Preparing for a Rainy Day

Every morning, Wei Yunxi attended the Feng Family's Clan School with the other children, receiving an introduction to cultivation and learning about the Cultivation Realm. Some of this knowledge had been taught to her by Feng Jiayun before, but the original owner either had not understood it at the time or had remembered it vaguely. Now, Wei Yunxi, who had transmigrated into her body, thoroughly absorbed it all. Her days in the Feng Family were therefore quite fulfilling.

The afternoon lessons covered subjects the children found more interesting. The Feng Family cultivators explained the contents of the Illustrated Bestiary and the Compendium of Spiritual Plants.

As they put it, if you encountered an attack by a Demon Beast, you had to at least recognize what kind of Demon Beast it was and know its weakness. If you discovered a spiritual plant, you had to at least know its value—otherwise, if you missed out on Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, you would only be left beating your chest and stamping your feet in regret.

The Feng Family had built its fortune on Alchemy. Learning to recognize and distinguish spiritual plants and herbs was a required course for every Feng Family disciple, and one had to achieve excellent marks before advancing to the next stage of study. Thus, these past few days, Wei Yunxi had been flipping through the thick Compendium of Spiritual Plants, committing it to memory.

Every night when she returned to her residence, Wei Yunxi took a Body Tempering Pill before soaking in the hot spring, allowing the pill's medicinal effects to be fully absorbed.

The first time she took a Body Tempering Pill, she only felt a slight numbness throughout her body and no pain at all.

From Patriarch Feng, she learned that children her age usually suffered so badly from their first Body Tempering Pill that they wished they were dead. Only after gradually adapting to it would things improve.

From this, it could be inferred that Feng Jiayun had secretly given her daughter Body Tempering Pills before, though she had not let her daughter know.

Wei Yunxi sighed inwardly. Feng Jiayun had been a very competent mother, but she likely had never expected to be suddenly separated from her daughter and forced to leave her in the hands of that hypocrite Wei Lingyue.

During her stay in the Feng Family, Wei Yunxi had not been completely cut off from news. She learned that Du Ruolan had officially become Madam Wei, while Wei Yunqing had become the Wei Family's legitimate daughter. The mother and daughter were probably feeling very pleased with themselves now.

Not long afterward, Wei Lingyue sent someone to the Feng Family to bring back his younger daughter. Under the pretext that Yunxi was about to celebrate her fifth birthday, he said that after her birthday, she would have her Spiritual Root tested and begin cultivating, and that the Wei Family had other arrangements for her.

This time, Patriarch Feng could not very well stop him. He explained the situation to Wei Yunxi and prepared several items suitable for use in Qi Refining stage cultivation, placing them all in a Beginner Storage Pouch for her to carry with her.

After giving it some thought, Wei Yunxi handed the Storage Pendant she always carried to Feng Jiaqing and said earnestly:

"Uncle, please help Yunxi keep the things Mother left behind for now. Give them back to me when I have the ability to protect these treasures."

Patriarch Feng was somewhat surprised. He had not expected the little girl to trust him so much that she would hand over everything his sister had left her for safekeeping. Smiling, he asked:

"Yunxi, you trust Uncle this much? Why not keep them yourself?"

Wei Yunxi pretended to furrow her brows and pondered for a while before replying:

"Wei Yunqing always likes stealing my things. Once we go back and have our Spiritual Roots tested, if her aptitude is better than mine, she'll definitely rely on the fact that her mother is the Madam to fight me for my things. I don't want to give my treasures to her."

The moment Patriarch Feng heard this, he knew the little girl still held a grudge over Wei Yunqing snatching the hairpin her mother had given her. However, he also knew very well that the little girl had made the right decision. Though their reasons differed, their ultimate goal was the same: to protect the things Feng Jiayun had left behind.

Now that the Feng Family had concealed Wei Yunxi's Spiritual Root, it meant that once Wei Lingyue learned his daughter possessed merely middling-to-low aptitude, he certainly would not put much effort into nurturing Wei Yunxi, nor would he direct cultivation resources toward his younger daughter.

