Chapter 779: Li Feng

Recently, with Little Paper Crane and Golden Armor watching over things, and his own senses providing insight, Ji Yuan had almost never personally visited the Li family. Thus, he was momentarily stunned when he saw the child's condition.

Ji Yuan did a quick calculation and immediately understood. The Li family's child had grown to his current size in almost just ten days after birth and had maintained that state ever since. It was as if he had compensated for the excessively long gestation period by growing rapidly.

While Ji Yuan was muttering to himself and performing his calculation, the people outside had already reached the courtyard gate. The child, surrounded by servants, also walked in. The two monks simply couldn't stop such a crowd, so they quickly stepped into the courtyard.

"Blessings of the Buddha," one monk exclaimed. "Mr. Ji, these people insisted on coming in. We couldn't stop them, please forgive us..."

The two monks bowed repeatedly to Ji Yuan in apology, while the person who should have been apologizing was simply strolling around the courtyard, looking this way and that.

"It's fine," Ji Yuan said. "I'm not that petty."

Ji Yuan nodded to the two monks, then looked at the child who was looking around the courtyard. Although the child looked small, he certainly didn't seem like he was only a few months old. However, such a thing happening to this child didn't seem too strange.

"You're the Li family's child, aren't you?"

Ji Yuan, holding a book, asked this question, which drew the attention of the child and the servants to him. The child took a few steps closer to look at Ji Yuan. On his tender pink face were a pair of remarkably sharp eyes. His divine radiance was so intense that it gave ordinary people a frightening feeling, but it was nothing in front of Ji Yuan.

"Who are you? Do you know me, the Young Master?"

"Not only do I know you, but I also know what you're looking for."

As Ji Yuan finished speaking, Little Paper Crane flew up from behind him and landed on his shoulder. Of course, the Little Paper Crane was no longer made of paper; it was a miniature crane, about half a palm in size. Its feathers were fluffier than those of a normal white crane, making it look especially cute.

"Chirp!"

"There it is! That's it!"

The child pointed at Ji Yuan's shoulder, his face alight with excitement. But the servants and the two monks nearby exchanged bewildered glances. It was clear the child wasn't pointing at Ji Yuan, so they had no idea what he was referring to. To others, Ji Yuan's shoulder appeared empty, and there seemed to be nothing noteworthy behind him either.

"Uh, Young Master, what are you pointing at?"

The child simply glanced at them when he heard their question and couldn't be bothered to explain. He walked directly to a spot a few steps in front of Ji Yuan, pointed at the Little Paper Crane on Ji Yuan's shoulder, and said:

"I want that little bird."

Ji Yuan glanced at the Little Paper Crane on his shoulder and smiled. "As long as it's willing to go with you, you can take it anytime."

"Good, you said it!"

The child realized that the bird had an unusual connection with the great master in front of him and vaguely understood that neither the bird nor the man was ordinary. But he wasn't afraid at all. He directly dashed towards Ji Yuan, with several servants hurrying after him.

The child reached Ji Yuan, and his tiny body already possessed remarkable jumping ability. He leaped higher than himself in one go, reaching out to grab Ji Yuan's shoulder.

"Chirp chirp!"

Little Paper Crane immediately flew up, causing the child's grab to miss. Unable to catch the bird, the child lost his balance and bumped into Ji Yuan. At that moment, Ji Yuan put down his book and reached out to support him.

"Young Master!" "Are you alright, Young Master?"

"Give it to me, give it to me, give me the little bird!"

The child thrashed around in front of Ji Yuan for a few moments, still trying to scratch at Little Paper Crane. But by then, Little Paper Crane had flown to an exposed wooden carving under the eaves.

"Get... down... here!"

Ji Yuan was finding the child's wild thrashing amusing when he suddenly noticed a dramatic change in the child's aura. It actually stirred strands of spiritual energy around him, making the surroundings instantly oppressive. The eaves above rattled, and dust fell continuously, as if a heavy weight was pressing down from above.

The surrounding servants had already retreated several steps back, startled. The two young monks were also affected, feeling that this child suddenly exerted a terrifying pressure, an inexplicable and frightening sensation, as if they were facing a fierce beast alone.

However, Ji Yuan gently patted the child's back, immediately dispersing the oppressive aura, and casually lifted the child, placing him in front of himself.

The child, at this point, quieted down instead, staring blankly at Ji Yuan. It was as if only now did he truly notice the great master before him, who possessed a pair of infinitely profound, ancient eyes, calmly gazing at him.

"As a child of the scholarly Li family, have you been taught proper etiquette?"

This child's words and actions were far beyond those of a mere few-month-old infant, even surpassing what one would expect from a two or three-year-old. And the Li family certainly had tutors, but Ji Yuan wasn't truly intending to lecture the child on upbringing.

"That feeling just now, does it appear often, and do you use it often?"

The child frowned and muttered, "What's it to you...?"

