"Who are they? Why are they here with you?

Old Luo, and who are you?" After the three departed, Ji Changkong settled opposite Luo Tian and pressed him with a deep voice. The mobile phone allowed for easy reading: $\alpha$.

Organized After such a long time, Ji Changkong had naturally sensed Luo Tian’s unusual nature. Those three just now carried imposing auras, clearly not ordinary mortals, yet they treated Luo Tian with utmost deference, indicating that Luo Tian’s status must be even more extraordinary.

Luo Tian’s silence meant he did not wish to answer the question. Ji Changkong sighed helplessly and offered a wry smile, "If you won't tell me, fine.

But how should these two items be handled? Although I don't know what use they have, I know anything taken from those two shouldn't be common junk.

How should I return them?" "No need to return them. They owe you!" Luo Tian stated.

"I've never seen them before. What could they owe me?" Ji Changkong's wry smile deepened as he spread his hands.

"I'm clean, penniless, and haven't known many people my whole life. Someone like them, dressed so richly and clearly of noble birth, I certainly wouldn't know!

What could they possibly owe me?" "Noble birth?" Luo Tian twitched the corner of his mouth dismissively. "Your origin is far nobler than theirs!" Ji Changkong was stunned, staring blankly at Luo Tian, unsure of what to say.

... "Don't overthink it.

Thread this piece of jade with the red cord and wear it around your neck. The Jiezi Bag can hold a great deal, so keep it safe and hidden from others," Luo Tian instructed with a detached expression.

Having said that, he stood up and hauled out jar after jar of Fire Dragon Brew from the backyard, tossing them to Ji Changkong. "There are twenty jars of Fire Dragon Brew in total.

Take them all into the Jiezi Bag. Once these twenty jars are finished, I will have none left, and I don't plan on brewing any more, so conserve it.

Also, I need to leave Qingyan City for a while; it might be a long time before I return. Be careful on your own, and above all else, prioritize protecting yourself!" Luo Tian rarely spoke so much at once, his words flowing more freely only when addressing Ji Changkong.

When he did speak extensively, it was certainly because he had something important to impart, and this time was no exception. "Old Luo, how long will you be gone?" Hearing he was leaving, Ji Changkong felt a deep reluctance to see him go.

"It will be a while. Perhaps by the time I return, you will no longer be in Qingyan City.

But rest assured, no matter where you are, if I wish to find you, I always will." Luo Tian twitched his lips, walked before Ji Changkong, hesitated for a moment, then reached out to gently pat Ji Changkong's head, his action soft and full of paternal affection. ...

Luo Tian left, departing with extreme nonchalance. Ji Changkong was still inside the house; after touching his head, Luo Tian simply turned and walked out.

The moment he stepped onto the street, his figure blurred and vanished. The doors of the three rows of tile-roofed houses stood wide open.

He disregarded everything, seemingly unconcerned whether Ji Changkong would meddle with anything inside the house or if thieves might break in. He departed with such casual ease.

Twenty jars of Fire Dragon Brew... could a small Jiezi Bag really hold all of that?

After Luo Tian left, Ji Changkong wryly took out the Jiezi Bag and compared its size. He discovered that the bag probably couldn't even fit a single jar of Fire Dragon Brew.

However, when Ji Changkong took out one jar and forcefully tried to stuff it into the Jiezi Bag, the jar instantly zipped inside. The Jiezi Bag remained the same size, but the jar of Fire Dragon Brew seemed to have shrunk dozens of times!

Eh! With an exclamation, Ji Changkong reached into the Jiezi Bag.

His arm seemed to shrink significantly as well. He pulled the jar of Fire Dragon Brew out, and as his arm and the jar emerged, they instantly returned to their normal size.

But once inside the bag, they would suddenly shrink again. Magical!

Ji Changkong was overjoyed, finally recognizing the extraordinary nature of the Jiezi Bag. After storing all twenty jars of Fire Dragon Brew, they only occupied about one-seventh of the bag's space.

A tiny satchel could hold more than a large room, and despite containing so much, the weight didn't increase—it was truly a massive surprise for Ji Changkong. The woman who could casually gift such a treasure, what exactly was her status?

Ji Changkong began to suspect the identity of that composed noblewoman again. Shaking his head with a sigh, Ji Changkong realized how little he knew about Luo Tian...

and how impossible it was to know anything about his friends. After a moment’s thought, he untied a piece of hemp rope from his arm, threaded the exquisite jade sent by the fierce giant, and wore it around his neck, close to his skin, just as Luo Tian instructed, covering it with two layers of clothing so no one could see it.

