"Auntie, I'm telling the truth," A'li said, a little anxious. Why was her aunt so stubborn?
The little girl could see Ye Yao's expression of disbelief, thinking Ji Mo was a骗子 (piànzi - swindler). This made her very speechless. Her aunt's intelligence was truly worrying; she always mistook bad people for good and good people for swindlers.
"Alright, alright, it's all true. Stop talking, I'll take you away now. We can't stay here any longer."
Ye Yao nodded perfunctorily, picked up A'li, and planned to sneak her away. Although it felt a bit underhanded, there was no other way.
"Where are you taking A'li?" Ji Mo's cold voice rang out, appearing behind Ye Yao. He would not allow her to take A'li away.
Ye Yao was startled. She hadn't even sensed Ji Mo approaching. If he had attacked her, the consequences would have been unimaginable. She quickly put some distance between them and said firmly, "Ji Mo, I'm very grateful that you've completely healed A'li. I will repay this kindness in the future. But you clearly have ulterior motives, and I cannot let A'li stay by your side."
"I'll say it again, I have absolutely no ill intentions towards A'li." Ji Mo was a little annoyed. Was this woman sick? Why did she always dislike him?
Then, he saw A'li wink at him and tap her forehead with her finger, giving him a hint. He immediately understood. It turned out Ye Yao's mind was truly problematic.
So, Ji Mo said kindly, "Miss Ye, you see? You can't even take good care of A'li. When she was with you, she was exposed to the elements and lived a nomadic life, so thin she looked like a monkey. My home may not be wealthy, but we have enough to eat and drink. Look, I've raised her to be plump and fair, like a little pig. Isn't that much better?"
Upon hearing this, A'li involuntarily pinched her rosy cheeks, feeling that she had indeed gained some weight recently. Well, she thought, she should eat more vegetables from now on. With that thought, she plucked a ginseng root from the Ginseng King and ate it with relish.
Ye Yao was speechless after hearing Ji Mo's words. It was indeed the truth. A'li used to be sallow and emaciated, but now she was like a delicate jade carving. The difference was truly worlds apart. But what was with Ji Mo's expression when he said this? He looked at her as if she were an idiot. She was perfectly capable of taking care of people! And why was he acting like a great benefactor? There was no such thing as a free lunch in the world, and no one would be good to you for no reason. Everything was a calculation, a matter of interest. She had suffered many similar losses.
Moreover, Ji Mo was too good to A'li, more so than a biological daughter. Even a small sable coat was made from the fur of a Demon Saint. Was that normal? He always claimed to be poor, yet he gave A'li items of immeasurable value. He claimed to have no ill intentions, but who would believe him?
"No matter how eloquent you are, I won't believe you. A'li, I must take her with me. If you dare to stop me, I will not be polite." Ye Yao stopped arguing with Ji Mo, knowing further debate was futile. She hugged A'li and prepared to leave.
"Auntie, I'm not going with you." A'li's blood surged, and her Human King aura erupted, easily breaking free from Ye Yao's embrace. She ran back to Ji Mo's side. She was eating well, living well, and having fun here, so she was reluctant to leave. Furthermore, she could feel that Ji Mo genuinely cared for her. Most importantly, A'li truly felt her aunt was unreliable and that being with her offered no sense of security.
"Human King bloodline! It really is the Luo family's Human King bloodline!" Ye Yao was struck as if by lightning, her face filled with disbelief. When A'li had mentioned it before, she had dismissed it as a lie, but she never expected it to be true. A'li had truly awakened the Human King bloodline, and it was a perfect awakening. The bloodline power within her surged unstoppably, and the Human King pressure she exuded made Ye Yao involuntarily want to kneel in submission.
"Sister, brother-in-law, it must be your spirits in heaven protecting A'li to awaken the Human King bloodline. From now on, who will dare to bully her?" Ye Yao was so emotional that tears streamed down her face. Once the Human King bloodline awakened, one became the uncrowned king of the human race. A'li's status was now incredibly noble, and she would no longer have to worry about being harmed.
"A'li, Auntie will take you back to the Luo family now. Those who harmed you back then must pay tenfold, a hundredfold!" Ye Yao's eyes blazed with the light of vengeance. Years ago, A'li's parents had met with a mysterious accident, and A'li, still an infant, had narrowly escaped a cruel fate, her innate Dao bone in her brow having been dug out, nearly causing her death. This was a deep-seated hatred that she had always remembered. Now, it seemed to be the time for revenge. With the Human King bloodline, A'li would surely be able to control the Luo family and make her former enemies pay with their blood.
"You're crazy, I won't let you take A'li." Ji Mo pulled A'li into his arms, covering her ears. He only wished for A'li to grow up happily and joyfully, and he didn't want her to be tainted by hatred. A child of such a young age, and Ye Yao wanted to take her for revenge, completely disregarding A'li's feelings. How could he agree?
"Heh heh, I understand now. Ji Mo, you've played a clever game. You must have sensed long ago that A'li would awaken the Human King bloodline, which is why you've been so good to her. It's all to firmly control A'li and make her your puppet, manipulated by you." Ye Yao's imagination ran wild, and she immediately thought of the reasons for Ji Mo's kindness to A'li. It was surely a scheme to control the emperor to command the lords, to control A'li, and thereby control the entire Luo family, perhaps with even deeper ambitions.
Ji Mo was speechless. This Ye Yao was truly mentally ill, her imagination was too wild.
"Ji Mo, your ugly face has been seen through, you have nothing to say now, right?" Ye Yao took Ji Mo's silence as a sign of guilt, thus strengthening her judgment. She said coldly, "Give A'li back to me quickly. Given that you healed A'li, I can let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite."
"I will find a way to help A'li avenge her. Have you lost your mind? Taking her back to the Luo family at this time is simply pushing her into a fiery pit. I will not agree." Ji Mo flatly refused. A'li was still a child. The Luo family was a dragon's pool and a tiger's den to her. A young Human King who had not yet grown and had no foundation was no different from an ant to some people. Ye Yao was still too young and didn't understand the dangers of the world. But Ji Mo had watched countless palace dramas and knew about the scheming and treachery involved in power struggles. He would never let A'li take such a risk.
"Ridiculous. Helping A'li get revenge, who do you think you are? Also, your followers are not here at the moment. You, a mere mortal, think you can stop me?" Ye Yao said dismissively, not believing Ji Mo would avenge A'li, nor did she believe Ji Mo had the ability. With a soft shout, she was about to snatch A'li back. But in the next second, her advancing steps abruptly stopped. Her face instantly turned incredibly pale!