99+1

Passing through a forest of purple iris shrouded in misty twilight, Li Wei and Jiang Han arrived before the small courtyard.

Jiang Han stopped at the foot of the stone steps, looking at Li Wei. He opened and closed his mouth several times, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Li Wei was curious and was about to ask him what he wanted to say, but the young man threw out, "Go in yourself," and before his voice faded, he had already darted far away.

"What's going on?" Li Wei muttered, not bothering to ponder it.

She ascended the steps, her hand resting on the bronze door knocker. She paused, thoughts surging in her mind.

Jiang Xinyue calling her over was probably related to her rocket-like improvement in strength.

In fact, from a rational perspective, she should have played it safe.

For example, she could have accumulated "Essence" first and then added points at a suitable time; or, she could have controlled the speed of adding points, disguised herself as a genius who fit "common sense."

In fact, the first time Liang Qiushi and Liang Yuchuan noticed the abnormality in her Vitality Value, she had already realized this problem.

But, for some reason, deep down in her heart, she didn't want to hide it!

Even, she somewhat enjoyed this "madness" of breaking conventions and disregarding everything!

Whether it was back at the lakeside manor, finishing "Cold Pond Sinking Jade" in five minutes; or at the Fang City hotel, pushing her Vitality Value to 100 points in just two hours!

Only by doing this did she feel exhilarated, did she truly feel that she was still "alive."

[What is this? Some kind of strange psychological defense mechanism?]

She gently shook her head, casting aside these jumbled thoughts.

Things had come to this; thinking more was useless. It was simply a matter of dealing with whatever came her way.

She pushed open the wooden door lightly, took a deep breath, and walked in.

The courtyard was decorated simply yet elegantly, not as majestic or mysterious as she had imagined.

Blue bricks paved the ground, white walls served as a backdrop, and on both sides were several miniature landscapes resembling Japanese dry gardens.

In the center of the courtyard stood a pomegranate tree, its canopy spreading like a parasol, lush and verdant.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

On a lounge chair beneath the tree, a mature woman dressed in a fiery red dress was reclining.

Seeing Li Wei enter, she smiled like a blooming flower, raised her hand, and pointed to the indigo prayer mat beside her, her voice melodious and pleasant, "Sit."

Li Wei didn't stand on ceremony. She gently closed the courtyard door behind her, walked to the tree in a few steps, sat cross-legged on the prayer mat, then grinned, revealing a bright smile, and called out in a sweet, crisp voice, "Hello, Grandmother!"

Seeing Li Wei's lazy demeanor, Jiang Xinyue originally intended to tease her a bit.

But she didn't expect Li Wei to suddenly raise her head, staring intently at her forehead, her eyes filled with curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.

She subconsciously raised her hand, gently stroking the seven-petaled red lotus, and smiled, "What, does it look good?"

"It looks good!" Li Wei nodded vigorously, then immediately asked, "I see the aunts, uncles' wives, and sisters outside also have this mark. Is there a special meaning to it? Why doesn't Jiang Han have it?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xinyue's smile faded slightly. "What meaning? They're just a bunch of imbeciles dressed in monkey skins!"

"Imbeciles dressed in monkey skins?" Li Wei was stunned, clearly not expecting such an evaluation.

Jiang Xinyue disdained, "The women of the Jiang family all use the 'Great Yin Jade Lotus Treasure Scroll' as their fundamental Mind Method. Once their cultivation breaks through to the Spirit Refining Realm and they successfully open their Sea of Consciousness, they can 'plant' a personal Life Lotus in their Sea of Consciousness."

She pointed to the seven-petaled red lotus on her forehead, which seemed to sway with life, "And this is the external manifestation of the Life Lotus's power!"

"But, apart from 'Grandmother' me, there isn't even a mid-level cultivator in the Jiang family now... Tell me, where did their 'lotuses' come from?"

"As for Jiang Han? Only women can practice the 'Great Yin Jade Lotus Treasure Scroll,' that's common knowledge..."

"Pfft~" Thinking of the various colored "lotuses" filling the room, Li Wei found it hard to suppress a giggle.

What was the difference between this and sticking a Rolls-Royce "Spirit of Ecstasy" emblem on the hood of a Wuling Hongguang?

What was the point? Did it look good?

It really fit the saying, outside of home, your status is what you give yourself?

Li Wei couldn't understand.

"Alright," Jiang Xinyue waved her hand as if shooing away a fly, "Let's not talk about them."

Then, she sat up straighter, no longer reclining. "I called you here this time to ask if you are still willing to fulfill the engagement with the Gu family? Or, are you still willing to do what Liang Qiushi asked you to do?"

"Huh?" Li Wei was momentarily stunned. "Didn't we already agree? Can we go back on that?"

[Also, why did they mention a fake marriage? Instead of my abnormal strength?] she wondered.

