Photographic Memory

Zhao Ping'an had assumed that the moment he was born, he would be able to talk and run. Yet the instant his umbilical cord was cut, his mind immediately turned hazy and heavy, seized by an overwhelming drowsiness.

For the first three months after birth, he did almost nothing but eat and sleep—and he ate an especially great deal.

By the first month, Jiang Shuyue's milk was already not enough to fill him.

As it happened, Fourth Older Female Cousin had just been weaned, so the beautiful Second Maternal Aunt joined the ranks of those feeding him.

Zhao Ping'an did not want to become nothing but a rice bucket and sleeping god. He had tried drawing in Heavenly Essence to cultivate, but while still swaddled, it was difficult for him to focus his mind. Moreover, the Heavenly Essence he drew in was far too stimulating for a newborn Infant's Meridians, so he had no choice but to give up.

Before he even reached three months, Jiang Shuyue and Second Maternal Aunt together could no longer feed Zhao Ping'an to fullness.

Thus, the Jiang Family hired a Wet Nurse for Zhao Ping'an.

That day, Zhao Ping'an woke from hunger in the midst of sleep, bawling loudly to declare that he wanted milk.

But the one who picked him up was an unfamiliar woman.

He thought she was a new nanny, never expecting this strange woman to actually open her collar and feed him milk.

He adamantly refused to drink, because this Wet Nurse was of Normal Quality in appearance—not pretty enough.

After a long while of coaxing, teasing, and forcibly stuffing him, Zhao Ping'an still resolutely refused to drink. Jiang Shuyue could only take him back from the Wet Nurse's arms.

For two or three days straight, Zhao Ping'an would rather go hungry than drink the Wet Nurse's milk.

Helpless, Jiang Shuyue could only replace the Wet Nurse.

They changed Wet Nurses twice in succession, and Zhao Ping'an finally agreed to drink from the third one.

Though this Wet Nurse's looks did not compare to Jiang Shuyue's or Second Maternal Aunt's, she was still quite beautiful and gentle.

On the hundredth day after his birth, Zhao Ping'an once again tried to draw in Heavenly Essence to cultivate.

If he could not draw in Heavenly Essence to replenish himself, Jiang Shuyue, Second Maternal Aunt, and the Wet Nurse—the three women together—would soon be unable to feed him to fullness.

Over those hundred days, he had not eaten and slept for nothing. He had grown at a tremendous pace, already the size of a six- or seven-month-old Infant, and he was remarkably sturdy besides.

After waking, he did not immediately make a sound. Instead, he lay in bed, concentrating on drawing in Heavenly Essence.

Having learned from last time, Zhao Ping'an cautiously drew in a wisp of Heavenly Essence. As it entered his Meridians, they felt ever so slightly swollen and full.

Enduring the faint discomfort, he carefully and slowly refined that wisp of Heavenly Essence, obtaining a trace of True Essence.

Having successfully cultivated a trace of True Essence, Zhao Ping'an was greatly exhilarated.

Pressing on while the iron was hot, he continued refining three more traces of True Essence, then had no choice but to stop and fall into a deep sleep.

His Divine Soul was already exhausted, and his Meridians ached with a faint swelling pain.

After all, he was only a hundred-day-old Infant. He was still far too fragile.

When he woke again, Zhao Ping'an remained full of vigor after drinking his fill of milk. Those four traces of True Essence had taken effect.

Seeing Zhao Ping'an's black, gleaming eyes, like black gemstones, rolling around and around, Jiang Shuyue was somewhat surprised. She picked Zhao Ping'an up again and held him against her soft bosom, then began to play with him.

Zhao Ping'an could only play dumb, responding to Mother in a foolish, childish manner. This made her laugh and giggle without end, happiness and joy overflowing across her peerlessly beautiful and gentle face.

Perhaps Jiang Shuyue's laughter was simply too crisp and cheerful. Before long, it drew Second Maternal Aunt over, and she too joined in playing with Zhao Ping'an.

After being played with by the two women for nearly half an hour, Zhao Ping'an was utterly exhausted. Unable to hold out any longer, he fell into a deep sleep.

As he drifted off, a thread of distress welled up in his heart. The four traces of True Essence he had worked so hard to cultivate had been used up just like that.

At five months old, Zhao Ping'an had grown robustly to the size of a one-year-old child, and could finally run and speak.

Unfortunately, Jiang Shuyue did not feel safe letting him run around. Usually, she restricted him to playing with Fourth Older Female Cousin Jiang Yiyi.

Jiang Yiyi was one and a half years old. Delicate and pretty, with fair, tender skin and two adorable little pigtails atop her head, she looked like a porcelain doll.

The little girl was lively and restless, but she loved to cry.

