"Oh? Xiao, the Bone Age Tester shows he's not even eleven yet, and he's already at level thirty-five. Not bad, not bad at all, even better than you were back then."
"That... doesn't prove anything. It just means his cultivation speed might catch up to mine. Don't forget, I also specialize in Soul Guided Devices! I'm the youngest Level Four Soul Engineer in the empire's history!"
"Oh really? I seem to recall you nearly failed your theory exam last year, didn't you? Who was it that borrowed my notes two weeks before the exam and holed up in the library studying like mad?"
"Meng... that was an accident..."
"Hehe, well, you have a lot of 'accidents.' The other day, you insisted on trying to control a Level Six Soul Guided Device during cultivation, lost control of your Martial Soul, and nearly blew yourself up..."
"Meng, why do you have such a good memory..."
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In the brightly lit, upscale accountant's room, Xu Tianxi, who had cried himself to sleep after taking three elixirs, woke up to find the white-haired siblings from earlier scanning him back and forth with a Soul Guidance Detector.
However, the siblings didn't seem particularly interested in him; they were more engrossed in bickering.
Visibly, the one looking utterly dejected from being rebutted was the brother, undoubtedly Xiao Hongchen, the Three-legged Golden Toad Soul Master genius from the original story.
Honestly, watching this guy's face alternate between green and white from being choked up was quite entertaining, much better than the New Year's Gala skits from his past life.
But the Hongchen siblings were, after all, Soul Masters at the Four-Ring Soul Ancestorcultivation level. They quickly realized that their everyday squabble had been overheard by an outsider who had woken up at some point, and their expressions immediately shifted.
Xiao Hongchen approached Xu Tianxi with a look of indignant fury, putting on a fierce expression. He lowered his voice and asked tremblingly, "Did you hear everything we just said?"
Xu Tianxi nodded honestly. "Heard some of it. Don't worry, not much."
Xiao Hongchen/Meng Hongchen: We didn't say much at all, so doesn't that mean he heard almost everything?
"Ah, ah... my image..."
Xiao Hongchen looked frantic, then gazed at Xu Tianxi in despair. "I'll offer you a price. You absolutely must never speak of this again, alright?"
Xu Tianxi silently stared at the Young Master Xiao in front of him, whose face practically screamed, "I'm rich, stupid, and easy to fool." He said, exasperated:
"...Actually, you can relax. If you didn't emphasize it, I'd probably forget it quickly."
"Besides, although I'm here on the run, I still have some money on me. Living in Mingdu for a few years shouldn't be a problem, and I can also make Soul Guided Devices."
You say you only have that much money? Well, now I'm not sleepy anymore.
Xiao Hongchen, eager to salvage his dignified image, perked up. He tidied his appearance, crossed his arms, and said very confidently:
"Xu, Xu Tianxi, right? You clearly don't know much then. Not only is my strength unrivaled among my peers, but when it comes to wealth, I, Xiao Hongchen, am also one of the few top figures in the world. Aside from a few members of the imperial family, no one in the Sun Moon Empire dares to bid against me at auctions!"
As expected, a look of surprise appeared on Xu Tianxi's face. "You're Xiao Hongchen? The descendant of the Hongchen Family, top powerhouses in the Sun Moon Empire, and Dean Jing Hongchen's grandson?"
"That's right! It's me! The number one genius of the Sun Moon Empire in a thousand years! The record holder for the youngest Four-Ring Soul Ancestorand Level Four Soul Engineer in the Sun Moon Empire! That would be Xiao Hongchen..."
"This is a letter of recommendation my Senior Grand-uncle wrote for your grandfather. If it's convenient, please give it to him. My Senior Grand-uncle said that Dean Jing Hongchen has done a lot of business with him these past few years."
Xu Tianxi took out the letter of recommendation Xiao Changfeng had given him and waved it in front of Xiao Hongchen, his expression complex and hard to read.
"What did you say? This is a letter of recommendation for our grandfather?"
Xu Tianxi's interruption was highly effective, directly stopping Xiao Hongchen's remaining boasts in his throat. Meng Hongchen, who had been enjoying the spectacle, shoved Xiao Hongchen aside, grabbed the letter, and scrutinized it back and forth, her expression growing increasingly astonished.
Xu Tianxi's expression was a little strange. "If there isn't a second Dean Jing Hongchen at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, then it should be for him."
He had only learned when Xiao Changfeng gave him the recommendation letter that the 'bad egg' who was secretly benefiting from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and reselling Soul Guided Devices was none other than the esteemed Dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Jing Hongchen!
He wondered how high a price his Grandmaster and Senior Grand-uncle had offered to even rope in Jing Hongchen. He had originally thought they had hooked up with that greedy Prince Xu Guozhong of the Xu Family in the Sun Moon Empire.
"Wait a minute, you just said Grandpa did business with your Senior Grand-uncle? What kind of business?"
Xiao Hongchen tilted his head, his face full of curiosity.
Meng Hongchen also cast an expectant glance, the corner of her lips curving into a pretty arc.
Coming here, I can even learn about Grandpa's little secrets? This is a real bonus.
"Just some Soul Guided Device business. They have everything from Level One to Level Five Soul Guided Devices. Also, my Senior Grand-uncle brought in two Level Seven Soul Guided Devices, one for focusing light and one for stargazing, but I don't know if those came from your grandfather."
