Xiao Hongchen: This Cold Hongchen Family No Longer Has a Place for Me... (Seeking Collection and Recommendation)

Unable to wipe the tea from his face, Lin Jiayi hurriedly reported the situation to Dean Hongchen:

"Dean, our academy's freshman entrance physical tests just ended, and we discovered that the Soul Guidance Physical Tester and Strength Tester used to test the freshmen's physical qualities had disappeared. Some Gold Soul Coins were left behind."

Upon hearing this, the anger about to rise in Jing Hongchen's eyes turned into astonishment. He could not help widening his eyes and asking again in disbelief:

"You're saying that only the physical testing equipment was stolen, and the thief even left money behind?"

Lin Jiayi nodded honestly. "That's what the people below reported. I went to the scene to take a look. Those Gold Soul Coins could just buy two Rank 6 Soul Tools on the market."

Jing Hongchen: "...???"

Were thieves these days all so morally upright? No, if he had money, couldn't he just buy them? Why insist on becoming a thief just for the thrill?

The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy was not a military district, but its defenses were still extraordinary. Even an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo or Level 8 Soul Engineer might not be able to escape unscathed after sneaking in to steal something.

What was more, he, Hall Master Hongchen, was no pushover. He did not believe that anyone capable of sneaking in here to steal something would not worry about his retaliation.

Besides, since the thief had come all this way, he had only stolen two Rank 6 Soul Tool–level instruments? Weren't the higher-level Rank 7 or Rank 8 Soul Tools more appealing?

Even Jing Hongchen, who had seen and experienced much, was left somewhat dumbfounded by this sudden and bizarre news.

Seeing Dean Hongchen fall into confusion, Lin Jiayi hurriedly pulled a pitch-black envelope from his robes and handed it over:

"Also, Dean, I found this among the Gold Soul Coins. It has a Soul Power seal at the Titled Douluo level."

"That makes sense. He isn't a thief, but someone trying to send This Hall Master a message."

Jing Hongchen sighed in relief, took the envelope, and infused it with some Soul Power. Six ink-wash characters immediately appeared on the cover: For Dean Hongchen's Eyes Only.

"Heh, this is getting interesting. I didn't expect him to be not only not a thief, but also not a citizen of the Sun Moon Empire. He's from the Original Three Kingdoms."

Wisdom flashed in Jing Hongchen's eyes as he commented with absolute certainty.

"Dean, how can you tell?" Lin Jiayi tactfully played the straight man.

"The Soul Power seal on this is extremely powerful. I can't break it immediately. The Sun Moon Empire has no Titled Douluo this powerful—not even a Super Douluo."

Jing Hongchen spoke as though it were only natural, his voice filled with absolute confidence and a hint of pride.

How strong were those Rank 9 Soul Engineers' Soul Powers? Didn't he know? Aside from Old Man Kong, none was stronger than him, and Old Man Kong would never play such a joke on him.

Moreover, he had not detected any of that nauseating Evil Soul Master aura in the Soul Power seal. Clearly, it could only be a powerful soul master from the Original Three Kingdoms.

No falsehood could escape the discerning eyes of Dean Hongchen!

"Ah, this..." The flattering words Lin Jiayi had been about to say caught in his throat, and he did not know how to respond.

Should he praise the dean for having "a fine awareness of his own abilities and a keen eye for recognizing people"? But would that offend those Rank 9 Soul Tool masters?

Fortunately, Dean Hongchen did not focus his attention on him. Instead, he waved his hand and took out a Seal-Breaking Rank 9 Soul Tool. After working on it for a while, he finally broke the seal.

Lin Jiayi silently praised the dean's extraordinary ability. Meanwhile, a fine layer of sweat appeared on Jing Hongchen's forehead, his eyes gradually deepening as another blaze ignited within them.

He had been unable to be certain before, but now he was sure. The person who had acted was definitely a Super Douluo, and very likely a formidable figure above Level Ninety-Six.

Such a powerhouse would rank among the notable figures even in the Three Douluo Kingdoms. This provocation made Jing Hongchen excited.

"Now I really want to see what medicine you're selling in that gourd."

He opened the envelope and took out the letter. As the untidy yet flamboyant handwriting entered his sight, the battle-hungry light in Jing Hongchen's eyes suddenly froze.

"Your grandson possesses extraordinary talent and has the potential to become a Super Douluo. I hope you will cultivate him well. My family's qilin child may compete with him in the future. I present three pills to aid the younger generation."

"So it was aimed at Xiao and Meng?"

Jing Hongchen folded the letter, then glanced inside the envelope. Three small boxes emitted wisps of pill fragrance and mist.

"Good heavens, that's quite generous." Jing Hongchen continued opening the small boxes. Amid the mist lay three plump, crystalline, deep-blue pills covered in pill patterns.

"Are these Mystic Water Pills?" Lin Jiayi recognized the type of the three pills at a glance, and his eyes lit up slightly.

Mystic Water Pills could transform and cleanse the meridians and marrow, increasing Innate Soul Power. For soul masters below Level Twenty, consuming one could raise their Soul Power by at least one level. They were extremely popular among soul masters and worth ten thousand gold.

If these pills appeared at an auction in Mingdu, they would be highly sought-after items. Soul Engineers with poor foundations loved these treasures that could cleanse impurities from the body.

Inferior pills damaged one's foundation, while high-quality pills strengthened one's potential!

"That's right. They are indeed Mystic Water Pills, and their quality is excellent, with rich medicinal power." Jing Hongchen took out a Rank 8 Detection Device and scanned them several times, finding no harmful substances.

"Then, Dean, what should we do with these pills..."

