Jiang Li saw Irene's reaction and celebrated inwardly. It is indeed time for Irene's second spring to come.
Although she is already 43 years old, her cultivation on Life Power allowed her to increase her Life Line and also retain her youthful appearance. She only looked like in her 20's.
Jiang Li continued, "Aunt Irene sure is shy. A little gift from our dear Uncle already made her happy. Look at it, Xiuying; you don't want to ruin such happiness. Why not go play outside and greet the villagers? They have missed you so much, now go." She pushed Chang Xiuying gently and waved at her departing figure. Jiang Li turned to Irene to add another effect in her heart.
"Aunt Irene, if Uncle Jiang only gifted you this scarce flower and not attempt another one, you have to stop interacting with him and let you have the control over your relationship. Remember, you have to also control yourself." Jiang Li playfully winked at Irene as she skipped into her room.
Irene was left dumbfounded. She nervously turned to the window and saw Jiang Hao scoffing before taking his leave. Irene's face turned sour as she bit her lower lip. Her knees gave out and she sat on the floor for a long time, covering her face with both of her hands.
...
Chang Xiuying got chased outside of the house. She clicked her tongue and made a turn to where Jiang Hao is. She pulled the hem of Jiang Hao's clothes. "Uncle Jiang will accompany Ying Er to the aunties and uncles, right? Uncle Jiang won't chase Ying Er out, right?"
Jiang Hao is still looking inside with a hateful gaze; he scoffed and took his leave. "Come with me, Ying Er. How about this, we will live in the forest. That way, you can always play with your new friend. Do you have any farewells to the villagers?"
Chang Xiuying trotted after Jiang Hao. "Un! Play with beast friend, so fun! Ying Er will visit aunties and uncles!" She suddenly sucked her small thumb and looked confusingly at Jiang Hao after her celebration. "Why farewell? We will not come back? What about Aunt Irene and Big sis Jiang?"
Jiang Hao stopped and bent down his knees to level Chang Xiuying's sight. He caressed Chang Xiuying's head before carrying her in his arms. "Do you not want to play with your beast friend for a very long time?"
"Me want! Me want!" Chang Xiuying squealed happily that made Jiang Hao's mouth broke out the sweetest smile. "If that is so, we should say our farewell. Do not worry; we will visit them from time to time. The forest is the only thing that is safe for now."
"Safe? Here is dangerous?"
Jiang Hao just ruffled Chang Xiuying hair before finally leaving the place.
He visited all of the villagers to say goodbye to them and not staying at one house any longer than 2 minutes. After bidding their goodbyes, they departed with three high-level Tier 4 storage rings that he specifically made by himself, he also didn't inquire Irene of such productions.
The storage rings capacity were 2 times more than the storage bag. The items inside Jiang Hao's storage rings were the necessities of Chang Xiuying and him. However, most of the spaces were occupied by Chang Xiuying's stuff, including the clothes that she will wear when she grew up.
Naturally, his friend is alive which made him celebrate and waits for his visit. It may take thousands of years, but who cares?! He won't dare call or request his presence since it's just 3 years that the perilous scenes happened; it will still not subside after a short time. The universe has different time frames after all. He will still wait for his benefactor and also his best friend that he came through come hell and high water.
After all, he still has to find clues with whomever or whatever the Eyeing villain stationed here in the Central Marsh. He also needed to find the people that Chang Xiuying's 'real' parents stationed here to inform them of something.
Irene was dejected by the news she had gotten after Jiang Hao has left. She, too, wanted to leave the village temporarily.
The villagers sighed at the constant leaving of the three prominent figures plus one in the village, though one is just an annoying old hag. However, some were worried by these sudden leaving of the five.
"Aaah! Zhen Chang is now gone! He was apparently contacted by her parents outside the Central Marsh and has to come back to help his family. No one will hunt and supply us meat anymore!"
"Indeed! Especially, Jiang Hao! Why would he want to leave the village suddenly? He is even carrying our little goddess in his arms. Is it about her sickness and she have to live in the forest in order to heal? Oh, I hope that they would come back soon. My storage bag is slowly getting old; I need to order a new one."
