“Ling Yin is a genius, a rare genius. I don’t want to waste such a raw jade,” Li Na said, her eyes, seemingly hiding blue oceans, carefully examining Xu Ling Yin as if looking at a treasure.
Genius?
Xu Ping Zhi and his nephew exchanged glances, shaking their heads. “My daughter has no talent. Her muscles and bones lack flexibility. She only has brute strength.”
When Xu Qi An started practicing martial arts and Xu Xin Nian began studying, it was Xu Ping Zhi who made the decision. Xu Xin Nian had no aptitude for martial arts but was exceptionally intelligent. Xu Qi An was the opposite.
After Xu Ling Yin was born, Xu Ping Zhi felt her bones and observed her for years. He was certain that his young daughter was not only slow-witted but also physically unsuited for martial arts.
At the very least, she would struggle to reach the Refining Essence realm.
Xu Qi An also shook his head. His judgment was now even keener than Second Uncle Xu’s. If Xu Ling Yin had been a martial arts prodigy, Xu Qi An would have already started nurturing Great Tang’s future talent.
As for studying, Xu Xin Nian had given up when his younger sister was four years old. His assessment was: “Her gaze is unfocused, she can’t concentrate. How the hell is she supposed to study?”
Xu Ling Yin indeed hadn’t disappointed her second brother. Every tutor who had taught her ended up questioning their life choices.
If the little bean had any talent at all, it was probably… eating.
In response to Second Uncle Xu’s words, Li Na retorted, “But she can eat, can’t she?”
Are you messing with us?… The family looked askance at the little dark-skinned girl from the Southern Frontier.
Seeing their strange looks, Li Na asked in surprise, “Haven’t you always realized she’s a genius?”
Hearing this, Xu Xin Nian and the others turned to look at Xu Ling Yin, who was peeling a boiled egg. She tapped one end of the egg on the table, then pressed it with her small palm and rubbed it vigorously on the table surface. The eggshell fell off easily.
The whole process was smooth and effortless.
For her age, it could indeed be called genius… The family couldn’t help but want to cover their faces.
Xu Qi An coughed, gently reminding Li Na not to joke around: “Eating might be a talent, but it’s not something to be so proud of that you’d want to take on a disciple. What can you teach her? How to peel an eggshell in three breaths? How to eat an extra bowl of rice every day?”
Li Na’s healthy wheat-colored skin suddenly flushed red. She waved her hands in explanation: “I’m not going to teach her how to eat. I want to teach her the art of gu.”
Xu Ping Zhi’s expression changed. He stared at Xu Ling Yin with eyes like bronze bells: “Did you eat bugs?”
Xu Ling Yin looked longing and asked tentatively, “Can bugs be eaten?”
“No, no, they can’t be eaten,” Xu Xin Nian and Second Uncle Xu said in unison, waving their hands.
You say you want to teach her the art of gu, and my first reaction is also: Did the little bean eat bugs?!
Xu Qi An inwardly complained, then asked thoughtfully, “You mean she’s a genius at cultivating gu?”
Li Na nodded, then corrected, “To be precise, she’s a genius at cultivating strength gu. Ling Yin has strong bones, abundant qi, and thick blood. In our Strength Gu Tribe, she’s the kind of genius we might not see for decades.
“Don’t you find it strange that such a small child has such a big appetite?”
Isn’t it because she’s greedy?… The Xu family thought, but then had some realization. Given Xu Ling Yin’s eating habits, if it were any other child, they would have died from overeating long ago, but she was still lively and energetic.
Li Na suppressed her desire to eat and explained, “In our Strength Gu Tribe, the cultivation method involves selecting a strength gu to swallow at a young age, allowing it to reside in the body.
“For the first few years, the strength gu will absorb the host’s essence, blood, and energy. If a child’s physique isn’t good enough, they will become very weak. Because the strength gu and the host share the same fate, it won’t completely drain the host but will weaken along with them.
“This leads to congenital deficiency.”
As she spoke, her gaze fixed intently on Xu Ling Yin. “But she won’t have this problem. She will provide an excellent incubator for the strength gu, laying a solid foundation from a young age. Moreover, Ling Yin has strong bones and great strength. Even without cultivating her mind, her strength far surpasses her peers. Once she receives proper nurturing, she will soar to great heights.”
The family exchanged glances.
Aunt pondered for a moment, then tentatively asked, “Will she become as big an eater as you?”
Li Na waved her hand. “No, no.”
Just as Aunt was about to sigh in relief, she heard the little dark-skinned girl humbly say, “She’ll become an even bigger eater than me.”
