"You mentioned last time that you enjoy hot pot, so I had some ingredients prepared." The young woman from the Snow Dynasty's Longevity Clan waved her hand, and the other party understood and left.
Before long, more than a dozen maids entered, the one in the lead carrying a pot.
In Xue's residence, there were no male servants to be seen. She said they were all unfortunate girls from other tribes who had left their tribes for various reasons and were eventually taken in by Xue. If they wanted to leave in the future, Xue would not stop them.
These maids respected Xue immensely, calling her Venerable One.
Seeing the life Xue was living now, Jiang Wen couldn't help but sigh. Even that innocent and cheerful girl from back then had matured due to the passage of time. Recalling Xue's childhood appearance and scenes, he found it quite amusing.
Filled with memories and emotions, he looked at the hot pot ingredients laid out before him. Xue had personally confirmed that there were no problems with the hot pot she had prepared, and many of the ingredients were purchased by her at a high price from other places.
The maids each put down the ingredients in their hands and left, leaving Jiang Wen and Xue facing each other.
"I never thought I'd be able to eat Miss Xue's hot pot. I'm truly fortunate," Jiang Wen said with a smile, his gaze sweeping across the table. With so many ingredients, it would be a waste to just eat hot pot. If it were entrusted to skilled hands, perhaps even more delicious things could be made.
"If you like it, you can come often in the future," Xue said gently. "Not many people come here on weekdays."
"Do you rarely have visitors?" Jiang Wen asked curiously, reaching out to throw a piece of burning stone under the stove. Watching the flames rise, slowly boiling the ingredients in the pot.
Smoke rose faintly, and Jiang Wen helped to mix the ingredients in. Hearing the gurgling bubbles, Xue replied without a care, "Yes, not many people."
"If I have time in the future, I'll come often," Jiang Wen sighed, saying with a wry smile.
"Alright," Xue nodded again, and the two fell silent. Only the sounds of birds and insects could be heard as they quietly ate hot pot.
Even after such a long time, tasting those familiar ingredients again still filled him with nostalgia.
When he came out of Xue's residence, Jiang Wen felt full. He had eaten and drank his fill in Xue's residence, and also learned many things.
"Xue is really different from before," Jiang Wen said with a sigh as he walked down the street, looking at the bustling crowds.
Returning to his residence, he knocked on the door and saw Luo Ji come out. She was carrying things, preparing to leave with the child in her womb.
"I'm leaving. Thank you, benefactor, for helping my Luo people clear their name."
"If there is ever a place where I can repay your kindness in the future, please do not hesitate to command me. Even if Luo Ji faces ten deaths without life, I will not have the slightest complaint."
"The child in my womb? I want to name him Chi Que (Red Sparrow) in the future. I hope he can live freely like a bird, and not as the child of the Luo people's saintess, burdened with heavy responsibilities for the rest of his life. The Luo people's burdens do not need to be borne by my child. I will be satisfied if he lives well."
Luo Ji stroked her belly, a look of joy on her face.
Jiang Wen asked her who the child's father was, and Luo Ji shook her head and smiled, "Does benefactor know why we are called the Luo people?"
"I don't know."
"Because, our Luo people's children are not like ordinary races, conceived in the womb and then born. Instead, like little birds, they hatch from eggs."
After Luo Ji finished speaking, Jiang Wen was stunned. He never expected that there would be such a magical human tribe in the world, whose children actually hatched from eggs like birds. Then what do the men and women of the Luo people do? The women can just lay an egg and reproduce.
It's no wonder Luo Ji dared to travel around with a fetus, feeling that she was carrying an egg in her belly, but it hasn't been born yet.
"The Luo people's god bestows upon the Luo people men and women, and only the union of men and women can give birth to descendants. But the saintesses of the Luo people are different; they can all raise descendants on their own. And the only price paid is that the Luo people's saintess can only conceive an egg once in her life." Luo Ji told Jiang Wen about the customs and habits of the Luo people, which was an eye-opener for him.
Thinking of the human race, the giant race, the strongman race, the dwarf race, and so on, Jiang Wen was soon able to accept the fact that the Luo people all hatched from eggs.
Luo Ji said that she wanted to live alone because Jiang Wen had helped her too much. This kindness could not be repaid, and she didn't want to continue to trouble him.
However, Jiang Wen looked at the pregnant Luo Ji and asked with some concern, "Are you really okay? You need to know that in Tianyuan City, you need to spend money to do anything. What can you do in your current state? Why not stay in my official residence for the time being? Leave after the child is born."
"Wouldn't that still be troubling benefactor? I already…" Luo Ji said bitterly. "I can't repay benefactor's kindness, so how dare I continue to enjoy it."
"If everything in the world is spoken of in terms of benefactor, then this world would be too monotonous," Jiang Wen said with a smile. "Why not go? I'm alone anyway."
"… Okay."
Luo Ji finally agreed to Jiang Wen and followed him to live in the mansion bestowed by Tian Wang. This was a rather large mansion with a landscape illusion. Its location in Tianyuan City was not bad, and it could be called a mansion.
Although it couldn't compare to Xue's residence, Jiang Wen was very satisfied to have a place to stay.
He had also gone to see the place where he used to live, which had been taken over for public use. Tian Wang's administrative affairs were conducted in that mansion. No one else could enter, not even Jiang Wen himself.
"I can't enter my own home, how interesting," Jiang Wen joked to himself.
He lived in Tianyuan City for a few more days, until the day the God-Worshipping Ceremony ended. Fireworks soared into the sky, bursting into brilliant light in the night sky.
Jiang Wen sat in the courtyard looking at the fireworks in the sky, playing chess with Xiu Qi.
"The God-Worshipping Ceremony is over," Xiu Qi said.
"I know," Jiang Wen nodded.
"I know you and Xue have some actions in private, but I still want to remind you. Don't forget your original intentions." Xiu Qi made a move, looking at Jiang Wen and saying calmly, "Tian Wang understands many things, actually."
"She understands?" Jiang Wen was surprised.
"Yes, Tian Wang's current cultivation realm has reached a point of perfection. If she wants to listen, nothing in Tianyuan City can be hidden from her. If she doesn't want to know, she will pretend not to know even in obvious matters. Many people are secretly pleased that they can deceive Tian Wang, but they don't know that Tian Wang is just unwilling to argue with them."
"… I know, but it's already decided," Jiang Wen sighed. "You should know that the determination of the Four Saint Marquises will never be easily changed."
"I know, but I hope you can understand." Xiu Qi made his final move, then surrendered and admitted defeat.
"You won."
"Haha, you lost." Jiang Wen looked at the situation on the chessboard and couldn't help laughing.
