The kowtows had already been performed. They couldn’t be taken back now.

The Jianzheng only pondered for a moment, then crushed a transmission talisman and headed straight for Ruyi Sword Sect.

At that time, the He Xijin couple was practicing swordplay together.

The Jianzheng was now a “delicate guest” of Ruyi Sword Sect, so naturally no one kept him waiting. He hurried inside with a grave expression, saying: “Sect Leader He, Madam He, Master Di Sanmeng has appeared!”

At these words, the He Xijin couple’s hearts both jumped. He Xijin hurriedly asked: “Wh-where?!”

Qu Manying also asked urgently: “Can we meet him?”

The Jianzheng said earnestly: “I know where she is. If you two truly wish to meet, please come with me.”

Without waiting for He Xijin to speak, Qu Manying rushed to say: “Naturally! Let’s go quickly!”

Thus, the Jianzheng led the two out the door, used a transmission talisman, and headed straight for his fief.

At this time, “Di Sanmeng” still hadn’t left!

—Zong Zigui was clinging to her, absolutely insisting on becoming her disciple. How could she leave?

This old man had a beard a foot long—how dare Huang Rang agree?

But Zong Zigui was relentless, absolutely insisting she must accept.

Earlier, the Jianzheng had suffered three kowtows, but now, Superintendent Zong had probably kowtowed more than ten times already. Now he simply said: “If you don’t agree, sir, this old man will kneel here and not rise!”

Anyway, there was no one around—Superintendent Zong didn’t care about face anymore.

His desire to take “Di Sanmeng” as a master wasn’t really a sudden impulse. It was truly because he had carefully studied all of Di Sanmeng’s excellent seeds. He discovered that this person’s breadth of knowledge and unique insights into breeding were all worthy of acclaim.

He knelt on the ground, begging bitterly. Finally, he even said: “Sir, I kneel and beg not for my own selfish benefit. It’s truly because the Breeding Academy has no one. If I could obtain even one or two of your techniques, sir, it would greatly benefit these children as well, sir…”

Huang Rang never expected that Zong Zigui was actually an old man who could lower himself this much.

Usually when she saw him at the academy, he was quite dignified and imposing!

She secretly laughed to herself, just about to placate him temporarily, when from not far away, an extremely familiar voice said: “Ma-Ma-Master Di San-Sanmeng!”

Huang Rang’s entire body instantly stiffened, even her skin tightened.

In the distance, He Xijin and Qu Manying hurried over. Behind the couple was also… Di Yiqiu.

Huang Rang’s face was full of suspicion.

But before she could think more, the He Xijin couple had already rushed forward.

At this time, Huang Rang was still covered from head to toe in black robes, wearing a black gauze veil hat, with only a pair of hands exposed. And it was precisely this pair of slender jade hands that let everyone know she was a woman and not dare act presumptuously.

The He Xijin couple came before her and saw Zong Zigui was kneeling and kowtowing. While Di Sanmeng calmly accepted it.

Clearly, this Di Sanmeng’s seniority was absolutely not low.

The two immediately bowed together: “We have seen Master Di Sanmeng.”

“…” Huang Rang barely maintained the appearance of an expert, trembling as she waved her hand. Indicating the two need not be overly polite.

Qu Manying’s eyes revealed reverence as she said: “After this great drought came a great epidemic, thanks to your beam rice and medicinal materials, sir. Your great talent, sir, is admirable. Please accept Qu Manying’s bow!”

After speaking, Qu Manying bent her knees and bowed deeply toward “Di Sanmeng.”

My days are probably numbered!!

Huang Rang struggled to keep herself standing straight, legs not trembling!

The Jianzheng stood in the distance, not coming forward.

After Qu Manying bowed to Di Sanmeng, she stood up. Seeing Zong Zigui begging bitterly, she could only say: “Superintendent Zong’s disciples are everywhere under heaven. If he could receive your guidance, sir, it would surely benefit all living beings.”

But the key is I don’t dare!

Huang Rang extended her hand, still in a gesture of refusal.