“…”
Without a second thought, Aunt vetoed the idea: “I don’t agree. What do you think, my lord?”
Xu Ping Zhi looked at his son and nephew, seeking their opinions: “What do you two think?”
Xu Qi An commented, “She’s not going to excel in studies anyway, and she’s not cut out for martial arts. Why not give it a try?”
Aunt slammed the table with a loud “bang,” feeling offended. She trembled with anger: “Xu Ning Yan, how can you talk like that? Isn’t Ling Yin your sister?”
It seemed that there was no need to wait for the future; today, old grudges would be remembered. The mother-son relationship between Aunt and her nephew was officially over.
Xu Ling Yue said softly, “Mother, what Big Brother says isn’t wrong.”
The angry Aunt was caught off guard, and stabbed in the back by her daughter.
Xu Xin Nian said, “Taking her as a disciple is fine, but there’s one thing I want to ask you. How long does it take to complete the training in strength gu cultivation?”
Li Na replied without hesitation, “At least five years, at most twenty years, depending on individual talent.”
Xu Xin Nian nodded, looked at Ling Yin, and said, “So can Miss Li Na stay in the capital for five years or twenty years?”
Li Na’s mouth moved faster than her brain: “As long as you give me food, I can stay forever.”
“No way!”
The Xu family members exclaimed in unison.
“…” The little dark-skinned girl looked aggrieved. It’s just eating a few mouthfuls of your rice, how stingy.
Finally, the head of the family, Xu Ping Zhi, made a decision: “Then we’ll trouble Li Na to teach my daughter.”
Xu Xin Nian and Xu Qi An gave him puzzled looks. Were they going to let Li Na stay in the capital for five years, or even twenty years?
The tuition fee would be astronomical.
To this, Xu Ping Zhi smiled and said, “Ling Yin is just a girl, she’s not aiming to be the world’s top expert. She can learn what she can, and even if she can’t complete the training, it’s not a big deal.
“You two have too high aspirations, always wanting to be at the top in everything.”
Xu Xin Nian and Xu Qi An had nothing to say, feeling that Uncle (Father) had a point.
Li Na patted Xu Ling Yin’s head. “If you come back to the Southern Frontier with me, my father would take you as his disciple. In ten years at most, you’d be able to lift a mountain.”
Xu Qi An imagined the scene: ten years later, a grown-up Xu Ling Yin carrying a large mountain on her back, each step causing earthquake-like effects, happily saying:
“Big Brother, I’m back! I brought a mountain for you, catch it!”
A daughter of the Xu family comes of age, uprooting mountains and overshadowing the world… Xu Qi An shuddered.
Just before dawn, the sky was still dark.
An orange cat walked gracefully through the empty, quiet streets, arriving outside the main gate of Minister Sun’s mansion.
It lightly jumped onto the roof of a house across the street, looked around, and then leaped down to the entrance of Sun’s mansion.
Then, the orange cat’s throat moved, revealing a round outline, slowly squeezing out of its throat.
It was a small jade mirror. After being spat out, it didn’t fall to the ground but floated in the air. The mirror’s surface flashed with light, shaking out an unconscious young nobleman.
The orange cat opened its mouth, swallowing the small jade mirror back into its belly, then quickly left with its tail held high.
A quarter of an hour later, the yawning old gatekeeper opened the main gate and saw the finely dressed young nobleman lying on the ground. He was startled, but after recognizing the young man’s face, he ran excitedly into the mansion.
Soon, several servants hurriedly came out and carried the young nobleman into the mansion.
Minister Sun, hearing the news, rushed over. Seeing his son lying unconscious on a brocade couch, his heart instantly leaped into his throat.
“My lord, the young master is just unconscious. He hasn’t suffered any severe injuries,” said the old steward standing by the bed.
“What do you mean he hasn’t suffered any severe injuries?” Minister Sun’s eyebrows raised.
“The young master… was whipped several dozen times. His skin is torn and flesh exposed, but fortunately, they’re all superficial wounds. After applying medicine, there’s no major concern,” the old steward lowered his head.
“Outrageous! Faithless!”
Minister Sun’s face turned ashen, both heartbroken and furious. But then, as if remembering something, his boiling anger suddenly dissipated.
After a moment of silence, Minister Sun sighed, “It’s good that he’s back.”
At the Righteous Qi Tower, in the tea room.
