Chapter 1116: Chapter 1116: Mei Ji’s Coercion
While Ye You and the Blood Eagles were locked in an arduous battle, Qin Sisi and Jiu Ge remained oblivious to the impending storm. Jiu Ge persistently begged Qin Sisi to teach him how to play the zither.
After several attempts with little success, Qin Sisi asked curiously, "I remember you can play the pipe, right? Musical instruments share common techniques; you should be learning faster."
"Uh..." Jiu Ge touched his nose and glanced around before saying, "Maybe I’m just unfamiliar with the Half Moon zither."
Qin Sisi shook her head helplessly and was about to explain again when the door suddenly creaked open.
With her back toward the door, Qin Sisi froze upon hearing the sound. Jiu Ge’s room was not a place one could enter casually, especially since Li Li was almost always stationed outside.
She turned her head and her expression immediately stiffened, a chill rising deep within her.
The visitor was none other than Jiu Ge’s mother, Mei Ji.
Jiu Ge was equally taken aback by Mei Ji’s arrival, furrowing his brows slightly but quickly standing in a respectful posture as he said, "Mother, what brings you here?"
In each corner of Jiu Ge’s room, luminous pearls emitted a silvery glow, brightening the room considerably. Mei Ji stepped in with graceful composure—her seductive gaze, vermillion lips, and alluring demeanor all exuding enchantment.
Both mother and son were dressed in red, yet to Qin Sisi, the impression was vastly different. Jiu Ge’s red attire was like the radiant first light of dawn, while Mei Ji’s crimson robe resembled the dying blood of a sun sinking in the west.
At the sight of Mei Ji, Qin Sisi was instantly reminded of the young girls who were decapitated and drained of blood. Dread mixed with venomous disgust swirled inside her.
Mei Ji’s eyes glimmered with calculated charm as she cast an intricate glance toward Qin Sisi. In a honeyed voice she said, "I just came to see which lovely beauty managed to lure away my son’s soul."
Jiu Ge’s heart sank. He knew his mother well—this sudden visit, ambiguous tone, and veiled intentions likely signified trouble on the horizon.
"Mother, you’re teasing. She’s merely an ordinary friend," Jiu Ge replied evenly.
"Oh? Is that so?" Mei Ji smiled faintly, circling Jiu Ge with deliberate grace as she said in slow, measured words, "An ordinary friend? You injured Elderly Fourth for her, brought down the Forgemaster Guild to the ground, destroyed Forging Master Rong Shuo’s favorite apprentice—all because she’s just your ’ordinary friend’?"
Jiu Ge remained silent. Mei Ji, as Clan Leader of the Changkong family, saw through everything he did, no matter how much power he held.
Mei Ji stepped closer, fixing her penetrating gaze on Jiu Ge as she asked, one word at a time, "Do you love her?"
Jiu Ge trembled internally, a flicker of panic flashing in his eyes. He was about to vehemently deny, but Mei Ji swiftly placed her palm over his lips, whispering, "Don’t speak—your eyes have already told me everything."
"Mother..." Jiu Ge’s nerves stretched taut. He couldn’t decipher Mei Ji’s intentions for coming here.
Mei Ji’s expression darkened, her tone weighty and severe: "Jiu Er, I taught you since childhood that the women of this world are only for you to sleep with—not to love. Have you forgotten?"
Pain etched itself onto Jiu Ge’s face as he muttered, "Why?"
"Why?" Mei Ji sighed deeply and explained, "You never questioned me before; it seems you’ve truly grown up. I’ll tell you now—loving someone brings immense suffering. I’ve tasted this agony myself and wish for you never to experience it. Everything I do is for your own good, understand?"
Her slender, supple fingers caressed Jiu Ge’s face, her vibrant crimson nails resembling seductive opium blossoms.
Qin Sisi utterly disagreed with Mei Ji’s views, but all she could do was silently retreat further into the corner, terrified of provoking disaster.
Meanwhile, Li Li stood at the doorway, listening to Mei Ji’s words and watching her touch Jiu Ge’s face. His fists clenched tightly behind him, his head hung low to hide his fury-filled eyes.
"Loving someone brings pain?" Jiu Ge’s gaze grew bewildered. Wasn’t love supposed to be something beautiful?
Mei Ji declared emphatically, "Yes, loving someone causes pain—sleeping with them brings delight. I only want you to be happy, never to suffer."
With an abrupt turn, she locked her gaze onto Qin Sisi. Despite her radiant beauty, venom gleamed in the depth of her eyes.
Qin Sisi’s heart raced as a chilling fear gripped her, like a venomous serpent constricting her throat.
Realizing Mei Ji’s hostility toward Qin Sisi, Jiu Ge called out worriedly, "Mother..."
Mei Ji turned back, her face softening into maternal warmth. In dulcet tones she asked, "Where did your lady friend get her Wings of Rainbow?"
Jiu Ge was stunned. He had assumed Mei Ji wouldn’t connect Qin Sisi to Ye You, but she knew everything.
Qin Sisi’s complexion also shifted drastically. Mei Ji already had a betrothal arrangement with Tian Xiaozi—the enemy of Ye You. If she uncovered Qin Sisi’s relationship with Ye You, disaster surely awaited.
Their expressions were enough to confirm Mei Ji’s suspicions.
Previously, she hadn’t been certain. This was all a calculated probe disguised as certainty. The details revealed themselves in Jiu Ge’s rescue of Qin Sisi from the stone prison, where Mei Ji had initially dismissed Qin Sisi as one of his numerous old flames.
It wasn’t until Jiu Ge wreaked havoc on the Forgemaster Guild and destroyed Lin Kun’s Magic Source that Mei Ji detected something unusual and interrogated Elderly Fourth thoroughly.
At the time, Elderly Fourth recounted how he incapacitated Qin Sisi while she fled using the Wings of Rainbow—those vibrant, dazzlingly colorful wings unforgettable. Yet Elderly Fourth had never seen such wings before and failed to associate them with Qin Sisi, presuming her to be a powerless captive subdued by Lin Kun.
After hearing Elderly Fourth’s detailed report, Mei Ji discerned with shrewd intuition that Qin Sisi’s wings might indeed be the Wings of Rainbow.
To confirm her theory, Mei Ji personally arrived to probe, feigning an omniscient demeanor. Against her manipulative talent, Jiu Ge and Qin Sisi were far too inexperienced—a single exchange revealed almost the entire truth.
Mei Ji, emanating elegance, stepped toward Qin Sisi. She firmly believed herself even more exquisite than Qin Sisi, yet the youthful purity of Qin Sisi’s delicate features unexpectedly stirred jealousy within her.
Drawing a deep breath, Mei Ji spoke with sly triumph, "Imagine my surprise—Ye You’s fiancée walking straight into my trap. Marvelous, truly marvelous. My grand ambitions with Tian Xiaozi are now within reach."
"Mother!" Jiu Ge darted forward, anxiously shielding Qin Sisi as he pleaded, "Mother, she’s my friend. I implore you to spare her."
Mei Ji blinked her stunningly captivating eyes; glittering gold eyeshadow sparkled as she tilted her lips into a faint smirk. Calmly, she teased, "Spare her? Very well... If you sleep with her, I’ll spare her."
