Chapter 00256: Meeting with a Smile, but Holding a Grudge
# Meeting with a Smile, but Holding a Grudge
Chapter 256
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 256: Meeting with a Smile, but Holding a Grudge
“Ji Jue—"
Luo Feng squeezed the words out through gritted teeth, "If you’re not in some sort of trouble, then I swear I’ll go to Cliff City today and take you down with me!!!”
“It was you who threw the first stone!”
Ji Jue was taken aback.
He had already heard enough amusement through the receiver and decided not to tease him further.
"I just need a favor, could you help me contact your teacher—"
"Dream on!"
Luo Feng erupted in fury, cutting him off before he could finish. “No way! I knew you still had your thieving heart, always thinking of my aunt... Wait, what did you just say?!”
“I said—”
With a helpless sigh, Ji Jue took a deep breath and almost shouted, “Help me contact your teacher!!!”
Thus, another awkward silence ensued.
It was not until Luo Feng managed to vanquish his former self, pretending nothing had happened, that he spoke again, his voice still trembling. “What do you need your teacher for?”
“A signature.”
“A signature for…?”
Luo Feng’s words trailed off suddenly, as if he had remembered something.
A long silence lingered on the phone.
Whether it was shock or envy, he asked, “So soon?”
“I want to ask the same thing, but I really don’t have the guts.” Ji Jue shrugged. “I can only ask for your help now.”
“Got it.”
Luo Feng didn’t dwell on his tangled emotions any longer, simply saying, “I’ll talk to my teacher. Send me the address and I’ll get it to you today.”
The call ended.
The beeping sound from the phone left Ji Jue momentarily dazed.
Today?
Estimating the distance between Tide City and Cliff City, coupled with the difficulty of transportation in the wilderness these days, it seemed they would have to send someone to take a day cruise airship to make it in time…
Of course, it was the Luo family, even a signature came with such extravagance.
The second signature was thus easily settled.
But then, another problem arose…
The teacher, Master Kong, had now two out of the three signatures needed, but where to find the last one? The two previous masters were quite reputable; the last one couldn’t be too underwhelming…
Otherwise, wouldn’t that diminish the value of the guarantee?
As he squatted on the steps, contemplating with a goblin-like focus, his phone suddenly vibrated.
A message from Professor Ye.
Just a location and an address.
Then, Ji Jue started scratching his head, comparing it with the address Tong Zhizhi had previously sent him, only to find no differences at all.
Was this location…
From the Tong family?
“Hello? Is Huan Huan there?”
Ji Jue dialed the number and naturally heard the annoyed voice on the other end, “Who’s Huan Huan? Who are you calling Huan Huan?! Ji Jue, I’m warning you, watch your attitude! I just transferred a few tens of millions to your account yesterday!”
Tsk.
The downside of getting too familiar, even Ji Jue wasn’t called ‘bro’ anymore.
Yet, since they were friends and so familiar, he still needed to rely on Lady Huan Huan to help clean up some goods later.
It wouldn’t do to scare her off.
Before Ji Jue could respond, the voice on the other side floated over, “Did you just click your tongue at me?”
“No, no! How could I?!”
Ji Jue’s eye twitched slightly.
That naturally sensitive Ether Sprite, I’m going to personally pull out all your sunflower seeds!
To avoid further banter, he decided to get straight to the point, “Are you home?”
“Ah? Me?”
The voice on the other side sprang awake instantly, panic in their tone. “What… what do you want?! Are you really that short on money lately?”
Slap!
Ji Jue smacked his palm against his own face, completely numb.
Why did everyone he talked to today seem to be on different wavelengths?
“The Tong family! The Tong family!”
He defended weakly, “I’m here to visit your house for a matter, see if you could guide me a bit. Should I bring some fruit or milk or something? Consider it a bribe for Minister Tong.”
“……”
Once again, a long, awkward silence ensued.
After a while, the voice finally sounded wary, “I sent you the address; call me when you get there.”
If only they’d said so earlier.
Ji Jue hung up the phone with a sigh.
Is the world really that harsh these days? Why was it so hard to ask someone to do a favor? It wasn’t just one or two people who were either too interested in wickedness or went overboard, or both.