Qu Manying then said: “Since you insist on refusing, sir, you must have your reasons. Superintendent Zong, don’t force what cannot be forced.”

After speaking, she bent down to help Zong Zigui up.

Zong Zigui looked dejected: “I must be lacking in talent and virtue, unworthy of entering your eyes, sir. However, the Breeding Academy also has a few good prospects. Zong is incompetent, but hopes that when Master Di Sanmeng has time, you could guide them a little. In today’s world, though there are many breeding masters, family rules are strict. Those who truly work for the nation and people—there is only you, sir.”

He cupped his hands and bowed again to “Di Sanmeng,” saying: “My lifelong wish is that excellent seeds will no longer be held in the hands of aristocratic families. But these years, the Breeding Academy has seen talent wither away without achieving results. Now seeing you, sir, Zong has rekindled the fire of hope…”

He spoke sincerely. Huang Rang felt some respect for this old man. Those breeding families advanced and retreated together, solid as a fortress.

Once, she too was merely one of the families. Strictly keeping the rules, only to firmly guard the interests of everyone in all the breeding families.

As for those poor scattered households—who cared?

Anyway, life and death were up to heaven—what did it have to do with her?

But later, she encountered more and more people. These people worked tirelessly their whole lives, as if carrying the rise and fall of the world on their shoulders.

Huang Rang went from mockery to doubt to belief. So later, she too became one of them.

She picked up a dead branch, thought for a moment, and wrote: “What you say, sir, I have understood.”

After these words, she dared say no more. She merely bowed slightly to the He Xijin couple, then left.

The He Xijin couple were also people who knew propriety—they certainly couldn’t follow and pester.

Huang Rang’s footsteps were composed at first, but once out of everyone’s sight, she began jogging. Then she steeled herself and crushed a transmission talisman, fleeing far away.

She found a secluded place to change out of this outfit, then hurried back to Si Tianjian.

People came and went at Si Tianjian, everything as usual. It didn’t seem anyone had noticed her.

Huang Rang breathed a sigh of relief. She hurriedly ran back to her study hall and opened the door. Without a word, she first grabbed the teapot on the table and gulged it down. After drinking her fill, she noticed something on the table.

Huang Rang’s gaze moved by inches. She saw a seal placed there.

It was precisely Di Sanmeng’s excellent seed seal.

Huang Rang picked up that seal between her fingers, held it before her eyes, her pupils dilating—someone had gone through her chest?!

She turned to run, but the doorway was already blocked by a dark figure.

The Jianzheng was like storm clouds before a tempest.

“You…” Huang Rang swallowed and slowly retreated. The Jianzheng pressed forward step by step. The study hall was small to begin with. Finally, the back of Huang Rang’s legs hit the bed edge. She lost her footing and sat down on the bed.

The Jianzheng slowly leaned over. He twirled something between his fingers—another seal: “Don’t you want to explain, Mas-ter-Di-San-meng—”

Huang Rang felt like a thunderclap had struck overhead. She even wanted to just die.

“You, you… let me explain,” she desperately made excuses. “I, I help Master Di Sanmeng with work, so having his seals isn’t strange at all!”

“Is that so?” The Jianzheng’s voice was soft and gentle. He grabbed Huang Rang’s hand and began rifling through her storage magical treasure!

Damn it! Huang Rang suddenly discovered that using storage magical treasures he made was terrible!

Anytime, whenever he wanted to search them, he could—not a shred of privacy.

She could only struggle desperately: “What are you doing! Don’t you know it’s rude to search through people’s storage treasures?!”

The Jianzheng held her down with one hand and quickly pulled out a black gauze veil hat from the golden bracelet on her right hand!

Huang Rang glanced at that veil hat, stopped talking, and simply stopped struggling.

The Jianzheng pressed her on the bed and smiled: “Come, continue.”

Huang Rang tightly closed her mouth, not saying a word.

Even from this distance, one could hear the Jianzheng’s teeth grinding audibly.

“You used the alias Di Sanmeng… hmm?” The Jianzheng ground his teeth. “And tricked me into kowtowing three times… hmm?”