Or, if Wei Lingyue proved even more shameless, he might coax Yunxi into transferring everything her mother had left behind into his own Storage Pouch. He had done exactly that before, so Patriarch Feng strongly supported Yunxi's decision.

That very day was Wei Yunxi's fifth birthday. Patriarch Feng gave her a first-grade Defense Bracelet. It activated passively and would start on its own when its owner suffered a fatal attack. Even Yunxi could use it without cultivating.

Wei Yunxi thought it was a wonderful item. On the spot, she dripped blood on it to bind it as her own, then slipped it onto her wrist. Happily, she returned to the Wei Family with four maids, escorted by Patriarch Feng.

Naturally, Wei Lingyue personally came to receive her. After exchanging a few polite pleasantries with Patriarch Feng, the two parties parted courteously.

Wei Yunxi had thought she would be moved to a side courtyard, but instead, she returned to Zhuohua Courtyard without any obstruction. This, too, differed from what had been written in the novel.

After returning to Zhuohua Courtyard, Wei Yunxi first washed up and changed into a fresh dress. Then, a maid carried her off to pay respects to her scumbag father and meet the concubine who had been elevated to Madam Wei.

"Yunxi greets Father. May Father be well!"

Wei Yunxi bowed in her childish voice, ignoring Du Ruolan, who sat nearby.

Du Ruolan did not mind in the slightest. Her gaze toward Wei Yunxi was full of affection as she said with a smile:

"It seems the Feng Family took very good care of Yunxi. Her little face has gotten rounder again."

Wei Yunxi did not respond at all. This woman's smile was so fake; she was clearly a weasel paying respects to a chicken, harboring no good intentions. Thus, she merely stared at Wei Lingyue with her big round eyes.

Wei Lingyue felt somewhat uncomfortable under his younger daughter's gaze. After a light cough, he said:

"Yunxi, from now on, Concubine Du will be Madam Wei. You must respect her."

Hearing her scumbag father speak, Wei Yunxi did not stubbornly oppose him. She turned and bowed to Du Ruolan.

"Yunxi greets Madam Wei."

Du Ruolan's mouth twitched at those words. She merely nodded slightly and said tactfully:

"You father and daughter have not seen each other for a long time, so I'm sure you have much to say. I won't stand here in your way. You two can talk first; I'll go see Yunqing."

With that, she swayed out of the Reception Hall.

Once Du Ruolan had left, Wei Lingyue put on the face of a loving father and asked how Wei Yunxi had fared during her time in the Feng Family, whether she had been bullied, and so on.

Wei Yunxi was no fool. She only spoke of what she could say: how the Feng Family children had accompanied her everywhere to play, how she had eaten delicious food, how the Feng Family elders had given her many little gifts, and the like.

After saying this, Wei Yunxi patted the Beginner Storage Pouch hanging at her waist and said with a hint of pride:

"Father, this is a gift Uncle gave your daughter. He said that once your daughter has her Spiritual Root tested and can cultivate, she'll be able to use the things inside."

A glint flashed through Wei Lingyue's eyes. He sent a thread of divine sense into the Storage Pouch and found that it held only three square meters of space. Inside lay a Black Iron Sword, several bottles of first-grade pills, and a defensive hairpin, all suitable for beginners. There was nothing else.

Wei Lingyue privately thought the Feng Family stingy, then said:

"Yunxi, did you thank your uncle?"

"Don't worry, Father. Yunxi thanked Uncle properly."

"Mm. Go back and rest early tonight. Tomorrow, the clan will test the Spiritual Roots of you children who have turned five."

"Yes."

Wei Yunxi agreed readily, yet she dawdled and refused to leave.

Wei Lingyue frowned.

"Yunxi, is there anything else?"

Wei Yunxi asked with a face full of expectation:

"Father, today is your daughter's birthday. What gift did you prepare for your daughter?"