Chapter 620 - Terrified Top Tier Families (Patreon)

“Wait… after a second thought, I take it back. You’re completely different from her.” Jade put on a thoughtful expression.

Anda was briefly startled. Did she somehow hear my thoughts?

“Fiona also loved her husband deeply, but she used to be the jealous type. She would never allow any other woman near him. She’s the complete opposite of you in that regard,” Jade continued in a gossipy tone.

Oh. So she was talking about that. Anda felt quietly relieved.

“Unfortunately, they were never blessed with any offspring. That is a common reality for high-level cultivators. Years later, after her husband passed, Fiona admitted that she deeply regretted not allowing him to be with other women. Because of her possessiveness, he left no bloodline to continue his legacy. She said she had been shortsighted and that the regret still lingered even after so many years,” Jade added with a small sigh, still in gossip mode.

Leyvi felt some sympathy for Protector Fiona, but he also wondered whether it was appropriate for Jade to share such a personal story with them. It felt a little like being drawn into busybody talk.

Then the smile returned to Jade’s face.

“On the other hand, you made the complete opposite choice, young madam. Now your beloved husband already has four children at such a young age. Is this what you intended from the beginning? Is this why you keep seeking candidates for Leyvi?” Jade asked, her eyes full of curiosity.

Anda laughed inwardly. This was the opening she needed.

“Senior Jade, why are you so curious about this? Could it be that you’re actually interested yourself? You’re one of the Protectors of our continent, so I have complete confidence in your character. The Leyan Family would be truly honored to welcome a lady of your status and ability… if you don’t mind sharing a husband and having many sisters by your side,” Anda said smoothly, turning the question into a clear and inviting recruitment opportunity without missing a beat.

Leyvi rolled his eyes. Of course she would try the moment she saw a chance.

Jade’s eyes sparkled with clear excitement.

Seeing that bright reaction, Anda felt her hope surge. The way Jade’s eyes lit up was far more promising than she had expected. Could it be that this powerful Protector was truly interested? Was she about to gain another exceptional sister for the family this easily?

“This is it! The famous marriage recruitment! I’m actually getting recruited! It’s just like the report said! Hehehe. This is so funny! Leyvi, your wife is really interesting. She is one of a kind. I especially love her boldness. I haven’t been this entertained in a long time,” Jade laughed with open, playful amusement, clearly enjoying every second.

Anda was left completely dumbfounded. Famous recruitment? Report? So that was how it was… This woman had baited her into trying to recruit her just for her own entertainment!

Anda now realized that Jade had been aware of her character from the very beginning and had simply been leading her along the entire time.

The same kind of conversational manipulation she always used on others had been turned against her today, and the realization stung more than she expected.

The tactics looked similar on the surface, yet Anda could clearly tell that the foundation each of them relied on was completely different.

She herself depended on her ability to sense emotions, carefully reading the other person’s feelings and adjusting her words step by step to guide the conversation toward the outcome she desired.

Jade, however, operated on an entirely different level. She used the vast amount of information available to her, piecing together details from reports, rumors, and investigations to anticipate moves and steer the discussion with almost effortless precision.

Jade was, after all, the legendary woman who ran the entire continent. If she wanted information on someone, it would not be difficult to obtain. She probably had countless methods of investigation at her disposal, far beyond anything Anda could currently match.

Anda sighed quietly to herself. She could tell that Jade was far more experienced and skilled at this game than she was. Being outmaneuvered so cleanly left a rare feeling of helplessness in her chest. For once, she was the one who had been played.

Judging from the unrestrained happy scent the woman was releasing, Anda determined that Jade was truly treating the whole situation as pure entertainment. At least there was no ill intention behind it.

Jade finally finished laughing, her eyes still sparkling with mirth.

“I already knew that a certain someone was going around the city asking questions about me. I am quite flattered to know that someone would still consider an old lady like me a candidate for marriage. It’s been a long time since anyone made me feel this special,” she said with a teasing smile.

“I don’t agree. If you’re still fertile and can give birth, I wouldn’t consider you old,” Anda said honestly.

“Oh, you little sweet talker. You’re making me blush!” Jade replied, acting bashful.

“Nobody has tried to court you, Sister Jade? Are all the men blind?” Anda asked with genuine curiosity.

Since Jade had already declared herself Leyvi’s big sister, calling her Sister Jade felt perfectly natural.

“Haa… everyone knows I’m single, but my status is probably too intimidating for most men to even try. Being too successful is also a curse for us women,” Jade lamented.

“Then what about Leyvi? If the problem is your status, I can guarantee it won’t intimidate him at all. A sex fiend cares nothing about status,” Anda said, openly showing a mischievous smile.

Now that her intention had already been exposed, there was no longer any need to hide it or act sneakily. She could simply state her true goal. As long as Jade did not outright reject the idea, the possibility still remained.

