Chapter 77 Threat 1 We are such pitiful orphans and widows.

Xie Jiaoyue was very tired.

She hadn't had much rest lately because of the research conference. Today, she used up all her spiritual power while fighting monsters, and then spent a lot of energy breaking through to the next level. After that, she also had to deal with these guys surnamed Wang. Now, she felt like she could fall asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.

After celebrating their first-place finish with her teammates, she urged them to enjoy the flowers and applause, while she secretly slipped away through the back door.

Waiting at the door was her mother, Gong Shirao.

Xie Jiaoyue seemed boneless, throwing herself directly into Gong Shirao's arms and lazily lingering in them.

"Mother, I have no strength left."

Gong Shirao smiled indulgently as she helped Xie Jiaoyue into the spacious sedan chair: "I knew your act in front of others was all an act." Thanks to her donation of a considerable amount of spirit stones, Gong Shirao was able to bring this spacious sedan chair into the clan school and place it in a secluded back door, where it would be quiet and undisturbed.

Inside the sedan chair, a variety of items were prepared, including those to replenish spiritual energy, treat external injuries, and soothe the mind. Each item was specially prepared by Gong Shirao to ensure Xie Jiaoyue could get the best possible rest.

Ever since Gong Shi Rao learned from Gong Shi Mo Yu that Xie Jiao Yue had personally gone to retrieve the elixir, she knew that Xie Jiao Yue would surely go through a lot of hardship today.

She knew how much her daughter had sacrificed for this academic conference, and she knew that what her daughter needed most right now was rest, not the envy of others, which is why she specially prepared these things.

Xie Jiaoyue lay in the sedan chair, enjoying her mother's gentle massage: "Mother, have you found out who stole my things?"

Although she did not personally tell Gong Shi Rao about this, she mentioned it briefly when she went to see Gong Shi Mo Yu, and Gong Shi Mo Yu would surely tell Gong Shi Rao everything.

Given a mother's personality, she would definitely launch an investigation immediately to seek justice for her daughter.

Moreover, she had already guessed who it was; she just lacked a little evidence.

Gong Shirao naturally guessed it as well, and the investigation was quite quick.

“That Wang Min has always acted eccentrically and willfully, and she will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. This time, she was short on time and left many loopholes.” She snorted coldly. “The Wang family has people in the clan school, but does that mean our Xie family has no one? Even if the Xie family has declined in recent years, we are not at the point where we can be bullied by others.”

But as she spoke, Gong Shirao sighed, "My dear girl, Wang Min is the grandson of the Wang family's patriarch. Even if we expose this matter, I'm afraid we won't be able to do anything to Wang Min."

Xie Jiaoyue said, "I didn't intend to do anything to Wang Min. Mother, could you please ask for leave from the clan school and take me to visit the Wang family patriarch tomorrow?"

Gong Shirao asked, puzzled, "Why would you want to offer yourself up? What if he tries to harm you?"

Gong Shirao felt that Xie Jiaoyue had done very well in this academic conference. She won first place, gained great prestige in the clan school once again, became the undisputed number one among her classmates, and also won the favor of many teachers and elders because of her sponsorship of the academic conference.

That's enough.

Xie Jiaoyue lazily stretched out her right index finger and shook it: "Let's go together. He's a well-established senior, he wouldn't make things difficult for us orphans and widows, right?"

When Xie Jiaoyue won first place, she heard the system notification in her ear. The research conference mission was over and the relevant rewards had been settled for her.

The balance had increased considerably, but Xie Jiaoyue was still not quite satisfied.

What's wrong with kind-hearted people wanting to help her increase her financial reserves?

Xie Jiaoyue said, "Mother, don't you think spending spirit stones is very enjoyable?"

Gong Shirao: "Huh?" The spirit stones of the Xie family's eldest branch were not earned by her, but by her Daoist partner who had passed away many years ago. For so many years, she had been guarding them for her daughter. Apart from providing her daughter with a comfortable life, she did not have many opportunities to spend the spirit stones.

Xie Jiaoyue had a lot of jewelry and clothes in her storage ring. She took out a bracelet that fit Gong Shirao and put it on her. She said slowly, "Even cultivators are not alone."

Gong Shirao looked at Xie Jiaoyue with incomprehension.

“Mother, don’t you think it’s wonderful to enjoy the envious and admiring gazes of others? What is the purpose of cultivating immortality? I am an ordinary person. I cultivate to enjoy the envious gazes of others, to hear their praise, and to live a better life.”

She didn't like the capitalist-style exploitation; that was too low-level and baseless, and could easily backfire. What she liked was the joy of one person achieving enlightenment and all their relatives and friends benefiting from it. She loved the feeling of being liked by everyone, surrounded by applause, and enjoying the pleasure of spending spirit stones in various ways.

This undoubtedly requires a large number of spirit stones.

If the wealthy patriarch of the Wang family generously sponsors some, everyone will be happy.

Gong Shirao continued to stroke Xie Jiaoyue's hair affectionately, but her gaze seemed to pass through Xie Jiaoyue's body, as if she were looking at other people through her.

