The aura from that direction was familiar, but for the moment, he couldn't recall whose it was.
Alas, only residual traces remained; the person was already gone. Jian Sheng could only obediently follow her uncle's steps to her own room.
Jian Junyu glanced in that direction, his expression a mixture of apprehension, envy, and admiration. "That's where my friend lives."
As he spoke, before Jian Sheng could ask, Jian Junyu began to expound.
The Qi family of the capital, a name whispered with hushed reverence by anyone who had ever learned of it. Unlike other top-tier families, it was not as widely known to the public. However, the more one understood the Qi family's rise to prominence, the more they were intimidated by it.
The Qi family had only been established for a little over two hundred years, yet they had carved a bloody path through millennia-old aristocratic lineages. In that tumultuous era, when everyone was wary of their own shadow, they could turn clouds with a flip of their hand and rain with a wave of their sleeve.
Ultimately, their family's power had been instrumental in forcing China and other countries to confront each other directly. It could be said that the foundation laid by the Qi family back then was what prevented China from suffering significant losses during the war, and what laid the groundwork for China's current prosperity and strength.
And just as the Qi family's influence was at its peak, they unexpectedly retreated from the spotlight, actively downplaying their presence. As a result, while people in China were aware of the Four Great Families and the Eight Great Clans, they were unaware of the Qi family's existence.
Those top-tier families did not know the extent of the Qi family's current power, yet none dared to provoke them openly.
The friend Jian Junyu spoke of was the eldest grandson of the current head of the Qi family, Qi Sui Bai.
It was only a family like the Qi family, with industries spanning the entire nation, that would buy manors in all major cities just in case they needed a place to stay when traveling.
Jian Junruo listened, utterly dumbfounded. Even though the Jian family was a prominent aristocratic family in the capital, what Jian Junyu described still exceeded her imagination.
How wealthy could a family possibly be to buy such vast estates in every city simply for lodging?
After Jian Junyu finished speaking, he let out a wry smile. He had no idea what this young master of the Qi family saw in him, especially since, in terms of family background, the Jian family still had a considerable gap compared to other top-tier aristocratic families.
Seeing Jian Sheng tilting her head, her eyes full of confusion, he inwardly chided himself for talking so much to such a small child; the little one wouldn't understand.
Jian Sheng was indeed very confused at the moment.
The Qi family; she was too familiar with that name.
Her parents were familiar to her because she had read about them in a book and also integrated the original memories of the body.
As for her familiarity with the Qi family, it was because the rise of the Qi family in her previous life was inextricably linked to her.
In her previous life, when she was still in the cultivation world, her youthful ignorance led her to secretly venture into the mortal realm. However, due to her complete unfamiliarity with the mortal world and her lack of understanding of human deceit, she was not only robbed of her gold but also resold by the thief to a human trafficker.
Just as she was preparing to use her abilities to teach those swindlers and traffickers a lesson, someone arrived to crack down on the human trafficking ring. She was rescued along with other trafficked children.
Upon learning that she had no parents, that person took her in and meticulously taught her about the mortal world.
As a token of her gratitude before leaving, she cured the person of a long-standing illness and a hidden injury, leaving behind a protective jade charm and several bottles of elixirs.
Besides the head of the Qi family and the direct descendants of each generation, no one knew that the true reason for the rise of the Qi family, a hidden power capable of overturning an entire nation, was merely an act of kindness by an old ancestor of the Qi family, all thanks to a few bottles of elixirs gifted by a little girl.
Afterward, Jian Sheng sneaked out a few more times. Each time she emerged, the world she saw seemed to have completely changed from the last.
Jian Sheng found the old ancestor of the Qi family again, hoping to understand the changes in the mortal world from him.
However, when they met again, the old man was already on his deathbed, while she remained a child as she was when they first met. The old ancestor of the Qi family, with his white hair and hunched body, recognized Jian Sheng and wept tears of joy, calling her an immortal and prostrating himself in worship.
The old ancestor of the Qi family, citing his advanced age and fading memory, asked his eldest son to introduce Jian Sheng to the current state of the mortal world.
From then on, the Qi family gained a little ancestor. The protective jade charm, which had a locating function, that the little ancestor gave to the old ancestor of the Qi family became the token of proof for the head of the Qi family.
And whenever Jian Sheng grew tired of staying in the cultivation world and sneaked out to play, she would first visit the Qi family to understand the situation, and would also casually offer some elixirs as thanks for their assistance.
The aura she had sensed in the master bedroom just now was the special scent that lingered on Qi family members who had long worn the jade charms she had given them.
After transmigrating, Jian Sheng felt utterly lost for the first time.
She had interacted with so many characters in the book. She could sense that this was a real world, not a dream or an illusion.
She had never pondered the origin of the world in the book, even with her rarely used intellect; that question was far too advanced.
But… why was the Qi family, which existed in her previous world, here?
Jian Sheng looked up at Jian Junyu, her clear, moist eyes filled with confusion. "Uncle, can I meet the head of the Qi family?"
After transmigrating, her senses had been greatly weakened, making it impossible for her to perceive the location of the jade charm from afar. Now, she could only rely on her uncle to take her there.
She desperately wanted to know if this Qi family was the same Qi family from her previous life.
Jian Junyu looked at Jian Sheng as if she had said something terrifying. "Sheng Sheng, what on earth are you thinking about all day? Who do you think can just meet the head of the Qi family? Forget about us; even our old man would have a hard time getting an audience!"
Jian Sheng's eyes welled up with tears, and she looked at Jian Junyu almost pleadingly. "Is it really not possible? Or, Uncle, can you take me to meet your friend?"
If the Qi family was real, it would mean that this world was the same as her previous life. This information was too important to her!
If her uncle couldn't take her there, she would have to find a way to go herself.
Jian Junyu had never seen the little one so anxious, and her demeanor was extremely serious, far from being joking.
Jian Junyu looked at her seriously. "Uncle can take you to the Qi family, but Sheng Sheng has to tell me first why you want to see a member of the Qi family?"
Jian Sheng's eyes widened in surprise. After a moment of hesitation, she stammered, "I have a friend in the Qi family. His name is Xiao Bai, and I want to go find him."
Jian Sheng was afraid of being treated as a monster if she revealed her true identity, so she told a small lie.
She just wanted to find the head of the Qi family to confirm if he still had the jade charm she had given him.
When Jian Junyu continued to question her, she repeatedly gave the same answer. As for the person's name, his current age, or when she met him, she would simply say she didn't know or had forgotten.
Jian Junyu looked at his younger sister in surprise. When did their Sheng Sheng get to know someone from the Qi family?
Jian Junruo shook her head; she had no idea about this.
After a moment of contemplation, Jian Junyu promised Jian Sheng, "Uncle will first ask his friend if the Qi family has any children nicknamed Xiao Bai. If we can't find him, when you come to the capital in a few days, I'll personally take you to the Qi family."
Sheng Sheng, his precious darling, finally asked him for help; he definitely couldn't disappoint her!
After agreeing to the matter, Jian Junyu called that young master of the Qi family right in front of Jian Sheng.