Chapter Forty-Five: Given by the Teacher

“Big brother, where did you get that?” Wan Qi Lianhao suddenly asked.

Wan Qi Lianjun glanced at Xuan Xuan, who was eating, as if recalling that when he handed her some dried meat, something had been slipped into his hand.

He said to Wan Qi Lianhao, “Xuan Xuan gave it to me.”

In an instant, the three pairs of eyes all turned to Xuan Xuan.

Xuan Xuan didn’t even pause in chewing her dried meat. What was there to be so surprised about? Wasn’t it just a bottle of “Magic Spring Elixir”?

Was there really a need for such excitement?

“Xuan Xuan?” Wan Qi Lianhao pulled Xuan Xuan into his arms from Wan Qi Lianjun, gazing at her with a hint of grievance, “Why didn’t you give it to Daddy?”

She hadn’t given it to her own father, but for a few pieces of dried meat, she’d handed it to Wan Qi Lianjun. Wan Qi Lianhao felt injured.

He’d made that dried meat himself, after all.

His own daughter was so good to Wan Qi Lianjun just because he’d re-gifted what wasn’t his. He felt his status at home was dropping lower and lower.

Wan Qi Lianjun and Wan Qi Lianchen both looked exasperated. Why did it seem that ever since they had a daughter, their third brother completely lost his sense of priorities?

“Ahem.” Wan Qi Lianjun cleared his throat.

Only then did Wan Qi Lianhao realize he’d gone off-topic. He turned to Xuan Xuan and asked, “Where did you get it?”

Xuan Xuan ignored him, finishing off the last bite of dried meat in her hand, and gazed expectantly at Wan Qi Lianjun.

Yet Wan Qi Lianjun gave no response, entirely oblivious to her look.

Xuan Xuan pouted, showing her displeasure.

Wan Qi Lianhao waved a piece of dried meat temptingly. “Tell Daddy, where did you get this?”

He shook the vial of elixir at her as he asked.

Xuan Xuan snatched the dried meat, mumbling between bites, “Teacher gave it to me.”

“Teacher?”

Wasn’t it you all who’d arranged for her a so-called teacher? So naturally, this came from the teacher.

Wan Qi Lianjun glanced at Wan Qi Lianchen, who nodded in understanding and sent his mental power sweeping through the entire control ship. Soon, he shook his head at Wan Qi Lianjun.

Xuan Xuan chewed her dried meat, disdaining their efforts—if they wanted to find her, wasn’t she right here? Even if she told them, they wouldn’t discover anything. Hmph.

“Xuan Xuan?” Wan Qi Lianhao suspected that wasn’t all she’d received.

Xuan Xuan looked up at him.

“What else did your teacher give you?”

She tilted her head and looked at him.

A vein pulsed on Wan Qi Lianhao’s forehead; he handed her another piece of dried meat.

Xuan Xuan turned her head away—just one piece? Was her ability only worth a single piece of dried meat? At the very least, it should be three, right?

Actually, those three might just be your integrity.

Wan Qi Lianjun glanced at his third brother. He couldn’t bear to treat his own daughter so poorly. People always said to raise sons strictly and daughters with indulgence. Even his own sons were never raised so harshly, so why was his third brother so stingy with his daughter?

Maybe, when they got back to the Imperial Capital, he should take Xuan Xuan home and raise her himself.

If Xuan Xuan knew, who knew if she would rush over at once?

Wan Qi Lianjun offered up the entire plate of dried meat.

Xuan Xuan quickly caught Wan Qi Lianhao’s hand as he tried to intercept, swept all the dried meat into her space, and squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

“Third brother, just how badly do you usually treat your daughter?” Wan Qi Lianchen watched her swift and forceful movements, marveling at her speed.

He looked at Wan Qi Lianhao and asked, “Short on pocket money? Want your second brother to lend you some?”

Wan Qi Lianhao’s gaze at Xuan Xuan grew darker. Just how obsessed with meat was his daughter?

Xuan Xuan gave Wan Qi Lianjun a grateful smile, then took out a prepared document and handed it to Wan Qi Lianhao. It was about his spatial ability and dark magic—yes, the studies of psychic powers.

Wan Qi Lianhao took the paper. It was indeed written in Xuan Xuan’s handwriting—only she could write such atrocious characters.

He flipped through it idly, but his pace slowed as he read.

Wan Qi Lianchen, impatient, snatched it. “What’s the matter?”

Moments later, he too was stunned, unable to believe his eyes. “This… This can’t be real, can it?”

“What’s wrong?” Wan Qi Lianjun asked.

Wan Qi Lianhao looked at Xuan Xuan, then explained, “Big brother, you already know that Xuan Xuan’s psychic power is ninefold. This document is about the training of my dark and spatial psychic abilities.”

“What did you say?” Wan Qi Lianjun’s voice rose several notches; he hadn’t been this excited in ages.

“B-big brother?” Wan Qi Lianchen stammered, “Am I seeing things?”

Wan Qi Lianjun looked at both brothers, then snatched the document and began to study it closely.

Xuan Xuan watched them, thinking, truly worthy of being brothers—the way they fought over things was perfectly synchronized.

After a long while, Wan Qi Lianjun looked up. “Incredible.”

“I must say, I’m completely convinced,” Wan Qi Lianhao agreed, hands spread. In the Federation, there were ways to train psychic powers, but they were incomplete, especially for rare abilities like his, and usually only covered control training.

A complete training system like this, Wan Qi Lianhao had never even heard of.

“Let Father look at it first.” Wan Qi Lianjun handed the document back.

