Chapter 7: Ling Ji of Zhongshan

Zhao Xiaobo didn't think much of it. "I didn't realize you're such an impatient little girl. I already told you all this food is yours, no need to rush."

Eating the wrapper was shocking at first, but after a moment, he got over it. After all, people used to eat dirt. Plus, her voice sounded normal and there was no sign of blood in her throat, so she seemed fine.

Ling Ji tilted her head. "Didn't you tell me to eat it directly?"

"I did tell you to eat it directly." Zhao Xiaobo suddenly stopped because he realized he had contradicted himself.

"No, I didn't mean for you to eat it like that..."

Before Ling Ji could question further, Zhao Xiaobo threw his hands up in defeat. "Jianghuai, you explain."

"You've never eaten these things before?" Ye Jianghuai observed her for a moment and then asked.

"Mm, it's my first time eating them." She had always eaten freshly prepared meals before, never seen anything wrapped in paper.

"You've never had snacks before?" Now it was Zhao Xiaobo's turn to be surprised. But that explained everything.

"These things need to have the outer packaging torn off." Ye Jianghuai took a pack of bread from the box, tore it open along the perforation, and handed it to her.

Ling Ji took it and put it in her mouth. After chewing a couple of times, the soft, sweet flavor spread in her mouth. She squinted her eyes, showing a satisfied expression. "Delicious."

Seeing her eat happily, Zhao Xiaobo's expression softened as well. "By the way, what's your name and where do you live?"

"Zhongshan, Ling Ji."

"Zhongshan? Is that the Zhongshan Scenic Area in Xiping District, Nanjing?"

"No, it's Zhongshan, 420 li northwest of Qianlai Mountain."

"Qianlai Mountain?" Zhao Xiaobo tried to recall the name and uncertainly looked at Ye Jianghuai. "Do we have such a mountain here?"

Ye Jianghuai rarely fell silent for a moment, his eyes deep and dark under his long lashes reflecting an unknown emotion. "I don't remember."

"You don't remember, so..." It must be a very remote place.

Zhao Xiaobo was halfway through his sentence when he noticed the girl in the backseat had suddenly gone quiet. Ye Jianghuai was a special forces soldier and had to memorize the country's geography, mountains, and rivers. If he didn't remember, that Zhongshan might be an extremely remote, isolated place not marked on the map.

No wonder this girl's attire was so out of place.

"Is your home particularly beautiful?" Usually, the scenery in remote mountainous areas is stunning, untouched by human pollution.

Zhao Xiaobo quickly changed the subject, his voice cautious, afraid of touching a sensitive nerve.

"Mm, it's okay. I haven't been back for many years."

She had been imprisoned in Yushan all these years.

"Where have you been all these years?" Zhao Xiaobo asked casually.

"Yushan."

Zhao Xiaobo: "..."

Damn, another place he didn't know.

Did he feed all his geography lessons to the dogs?

From her expression, Ling Ji could tell he didn't know about Yushan, but that was normal.

Years ago, she fought a celestial being on Yushan for three days and nights, causing mountains to collapse and rivers to flow backward, turning Yushan into ruins. Later, to imprison her, they rebuilt a mountain on the ruins and named it Fenglong, meaning the mountain that seals the dragon.

The Mu family later moved to this place and renamed Fenglong Mountain to Fengling Mountain, meaning the mountain that worships the deity.

Thus, she became the deity of Fengling Mountain.

Time passed quickly in the mountains. In the blink of an eye, many years had gone by. That battle which drained all her power seemed like yesterday. She casually mentioned the now-vanished mountain name.

But there was no need to tell these old unpleasant stories to this mortal.

After all, it was a defeat that led to her imprisonment. Admitting it would be too embarrassing.

Although she didn't continue, her expression inevitably showed dejection and loss when she thought of those days. Zhao Xiaobo, seeing this, imagined something on his own. So when Dr. Jiang Yan received the order to board the car, she saw a tall, handsome man gently tearing open packaging, placing it in the girl's hand with a look of... paternal love?

Wait, something seemed off.

"Reporting." Jiang Yan saluted the man in the back seat. After he nodded and said "Come in," she got into the car with her medical kit.

"Dr. Jiang, please check her for injuries." Ye Jianghuai thought of the accident that caused the convoy to stop, his eyes flashing with a dark light.

"Okay." Jiang Yan shifted her gaze from the girl's ancient, elegant outfit, clearly a masterpiece, and proficiently took out a stethoscope, still thinking, "The cut, sewing, and material of this outfit are top-notch. I wonder if it rivals the craftsmanship of the Jiang family."

Oh, the Jiang family is in the clothing business, specializing in handmade bespoke designs. Many celebrities, businessmen, and politicians are their regular customers.

