The Head Wolf Raised to Ruin

People from the Central Plains had come, looking for someone.

Was this a gift returned for the rough framework he had provided?

After a moment's thought, Qin Yi casually handed the note to Ruan Su, then slowly walked to the door and saw off the chirping bluebird. He watched it fly toward the azure sky after the rain, then remarked brightly:

"The old boss's people are pretty decent."

Ruan Su had been holding the note, hesitating over whether she was allowed to read it. At his words, she immediately sneaked a glance at its contents. She raised her eyes and blinked, seemingly thinking of something, before finally nodding:

"Hm? Mm... mm!"

Qin Yi looked back at her with amused eyes.

"Big Sis, do you even know why I said that? You're just standing there going mm, mm, mm."

Ruan Su thought for a moment, then looked away. Her graceful figure curled in slightly, her shoulders lowered, and she raised a hand to clutch the crook of her other arm. Shaking her head, she laughed softly.

"N-No idea... hehehe."

"..."

Seeing her like this, Qin Yi knew that her changes over the past seven days had been even greater than expected. He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head and began considering Sister Correction Plan 2.0.

Ruan Su's subjective will, instincts, and nature could be viewed separately.

Just as her outward appearance had shown when Qin Yi first found her, Ruan Su's nature had always been more like that of a beast than a human's.

Over the years, driven by that nature, Ruan Su had constantly tried to seize Qin Yi's control over the entire "family." Though unconsciously, she had indeed been doing it, using every kind of method to establish her authority—only to be struck down from a higher dimension by Qin Yi's systematic theoretical framework.

But that did not mean Ruan Su had achieved nothing at all.

Qin Ke was the most recent example.

The nature of a beast guided Ruan Su's actions, driving her to seize the leader's position, while her instinctive gifts allowed her to make the right choices time and again.

Together, the two had created a natural-born "torchbearer."

A leader destined from birth,

Born to illuminate the road ahead for others and lead them onward.

That was how it should have been, and how it ought to have been.

But,

She had met him.

Ruan Su's subjective consciousness should have slowly taken shape through the mutual support of her instincts and nature. Yet for his own survival, Qin Yi had forcibly interrupted that process, twisting her subjective consciousness into his appendage, which in turn suppressed and even permanently wore away at her nature and instincts.

The old Ruan Su could still maintain her leader's nature through indispensable violence. But as that indispensability was diluted, as Qin Yi's only two weaknesses were gradually patched up, the leadership qualities emanating from him had already become crushingly stronger than hers.

Whether it was one mountain not tolerating two tigers, or like kinds repelling one another.

Theoretically speaking,

Ruan Su's best choice at this point was to leave.

If she left Qin Yi, the nature and instincts etched into her bones would gradually repair her subjective consciousness. But the dependency formed over the years meant she would never make that choice.

And Qin Yi would never take the initiative to push her away.

He knew perfectly well what rotten things he had done.

If this big sister truly came to her senses, he would be raising a monster to become his enemy.

So,

Was Ruan Su's current posture an inevitable result?

Before an absolute superior, animals instinctively restrain their aggression and use movements suited to their body structure to show harmless submission, thereby gaining things like protection.

Ruan Su was now like such a little beast. She carefully hid her claws and fangs, displayed that she posed him no harm, and bared her most vulnerable "belly" to him.

The subjective consciousness cultivated within Ruan Su and the beastly part of her had begun, little by little, to press the head of her "instincts and nature" down and make them "acknowledge him as master."

Having thought this through,

Qin Yi straightforwardly changed his approach.

Originally, he had planned to painstakingly arrange one or two scenes like "a beauty saving a hero," perhaps even manufacture an incident where he "could not cultivate," so that Ruan Su would once again realize how indispensable her strength and abilities were, thereby awakening the parts of her nature and instincts that had been suppressed.

But thinking about it carefully, was that really necessary?

No one was indispensable.

Once one became strong enough, a siphoning effect would naturally arise, and great talents would naturally gather at his side.

