When the Disciple Learned Her Teacher Had a Child

It was no wonder Xiao Wu was so suspicious.

Never mind the surname—the face looked remarkably like You Chen's.

Xiao Wu thought that if You Chen had rejuvenated himself, he would probably look exactly like this.

Naturally, this piqued Xiao Wu's curiosity.

Over the next few days, she even slowed down her efforts to "expand her influence" at Notting City Academy and became a detective instead.

However, just as You Chen had described when introducing You Xing, the child seemed to have been born with a cold face and an obsession with cultivation.

Because of You Chen, he would at least answer a few of her questions.

As for everyone else, even if they greeted him first, he would only nod.

At other times, he was either reading obscure, difficult books or silently cultivating.

Xiao Wu got nowhere.

Given more time, she would probably lose interest, but for now, she remained highly motivated, determined to uncover the truth.

You Xing's appearance was merely an amusing bit of gossip among a few children in this remote little city, yet a thousand miles away, it stirred the hearts of more than one person.

Within Spirit Hall's main headquarters, Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes as she read the intelligence in her hand. Then, with a disdainful expression, she tossed it onto the table and sneered. "Hah, what disciple? With such similar appearances and Martial Souls from the same source... apart from the Martial Soul, the rest of the information is probably fake. This little brat is most likely You Chen's illegitimate son!"

Unlike Xiao Wu, who still had to probe and search for clues herself, You Chen could not avoid registering personal information if he wanted You Xing to enroll normally.

Bibi Dong flipped through the records and murmured, "Name: You Xing. Nine years old. Martial Soul: Stardust Dragon. Soul power: rank 15? His talent is far better than You Chen's was back then. His Innate Soul Power must have been at least rank 6, right? Hmm, not necessarily. It's possible he completed Martial Soul Awakening before the age of six."

With Spirit Hall's research into Martial Souls—especially since, unlike the original timeline, they now had You Chen as their big daddy—their overall research level had risen by another tier.

It was easy for them to analyze the connection between You Chen's and You Xing's Martial Souls.

With only a little analysis, Bibi Dong saw through the fact that the two must share a blood relationship!

Not only was Bibi Dong not angered by You Chen forging You Xing's "documents," she was secretly delighted instead.

No matter how cold-blooded you are, you can't possibly feel nothing for your own son!

This was practically a weakness and opening delivered right to her doorstep. How could Bibi Dong not be delighted?

As for the "Soft Bone Rabbit Soul Master" mentioned in the previous report?

Spirit Hall's investigation showed that You Chen had no actual close relationship with either of them. They seemed to be nothing more than little brats he had encountered on the way to Notting City and temporarily taken in.

After arriving in Notting City and arranging for them to attend school, You Chen had barely interacted with them at all.

Judging from the basic qualities she had displayed, her family background might be fairly good, but an ordinary Martial Soul like the Soft Bone Rabbit determined that her upper limit would only be so high.

She was not worth noticing.

Especially with You Xing around to draw Bibi Dong's attention, she would pay even less attention to such an ordinary Soul Master.

Well, it must be pointed out that along the way, under You Chen's verbal guidance, Xiao Wu had already learned that Innate Full Soul Power would very likely draw Spirit Hall's attention.

The Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul contained the word "bone," which meant it gave its wielder a certain degree of control over their own bones.

This kind of Soul Beast stood at the bottom of the Soul Beast world's food chain. When it became a Soul Master's Martial Soul, it was generally only of low quality, with only an extremely small number of cases reaching lower-middle or middle grade.

But when a Soul Beast cultivated for a hundred thousand years, it was equivalent to a Soul Master achieving the rank of Titled Douluo.

The disparity brought about by Soul Beast bloodlines gradually shrank as their cultivation years increased.

Anything that could reach a hundred thousand years could not possibly be too bad.

Or rather, everyone's numbers increased. Even if your Titan Giant Ape started with a value of 10,000 and gained more than others over a hundred thousand years, perhaps increasing by another 100,000, while an ordinary Soul Beast started at 100 and gained several tens of thousands over that same period, there would still be a gap—but they would already belong to the same tier.

