Gao Ming admired Ji Xuan's handsomeness without shame. At some point, he felt it was wrong to even keep staring. But he was opposite Ji Xuan in the white limousine as their convoy sped away through the night.
The face was still youthful and unmarried, bearing the sharp jawlines of his father and the clean brow edges of his mother, as if it were drawn by the sharpest pencil. He had lips as full as a blossoming flower, and his eyes were heavy with beauty.
Lady Bai Lian was never wrong when she said his countenance would glow like a jade, plain to those who honor. Gao Ming shook his head in adoration of the sight.
He wondered what the son of the Phoenix had passed through in this cruel world, away from where he was supposed to be raised—in wealth, dignity, elegance, and unshakable legacy.
One glance at Ji Xuan's nasty navy jumpsuit told him everything. The Young Master of the Phoenix had lived a life completely opposite of what destiny had forged for him.
This time, Gao Ming shook his head in rue.
'If only that atrocious accident hadn't befell Master Ji Rong and Lady Bai Lian.'
Ji Rong lost his life, while his dear wife, Bai Lian, fell into a deep coma. Their infant son was nowhere to be found by the rest of the family after the accident.
After that tragedy, the conglomerate that was at its epitome of steel and trade, crumbled without its heart. Everything dried up, especially deals and bonds with other tycoons and empires, and slowly, almost two decades later, the Ji family name became something of a tale to the young masters and young misses of other rival groups.
As Gao Ming stared at Ji Xuan, he could see a rebuild rising in those heavy, beautiful eyes. He knew the Ji Empire could live again with the return of their true born heir.
"Young Master," he said with a short bow of his head when Ji Xuan looked up at him.
Ji Xuan knew he had been staring for eternity all this while. It did not make him feel uncomfortable, but he wanted to test out more power that came with being the Young Master of the once greatest empire.
So, this meant no one was supposed to match eye to eye with him. Every soul under the Ji Family Empire had to bow their gaze in his presence. To meet the Young Master's eyes was to challenge his throne and to spit on the Ji name's glory. Only Ji Rong and Bai Lian could lock eyes with their son and heir. Since both were deceased now, this means no gaze could dare raise to his.
Ji Xuan smiled. He really fancied this kind of orderliness and tradition. Discipline, Respect and Reverence. His smile turned to a neutral expression when the system appeared whilst his gaze lay on Gao Ming.
'This is beautifully crafted. I think it's great for me to be able to analyze my subjects,' Ji Xuan thought. He looked at the driver to be sure this analysis spanned everyone, and the system provided a similar list but with different outposts.
Ji Xuan did not like the fact that the driver by the name Dèng Xianliang had a Loyalty value of 75%. Ji Xuan understood that the Loyalty value will vary for different subjects, but he wanted a generally high score for each. 75 just didn't seem strong compared to Gao Ming's outstanding fealty.
After much consideration, Ji Xuan believed that this Loyalty value could be increased with time. If he became the Young Master they hoped for, not just in name, but in spirit and stature, then even the lukewarm hearts would blaze again with allegiance.
Furthermore, he also considered the possibility of this Loyalty value decreasing. Perhaps, young Dèng Xianliang had once a Loyalty value of about 80% and above, and that value had shrinked with the years because of the state of the family. Ji Xuan firmly agreed with this logic because it was understandable. Due to the absence of the supreme leader or the apparent heir, coupled with the death of the Matriarch Lady just two years ago, many disciples of the Ji Family Empire must have dwindled Loyalty values by now.
If this was the case, Gao Ming must be the most loyal man on the planet.
'Close analysis.'
Ji Xuan was just glad that he never let the mockery and humiliation over the years get him to leave Hubei for another life. There would have been no chance for Gao Ming to rush to him in time if he were in another province.
Hubei was the province were a lot of powerful houses were located and the Ji Family Empire was one of them. Far and far away to the Wudang mountains that it took them just about two hours to get there. Ji Xuan noticed it was the same time it took them to get to Jinghua University after the drama him and his mates unveiled.
"We have arrived, Young Master," Gao Ming informed Ji Xuan respectfully even before the limo stopped. He watched with delight as the Young Master peered out of the deeply tinted window, yet he could see nothing but the darkness of the night.
The entire convoy stopped in front of the main gate in a manner that Ji Xuan's door directly faced the entrance. The main gate was large and grand with two towering stones with a roof that had traditional eaves. Four bodyguards were stationed at the gate, and they were donning the same red as the able men who came for Ji Xuan.
One of them calmly stepped forward and opened Ji Xuan's door even before he grabbed the handle to do it himself. Others in the convoy had already exited their cars and were standing upright like their fellow sentries opposite them.
Ji Xuan stepped out of the car and followed Gao Ming further into the estate. All men in red bowed their heads whilst he passed, moving from the wide outside corridor to the Inner Courtyard.
Since it was night, any subjects of the Ji Family who chose to live in the clan's stronghold would be deep asleep, leaving the premises empty. Ji Xuan marveled at the beauty of wealth and prestige of the buildings as he walked. The way the lights illuminated some places and left some shaded beautified the estate even more. Ji Xuan looked behind him and confirmed that there were about eight of the guards now following him because he'd been hearing footsteps since.
From the center which they walked through, there was an East Gate far to his left and a West Gate of the same distance to the right. Many buildings clustered both areas too, although some looked quite deserted compared to others.
Ji Xuan would be honest. Even though the estate was outstandingly ravishing in beauty, it had this haunted appearance as if everything was colored in grey. He was not sure if it was due to the chill of the night, but he'd be certain by tomorrow morning.
Gao Ming humbly came to a stop at the Young Master's Pavilion. The Young Master's Pavilion was a multi-tiered building near the center of the estate, reserved for the Young Master. Ji Xuan looked up at its elevated stone steps glowing under lantern light.
"Young Master, it's late, and you must be tired from the journey," Gao Ming said. "There's no need to meet the family guardians and elders tonight. Rest now, and by tomorrow, when you're refreshed, they'll see you in the Council Hall. Some even doubted if it was truly you I set out to find, but your face proves it."
Ji Xuan nodded in agreement; he was really tired for the day. So, without any further orders from him, he retired to his true chambers, walking the most expensive steps this body had never set foot on.
Two guards followed Ji Xuan and stopped by the door of one of the bedrooms he chose as his own. There were about four bedrooms in the enormous building. Ji Xuan guessed it was built this large in case his parents had bore more heirs.
Since he was the only one, the building and the entire empire was his now, with no rivaling sibling.
After retiring in luxury and ready for bed, Ji Xuan spoke to his most trustful companion. 'Let's see my Status.'
[Note: The attributes from your previous life have been adjusted to fit the capabilities of your current vessel. The values have been proportionally reduced, but slight improvements have been granted due to the influence of your past lives.]
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[Ding!]
[System is recalibrating host's wealth... Retrieving funds from previous lives...]
[Calculating... Applying 10x multiplier...]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, host! You have received ¥177,500,000 ($25M). The amount has been transferred to your account (23XXXXX567).]
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A/N: Hello, author here. This is a test-book upload. To test the book's profile interface, reception and other things. If you find the story interesting, comment and support with powerstones to let the author know and continue with the story!