With everything settled, Ji Changkong, full of bewildered thoughts, locked the doors and windows of Luo Tian’s three rows of tile-roofed houses securely before reluctantly leaving, heading in the direction of the City Lord’s Mansion. ...

The City Lord’s Mansion. The guards at the gate recognized Ji Changkong and let him pass with smiles.

He and Ji Wanyun used to visit the Mansion often, but upon entering, they would separate: Ji Wanyun would go inside to see Nie Ruolan, while he waited in the reception hall area for her to emerge, thus avoiding any encounter with Nie Ruolan. Once inside the City Lord’s Mansion, Ji Changkong instinctively headed to the reception area, seating himself on a broad, comfortable rattan chair.

While quietly waiting for Ji Wanyun and the others, he stroked the piece of jade at his chest, pondering its potential use. If the beautiful woman could gift a treasure like the Jiezi Bag, the jade sent by the equally imposing brute must also hold some significant purpose.

His fingers traced the warm, smooth surface of the jade. He could clearly feel a faint, mysterious fluctuation of Yuan Li locked within the stone.

No matter how much he probed, he could not access or utilize the Yuan Li. After fiddling with it for a long time, Ji Changkong still had no idea what the jade was for.

"Oh, Changkong? What brings you to the City Lord’s Mansion?" Shao Kang, the steward of the Mansion, saw Ji Changkong idling there as he passed by and inquired.

"Ah, Uncle Shao," Ji Changkong stood up, smiling and performing the customary greeting of a junior. More than two months ago, Ji Yusheng had mentioned to Ji Changkong that Shao Kang had considered taking him as a disciple.

Ji Changkong had been delighted at the time. However, he and Ji Yusheng waited for a long time at the Ji family residence without Shao Kang ever reappearing to mention the matter again.

Ji Yusheng then assumed Shao Kang had merely been speaking casually and had comforted Ji Changkong a few times. Seeing Shao Kang again, Ji Changkong immediately recalled the matter but did not bring it up himself.

Shao Kang’s eyes were sharp. A mere glance seemed to reveal something to him.

After hesitating, he said, "Changkong, you started practicing the Heavenly Scholar Secret Art early, establishing a solid foundation. Starting another Heavenly Scholar Secret Art now would do more harm than good.

As for specialized techniques, your Ji family’s Scripture Repository has quite a few. After much thought, I realized I truly had nothing more to teach you, which is why I didn't bring up that matter again..." "I still thank you, Uncle Shao," hearing his explanation, Ji Changkong considered it.

It did seem to be the case, and moreover, having cultivated the Surging Waves Art and Heavenly Thunder Strength over the past two months, he wasn't overly disappointed by Shao Kang’s apparent backtracking. "However, if you encounter any difficulties in your cultivation, you can always come to me for advice.

As long as I know the answer, I will certainly explain it clearly to you." "Thank you, Uncle Shao." ... "Changkong, we are leaving!" Ji Wanyun's voice drifted in from outside the door.

Smiling apologetically at Shao Kang, Ji Changkong rose and walked toward the Mansion exit. Outside, Ji Yusheng, Ji Yuxing, and Ji Wanyun were all waiting.

After Ji Changkong joined them, the four walked out of the City Lord’s Mansion together. "Aunt, has the matter been resolved?" Ji Changkong asked on the road.

Ji Wanyun’s face was clouded with sorrow, her brows tightly knitted. She sighed, "The Jia family demands we prepare double the amount of exotic flowers and rare herbs, or they won't drop the issue." "They are pushing too far!

The spirit stones the Jia family sent to Luo and Zhao were hardly worth this price!" Ji Yusheng exclaimed, furious. "Why is the Jia family suddenly making such a fuss at this critical juncture?

We've never had any serious conflict with them before, and the items we returned should have been sufficient. What is the Jia family truly trying to do?" Ji Yuxing was also deeply worried, letting out heavy sighs.

"It's her, it's her! She has come to Qingyan City, she must be causing trouble behind the scenes!" Suddenly, Ji Wanyun's expression changed drastically, her eyes instantly reddening.

She pointed at a figure disappearing around the street corner and shrieked uncontrollably. "Who?" Ji Changkong and Ji Yusheng shouted in unison.

"The Tu family, Zhao Meilan!" Ji Wanyun choked out, on the verge of tears. ...

: Asking for recommendation votes, brothers, send some fierce recommendation votes to support us! Let's charge forward and see how far we can go, okay?!