup transformed into original food."
After eating and drinking their fill, everyone slumped onto the kang (a heated brick bed), their stomachs warm but their hearts still feeling lukewarm.
Outside the window, the sky was pitch black, and the cold wind howled as it swept past the windowpane.
Tan Jiji finally broke the silence. He put down the large bowl and bowed slightly to Lu Yuan.
"Daoist Lu Yuan, you helped my Xingyou Tan family with the matter of the dry well on the mountaintop, so I naturally have to repay you."
"Today is the closing ceremony of the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony. The Taoist priest's appearance here must be for the evil-nurturing ground of the Duanming Wang family."
His gaze was intense, and his tone was solemn.
"I will go to the next place to nurture evil spirits with Daoist Lu Yuan."
Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow and instinctively wanted to wave his hand in refusal.
But Tan Jiji seemed to see through his thoughts and shut him down.
"Even if the Taoist priest refuses, I will still go with him."
"This is the family rule of my Tan family: we must repay kindness we receive, otherwise we will not be able to eat or sleep peacefully."
Having said that, Lu Yuan couldn't say anything more.
He glanced at the pitch-black night outside the window, where the cold wind was howling.
We can't just kick them out now.
"Let's talk about it tomorrow morning."
The west wing has been cleaned up by Wang Laohan's family.
The heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) was nice and cozy, but the space was small. Five people had to sleep there tonight, so they had to squeeze in sideways.
It didn't matter that Wang Chengan and Xu Erxiao were short.
Lu Yuan and Shen Shulan are both a little over 1.7 meters tall. They hunched over slightly, so their ankles didn't stick out of the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).
It's much better than spending the night in the middle of nowhere.
Tan Jiji followed Xu Erxiao and the others to the west wing to make the bed.
Lu Yuan then took Shen Shulan to Wang Laohan's house to buy a new set of bedding.
Shen Shulan, this girl, used to always have her senior and junior brothers by her side to arrange everything perfectly when she went out.
This time, after leaving Fengtian City, I brought Lu Yuan and the others countless good things, but I forgot to bring bedding for myself.
Last night, she used Lu Yuan's blanket, while Lu Yuan went to share a night with Wang Cheng'an.
The girl followed him the whole way, never complaining or saying she was tired.
Lu Yuan didn't say it, but he remembered the favor and felt genuinely sorry for the rich young lady who insisted on coming out to suffer with him. "Uncle, you must accept this money."
After some pushing and pulling, Lu Yuan managed to stuff two yuan into Wang Laohan's wrinkled hand.
Holding a brand-new quilt and mattress, Lu Yuan prepared to go to the west wing to make a bed for Shen Shulan.
The two walked one after the other in the courtyard. The night breeze was chilly and the moonlight was sparse.
Lu Yuan suddenly spoke, asking Shen Shulan beside him with curiosity:
"Senior Sister Shulan, how much do you know about these 'Ten Families'?"
Shen Shulan paused, then shook her head blankly.
"I know very little."
"However, the elders in the temple must know. I'll ask them for you when we get back this time."
Lu Yuan nodded repeatedly, feeling reassured.
Shen Shulan suddenly lowered her voice and whispered:
"However, if you are in a hurry, Uncle-Master, I can go and ask Tan Jiji for you now."
"Perhaps... out of consideration for that small favor we had six years ago, he might reveal something to me?"
Lu Yuan interrupted him directly, saying:
"That's absolutely unacceptable!"
Lu Yuan's voice suddenly hardened, interrupting her decisively.
Shen Shulan looked up in astonishment, her clear eyes filled with confusion.
Lu Yuan then said in a serious tone:
"That guy's obviously interested in you!"
"If I tell you to ask, isn't that the same as telling you to flaunt your beauty?"
"Then what do I become?"
"You cuckolded bastard!"
"Absolutely not! Don't ask him anything, and don't pay any attention to him!"
Lu Yuan's words left Shen Shulan somewhat stunned, seemingly not understanding the key point behind Lu Yuan's words.
But soon, Shen Shulan understood something.
On that stunningly beautiful face, which was usually as cold and aloof as ice and snow, a hint of reproach or displeasure slowly appeared.
A slight smile involuntarily crept onto her lips, and her eyes sparkled, revealing a charming allure that was rarely seen on her usually cool and beautiful face. "My martial aunt is truly domineering."
She muttered something softly.
"Those two beauties at home weren't enough to control me, now they're trying to control me too!"
Then, Shen Shulan gave a soft snort, snatched the quilt from Lu Yuan's arms, turned and strode into the west wing, leaving behind a graceful silhouette. Lu Yuan stood at the door of the west wing and blinked.
Hey!
I didn't see her use much vinegar when she ate dumplings earlier.
Why does your voice sound so sarcastic...?