Chapter 489: 489. Great changes in living people

Translator: 549690339

After Gu Xiaonuan released Ji Xiaoshu from the space, she figured out how to play the complete game of “changing a living person.”

So, Zhengzheng, who had just entered the space, came back in a moment.

Laughing, Zhengzheng praised Gu Xiaonuan, “Little Sister is so smart!” Then he whispered to Su Liang and Gu Ling, “I didn’t even see what it looked like inside, let alone Yan Auntie.”

Su Liang smiled, “You can go in again later. How did it feel?”

After thinking for a moment, Zhengzheng said, “It’s amazing… like a dream.”

The next task for Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu was to have Gu Xiaonuan release the other people from the space.

Ji Xiaoshu patted his chest and said, “Little sister will definitely have no problem! Auntie Yan was originally disguised as the master’s appearance, but I told her to remove the disguise and tie herself with a rope to the others! After all, little sister only recognizes Auntie Yan! Releasing them one by one would be too tiring for her!”

“I think it’ll work.” Zhengzheng nodded his head in agreement.

The two of them hugged Gu Xiaonuan and went to the next room, teaching her to close her eyes and look for Yan Shiba.

Ji Xiaoshu had already verified in front of Yan Shiba that calling out for Gu Xiaonuan was useful, so at this moment, Yan Shiba should be ready and calling for Gu Xiaonuan from inside.

Gu Xiaonuan held the “water drop” in her little hand and obediently closed her eyes. After a while, she opened her eyes, a surprised look on her face, “Aunt Yan!”

Zhengzheng nodded, “It’s Aunt Yan. Little sister, close your eyes and think about letting Aunt Yan out.”

Gu Xiaonuan closed her eyes again, and said with a giggle, “Aunt Yan! Come out!”

In the next moment, Zhengzheng hugged Gu Xiaonuan, afraid that the ceiling would drop people on her, and ready to dodge at any time.

As a result, the three of them looked left and right, and saw nothing.

Gu Ling and Su Liang at the door also found it strange, as Yan Shiba should have come out by now.

It turned out that there was a sound of heavy objects falling from the roof…

Su Liang and Gu Ling immediately rushed out and saw a string of people tied with ropes rolling down from the roof, screams rose and fell, accompanied by Yan Shiba’s affectionate call to Gu Xiaonuan…

Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu ran to the window and looked down. They saw Gu Ling catching the first person before he hit the ground, and Su Liang taking out a dagger and cutting the rope connecting the second person…

As Gu Ling caught them and Su Liang separated them, they cooperated quite seamlessly, with no casualties.

The last one to fall was Yan Shiba. However, she had already adjusted her posture on the roof and stood stably, so she jumped down herself, shouting, “Girl, catch me!”

Su Liang reached out and caught Yan Shiba, who fell from the sky.

Yan Shiba hugged her tightly, “I thought Mo Yan was dead and we could never get out!” After speaking, she let go of Su Liang, blinked, and asked, “Mo Yan is dead, right? Otherwise, how did the magic treasure end up in Nuannuan’s hands?”

Su Liang shook her head with a smile, “Not yet dead. I was initially not sure if any of us could control that space, so I spared Mo Yan’s life. He should be arriving in the capital city around tomorrow.”

“You and Gu Ling can’t use it?” Yan Shiba expressed surprise, “Only Nuannuan can use it? Haha! I knew it, my Nuannuan is the best!”

“She’s mine.” Gu Ling said indifferently.

Yan Shiba snorted, “I’ll fight you again some other day!”

Seeing that Yan Shiba had lost a lot of weight and there were a group of strangers beside her, all looking haggard and uneasy, Su Liang suggested they rest first.

Gu Ling called Zhu Zan over and asked him to make arrangements for everyone who had come out of the space, except for Yan Shiba.

Entering Yuanming Pavilion, Yan Shiba continued to call for Gu Xiaonuan, “Baby, are you asleep?”

“Not yet!” Ji Xiaoshu’s voice came from upstairs, “Aunt Yan, we’re coming!”

Carrying Gu Xiaonuan in his arms, Zhengzheng ran down the stairs with Ji Xiaoshu.

Upon seeing the children, Yan Shiba’s eyes instantly softened, “My baby Nuannuan is my lucky star.”

Su Liang asked Yan Shiba if she was hungry, and Yan Shiba rubbed her thin face, “You still have to ask? Can’t you tell? If Nuannuan hadn’t saved me, I would have starved to death! I could only eat coarse grain porridge every day in there, it had absolutely no taste, not even salt! Now I feel so weak! I need meat!”