Whether Ruan Su ultimately became a torchbearer, a commander, a general, or even fell to becoming a soldier, Qin Yi could accept it all.

Still, Ruan Su's upbringing had to continue, only he would no longer spend as much effort on it as before.

Sure enough, he still would not stop walking forward for her sake.

The siblings walked together along the road to Yellow Bamboo Town.

This time, Qin Yi did not have Ruan Su carry him.

Though he had suffered a severe injury only seven days ago, with the medicinal stones his big sister had bought in town and Spirit Resonance's transformation of his body, Qin Yi's condition was now far better than when he had awakened ten days earlier.

And he had grown taller.

Half an inch, two centimeters.

He was now 1.32 meters tall.

Ruan Su walked about half a step behind Qin Yi, seemingly unconsciously imitating those guards. A cloth pouch hung from her waist, heavy with the entire family fortune Qin Yi had told her to bring.

Though she did not understand, she still did as she was told.

Qin Yi tried entering Cultivation Sight. Finding no discomfort whatsoever, he openly resumed his breathing exercises.

Because of the autumn rain that had lasted seven days, most of the traffic on the main road was coming out from Yellow Bamboo Town. There were not many coming down from the mountains.

After weighing his words slightly, Qin Yi suddenly asked:

"Big Sis, why do you think the old boss sent me that paper slip?"

Ruan Su froze at the question. She pursed her lips and answered softly:

"Because... he thinks highly of you?"

Qin Yi did not waste the effort to determine whether this was a belly-baring sort of flattering lie. Smiling faintly, he replied:

"Thinking highly of me is true, but that isn't the answer to the question. I told you before that the old boss puts profit above all else. The relationship between us is fundamentally transactional. Didn't I have you trade that sheet of draft paper for silver that day? You must have peeked at what was written on it too, right?"

"Um..."

Ruan Su grew a little nervous, and an embarrassed blush rose across her cheeks. She really had peeked at it back then.

Qin Yi paused, reached out to take the girl's slightly cool hand, and said softly:

"This transaction looks equal, but supply and demand are actually imbalanced. I can sell the knowledge in my head to other forces, while the old boss currently has only me to provide him with solutions. The essence of this transaction is that the old boss used unequal violence to forcibly pin me to this bargaining table."

"..."

Warmth spread through her palm. Ruan Su only half understood, remembering only that Little Yi had never spoken to her of such things before.

Qin Yi paid her no mind. He knew Ruan Su could understand; the question was merely whether she was willing to. He continued:

"And the old boss realized that too. He wants to establish a long-term partnership with me, so he is compensating me with an information advantage that does not line up."

"Oh... so that's how it is."

Ruan Su seemed to have finally recovered some of her intelligence. Instead of saying nonsense like "Little Yi, you're amazing," she thought of the note delivered by that sparrow and asked quietly:

"Is it... that girl?"

Qin Yi nodded and immediately affirmed her.

"Big Sis, you're really sharp. From the information we have so far, it seems only that girl's family could have come from the Central Plains."

Ruan Su was a little happy at the praise. She giggled, then asked curiously:

"Then... Little Yi... are you going to find the old boss?"

Qin Yi immediately rolled his eyes at her.

"That sparrow flew west. West is the direction of the prefectural city."

That expression of Little Yi's stirred an urge in Ruan Su to rub his cheeks, but it was instantly suppressed. The happiness from being praised faded, and she said dejectedly:

"...Oh."

"And following our earlier deduction, the old boss should have another purpose. Big Sis, do you know what it is?"

"...No."

"Think carefully."

"Mm... to win you over?"

"..."

Qin Yi withdrew his thought that this big sister's intelligence had reclaimed the high ground and patiently explained:

"You could tell how extraordinary half that girl's clothes were, and the old boss saw them that day too. This note could be called a favor, or it could be called a warning.

"In any case,

"The old boss is an interesting man. We should be able to work together for a long time."

Ruan Su thought seriously, nodded, then suddenly asked softly:

"So... we're going to Yellow Bamboo Town now to pin that girl's... matter on the Meng family?"