Chapter Forty-Nine: The Demon Lord Seeks Relatives

Seeing that Rong Jiang had been silent for quite some time, yet her master remained unresponsive, staring blankly at her with a... almost foolish smile playing on his lips, Bai Yu quickly and discreetly tugged at Jiu Ya's sleeve, whispering a reminder: "Miss?"

"Ahem!" Jiu Ya suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing that she had been staring at Rong Jiang's face and had momentarily lost her composure. But she quickly regained her composure, her face blossoming into an even brighter smile, as if her momentary lapse in attention had been merely an illusion. "I was being presumptuous. I felt an instant connection with you, Miss, and for a moment I forgot myself. My surname is Shang, and my given name is Jiu Ya. You can call me A Jiu. May I ask how you should address me?"

She was overjoyed: the first step to success, the name exchange was accomplished!

Upon hearing the name, a strange light flashed across Rong Jiang's eyes, and the faint smile on her lips seemed to deepen slightly. "My surname is Rong, and my given name is Ranran."

"Ranran? That sounds lovely! Then I'll call you Ranran!" Jiu Ya immediately seized the opportunity, acting very familiar, and naturally took two steps closer to Rong Jiang. Jiu Ya's heart fluttered even more. Many people in the underworld didn't know the nickname Ranran! Her daughter had told her this on their first meeting? This was so wonderful! Waaah, my daughter, Mommy loves you!

After finally calming down from her overwhelming excitement, Jiu Ya turned around and pointed to her two subordinates behind her, "These two are my family members. This is Bai Yu, and this is Li Yue."

Fortunately, Rong Jiang did not show any aversion or rejection. She simply glanced at Bai Yu and Li Yue, which was tacitly acquiescing to Jiu Ya's approach and introduction.

Although Bai Yu and Li Yue were puzzled as to why their lord was so warm and friendly to a mere mortal woman, they were still very polite and immediately stepped forward to greet her respectfully and appropriately: "Greetings, Miss Rong."

"Miss Bai Yu, Young Master Li Yue, it's a pleasure to meet you." Rong Jiang nodded slightly in return, her demeanor composed and her bearing extraordinary, which secretly surprised Bai Yu and Li Yue. This was definitely not the kind of poise that an ordinary mortal woman could possess.

On the other side, the prayer ceremony on the high platform continued, with people still queuing up devoutly in a long, orderly fashion. This bustling atmosphere only served to highlight the strange tranquility of the conversation taking place in this corner by the bridge.

Jiuya smiled brightly, pointed towards the high platform, and asked in a light tone, "Ranran, do you need to go pray for blessings? We can wait for you."

“No need.” Rong Jiang’s gaze swept over the witch and the devout crowd, her eyes deep and calm. “My heart is free of desires and obscures nothing; there is no need to trouble others.”

Upon hearing this, Jiu Ya immediately clapped her hands and laughed, "That's perfect! If Ran Ran is free, the sun is shining brightly today and the peach blossoms are in full bloom. Why don't you join us for a stroll along this beautiful Peach Blossom Stream? It would be a good way to keep someone company." As she finished speaking, she was actually a little nervous, worried that she might be too enthusiastic and annoy the other person.

However, Rong Jiang only hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly: "Of course it's possible."

Agreed?! Jiu Ya was overjoyed; this was an unexpected delight! She suppressed the urge to cheer and tried her best to maintain a proper smile: "Great! Let's go to the other side of the river. There are too many people here; the scenery on the other side must be more tranquil."

Seeing that Rong Jiang didn't object, Jiu Ya took the initiative to lead the way, guiding her towards the stone bridge. This river, named Peach Blossom Stream, was wide and clear, with peach groves lining both banks. A gentle breeze would cause petals to fall, their pink and white blossoms fluttering onto the water's surface, drifting with the current like a flowing floral carpet—a breathtaking sight. The stone bridge connecting the two banks was exquisitely crafted, its body carved with vivid patterns of koi playing among lotus flowers, while the railings were cleverly sculpted into the shapes of lotus pods and newly sprouted lotus leaves, lifelike and full of charm.

Stepping onto the stone bridge, her feet trod on smooth, polished stone slabs, the sound of flowing water and distant, faint laughter filled the air. Rong Jiang's gaze casually swept over the lotus carvings on the bridge railing, then she suddenly spoke, her voice soft yet tinged with inquiry: "A-Jiu doesn't seem to be from Linzi?"

"Huh?" Jiu Ya was bending down to examine a stone lotus root that was carved particularly realistically when she heard this and looked up in surprise. "How did Ran Ran know?" Her disguise should have been perfect.

Rong Jiang smiled knowingly, her gaze seemingly casually falling on Jiu Ya's face: "Children in Linzi participate in the Peach Blossom Festival to pray for blessings from a young age; it's a tradition. A-Jiu seems quite intrigued by this place, unlike someone she knows well."

Jiu Ya felt a slight chill run down her spine, secretly praising Rong Jiang's keen observation, but she smiled frankly: "Ranran has a good eye. I am indeed not from Linzi. It's just that my maternal grandmother was from Linzi. She passed away early, and my mother always missed her. I came here this time to see my grandmother's hometown on my mother's behalf." She paused, then countered, "Judging from Ranran's tone, you seem very familiar with Linzi. Could you be a local?"

