I Have 10 Trillion Dollars only Usable For Simping Chapter 2151 - 1378: Endless Vitality (Part 2)
Previously on I Have 10 Trillion Dollars only Usable For Simping...
Shi Qianxi abruptly went quiet.
"So, there's truly no such concept as stealing someone's affection, but I still appreciate your worry."
Jiang Chen responded with composure, maintaining his courteous demeanor.
"So, are you actually entangled with Cao Jinse?"
"Would you trust me if I denied it?"
Shi Qianxi shook her head right away.
"If you've already decided on your own conclusion, why bother posing the question? I'm heading to Kyoto soon—why not join me and confront her yourself?"
"Do you believe I wouldn't have the guts?"
Jiang Chen shook his head. "You're Shi Qianxi; is there anything you wouldn't attempt? Then arrange your plans..."
"Did I agree to tag along?"
Jiang Chen felt a brief surprise.
Shi Qianxi turned away, her silky long hair swaying gracefully, nearly grazing Jiang Chen's cheek, though he dodged just in time.
Without glancing back, she strode ahead, her words hanging in the breeze.
"I'll let you in on this: in dice games, not even ten of her could outmatch me!"
A natural rivalry and unyielding spirit.
Jiang Chen remained rooted, his features twitching as he fought the urge to chuckle.
————
"Chirp, chirp, chirp..."
The lively bird calls enveloped everything in a full circle of sound.
This famed burial ground of Kyoto—and indeed the nation—lay wrapped in a hazy dawn fog. Within the azure brick enclosures, pairs of sturdy oil pines stretched a lush green awning, transforming the meandering paths into shadowy passages, where occasional February orchids emerged from gaps in the stone stairs, their violet and ivory blooms quivering with droplets, resembling bits of funeral garlands scattered by the gusts.
The rust-hued mountaintop niche hall rose prominently, its upturned eaves catching stray clouds. Bronze knockers gleamed from constant polishing over the decades, as fragrances of sandalwood and white mums wafted among the veranda pillars, and rows of gravestones dotted the mild incline, their marble faces mirroring the early rays, akin to myriad half-unfurled tomes inscribed with grand tales from varied eras.
In the aged western section, several ancient ginkgo trees unfurled tender golden foliage. Jiang Chen halted in front of a flat marker and carefully set down a bunch of pristine white lilies, leaning forward. A breeze stirred, sending pine whispers through the grounds and scattering a handful of slate-colored magpies.
"You're running a touch behind."
Next to him, Cao Jinse observed the birds flit by a commemorative barrier etched with a pentagram.
Having risen at dawn, Jiang Chen stood tall. "Didn't you instruct me to stay away?"
"In the presence of the departed, avoid idle chatter."
As though the clock had reversed, Cao Jinse adopted her former grave and earnest air.
Throughout it all, right up to old Fang's final repose, she had withheld any details from Jiang Chen, which spoke volumes about her position.
Frequently, positions reveal themselves without words.
"We should leave, to avoid drawing eyes."
Jiang Chen rose fully.
"Rising at this hour merely to offer flowers?"
"What other purpose?"
Jiang Chen shot back.
Cao Jinse pressed her lips together, gazing at him wordlessly.
"Let's depart. If the Fang Family spots us, it'll stir up needless trouble."
After a final look at the stone, Cao Jinse trailed after him.
"I heard Fang Jun intends to enlist in the forces?"
Jiang Chen inquired.
"How did that reach your ears?"
"Is it some guarded national matter?"
Jiang Chen's voice stayed light.
"Your sources are impressively sharp."
Cao Jinse conceded.
"Fang Jun rediscovering his path offers the greatest solace to old Fang."
"Aren't you concerned he might be feigning this to bide his time for vengeance against you?"
Jiang Chen neither smirked nor stiffened. Much like this burial site, he exuded tranquility and serenity.
"I never feared him in the past, and that holds true today."
Such audacity.
Such arrogance.
Yet utterly unassailable.
The Fang Family's path ahead was fixed—not prone to instant ruin, but destined for decline, incapable of rivaling even old Fang's heyday, much less what lay beyond.
"Have you encountered Fang Jun since his release?"
"Yes."
Cao Jinse replied, "He's transformed greatly from my recollections."