By the time he managed to articulate his request, it felt more like a kidnapping!
What kind of image did he have in others’ minds?!
Little Bull kept racing along, and twenty minutes later, Ji Jue had reached the edge of Cliff City.
Looking back over the green mountains, he could see the city in the distance, ships continuously departing or returning in the harbor, bustling and unending.
Following the rarely traveled flat road up into the mountains, the lush green woods began to reveal a large compound nestled among them.
There weren’t any luxury decorations outside, and the security was minimal to the point of being nonexistent.
In front of the ancient and quaint gate, there was only a frail old man wearing Cliff City’s standard three-piece suit, lazily sipping Kung Fu tea in a rocking chair.
It was barely past noon, and he had no idea how many cups he had downed already; the leftover tea leaves next to him looked nearly mountainous in a plate.
“Old man?”
Ji Jue peered in and waved, “Excuse me, where should I park the car?”
“Just park anywhere.”
The old man casually pointed to an empty patch of ground in front of him, glancing at Little Bull, and clicked his tongue in appreciation. “Nice car… young man looks quite impressive, where did you get it?”
“From the city, from the northern district.”
“Come, come, have a seat, drink some tea.”
Seeing Ji Jue laden with bags, the old man welcomed him warmly, skillfully pouring water.
The tea leaves almost piled high as mountains in the covered bowl; Ji Jue’s brow twitched with the sight.
After being cooked in hot water, the rich tea soup floated with a layer of tea oil, almost reflecting his own shadow.
Seeing his eye twitch, Ji Jue had no choice but to refrain from decline.
They really did have their own concentrated flavors in the Federation.
“Hey, in these two years, it’s rare to see such a young lad visiting.”
The old man sighed, pouring another cup. “How old are you? Barely in your twenties, young and promising indeed! When I was twenty, I was still pushing around a cart selling fish balls. Now I’m old, and all I can do is keep the gate, the glory days are gone. Oh, you’re looking for a painter, huh? That fellow is probably just waking up. You can just go inside, walk to the back fork, turn right, and go ahead for a bit, you’ll be there. Ah, there aren’t really many rules, just what the outsiders say. Go on, go on, being young is great…”
After drinking a cup of tea and chatting with the lonely old man for a bit, Ji Jue hadn’t realized how far he had been led in.
He even saw the old man waving him goodbye enthusiastically.
Until he encountered a yawning Tong Hua in the winding paths.
Both of them froze.
“How did you get in?” Tong Hua stared, astonished.
“Ah? Didn’t he say it was free to enter?” Ji Jue responded blankly, glancing back at the now-invisible big door. “The old man at the gate let me in and even pointed the way.”
“Which old man at the gate?” Tong Hua’s expression stiffened.
“That one in the vest and shorts with flip-flops, seemed lively enough.”
“……”
Tong Hua’s expression immediately became more complicated, a struggle to express.
“Is there a possibility…” she took a deep breath, helplessly asking, “The energetic old man at the gate you mentioned… is it my family’s great-grandfather?”
Then, in the silence, it was Ji Jue’s turn to become numb.
“Your great-grandfather?”
“Yeah.”
“Isn’t he the… elder of the Tong family?” His eyes began to twitch. “Are you sure?”
Tong Hua asked calmly, “Do you think in the Tong family mansion, besides the great-grandfather, anyone would dare to wander around in shorts and flip-flops?”
“……”
Ji Jue fell silent for a long while, stammering after much hesitation, “Very lively indeed.”
Here was a celestial being, the great-grandfather of the Tong family, working as a gatekeeper right at the mouth of his own home? What kind of situation is this?!
How could he also be a joker!
At this point, Ji Jue could only be thankful that during their earlier chat, he hadn’t directly mentioned the ‘dog-breathed Xu Chaoxian’ to kick things off…
After all, he was also a strong figure within the Ethereal First System, Ji Jue didn’t dare to speak behind his back, nor could he even think about it, and could only scrape together compliments for the great-grandfather’s striking appearance, easygoing nature, and simplicity, a truly rare hero who deserved admiration like the endless flow of the southern river.
