Chapter 297 - 116: Departure

Chapter 297: Chapter 116: Departure

RUMBLE!

Behind him, the withered medicinal herbs crumbled to dust, the Rare Plant—the Red Jade Peach Tree—exploded into fragments, and large swaths of hard, red stone, stained by the Dragon Pearl, came crashing down, burying everything.

...

"Liu Pan’Er, you have two choices. You can leave with me—it will probably be difficult, and you might face danger. I can’t absolutely guarantee your safety. Or, you can choose to stay. I’ll leave you a considerable sum of money and make sure you have the right connections."

Fang Rui paused, then continued, "You’re a smart woman. You know I don’t like being tested. It’s one or the other. Whichever you choose, I’ll keep my word."

Liu Pan’Er furrowed her delicate brows. After thinking for a good while, she said, "I choose to stay."

’If not for Third Lady, I probably would have taken the gamble,’ she thought. ’But there are no "if onlys" in this world.’

"Fine."

Fang Rui nodded.

It was a relationship of convenience, nothing more. There were no feelings involved, so naturally, there was no disappointment.

"As you wish. However, before that..."

WHOOSH!

Fang Rui swept Liu Pan’Er into his arms and carried her toward the boudoir with its swaying, light curtains.

’In my previous life, I’d heard of a term called a "breakup"... Bah. This is just an in-depth emotional exchange before parting.’

Perhaps knowing it was the last time, Liu Pan’Er was accommodating and exceptionally attentive in her service.

「An hour later.」

Fang Rui strode away without a backward glance.

...

「After dinner.」

Third Lady came over with an update. "Brother Rui, I’ve done as you asked. Of those willing to leave with us, there are the head maids, Qing Yun and Bai Shao. Of the twelve junior maids, only four are coming: Purple Frost, Lan Yu, You Lan, and Striped Bamboo."

Her voice was a little downcast as she spoke, clearly blaming herself for her ’poor management of the household.’

"Third Sister, there’s no need to be sad. This is perfectly normal. After all, we’re asking them to leave their homes and everything they know. It’s a difficult thing to ask."

Fang Rui smiled. "So, this is already quite a few."

"Besides, it might not be a bad thing."

He said gently, "I’ve known these junior maids for a time. Being able to settle things with money is actually for the best. We’ll have less baggage to carry in the future."

"Alright."

Third Lady understood Fang Rui’s thinking and gave a slight nod.

"Third Sister, one more thing. For the families of the maids, both senior and junior, who are willing to come with us, please give them some extra consideration. At the very least, their compensation can’t be worse than that for those who are staying."

"Mm, I know. And about selling off the properties and assets..."

Beneath the flickering candlelight, the two of them chatted idly about household matters, like an old married couple who had been together for years.

...

「Zhen Mansion.」

"Dao Ji, I have results."

Zhen Yi sought him out. "These past few days, I’ve been searching the ancient texts. I discovered that the two dragons that fell in Huaiyin Prefecture in ancient times were no ordinary pair. These Yin Yang Dragons were mates. They cultivated together, sharing their life force, and were drawn to each other. Their connection is far stronger than I originally estimated."

He continued, his voice excited, "A Mixed Primordial Pill refined from the Origin of such a Yin Yang Dragon Pearl would be of the absolute highest quality. I’m more than ninety percent certain it can push your body beyond First Grade!"

"Is that so?!"

A sharp glint appeared in Zhen Daoji’s eyes. "In that case, I’m even more determined to get the other Dragon Pearl. Second Uncle, don’t keep me in suspense. Tell me the specific plan!"

"The Eight-Nine Origin Tracking Extreme Yin Array."

"The Grand Array that requires ’ten thousand boys and girls with Eight Characters Pure Yin’ as a sacrifice?"

"Yes."

Zhen Yi looked at Zhen Daoji. "Well, Dao Ji? Should I continue?"

"Continue." Zhen Daoji fell silent for a moment before giving an affirmative answer.

"The Eight-Nine Origin Tracking Extreme Yin Array uses a sliver of the Yin Attribute Dragon Pearl Origin as a medium. It leverages the powerful mutual attraction of the two Dragon Pearls to trace the other one back to its source... Also, it would be best to get it right in one go."

Zhen Yi suggested, "Given that the other Dragon Pearl has been sealed by someone, my idea is to directly request a ’Decree’ to act as the core of the Array. Dao Ji, are you willing to part with one?"

A so-called ’Decree’ was a Treasure refined by a Great Power above the level of an Upper Grade Spirit Master, using their own heart’s blood and rare materials. It possessed immense power; rumor had it that a single Decree could rival a Martial Arts First Grade expert.

"Why wouldn’t I be? Second Uncle, just do what you must. I just hope nothing goes wrong this time."

A pained look flickered across Zhen Daoji’s face, but he still waved his hand magnanimously.

Even for a core direct descendant of a State City Family like him, a ’Decree’ was one of his most crucial trump cards.

"Don’t worry."

Zhen Yi was full of confidence. "With the ’Eight-Nine Origin Tracking Extreme Yin Array’ and a ’Decree’ to anchor it, as long as the other party isn’t above First Grade, they will be utterly unable to maintain the seal on the Dragon Pearl."

"Even if they take the Dragon Pearl and leave Huaiyin Prefecture, we can still track the Dragon Ball Energy and find the places where it has been."

"After all, the presence of a Dragon Pearl will alter the landscape over time, seeping into the earth to create Dragon Blood Stone. We can use that for indirect tracking."

Zhen Yi concluded, "In short, this plan is foolproof."

"Second Uncle, how long will this plan take?"

"With all the preparations, especially gathering the boys and girls, which is the most troublesome part, we’ll need to draw them from various regions. The fastest we can do it will likely take half a month."

"Then let’s do that."

Zhen Daoji was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Fang Rui is leaving."

"I’ve heard some things. Speaking of which, that group of subordinates of yours is truly a mess. You should discipline them."

Zhen Yi shook his head. "This time, the rumors and trouble outside have gotten out of hand. Fang Rui probably feels disheartened and wants to leave because of it."

"Yes, those people need to be dealt with. I’ll do it after Fang Rui leaves."

Zhen Daoji’s expression turned cold, then quickly returned to normal. "When the time comes, I’ll see Fang Rui off. In the end, I am the one who has wronged him."

"I’ll go too," Zhen Yi sighed.

He also bore some responsibility for how the relationship between Fang Rui and Zhen Daoji had turned out. Because of this, he felt a bit of guilt toward them both.