Xu Tianxi stated calmly, then added:
"Oh, and he said he always leaves some complimentary items with each order, maybe elixirs or Sea Soul Beast supplements. Do you two know about this?"
Xiao Hongchen's voice became very strange. "Know about it? Of course we do..."
Meng Hongchen chimed in, "Those elixirs and Sea Soul Beast supplements were all eaten by us and Grandpa..."
Xu Tianxi: "..."
You two are really honest.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, Xiao Hongchen's shout broke through the clouds.
"So you're the genius from the Douluo Three Kingdoms that Grandpa said was coming to challenge him!"
Outside the tent, Lin Jiayi's worried voice quickly came. "What's wrong, Xiao Hongchen? Is there a problem?"
"Oh no! We can't let them know about Grandpa's secret dealings! Stop them!" The siblings were in perfect sync at that moment.
Xiao Hongchen darted out, pulled open the tent flap, and gave a supposedly friendly smile to the suspicious Lin Jiayi, Xu Sheng, and the soldiers. He said urgently:
"It's nothing, nothing at all. My sister and I are having a wonderful chat with little brother Xu Tianxi. We just, we just clicked instantly!"
Meng Hongchen poked her small head out from behind him, nodding repeatedly. "Xiao's right. Little brother Xu is incredibly talented. We're even thinking of introducing him to Grandpa, aren't we, Xiao?"
"That's right, that's right. A few days ago, my grandfather... slept, he had a dream!
He dreamed that soon, a genius from the Three Kingdoms would overcome many difficulties to come to the Sun Moon Empire and seek mentorship. Now that I think about it, it must be young brother Xu Tianxi."
Xu Sheng blinked his confused tiger eyes. "But I just heard you mention... a challenge letter?"
"Well..." The Hongchen siblings' minds went blank for a moment, unable to find the most suitable answer.
"That... that was just me, as a junior, being young and impulsive. I heard that Young Master Xiao Hongchen is an unparalleled genius, born once in a thousand years in the Sun Moon Empire, and it ignited my fighting spirit. I wanted to pursue and catch up to him in the future!
I didn't expect Dean Jing Hongchen's cultivation to be so divine that he even dreamed of this."
Xu Tianxi's face peeked out from the other side of the curtain, full of excitement and fighting spirit. He winked at Xiao Hongchen. "What do you say, Young Master Xiao? Care to do me the honor of accepting?"
Xiao Hongchen's stiff smile immediately relaxed. He gave Xu Tianxi a mental thumbs-up and pretended to consider it.
Meng Hongchen's eye twitched, and she secretly pinched Xiao Hongchen's waist. "What are you still pretending for at a time like this!"
"Isn't it to make it look more convincing? Ow, little sister, be gentle!"
Xiao Hongchen, on the verge of tears, twitched at the corners of his mouth from the pain but couldn't show it. He could only force a cool expression to agree:
"Alright! I, Xiao Hongchen, accept your challenge!"
"Everyone, I've suddenly had an epiphany and want to meditate for a while. Please don't disturb me easily, or I'll go tell Grandpa."
With that, Xiao Hongchen quickly retreated, pulling at the corners of his mouth. Meng Hongchen and Xu Tianxi exchanged an awkward smile with everyone. "I'll go help Young Master Xiao/my brother guard him."
The two of them quickly retreated into the large tent, leaving Xu Sheng, Lin Jiayi, and the others bewildered in the wind.
"I say, Director Lin... what... what's going on?"
Xu Sheng's eye twitched uncontrollably as he looked at Lin Jiayi, whose expression was equally out of control, utterly confused.
The Hongchen siblings had been inside for less than three minutes, and these three had already developed such tacit understanding? Xu Tianxi was quite impressive.
Lin Jiayi spread his hands, indicating his lack of understanding. "The situation here is beyond our control. I'll contact Dean Jing Hongchen now and let him make the decision."
Although he and Xu Sheng were both Soul Ancestors, the gap between them and Jing Hongchen was immeasurable. Lin Jiayi's livelihood depended on that elder; moreover, the Hongchen siblings were the most outstanding geniuses in the Sun Moon Empire in a thousand years, perhaps even in history. They were destined to become level nine Soul Engineers, with limitless futures.
If Xu Tianxi established a relationship with these two in a short time and inexplicably became "Jing Hongchen's prospective disciple," then even if he had problems, even if he was full of mysteries, he would have to be treated as if there were no problems.
Xu Sheng nodded, then laughed heartily as he looked at the large tent. "If he can truly become a direct disciple of the Hongchen Hall Master, then I'll have nothing to worry about. Old Man Kong and the others, with their spirits in heaven, would also be pleased."
Lin Jiayi also nodded. Xu Tianxi dared to challenge Xiao Hongchen, and Xiao Hongchen was willing to accept, which suggested that Xu Tianxi must possess astonishing talent. However, Xiao Hongchen's Martial Soul was the Three-legged Golden Toad, possessing the bloodline of a Divine Beast. What was Xu Tianxi's Martial Soul...?
"Oh, right, Commander Xu, I think we forgot something important."
"What is it?"
"Up until now, we still don't even know what Xu Tianxi's Martial Soul is..." Lin Jiayi said, covering his face, feeling utterly mortified.
As the Dean of Education of the prestigious Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, he had actually overlooked this most basic piece of information. If he were to report this to Jing Hongchen like this, the Dean would surely scold him mercilessly.
"Uh... that's a big problem. How about you send a message to the Hongchen siblings and ask them later?"
"Good idea."