Chapter 694 - 696: A Word Awakens the Person in the Dream
"Building Upon Building" may sound like the name of a restaurant, but it’s a name feared by many in Danliang Country, and even across Chengshui Country and the Turkic Tribes. That’s because it’s a cryptic underground organization whose mission is to abstain from royal affairs, and not to be used by any country.
It was said that "Building Upon Building" once targeted a high-ranking general. In less than three days, the man’s head was hung at the top of the military’s flagpole. Not a single soldier knew what had happened, let alone caught a glimpse of the murderer’s shadow.
Another tale had it that "Building Upon Building" once needed a treasure that was in the imperial palace of Chengshui Country. The emperor of Chengshui didn’t believe in their prowess and arranged heavily-armed guards. Resultantly, within less than three days, the treasure disappeared without a trace, as if taken by unseen forces.
Jiang Yichun had never heard of "Building Upon Building" before. Not until after his father’s death, when he had been wandering for a long time and was found by his master Wu Yunfeng. Only after joining the Government Office did he learn about the organization. It’s said that members of "Building Upon Building" have a distinctive tattoo that resembles a bird of prey. After being made aware of "Building Upon Building", he suddenly remembered seeing a similar tattoo on his father’s body.
Back in the Jiang Residence, father and son used to bathe together, but he never saw any tattoo on his father’s body. Then there was a day when they were out in the open, and his father got drunk. He saw the tattoo when he was changing his father’s clothes. The markings were faint and not very noticeable. His father was so cold that he didn’t look closely.
He later learned that the tattoo was made with a special drug. It would only appear after drinking a substantial amount of alcohol, which his father seldom did while living in the Jiang Residence.
However, he couldn’t comprehend why his father, who was part of "Building Upon Building", would end up dying in foreign lands. Was it truly self-destruction?
Having grown up in the Government Office, he intentionally got in touch with "Building Upon Building" and joined them. That’s where he met Lin Zhenghui, who was also the clan leader of "Building Upon Building".
His initial intention to join "Building Upon Building" was to investigate his father’s history, but he found very little information as his father was just a regular member. Hence, he lost interest in "Building Upon Building". Understanding this, Lin Zhenghui was very surprised when he suddenly wanted to be a leader.
After a long pause, Lin Zhenghui nodded solemnly and said, "Alright, I agree with you. Just remember your father’s dying wish - no revenge for his past events."
"I’m just protecting my wife and child. Of course, I respect my father’s will, but I can’t let my arm be wasted. If they’re really the ones, then at least the mastermind should also lose an arm, shouldn’t they?" Jiang Yichun replied.
Lin Zhenghui nodded, "I agree with this point. I just fear that you’ll let hatred cloud your judgment."
Jiang Yichun laughed, "I now have a wife and child, and am living a very content life. How could I let hatred cloud my judgment?"
Considering this, Lin Zhenghui felt relieved.
When Jiang Yichun returned to the Bai Family, he saw Bai Ruozhu guiding Dengdeng to sit up. The child looked even smaller when sitting up like a little dumpling.
"Three topples, six sit-ups, seven rolls, and eight crawls, our little Dengdeng can sit now," Bai Ruozhu smiled at Jiang Yichun after noticing his arrival.
Jiang Yichun went over to play with his son, who ended up laughing so hard that he fell lower back into the bed. Even though he wanted to sit up again, he couldn’t do it by himself, making him cry in frustration.
Jiang Yichun closed the door, went to sit next to Bai Ruozhu, and cuddled her waist. He wanted to tell her about the Commerce Association elder, but Bai Ruozhu’s face blushed, and she berated him, "I said I would wait a day, but it’s still daytime. Plus, our child is here too. How could you?!"
Surprised by her response, Jiang Yichun laughed heartily, his shoulders shaking, his eyes narrowed into a slit from the laughter.
Realizing her misunderstanding, Bai Ruozhu chuckled awkwardly, her face glowing even redder.
"So, my wife, you’re in such a rush? Is this a rejection? Or are you hinting that we should do it now?" Jiang Yichun flirted with her, tightening his grip around her slender waist, his fingertips causing a playful sensation, rubbing on the side of her waist.
As if electrified, Bai Ruozhu jumped straight up, "No, no, it’s a misunderstanding."
Her sudden movement startled Dengdeng, who was just lifted up by Jiang Yichun, and made him fall back down. Seeing the amusing spectacle of mother and son, Jiang Yichun decided to stop teasing Bai Ruozhu and whispered, "I have a serious matter to discuss."
"What’s wrong?" She immediately became anxious upon seeing his serious expression.
Jiang Yichun pulled her hand and had her sit next to him, whispering, "What have you decided about the elder position at the Commerce Association?"
Bai Ruozhu raised an eyebrow, "Judging from your tone, it sounds like you’re looking to persuade me?"
"I made a pact with the old man to help convince you. If you’re truly unwilling, I haven’t made that pact" Jiang Yichun murmured cautiously, seemingly on guard against people from the Government Office.
"Actually, I’m not unwilling. After thinking for these days, I think the position benefits me more than it harms, so I agree. It also spares you the discomfort." Bai Ruozhu smiled at him.
Jiang Yichun smothered her with a hug and a kiss, saying, "My wife is truly wise."
Seeing Bai Ruozhu blushing, he felt a tickling desire to continue the misunderstanding from before, but footsteps outside the door interrupted his thoughts and Cui Fan’s voice echoed.
"Miss, are you in?"
"I’m in. What’s the matter?" Bai Ruozhu pushed Jiang Yichun away to respond.
"The Wang case remains unresolved. The Government Office searched the home of merchant Zhou, but found no problem with the almonds or even his other goods. It seems that now Lord Lu is going to sanction Wang Shuan," The frustration was evident in Cui Fan’s voice.
Jiang Yichun, interrupted from his moment of pleasure, was visibly annoyed. Bai Ruozhu kissed him lightly on the lips like she was placating a child, then stepped out of the room to discuss with Cui Fan. Jiang Yichun followed them out and heard them debating the cause of the almond crisp poisoning. He interrupted, rather impatiently, "The edible almond may not be poisonous, but that doesn’t mean the surface isn’t, does it?"
Bai Ruozhu’s eyes widened, she slapped Jiang Yichun’s shoulder, "Wow, you’ve enlightened me! There is a kind of medicine that can attach to the surface of food, and it cannot be washed away with water. After boiling, it takes time to seep into the surrounding food. If my guess is right, upon close inspection, the toxic part of the almond crisp is mostly around the surface of the almond!"