Volume 1, Chapter 13 – Bet You Didn’t Expect This, My Daughter Really Is a Genius (Part 2)

Xu Mei’s voice wasn’t loud, but infused with qi, it carried effortlessly across the entire testing grounds. The surroundings fell so silent you could hear a pin drop as all eyes turned toward her.

“Niece Xu, what do you mean by that?”

An older examiner asked in confusion.

“Uncle, I believe the Honghua Sect’s recruitment standards must be raised from now on.”

Xu Mei’s answer was ambiguous, her burning gaze fixed back on Huang Qi’s body. A faint mist of excitement clouded her pupils, lending her an almost girlish charm.

“Niece Xu is right. A little girl like this, clearly unfit to become a cultivator, would only waste resources if admitted. We must raise our requirements!”

Elder Wu smugly took over the conversation, thinking he understood.

“Exactly! How many resources do we waste on such people every year? And what do we get in return? The Honghua Sect’s decline is directly tied to these failures!”

Disciple Wei chimed in, nodding vigorously.

“Wrong. What I mean is—with her here, the Honghua Sect has enough. From now on, we must be more selective. We can’t just accept anyone.”

Xu Mei’s smile didn’t waver as she casually refuted them.

“What? You’re accepting her? Did you forget what I just told you? Aren’t you afraid—”

Elder Wu, caught off guard, lashed out with a threatening tone.

‘What exactly did he say to Elder Xu earlier?’

Huang Qi was intensely curious, though he suspected it was nothing good.

Xu Mei ignored Elder Wu entirely. Her fervent gaze remained locked onto Huang Qi’s body, like a mother reunited with a long-lost daughter.

“Elder Xu, are you saying… my daughter passed the test?”

Cheng Yuan asked hesitantly. Truthfully, he hadn’t held much hope to begin with.

“Not just passed—she far exceeded it. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the Honghua Sect’s resurgence will be realized through her.”

Xu Mei faced Cheng Yuan solemnly, emphasizing the importance she placed on Huang Qi’s current body.

“What?!”

Cheng Yuan stood frozen in disbelief. Beside him, Jiang Liniang covered her mouth in shock.

Huang Qi inwardly gasped. What an absurdly high evaluation!

“Hah… hahahaha! Bloodline? What worthless nonsense! ‘Are kings and nobles born with silver spoons?’”

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After a stunned pause, Cheng Yuan suddenly threw his head back and laughed wildly, arms spread as if embracing the heavens.

The crowd stared, too intimidated to intervene.

When his laughter subsided, the gloom on Cheng Yuan’s face had vanished, replaced by unbridled confidence. Swaggering forward with exaggerated steps, he stopped before Elder Wu and broke into a mocking dance.

“Master, bet you didn’t expect this—my daughter really is a genius! With judgment like yours, how do you even qualify as a Honghua Sect elder?”

Elder Wu’s face flushed crimson at his disciple’s taunting display, but he couldn’t muster a single rebuttal. Humiliated, he turned and fled, his lackeys scrambling after him.

“Senior Brother Wei, don’t leave! My daughter likes maids too—why not let your wife try out for the role?”

Cheng Yuan continued his ridiculous dance, shouting after them.

Disciple Wei stumbled at the jab but didn’t dare retaliate. He quickened his pace, fleeing like a whipped dog.

Though Huang Qi felt a surge of vindication, he worried about Cheng Yuan’s mental state. This stand-in father seems dangerously overexcited—is he about to pass out like that other guy earlier?

Jiang Liniang clearly shared the concern. She rushed to her husband’s side, grasping his arm anxiously. “Husband, what’s wrong? You’re scaring me!”

“Don’t worry, dear. I’m fine! I’ve weathered storms before—I know my limits.”

Cheng Yuan instantly calmed, his earlier arrogance gone without a trace.

“Whew! Thank goodness.”

Jiang Liniang exhaled in relief before scooping up their daughter again.

“Everyone, please wait briefly. I must step away, but I’ll send another disciple to continue testing.”

After explaining to the examiners, Xu Mei eagerly ushered the family away.

Through the child’s eyes, Huang Qi noticed countless envious stares following them—eerily similar to when he’d passed his own test years ago.

“I am Xu Mei, an elder of the Honghua Sect, responsible for instructing female disciples. May I know your names?”

As they walked, Xu Mei introduced herself first.

“Greetings, Elder Xu. I’m Cheng Yuan, a merchant from the prefecture. This is my wife, Jiang Liniang, and our daughter, Cheng Hongling.”

Cheng Yuan responded politely.

“Earlier, you called Elder Wu ‘Master’. Were you once part of the sect?”

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Xu Mei glanced back curiously.

“Yes, though only as an outer disciple for a few years. I’m embarrassed to admit it.”

Cheng Yuan rubbed his neck awkwardly.

“No need for shame. Since you were here and studied under Elder Wu, I’ll presumptuously call you ‘Junior Brother Cheng’.”

Xu Mei smiled warmly.

“Of course… Senior Sister Xu.”