Huang Rang blushed with shame. She could only quietly argue: “That, that wasn’t my fault. I tried to stop you, but you insisted on kowtowing…”

“You dare say more!” The Jianzheng was so angry his crown chakra ached severely.

Huang Rang was pressed down tightly by him. She hurriedly said: “Don’t be too upset. Just now, Superintendent Zong kowtowed ten or twenty times…”

Thinking of this, Huang Rang simply wanted to die.

—And her own aunt also… Oh heaven…

“Why don’t you just beat me to death?” She made a bitter face. “I don’t want to live anyway.”

“Beat you to death?” The Jianzheng sneered. After quite a while, he pulled Huang Rang up. “Give them back to me.”

“Give them back?” Huang Rang was suspicious. “How?”

The Jianzheng said angrily: “Kowtow them back, quickly!”

“You… you’re being too childish!” Or did he just want to play around with her, hug and cuddle? Huang Rang secretly rejoiced, so she rolled and tangled with him, snuggling and embracing.

The Jianzheng didn’t care about any of that. He grabbed Huang Rang and pressed her down firmly: “Quick, kowtow them back to me! You bastard, you attended my full-month celebration! And you dared make me kowtow…”

The more he spoke, the more he resented it. He turned Huang Rang around, insisting she kneel and kowtow to him.

He was completely serious. Huang Rang was truly furious—the kind where sparks flew from her eyes!

“Di Yiqiu. In this world, there are countless men who hold beauties and roll around on beds with them. But the only man who just wants the beauty to kowtow three times to him—that’s none other than you.”

Huang Rang’s every word was full of resentment.

The Jianzheng sneered: “What else then? What do you want?”

This dog—truly incomprehensible.

“You… are really quite sick!” Huang Rang sneered: “Fine, this old lady will kowtow, kowtow right now! After I kowtow, you get the hell out!”

She didn’t mince words either. She jumped off the bed, knelt on both knees, and kowtowed three times to the Jianzheng.

Seeing her face full of anger, the Jianzheng felt a bit intimidated, saying: “I, I didn’t force you!”

Huang Rang roared: “Get out!”

The Jianzheng scrambled away, quickly leaving the study hall.

Huang Rang sat on the bed, truly getting angrier the more she thought about it.

Damn it. Though Xie Hongchen wasn’t anything good, at least he understood romance a bit.

Was this guy an idiot?

Really, women shouldn’t divorce easily, or each one will be worse than the last!

She sat on the bed edge, full of indignation.

The Jianzheng walked out of the study hall and also thought for a long time.

If not for those three kowtows, then what for?!

Hmph!

He passed by the study hall and happened to meet Zong Zigui’s younger brother, Zong Zifu.

Zong Zifu was now also one of Xuanwu Si’s instructors. Seeing his strange expression and that he came from the direction of the study hall, he couldn’t help asking: “Did the Jianzheng go to the study hall?”

The Jianzheng made a sound of acknowledgment, then suddenly said: “This seat has a good friend who was deceived by someone and kowtowed three times.”

Zong Zifu raised an eyebrow: “So?”

The Jianzheng said: “So he demanded them back from this person, struggled and grappled with this person for a long time. This person finally kowtowed them back, yet called him sick. Why?”

“This…” Zong Zifu frowned, also thinking deeply for a long time. Vice Supervisor Li happened to pass by and, hearing this, asked with a smile: “This good friend of the Jianzheng—was he deceived by a woman?”

The Jianzheng nodded seriously.

Vice Supervisor Li prompted: “This woman is quite beautiful?”

The Jianzheng nodded again. Zong Zifu’s expression as he looked at him gradually changed.

Vice Supervisor Li prompted again: “Struggled and grappled… how did they grapple?”

The Jianzheng said: “On the bed, mutually grappling. Finally, the woman knew she was in the wrong, finally admitted her mistake, knelt on the ground and kowtowed them back.”

“Your friend is sick. Quite sick…” Master Zong Zifu shook his head and left.