Murim's Weakest Princess-Chapter 209: Gambling Addiction

A few days passed almost peacefully. Anji spent time with her family, who did not act very differently from usual. Her sister visited her with fruits or snacks after her training and work as her father’s assistant. Her mother spent time with her in the afternoons after finishing administrative matters. Her second brother spent the most time with her, together with Lizi and Gu Ying, to keep her occupied. He even took her to the village when nobody else was around.

Everyone except for her father behaved normally. Yet, Zhao Mingfeng was nowhere to be found except during dinner. He would join Anji and the rest of the family for a meal, but did not speak much. It was as if he was still mulling over what she said.

"Brother, do you think father is angry with me?" Anji asked one day, unable to pretend everything was alright. Her father was most affected, but he would not even give Anji the chance to speak about the matter.

It was a difficult thing to explain. Mingshen overheard his parents arguing back at the main residence when Anji was not there. His older sister also told him that their parents had different views about the high-risk operation.

"I don’t think he’s angry at you," he replied honestly. "Sometimes, people get angry because they are worried. You must know that we all love you very much and cannot bear to lose you. Everyone wants the best for you, but the future is always very uncertain."

Hearing how honest Mingshen was, Anji held her brother’s hand tighter.

"It’s because it is uncertain that I want to do this," she admitted. "I can’t imagine dying suddenly without warning. Everyone would be sad. It’s not as if the operation will kill me. Shifu said she would do it over three months to adjust accordingly, with six elders to assist her for the Celestial Root integration. Even if things go wrong, they are experts who can minimise the damage during the operation. If we drag this out, I might live till ten but not until adulthood."

It was precisely because they were fighting against a known timeline and an unknown timeline with an unknown future that made this decision difficult. On one hand, everyone wished that the existing solution would not pose any risk. If Anji bade her time carefully to ensure her cultivation level stays below the Radiant Core stage until she reached adulthood, she would gradually be able to adapt to the golden core without any adjustments, even as the seal weakened and disintegrated. However, there was no guarantee that Anji would not progress rapidly even if she did not cultivate. The Celestial Root body was a unique one that gained insights and enlightenment rapidly.

"You were meant to die at five or six," Mingshen reminded Anji. "We were greedy enough to make a deal with your shifu to extend your lifespan, and we won that gamble. But do you know why gamblers who win a fortune usually still end up poor?"

Anji shook her head. Didn’t gamblers continue to gamble so they could win a fortune?

"It’s the addiction," Mingshen explained. "Humans are greedy by nature. If you win it once, you will want to repeat it and win it a second time. But in doing so, you lose what you gained and end up with nothing."

The new perspective got Anji thinking. Did her family see her lifespan as a gamble? Were they afraid to lose the gamble?

"But we’re not gambling," Anji retorted. "This is something that can be controlled. It’s not a reckless decision."

There was truth in Anji’s statement. However, fear was irrational. Even for someone as logical as Mingshen, it was difficult for him to come to terms with it. Needless to say, it would be harder for their father to accept the need for this high-risk operation.

"Don’t tell anyone I said this," he warned Anji. "Mother is in favour of it. She’s been trying to convince father, but he remains stubbornly against it. Big sister and I have also agreed to it because we trust Sect Leader Yan. However, father was the only one who truly understood the gravity of the situation. He was there when you were born, and her personally engraved those two seals in you. He prays daily for your good health and would rather watch the sect burn than see you die if he could help it."

It was unfair to say that her father loved her the most in her family. However, it was true to say he loved her the deepest, the same way her mother loved her the fiercest. Everyone had a different way of showing love. Her father’s love was protection. Anji knew that he would fight any demons to keep her safe. On the other hand, her mother’s love was servitude. She would tirelessly tend to Anji’s every need and fuss over her from morning to night. It could be a little stifling, but Anji understood her mother’s heart. On the other hand, each of Anji’s siblings had a unique way of showing their love. Yihao’s way of showing Anji his immature affection was to hunt for her and brag while also beating up people who spoke ill or looked down on her. Mingshen’s love was a little more twisted than Yihao’s. He would spoil her rotten when she was looking, but watch over her at night while she slept, and get rid of any obstacles in her way from the shadows. Her oldest sister seldom interacted with her. Yet, Anji understood that Ruiting was busy trying to improve herself and bear the responsibility on behalf of her younger siblings to live up to their parents’ expectations and carry the glory of the sect so they could live freely without care.

"Give mother a little more time to convince him," Mingshen told Anji, offering her a biscuit he bought from the village. "Big sister and I will do our best to change his mind too. Don’t worry about that, alright?"

Anji accepted the biscuit but did not reply. How could she not worry about that? She had to talk to her father personally to understand him better.