"Little girl, stop for a moment. Let me check your body before you continue eating, okay?" Jiang Yan raised her stethoscope, smiling warmly. The next moment, her smile froze.

"No."

The girl's firm refusal came, and she moved aside, proving her rejection with actions.

Jiang Yan awkwardly coughed and looked at the young man beside the girl.

"I'm in good health, no need for her to check." Before Ye Jianghuai could speak, Ling Ji interjected and, taking advantage of the moment, hugged the snack box tightly to herself, guarding it closely.

"Dr. Jiang is kindly braving the rain to check on you. Why don't you cooperate?" Zhao Xiaobo, sensing the awkward atmosphere, tried to smooth things over. "We are polite, good kids, right?"

"No." Ling Ji refused again. "I don't like people touching me."

"Why?"

Ling Ji glanced at him, pursed her lips, and said nothing.

Because she... dislikes people.

"Uh... Should I come back later?" Jiang Yan, though eager to stay longer with her idol, felt embarrassed by the uncooperative and upset target.

"No need." Ye Jianghuai spoke up. Just as Jiang Yan thought he might have some interest in her and didn't want her to leave, he continued, "The convoy is already moving. Stopping again would waste too much time."

Jiang Yan's enthusiasm was instantly doused.

Her heart felt ice-cold.

She thought his singleness wasn't just because the girls weren't good enough; he himself had reasons too. Really.

The car sped smoothly along the highway, splashing water. Rain kept hitting the windows, sliding down, blurring the outside view.

By now, Ling Ji had finished all the food in the box, even licking each of her five fingers. If Ye Jianghuai hadn't quickly stopped her and wiped her hands clean with a handkerchief, she might have licked all ten fingers.

She licked her lips, still unsatisfied, and looked at Zhao Xiaobo with bright eyes, almost showing "I want more" on her face.

Zhao Xiaobo glanced at the empty box, then at her flat stomach, gaining a new understanding of women's appetites. "You're... still not full?"

"No." Ling Ji shook her head honestly. It was barely enough to fill the gaps between her teeth, far from being full.

Zhao Xiaobo looked like he had been struck by lightning, staring at her in disbelief.

How could she still be hungry?

There were not just high-calorie snacks like chocolate and biscuits, but also several packs of compressed biscuits, which could make an adult man feel full. She had eaten three packs and was still not full?

Even Jiang Yan, sitting nearby, was shocked. She couldn't help but look at her flat stomach. "Is your stomach connected to another dimension?"

Ling Ji blinked in confusion, not understanding what the woman meant by another dimension, but it was clear these two men wouldn't give her any more food.

Well, if they won't give, they won't give. The downside of them not being her followers is she can't demand anything from them.

The car drove on with Ling Ji sighing.

Ling Ji glanced at the rapidly passing scenery outside, then at the oddly-shaped metal box. Sensing its speed, she showed a surprised expression.

This thing moved without spiritual energy and carried several people without slowing down.

Humans have indeed made significant progress over the years.

But they were still too slow compared to her.

"So, where are you heading this time?" Zhao Xiaobo, feeling a bit guilty for refusing her, tried to change the topic after a while. "If it's on the way, we can give you a ride." If not, he'd find someone else to take her.

"Don't know." Ling Ji shook her head. Before she was imprisoned, she wasn't good with directions, always coiled around him, letting him lead the way.

"You don't know how to get there?" Wandering aimlessly?

This was too reckless.

With society in decline and human nature unpredictable, didn't she realize how dangerous it was for a pretty girl to walk alone?

"I'm looking for someone." Ling Ji thought for a

 moment and replied, "I can sense where he is."

Zhuo Bai had her scale. Even if it was from thousands of years ago, she could still sense her aura on it.

Zhao Xiaobo was speechless.

Sense the location like she was a satellite?

He exchanged glances with Jiang Yan and both saw the same message in each other's eyes.

Confirmed, she's got a screw loose.

"Thank you for the food." Mentioning her mission reminded Ling Ji of her purpose. She thanked them, a basic courtesy instilled by that person. She also remembered the principle of reciprocation, but finding nothing valuable on her, she hesitated.

There were valuable items in her cave, but she had left in a hurry without bringing anything.

Ling Ji hesitated, then bit the bullet, pulling out two strands of her shiny black hair, handing one to each of them. "This is my thank you gift. Keep it safe, and you can use it to ask me for a favor in the future."

Even if they didn't seek her out, they'd still benefit.

The hair carried her aura, though not as potent as a scale, it was enough to ward off evil spirits and keep minor demons at bay.

Zhao Xiaobo instinctively took the hair, feeling its cool, silky texture. No, wait. The issue wasn't the texture of the hair, but why she was giving them hair. Normal people don't give away hair.

Zhao Xiaobo looked at Ye Jianghuai, then at Ling Ji, growing more convinced that the girl had a screw loose.

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