On the surface, their words sound nice—concerned about me, pledging loyalty in solidarity with the enemy—but who can't tell they're just after a few words? Aren't they just after a share of the spoils from the kidnapping of the Demon Lord?
Ji Mofan glanced at Li Jinchu, who had been standing silently to the side, but only received a helpless shrug from the other party.
They have an attitude of "I can't control you, you're on your own."
Ji Mo Fan took a deep breath.
Then he spat it out again, saying, "Let's go together then."
Well, aside from being a bit annoying, having this group around isn't a bad thing. They can even act as henchmen if we get robbed.
His face is practically a walking battle flag; if he doesn't run into one or two idle people who want to fight him at the drop of a hat when he goes out, it's practically a wasted trip.
Why would he refuse if someone could help stop them?
Besides, even if you really reject someone, what if they follow you around at a distance?
There was no malice intended; a simple "just passing by" would be enough to shut them down. The mansions of the Li family's collateral branches are almost scattered throughout the entire cultivation world, and the Li family of Yuechangcheng is located less than a hundred miles outside the Yuncang Sword Sect. Saying you're going to see anyone would be a perfectly good excuse.
It would be better to merge and go together now.
The group's pace of travel was not particularly fast.
Although it was just a superficial injury, everyone had been afflicted by demonic energy in the demon realm for quite some time. Suddenly returning to the spiritually rich cultivation world was like going from a low altitude to a high altitude. Traveling too fast would put too much strain on their minds, so they all slowed down.
We've already spent so much time in the Demon Realm, what's a day or two more?
As a result, everyone heard those negative rumors about Jimo Fan along the way.
How could a dignified prodigy submit to a demonic sect? Is this a distortion of demonic nature or a loss of moral integrity?
What kind of demon lord would take a fancy to a young righteous cultivator? Is there some unspeakable secret behind this...?
There's all sorts of random stuff being said, but the core point is just one thing:
"Ji Mo Fan must have betrayed the righteous path!"
In the restaurant, a man, drunk, slammed his hand on the table and began to talk loudly with his friend sitting next to him.
"I think it's highly unlikely," his friend replied while pouring wine. "Ji Mo Fan is just a novice cultivator; why would he deserve the Demon Lord's attention?"
"He must have provided the Demon Lord with information about the cultivation world in exchange for the wealth and glory of becoming the Demon Queen!"
"I've heard that things aren't very peaceful in the southern border region lately, and the demonic cultivators there are getting restless."
"The Demon Realm harbors ambitions to invade the borders of our cultivation world, and Ji Mofan happens to become the Demon Queen at this time. What else could it be but collusion with demon cultivators?"
"I also heard that his junior brother, what was his name again... I can't remember, but he also fell into demonic possession not long ago."
"The Yun Cang Sword Sect is really unlucky; how could they have chosen such a person as their chief disciple..."
"What nonsense are you spouting!" someone suddenly interrupted him.
Several men, their faces flushed from drinking, turned around to look. A young, unfamiliar cultivator slammed his fist on the table and stood up, staring intently at them.
"What are you complaining about? It's not you they're talking about." The man's emotions were far from stable after drinking, and he was now slurring his words as he stood up and argued with the stranger.
"Or do you have some kind of relationship with that Ji Mo Fan? Or are you also colluding with demonic cultivators? Did I hit a nerve with you?"
The words he spoke became increasingly offensive, provoking the young man to rush over and want to fight.
“Sir, it’s break time now.” A hooded man at the same table as him stopped him.
The young man was stopped by him. Although he still looked quite indignant, he did not rush forward.
"Don't talk nonsense if you're ignorant. What do you mean Yun Cang Sword Sect is unlucky? It's clearly their sect that's grateful to heaven and earth for sending in such a lucky star as Ji Mo Fan." Although his legs had stopped, the young man's mouth hadn't stopped, and he was still retorting.
"If it weren't for Ji Mofan's outstanding performance at the last Dao Asking Conference, no one would even know who the Yun Cang Sword Sect is now."
The drunk man seemed to want to argue with the young man, but his companion covered his mouth and forcibly dragged him away.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Didn't you see the guy in the hat next to him? His spiritual energy fluctuations are at least at the Nascent Soul stage. How could a piece of trash like you, almost thirty and still not at the Foundation Establishment stage, possibly handle that?"
The customers at that table paid their bills in a chaotic manner and left. The young man returned to Ji Mofan's side and sat down, still feeling indignant.
"Chief of Jimo, why didn't you say so?" he asked, puzzled.
It's clear that Ji Mofan had his reasons for doing those things in the Demon Realm, so why should we let those people talk nonsense?
The person wearing a hood and concealing their face was none other than the very protagonist who had just been discussed.
Ji Mofan wasn't angry at all. He held the teacup and gently turned it around. "What's the rush? When the time comes, the rumors will naturally dissipate."
"Xiao Jiang, if you ask me, you're just too young," another person at the table couldn't help but say.
Although one cannot judge an age from their face, the latter's eyes reveal the marks of time.
The former appears much more naive and foolish, clearly not of the same generation.
Ji Mofan originally intended to go out alone this time, after all, he just wanted to hear how far the rumors had spread, so as to decide whether their journey to Yun Cang Sword Sect should be fast or slow.
He could persuade the people of Yuncang Sword Sect, but he had no right to give orders to the members of the Li family.
Thinking about it again, if I were alone, I would inevitably be secretive and suspicious, which would make me stand out. It would be better to bring two unfamiliar faces with me.
However, he did not expect that this young man would speak up for him when those people were talking increasingly outrageous.
Even now, he still doesn't know what the other person's name is.
The elders of the Li family called him "Xiao Jiang," while Li Jinchu called him "Shiyi."
The jade pendant on her waist was taken off before this trip. Originally, it should have been a white jade plaque, presumably belonging to the eleventh child in the family.
Moreover, he is probably older than Li Jinchu.
Despite possessing Nascent Soul cultivation, Ji Mofan had never seen such a person at the Dao Inquiry Conference. The Li family wouldn't keep an outstanding young man hidden away, so it could only mean that his actual age exceeded the conference's age limit.
Li Jinchu is the eldest son of the legitimate wife, but in reality, he has countless half-brothers and half-sisters. Many are still alive, and many more have died. But regardless of whether they are alive or dead now, as long as they live to the age of ten, they will be included in the family genealogy and become a number in the family ranking.
It's just that those people's talents were unremarkable, which is why when people mention the Li family, they only know Li Jinchu.
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