Chapter 154 – The Willful Jiang Pengji
“Should we send someone to keep an eye on him?”
Xu Ke asked quietly as Meng Hunyun vanished without a trace.
“There’s no need for that; he’ll come back eventually,” Jiang Pengji replied coolly, not the least bit worried about Meng Hunyun escaping, especially with Meng Liang still nestled at Liu Residence. Given Meng Hunyun’s current abilities, he simply couldn’t bypass the Liu Residence and eliminate Meng Liang outright.
“Oh?” Qi Guanrang chimed in, “Lan Ting is so confident? What if Meng Hunyun decides to bide his time and strikes once Meng Liang leaves Liu Residence?”
With a scoff, Jiang Pengji remarked, “First of all, the Liu Residence and Meng Clan don’t have the best relationship. They might not genuinely protect Meng Liang, giving Meng Hunyun a slight chance of success. But if he waits until Meng Liang has contacted his followers, by then he’ll be shielded by a crowd, and with Meng Hunyun’s current resources, it would be nothing short of impossible to kill him. So now is the best opportunity to act.”
Qi Guanrang was left speechless, exchanging a knowing glance with Xu Ke.
“I’m curious why you suspected him of being Meng Hunyun right from the start,” Qi Guanrang directly voiced his confusion.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Pengji shot him a glance, “Isn’t it obvious? I didn’t suspect; I was certain from the beginning he was Meng Hunyun. Even if he tried to disguise himself, his methods were clumsy—full of flaws.”
Qi Guanrang folded his hands in a gesture of inquiry, “Flaws? Could you clarify, Lan Ting?”
“Did any of you notice the calluses on his hands? Right here—” she pointed out, “—a clear indication he’s been handling weapons like swords and spears for a long time. His stocky build and the musculature of his arms reveal he’s skilled in martial arts and quite adept at it. His tattered clothing makes him seem impoverished, but it also exposes his scars.”
“And there are many scars, deep ones. From those, one could roughly deduce what sort of weapons caused those injuries…”
Jiang Pengji continued her analysis, “From this, we can infer what profession he might be engaged in.”
“Besides that, there are fresh blisters on his toes, recent from walking, while the calluses on his feet are old but thin. This suggests he’s had a rough time before, but it hasn’t lasted long. After that, he was likely wearing soft, comfortable boots, indicating a significant improvement in his living conditions, hence the old calluses yet not too thick…”
“Moreover, he’s literate; the calluses on his right hand’s fingers tell of diligent writing practice. A child who starts practicing writing would inevitably show some deformation at the joints, varying in extent from person to person. Yet this person’s fingers, while bearing writing marks, have no such deformities. This suggests he began practicing around the age of 19 or 20, and his bone structure was likely already set…” As she dissected these details, Jiang Pengji extended her own right hand for Xu Ke and the others to see.
Both Qi Guanrang and Xu Ke were left slack-jawed, instinctively stretching out their hands; indeed, they bore a hint of similar marks.
To ensure they understood clearly, Jiang Pengji moderated her speed and elaborated, wanting to prevent any mental misfires. However, despite her lengthy analysis leading to a conclusion, they only found themselves more puzzled.
A hint of disbelief marred Xu Ke’s features as he finally spoke.
“You mean… upon first sight you discerned his identity… does that mean you were processing all of that in just one glance?” He swallowed nervously; if that were true, wouldn’t that be somewhat terrifying?
“Pretty much.”
Jiang Pengji shrugged dismissively; after all, emerging from a cadre of genetic warriors, she had to have some solid proof, right?
Qi Guanrang lowered his gaze, saying, “What’s so shocking about this? I’ve heard Mr. Yuanjing from Langya is well-versed in strange arts and skilled in physiognomy and divination. He can not only tell someone’s background at first meeting but even predict past and future events—truly miraculous.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Ke’s mind flooded with wild tales about that Langya prodigy, making him feel that, in comparison, his own master seemed rather mundane—not a monster or spirit by any means…
Jiang Pengji secretly shot a warning, sharp look at Qi Guanrang from the corner of her eye.
She remembered her previous life when she’d retired from the first tier of genetic warriors and shifted to serve in the military as an ordinary soldier. Her abilities had gradually become known, and she had long since adjusted to the unusual gazes and cautious distances maintained by those around her.
One Xu Ke more or less made no difference, and did she really need Qi Guanrang to help ease the atmosphere?
As darkness encroached, Jiang Pengji knew it was time to return to Liu Residence. Xu Ke still had farm duties to attend to, so he naturally couldn’t accompany her.
Once on the carriage, Jiang Pengji maintained a frosty expression.
Qi Guanrang clicked his tongue, patting Xu Ke on the shoulder.
“Kid, good luck!”
Xu Ke was left bewildered, wondering just what kind of pity that expression from Qi Guanrang was meant to convey?
Feeling the carriage rolling, Jiang Pengji coldly remarked, “You didn’t need to meddle next time.”
Qi Guanrang shook his head disapprovingly, implying, “Lan Ting that’s not right.”
“What’s not right?”
Recalling some not-so-pleasant memories, Jiang Pengji’s mood soured a bit.
“Do you know what it means to govern others and what it means to manage power dynamics?”
Barely saying that, Jiang Pengji narrowed her eyes, casting a complex look in his direction.
“Go on.”
Qi Guanrang continued, “One shouldn’t always be too forceful, refusing to listen to others’ advice; opening up communication channels is vital. Yet one cannot be so selfless either; otherwise, if there are conflicting opinions, how does the ruler decide? You can’t be overly close to your subjects, risking a disruption in hierarchy and causing disorder, but neither can you distance yourself too much, losing the people’s trust. Governing a nation and managing a household are fundamentally similar.”
After saying that, Qi Guanrang pressed, “If Xiaoyu truly fears you, would you let him remain in that state?”
Jiang Pengji fell silent, memories of Liu Zhi’s previous words popping into her mind.
“Lan Ting needs to learn how to manage those beneath you better. Your perceptions can see things others cannot; it’s a unique advantage. You should inspire respect, not mere fear—a subtle difference, but worlds apart.”
With all that said, Jiang Pengji wondered just how much she might internalize. Qi Guanrang didn’t mind; he had simply said what he needed to.
The concept of managing others didn’t have a definitive form—it relied entirely on personal comprehension and experiential lessons.
Xu Ke was still growing up, so his speech and actions inevitably had shortcomings that might offend the willful Jiang Pengji.
But he wouldn’t consider the reactions of someone like Xu Ke; he wasn’t one to clarify his own stance.
Once or twice wouldn’t matter, but if it continued, it could subtly create a rift between them.
They were both far too young!