Xie Jiaoyue sensed the unusual gazes, but instead of looking up, she silently took Gong Shirao's hand.

Their fingers are intertwined, a bond between mother and daughter.

Even though the system said that Xie Jiaoyue's time travel was flawless and would not be noticed by others, Xie Jiaoyue felt that those close to her would definitely be able to detect something.

Yes, Xie Jiaoyue has changed so much. From a little girl who regarded money as something external, she has become someone who loves to spend money, completely unlike a human being. Gong Shirao naturally noticed this.

She had a dream.

In the dream, the daughter lived a miserable and wretched life. Before she died, she made a wish and offered herself as a sacrifice, asking for a chance to start over and for someone to help her and the people around her live the stable and comfortable lives they should have lived, instead of making a mess of things because of her.

Those who cultivate immortality rarely dream.

She thought that if the dream was real, then the person in front of her was the opportunity her daughter had sought.

This is the person who came to help her and her daughter. She looks like a little girl the same age as her daughter. Recalling when they first met, it seems like she came to a completely unfamiliar place all by herself.

She looked very much like Gongshi Moyu, whom she had met many years ago.

Although her personality is different from her own daughter's, she is still a well-behaved and sensible little girl.

"Jiaoyue, I've said it before, I'll support whatever you want to do."

If her daughter's past life is the thing she regrets the most, and the thing she most wants to change, then she will fully support her and not let her daughter's hard-earned opportunity go to waste.

Neither of them spoke again, but they held each other's hands in silence, silently conveying their feelings.

They may not be mother and daughter, but they can still be connected at heart.

Gong Shirao handed the key to Xie's large storeroom to Xie Jiaoyue.

Xie Jiaoyue sighed. Alas, her mother believed in her so much, but what a waste of that damn system!

I still need to go to the Wang family to earn some more money first.

*

The next day.

The Wang clan members were quite surprised by the two men's visit. The two families had no connection whatsoever, so why were they suddenly visiting? But that was the main branch of the Xie family, one of the three great families of Jinling City, and they still went to see their ancestor.

Thanks to the Xie family's reputation for generosity, Xie Jiaoyue and Gong Shirao were able to easily reach the Wang family patriarch and drink the refreshing spiritual tea.

The spiritual tea tasted quite good, and Xie Jiaoyue poured herself several cups, enjoying the feeling of abundant spiritual energy filling her meridians.

This tea is of really good quality; she wants to buy some too.

Sigh, spirit stones are something you really can't have too many of; you can never have too many.

The Wang family patriarch was already aware of what had happened at the clan school.

Although he usually spends most of his time in seclusion, Wang Min handled this matter very poorly, leaving too many loopholes. If not handled properly, it could lead to an even bigger accident. So even though Wang Min didn't tell the ancestor, others had already informed him of everything.

Many people have already been punished for this.

The Wang family patriarch wanted to suppress the matter and make it a small matter, but he didn't expect that before he could even come to them, the Xie family would take the initiative to come to him.

Ha, those two poor little things, they really have guts. He's not someone to be trifled with, like Wang Min, letting others manipulate him.

The Wang family patriarch, intending to intimidate the two, remained silent with a stern face. After waiting for a long time, only watching Xie Jiaoyue drink several cups of tea, he finally couldn't help but ask, "What brings you two here? Do you intend to interrogate me?"

Having already been instructed by Xie Jiaoyue, Gong Shirao stood up weakly and said in a soft, unaccustomed tone, "The Wang family is at the height of its power. How dare we, a widow and her orphan, come to the Wang family to demand an explanation? Ancestor, you are too kind."

After saying that, she tried to hold back a tear, but because she was not skilled in the craft, she couldn't manage it after a long time. Finally, she pinched herself and managed to fill her eyes with tears.

I never imagined that playing the victim would be so difficult.

Both of them were dressed in white today, looking as delicate as little white flowers on the edge of a cliff, swaying precariously in the wind.

The Wang family patriarch looked at the two people in front of him. He had extremely sharp eyes and immediately noticed the fist-sized blue bead on Xie Jiaoyue's chest.

He had also been following the academic conference and knew that this time they had come up with some new tricks to allow others to see footage of the conference from the outside.

Isn't it just using similar magical artifacts?

What are these two doing? Bringing this to the Wang family? Who's on the other end of that magical artifact? Could they be one of those cultivators who are teachers at the clan school?

While he was still pondering with doubt and uncertainty, the two women in front of him had already started crying.

"It's a pity that I worked so hard to prepare for the research competition, but I encountered such misfortune just before the selection. All the pills I prepared were burned to ashes and disappeared without a trace. Ancestor, tell me, how could such a thing happen?"

"Heaven have mercy, who did we, a widow and her orphan, offend to be bullied like this?"

The Wang family patriarch was shocked. What was going on? Was he being threatened?

He hasn't done anything yet, so how come he seems to have become the villain who bullied the orphan and widow?