Qi Sui Bai followed Jian Sheng, a half-step behind, his deference evident. This was the little ancestor's domain, and his role was to support, not to assert his presence.
The onlookers stood far beyond the cleared area of the Qi family. Their view was obstructed by the crowd, making it impossible to discern who the Qi family was welcoming. However, they all sensed that a seismic shift was about to occur in the Qi family, and indeed, in the entire capital.
Even the Qi family members waiting outside the main gate were mostly bewildered, failing to grasp the situation. Their confusion intensified upon seeing a child, no older than a few years, emerge from the car. If not for the presence of the Qi family's elder patriarch, many would have voiced their dissent.
Indeed, the elder patriarch, despite his advanced age and frail health, had personally come to greet them. Jian Sheng had never anticipated such a grand reception when "Xiao Bai" mentioned the Qi family's welcoming party; the entire family had mobilized.
The elder patriarch, leaning on his cane, approached Jian Sheng with a trembling gait. "Are you the little ancestor?"
Jian Sheng's expression grew somber, her childlike voice filled with a profound sense of loneliness. "Ping Nan, you've grown so old. I almost didn't recognize you."
She had met many of the Qi family's patriarchs before, all of whom had eventually turned to dust. She had tried to preserve their lives, but could only extend their lifespans by a few decades; there was little more she could do. Her own growth required millennia, and while she longed to become an adult like ordinary children, she never worried about her lifespan. However, her extended existence had witnessed countless partings and moments of helplessness.
A young voice interjected, "Is the name of my maternal grandfather one that you can use? At such a tender age, you lack basic manners. How did your parents raise you?"
This was clearly a member of the Qi family who, despite his parents' admonitions, harbored doubts and hostility towards the so-called "little ancestor." He was discontent with the fanfare surrounding the welcome of a young girl. They were all direct descendants of the Qi family, having paid homage at the ancestral shrine and the adjacent Chang Sheng Shrine. However, the younger generation, raised in a new era, believed only in science and refused to accept that someone could have lived from centuries ago, let alone a child of mere years. How could anyone in this world not age or grow? They preferred to believe that someone, having heard the legend of the Qi family's little ancestor, had found a child to impersonate the divine. They had seen such occurrences too often in their circles, with people claiming kinship with the Qi family or even abandoning children at their doorstep, creating queues that stretched from the Qi estate to the outskirts of the capital. After numerous such incidents, the Qi family had installed surveillance and guards, apprehending those who abandoned children and handing them over to the police. These events had lessened after the Qi family's approach became known, yet those seeking kinship with the Qi family continued to arrive in unending streams.
In the eyes of some Qi family members, Jian Sheng was no different from those who sought kinship. They believed this child and her behind-the-scenes team had chosen a more peculiar and foolish angle for their claim. They were convinced that anyone with a modicum of intelligence would not devise such a preposterous scam, nor would they fall prey to such a flawed deception. As for why the elder patriarch would orchestrate such a grand spectacle for a con artist? Perhaps he merely intended to expose their fraud publicly.
The young man who had spoken glared at Jian Sheng, filled with the triumphant glee of exposing a fraud. A dignified woman beside him tensed, instinctively pulling her son back and cautiously observing the elder patriarch's expression. She was prepared to reprimand her son the moment the elder patriarch showed any sign of anger, deeming it better than the patriarch taking action himself.
Others also meticulously watched the elder patriarch's demeanor, attempting to gauge his attitude towards these interrogators. To their disappointment, yet also their elation, the elder patriarch did not reprimand them. This emboldened the young man, who had felt a pang of guilt after speaking, to rally once more. He thought his grandfather must have already seen through the fraudsters' clumsy tactics and was merely testing them. The young man, brimming with excitement, prepared to press his advantage.
However, the elder patriarch's subsequent actions left him utterly dumbfounded. Disregarding the thoughts of the Qi family members behind him, the elder patriarch's aged, cloudy eyes remained fixed on Jian Sheng, unable to shift. Their gazes met. Although her appearance differed from his memories, both her tone of voice and her demeanor matched his recollection. He recalled that this very phrase had been spoken to his father. The scene felt as if it were yesterday.
Tears welled up in the elder patriarch's eyes. He instantly understood his own father's feelings at that moment. His knees buckled, and he was about to prostrate himself before Jian Sheng. Startled, Jian Sheng quickly used her magic to support the elder patriarch, preventing his movement. This was the mortal realm; if the elder patriarch were to kneel before her in front of everyone, how could she continue to reside with the Qi family?
An invisible force held the elder patriarch, stopping his action. However, he showed no signs of shock, having already witnessed the little ancestor's various divine abilities, which only strengthened his conviction that this was indeed the little ancestor. Jian Sheng, running over, took the elder patriarch's rough, dry hand, which felt like grasping a dying tree bark. The elder patriarch bowed slightly, his expression one of flattered astonishment.
Jian Sheng examined the elder patriarch's body using her magic, pouting softly as she spoke, "Ping Nan, I am a mortal now. You can call me whatever you wish, but please do not reveal my identity in public. I've finally managed to be a mortal for once!" Her voice was not loud, but she made no effort to deliberately lower it. After all, the elder patriarch had brought these people here, presumably knowing her identity. Her words were not just for the elder patriarch but also for everyone else to hear. In the cultivation world, she had been weary of the disciples' constant prostrations. If it were to continue like this, could she live in peace? She did not wish to be looked upon with peculiar gazes wherever she went.
However, these words, to others, sounded like classic deceptive rhetoric, where one claims inconvenience in areas where they possess no real ability, thereby evading scrutiny. Jian Sheng had evidently become the person they imagined. These words must have been taught to the child by the con artist group behind her!
The young man who had spoken earlier fell silent. He had managed to push his way to the front and clearly saw the elder patriarch's knees buckle. This matter might be truly serious! Shivering, the young man quickly retreated back into the crowd, hoping his grandfather hadn't noticed him. After finishing her examination, Jian Sheng suddenly opened her small hand, revealing a pill the size of a fingernail.