Chapter 104: Make It Big and Strong

“What are you doing standing so far away?” Xia Ningxiang turned her head to glance at the several generals watching from the sidelines, her eyes narrowing slightly with a pretty smile on her lips.

These battle-hardened burly men stammered, laughing it off one by one: “Nothing, nothing! Afraid to delay Miss Xia’s treatment.”

“Miss Xia has superb medical skills! This humble one admires it, admires it!”

“Hahaha! Today, today, the heavenly enlightenment needle didn’t prick! This old man can’t help but want to compose a poem!”

Ji Huo didn’t dare look at her. He quickly restored his father’s heart injury, then circulated his inner energy to dispel the demonic forces from his father’s body. After extracting the demonic energy this time, finally, no more demonic energy would grow in his body.

Even the large and small wounds on his body healed rapidly under the master’s physique.

Ji Huo gently exhaled, withdrew his hand, wiped nonexistent sweat, looked at Xia Ningxiang and smiled.

She also let out a breath of relief. The smile on her face softened, her tense nerves relaxed, and her originally pale face became even paler.

The one who was most exhausted this time was actually her, but after the final few stabs it felt really refreshing. Thus she looked in good spirits and could even stab a few more people.

“Arrange a tent for Miss Xia,” Ji Huo instructed.

“Yes yes, Miss Xia this way please.” Seeing his father’s complexion improve, these generals were almost moved to tears, thanking Xia Ningxiang profusely. Lu Deshui personally escorted her to rest.

“Second Young Master, what should we do with this rooster?” Lu Shui pointed at the barely alive rooster on the ground.

Ji Huo glanced at it calmly: “Find a place to bury it.”

“Yes!” Lu Shui carried the rooster and walked out.

Ji Huo observed the array again. Seeing his father’s color had improved significantly, he estimated there was nothing major, so he arranged a tent for himself and rested briefly.

Along the way, many Flying Bear Army soldiers looked at him with admiring eyes, their gazes almost stringing.

Whether it was due to mastering the Thunderbolt Fierce Bear Fist or simply because he saved his father on the battlefield.

But… Ji Huo swept his eyes and noticed these Flying Bear Army soldiers’ complexions were all very good, seemingly unaffected by the big demon’s usurpation and absorption of the Zhou’s vital energy.

On the way here, he had also seen many Zhou citizens, who had been affected to some degree, their vital energy weakening gradually.

If that monster continued to absorb it, within half a year the Zhou people would likely be sucked dry, and Zhou would become a dead nation.

Thinking of this, Ji Huo’s eyes lowered slightly. After this rescue of his father, he would need to return to the capital. With his father as a master, it should be sufficient to handle that big monster absorbing dragon energy.

At least that monster feared his father before, otherwise it wouldn’t have usurped the throne after he left.

After resting in the tent for a long time, when he woke up again, the sky was already dark. Ji Huo walked out of the tent, just as Xia Ningxiang was emerging from the tent beside it.

The two made eye contact, both showing a hint of surprise.

Lu Deshui, you actually placed the two tents right next to each other?

After napping for an afternoon, Xia Ningxiang’s complexion had improved considerably. She raised her pretty eyebrows toward Ji Huo.

Under the setting sun, her eyes curved gently, reflecting dark light, her gaze half-smile, half-serious.

What are you staring at? It’s not like I arranged it… Ji Huo thought to himself, cupping his hands and smiling at Xia Ningxiang:

“Miss Xia, good evening.”

“It’s already late, still early.” Xia Ningxiang smiled softly.

Shoulder to shoulder, they walked toward the camp. On the way, Xia Ningxiang asked curiously, “Young Master Ji, aren’t you afraid I might have accidentally killed your father at that moment?”

Ji Huo was silent for two seconds, then said straightforwardly: “Honestly, I thought about this issue too, but the situation was urgent at the time, and I had no experience in this matter, so I could only take a gamble. Fortunately, I guessed right.”

