All Superior Roots, the Nascent Soul Elder Stunned
Hearing Huang Miaoying's words, Guan Zilan's anger surged once more.
"Insolent disciple!" Guan Zilan's face darkened again with fury, her eyes brimming with disappointment. "Are you afraid your master will devour him or something?"
Huang Miaoying lowered her head, muttering inwardly... I'm actually terrified you'll devour him—though not in that way...
The usually obedient disciple's repeated defiance had Guan Zilan's complexion turning ashen, her rage boiling over uncontrollably.
She had briefly overlooked it earlier due to the child's extraordinary talent, but that didn't erase the fact that Huang Miaoying and the Huang family had deceived her.
For a disciple she had placed such high hopes in to trick her like this—Guan Zilan felt both disappointed and a pang of hurt.
Thank goodness the child had impressive talent!
But what if the child had been a mere mortal? What a loss that would have been!
And more than that, the child's talent and the deception were two separate issues.
"Elder Guan, the child's father is just an ordinary cultivator. He hardly deserves an audience with you, and besides, he's not even at the Huang family right now..."
Huang Yuanjing tried to step in and smooth things over, hoping to muddle through, but Guan Zilan had already lost her patience.
Bam! Before he could finish, her face twisted in fury. With a flick of her long sleeve, a surge of immense power slammed into Huang Yuanjing's chest.
The spiritual energy he had just mustered scattered instantly. He spewed a mouthful of blood and flew backward, crashing through a house that collapsed in ruins.
"Ancestor!"
"Master, please calm your anger!"
The Huang family members cried out in alarm, some pleading for mercy, others rushing to the rescue. Chaos erupted.
Huang Yuanjing, helped up from the rubble by the others, swallowed a spirit pill. His eyes were filled with terror—Guan Zilan, the renowned Nascent Soul True Lord of the Taiqing Sect, had wounded him severely with such a casual strike.
He sighed inwardly, knowing the truth could no longer be hidden.
"Are you all testing my patience?"
Guan Zilan spat the words one by one, her gaze sharp as a blade sweeping across every face. Those it landed on bowed their heads, unable to meet her eyes.
"Would you truly betray and defy your master for a mere man?" Her eyes locked onto Huang Miaoying's face as she bellowed, "Speak!"
The shout made everyone flinch. Huang Miaoying's face drained of color, but she finally confessed: "His name is Qin Changqing... He's at the Qin family now..."
In her master's presence, she dared not play any tricks—Guan Zilan would see through any lie in an instant.
All she could do now was hope her master would just take a quick look and leave. Otherwise, things would get messy.
Guan Zilan seized Huang Miaoying's arm and shot into the sky without hesitation. "Lead the way!"
"Ancestor, what do we do now?"
The Huang family members asked with mournful faces.
Huang Yuanjing sighed. "It's come to this—what choice do we have? We'll adapt as we go!"
With that, he summoned his treasure and followed close behind.
He might not match Guan Zilan's strength, but he had to know how things unfolded. He couldn't afford to be too passive.
——
Qin family, Changqing Residence.
The schoolroom echoed with the clear voices of children reciting.
"Filial piety and fraternal respect come first; be cautious and trustworthy next. Extend love to all, but hold the virtuous close. When strength remains, pursue learning. When parents call, answer without delay; when they command, act without sloth; when they teach, listen with utmost respect..."
Qin Changqing paced slowly among the children, a smile playing on his lips, every bit the picture of a kindly schoolmaster.
This was an enlightenment primer from his previous life.
He couldn't teach them much about cultivation, but character came first. These were his children—he wouldn't let them fall short in virtue or conduct. As their father, he poured his heart into it.
"Daddy, last time you told us about the monk and his three disciples reaching the Daughter Kingdom—what happened next? Tell us!"
After the lesson, the children swarmed Qin Changqing, their big eyes sparkling with curiosity.
He chuckled. "Well, before the Daughter Kingdom lay a river called the Zimu River. Thirsty from their journey, the monk and his disciples drank from it. But soon their bellies swelled up. In a panic, they asked a passerby and learned—to their horror—they were pregnant..."
"Daddy, what's 'pregnant' mean?"
"Silly, it means carrying a baby! That's how we all came to be—our moms were pregnant with us!"
"Does drinking water make you pregnant? Is that how I came about?"
"No, no—it's only the Zimu River water! Otherwise, why haven't we gotten pregnant from all the water we drink every day? Right, Daddy?"
The children erupted into a noisy debate over whether drinking water caused pregnancy.
A black line crept across Qin Changqing's forehead. I shouldn't have brought this up—they're too young for these details.
"Alright, alright—the story can wait. Go play now!"
He waved them off with a headache.
The children cheered and dashed to the nearby toy cabinet, each grabbing a favorite and scampering into the yard.
Qin Changqing had crafted the cabinet specially for them, stocked with his handmade trinkets—nothing precious, but novel and perfect for kids.
Suddenly, two streaks of light flashed down into the yard: Guan Zilan and Huang Miaoying, child in tow.
The children glanced at the newcomers curiously but showed no fear.
As scions of a cultivation family, flying cultivators were nothing new to them.
A schoolroom?
Guan Zilan swept her gaze over the buildings and playing children, a string of question marks flashing in her mind.
This didn't look like a school—yet there were so many kids.
Had her disciple taken up with a scholar? But could a mere teacher hold such allure that she'd deceive her own master?
She was about to berate Huang Miaoying for more lies when she sensed something off.
Spiritual energy?
Cultivation families had that in spades, but this energy was emanating from the children.
They ranged from toddlers to teens, some not even old enough to cultivate. Where was this spiritual energy coming from?
Guan Zilan released her divine sense, enveloping the yard and scanning the children. Her beautiful eyes widened in shock.
"Superior-grade spiritual root?!"
"Another superior-grade?"
"Superior-grade again?"
"Supreme... supreme-grade spiritual root!!"
"Yet another supreme-grade?!"
Guan Zilan's shock was palpable, her mouth forming a perfect "O."
She wondered if she'd come to the wrong place. Was this really a school?
She quickly checked every child's aptitude, her face a mask of disbelief.
Not a single one below superior-grade spiritual root.
Even the top ten sects couldn't boast a intake like this!
Huang Miaoying had already told her the Qin family was a minor clan, barely a handful of Foundation Establishment cultivators. How could they produce so many premium immortal seedlings?
Linking it to Huang Miaoying's child's heaven-defying talent, a ridiculous thought bubbled up in Guan Zilan's mind.
Could it be... all these children are Qin Changqing's offspring?
Seeing her master's expression shift, Huang Miaoying knew the jig was up. She hesitated. "Master, actually..."
Guan Zilan cut her off. "These children are all from that Qin Changqing?"
Huang Miaoying stammered, "Probably... I think... yes!"
"Yes or no? Speak clearly!"
"Yes!"
Guan Zilan drew in a sharp breath, her heart pounding. Staring at the children, her mind reeled, words failing her for the moment.