Rong Jiang gently stroked the cool lotus root stone carving with her slender, jade-like fingers, her smile unchanged. "Yes and no. I did grow up here in my childhood, but I traveled far away for many years and only recently returned. Now, it seems that the scenery of Linzi remains the same, as beautiful as ever."

Jiu Ya's pupils constricted sharply. Sure enough! The analysis from the comment section was correct; Rong Jiang indeed had a deep connection with the old Qi state of Linzi!

She immediately seized the opportunity, her face displaying just the right amount of surprise and delight: "Oh! Ranran is from Linzi? What a coincidence! To my shame, my mother was still young when my maternal grandmother passed away, and I only vaguely remember that my grandmother was from the west of Linzi city, and her maiden name seemed to be... Rong? Or Li? I can't quite remember. Before my grandmother passed away, she still longed for her hometown and relatives, and that's exactly why I came here—to try and find them. Ranran, your surname is Rong, and you're from Linzi, isn't that a coincidence? Maybe hundreds of years ago, we really were from the same family!"

She slightly modified her previous words to Bai Yu, making them sound more sincere and earnest, in an attempt to get closer to him.

"Surname Rong?" Rong Jiang frowned slightly, her gaze falling on Jiu Ya again. She had already sensed the cleverly concealed demonic energy emanating from the other woman. Shang Jiu Ya… Jiu Ya… she wasn't entirely unaware of the name of the newly ascended Demon Lord of the Demon Realm. Coupled with the rumors that the Demon Lord's birth mother was a half-human, half-demon… This Demon Lord has come to Linzi to "find relatives"? Intriguing.

Meeting Jiu Ya was no accident. From the moment she stepped into Linzi City, Rong Jiang sensed these three auras, so different from those of mortals. She was simply curious as to why the Demon Lord had quietly arrived in this human city. Demons had always regarded humans as ants, and she didn't believe that this Demon Lord had simply come to find relatives.

“Yes, that’s right.” Jiu Ya’s breathing was steady and she responded with ease, playing the role of a woman searching for her mother’s roots perfectly. “My maternal grandmother passed away early, and my mother was young at the time. She only vaguely remembered that they were from a prominent family in the west of the city, and their surname was Rong or Li. My mother always regretted this, and as her son, I naturally had to come and fulfill her wish.”

“Linzi is a large city, and the past is long, so finding relatives will not be easy.” Rong Jiang said softly, “Judging from Ajiu’s age, if your maternal grandmother were still alive, she would be in her fifties. At that time, Linzi was still the capital of the old Qi Kingdom, and the Rong and Li families were indeed noble and powerful clans of Qi. However…” She paused slightly, her eyelashes lowered, concealing the pain that flashed in her eyes, “Qi was destroyed under the iron hooves of the previous dynasty, and the fate of the former nobles can be imagined.”

When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact?

“I understand that principle.” Jiu Ya’s expression turned solemn at the right moment, yet it also carried a hint of unwilling hope. “But even if it’s a catastrophe, it shouldn’t be that… the entire family is wiped out, leaving not a single descendant, right?”

Rong Jiang raised her eyes. "Of course, their bloodline continues. It's just that most of them are disliked by the new dynasty, so they either hide their identities or go far away." She paused and added, "Moreover, there are many branches of the Li family in Linzi City, not just the one that was once so prominent." She was clearly referring to the Li family that had produced a crown princess and a prime minister.

The two walked and talked slowly across the stone bridge. There were few tourists on the bridge at the moment, and no one urged them on.

Upon hearing this, Jiu Ya's face showed just the right amount of disappointment and regret. She sighed softly, "If she really went into hiding and fled to a distant place, I'm afraid she would never be found in the vast sea of ​​people..." In fact, she had no obsession with finding her relatives. At this moment, she took the opportunity to back down and create the image of a filial daughter who tried her best but had no choice but to accept reality.

"It is indeed a pity." Rong Jiang's tone was flat, revealing no emotion.

“However, being able to visit my hometown on behalf of my mother is enough to fulfill my duty and express my gratitude.” Jiu Ya sighed again, her tone relieved yet tinged with melancholy. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she looked at Rong Jiang cautiously and tentatively, her eyes expectant yet timid: “But… Ranran, you also have the surname Rong, and you’re from Linzi. I wonder… if you’re related to the old Rong family of the western part of the city? Perhaps we really do have some connection?” She asked extremely carefully, afraid of offending the other woman.

Unexpectedly, Rong Jiang did not show any displeasure. She simply glanced at her and directly denied it, saying, "If Ajiu's maternal grandmother came from the Rong family of the west of the city, then she should have no connection with our branch."

In her view, the Demon Lord's reasons for seeking kinship were full of holes. If he were truly sincere, how could he not even remember the exact surname and resort to mere guesswork? Moreover, the Demon Lord's bloodline was unique, and the characteristics of his offspring from intermarriage with mortals were obvious; they couldn't be easily confused. This explanation was truly clumsy. To claim kinship, at least some token of proof was needed. Such empty talk was like searching for a needle in a haystack, or even... something else entirely.