Until he unexpectedly tripped and fell without warning, he promptly closed his mouth.
“A signature?”
Once Ji Jue explained the situation to Tong Hua, she nodded. “I know. Recently, Tong Zhizhi’s equipment is being remade, and they’ve brought in some incredible fellow out of nowhere. He’s been busy for a long time, just over at Uncle Zhao’s workshop.”
Ji Jue’s eyes lit up. “That should be it.”
“Are you sure?” Tong Hua looked skeptical. “I’ve heard he really likes to show off, his nose is pointing toward the sky. If you go over, don’t be turned away at the door.”
“That’s not possible.”
Ji Jue shook his head decisively. “Actually, I’m best at dealing with craftsmen. Most people find craftsmen cold and distant, but that’s a misconception; everyone is actually quite warm-hearted inside. So long as you open up and improve understanding, there’s nothing that can’t be talked over.”
Then, five minutes later, he stood at the entrance of the workshop, greeted by a face that looked as if it could collapse at any moment.
It was as unsightly as it could get.
The young apprentice appeared to have been waiting there for who knows how long, the subtle swelling of his face filled with rage and impatience.
Like Ji Jue, he leaned on a crutch, but unlike Ji Jue’s which currently served as a toolbox, his was a legitimate crutch, with a cast on his right leg.
At that moment, upon seeing Ji Jue, the apprentice’s eyelids twitches violently.
He instinctively gritted his teeth.
“Ji Jue…”
He forced the words through clenched teeth, as though he was about to lung at him and swallow him whole.
The guiding Tong Hua also froze for a moment, glancing at the other person and then back at Ji Jue, increasingly doubtful. “Cold exterior, warm heart? Are you sure this is the kind of ‘cold and warm’ you meant?”
“Isn’t that because we haven’t opened up yet?”
Ji Jue shook his head and stepped forward, enthusiastically grabbing the other’s hand.
Especially the one holding the crutch.
He shook it vigorously.
“Hello, hello! Nice to meet you. Is there some misunderstanding?”
Curiously, he asked, “What should I call you, brother?”
The crutch user stumbled back, almost falling to the ground.
He had intended to lash out at Ji Jue, but after hearing his words, his expression turned an even more nasty shade—iron blue flushed with streaks of red, a deep darkness enveloping him.
“Misunderstanding?”
The apprentice’s rage reached a boiling point. “Didn’t you break my leg? What misunderstanding is there! What are you pretending for?!”
Ji Jue was momentarily stunned, dazed, staring at the apprentice for a long time.
His gaze fell heavily on the other’s leg.
He remained in a daze for a long moment.
Mainly, when he usually got into a scuffle, he didn’t tend to leave survivors, and thus running into a victim all of a sudden left him without a clue of how to respond.
It was until a sudden spark struck him; he had a moment of clarity.
“I remember you!” Ji Jue smacked his forehead. “You’re that guy!” he exclaimed. “From the frontier post at Spring City, you were the one in the association lounge… what was his name? Zhou… Zhou…”
“Zhou Cheng!!!”
Zhou Cheng’s eyes turned red as he could no longer bear the humiliation.
If it weren’t for the inappropriate setting and his leg still not being cured, he would have lunged at Ji Jue, ready to settle scores right then and there.
Ever since his grandfather had sent him back to the workshop, he had been brooding over this for a long time, scheming night and day to find a chance for revenge.
He had envisioned countless scenarios of their reunion.
Only he never expected that, in less than half a month, Ji Jue would forget who he even was!
In truth, if not for the poisoned arrow he had initially lent him which had played some part in Kyro hitting Lao Deng, Ji Jue wouldn’t even have remembered his surname.
At this moment, now enemies gathering, only Zhou Cheng’s eyes were burning with rage, making his demeanor even more humble and desolate.
He wanted to say something, but his body suddenly stiffened.
As if rebukes rumbled in his ears.
Breathing heavily, he fixed his gaze on Ji Jue’s face.
With deep-seated resentment, he pulled away.
“Follow me.”
With his crutch, he turned and walked toward the back door, “Grandpa has been waiting for you for a long time.”
(End of Chapter)