Ten Years

Three years of observation allowed the old man in the Black Alley to understand the potential hidden within Lou Ji's slender and frail body.

His intelligence, temperament, and innate Root Bone are all among the best in the world.

He wanted to harness this potential for his own use, but he knew that the limits of his mortal body could not contain the great Lou Ji.

The Black Alley is too small a place; it may be her starting point, but it will never be her end.

The old man in the Black Alley knew very well that if he formed a good relationship with such a person when he was young, he could use that good relationship to help him realize his wish to leave the Black Alley when he grew up.

But human greed made the old man in the Black Alley want more.

He wanted to take advantage of the little girl's immaturity and tie her future directly to his Lineage.

It's shameless, but he doesn't care.

Because if he succeeds, when the phoenix soars into the sky, his Lineage will also ascend to the heavens together.

However, the old man in the Black Alley was also very clear that even though Lou Ji was still young, he needed to leave no room for future trouble when dealing with such a person.

If you offend someone and can't be killed immediately, then you can just wash your neck and wait to die.

This is the difference between immortals and mortals, and it is also the shackle that the old man in the Black Alley could not break through in his entire life.

Therefore, the old man in the Black Alley left himself an escape route in every move he made regarding Lou Ji's design.

Just as two fighting roosters placed in a wooden enclosure would fight each other to the death, he simply arranged for Lou Ji to surround herself with people she might offend.

The tasks he arranged were all legitimate transactions with Lou Ji, and the conflicts were caused by Lou Ji herself.

This kind of free-range planning will be a long process and involve a lot of uncertainty, but its advantage lies in its safety.

On the day this conflict erupted, the old man in the Black Alley also began his own plan.

Before Long Xinling even appeared, the air was thick with tension and tension.

A lecherous playboy came to demand Lou Ji's return, but he withstood the pressure and stood in front of her, acting as her protector.

However, the old man in the Black Alley, being just an ordinary mortal, underestimated the audacity of the cultivation Aristocratic Clan.

The lecherous playboy didn't care about the power he held, because his Lineage had no interests in the Black Alley.

As for retaliation afterward? Please, the big shots above don't even consider this old mortal a human being.

I use it simply because it's easy to use.

The one at fault this time was the girl under that old man's command. As long as the lives of the girl and her family are not harmed, the higher-ups will not stand up for one of his subordinates.

After negotiations broke down, fighting broke out.

The servants in the manor were of the same rank as the playboy's attendants, but once they clashed, the servants were at a disadvantage, while the lecherous playboy's other attendants attacked the other lower-ranking guards in the manor.

The battle was one-sided from the very beginning.

This group of guards and retainers who followed him were all loyal followers of the old man in the Black Alley. If too many of them died, it would affect his foundation in the Black Alley.

At that moment, he roared in anger.

He revealed the big shot behind him and told the dude that Lou Ji was his daughter-in-law.

Upon hearing this, the playboy clearly became more cautious.

But the words of the old man in Heixiang were not only meant for the dandy, but also for Lou Ji.

If she acquiesces, then his plan has already taken initial shape.

The old man in the Black Alley wasn't worried at all that Lou Ji would refuse.

This was a desperate measure, because only in this way could he protect her.

Unfortunately, the old man in the Black Alley miscalculated once again.

This little girl is so clever; she saw through his careful and meticulous plan.

After he said those words, Lou Ji lowered her eyes and murmured softly behind him, "So that's how it is."

The words were spoken softly, but were clearly heard by the cultivators inside the mansion.

The old man's reasoning in the Black Alley lost its legitimacy.

After that, things were quite simple.

Under the teasing words of the lecherous playboy, the old man in the Black Alley was forced to order his men to stop.

He didn't understand why Lou Ji would refuse. She was clearly just a daughter-in-law in name only, but things had already come to this point and there was no going back.

Then,

The old man in the Black Alley discovered that this little girl, relying on that incomplete cultivation Cultivation Method, had already reached a strength almost equal to that of the temple's guardians in less than two years.

She had concealed her true strength from him, only revealing it today.

Lou Ji wanted to escape, but she couldn't.

Just as she sensed, the lecherous playboy had a bodyguard in addition to his apparent followers.

The fight between the two left the neat and orderly courtyard in ruins, until the retainer punched Lou Ji's frail body, sending her flying through two thick courtyard walls and landing outside the courtyard.

Just as Xiao Lou Ji was struggling to her feet from the rubble of the courtyard wall, a beautifully dressed young woman strode out of the alley outside the courtyard and into everyone's view.

This appears to be a young lady who happened to be passing by.

Just as everyone was wondering why such a young lady would appear here, she suddenly grabbed Lou Ji's slender hand, which was already stained with blood, as Lou Ji struggled to stand up.

Long Xinling certainly didn't just happen to be passing by.

Ever since her brother told her about this place, she had been staking out outside the mansion for two days.

She had to go home that night, otherwise her brother wouldn't be able to hide it from their father.

She had just arrived here when she heard commotion coming from inside the mansion. Although she was curious about what was happening inside, she didn't dare to knock on the door and ask. She could only anxiously pace around outside.

As the aloof and mysterious little girl crashed through the courtyard wall and appeared before him, Long Xinling, as if possessed, took her hand and ran towards the alley entrance.

The temple servant, after a moment of stunned silence, immediately tried to give chase, but was stopped by the lecherous playboy beside him.

Although it was only for a moment, he saw the tribal crest embroidered on the girl's gorgeous clothes.

That's the Long Family of the Imperial Capital.

After that day, because of Miss Long Xinling, Lou Ji unexpectedly and naturally became Long Xinling's personal maid.

However, Long Xinling had absolutely no sense of being a young lady. This young lady kept chattering away by her maid's side every day.

Time flies, and she stayed by her side for ten years.

During these ten years, Lou Ji was like a shadow of the Long Xinling.

She helped her remove many unfavorable factors.

They helped her transform from a tool for a political marriage into a female official.

It also helped her, as a mortal, to firmly establish herself in the imperial court and the Long Family.

And then,

Xu Yinhe reached out and picked the peach.

Lou Ji, who had been free-range for more than ten years, was officially brought under his command.

As she spoke, Lou Ji's expression was filled with a helpless reminiscence.

She... seemed to really love that period of her life.

Before reaching the courtyard gate, Xu Yuan waited for Lou Ji to eliminate the unwilling retainers inside. He then observed the expression on her face and tentatively asked:

"Then why must we kill Granny Long tonight?"