Chapter 13: The Pattern Was Simpler Than Expected

"Is this considered an exchange?" Cassano looked at the two sisters, Longqin and Longqi.

"This is a discussion!" Longyin tugged at Cassano's beard, gazing at him with utmost certainty.

"Good granddaughter, call me Grandfather!" Cassano never missed a chance to say this. Except for the first time, when he heard Longyin call him that once, she refused to say it again no matter how much he coaxed her, much to his regret.

"I'll go with you. Let my sisters be free, alright?" Longyin pleaded sweetly. In her previous life, she’d never acted this way, but in these few short years of this life, she’d done everything she should and shouldn’t, could and couldn’t—her skin was now thicker than a city wall’s corner. It didn’t matter anymore; shamelessness was invincibility.

"Call me Grandfather!" Cassano’s elderly heart melted as Longyin acted coquettishly, but he was still unsatisfied at not hearing her call him that again.

Longyin looked at his expectant wrinkled face, but the word stuck in her throat. Turning her head, she blurted out a hasty, muffled "Grandfather." That single, blurred utterance made Cassano beam with joy, but Longyin truly couldn’t bear it. If he insisted she call him that again, she’d rather disgust him to death.

"Good granddaughter, just one more time!" But Longyin stubbornly refused, even when Cassano pulled five silver cards from his pocket in succession. Not even money could tempt her—a fact that left Cassano deeply resentful.

Watching Cassano so thoroughly subdued by Longyin, Longqin and Longqi could only sigh once more: as the saying goes, one thing conquers another, just as brine curdles tofu.

Because of Longyin, the two sisters at last escaped their misery. That night, they hurriedly packed their belongings, gave a brief farewell to Longyin, and—with little loyalty—left her behind and ran off.

"Second Sister will miss you very, very much! You must miss me too! Once you're free from Grandfather, I’ll come find you!"

"Don’t be sad—Little Yin is the best! Even Grandfather can’t handle you, so now Big Sister won’t worry. When you’re free, I’ll come find you too!"

Longyin’s eyes reddened. She’d never been separated from her sisters since childhood, and now they left her only their retreating backs. Her heart ached, and tears welled up.

"Can’t bear it? Don’t cry…Grandfather will go bring them back!" Cassano’s heart ached at the sight of her tears and he really started to go after Longqin and Longqi.

"Don’t you dare!" Longyin glared at Cassano, then slammed the door shut. If not for this old man, would her sisters need to leave?

Cassano looked forlornly at the closed door. His precious granddaughter was angry—what should he do? He scratched at his wild white hair, then simply sat down, pulled a pile of silver cards from his pocket, and began pushing them one by one under Longyin’s door. At first, she didn’t notice, but then, hearing the odd noises, she looked up in surprise to see dozens of silver cards sliding in through the crack.

When the silver cards ran out, Cassano started offering nine-star cards: three nine-star magic cards, four nine-star martial arts cards, two nine-star energy cards, and one nine-star recovery card—ten nine-star cards in total, then the eight-star ones…

No matter how angry she was, seeing this old man so humble and eager to please, Longyin couldn’t hold her anger. She opened the door coldly and found Cassano wearing a fawning smile. "Good granddaughter…"

Longyin unceremoniously pocketed the silver cards, returned all the other cards, but kept the ten nine-star ones. "I’ll give these back after I’ve studied them!"

"Alright, alright—whatever you want! You like making cards? I hear the Federation’s best card-maker is in Texas. How about I bring him here to teach you?"

Longyin burst out laughing in exasperation. This grandfather had no boundaries when it came to spoiling his granddaughter. Bring the Federation’s best card-maker here as her tutor—did he think the title was a joke? Was he planning to make an enemy of the entire Federation?

"Go to bed! I don’t need a teacher!" Longyin pushed Cassano into the room Longqi had prepared for him, glaring, "I’m going to sleep—don’t bother me!"

Cassano nodded repeatedly. Back in her own room, Longyin touched her chest, feeling a warmth she hadn’t expected. She had to admit, having a grandfather wasn’t so bad.

The next morning, Longyin was awakened by a delicious aroma. Opening the door, she saw a table covered with steaming delicacies and couldn’t help swallowing.

