ATAPOW Chapter 82
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Chapter 82: Former Family Affairs
Primarily white and gold ceremonial robes, gorgeous and complicated accessories, a thin piece of mithril chest armor, a shoulder piece engraved with a sword and shield coat-of-arms, superior quality silk stockings as well as a pair or dark-steel greaves. Just the costs of manufacturing her gorgeous, brightly colored attire were enough to make the average tycoon despair.
While the expressionless young woman didn’t release her aura on purpose, faced with her violet crystal-like pupils it still made one feel like they were sitting on pins and needles — as if a rock was pressing against their chest.
Ji Yue, the second daughter of the renowned Fire Lance clan. For generations, her clan had served as bishops of the temple association. Her father, Ji Feng, was the third generation leader of the clan and currently one of the temple bishops.
According to the traditional doctrine of the temple association, the president would be determined through elections, while the people responsible for checks, balances and assisting him would be the bishops. It was a hereditary position, with clans using bloodlines as bonds to pass it down from one generation to another. In other words, Ji Yue will definitely become the next Fire Lance bishop in the future.
Normally, the clan’s right of inheritance would fall on the eldest son to succeed. However, Ji Bai wasn’t the true flesh and blood of the Fire Lance clan; he merely was an adopted son that had no blood relation with them.
To his colleagues in the Temple Association, Ji Bai himself was not entitled to the privileges people with the so-called ‘clan halo’ could enjoy. After all, an adopted son was ultimately an adopted son. To put it bluntly, an outsider that couldn’t even get into the family tree.
Without carrying the clan bloodline, one could forget about being treated equally by members of the bishop’s clan in their lifetime. Even if they treated them with respect, there will always be a trace of estrangement that couldn’t be wiped away. This was the conclusion that Ji Bai had summed up to after years of experience.
It was far from the mark for one to say that Ji Bai hated the Fire Lance clan members; After all, they were the benefactors that had raised him. Similarly, it was far off the mark to say that he liked them either. His relationship with them was most probably like that of a benefactor and a beneficiary. Thus, in the strictest sense of the word, Ji Bai felt that he had no relatives.
Despite his privileged upbringing, things like affection were too luxurious for Ji Bai. At the least, he had yet to experience for himself what that was like.
When he was young, Ji Bai had once fallen into a trance looking at an impoverished woman begging for alms — Even as she led such a depressing life where her next meal is uncertain, the smile she had while swaddling her child was so happy…
It was at that instant Ji Bai felt the warmth of that emotion as an observer. It was definitely unlike the ice-cold feeling of money nor the feeling of a forced smile in his house.
Towards his nominal ‘parents’, Ji Bai’s feelings had only stayed at the level of gratitude. Although it was neither too faint nor too strong, it would be too much of a stretch if he would label it as affection.
From the time he had entered the temple association until he established the Chivalric Order of Radiant Knight, the only thing that Ji Bai relied on was his personal strength. The ‘clan’s halo’ didn’t apply to a foster son and the people around him hadn’t treated him as a member of the clan. Since he hadn’t gone mental, there was no need for him to think of himself as part of them either.
However, when it came to his little sister, the little sister which he had personally witnessed growing from a swaddling infant all the way until she was a beautiful adult, Ji Bai had more complicated feelings.
As members of the clergy, it was evident how busy his parents were. Because of that, this little sister of his could be said to be someone he had raised single-handedly. She had previously allowed Ji Bai to feel traces of warm affection from her and almost caused him to forget the fact that in the end, he was just an outsider. JI Bai had single-mindedly stepped into his role as her brother and treated this little sister of his that he had no blood relations to as his kin.
Ji Bai felt like the happiest person in the world as he witnessed his little sister who used to go “goo-goo, gaa-gaa” learn how to talk and call him brother with her puerile voice.
He still remembered how it was very difficult for his sister to muster interest in anything. When she was young, the thing she hated most was eating and would always want him to spoon-feed her mouth by mouth every time.
His sister had been very clingy, and the person she had loved most was naturally her brother, Ji Bai, who had been taking care of her with great care ever since she was a baby. However, when that day came… Ji Bai realized that all of that was just wishful thinking and foolishness on his part; She had never once taken him seriously.
Recalling back the past made Ji Bai’s heart feel like strands of multi-colored knitting wool intertwining and tangling together. All of it then turned into a deep sigh in the end.
Inside his full body armor, Ji Bai was overcome with emotions as he quietly looked at the younger sister who no longer needed his care.
Even if the affection that had emerged from him had turned into dead ashes and the passion within his heart dampened down, he still lamented nostalgically. “You’ve already grown so big in the twinkling of an eye.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, colleagues, who have come a far way from the capital! This humble self is the branch head of the temple association in this Border Town, Rodo.” The fatty Rodo was momentarily shocked when he faced her young, fairy-like appearance. Only after realizing that he was being rude did he hurriedly stand up and extended his hand to receive his guests.
“It’s an honor.” A crisp and sweet-sounding voice resounded. Although Ji Yue lowered her eyes and slightly inclined her body, she didn’t shake the hand Rodo had extended. Her calm eyes were glancing at Ji Bai, who was standing in the corner, wearing plate armor.
“Ah, haha…” Rodo retracted his hand in a somewhat embarrassed manner.
“Thank you for your hard work, branch head. This lowly servant is Ji Yue. I had received an urgent missive to head to Border Town and be in charge of the tribunal court.” Without lingering with her eyes on Ji Bai, Ji Yue did a short introduction and headed straight to the subject. Afterward, she motioned to a lofty knight beside her to hand a book of documents over.
“I am sure that everyone is well aware of the specifics, so I will no longer repeat it again. To put it simply, the presiding job of the tribunal court requires your branch to dispatch a fellow comrade over. If your highness Rodo is somewhat free…”
“Eehh… I’m sorry, commander Ji Yue. My humble self has to look after my office. I will have my aide-de-camp participate in this trial…” Rodo took a step back and formed a forced smile as he introduced Ji Bai who was standing beside his seat.