Even if it had initially been an extremely weak Soul Beast, by the time it reached a hundred thousand years, it would essentially be a species that shared the same name but was otherwise vastly different.

Xiao Wu, a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast who had taken human form, possessed a Soft Bone Rabbit of Top Quality.

However, due to the traits of Soul Beasts taking human form, the transformation was not truly complete until the seventh ring. The first six Soul Rings would not improve the Martial Soul's essence in any way, which counted as a flaw.

That was a matter for later.

In short, with a Soft Bone Rabbit of Top Quality, along with her past hundred thousand years of cultivation and experience, it was effortless for Xiao Wu to make others misjudge her bone age by a few years.

What Xiao Wu had reported to Spirit Hall was that she was eight years old and had rank 10 soul power.

Why would that draw Bibi Dong's attention?

The only person Bibi Dong cared about now was the suddenly appearing You Xing.

Yet while Bibi Dong rejoiced and began plotting, another person who had learned of this intelligence reacted in the exact opposite way.

Crash.

Within Heaven Dou Imperial City, a handsome young man accidentally knocked over a vase beside him. It shattered on the floor, but he seemed utterly unaware.

With a dazed expression, he raised a hand to gently stroke his own cheek in an extremely feminine manner and muttered, "Teacher... already has a child?"

"Young Master, it is almost time for your meeting with Snow Star Prince."

Pufferfish Douluo abruptly revealed himself. Looking at Qian Renxue leaning against the wall in a state of utter despondency, a flash of pity passed through his eyes.

He even regretted it... Even though the Young Master had repeatedly ordered them to monitor every scrap of information about that person, they should not have allowed such news to reach the Young Master's ears.

"Ci Xue, there is no need to worry. I'm fine."

Qian Renxue looked at Pufferfish Douluo. Years of companionship allowed her to see his concern at a glance. She revealed a calm, natural smile and said, "Teacher is already thirty-five this year. We have not seen each other for so long. Though I never heard that he married anyone, it would not be strange at all for him to have had a lover and a child. It is perfectly normal. As his disciple, I should be happy for Teacher. Just now... I was only slightly startled, that's all."

As Qian Renxue spoke, her smile remained flawless, without the slightest crack. Yet her clenched fist and the way her nails dug deeply into her flesh without her noticing revealed that her heart was anything but calm.

"Young Master."

Another voice rang out. Snake Lance Douluo shot Pufferfish Douluo a silent glare at lightning speed, then said solemnly to Qian Renxue, "If you are unwell, simply decline Snow Star Prince's invitation."

Qian Renxue shook her head, her gaze firm. "Today I rest because I'm unwell; tomorrow I rest because I'm in a bad mood. When will our great undertaking ever be accomplished? Ci Xue, She Long, let's go."

With that, she pushed open the door and walked out.

The two Titled Douluo guards exchanged glances, then hurried after her.

Qian Renxue walked at the front, her gaze fixed straight ahead. That seemingly unbreakable will had, in the end, wavered.

Vaguely, she seemed to see the past.

The last time she had met You Chen was already ten years ago.

Those ten years accounted for nearly half her life.

Her teacher's face had already become somewhat blurred, yet she could still clearly recall the sight of him leaving in anger that day.

It was the first time that teacher, who always wore a gentle expression, had ever gotten angry with her.

Only later did she learn that it had even been the first time in his life that her teacher—who remained calm and indifferent no matter what hardships and setbacks he faced—had ever lost his composure.

"I will prove that I was not wrong, Teacher."

Qian Renxue murmured to herself. Clarity returned to her eyes, and the elegance and authority of a crown prince once more appeared on her face.

But deep in her heart, only she herself knew whether she had ever regretted it.

She wanted to prove that she had "not been wrong," rather than prove that she had "been right."

Now past the age of twenty and no longer a young girl, she probably already understood right and wrong in her heart.

But if she denied those ten years—and not merely those ten years, but the years that came after, which together made up nearly half her life—then she would be denying herself.