Dad, I Think I'm a Genius

"Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique, add points!"

Lu Chen looked at the panel.

[Ox-Splitting Saber - Iron Bone Realm (1%)]

Fate Value -200.

A flood of memories of practicing this Swordsmanship poured into Lu Chen's mind.

Every move and stance felt incomparably smooth, as though he had practiced them for more than ten years.

There were even memories of soaking in medicinal baths.

It had saved him more than ten years of training.

He could clearly feel his bones changing rapidly, growing harder and heavier, like steel.

The fascia and sinews around his bones also grew tougher and thicker.

The muscles all over his body grew firmer, and Lu Chen even felt as if he had grown a few centimeters taller.

His heart beat powerfully, and blood flowed through his veins.

Adding points was powerful. Everyone who tried it sang its praises.

Lu Chen tried to add more points, but failed.

"I've still got 242 Fate Value left. I wonder how much it'll take to upgrade to the Organ Tempering Realm."

Lu Chen wanted to test his current strength, but he couldn't see anything heavy, so he turned his gaze to the wooden bed in the room.

With one hand beneath the bed and the other gripping its edge, he exerted a little force and easily lifted the large solid-wood bed.

After putting the bed down, he reckoned his strength was at least 500 jin, and possibly even 500 kilograms.

"Time for bed. Tomorrow's another beautiful day!"

Lu Chen packed up the valuables he had confiscated from the gambling den, planning to buy a few things to take back tomorrow.

Now that he had the skill of Teaching the Way and Imparting Knowledge, he didn't want to waste it.

He had some money now, and it was ill-gotten wealth at that, so spending it wouldn't pain him. He might as well give each child in the village a set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and bring some tasty treats back for Little Tang and Lu Ming.

"Time for bed!"

Lu Chen slept soundly.

But Wang Hu of the Green Bamboo Gang couldn't sleep a wink.

"Search! Find him! Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, you must find the person who set that fire!"

His body trembled with rage.

How many years had it been?!

How many years had passed since anyone had dared break ground above the Grand Duke's head?!

First, someone had wiped out the Great Whale Gang's gambling den. Right on its heels, someone had set fire to his own gambling den, deliberately picking a place where nobody was around.

Wasn't it obvious that it was deliberate?

What were other people supposed to think?

Yesterday, the Canal Gang had been targeted, with the fire set specifically at important places like warehouses. Once that oil splashed out, the flames were hard to put out, and he'd heard an entire shipment of the Canal Gang's goods had burned to ashes.

Today, the Green Bamboo Gang was targeted, but the fire had been set only in a corner, causing no losses at all?

What was that supposed to mean?

Different treatment?

Wouldn't the Canal Gang think the Green Bamboo Gang had set the fire itself?

And who exactly had killed the Great Whale Gang's men, using the fucking Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique of all things?!

Everyone knew the Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique belonged to the Green Bamboo Gang. Wang Hu himself practiced it.

In all of Shahu County, the only people who knew the Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique were members of his Green Bamboo Gang!

It was like yellow mud smeared on his crotch—even if it wasn't shit, it looked like shit. There was no explaining it away.

And now, to top it off, that bastard Zhang Dajing had smashed up one of the Green Bamboo Gang's gambling dens and killed three or four of its men.

He had nowhere to go to plead his case!

"Wang Bao, what's that Cheng Datou under you been doing lately? Fuck it, I feel like everything started when he died. Investigate it! Find out exactly what happened!"

He gritted his teeth, his face livid with rage.

"All right!" Wang Bao was also thoroughly displeased.

The year's luck was against them!

He immediately sought out Qian Gui. "That fellow you mentioned before, Huang Chao, was it? Has he come back? Bring him here!"

Qian Gui, his big belly jutting out, glanced at Wang Bao, who was in a foul mood, and shook his head. "Not yet."

"It's been how many fucking days, and he still hasn't come back? Did he die on the road?"

Wang Bao pointed at Qian Gui and roared, "Go to that Qingshan Village first thing tomorrow morning and ask what happened. If you don't get an answer, don't come back! And those men under Cheng Datou, the ones who fell into the cesspit—didn't they run into trouble after going to Qingshan Village? Go ask around and see if you can find any clues! Also, find someone to ask about Cheng Datou again. Did he fucking offend someone? Fuck!"

"Yes!" Qian Gui didn't dare linger and hurried away.

At that moment, the Green Bamboo Gang wasn't the only one in disarray. The Great Whale Gang and the Canal Gang were much the same.

One of the Great Whale Gang's gambling dens had just been wiped out, and on Zhang Dajing's orders, it had raided one of the Green Bamboo Gang's gambling dens in turn. The two sides fought fiercely, but Zhang Dajing had planned the attack while the Green Bamboo Gang was caught unawares, leaving it with a bloody stroke of bad luck.