Leyvi’s mouth twitched hard. He could not believe his Sex Fiend title was now being used so shamelessly as a selling point.

Jade’s smile turned equally mischievous.

Leyvi felt a bad premonition the moment he saw that expression. He was far too familiar with that kind of smile.

“Hehe. I might consider it if your husband was the one doing the courting and handling everything himself. I may be old on the outside, but deep inside my heart is still that of a pure maiden. It still longs for romance, for sparkle, for butterflies fluttering in my chest, and for a man who will chase after me properly,” Jade declared, blinking her eyes in an exaggeratedly dramatic and theatrical manner.

Leyvi rolled his eyes. He had already half-suspected it earlier when she insisted on becoming his big sister, but now he was completely convinced.

Behind the legendary woman who could single-handedly run the entire continent lived a mischievous woman who thoroughly enjoyed doing strange and dramatic things purely for her own amusement.

In fact, the other Protectors had probably long been aware of this playful side of her personality. They had likely endured her whims for centuries. Because she was so vital to the continent’s stability and administration, they simply chose to go along with whatever she wanted rather than risk upsetting the one person who kept everything running smoothly.

With Anda’s intelligence, she should have been able to see through Jade’s character by now. She should already realize that Jade was only doing this for her own amusement.

Leyvi turned his gaze toward Anda and saw her eyes full of clear expectation. She was silently urging him to go along with it.

It’s completely over.

Jade had thoroughly grasped Anda’s character. No matter how clearly Anda might understand the situation, it no longer made any difference. The mischievous Protector already had her firmly in hand.

“Sister Jade, please don’t lead her on anymore,” Leyvi said with a wry, slightly helpless smile.

“Hehe. She’s just so amusing. I really can’t help wanting to tease her a little more. I don’t mind becoming sisters with her too… one way or another. Who knows? Maybe fate will surprise us,” Jade replied, giving him a playful wink and a distinctly teasing smile.

Leyvi shook his head helplessly. He truly could not tell what this woman was really thinking.

As for Anda, she did not care at all whether Jade was only doing this for her own entertainment. A chance was still a chance. If her husband could eventually win the woman’s heart, the way it started would not matter.

Meanwhile, the children looked at one another with growing confusion. For quite a while now they had been completely unable to hear anything the adults were saying. They could only watch their lips moving and see the changing expressions on their faces.

Leywini even tilted her head and whispered to the twins, “Are they talking about something we’re not allowed to hear?” The twins could only shrug, equally puzzled. Leylin simply watched in silence, sensing that the conversation had turned into something the adults preferred to keep private.

Starting from the next sentence, however, they could finally hear again.

“Also, Leyvi, thank you for inviting your Big Sister out today. It’s been so long since I went out with anyone. This will be a happy family outing!” Jade said cheerfully.

Leyvi wanted to argue that this had never been his intention and that he actually had a request to make, but he simply swallowed the words and decided to go along with her whim for now.

It would not be too late to bring up his real request after they had entertained her for a while.

And so, Leyvi and the others continued their tour around the city, this time with Jade joining them. With her younger appearance and different style of dress, no one seemed to recognize her true identity.

After several hours, Leyvi noticed something different. Their activities were no longer being interrupted by anyone.

Not only had the harassment completely stopped, but when he swept the surroundings with his spiritual sense, the young masters and young ladies who had been “secretly” observing them from afar were also gone.

This made Leyvi glance at Jade. Could it be that she already knew why he had contacted her in the first place?

His guess was correct.

At that very moment, every arrogant young master and young lady who had been involved in bothering the Leyan Family over the past few days was being severely punished by their respective families.

In Ultima City, even the City Lord had no real power to directly influence what the top-tier families did, as long as they did not break the law.

There was, however, one person in the city who could cause the complete fall of those families either directly or indirectly if she wished to.

The families had always warned their descendants in the strongest terms to be extremely careful never to cause any trouble for this woman, or for anyone who had even the slightest connection to her. They were told to avoid involvement with her in any way possible, no matter how small.

Today, that same woman had delivered a few ordinary-sounding sentences to them. The mere fact that they had received a message from her at all left the families in absolute terror. Panic spread through their halls.

Even their most reclusive old ancestors immediately emerged from seclusion, their faces dark with urgency, to personally deal with the problem and punish the younger generation without mercy.

The ancestors also harshly punished anyone who dared to suggest faking the punishments or offering only light discipline. Before returning to seclusion, they gathered the entire family leadership and issued stern, repeated warnings: never attempt to hide anything from that woman, never lie to her, and never assume she would not find out.

It was impossible to conceal anything from her as long as they lived anywhere near her. One wrong move could bring disaster upon the entire clan.

After this incident, all of the involved top-tier families shared the same question.

When did Protector Jade get a younger brother?