Cheng Yuan accepted the honorific, visibly flattered.

“Junior Brother Cheng, you shouldn’t feel inferior. With a daughter like yours, you’re already more fortunate than anyone in the Honghua Sect. If I’m not mistaken, within ten years, she’ll surpass me—no, perhaps even surpass the sect leader.”

Xu Mei’s words were meant to comfort.

“Really?! She could surpass Sect Leader Qin in just ten years?”

Cheng Yuan’s jaw dropped. He’d clearly underestimated his daughter.

Huang Qi was equally stunned. Sect Leader Qin has cultivated for over sixty years! If this body can overtake him in a decade, what kind of monstrous talent is this? If he’d had such gifts, he’d never have been expelled.

“Does Junior Brother Cheng think I’m lying?”

Xu Mei countered with a widening smile.

“Ah! N-No, of course not!”

Cheng Yuan shook his head frantically.

“Good. Please wait here briefly. After I assign someone to take over testing, I’ll take you to meet the sect leader.”

Xu Mei’s lips curved slightly before she turned to leave.

“Heh… I never imagined my daughter would truly be a genius.”

Cheng Yuan turned to stroke his daughter’s head, grinning like a fool.

“Now you won’t need to risk those dangerous trips to the provincial capital anymore.”

Jiang Liniang hugged their daughter tighter, overflowing with love.

Huang Qi squirmed internally. This ‘mother’ is practically my age! Thankfully, the dream’s intermittent sensory input spared him the full discomfort of the situation.

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Cheng Yuan fell silent, lost in thought.

“Husband, why did you clash with Elder Wu? Wasn’t he your master? And that Disciple Wei?”

Jiang Liniang seized the chance to ask.

“Ugh, just thinking about it infuriates me!”

Cheng Yuan’s expression darkened. “Wife, you may not know this, but though the Honghua Sect is Huangtian’s largest cultivation faction, its resources are limited. Expansion hasn’t kept pace with population growth, creating a severe housing shortage. Elder Wu oversees property allocation—and he’s been profiteering by forcibly evicting outer disciples to resell their quarters to the highest bidders. I was one of his victims. Despite the sect’s official policies, that old bastard schemed to drive me out before my term ended.”

“But he was your master! How could he be so heartless?”

Jiang Liniang frowned.

“Master? Outer disciples don’t receive direct elder instruction. He was just a figurehead—his subordinates handled our training. Completely negligent.”

Cheng Yuan’s face twisted with disdain.

“I see… So even immortal sects have such selfish people. And an elder, no less! No wonder the Honghua Sect struggles.”

Jiang Liniang snorted coldly.

Huang Qi’s worldview crumbled. After nearly twenty years here, I never knew about this. Elder Wu’s conduct is the polar opposite of my own kind master’s.

“What about Senior Brother Wei? How did you cross him?”

Jiang Liniang pressed.

“His father wanted to buy my quarters. Since I refused to leave, we had… words.”

Cheng Yuan shrugged.

“What a petty, narrow-minded man.”

Jiang Liniang scowled.

Huang Qi stopped listening as his body’s gaze drifted to a nearby inn—the Duohui Inn.

He knew this place intimately. During his sect days, it had been his regular haunt—cheap, delicious meals with generous portions. For a poor outer disciple like him, it had been a godsend.

“Mommy! I’m hungry!”

Huang Qi’s dream-body suddenly spoke up.

“Hungry? Why don’t you take her to the inn first? I’ll wait here for Elder Xu.”

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Cheng Yuan suggested.

“Shouldn’t we all go?”

Jiang Liniang hesitated, unwilling to let her husband go hungry.

“If we all leave, who’ll wait for Senior Sister Xu? Don’t worry—I’m fine. Just bring me two steamed buns later.”

Cheng Yuan reassured her.

After a brief pause, Jiang Liniang nodded and carried her daughter toward the inn.

Through the child’s eyes, Huang Qi greedily took in the surroundings. Though his sect days hadn’t been easy, every tree and stone here held fragments of his youth.

As they entered the inn, Huang Qi’s gaze abruptly locked onto a familiar figure—himself.

His teenage self, around fifteen or sixteen.

Huang Qi rifled through memories. I joined the sect at nine. Though no genius, my early cultivation went smoothly before suddenly plateauing. Fifteen was probably my peak.

True enough, the young Huang Qi sat eating a plain stir-fried cabbage, face alight with confidence—clearly believing these hard times were temporary, that greatness awaited.

“If only time could freeze here…”

Huang Qi’s heart ached with bitter irony. “Foolish boy… little do you know, this is your life’s peak.”

Huang Qi jolted awake.

Sunlight streamed through the window. Tears blurred his vision as reality and dream blurred together.

Then—panic.

He frantically groped his chest, only to find it flat and rough, unchanged from last night.

“Thank goodness!”

He exhaled in relief and threw off the covers—only to freeze at the sight of his hands.

“These are… my hands?”

He raised them in disbelief, staring as if seeing them for the first time.