“Young Master Ji’s answer isn’t very flattering. If you praised me a bit, I would be very pleased.”

Xia Ningxiang smiled and said, “Young Master Ji’s first-rank strength, your control over strength is excellent. In fact, you could have done it yourself.”

Ji Huo shook his head: “I am skilled at killing, but saving people is not my forte. You can’t learn my technique for locating seeds or extracting the demon fetus.”

Xia Ningxiang gave a light hum, the corners of her mouth curving slightly, without speaking.

Ji Huo continued: “There is specialization in one’s profession. Leave professional matters to professionals. Just like…” He paused, then laughed: “Just like Miss Xia’s cooking skills.”

Xia Ningxiang didn’t smile, as if remembering something unpleasant, and said with deep feeling: “Eating what you make yourself too much really makes you feel like there’s nothing left in life to cherish.”

“…”

Just as they reached the camp, they heard Ji Xiaoxiong’s bold laughter and the generals’ noisy voices.

“What are you doing? I’m not dead yet! Give me a smile!”

Entering the camp, Ji Xiaoxiong was sitting grandly on a tiger-skin chair, his toes twitching restlessly like someone with a nervous disorder. Beside him were several equally tall, burly but noticeably shorter generals.

It looked like they had stumbled into the lair of a black bear spirit, like a group of demons at a victory banquet.

“Hi, old man,” Ji Huo waved his hand in greeting.

Xia Ningxiang performed a stiff, lady-like curtsy in Zhou etiquette: “Meet the Flying Bear General.”

Ji Xiaoxiong didn’t glance at Ji Huo at all, his large copper eyes fixed on Xia Ningxiang, his smile blooming like chrysanthemums on the mountain: “Miss Xia, I heard from them what happened. This time I must thank you for your assistance. My son is crude and unrefined, difficult to get along with. I hope Miss Xia will be more understanding and tolerant. In the future, please also take care of him more.”

What crude am I… And where did you learn this flowery language? You’ve been memorizing it for a long time… Ji Huo’s eyes swept to Lu Shui, who was sitting on the side seat, and the latter immediately puffed out his chest proudly, his black ball-like face with bright white teeth flashing.

Xia Ningxiang gave Ji Huo a half-smile glance and nodded in agreement: “What the general said is correct. Young Master Ji is indeed somewhat crude.”

Ji Xiaoxiong laughed heartily: “No problem! If he doesn’t listen, a beating will straighten him out.”

“How should I beat him?” Xia Ningxiang’s eyes brightened with interest.

“Severe beating!” Ji Xiaoxiong answered without hesitation.

Haha… Ji Huo quickly stepped forward to interrupt this unreliable dialogue. After all, so many people were watching. He asked, “Old man, do you still remember how you got the demon poison?”

Ji Xiaoxiong replied, “It should be the old hidden injury from many years ago, combined with that treacherous fellow from the Liang Kingdom’s force camp using secret arts to stimulate it on the battlefield, which caused my hidden injury to erupt.”

Ji Huo guided him: “Maybe you ate or drank something before?”

Ji Xiaoxiong thought for a moment, puzzled: “Probably not.”

Ji Huo’s next words hadn’t even left his mouth when Ji Xiaoxiong laughed loudly and added: “Speaking of which, before we left, the new emperor came to see us off and even bestowed a cup of wine on us. The new emperor is great! A good emperor devoted to the country and the people!”

Ji Huo and Xia Ningxiang both stiffened. The two looked at each other and saw a trace of shock in each other’s eyes.

“Old man, is the new emperor good?” Ji Huo asked tentatively.

“Of course!” Ji Xiaoxiong nodded without hesitation, his eyes full of admiration: “The new emperor is both civil and martial, cares for the people, is a rare thousand-year emperor in a century! Under his leadership, the Zhou Dynasty will definitely become great and strong! Recreate its former glory!”