"Contemplating military service, even in Sichuan and Shu, proves he's genuinely awakened."
"You even know his enlistment location?"
"Must you overreact?" Jiang Chen replied.
"You're awfully smug about it."
Cao Jinse sulked in a youthful manner.
Jiang Chen curved his lips upward as the dawn light filtered past the venerable compound barriers, slicing through tiers to sprinkle mottled patterns.
"The passed may not grasp that all is vanity, yet lament not beholding a unified Jiu Zhou. Once the northern campaign claims the Central Plains, remember to relay it to your forebears at the ancestral rites. Young Master Fang's expedition will be arduous."
Cao Jinse creased her forehead, looked aside, and at last couldn't hold back.
"Who shared that with you?"
Jiang Chen dropped the enigma.
"Wang Heting."
Cao Jinse understood. "You're quite close to him?"
"Not particularly; he and Liuli share a bond. On the way back from Kyoto, with a halt at the East Sea, we crossed paths once."
"In the rising youth of Shen Zhou, Wang Heting stands out remarkably, lacking clear flaws in any area."
Jiang Chen concurred, though Wang Heting undoubtedly aligned with southern interests, distant from Kyoto, Cao Jinse's assessment remained fair.
Among Shen Zhou's emerging "leaders," Jiang Chen had encountered several, positioning Wang Heting as a prime example.
For example, the frequently discussed North-Yuan South-Ye.
Unlike the one-track brute or the quirky Young Prince, Colonel Wang emerged as a versatile contender.
"Did you cross paths with his sibling?"
"I did, and we even clashed."
"Clashed?"
Cao Jinse expressed shock, halting beneath a venerable ginkgo.
"Indeed."
Jiang Chen affirmed with a nod.
Cao Jinse's face showed oddity. "Did you prevail or fall short?"
Foregoing any tease to guess, Jiang Chen exhaled softly, tinged with mild remorse. "Barely lost."
…
Well, barely lost.
"Truly?"
Regarding this result, Cao Jinse appeared skeptical. "Truly?"
"Is she genuinely a Major General?"
Jiang Chen double-checked.
"Affirmative."
"And she instructed elite troops?"
Boss Jiang's drive to compete was no slouch.
"I'm uncertain on that front."
Moreover.
That fell under restricted armed forces data.
"Falling to such a powerhouse isn't humiliating, is it?"
He murmured.
"Beyond not humiliating, it's downright prestigious, you realize. Do you grasp what attaining that status at her age signifies for a woman? Was it honestly a close call?"
"Would I boast about a defeat to her?"
"Should you truly stand toe-to-toe with her, every elite unit in the service might rush to enlist you— are you genuinely that skilled?"
Jiang Chen grinned casually. "Subtle influences from my surroundings; just observe those near me."
Cao Jinse let out a light laugh.
"Underestimated your capabilities."
"Those gym-built types merely appear brawny; true protection stems from more than looks."
"What are you implying?"
"It implies—never judge solely by exteriors."
Jiang Chen pressed onward.
Cao Jinse pursed her lips once more, hurrying to match his pace.
A burial ground holds such enigma, often evoking chills and fear. Yet at times, it fosters profound tranquility within.
"Won't you visit your kin?"
Near the point where they'd start downhill, Jiang Chen remarked unexpectedly.
Cao Jinse started.
"I'll linger if needed."
Jiang Chen appended.
Why linger?
Couldn't you proceed side by side?
Cao Jinse eyed him. "That'd be mortifying."
"Doesn't matter; the atmosphere here's so refreshing—treat it as a wellness break."
Jiang Chen stated smoothly.
Cao Jinse grinned. "Unnecessary."
"I could join you as well."
Jiang Chen persisted.
Cao Jinse regarded him, quiet.
Jiang Chen stayed composed, without a grin.
"Arriving without tribute? That's fine."
Cao Jinse pivoted, descending the slope.
Jiang Chen trailed promptly.
"An easy fix—be it blooms or greenery, abundance surrounds us; select freely, superior to shop-bought."
"You're truly loath to part with even a coin, aren't you?"
Cao Jinse pinpointed accurately.
The pair continued, shrinking into the horizon.
Field blooms and untamed growth danced softly, blanketing the rises, flourishing without end.