"Good granddaughter, you’re up! Come have breakfast!" Cassano beamed, pleased with her reaction.

Longyin washed up at lightning speed, scrambled onto the chair, and began eating unreservedly—she was famished.

The night before, Longyin had studied cards all night, but her exploration of the nine-star cards kept ending in exhaustion from lack of mental strength. Sighing, she unwillingly put the cards away and began her first spiritual training since her rebirth. Unlike her previous life, where every practice was torment and she needed medicine to sleep afterward, this time she drifted off right in the middle of training. She thought about it but couldn’t figure out why; as long as the result was good, she was content—her spirit sea even felt slightly loosened.

In high spirits and famished, Longyin ate quickly and heartily, only stopping after a series of satisfied burps.

Wiping her mouth, Longyin declared cheerfully, "I’m full!"

Seeing her eat with such gusto, Cassano also ate more than usual. He didn’t need to eat, really, but seeing his granddaughter so happy, he indulged in the junk food as well.

"Grand…father!" Longyin hesitated, then finally addressed the disheveled old man properly. After last night, she’d decided to accept him, starting with how she called him.

Her words stunned Cassano so much he dropped his bun, which rolled far across the floor. "What did you just call me?"

"Grandfather!" The second time came easier. Longyin found the old man’s expression delightful.

"Good! Good! Good!" Cassano could hardly contain his excitement, scooping Longyin up and darting right out of the tree hollow! The wind whooshed past…

For the first time, Longyin experienced the thrill of flying through the sky on a living aircraft. She shouted in excitement; the sensation was nothing short of wonderful.

"Grandfather, fly higher! Higher!" she cried gleefully into the wind.

For Cassano, soaring a thousand meters—or even ten thousand—was effortless, though he worried about how Longyin’s small body would handle the altitude. Still, he flew much higher as she wished.

Longyin laughed uncontrollably. Never in her previous life, nor with her loving sisters in this one, had she felt such exhilaration. After circling the sky, Cassano landed, and Longyin, clinging to his shoulder, gasped for breath from the excitement.

"Grandfather, let’s fly to the Federal Branch Bureau!" Longyin’s eyes still sparkled with excitement as she patted his shoulder, treating him as her personal flying machine.

Cassano, eager to strengthen their bond, was happy to oblige. If his granddaughter told him to fly to the Bureau, he would go. If she told him to blow up the presidential palace, he wouldn’t even blink.

"Alright, hold on tight, Little Silver! Takeoff!" Longyin cheered, unfazed by her new nickname. After all, nicknames were a sign of affection.

In less than ten breaths, Longyin saw the grand Federal Branch Bureau. Cassano alighted on the domed roof, and, looking down, Texas gleamed beneath the sun, awash in golden light. Longyin’s breath caught. She had never viewed the city from such a height. It felt different—not the cold loneliness of high places, nor the insignificance of a lonesome gull. Instead, she felt she stood on the seam between heaven and earth—above, endless sky; below, the same. Though she saw the busy multitudes below, she felt a peculiar detachment. She couldn’t help but ask, sentimentally, "Grandfather, what do you feel standing here?"

"Feel? It’s hot!" Cassano replied, then promptly took her down.

Hearing this, Longyin was beyond words. A Saint like him, and the only feeling was "hot"? Couldn’t he offer some insight on life? Just two words—she felt she’d overestimated him.

As she grumbled inwardly, she fully realized her Saintly grandfather was a straightforward man.

When Longyin went to the Federal Branch Bureau to pay her debts, she pulled out a heap of silver cards, randomly chose one, and handed it to the clerk. She wasn’t trying to show off her wealth, but in the clerk’s eyes, she was a walking pile of gold.

Leaving the Bureau, clutching her stack of silver cards, Longyin marveled at the vast difference between her present feeling of instant wealth and her earlier desolation upon leaving the Bureau. She pocketed the cards again—life was better as a tycoon.

Cassano sidled up. "Little Silver, where to now?"

"Grandfather!" Longyin replied joyfully, calling him even more often, then waved her hand grandly. "To One Street!" What do the wealthy do best? Spend money like water! Now, as a tycoon herself, Longyin had to live up to her gleaming title—she was going to One Street to spend lavishly!

Her wish was command. The Cassano airship set course for One Street, Texas—off they went!