Ji Yuan remembered that he had used the Edict Method on this child when he was still an infant. Logically, it should have made him just an ordinary child. However, it now seemed it couldn't completely block him off. Yet, the Edict Method itself was intact, so it had only stirred some spiritual energy just now, but in a rather crude way.

*It seems guiding is better than blocking.*

A thought flashed through Ji Yuan's mind, and he answered directly. "Of course it's my business. You almost scared me just now."

"Scared you?" The child looked at Ji Yuan's calm expression, which in no way suggested he had been scared.

"Yes, and you scared Little Paper Crane," Ji Yuan added with a smile. "If you don't control that power you just used and learn to use it well, you'll scare many people, even your mother and father."

Who would have thought that as soon as he spoke these words, the child, who had been so arrogant and impolite just moments before, now pouted? He lowered his head for a brief moment, then immediately looked up again at Little Paper Crane above.

"I don't care! I want that little bird! What will it take for you to give it to me?"

Ji Yuan frowned slightly, watching the child's strained upward gaze. Although he tried hard to hide it, there were clearly tears in the child's eyes. Seeing Ji Yuan's gaze sweep over him, the child simply turned his gaze away and retreated a few steps.

"I can pay for it! I know people like silver, they like gold. I can buy it!"

Ji Yuan didn't speak. He simply watched the rude, stubborn child. At this moment, he sensed a faint, subtle sorrow emanating from the child. Previously, Ji Yuan had focused too much on the child's significance to the Chessmaster, but he had overlooked one point: no matter how special the child's birth was, no matter how different he was from ordinary people, he was still, after all, a young child.

Ji Yuan had met the Li family before, around the time of the infant's birth, and knew some things about them. Li Ping, the head of the family, had originally given Ji Yuan a decent impression. But now, judging with a normal mind, he probably couldn't manage much, and things might even be worse.

With this understanding, Ji Yuan performed another quick calculation and basically understood the situation. The child was indeed highly valued by the Li family after his birth, but after the astonishing growth in the first ten days, and some frightening moments at times, few among the Li family dared to approach him. Li Ping was better, but rather strict. The one most afraid of the child was his mother, who should have been the closest. The father's concubines especially liked to gossip behind his back. One concubine was even driven to madness after being frightened by an incident where the child lost control in grief and anger. This made the child's situation even stranger. Two tutors had also successively resigned and left. As for playmates, there were none. The wet nurses' own children were all infants, and they themselves were afraid of the Li Young Master, so of course, they would never bring their own children near him.

Understanding the child's predicament, Ji Yuan immediately felt some sympathy for him.

"So young, and you already like to solve problems with money? Do you think this little crane can be bought with money?"

"Are you very rich?"

The child's words made Ji Yuan chuckle. "Certainly not as rich as you," he replied. "But no matter how poor I am, I wouldn't sell it. However, if you truly like it, you can often come to the temple. Conveniently, I can also teach you how to read, write, and some etiquette."

The child's eyes widened as he looked at Ji Yuan. "You want to be my tutor?"

"I haven't thought of taking on such a big responsibility, but if you understand it that way, it's not wrong. Don't you have a tutor at home?"

The Li family had certainly hired private tutors, but the child grimaced. "There were two before, but they both ran away," the child said. "If you want to be my tutor, you'll have to see if you're learned enough. The previous two said they were very knowledgeable. Are you better than them?"

Ji Yuan thought for a moment, then shook his head and gave the child a kind smile. "I can't guarantee that. But I have Little Paper Crane here, and I'm not afraid of you."

The child, who had been about to say something else, heard Ji Yuan's words and, seeing his smile, was clearly stunned for a moment. He then just stared at Ji Yuan's face, especially his calm eyes.

Ji Yuan saw the child staring blankly with wide eyes. He smiled and reached out to pinch his chubby little cheek. The child immediately covered his face and recoiled a step.

"I, I'll go back and ask Dad..."

The child said this hesitantly; his earlier arrogance seemed to have significantly diminished in front of Ji Yuan.

"Then go ask."

"Uh, oh..."

The child took another step back and instinctively started to lead the servants out of the courtyard. But after a few steps, he stopped and looked back at Ji Yuan. In his line of sight, the great master was sitting on a small stool in front of the house, dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy of the large tree beside him, falling upon him, and he was also looking at the child.

"You'll be waiting here, won't you?"

"I will be here," Ji Yuan replied with a smile, adding a question. "By the way, what's your name?"

"My name is Li Feng!"

The child shouted his answer, then skipped out of the courtyard. Little Paper Crane quickly flapped its wings and flew after him, allowing Ji Yuan to hear a burst of joyous laughter from outside the courtyard.

"Still a child after all..."

However, Ji Yuan's gaze returned to find several Li family servants still awkwardly cowering to one side.

"What's wrong? Aren't you going after your Young Master?"

"Ah? Oh, oh!" "Right, right, right!"

"Young Master, wait for us!"

The servants, as if waking from a dream, quickly rushed out to chase after him, while the two monks also subtly let out a sigh of relief.