Chapter 80: Dad! You Are So Strange

Seeing the guard captain frozen in place, Ye Jifeng's face darkened. "What's wrong? Are you scared witless? You don't even dare to arrest someone anymore?"

The guard captain was in profound shock, still unable to recover.

Ye Jifeng grew angry. He strode over decisively, pushing the guard captain aside. "Useless trash!" He then personally lunged to seize Jiang Fan.

Only then did the guard captain react. Seeing Ye Jifeng's crude action, he was scared out of his wits. This was the Ninth-Grade Spirit Root that Liu Qingxian had been desperately searching for! If even a single hair fell from his head, Liu Qingxian would not spare Ye Jifeng, nor the Ye family.

He quickly grabbed Ye Jifeng's arm, holding him back, and urgently exclaimed, "City Lord, you mustn't! He is..." Just as the words were about to spill out, he realized that the identity of the Ninth-Grade Spirit Root was an absolute secret and absolutely could not be revealed.

Ye Jifeng was furious. He turned and slapped the guard captain, sending him sprawling to the ground. "What's wrong with you today? Did you take the wrong medicine?"

Blood seeped from the corner of the guard captain's mouth. Ignoring the pain, he scrambled to his feet, rushed to Ye Jifeng, and whispered, "City Lord, he is the young man who received the Blood Bat Palace's reward that day."

Ye Jifeng frowned. "What Blood Bat Palace reward... Wait!" He then gasped, exclaiming in shock, "You mean, he is that Ninth-..." Realizing he had almost blurted out the secret, he quickly shut his mouth, lowered his voice, and asked with a slight tremble, "Are you sure you haven't mistaken him for someone else?"

The guard captain replied, "If I'm wrong, City Lord, you can gouge out my eyes!"

It really was him! Ye Jifeng was ecstatic! This was the very person Liu Qingxian had been looking for. Before leaving, she had instructed Ye Jifeng to definitely find the Ninth-Grade Spirit Root. If found, the Ye family would be granted a spot as an inner disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect!

When he looked at Jiang Fan again, his previous menacing demeanor had vanished. Rubbing his rough hands together, he said with a beaming smile, "Young Master Jiang, you are truly an outstanding talent. I have admired you for a long time, and seeing you today, your reputation is certainly well-deserved."

A sudden silence fell over the hall. The guard captain's eyes were wide with astonishment. He had always believed that flattery was his strong suit. But witnessing the City Lord's sudden change of demeanor, he realized that learning had no end, and he was still too inexperienced.

Ye Qingxue's beautiful eyes were also wide, her mind full of questions. Seeing her father, who was usually imposing and stern, suddenly start to flatter someone, she couldn't help but murmur: "Father, you seem so unfamiliar to me."

Zhong Liangpeng and his son, Zhong Qizhen, found the mocking expressions on their faces suddenly frozen. They stared unblinkingly at the scene's sudden shift in tone.

Chen Yuqiu and Liu Qinmin, the couple, exchanged glances, also feeling a sense of absurdity. How could the City Lord, after being so aggressive, suddenly make such a dramatic reversal in his attitude?

Not to mention outsiders. Even Jiang Fan, the person involved, couldn't help but touch his nose, wondering if the City Lord had gone mad.

"City Lord, what is the meaning of this?"

Ye Jifeng showed no embarrassment, cupping his hands and saying, "Everything just now was a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding! Since you are marrying Miss Chen as your concubine, then there's no problem at all."

As he spoke, he patted his chest. He finally managed to pull out a jade pendant he carried with him. He thrust it into Chen Siling's hand, saying with extreme politeness, "Siling, your uncle came in a hurry and doesn't have much to give. Take this jade pendant as your uncle's congratulatory gift."

Ye Qingxue's mouth fell open. That was no ordinary jade pendant; it was the City Lord's identification token. Ordinary citizens or soldiers, upon seeing this token, would treat it as if they were seeing the City Lord himself. Normally, if she even wanted to touch it, her father would reprimand her. He actually gave it directly to Chen Siling!

