The gluttonous little boy is four and a half years old, and even the wealthy family kneels down and

Zhou Kai did not follow them into the side hall.

He stood outside the corridor, an unlit cigarette between his fingers, leaning against a pillar, his gaze fixed on Xiao Jin, who was squatting by the fountain watching the koi in the distance.

He watched for a while, then walked over.

"Little one." He walked up behind her and looked down at her, "That was pretty impressive. I've never seen a four-year-old lift someone up and throw them into the water."

Without turning her head, Xiao Jin's eyes were still following a red koi fish: "Brother Jia Le bullied Xiao Tian Lin first. Xiao Jin was just playing with him."

"Aren't you afraid of causing trouble for the Yun family?" Zhou Kai said. "They're the kind of family that cares a lot about their reputation. You're an outsider, and if you go too far, they'll dislike you sooner or later. One day they might find you troublesome and just throw you away."

Xiao Jin turned her head, looked up at him, and frowned slightly: "No way. Everyone likes Xiao Jin."

"Zhengbang likes Xiaojin, Jiang Huahua likes Xiaojin, and my grand-nephew also likes Xiaojin."

Zhou Kai curled the corners of his lips, his tone carrying a hint of cold indifference: "Little orphan, you'd better watch out."

Xiao Jin blinked, as if she didn't understand: "What do you mean by 'little orphan'?"

"People like you and me," Zhou Kai said, "people without a home."

"Xiao Jin has a family," Xiao Jin answered crisply and quickly, as certainly as if she were saying the sun rises in the east. "Xiao Jin has a master, Zheng Bang, Jiang Huahua, her grand-nephew, and her nephew. They are Xiao Jin's family."

Zhou Kai didn't say anything more, he just smiled.

There was a hint of amusement in his eyes when he looked at Xiao Jin, but also a faint, almost imperceptible coldness.

Xiao Jin ignored him and turned back to continue watching the fish.

A few seconds later, she suddenly said without turning her head, "Bad Uncle, you'd better start doing good deeds quickly."

Why?

"Because Xiao Jin has already found the big bad guy." Xiao Jin's voice was very soft, as if she were telling a secret that only she knew. "So Xiao Jin doesn't have time to deal with you, you little rascal. If you don't do good deeds, you'll be in big trouble."

Zhou Kai raised an eyebrow slightly.

He sensed a hidden meaning in her words, and almost immediately Zhou Kun's gaunt face came to mind.

Could it be that this child knows something?

He instinctively wanted to ask a couple more questions, but the words that came out were a different kind of probing: "How...how old are you?"

Xiao Jin looked at him strangely: "Four years old. Didn't you see Xiao Jin before? How come you can't even remember that?"

Zhou Kai squatted down, his line of sight level with Xiao Jin's.

He stared at her face, as if trying to discern something in those overly clean eyes.

After a long pause, he asked, half-jokingly, "Are you really a child, or do you have some kind of illness? Dwarfism? Actually, you're already over twenty, aren't you?"

What child is so clever?

Xiao Jin tilted her head, her little face full of confusion: "What is 'pig syndrome'? Xiao Jin is not a pig, Xiao Jin is Xiao Jin."

Zhou Kai was taken aback by what she said, then chuckled softly.

He rarely smiled like that; his brows and eyes relaxed, but he quickly regained his nonchalant demeanor.

He stood up and brushed off non-existent dust from his trousers: "Forget it. You can do whatever you want, just don't mess with someone you can't afford to offend."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Kun's wheelchair was pushed out.

Zhou Kai stopped smiling and quickly went to meet him. Zhou Kun's expression was normal, even more relaxed than when he arrived.

He glanced in Xiao Jin's direction, then said to Zhou Kai, "Let's go."

Zhou Kai nodded, pushed him through the courtyard, and walked towards the gate.

As he was leaving, he glanced back.

Xiao Jin tilted her head slightly as she looked at him.

Zhou Kai stopped laughing, turned his head, and walked into the depths of the lamplight.

No sooner had they left than the area outside became lively again.

Kong Zheng helped his master, Kong Ji, into the courtyard.

Kongji wasn't wearing his Taoist robe today; instead, he wore a gray-white cotton-linen shirt with Chinese knot buttons. With his white hair and silver beard, he had a refined and elegant demeanor, attracting many eyes as soon as he entered.

Kong Zheng followed beside him, his eyes scanning the crowd, and he quickly found Xiao Jin squatting by the fountain.

"Xiao Jin!" he called out.

Xiao Jin looked up, saw Kong Zheng, and immediately smiled: "Kong Kong!"

She stood up and jogged over.

Kong Ji looked down and saw the little girl in a pink dress with a pearl hair clip in her hair. He stroked his beard and asked Kong Zheng, "Is this her?"

Kong Zheng nodded: "It's her. Yun Fengjin."

Kong Ji stepped forward, bowed slightly, and gave Xiao Jin a very light greeting: "Xiao Jin, hello. I am Kong Ji, Kong Zheng's master."

As he spoke, he took out a small red envelope from his sleeve and handed it over, saying, "First time seeing this, take it."

Xiao Jin didn't answer immediately, but instead looked up and sized Kong Ji up and down.

Her gaze lingered on his face for a while before she suddenly said, "Grandpa, wait a moment."

She turned and ran back to the fountain, grabbed a handful of candy from her candy jar, ran back, and stuffed the candy into Kong Ji's hand. "Xiao Jin doesn't take other people's things for free. Xiao Jin will trade with you."

Kong Ji looked down at the handful of colorful fruit candies in his hand, paused for a moment, and then burst into laughter.