Zhao Ping'an was forced to take on the task of keeping her company, inventing all sorts of childish little games to play with Jiang Yiyi and coax her into being happy.

Jiang Yiyi quickly became his devoted follower as well, turning into his little tail. Not only did she insist on sleeping with him, she would even cry and fuss until she could bathe in the same tub as him.

At six months, Zhao Ping'an was as tall as a fifteen-month-old boy. Combined with his mature bearing, he looked like a little grown-up.

"Mother, I want to learn to read." Zhao Ping'an spoke seriously to Jiang Shuyue.

Jiang Shuyue thought she had misheard and asked in astonishment, "You said you want to learn to read?"

"Yes." Zhao Ping'an nodded firmly. "Please teach me, Mother."

A surge of intense joy welled up in Jiang Shuyue's heart. The son she had protected with her life truly was extraordinary—he was only six months old, yet he had already taken the initiative to ask to learn to read.

"Good, good. Mother will teach you to read." Smiling, she bent down and picked Zhao Ping'an up. "Let's go borrow books from Second Maternal Aunt's home."

Second Maternal Aunt had a son and a daughter. Her Eldest Son, Jiang Huaiyi, was over six years old this year. He had begun studying and learning to read two years ago, and had some used introductory literacy books.

The two households were both within Jiang Manor, their courtyards neighboring one another.

It turned out that after Jiang Shuyue married, the Jiang Family had continued to keep Moon Laurel Courtyard—her courtyard from before she married—for her. After Jiang Shuyue returned to her maternal home, she continued living there.

Before long, Jiang Shuyue carried Zhao Ping'an into Second Maternal Aunt's courtyard. By chance, she found Second Maternal Aunt resting over tea in the small cool pavilion in the yard.

"Ping'an is hungry?" Second Maternal Aunt stood up, thrusting forward the pair of full, ample dining halls on her chest.

Jiang Shuyue smiled at Zhao Ping'an. "Ping'an, tell her yourself."

As she spoke, she set Zhao Ping'an down.

On his short little legs, Zhao Ping'an toddled up to Second Maternal Aunt and greeted her politely in his babyish voice, "Hello, Second Maternal Aunt."

"Hello, little Ping'an." Unable to resist, Second Maternal Aunt scooped Zhao Ping'an into her arms affectionately. "Tell me, what do you need from Second Maternal Aunt?"

Zhao Ping'an resembled Jiang Shuyue by fifty or sixty percent. He was handsome, his features as delicately carved as jade, utterly adorable. Second Maternal Aunt had nursed Zhao Ping'an for five months—how could she not adore him?

Zhao Ping'an said earnestly, "Second Maternal Aunt, I want to learn to read. I'd like to borrow books from you and Older Male Cousin to study."

Second Maternal Aunt was immediately taken aback and instinctively turned to Jiang Shuyue with an inquiring look. The latter smiled. "He brought it up himself. I was startled too."

Second Maternal Aunt turned her gaze back to Zhao Ping'an's face. Seeing the serious expression on his soft, rosy little face, she could not help but plant a kiss on his cheek.

"Little Ping'an is amazing. Second Maternal Aunt loves you to bits." She said joyfully, "I'll take you to get some books right away."

Then she carried Zhao Ping'an out of the pavilion and into the house to fetch books.

Before long, Second Maternal Aunt returned to the pavilion with a children's primer for learning characters, the "Thousand Character Classic."

She dearly wished to personally teach Zhao Ping'an his first character, but she still left it to Jiang Shuyue.

Jiang Shuyue was his actual mother, after all.

Jiang Shuyue opened to the first page of the Thousand Character Classic and carefully taught Zhao Ping'an his first character. Naturally, Zhao Ping'an learned it with ease.

Both Jiang Shuyue and Second Maternal Aunt were overjoyed.

Second Maternal Aunt especially so, for she had personally taught her son, Jiang Huaiyi, to read. Jiang Huaiyi was already quite intelligent, but compared to Zhao Ping'an, his pace of learning characters was worlds apart.

More importantly, Jiang Huaiyi had already been four years old at the time.

After Jiang Shuyue taught Zhao Ping'an three characters in succession, Second Maternal Aunt could not help saying, "Let me teach Ping'an some characters too."

Jiang Shuyue smiled and yielded her place. "Please, Second Sister-in-Law."

Thus, Second Maternal Aunt happily continued teaching Zhao Ping'an to read.

After learning a few more characters, Zhao Ping'an thought that perhaps he could use the Panel System to learn reading quickly.

So he said, "Second Maternal Aunt, could you read the Thousand Character Classic through once for me first?"

"Why?" Second Maternal Aunt asked in unconscious puzzlement.

Zhao Ping'an said, "I think I'll learn faster this way."