Wan Qi Lianhao nodded, thinking the same—this material was far too extraordinary.

“Take good care of Xuan Xuan,” Wan Qi Lianjun said. “I’ll go discuss this with Father.”

Wan Qi Lianhao nodded in understanding.

Xuan Xuan waved. She found her uncle quite lovable—at least, as long as he was around, there would always be plenty of dried meat.

Wan Qi Lianchen left with him, patting Xuan Xuan’s head as he went.

Xuan Xuan, safe in Wan Qi Lianhao’s embrace, didn’t dodge.

After Wan Qi Lianchen had gone, she gave a small huff.

With his two brothers gone, Wan Qi Lianhao turned to Xuan Xuan and reached out his hand. “The rest?”

Xuan Xuan stared at the ceiling—what was he talking about? She feigned ignorance.

“That pile of dried meat will make you sick,” he said, holding her with one arm and patting her already rounded belly with the other.

She batted his hand away—how could a girl’s tummy be touched so casually?

Wan Qi Lianhao nodded. “Looks like you want to eat nothing but vegetables for two days? That can be arranged.”

Hmm? Xuan Xuan immediately shifted her gaze back, staring at him with large, moist eyes, like a pitiful little animal, her long lashes fluttering.

Wan Qi Lianhao remained unmoved, still holding out his hand. “Three days, then?”

She blinked and wrinkled her nose. If Wan Qi Lianchen were here, he might have relented.

“Five days?”

With her lips pouted in a long line, Xuan Xuan finally dumped all the dried meat out of her space.

Wan Qi Lianhao took the plate, amused, and brushed an imaginary oil can across her lips.

She turned away coldly, muttering, Bad Daddy.

He rubbed her head and handed her back three pieces of dried meat.

She wrinkled her nose, glanced at his face, and, seeing he meant it, happily clutched them.

In truth, her dignity was only worth three pieces of dried meat—certainly so.

Wan Qi Lianhao carried Xuan Xuan to the study. Soon, a call from the old master came through.

As expected, Wan Qi Lianhao answered.

“Father.”

Wan Qi Yi nodded, noticing that Xuan Xuan seemed to have put on a little weight, his eyes creasing with delight. “Xuan Xuan?”

Climbing out of her father’s arms, Xuan Xuan nodded at her grandfather. “Grandpa.”

“Good girl, Xuan Xuan is as adorable as ever.”

Xuan Xuan squinted her eyes and nodded—she agreed entirely.

Wan Qi Lianhao’s mouth twitched—she’d gained weight again.

Wan Qi Yi didn’t mind. The family had only one little girl in three generations, and he treasured her dearly. His son had taken her to a remote place for safety, otherwise he’d be holding her every day.

The Wan Qi family had always cherished daughters above sons. He had only three sons: the eldest gave him two grandsons, the second was still unmarried, and the third finally had a precious daughter, though her health was poor.

Such a girl was the jewel of the family.

And as any elder, he wished nothing more than for his grandchildren to be healthy—looks were secondary to health.

“Father.”

“Yes?” Wan Qi Yi looked at Wan Qi Lianhao.

With his daughter, he felt his status plummet—not only before his eldest brother, but even his father. Perhaps only with his second brother was he still on equal footing.

“Father, what do you think of the materials Xuan Xuan’s teacher gave me?”

Wan Qi Yi recalled his purpose and straightened his expression. “I’ve read them. No problem at all—you can begin your training.”

“As for the elixir, bring it back and we’ll test it first.”

Wan Qi Lianhao nodded.

Wan Qi Yi looked at Xuan Xuan with a sigh. Was he getting old, or was the world just moving too fast? He would never have imagined such things before.

“Xuan Xuan?” he said, smiling.

“Hmm?” She looked at him.

“Did your teacher not prepare a gift for me?” he teased.

She blinked—her grandfather? Of course. With a wave of her hand, a bottle of elixir appeared. She held it up for him to see; as for his abilities, he’d have to check himself.

Wan Qi Yi was taken aback.

Wan Qi Lianhao glanced at the green potion in her hand, uncorked it, and a refreshing scent filled the air. He felt all his recent fatigue melt away.

He looked at Xuan Xuan in surprise, then quickly put the elixir away.

Xuan Xuan had thought carefully before giving this—it was precious, made with the Spring of Life, able to prolong life and improve health. For the elderly, it was the best gift.

Though lifespans had reached a thousand years now, that had only been possible for the last century. Before, humans lived just over three hundred years.

But for someone like Wan Qi Yi, who was already over two hundred before the breakthrough, extending life to a thousand years was still uncertain.

So, Xuan Xuan’s “Life Elixir” was the perfect gift—it cleanses the body, removes impurities, restores bodily functions. She had a few bottles, enough for both grandparents, and felt no pressure at all.

Wan Qi Yi had only been joking, not expecting Xuan Xuan’s teacher to have actually prepared something. But seeing Wan Qi Lianhao’s reaction, he knew it must be extraordinary.

He had Wan Qi Lianhao return the elixir to Xuan Xuan for safekeeping, chatted with her for a while longer, and hung up.

Afterward, Wan Qi Lianhao looked at Xuan Xuan. “Where did you get it?”

Xuan Xuan didn’t bat an eye. Obviously.

“Teacher gave it to me.”

Father and daughter stared at each other. Xuan Xuan ignored him, yawned, and got ready for her nap.

After several minutes of fruitless staring, Wan Qi Lianhao felt his authority slipping further and further away. With a sigh, he tucked her back into bed.

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