“I want to eat meat too, the one Master makes!” Ji Xiaoshu said to Gu Ling with a smile. He hadn’t been locked up for long and actually had dinner, so he wasn’t very hungry.

Gu Ling nodded, “Alright, wait for it.”

Yan Shiba and the children were playing in the Yuanming Pavilion. Zhengzheng brought some desserts for Yan Shiba to snack on, and Su Liang brought her a pot of hot tea before going to help Gu Ling start the fire.

The two were not sleepy either. The problem that troubled them was finally completely resolved tonight, bringing them indescribable relaxation and joy.

Yan Shiba had played an important role in pretending to be Su Liang, so Gu Ling decided to cook a few of her signature dishes as a reward for her.

The fire in the stove roared, casting a warm glow on Su Liang’s smiling face. “I bet Mo Yan’s face will be a sight to see when he finds out his space has been usurped.”

Gu Ling nodded slightly, “He will find out, as will Sheng Yue.”

“I don’t know if Sheng Yue will have the patience to complete the good deeds you asked him to do,” Su Liang said. “But it doesn’t matter, even if he runs away, it’s fine. We still have plenty of time to look into the rest.”

All was peaceful in the world, and the major crisis had been resolved.

In the Yuanming Pavilion, Gu Xiaonuan was too sleepy to keep her eyes open. Zhengzheng carried her to the nearby couch, tucked her in with a blanket, and placed the “water droplet” next to her.

“We need to find a way to have the jade piece attached to little sister, so she won’t lose it,” Zhengzheng said.

“Master will find a way,” Ji Xiaoshu thought it was a small problem. “Yan Auntie, when you were locked up for so long, were you worried that you might never get out?”

Actually, Yan Shiba was worried, even a bit desperate, but in front of the children, she bravely boasted, “Not at all! I believed that you would find a way to save me!”

“Yan Auntie wasn’t scared at all? So amazing. If it were me, I would definitely be scared,” Zhengzheng praised.

“Well, I was a little scared,” Yan Shiba said seriously.

Ji Xiaoshu immediately asked, “Scared of what?”

Yan Shiba grinned, “Scared that I’ll never eat meat again in my life; I would rather kill myself!”

Su Liang’s voice came from the doorway, “The meat is here.”

Gu Ling finished the first dish of sweet and sour ribs. Su Liang brought it over and placed it on the table. Yan Shiba immediately grabbed a rib and started to eat.

“No one is fighting you for it, eat slowly,” Su Liang said. “There are still a few more dishes.”

Ji Xiaoshu also picked up a rib with his fingers, “Meat tastes better when you snatch it.”

Su Liang smiled, “You can all eat together; she can’t finish it all by herself.”

By the time Gu Ling brought the last soup, Yan Shiba was already full. She drank a bowl of steaming hot chicken soup and leaned back comfortably in her chair. Looking at the sweetly sleeping Gu Xiaonuan not far away, she sighed, “It feels so good to be home! When Mo Yan comes, I’ll hold him underwater in the lake, let him taste the bitterness of drowning. As long as it doesn’t kill him, I’ll drown him until he almost dies!”

Su Liang had no objections, and would just follow Yan Shiba’s lead.

Feeling sleepy after eating and drinking, Yan Shiba yawned, kissed Gu Xiaonuan, and walked out, “I’m going to find my bed… The bed in the space is too hard; my old back is about to break.”

After Yan Shiba left, Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu carried Gu Xiaonuan upstairs to bed.

Before closing the door, Ji Xiaoshu winked at Gu Ling, “Master, you and Master’s wife should celebrate tonight. We won’t disturb you! It would be great to have another little brother!”

Having a little brother was not in Gu Ling and Su Liang’s plans, but a “celebration” was necessary.

The two had experienced one trouble after another since they first met. They hadn’t had many truly peaceful and carefree days. Now, thanks to their daughter’s blessing, they finally reunited after a long separation and can enjoy real peace. They could relax their minds and engage in activities they love.

The next day, when Gu Ling and Su Liang got up, the three children were already playing downstairs.

“Mom!” Gu Xiaonuan saw Su Liang and conjured a blanket, lifting her little chin with sparkling eyes, as if presenting a treasure.

Su Liang gave her a thumbs up, “So impressive. Give me back my blanket.”

Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu both laughed. Zhengzheng taught Gu Xiaonuan how to retrieve the blanket, and Gu Xiaonuan quickly succeeded. She had completely mastered the use of space manipulation.

Soon everyone in the family saw Gu Xiaonuan’s “superpower” and praised her with astonishment. Gu Xiaonuan found that everyone enjoyed watching her “magic,” so she showed off even more and took Cen Man, Lao Bai, and Weng Ming into the space to look around before releasing them back.

Gu Ling and Su Liang also planned to take a look inside the space, but they decided to first finish handling their current tasks. By now, they had a general impression of the space from what those who had entered told them.

Yan Shiba was hanging on Weng Ran’s arm, resting her head on Weng Ran’s shoulder like a boneless person, “I’m so tired, I haven’t recovered yet.”

The next moment, when she heard Gu Xiaonuan call her “Auntie Yan,” Yan Shiba instantly revived and rushed over with a smile on her face. She kissed Gu Xiaonuan affectionately, and spoke gently, “Nuannuan, do you want to go out and play? Shall we go horse riding?”

Weng Ran asked when Cheng Yun and the others would be back, and Gu Ling estimated it would be in the next two or three days.

After a while, Yan Shiba suddenly approached Weng Ran again, whispering mysteriously, “Little Ranran, be honest, have you taken a fancy to Little Yun?”

Weng Ran immediately shook her head, “No, we’re just friends. I’m just asking casually, don’t overthink it.”

“Really?” Yan Shiba expressed doubt.

Weng Ran nodded, “Really.”

“What a pity.” Yan Shiba sighed, “There’s no chance for Little Yun and me. I’ve already come to terms with it since we’re not compatible. I need someone who’s handsome and likes excitement; otherwise, it’s so boring! But Little Yun is so beautiful, we can’t let outsiders benefit from him, I was thinking of matchmaking the two of you!”

Weng Ran held her forehead, “No need. You should worry about yourself.”

“That’s not acceptable, I’m your elder sister! I’ll definitely keep an eye on your lifelong matters! While Cheng Yun is not back, think more about his cuteness.” Yan Shiba was determined not to give up so easily. To be honest, her interest in Cheng Yun before was not only for his good looks, but also related to the fact that he was a monk. Although she claimed to want Cheng Yun to leave monkhood and be with her, what really attracted her was his pure and untainted demeanor as a monk – the opposite of her life. Plus, an assassin pursuing a monk was so thrilling!

Now that she was back home and thinking about Cheng Yun, Yan Shiba no longer found the male-to-female relationship aspect interesting.

Weng Ran smiled, “Yan sister, you’re becoming more and more adorable.”

Yan Shiba blinked, “We can live together as well.”

There was a cough from the side, and Weng Ming cleared his throat, “You’re both still young, there’s no hurry for your lifelong matters. Take your time.” He seemed worried that Yan Shiba would lead Weng Ran astray.

However, Yan Shiba had just been joking, so she laughed it off.

In the evening, Qiao Cong and Qiao Jing escorted Mother Peng Wu and her four children to an inn for a stay.

After dinner, seeing the lively atmosphere outside, Qiao Jing took the twins for a walk.

“Uncle Jing, will we reach the capital city tomorrow?” Ale asked.

Qiao Jing nodded, “If we’re fast, we should arrive before it gets dark.”

“How much longer till we reach Grandpa’s house?” Axin asked.

Qiao Jing thought for a moment and said, “Probably another month.” Yao City was too far away, and since the children were young, they couldn’t travel day and night, so the pace was slow.

“That’s so long. Mother must want to get home sooner.” Axin sighed softly.

Qiao Jing held one child in each hand, walking from one end of the street to the other. The children weren’t as curious as when they first arrived at Jiaye City, but they still enjoyed playing outside and even ate sweet fermented rice balls at a street stall.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of horseshoes from the direction of the city gate. Qiao Jing looked over and saw a group of horses coming their way.

Qiao Jing led the children to the side of the road. In the dim light, illuminated by the lanterns, he saw the people coming towards them.

As the leader approached, Qiao Jing saw his face, hesitated, then his expression changed to joy as he shouted, “Peng Fan!”

Ale’s eyes brightened, “Brother, it’s Uncle! Uncle is here!” They had heard Peng Wu mention the name Peng Fan several times in the past few days.

Peng Fan also saw Qiao Jing and spurred his horse to come closer. He dismounted and walked quickly towards Qiao Jing. “Is my sister alright?” he asked as soon as he approached.