Jiang Xinyue met Li Wei's clueless gaze, rubbed the corner of her eye, and sighed, "You come from an ordinary background and haven't attended a Martial Arts University, so it's normal that you don't understand your own value. How about this, you listen to me first, and then it won't be too late to make a decision."

Li Wei blinked her large eyes and nodded, "Please tell me."

Jiang Xinyue narrowed her long, phoenix-like eyes and said leisurely, "Every year, about two million students nationwide take the Martial Arts college entrance examination, and only eight to nine hundred thousand can get into a Martial Arts University. Among these eight to nine hundred thousand people, less than five thousand reach Muscles and Bones Ringing in Harmony and are eligible to enter the top three universities."

"As for 'Minor Perfection' above Muscles and Bones Ringing in Harmony, only fifteen people appeared in this year's college entrance examination. Qingyun got six of them, Kunlun got five, and Zhenhai got four. The admissions teachers from the three universities repeatedly visited their homes to persuade them, promising many benefits, and even fought amongst themselves."

At this point, she looked at Li Wei, her eyes filled with complex emotions. "As for 'Great Perfection,' it has never appeared in the college entrance examination... In the past ten years, there have only been four Prodigies who have achieved 'Great Perfection'."

"Going further up, the extreme of 'Great Perfection,' the 'Dao-Approaching Body'... For two hundred years since the Abyss invaded, there has only been one person, the 'Sword Immortal' Yun Sheng!"

"And you, Li Wei," Jiang Xinyue stared at her intently, "you're only eighteen, yet you're one of only two 'Dao-Approaching Body' possessors in China in two hundred years... Are you truly willing to die for someone you've never met?"

Li Wei: ???

She subconsciously glanced at her status panel—[Vitality: 100 (Cannot be upgraded)]

Then, she looked at Jiang Xinyue, who had a complex expression.

After that, she silently glanced at the panel again.

Li Wei then realized, Oh~ so she thought my Vitality Value was only 99! She underestimated me, didn't she? Mine is 99+1...

But, this cheap Grandmother is actually quite nice. Is she starting to cherish talent and wants to protect me?

To be honest, Li Wei did have a moment of temptation regarding Jiang Xinyue's suggestion to "cancel the engagement"...

After hearing about the grudges between the Gu Family and Zhang Family, and personally witnessing a Rank 6 Abyssal Monster that morning, she increasingly felt that "slacking off" on the front lines of the battlefield might not be as easy and pleasant as she initially imagined.

But, you know, when you're alive, many things can't just be decided by calculating gains and losses.

Meeting Jiang Xinyue's gaze, Li Wei grinned, showing off her small white teeth, "I already promised Aunt Liang, and I can't go back on my word. Besides, my younger brother's life is waiting for her to save."

Jiang Xinyue pressed on, unwilling to give up, "I can go find Liang Qiushi and get your brother back. I'll personally treat him and guarantee his safety."

"I can formally recognize you as my adopted granddaughter. From now on, the entire Jiang Family will be your strongest backing. You can reclaim your original identity, whether you want to be surnamed Li or Jiang, it's entirely up to you."

"Everything I've learned in my life, including the complete 'Great Yin Jade Lotus Treasure Scroll' and 'Nine Moon Reflection Swords,' as well as the 'Four Seasons Sword Array' left by my mother to suppress the Jiang Family's fortune, I can impart to you without reservation!"

"'Good granddaughter'," Jiang Xinyue's tone was laced with unprecedented temptation, "Think it over carefully, won't you?"

Li Wei's heart pounded, and she almost drooled, Damn! Don't test a cadre like this!

She forcefully pressed her chest, took several deep breaths, and finally managed to calm her emotions.

If I didn't have my cheat, I'd probably be saying "You have a great eye for people" right now...

It's a pity... I still can't get past my own inner hurdle.

She lifted her head, looked directly at Jiang Xinyue, gritted her teeth, and said with feigned reluctance, "Grandmother, I am tempted, truly. But, as the old saying goes, when drinking water, don't forget the one who dug the well, right? When I was at my most desperate, Aunt Liang pulled me through. Without her, my brother... would probably be gone by now."

She swallowed, "So, I must fulfill Aunt Liang's request! If I can return alive from the battlefield, then I'll come to be your granddaughter... cough... granddaughter!"

After hearing her words, Jiang Xinyue's expression shifted continuously—surprise, scrutiny, pity, and finally settled into deep approval.

She gazed at Li Wei quietly for a long, long time. By the time Li Wei started to feel a bit uneasy, Jiang Xinyue suddenly bent down, leaned forward, extended her fair hand, and gently patted Li Wei's slender shoulder, her voice filled with emotion:

"Good child..."

Li Wei was stunned at first, then a flash of inspiration struck her, and she suddenly realized.

What a trickster! After all that, was she testing my character?!