Is this the backstabbing and infighting among large families?

Upon hearing that his status was an Outer Sect Disciple, a trace of doubt flashed across Madam Ji's Face. However, she still nodded slightly as a greeting and said in a warm tone:

"Since you are a good friend of Chaner, there is no need to be restrained here. Just treat this as your own home."

She was, after all, a Golden Core Realm Cultivator, so she could naturally see through Qi Yuan's "Foundation Establishment Middle Stage" cultivation base. Coupled with his status as an Outer Sect Disciple, she naturally assumed he was one of her daughter's Subordinates.

Although she felt surprised that her daughter brought a strange man into the manor, this also reflected from the side how much her daughter valued this Subordinate, and she was happy to save Face for her daughter.

For those in high positions, showing respect to win people's hearts, and even treating Subordinates like Family, was a very standard operation, and the results were often very good.

Of course, as the Subordinate, if anyone truly believed it, they would be a capital-letter idiot.

"Madam, you are too polite."

Seeing the other party's kind attitude, Qi Yuan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

It seems that the creature known as a mother-in-law is not as terrifying as the legends say. At least this Madam Ji is quite easy to get along with...

Just as he was secretly thinking about what gift would be appropriate, Ji Chan'er seemed to understand something. She gave her mother a strange look and asked with a smile:

"Mom, where is Dad?"

Madam Ji, not suspecting anything, replied casually:

"Where else could your father be? He is holed up in the study watching a chess game. I don't know what madness has possessed him these days, staring at an unfinished game all day long, muttering to himself. He's almost obsessed."

Ji Chan'er nodded. "Then I won't go disturb him. I'll bring Qi Da to pay respects after he's finished with his business."

You still have to bring him to see your father?

Hearing this, Madam Ji inexplicably felt something was wrong, but she couldn't ask too much. She could only wave her hand and said with a complex tone:

"You go arrange a place for your friend to stay first. Come to my courtyard tonight; Mom has some things to ask you."

Just then, a commotion came from outside the manor gate. A servant hurried over to report:

"Madam, Young Master Ji Yang is here, saying he wants to see the Young Miss."

Hearing this name, Ji Chan'er's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she replied coldly:

"I won't see him!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a figure walked in swaggeringly. The servants of the Ji Clan followed far behind, looking like they wanted to stop him but didn't dare to.

The visitor was a young man in brocade robes and a golden crown. He swept his gaze around the courtyard haughtily, finally fixing it on Ji Chan'er, and said with a smile:

"Cousin, you didn't give your younger brother a heads-up when you returned. It caused me to not even finish my wine. After hearing the news, I rushed here to visit my uncle's house."

Ji Chan'er glanced at him, a look of disgust flashing in the depths of her eyes, and said indifferently:

"Ji Yang, this is my home. I come and go as I please; I don't need to report to you. If you have nothing to do, please return."

"Hold your tongue."

Madam Ji's willow-leaf brows furrowed slightly, and she reprimanded in a deep voice:

"Yang'er is your own cousin. How can you be so rude? If this gets out, people will laugh at us."

After speaking, she looked at Ji Yang with an expressionless Face and said calmly:

"Nephew, your cousin is accustomed to being willful. I hope you can be magnanimous about any slights."

Ji Yang was handsome, but there was a touch of evil in his brows, giving people a feeling of sinister cruelty.

"Aunt, your words are too heavy. This nephew heard that Cousin had returned and was overjoyed, which is why I came uninvited. I hope I am not disturbing the peace of your mansion."

While speaking, he completely ignored Qi Yuan, who was standing to the side, and said directly to Ji Chan'er:

"Cousin, the Clan Chief has been mentioning you a lot lately, setting you as an example for the younger generation, and even gave the brothers and sisters under the knees of several uncles a solid reprimand."

"They have all repented now and want to thank you properly."

Then, a hypocritical smile appeared on the corner of his mouth:

"In another month, it will be the Old Ancestor's 80,000th birthday. As children of the Ji Clan, we have been cultivated by the Family since childhood, so it is time to show more filial piety to the Old Ancestor."

"If your pockets are tight, I can help you out a bit. Don't bring a gift that is too shabby and cause the Old Ancestor to be unhappy."

Ji Chan'er snorted coldly and said unpleasantly:

"Don't think I don't know what you are scheming. How I celebrate the Old Ancestor's birthday is my own business. There is no need for your false sentiments here. If there is nothing else, please return."

Ji Chan'er knew clearly that the other party came here purely to test her.

This cousin had treated her as his greatest competitor since childhood, competing with her in everything.

She had reached the Nascent Soul Mid-stage just after turning twenty, and had also cultivated the top-tier Divine Ability Physique from the "Illusion Yin Heavenly Demon Scripture," the Thousand Illusion Heavenly Demon Physique, which had garnered great favor in front of her grandfather.

If she could also steal the show while celebrating the Old Ancestor's birthday, I am afraid that her second uncle, who was the heir, would feel threatened.

After all, neither the Yin Sha Sect nor the Ji Clan had any explicit rules stating that women could not be the Clan Chief. Even the current Sect Master of the Holy Sect was the previous Saintess.

The female Sect Master had ascended to the position of Sect Master of the Holy Sect strongly after defeating the Saint of the same generation, which had shocked the entire Cultivation World at the time.

Seeing Ji Chan'er's confident appearance, Ji Yang's expression froze, and he said with a fake smile:

"Fine, then I won't say anything more. I will wait to see how you amaze everyone at the birthday banquet, Cousin."

After speaking, he bowed to Madam Ji:

"Aunt, since Uncle is still busy, this nephew won't disturb him. Farewell!"

Having said that, he turned and left without looking back.

Watching this Family drama filled with hidden barbs, Qi Yuan, as a bystander, curled his lips, feeling a bit unsatisfied.

So this is the scheming between great families? It is really interesting. It is a pity that in this life, I am an orphan. All those palace drama TV shows I watched in my past life were for nothing...

And just as Qi Yuan was letting his imagination run wild, Ji Chan'er had already sent her mother away and pulled him along, saying:

"Let's go. I will take you around outside and introduce you to the managers of the ancestral land."

Hearing this, Qi Yuan was immediately energized and nodded, saying:

"That would be great. Then I will trouble Fairy Ji."

He was just looking for an opportunity to go out and look for clues about the Immortal Artifact fragments, and the Demoness Ji had taken the initiative to invite him out to play. It was simply too thoughtful!

Not long after, Qi Yuan suddenly pointed in a direction with an excited expression and said:

"Fairy Ji, I am very interested in that place. Can you take me to see it?"

"Ah?"

Hearing this, Ji Chan'er's expression changed slightly. She gave him a strange look and said with a very serious Face:

"I warn you, that is where the treasury of our Ji Clan is located, and it is guarded by elders of the Hedao Realm all year round. You must never have any designs on the treasury, otherwise, you will die a very ugly death."

This guy was deeply demonic and daring. If she didn't warn him strictly, something big might really happen!