Chapter 0: Jia Ren’s Ambition
Carefully reopening her eyes, the blood-red barrier around Ren Ci dissipated without a trace. She seemed completely unaware of what had happened, only to discover that the two ferocious wild wolves that had attacked her had already been killed by Qin Gou.
Old Qin sheathed his sword and slowly approached tentatively, trying to bridge the gap with a gentle smile and a concerned tone.
“Is Xiao Ci injured?”
“Big Brother saved me?”
“If you’re referring to these two wild wolves, then yes, I killed them.” Qin Gou nodded and smiled, “Are you willing to believe I’m a good person now?”
“But, Human Race…” Ren Ci timidly stood up, her eyes filled with lingering fear.
The greatest conflict in this matter was that Qin Gou did not know Ren Ci’s true identity or age. In the era when the Demon Lord Jia Ren’s memory had faded and she was still young, the conflict between the Human and Demon races was at its peak. The various cruel rumors were enough to cast a deep shadow of dread upon Ren Ci’s young heart.
Seeing this, Qin Gou helplessly spread his hands, his tone becoming like that of coaxing a child, “Then I can only rephrase. Does Xiao Ci think she’s more powerful, or do these two wild wolves think they are?”
“The wild wolves are more powerful.”
“Indeed, but since such ferocious wild wolves can be so easily killed by me, if I really had any bad intentions towards you…”
Qin Gou suddenly smiled broadly and said with reason, “So, does Xiao Ci now hope I’m a good person, or a villain more brutal than a beast?”
“A good, good person!” For a moment, young Ren Ci dared not hesitate.
“Then it’s settled? Let’s continue our previous conversation, Xiao Ci can lead the way.”
Upon hearing this, Ren Ci was stunned. She naturally understood that Qin Gou was making sense. If he really wanted to eliminate her, a small fry, why would he act so subtly? She could only obediently nod her head.
It wasn’t far, and no further dangers appeared along the way. Soon, Qin Gou successfully followed Ren Ci to the temporary residence the little one had been staying in for the past two days.
It was a cave covered in vegetation, not very large inside, but enough to shelter two or three adults from the wind and rain.
“Xiao Ci.”
At this moment, Qin Gou casually sat down on the ground, placing his Myriad Derivations Sword by his side as a gesture of friendship. Ren Ci, hugging her knees, sat quietly opposite Qin Gou, not far away. In the shadows, her small figure appeared even more delicate.
“Now, why don’t we be open and honest and get to know each other’s backgrounds?”
Qin Gou smiled calmly, “From now on, don’t always call me Big Brother, it sounds strange. My name is Qin Gou, from Chu Zhou. As a Cultivator, I mainly engage in small tasks like preaching and teaching, tirelessly instructing, and nurturing talented individuals.”
“If Xiao Ci is interested in cultivation matters, you might occasionally hear my name. After all, the Demon Emperor you are from and I are already old acquaintances who wish we could know each other’s hearts.”
“So, Big Brother… Lord Qin is a Cultivator. No wonder you’re so powerful.” A hint of unconcealed longing flashed in Ren Ci’s eyes, and she said softly, “But Xiao Ci has never cultivated, so I haven’t heard of Lord Qin’s name.”
“Don’t call me Lord Qin.”
“Ah?” Ren Ci froze, unsure of what she had done wrong.
Qin Gou chuckled and shook his head, comforting her, “It’s not your fault. It’s just that for some reason, when this ‘Lord Qin’ comes from Xiao Ci’s mouth, it inexplicably makes me feel a little unaccustomed. Don’t be so distant, just call me Qin Gou.”
“Yes,” Ren Ci nodded and replied softly.
“By the way, you mentioned a young lady earlier?”
“Yes, Xiao Ci is a personal maid to Miss Ren Qing, from the Ren Clan’s night-patrolling arcanist lineage. Miss is a very powerful but also very strict master, so Xiao Ci must hurry back, otherwise, once Miss gets angry…” Ren Ci dared not continue, nor did she dare to imagine it.
Upon hearing this, Qin Gou couldn’t help but show a strange expression, “Maid?”