“Prince Yu has long since lost interest in competing for fame and fortune, so he was able to repay my favor. If he were still the same Prince Yu as before, he probably wouldn’t have agreed so easily. As for Duke Cao, he and the Northern Border King’s deputy commander joined forces, plotting for my Vajra Invincibility.
“I remember Lord Wei saying that court struggles are struggles for interests, and one must learn to compromise. So I agreed to his request.”
Xu Qi An held his tea, sitting in the well-lit tea room. He turned his head to look at Wei Yuan, who was basking in the sun on the observation deck, gazing at the scenery.
“Not bad. You have good comprehension, but it’s a pity your temperament is hard to change. You’re not suited for court life,” Wei Yuan nodded.
“It’s mainly because Lord Wei taught me well,” Xu Qi An said humbly.
Wei Yuan smiled, placing both hands on the railing, and looking at the beautiful spring scenery. After a long while, he asked:
“You’ve been running around for the imperial examination fraud case, hardly spending time in the office. It must have been tiring.”
“But I’ve also learned a lot,” Xu Qi An responded, taking a sip of tea.
Wei Yuan smiled and said, “You’ve grasped my main point.”
Xu Freeload was stunned for a moment, having a bad feeling: “Tiring?”
Wei Yuan shook his head, not turning around, and said in a gentle tone: “Hardly spending time in the office.”
“…”
Wei Yuan continued: “So, there’s no salary for this month.”
Xu Qi An stared blankly at Wei Yuan’s back, his face crestfallen: “Lord Wei, my salary for this month is already gone.”
“Is that so?” Wei Yuan was startled, slowly nodding: “Then next month’s is gone too.”
“???”
Did I offend him somehow… The clever Xu Freeload didn’t dwell on this topic. One should never argue with their superior; it would only lead to embarrassment.
“Lord Wei, why has the Northern Border King’s deputy commander returned to the capital?”
“The situation in the north is tense, they lack provisions and wages. He’s come back to ask for money,” Wei Yuan said.
“What kind of person is the Northern Border King?”
“An overbearing person.”
Overbearing people often can’t be reasoned with, and because of his status as a prince, he can ignore rules to some extent… Xu Qi An judged inwardly.
Bidding farewell to Wei Yuan, he mounted his mare and galloped towards Prince Huai’s mansion, with a heavy bag on the saddle.
Now, he had to fulfill his promise and go find the Northern Border King’s deputy commander.
“It’s very strange. Chu Xianglong told me to find him at the Northern Border King’s mansion after everything was settled. This means that during his time back in the capital, he’s not staying at his own home, but at the Northern Border King’s mansion.
“At least, he’s spending most of his time at the Northern Border King’s mansion. And the Northern Border King is at the border, with only his first beauty of a consort in the mansion…”
From the Northern Border King’s perspective, he would certainly not allow his subordinate to live under the same roof as his widowed consort.
Yet Chu Xianglong did just that and did so openly without any attempt to hide it. This meant that Chu Xianglong was acting under the Northern Border King’s instructions.
Why would the Northern Border King do this?
His trust in his deputy commander far exceeded that in his consort…
At Prince Huai’s mansion, in the outer hall.
A woman with a light gauze veil covering her face, dressed in a magnificent palace gown, sat at the table, fiddling with tea utensils.
In the hall, Chu Xianglong stood proudly, fully armored with a sword at his waist. His sharp gaze fixed on the consort as he said in a deep voice:
“I heard from the mansion guards that the consort disappeared without reason twice?”
The veiled woman ignored him, lowering her head to arrange the tea utensils, her movements gentle and graceful.
“How did the consort evade the mansion guards? And how did you evade the Bureau of Astronomy and Calendar’s cultivators? Who have you met recently, and what has happened?”
“Noisy!”
The veiled woman frowned slightly, her voice cold and aloof. “Are you interrogating me?”
“I wouldn’t dare!”
Chu Xianglong lowered his head and said calmly, “This humble servant returned to the capital not only to ask His Majesty for military pay but also to escort the consort north to meet with His Highness. Please make preparations early.”
After a pause, he raised his head, staring at the woman’s lively and beautiful eyes, and said in a deep voice, “I will be staying at the mansion during this time. If the consort wishes to go out, this humble servant will accompany you throughout.”
The veiled woman remained silent.
At this moment, a guard entered the hall, cupped his hands, and said, “General Chu, Constable Xu Qi An requests an audience.”
Chu Xianglong nodded, glanced at the consort, cupped his hands in salute, and left the hall.
Xu Qi An, what is he doing at the mansion… The veiled woman lowered her head, her eyes moving, showing a hint of cunning, lost in thought.