"Ping'an, studying requires patience. You can't reach the sky in a single step." Jiang Shuyue immediately reprimanded him sternly from the side.

But Second Maternal Aunt smiled and said indulgently, "It won't hurt to read it through for him once first."

With that, she began reading slowly, character by character.

Zhao Ping'an stared intently at the words on the page while listening carefully.

After Second Maternal Aunt finished reading the Thousand Character Classic, Zhao Ping'an half-closed his eyes and opened the panel in his mind to check.

There, beneath the techniques, an additional entry had appeared.

Text Comprehension: "Thousand Character Classic" (1/20)

Seeing that he really could cheat his way through learning to read, Zhao Ping'an did not hesitate to fill the Thousand Character Classic with Proficiency Points.

By now, he had accumulated more than 1.5 million Proficiency Points. Out of caution, he had already raised the Unblemished Adamantine Body's Proficiency Points to one million, using up several hundred thousand points. A mere nineteen Proficiency Points did not even count as a hair from nine oxen.

In an instant, a vast flood of textual information surged into his mind, forcing him to remain quiet as he absorbed it.

Seeing Zhao Ping'an close his eyes and digest the information with such an earnest air, Jiang Shuyue and Second Maternal Aunt could not help exchanging smiles.

A moment later, Zhao Ping'an opened his eyes, stood up, and faced Jiang Shuyue and Second Maternal Aunt. "Thank you, Second Maternal Aunt, Mother. I've already learned the Thousand Character Classic."

Jiang Shuyue and Second Maternal Aunt were so shocked that they stared wide-eyed, unable to believe it. In unison, they asked, "Really? Or are you kidding?"

Zhao Ping'an immediately began reciting the Thousand Character Classic backward, flawlessly fluent.

When he had only recited a dozen or so characters backward, Jiang Shuyue and Second Maternal Aunt listened in confusion.

The next moment, Second Maternal Aunt, who had just finished reading the Thousand Character Classic once, realized what he was doing and cried out in shock, "You're reciting the Thousand Character Classic backward!"

As she exclaimed, she immediately opened the Thousand Character Classic to its last page. It was true—and not a single character was wrong.

Jiang Shuyue hurriedly leaned over to look at the Thousand Character Classic. It really was exactly as he had said.

Amid Jiang Shuyue and Second Maternal Aunt's astonishment, Zhao Ping'an finished reciting the Thousand Character Classic backward without a hitch.

After closing the book, Jiang Shuyue and Second Maternal Aunt turned to look at each other. Both saw the shock and delight filling the other's eyes.

"Shuyue, Ping'an has Photographic Memory—he remembers everything he sees and hears. He's brilliant beyond measure!" Second Maternal Aunt said in awe. "He will surely become someone great in the future!"

Jiang Shuyue rose and swept Zhao Ping'an into her arms, holding him tightly against her chest. With tears in her eyes, she murmured, "My child... Mother's child..."

She had given so much for Zhao Ping'an, and now, at only half a year old, he had already displayed astonishing intelligence far surpassing ordinary people.

Nestled in Jiang Shuyue's arms, Zhao Ping'an thought to himself, That was a little high-profile, but I have to make Mother happy. I have to make her feel that everything she gave was worth it.

I could choose to grow up quietly, but I can't be that selfish.

Besides, mere Photographic Memory is not worth mentioning compared to my Ancient Sacred Body and the Panel System's assistance. Others think a score of one hundred makes me outstanding, but in truth, I'm at ten thousand.

That very day, word spread throughout Jiang Manor that Zhao Ping'an could recite the Thousand Character Classic backward after hearing it only once, leaving everyone in astonishment.

Jiang Wen, head of Jiang Manor and Jiang Shuyue's father, personally tested Zhao Ping'an with another Literacy Primer containing as many as three thousand characters.

Before the watching eyes of most of the Jiang Family and countless maids and servants, Zhao Ping'an calmly recited it backward without a single hitch.

For a moment, everyone present was utterly shaken.

After all, Zhao Ping'an was only half a year old.

At that age, the vast majority of infants were still wetting the bed and could not even tell who Dad was.

The next day, word of Zhao Ping'an's genius spread beyond Jiang Manor.

Half a month later, the news reached the Zhennan Marquis Estate.

When Zhao Yingpeng learned of it, he could not help furrowing his brow. "Could I have been wrong back then?"

Then he gave a resolute snort. "No. It is only a bit of petty cleverness. Born deficient, he is destined to be mediocre."

When the Zhennan Marquis Dowager heard, she snorted disdainfully. "The Jiang Family must be making a mountain out of nothing, building momentum for that bastard in hopes that Yingpeng will bring their mother and son back to the marquis estate! Not a chance!"

When Su Yingluo, already pregnant, learned of it, a trace of gravity and worry appeared on her saintly face.