In his opinion, since he and young Ren Ci were complete strangers, it must be because both of them had their memories affected by the curse of the laws. Therefore, it was understandable that Ren Ci, who appeared in the secret realm, claimed to have ‘never cultivated.’ However, her so-called ‘maid’ identity…
“That’s not right. Didn’t Xiao Ci just say she was from the Lingbo Boat Master’s Clan? If I remember correctly, that’s one of the seventy-two ancient clans of the Abyss. Such a powerful family, why would you go to another clan to be someone else’s maid?”
“Because…”
When this topic was brought up, Ren Ci’s eyes dimmed, and a bitter smile flickered at the corner of her mouth. “Actually, Xiao Ci didn’t know what Abyssal race she belonged to at first. I only heard from Miss inadvertently that the Lingbo Boat Master’s Clan has a tradition that only descendants accepted by the Sacred Pool are truly integrated into the clan. Those who don’t meet the standard are not worthy of the clan’s nurturing, even bringing shame to the name of the Lingbo Boat Master…”
“After all, countless examples have proven that such descendants, no matter how many resources they consume within the clan, will not become truly powerful High-level Cultivators! But Xiao Ci was lucky, not only did she not die, but she was found by a kind person in the wilderness and later sold to Miss’s manor.”
“What kind of bullshit tradition is this!” Qin Gou was furious. “No matter what, you shouldn’t abandon your own flesh and blood!”
Hearing this, Ren Ci’s small mouth pouted in pain and grievance. After all, she was still a child, and she couldn’t help but sob softly, wiping away tears with her small hands.
“Girl, don’t be so sad. In my opinion, those idiots who think you’ll waste the clan’s precious resources are the truly blind ones!” Qin Gou tried to comfort her.
Ren Ci looked up, paused for a moment, and choked out, “I don’t want to cry either, but… why are Qin, Brother Qin Gou’s eyes also wet?”
“Me?”
Qin Gou reached out and touched the tears at the corner of his eyes, only to realize he was already teary-eyed. He immediately waved his hand, “It’s nothing. Just hearing Xiao Ci’s description, I was suddenly reminded of a foolish girl with a similar background to yours. She is one of my disciples, also an abandoned child. After her Eldest Senior Brother brought her back, I raised her. Just now, many scenes of her growing up day by day kept flashing before my eyes…”
“It’s just that in recent years, for various reasons, I haven’t been able to see her for a long time, which inevitably makes me feel a little sad.”
As he spoke, Qin Gou couldn’t help but mock himself with a smile, “Xiao Ci must be laughing at me. Actually, I’m not usually like this, crying like a coward for no reason…”
“No, Brother Qin Gou isn’t a coward like this, you are truly a good person.” Ren Ci quickly wiped away her tears and said, clearly touched by some of the past events Qin Gou mentioned regarding ‘Ye Qishuang.’
“Good girl,” Qin Gou said with a warm smile. “Have you ever thought that perhaps in the future, you might also embark on the path of cultivation?”
Ren Ci responded obediently, “Of course… but Xiao Ci can only think about it.”
“Then, if Xiao Ci truly had the opportunity to be guided by a good master, to start cultivating, and even to be destined to become a true powerhouse that no one could ignore, what would you want to do most then?”
As he spoke, Qin Gou quietly began his test, “That is to say, what are your aspirations as you single-mindedly focus on diligent cultivation? What are your ambitions for the future?”
“I…” Ren Ci didn’t ponder too much, but didn’t give a direct answer either. Her little face flushed slightly, and she said shyly, “Xiao Ci is a bit embarrassed to say, I’m afraid Brother Qin Gou will laugh at me.”
Qin Gou said with a carefree and unrestrained demeanor, “What’s there to be embarrassed about? Does Xiao Ci want power? Revenge? Wealth? Or eternal life? These are all perfectly normal!”
“Then Xiao Ci must be a bit strange. Xiao Ci just wants to cultivate to be extremely, extremely powerful. Even if it’s just a show of strength, in the end, I’ll have many truly my own…”
For a moment, Ren Ci, with a childlike pure and innocent smile, shook her head repeatedly, negating all the options Qin Gou had given. She firmly stated an answer that almost spanned the entire life of the bloodthirsty guardian god of the current Ren Clan, the Demon Lord Jia Ren.
“My… family.”