Qiao Jing nodded, “Your sister is fine. She’s resting at the inn.”

Only then did Peng Fan notice the two children held by Qiao Jing, his expression momentarily taken aback, “So these are…”

“Uncle, I’m Axin!” Axin said seriously with his little face.

Ale rushed over and hugged Peng Fan’s leg, “Uncle!”

Peng Fan’s nose tingled for a moment, and he bent down to hug the two children. Holding one child in each hand, he picked them up and strode towards the carriage that had just stopped.

The Peng family didn’t arrive quickly because Madame Peng insisted on coming to pick up her daughter personally. At this time, Peng Wei, Peng Qian, and Madame Peng were sitting in the carriage. When they heard the noises outside and pulled the curtain aside, two children were shoved into the carriage.

“Grandfather, Father, Mother, these are my sister’s children.” Peng Fan’s voice was filled with an excitement he could not hide.

After a while, the procession moved forward again, with Qiao Jing leading the way to the inn. Soft cries and children’s voices came from inside the carriage.

At the inn, Peng Wu had just bathed Xiaoyue and put her to sleep before packing up her belongings.

Footsteps stopped outside the door, and Peng Wu, guessing that it was her son returning, put down the clothes in her hand and went to open the door.

As the door opened, Peng Wu was stunned and immediately embraced by Madame Peng, “My child…”

Qiao Jing entered Qiao Cong’s room and saw that he had already packed up. The Peng family was next door, sharing their heartfelt thoughts, so for the grandfather and grandson, it seemed inappropriate to disturb them.

“The Peng family girl has been picked up, so let’s just go now!” Qiao Cong got up, “We can be home before dawn!”

Qiao Jing nodded, “Alright. I’ll let Peng Fan know.”

Peng Fan escorted them to the outside of the inn.

“Do you know where the people who hurt my sister went?” Peng Fan couldn’t help but ask as he hated not being able to catch those villains immediately and tear them to pieces!

Qiao Jing shook his head, “There wasn’t time to deal with those people at the time, so we let them go. However, Gu Ling has already arranged for Sheng Yue to clear the remnants of Xingluo Island, and they will definitely not let them go. The ringleader is Mo Yan, and you should have the opportunity to stab him.”

Peng Fan took a deep breath, “Thank you!”

As dawn approached, Qiao Cong and Qiao Jing returned to the capital city.

Entering the house, Qiao Cong did not sleep but instead brought hot water to take a bath, changed into fresh clothes, and headed straight for Yuanming Pavilion.

Gu Ling and Su Liang hadn’t slept with their children these past two days, so they hadn’t gotten up yet. Qiao Cong quietly entered Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu’s room, gently closed the door, and went to the bedside. Watching the three children sleeping sweetly side by side, his eyes filled with tender love, he sighed a long breath of relief.

Gu Xiaonuan woke up first and didn’t open her eyes. Her little hand suddenly smacked Ji Xiaoshu awake.

Ji Xiaoshu, already used to this, rubbed his eyes, sat up, and patted Zhengzheng, “Big brother, it’s time to get up!”

Upon sitting up, Zhengzheng saw Qiao Cong squatting by the bedside with a smile, startled for a moment before becoming happy, “Master is back!”

Qiao Cong hugged Zhengzheng, and Ji Xiaoshu enthusiastically pounced as well.

After Qiao Cong had greeted his two disciples, Gu Xiaonuan sat up on her own and curiously looked at him.

“Nuannuan, do you still remember me?” Qiao Cong smiled and reached out his hand.

Gu Xiaonuan nodded her little head, “Master!” As she spoke, she crawled over and pounced into Qiao Cong’s embrace, giving him a kiss.

Qiao Cong was overjoyed, “I knew Nuannuan wouldn’t forget her master!”

After a while, Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu had both dressed, and Qiao Cong suddenly remembered to ask them, “What about the magic treasure? How is that going?”

Ji Xiaoshu sighed, “Mother has no way of making the magic treasure acknowledge a master either.”

Qiao Cong frowned at once, only to hear Ji Xiaoshu’s tone lift, “But little sister is already the master of that spatial magic treasure! Little sister, quickly perform some magic tricks for Master!”

In the next instant, Qiao Cong disappeared from where he stood, not even having time to react before he returned.

Qiao Cong was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. He threw Gu Xiaonuan high into the air, “Heaven’s eyes are open, and the treasure has found its rightful owner!”