Chen Siling also recognized the pendant's significance and hastily refused, frightened. "City Lord, I cannot accept this. How can I possibly take such a thing?"

Ye Jifeng's face turned stern, and he said displeasedly, "Your father and I are like brothers. You're practically my half-daughter. What's there that you can't take? If I tell you to take it, then take it!" With that, he unceremoniously pushed it into her palm.

Chen Yuqiu was dumbfounded. "Who's like a brother to you? We barely have any acquaintance normally, do we?" However, seeing that the City Lord was on his side, he grudgingly accepted. "Siling, then you should accept it. Don't take it out, and certainly don't lose it."

Chen Siling then reluctantly accepted it, saying, "Thank you, City Lord."

"Why are you still calling me City Lord? Call me Godfather! From today onwards, I'm taking you as my goddaughter." Ye Jifeng seized the opportunity, saying, "From now on, anyone who bullies you or the Chen family will be going against my Ye family!"

"God... Godfather?"

Chen Yuqiu rolled his eyes. "You really know how to take advantage." Jiang Fan was a Three-Star Soul Master. Having even a slight connection with him would ensure a rise to prominence in the future. Considering that Jiang Fan hadn't fully matured yet, having a powerful ally wouldn't hurt. So he nodded and said, "Siling, the City Lord has taken you as his goddaughter. Why aren't you thanking him?"

Chen Siling knelt, looking bewildered. "Siling greets Godfather."

Ye Jifeng was in excellent spirits. He helped her up and said, "Excellent, excellent. From now on, we are family."

Seeing Ye Jifeng's face full of doting affection for Chen Siling, Ye Qingxue suddenly felt like an outsider, instantly feeling as if she no longer had a home. Why was this happening? She racked her brain but couldn't understand. Even if her father had discovered Jiang Fan's biggest secret, that he was Shadow Guard One, that still wouldn't warrant giving away his identification token and taking a goddaughter, would it? Could it be that Shadow Guard One was just one of Jiang Fan's secrets? Did he have other secrets she didn't know about?

She couldn't help but stare at Jiang Fan, suspiciously asking, "Jiang Fan, are you hiding something from me?"

This startled both Ye Jifeng and Chen Yuqiu. Ye Jifeng inwardly thought, "Can the identity of the Ninth-Grade Spirit Root be revealed?" Chen Yuqiu was also speechless. "Can the identity of a Three-Star Soul Master be exposed?" Both of them glared at Ye Qingxue, scaring her into immediate silence. She dared not ask further.

Watching Ye Jifeng suddenly get along splendidly with the Chen family and even become family, Zhong Liangpeng's eyes were filled with disbelief. "Brother Ye, why are you helping outsiders too?"

Only then did Ye Jifeng realize that the Zhong family members were still there. He impatiently waved his hand. "Didn't you hear? The Chen family and my Ye family are now one family. You should go back to Green Willow City early if you have nothing else to do. Don't cause trouble at the Chen family's home and disturb their peace."

Zhong Liangpeng was fuming. "What do you mean? The Chen family humiliated us, and you say we're causing trouble? Do you still consider us relatives?"

Ye Jifeng glanced at Jiang Fan, then at Zhong Qizhen. One was a Ninth-Grade Spirit Root, and the other was merely a Fourth-Grade Spirit Root. Moreover, the conflict between the two was almost irreconcilable. Given this, was there any need to say which one he would choose?

"What if I don't consider you relatives?" Ye Jifeng said without hesitation. "From today onwards, my Ye family will have no more connection with your Zhong family! Do whatever you want! But don't cause trouble in my Solitary Boat City, or else, you two won't be leaving here in one piece!"

This made Zhong Qizhen absolutely furious. "Fine, fine! You all treat Jiang Fan like a treasure, don't you? Tomorrow, tomorrow I'll make you watch as I beat him into a dead dog, unable to even enter the Azure Cloud Sect!" He roared, departing in immense fury.

Zhong Liangpeng also gritted his teeth. "Ye Jifeng, I'll be watching to see how your favored Jiang Fan embarrasses himself tomorrow!"