Ji Xia sat next to the small pavilion beside the artificial hill, looking at the middle-aged man opposite him.
"Aren't you going to eat me?" the middle-aged man suddenly asked.
Ji Xia shook his head.
The middle-aged man looked up at the mansion and said, "A noble like you should usually disregard the lives of other beings. Why the sudden desire to punish the wicked and remove the evil? That Li Lang seems to have no conflict with you."
Ji Xia then smiled and said, "Precisely because I am a noble, I follow my heart in speech and action. I saw those donkey-headed people annoy me, so I simply killed them all. What does it matter?"
The middle-aged man nodded. "Over the past few days, I have observed the donkey-headed people coming and going. Even their higher-ups have some strength and can deal with ordinary practitioners of divine powers. But if they wish to deal with someone as powerful as you, they should definitely think twice."
"Not to mention you live on Zhongjing Street. Even if they had a hundred times the courage, they wouldn't dare to make trouble on Zhongjing Street."
Ji Xia knew that the cultivation level he had displayed earlier at the slaughterhouse was already strong enough, at least at the third level of divine powers.
When he first entered the Great Fu, he encountered practitioners of divine powers and spirit control, but the Great Fu was home to millions of beings from various races. How many of them could wield spirit control or divine powers?
Divine powers might be common among the soldiers of the Great Fu, but for the ordinary citizens or merchants of the Great Fu, such beings were lofty and awe-inspiring.
In Feng Fu, even a first-rate merchant shop, if it had a divine power practitioner as a backer, could face almost no troubles.
The middle-aged man suddenly stood up and bowed his chest to Ji Xia.
Ji Xia, seated on the jade chair in the pavilion, looked at the middle-aged man before him.
"Benefactor, my name is Shi Yang. Thank you for saving my life."
Ji Xia gave a slight nod, signaling for Shi Yang to sit down. Shi Yang shook his head and continued, "I am willing to serve the benefactor for one year to repay your kindness."
Ji Xia, with interest, asked, "One year? Is your life only worth one year?"
Shi Yang's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "Benefactor, you may not know, but if I serve you for one year, if you are dissatisfied with me at any time within that year, I will serve you for the rest of my life."
"If I manage to satisfy you with my service in this year, I ask that you grant me my freedom afterward."
His gaze flickered slightly. "I have important matters to attend to, and cannot afford any delays."
Ji Xia smiled and said, "I originally saved you on a whim, but now you've piqued my interest. Let's do as you say."
Shi Yang bowed again, and a strand of spiritual energy began to float from him, ready to outline the contract with the Father of the Land.
Ji Xia waved his hand, dispersing the spiritual energy, and stood with his hands behind his back, staring at Shi Yang. "I don't trust easily, so I'll observe your performance for this year."
Shi Yang froze for a moment, carefully looking at Ji Xia, before finally bowing. "Thank you, benefactor."
Ji Xia casually nodded and turned to look at the two children, who had finished the pastries and were now staring at him with wide eyes.
The two children, successfully captured by the pastries, confessed that the boy's name was Shang Luo, and the girl's name was Shang Qianqian—one was eleven years old, the other ten.
Seeing the hopeful looks on the children's faces, Ji Xia said to Shi Yang, "Take Shang Luo with you and look for a rabbit-eared girl named Su Yao. The palace gates of Xuyang Palace are closed, and no one can leave the outer city."
He looked around at his large courtyard. "This courtyard is too big; I need a maid to clean it. If you find her, bring her here, and let her take care of it."
Shi Yang immediately left with the smiling Shang Luo.
Before leaving, Shang Luo, acting like a little adult, gave Shang Qianqian a careful reminder, and then followed Shi Yang.
Shang Qianqian, with her big eyes wide open, stared at Ji Xia and muttered, "Uncle, do you have more of those pastries?"
Ji Xia no longer cared about the girl's request, about to speak when footsteps came from the door.
He signaled to Ji Lin, who quickly stepped forward to open the door.
Soon, Ji Lin brought a beautiful young woman, dressed in a green flowing top with a horse's body from the waist down, to Ji Xia.
Seeing Ji Xia, the beautiful young woman quickly bowed and said loudly, "Greetings, Young Master Qin."
Ji Xia raised his hand to signal her to continue.
"I am a messenger from the Fan family mansion. My young mistress has ordered me to escort Young Master Qin to the banquet."
"Escort?" Ji Xia blinked, noticing the woman's horseback, which began at her waist, with a luxurious jade saddle and all the necessary accessories.
Ji Xia did not want to comment on the customs of the rich in the Great Fu, but after a moment, he asked, "Can I bring my attendants to the banquet?"
The horseback woman nodded respectfully. "Of course. It's common for young masters in the Great Fu to bring their servants to banquets."
Ji Xia picked up Shang Qianqian and placed her on the woman's horse, saying, "I'll take you to eat."
Shang Qianqian, somewhat drowsy, nodded, and Ji Xia told the horseback woman, "Just follow me."
Afterward, he gave Ji Lin a signal and left the door. Ji Lin, not knowing where he had learned it, waved goodbye to Ji Xia.
"This wooden block is about to come alive."
Ji Xia shook his head and muttered with a smile.
Zhongjing Street was quite long, stretching over eight or nine miles. However, the Fan family mansion wasn't far from the Yanxiang Pavilion. With a leisurely walk, they arrived in just a quarter of an hour.
The Fan family mansion was vast, and from a distance, it didn't look like a single mansion, but rather like a complex. Countless night pearls adorned the walls, making the mansion beautifully lit and illuminating the streets.
At the entrance of the Fan mansion, two figures were waiting for guests. As Ji Xia approached, he noticed they looked no different from humans, except for their purple skin.
They greeted the guests with smiles, appearing quite skilled in the task.
Ji Xia, the horseback woman, and Shang Qianqian reached the door, and one of them quickly approached and asked, "Is it Young Master Qin who has arrived?"
Ji Xia nodded secretly. These welcoming servants were indeed professional.
The horseback woman beside him nodded. "It is indeed Young Master Qin. The young mistress said that if Young Master Qin arrived, she would personally go out to greet him."
A few well-dressed young men and women, upon hearing the horseback woman's words, glanced at Ji Xia, then at the girl on the horse, whispering to each other.
Within moments, a young woman in a flowing tassel dress and a warm smile hurried forward and greeted Ji Xia with a bow.
"Brother, Fan Zhu is late."
Ji Xia smiled, gently took Shang Qianqian off the horseback woman's back, and placed her aside. He said, "I brought an extra guest, is that alright?"
Fan Zhu glanced at Shang Qianqian and, seeing her delicate and innocent appearance, squatted down to pinch the girl's nose before saying to Ji Xia, "Brother, as a noble guest, even if you bring a hundred guests, the Fan family won't mind."
Ji Xia nodded when suddenly there was a stir in the crowd. A girl in red with a small red symbol on her forehead was slowly approaching.
At first glance, she exuded great vigor, but upon closer inspection, she was graceful and alluring, giving an extremely stunning impression.
Fan Zhu apologized, stepping forward to greet the red-dressed girl. "Princess Shi Yu has arrived. I apologize for not welcoming you sooner."
Ji Xia casually glanced at the girl named Shi Yu, showing no particular interest. Led by the purple-faced servant, he entered the Fan mansion.