The Female Cannon Fodder With Boundless Merits
Chapter 396 - 400: The Demon’s Gratitude (23)

Chapter 396: Chapter 400: The Demon’s Gratitude (23)

Su Li harnessed the Chaotic Power within the Chaotic Space to envelop the fragment completely, gently nurturing it.

It was unknown which year or month this King Cup would be able to recondense into a complete soul body and awaken again.

With the inclusion of this soul fragment, the once cold and silent Chaos seemed to be injected with a trace of vitality, warming Su Li considerably.

Having experienced the formidable benefits of Merit Power, Su Li naturally could not just sit by and wait to die, enduring the weakness of his consciousness, he received the next Merit Master.

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Extra (1)

In the Tianyao Dynasty, following the death of the former Emperor, the New Emperor ascended the throne.

The New Emperor wielded his great axe to radically reform the old regulations and systems, creating a flourishing and prosperous age.

While he vigorously implemented the new policies, many of the aristocratic families whose interests were affected pushed back the hardest, at times even threatening the life of the New Emperor.

Among them were the remnants of the deposed and confined Eldest Prince, causing trouble as well.

In the end, with the help of the Loyal Imperial Party, the New Emperor swept away the decline and centralized all power in his own hands.

Being a member of the Loyal Imperial Party, the Su Residence also became a much sought-after new noble in the court.

Especially after Su Li, the sole heir of the Su Residence, went missing during his travels, and with no one from the Su Family to succeed, the New Emperor’s favor and trust in them reached unprecedented heights.

Su Residence

The clan elders of the Su Family once again stepped into the Su Mansion, which had changed its entrance.

"Changlin, you’re also over fifty years old now, and with Su Li’s life or death uncertain, with no news for so many years, I’m afraid that... the bad outweighs the good," one elder remarked.

"There’s that saying, such a vast estate cannot possibly be without a successor, right? Besides, do you really want no one to carry on after you die?"

"If you don’t approve of the Shitou Family’s young master, what about the Shun Family? His wife just gave birth to a boy, their fifth son, and he’s willing to adopt out the infant to you."

"A child so young won’t remember things; if raised properly, he’ll be no different from your own grandson."

The clan elder’s eyes gleamed as he analyzed all the advantages and disadvantages for Mr. Su, speaking earnestly and waiting for his agreement.

Mr. Su, already an Imperial Minister, could see even more clearly than the clan elders and was not swayed by their arguments.

His ascent to his current position was closely related to having no successor; why would he ruin his own future?

Moreover, once he was dead, he would be but dust; what meaning would clan or offspring have then?

Besides, he firmly believed that his son Su Li was not dead, merely unable to return from some corner of the world.

Sharing this belief were the Old Madam of the residence and his own wife.

Hearing from the gatekeeper that the clan elder had visited again,

The Old Madam, having not even taken breakfast, rushed over with the help of Shi Jiaojiao.

Upon seeing the clan elder, the Old Madam glared with undisguised disdain.

While Mr. Su, being of lower status, had to be careful with his words, she did not.

Casting aside her dignified manner, the Old Madam spat out as soon as she opened her mouth, "You old coot, do you only come to my home to curse my children and grandchildren?"

Confronted by the Old Madam’s fierce and aggressive manner, the clan elder’s boldness wilted. He still remembered the Old Madam’s fiery temper from her youth and her ability to entangle and harass various masters.

It was only after the Su Family’s rise that she had restrained herself, not wanting to implicate her son.

This demeanor of hers brought back to the clan elder the remembered dread of being dominantly scolded by the Old Madam with her son in tow.

Quickly changing his approach that he had held in front of Mr. Su, the clan elder put on a smile and said hesitantly, "How could that be, what do you mean? How could I ever curse your offspring, we are all descendants of the same ancestors..."

The latter phrase was also a reminder to Mr. Su.

The Old Madam scoffed, "If you’re not cursing us, why try so hard to push some distant branch’s child on us?"

"That’s because... because Su Li..."

Old Madam planted her hands on her hips, speaking aloud, "My dear grandson has merely gone on a journey. Who knows, he might return tomorrow. Stop harboring those ulterior motives, as if I’m unaware of your schemings...."

Shi Jiaojiao, who had come with her maternal grandmother, was also full of righteous indignation.

Compared to the other masters of the Su Residence, they merely insisted on believing so in their hearts, but Shi Jiaojiao was much more certain.

She firmly believed that her cousin Su Li had gone to seek immortality.

Su Li was so powerful that even demons were no match for him and would be devoured; what mishap could possibly befall him?

"My cousin is mighty indeed. He’s gone in pursuit of Changsheng, not at all like you all imagine...."

Uncle and auntie have handled things well, prohibiting adoption. Should cousin return and find he’s lost his place in the residence, he would surely feel aggrieved.

To bring up Changsheng, such an excuse...

It was sheer placation, all too dismissive.

The clan elders departed the residence once again, enraged.

Shi Jiaojiao strutted, feeling triumphant for having helped maintain her cousin’s standing within the family, and was utterly delighted.

After the clan elders had left, Mr. Su, now as cunning as an old fox, questioned Shi Jiaojiao closely on why she had said such things.

Mr. Su, with his ability to read subtle cues, could naturally tell that his niece genuinely thought this way.

Shi Jiaojiao appeared confused, "Cousin, cousin is just that awesome, you know. He even devoured a demon.... Oh right, you’ve eaten demon flesh too, and you said it was extremely delicious."

The three masters of the Su Residence: "...." No, I didn’t, don’t talk nonsense, when have we ever eaten demon flesh?

With a secret delight, Shi Jiaojiao cheerfully added, "It was on a day when cousin invited everyone in the residence for a full fish feast... that was the Carp Spirit that once lived here...."

This time, it was Mr. Su and the others who were shocked, their worldviews shattered.

Had they misheard, or was their niece...

This talk of the existence of demons...

It was Mr. Su who remained the most composed. As an Imperial Minister with exposure to many matters, he’d heard whispers of some imperial secrets, though he had never taken them seriously, dismissing them as fabrications.

Now, he wondered if those might actually be the truth.

Shi Jiaojiao recounted all that had happened in the residence before.

Old Madam, holding back her temper, asked again, "Why didn’t you say so earlier?"

Shi Jiaojiao: "Ah... you, you never asked me...."

Despite their disappointment and self-reproach for not understanding their own grandson/son, the prospect that Su Li, just like Shi Jiaojiao said, obtained an opportunity to seek immortality, comforted his grandmother and parents more than the thought of his death.

That was indeed good news.

The next day, the master of the Su Residence changed from their usual despair to an extraordinary vigor.

Old Madam even invited a highly skilled female doctor into the residence to look after her health.

They needed to take good care of themselves; if Su Li were to return and find they hadn’t held on, it would certainly grieve him.

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Extra (2)

A loud "bang" as a porcelain bowl shattered echoed from within a room.

Following that, a young Maid emerged holding the broken pieces, while a circle of old women and maids was seated in the corridor, cracking melon seeds and chatting.

Seeing the Maid come out, they all started asking questions at once.

"Didn’t he eat again?"

"He didn’t."

"Leave him be; if he’s not eating, it means he’s not hungry. He’ll eat when he’s hungry."

"Precisely, he still thinks he’s the noble Prince, but it’s been years since the New Emperor ascended the throne, and I heard the New Emperor is quite displeased with him."