When the Canal Gang heard that the Green Bamboo Gang had been burned too, and that the fire had also been set using those strange jars filled with oil, just like the attack on the Canal Gang, it paid close attention.

"Whoever did it, we'll treat it as the Green Bamboo Gang's doing. They've offended the Flying Eagle Horse Gang, and they could be wiped out any day. We need to bite off a chunk of their territory and businesses too!"

The Canal Gang's Gang Leader, Liu Wenjing, had the word "quiet" in his name, but was anything but quiet, with a terrible temper.

Li Mantun of the Black Pole Gang was also pondering how to take a bite out of the Green Bamboo Gang, hoping to tear away a share of the profits.

It was truly a small temple with fierce winds of evil, shallow water teeming with turtles.

Early the next morning, after buying what he needed, Lu Chen went to the shop where he had rented a cart before and instructed them to deliver the things to Qingshan Village. He ran back ahead of them, and while he was eating, the ox cart arrived with the goods.

He carried the gifts into the classroom and gave everyone a set of the Four Treasures of the Study. Then he taught the class amid their cheers.

The number of people in class was the same as before, neither more nor fewer.

In fact, almost all the children of the right age in the village were already there.

As soon as class began today, all the children seated below felt that everything was completely different.

It seemed that what the teacher taught was easier to understand!

They remembered it as soon as the teacher explained it!

They hadn't even gotten distracted thinking about what to eat for lunch or where to play that afternoon.

Their entire attention was focused on the lesson.

Their efficiency had improved enormously!

Could it be that I'm actually a child prodigy, a genius whose talent went unnoticed before?

The thought popped into many of the children's minds.

As soon as class ended, many children took the gifts Lu Chen had bought them home and eagerly told their parents what had happened that day.

"Dad!"

"Do you think it's possible I'm a genius? I remembered everything the teacher taught today! It was so easy!"

As soon as Lu Chengzong got home, he showed off to his father, Lu Huaiyi.

Lu Yaozu glanced at his older brother with disdain. "Brother, you're already so old, and you still think you're a genius? Dad, I'm actually the genius. Today in class, I not only remembered what the teacher taught, I also answered his question, and he even praised me for being smart!"

Their eldest sister, Lu Caiwei, followed behind them and shook her head speechlessly.

But in truth, she also wanted to say that she really did seem to have grown much smarter in class today.

Lu Huaiyi gave an expressionless "Mm" and glanced at the things in his sons' hands, not wanting to pay his two foolish sons any attention.

Geniuses, indeed?

No one knew a son better than his father. How could he not know whether they were geniuses?

Still, both sons had said the same thing. Had Little Chen's teaching improved?

"What are you holding?"

"Dad, these are the Four Treasures of the Study that Brother Chen bought us. Everyone got a set!"

Lu Caiwei handed hers to Lu Huaiyi to see.

"Hiss, the Four Treasures of the Study? Everyone got a set? Where did Little Chen get the money?"

Lu Huaiyi frowned, wanting to return them. They were far too valuable!

He stood up on the spot and took the things from Chengzong and Yaozu's hands. Their faces fell.

But he hesitated and thought it over again.

Lu Chen was no longer so young, and he had his own secrets. He was also a man with ideas and learning. After considering it, Lu Huaiyi decided to let it be.

Since Lu Chen had already given out all the gifts, he surely had his reasons.

"From now on, you must call him Teacher and show him respect, understand? Since he bought you such valuable gifts, he clearly wants you to study hard. You mustn't disappoint him, or I'll break your dog legs!"

This scene played out not only in Lu Xiande's household, but in other households as well, one after another.

On the way home, Lu Tang chattered away to Lu Chen.

"Big brother, I feel like I got smarter today. I remembered what you taught as soon as I heard it. Big brother, do you think it's because I've grown up, so I'm smarter now?"

Lu Tang skipped along in front, looking back at her eldest and second brothers from time to time. Her big eyes sparkled, and she was full of life.

Lu Ming held a few stones in his hand and threw one at a patch of weeds ahead.

"That's right, our Little Tang really is smart! Have you read all those books I bought you? I'll be testing you in a few days!"

"Oh, big brother, I have read them!" Lu Tang pouted, unhappy that her brother didn't trust her.

Lu Chen grabbed Lu Tang's pouting lips and laughed. "Then you can have the chicken leg at lunch!"

Lu Tang indignantly slapped her brother's hand away, then her eyes lit up. "A chicken leg? Big brother, is it roast chicken?"

As she spoke, she swallowed.

Lu Ming pressed his lips together in a smile.

When they reached home, Lu Chen's gaze sharpened.

Someone was there!