Chapter 1647 - 848: I'm Going to Kill You!

Just before Gold Hair Boy boarded the ship with his utterly confused subordinates and left, on the cargo ship that had just arrived at Luo Island, the boy carrying a suitcase looked up, taking in the new and curious scenery all around. As he brushed shoulders with the Peacekeeping Cat, he couldn't help reaching out to touch the metal shell.

The Peacekeeping Cat's steps paused for a moment. It turned back to look at him, a smiling emoticon appearing on the screen above its head, then raised a hand and pointed toward the outside.

A car had long been parked by the docks, waiting for quite some time.

It carried him all the way across the beach and through the city, then stopped halfway up the mountain. When the car door opened, the boy saw that long-missed figure standing on the steps.

"We're all working for the Association; what's there to call troublesome or not? As a master, I have to set an example. It's just a trivial matter, really, no need to take it to heart."

With warmth and enthusiasm, Ji Jue smiled as he walked his visiting guest out. Then he turned back to the boy waiting at the side, and the deliberate enthusiasm and cheerfulness in his smile suddenly vanished.

Only the purest smile remained, with no need for courtesy or pretense.

"You've grown taller, Xiao An."

Seeing that smile again, Xiao An was briefly stunned. The faint tension and unfamiliarity he'd felt along the way seemed to vanish without a trace, and he, too, broke into a smile.

"Brother Ji Jue, long time no see."

"It's only been two months. What do you mean, 'long time'?" He reached out and rubbed Xiao An's hair. "What are you being so polite for? Come in. Hungry?"

"I've eaten."

"Have a bit more, I've got everything ready." Ji Jue rolled up his sleeves, clearly in high spirits. "Braised meat noodles, no greens—if I remember right? Want shrimp?"

"Mm-hmm, I do."

Xiao An's eyes lit up, and he nodded quickly. "I can help!"

"The time I'll actually need your help is still ahead. Go sit. Pour your own tea."

"Brother Ji Jue, where's the TV remote?"

"On the table, have a look."

"Found it. Can I have the snacks?"

"Not before you eat."

"...Okay."

A few minutes later, fresh noodles came steaming to the table. Ji Jue sat opposite, watching Xiao An lower his head and slurp the noodles, neat and well-behaved as ever.

Obviously they were completely different people, yet in a daze, it was as if he saw another shadow there.

Chin propped on hand, looking his way.

Whenever that person noticed his gaze, they would always look back at him with a half-smile.

"Brother Ji Jue, what are you looking at?"

What a pity—it could only exist in his imagination; there's no way that one would ever be this obedient.

"Brother Ji Jue?"

Xiao An lifted his head and asked again. Ji Jue snapped back to himself and, realizing it, gave an embarrassed smile. "Nothing, just worried I didn't prepare enough."

"I'm already full."

After finishing, Xiao An put down his chopsticks, sat up straight and proper, and asked solemnly, "Do you need my help?"

"Yeah, more or less. I've got something a bit troublesome on my hands lately and I'm stretched too thin. After thinking it over, I still need someone reliable to help keep an eye on things."

Ji Jue said, "And as it happens, it'll net you a good amount of trophies too."

"Okay."

An Ran nodded without a second thought, which made Ji Jue chuckle. "You're not even going to ask what it is?"

"Doesn't matter. As long as it's something Brother Ji Jue arranges, it won't be wrong."

Xiao An's matter-of-fact expression instead made him feel a bit ashamed. After signaling him to wait a moment, he headed into the workshop, and when he came out, he was carrying two boxes.

"This is for you."

Ji Jue told him, "Originally I wanted to gather a bit more and only talk once it was all complete, but unfortunately I just couldn't find the rest no matter where I looked. Make do with this for now. If there's a chance later, I'll keep looking for you."

When the first box was opened, a thick scent of burnt paper and ink rushed out. Nestled between layers of padding were four ancient books. Unfortunately, they were too old, and the preservation hadn't been great; after worm bites, rat gnawing, and the erosion of time, many pages were incomplete or missing.

Unlike a certain someone who'd get a headache and want to run the moment they saw books, Xiao An sat properly and picked one up. After turning a couple of pages, he froze in place.

"This is…"

"The Blade Teeth line's inheritance. I remember your Sword Sound came from the Blade Teeth branch of the Gu Family, right?"

Ji Jue said, "The Gu Family may be gone, but they did have a branch in Central Earth back then. I invested in some businesses there, and the locals were really enthusiastic, insisting on helping me with a 'little favor'… It came easily, barely any effort."

Ni Lin really was a straightforward guy. When the Wolf Lord gave him an order, he always carried it out with utmost diligence. The old men of Dabit finally had something to look forward to these days; once they heard Ji Jue needed something, they immediately, without hesitation, turned out all their family treasures.

No matter how run-down White Country had become, their ancestors had once been rich. As the orthodox inheritors of the White Deer line, their collection was beyond counting. Everyone rummaged through the Sacrificial King's secret storerooms, then pooled what they had on hand, and somehow they managed to come up with quite a lot.

Feeling deeply that they still hadn't done a beautiful enough job, Dabit rallied all the Old Dengs, and they quietly made several trips through Central Earth, tracing history, digging up who knows how many desolate graves, patching in a good deal of what was missing, and even bundling in numerous conjectures, hypotheses, and the Scale System's untransmitted secrets.

All to ensure that the Blade Teeth line's core secret art, the Four Seasons Sword, could be reconstructed and contemplated to the greatest extent possible.

"It's a pity that Qing Yang and Bai Cang are already lost, with only some fragments remaining. The only relatively complete parts are Zhu Ming and Xuan Ying. Try learning them first. If you run into any problems, don't force it. I'll take you to find those Old Dengs for after-sales support."