"I am disappointed with you, Old Gu Feng. Anyway, do not forget Irene! The strongest husband and wife duo has left us. The ice beauty is clearly our second goddess after Ying Er."
"Why did it have to be that Old Yan would leave too? Does she even have a home and guts to live in the forest much more if it is outside the Central Marsh? People these days were so damn selfish!"
"Hearing all of these rants, all of you were selfish too."
The discussion came to a halt and they slowly turned their glances to the young woman who exclaimed such words. They stared at her with squinted eyes before continuing with a louder discussion.
This made the young woman angry and stormed out of the group. She also left the village and was never seen again.
"That brat, how dare she leave without any goodbyes? How ungrateful!"
The people around shook their heads continuously, expressing their disappointments.
...
Jiang Hao took the path where the white rabbit's place at. The puzzled Chang Xiuying looked at Jiang Hao with her mouth agape. Jiang Hao noticed this; he patted the child's head. "That white rabbit you spoke of is also one of my friends. She's the one who helped me when my life is already at its end when I arrived here at Central Marsh."
Chang Xiuying looked dejected when she heard it. Jiang Hao sniggered, "Ying Er, do not worry about it. Having many friends won't make you lonely, which are also the view of the white rabbit. The more the merrier, as I remember."
It took them 10 minutes to arrive at their destination. The white rabbit looked surprised when she saw Jiang Hao approaching with the little kid she just fought a month ago. She looked puzzled when Chang Xiuying acted childishly in front of Jiang Hao. In contrary to what attitude and manners she showed that day.
"Yao Chen, I'm sorry to have bothered you at such a day." Jiang Hao settled Chang Xiuying down and told her to play, instructing her to not leave his area of sight. He turned to look at Yao Chen and continued. "I extremely apologized. Ying Er is my beloved niece and I have taken care of her since she is a toddler. I also had a covenant with a powerful man, her father, to protect her with all my life. However, I didn't know that the biggest threat to the child is actually the foster big sister.
"Thus, I want to plan everything before settling the matter with Jiang Li. Until that day has come, I would like you to take care of her until she reached seven."
Yao Chen frowned. "What the heck are you thinking? How can you leave a three-year-old to me and settle things that should have been settled now? Also, you had a wife. Why don't you just let her take care of her? Perhaps... it has something to do with that time when you came to me holding a bloodied body of a kid? That is the kid now eyy?"
Jiang Hao smiled warily. "Yes, she is. Although Irene is my wife, I still can't trust this matter to a human. On how I am going to settle this..." He hesitated and sighed. "I have to tell you this just in case the pursuers will find me, please, protect her."
"F*ck." Yao Chen stretches her bunny ears. "That still didn't answer my question, why?!"
"Yao Chen... the pursuers have ears everywhere. They will never let go of such a kid that traverse through universes. If ever they-"
"Wait a f*cking moment, Jiang Hao!!" As Yao Chen shouted, Jiang Hao instantly shuts his mouth. "Listen, I can't understand a f*cking thing about what you were saying. One more, I already told you that my question is not yet answered. Why would you settle things that should have been settled now?!"
Jiang Hao stared at the white rabbit who is now fuming in anger mixed with confusion in her eyes. He looked at Chang Xiuying and anxiously looked at Yao Chen.
Jiang Hao momentarily freezes and eventually surrendered. His usual demeanor came back as he looked coldly at Yao Chen's eyes as if he's drilling through the entire existence of the white rabbit in front of him.
"I have to first inform the branch for information. After that, I have to find or regain contact with the people Chang Xiuying is associated with. Of course, that would be under the rule of her parents. I can only say to you that she is a special character that can change both tides, whether be it bloodshed or none at all, she can do it. After all, she has a unique bloodline residing inside her..."
Yao Chen can only burrow her eyebrows and wait for his continuation.
"Multiple bloodlines, to be exact, and all of them were branded as villains."