After laughing, he carefully put the candies into his pocket one by one, then placed the red envelope into Xiao Jin's palm: "Okay. I'll accept it then."

He straightened up, looked at Kong Zheng, and couldn't hide his surprise in his eyes. "This child is just as you said."

Kongji gave the red envelope to Xiaojin before slowly straightening up.

He looked at Xiao Jin, growing more and more fond of her, and asked, "How has your master, Yun Zhenglu, been these past years?"

Xiao Jin, who was busy stuffing red envelopes into her small cloth bag, looked up at the question with a hint of curiosity in her eyes: "You know Xiao Jin's master?"

"More than just acquaintances." Kongji stroked his beard and chuckled. "We've known each other for a long time. We walked together a few times when we were young, and even had a few magical duels. After he went into the mountains, we saw each other less often."

As he spoke, a hint of sighing crept into his voice, "He's incredibly stubborn. He won't listen to anyone."

Xiao Jin blinked, then suddenly asked, "Grandpa, what's your name?"

"Kongji".

Xiao Jin was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed "Ah!" and clapped her hands together: "You're the Empty Giant Turtle!"

Kong Zheng suddenly lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Kong Ji's smile froze on his face.

Xiao Jin didn't notice; she just tilted her little face up and said very seriously:

"Master once said that there was an old man named Kongji who did everything very slowly, like a tortoise. So Master called him Kongji the Great Tortoise."

After she finished speaking, she imitated Yun Zhenglu, putting her two little hands behind her back and taking slow, leisurely steps, drawing out her words as she went:

"Brother Kong—hurry up—the sun is about to set—the altar isn't set up yet—"

She imitated it so vividly that she perfectly captured Yun Zhenglu's slow and infuriating tone.

Kong Ji's expression first froze, then slowly relaxed, and finally he threw his head back and burst into laughter.

He laughed so hard his beard twitched, shaking his head as he laughed:

"That stubborn old mule is even giving me nicknames behind my back!"

He looked at Xiao Jin, his tone softening, "You little brat, you've learned it quite well."

Kong Zheng whispered from the side, "Master calls Xiao Jin's master 'Stubborn Donkey,' while Xiao Jin's master calls his master 'Turtle.' That's really... evenly matched."

Xiao Jin asked curiously, "What does 'evenly matched' mean?"

Kong Zheng said, "They're just as formidable."

Xiao Jin said "Oh," and then became excited again: "Then Master and the Sky Turtle are both very powerful!"

Kong Ji wasn't annoyed; he just smiled and replied, "Impressive, impressive indeed."

Xiao Jin asked again, "Grandpa, are you here today also to celebrate Zheng Bang's birthday?"

Kong Zheng said, "Yes. The Yun family helped us so much with the Locked Dragon Well incident last time, and we haven't formally thanked them yet. This time, we're taking advantage of the old man's birthday banquet to present a birthday gift as a way of expressing our gratitude."

As he spoke, he took out a rectangular wooden box from his cloth bag. The box was dark red with several fine cloud patterns carved on it. It was unlocked but emitted a very faint sandalwood scent.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jin immediately puffed out her little chest: "Then Xiao Jin will take you to see Zheng Bang! Xiao Jin knows where he is!"

Holding Kong Ji's hand in one hand and Kong Zheng's hand in the other, she took short steps and walked inside.

Kongji didn't struggle and let her lead him.

Kong Zheng followed behind, watching her act like a little master, and the corners of his lips curved slightly.

The three walked through the corridors, past several flower halls, and finally stopped in front of a small hall used for resting. Yun Zhengbang was sitting inside, with Yun Mingyuan and Yun Mingyi on either side of him.

Yun Zhengbang's expression had softened considerably, and he was holding a cup of tea and talking to his two sons.

Hearing the noise, she looked up and saw Xiao Jin leading two guests in. She smiled and asked, "Xiao Jin, who did you bring?"

Xiao Jin called out in a clear voice, "Zheng Bang! These are Kong Da the Turtle and Kong Kong! They've come to give Zheng Bang a birthday present!"

Yun Mingyuan and Yun Mingyi both looked at Kong Ji at the same time.

Yun Mingyuan stood up first and politely greeted him as "Mr. Kong".

Yun Mingyi, sitting in his wheelchair, nodded at him.

Kong Ji smiled and returned the greeting: "I apologize for the intrusion and for causing trouble for Old Master Yun."

Kong Zheng presented the wooden box.

Yun Mingyuan took it, but didn't open it immediately. He simply said, "Master Kong, you're too kind."

"Your presence alone is already a great honor for the Yun family."

Seeing the adults exchanging polite words, Xiao Jin didn't interrupt. She simply let go of Kong Ji's hand and ran to the table to the side.

On the table were several gifts that had already been put away, including scrolls, porcelain, and a brocade box.

Her gaze had been sweeping across the area, but suddenly it stopped.

She tilted her head and stared intently at one of the jade Guanyin statues.

That was the one Zhou Kun sent.

She leaned closer, took a gentle sniff, and waved her hand in the air.

To outsiders, she was simply looking at the jade.

But in Xiao Jin's eyes, the jade Guanyin was emitting wisps of black smoke.

The black aura was extremely faint, yet it was continuous, like a dark mist seeping from the heart of the jade, gradually spreading outwards.

Xiao Jin's face turned pale, and she took half a step back, her eyes wide open.

Kong Zheng was the first to notice that something was wrong with her, and walked over to ask in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Jin didn't say anything, but simply pointed to the jade Guanyin statue.

She whispered, "There's something wrong with that thing."