Although he had intended to use this peak first-tier magical beast to test their limits, he never expected them to be particularly formidable, let alone capable of defeating it. He had long prepared to intervene himself, seizing the opportunity to assert his authority in front of Bai Xi.
Yet…
Staring at the peak first-tier magical beast, nearly cleaved in two by a single sword strike and now burning in flames, its life force fading, Long Xingyu fell silent.
He wasn’t the only one rendered speechless, but after a brief moment of quiet, Long Haochen erupted into ecstatic joy.
“Xi Xi, you’re amazing! Looks like I’ll need you to protect me from now on.”
“Ah, with you being this strong, when will I ever hear you willingly call me ‘brother’?”
Long Haochen feigned sorrow, lowering his head in an exaggerated manner that anyone could see was deliberate.
“That trick won’t work; I’ve told you many times. I’ll call you ‘brother’ when you can defeat me. So you better work hard, Chen Chen.”
Bai Xi lifted her chin proudly, quite satisfied with the strength she had displayed. Before the first seal was broken, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t wield a trace of Spiritual Power, never experiencing a scene like today’s—using wood to fuel fire.
The peak first-tier magical beast didn’t seem to push them to their limits, but Long Xingyu no longer wished to test them further.
“Haochen, are you all right?”
Driven by curiosity about Bai Xi, Long Xingyu chose to reveal himself before them.
“Teacher, what are you doing here!”
Seeing Long Xingyu, Long Haochen was thrilled and quickly answered his question.
“I’m fine, thank you for your concern.”
The moment Long Xingyu appeared, Bai Xi had already hidden behind Long Haochen with astonishing speed.
“That’s good. Who delivered that sword strike?”
Long Xingyu pointed at the lifeless magical beast, asking a question to which he already knew the answer.
“This…”
Sensing Bai Xi’s reluctance, Long Haochen wanted to claim it was himself but hesitated, feeling it wrong to lie to his teacher.
“It was me.”
Not wanting Long Haochen to be put in a difficult position, Bai Xi stepped forward to face Long Xingyu, whom she inexplicably felt averse to.
“You?”
Long Xingyu scrutinized Bai Xi from head to toe but found nothing unusual about her—she still appeared frail and constitutionally deficient.
Perhaps her exterior belied her inner strength; maybe she only seemed untalented.
What a pity she was a girl.
But this talent… could it be due to that man’s genes?
Why should his child be so exceptional?
“How did you suddenly gain Spiritual Power? Who taught you that swordsmanship?”
This was what Long Xingyu most wanted to ask. He had never seen Bai Xi’s sword technique before.
If someone with greater strength had executed that strike, its power would have been even more formidable.
“Why does it have to be taught? Can’t one learn it on their own?”
Bai Xi insisted that the swordsmanship was something she had comprehended herself.
Perhaps it was related to her sealed memories of a past life, which had formed some muscle memory.
In any case, she had mastered this move naturally.
“There’s no need to lie. You’re just a nine-year-old child; it’s impossible for you to have comprehended this technique on your own. Being able to execute it is already the result of exceptional talent and diligent practice.”
Long Xingyu’s tone, laced with condescension and dismissal, made Bai Xi deeply uncomfortable.
Before she could say anything, Long Haochen, the ultimate doting brother, couldn’t hold back first.
“Teacher, you shouldn’t speak about my sister like that. My sister never lies. If she says she figured it out on her own, then she did. I believe her, and I ask that you believe her too.”
Long Haochen’s unconditional defense of Bai Xi displeased Long Xingyu, who very much wanted to teach them a lesson and make them understand that lying was wrong.
But upon second thought, why should he bother arguing with two nine-year-old children?
Moreover, they weren’t even his own children—why should he care so much?
“Fine, if you say you figured it out on your own, then so be it.”
When Long Xingyu spoke these words, he was entirely treating the two children as pawns to be used, even though Long Haochen was his disciple.
Long Haochen, a genuine nine-year-old child, was utterly naive. He truly believed Long Xingyu had accepted their explanation and even smiled in response.
But Bai Xi was different. She wasn’t so easily fooled and clearly recognized his attempt to brush them off. She held no fondness for Long Xingyu, but she knew her strength was no match for his and that she couldn’t afford to offend him.
So, she tugged at Long Haochen’s sleeve. “Chenchen, we need to hurry back. Mom will be worried.”
Long Haochen looked up at the sky and immediately grew anxious.
“We’ve already delayed for so long. We really must hurry back. Teacher, we’ll be going now.”
“When you come up the mountain tomorrow, bring her along. I’ll test her Spiritual Power.”
After instructing Long Haochen to bring Bai Xi with him, Long Xingyu watched as the siblings hurried away.
But Long Xingyu remained where he stood, staring in the direction they had left, lost in thought for a long time.
“That girl is as detestable as that man—no wonder she bears a face so similar to his.”
“I previously thought she had no talent for cultivation, so I ignored her. But now it seems she can be of some use.”
“Feng Xiu, I wonder how you would feel seeing a girl who looks like you, sword in hand, trying to kill you?”
“Would it be like how I felt ten years ago?”
Long Xingyu muttered to himself softly, recalling some unbearable memories, his face contorting with pain.
Ten years ago, not long after his wedding, he lost his beloved wife.
His beloved wife was snatched away right before his eyes by a villain, vanishing without a trace.
Years later, when he finally found her again, she already had two children.
The son possessed powerful spiritual energy, unlike his own bloodline.
And the daughter, even at a young age, bore a resemblance to that villain, especially in the eyes…
No matter how he looked at it, these two children didn’t seem to be his own blood—they were more like the villain’s offspring.
Memories flooded back, and Long Xingyu felt his head throbbing with pain once more.
“Yue’er…”
＊
Meanwhile, when Bai Xi and Long Haochen rushed home, Bai Yue had been waiting anxiously for their return and was just about to go out searching for them.
Seeing two small figures running back, her face immediately lit up with a smile as she stepped forward.
“Chenchen, Xixi, why are you so late today? Come wash your hands and eat.”
Bai Yue was a gentle and beautiful woman. Long Haochen looked very much like her, which gave him somewhat delicate, feminine features that often led others to mistake him for a girl.
Looking at her mother smiling at her, Bai Xi could directly sense her unhappiness.
Bai Yue seemed to suffer from severe depression, yet she never let these emotions affect her two children, only tormenting herself physically and mentally.
Although the family’s circumstances had improved somewhat in recent years, Bai Yue still toiled away at various chores. She remained unable to sleep each night.