Chapter 31 (2/2)
“Family head, just now… I… I thought that you were some other servant, so I… did not show you enough respect. I’m not saying that you’re a servant, it’s just… I thought… I’m bad with words… I deserve to be punished…”
He was dripping in sweat!
Ren Jie was speechless. The old servant looked like he was being punished by Ren Jie, but Ren Jie had merely thought of the smiley old man from yesterday and had thought that he might have been posing as a servant, so he wanted to speak to this old servant. He did not think that it would give him such a shock.
When he saw him getting more anxious as he explained, Ren Jie lost his mood. He knew that given the smiley old man’s abilities, he would have no way to find him.
“Good, you’re loyal. I shall reward you.” When he saw that the old servant was getting too anxious, he wanted to help him up but realized that it would have the opposite effect. It seemed that word of the previous incident had spread and the rumors were much scarier than the truth. This was still good, however, as it meant that none of the servants would dare defy him.
Ren Jie retrieved a few dozen Jade coins and threw them at the old servant before returning to his quarters.
“Jade coins… this must be at least 100 taels of gold…” The old servant hurriedly gave his thanks and patted himself on the back for his quick reflex.
Ren Jie found out through his divine sense that the old servant was talking to someone else and said that the fight in the family had become even worse and that the family head would punish anyone who dared defy him. They must be careful in the future or they would be implicated…
Ren Jie was speechless. If he were to really fight it out with the Elders’ Union, it was not likely to implicate the servants. If that was really the case, then the Rens would be finished.
But it was evident from this that the people in the Ren residence were not confident in the situation.
“Family head…” Just as Ren Jie returned he saw Tie Ta walking over hastily. One step of his was equivalent to two or three of that of an average man. Thus, in no time he was at Ren Jie’s side.
“Family head, Uncle Tong… oh no, Captain Tong asked me to come and find you. He said that the Fangs wish to see you. The fellow called Wan Hong also came to see you, but he was barred outside by Captain Tong.”
Tie Ta’s father was called Tie Bi. Coincidentally, Tong Qiang and Tie Bi sounded like the phrase which referred to walls of copper and iron. While Ren Jie had never asked Tong Qiang himself, he knew that both Tong Qiang and Tie Bi were both orphans who followed Ren Tianxing since they were young. Thus, their names were definitely not just a coincidence.
Needless to say, Tong Qiang and Tie Ta’s father were not just acquaintances.
“Don’t worry about it, you’re not part of the personal guards. You need to attend the Jade Imperial Academy, so you don’t need to address him as the personal guards do. Let’s go.” Ren Jie finished saying that and quickly headed back to his quarters.
The Fangs were finally here. He had anticipated this. Without the antidote, the cost required to sustain Fang Qi’s life was an astronomical figure which even the Fangs would not be able to afford in the long run.
The only thing Ren Jie did not expect was for Wan Hong to look for him as well. He represented his Sixth Uncle Ren Tiancong, whom Ren Jie barely had any recollections of as he had hardly seen him even when he was a child.
Two of the personal guards were standing guard at the gate in front of Ren Jie’s quarters, and from afar he could see Tong Qiang’s head reflecting the light from the sun. He was standing in front of Wan Hong as he barred him from entering.
Wan Hong did not look annoyed nor anxious, but that was not what he felt on the inside. It was not because Tong Qiang had barred him from entering, but because he had seen the changes in the personal guards over the past few days using the water mirror divine connection at Ren Tiancong’s house. While he did not see what happened in Ren Jie’s room, he had seen the changes in them before and after they entered the room. The fact that so many people managed to break through to a higher level over the past two days also shocked him.
How was that possible? What did Ren Jie tell these people and what did he write down for them?
Why did they all seem to leave the room like different people and managed to break through so quickly? This was unbelievable.
If it was the Sixth Uncle or the old family head Ren Tianxing who managed to help these people in their cultivation with just a few pointers then it would have been no big deal. But how could Ren Jie have such abilities? Could Ren Tianxing have left behind something before he left?
But the Sixth Uncle was adamant that that was not the case as he had even commented that this kid had potential. The Sixth Uncle had said that he did not have to be anxious and could visit Ren Jie in another couple of days, but after seeing the changes in the personal guards, Wan Hong could not contain himself and thus came to see Ren Jie. He hoped to bring Ren Jie over to the Sixth Uncle so that he would be able to see if there was anything different about him.
This was what worried Wan Hong and made him unfocused. As he was lost in his thoughts, he detected Ren Jie heading over through his divine sense.
“Greetings from Wan Hong, family head. The Sixth Uncle has sent me to invite you over to his residence when you’re free. Fang Yan from the Fang family has been waiting for you for some time, so I shall not hold you up any further. I will take my leave now.” Someone announced this matter when Wan Hong arrived, so Wan Hong finished his message and got ready to leave after bowing briefly, not bothering to bow any further than that.
Even though he was surprised and doubtful over Ren Jie and the personal guards’ recent changes, he had served the Sixth Uncle for many years and was able to control himself. The truth was that Wan Hong had always maintained a rather aloof demeanor towards Ren Jie all this time.
“Hey, wait up. If Sixth Uncle wishes to see me, then I must go find him now.”
When he heard what Ren Jie said, Wan Hong immediately stopped in his tracks. “Sixth Uncle is in no hurry, and he specifically said that if you’re not free, then he will come over personally. You can always come over when you’re free, family head.”
“I’m free, I’m very free right now!” Ren Jie said as he walked towards Wan Hong, waving his hand as he laughed. “I’m so free that I feel bored. Don’t worry about the Fangs. They’re here to ask for our help, so they can wait. I will see him when I have the time and the mood to do so. It’s their fault for looking down on me, only coming to me when they need something. Do they think they can see me as and when they wish? Let them wait. They must wait till I have the time and the mood to see them.”