"What do you mean, what should we do? Eat them, of course." Jing Hongchen fed one to himself. Chewing as he waved his hand, he said:

"Hurry and bring Xiao and Meng here. Tell them there's something good. They just broke through Level Twenty, so this is perfect for them."

"Oh, yes." Lin Jiayi nodded and quickly left the office. He secretly marveled at how fortunate Dean Hongchen was: even his grandson and granddaughter had benefits delivered to their door right after entering the academy.

After sending Lin Jiayi away, Jing Hongchen silently experienced the medicinal effects and stared pensively at the two glowing pills.

It was said that the Mystic Water Pill was the secret medicine of a Hidden Sect in the Three Douluo Kingdoms. The other party had given away three at once. Could the visitor be connected to that mysterious Hidden Sect? Or could he even be a powerhouse from that Hidden Sect?

But it did not matter. He had absolute confidence in his grandson and granddaughter, especially Xiao, who had awakened a Divine Beast Martial Soul. Even in Shrek, he was a top-tier Genius.

"A qilin child? The talents of my Hongchen Family aren't comparable to those useless pieces of trash from the past. Now I want to see how capable your family's Genius is. To be so confident, that younger generation of yours must be at Shrek..."

"Hmph, Shrek has held the title of Number One Genius for ten thousand years, but my Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy won't be content to remain second for a thousand years. Mingde Hall will surely create new splendor in the hands of This Hall Master..."

Jing Hongchen slowly clenched his fist, confident and impassioned ambition surging in his eyes.

"Vmmm—"

Before long, the office door opened again, and two silver-haired youths, one male and one female, trotted in briskly.

"Grandpa, why did you call us? I still have to go to the library to study and take the next-level Soul Engineer certification exam."

With a few sharp angles already appearing between his brows and eyes, Xiao Hongchen strode up to Jing Hongchen with an open manner. The corners of his lips curled upward, and a very serious smile hung on his face.

Seeing how hardworking his grandson was, Jing Hongchen felt a wave of comfort in his old age. He kindly rubbed Xiao Hongchen's forehead and said with a warm smile:

"I called you here because there's something good, of course. You're still young, so there's no need to rush your Soul Engineer exams. You just entered the academy, so interact more with your classmates. This is the best academy in the Sun Moon Empire. Making more friends won't hurt."

Xiao Hongchen solemnly shook his little head. "No. Everyone outside is watching us now. I can't bring shame to the Hongchen Family."

His face wore an expression that seemed to say, "The family's legacy is our generation's responsibility," and he passionately expressed his ambitions.

"Xiao, Grandpa surely has a reason for telling us to make more friends. If the Hongchen Family is to grow stronger in the future, we may need our friends' help."

A voice as clear and pleasant as wind chimes rang out. Meng Hongchen blinked her lively eyes and made an expression scolding a child.

She was trying very hard to look like an adult, but that head of silver hair and those flushed cheeks truly held no intimidation.

Xiao Hongchen arrogantly raised his head, pouted, and folded his arms. In a deep tone, he said:

"Meng, we are the once-in-a-millennium Geniuses of the Sun Moon Empire. There are no opponents in the academy worth my attention. Perhaps only Shrek Academy has people like that.

"At the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament two editions from now, I will surely display my skills. I hope those people won't disappoint me..."

Today was his first day at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. To him, the world's outstanding talents were nothing special. Xiao Hongchen was destined to create history for the Sun Moon Empire and become the future Number One Genius of the Sun Moon Empire!

"(ˉ▽￣~) Tsk~~"

Meng Hongchen stuck her tongue out at him, turned her head away, and stopped paying attention to her conceited brother. She was completely unimpressed.

The corner of Xiao Hongchen's eye twitched. He maintained his expression and told himself that she was his own Sister, so he should not get angry. He should not get angry. In any case, it was not as though this had never happened before...

Jing Hongchen smiled as he enjoyed this family happiness. Only after the two finished speaking did he hand over the Mystic Water Pills.

"Here, these are the finest pills from the Three Douluo Kingdoms. They were given by a Titled Douluo from the Three Douluo Kingdoms. Eat them here, and I'll protect you while you absorb them."

Xiao Hongchen took the Mystic Water Pill, a mass of question marks appearing above his head. "Grandpa, what's going on? Did that Titled Douluo abandon the darkness and turn to the light, joining our Sun Moon Empire?"

"Hehe, that person is issuing you two a challenge on behalf of his family's Genius disciple. He says he will compete with you in the future."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hongchen's eyes shone with excitement. "Excellent! I hope that Titled Douluo's descendant is strong enough. Don't let me knock him flat in just a few moves."

Meng Hongchen narrowed her beautiful eyes as she examined the Mystic Water Pill, then suddenly smiled sweetly. "I hope you won't lose and get beaten flat instead."

Xiao Hongchen's body stiffened, and he nearly dropped the Mystic Water Pill between his fingers. "Meng... Will you die if you don't annoy me?"

"Heehee, no. But it's fun this way. You're the Millennial First Genius of the Sun Moon Empire, so you need to be mentally strong."

"You annoy me every day. Whose side are you on, anyway?"

Meng Hongchen thought for a moment before saying seriously:

"Well... that's hard to say. If that Genius from the Three Kingdoms is handsome, maybe I'll team up with him to beat you when the time comes. Who knows?"

Xiao Hongchen covered his face in despair, then turned to complain to Jing Hongchen. "Aah... Grandpa, look at her..."

Jing Hongchen did not take it seriously at all. He smiled and consoled him. "Xiao, what Meng said isn't entirely unreasonable. She's your Sister, so as her brother, you should be more tolerant..."

"You—you two..."

Xiao Hongchen looked at the two of them with grief and indignation. He felt that this cold Hongchen Family no longer had a place for him. He turned his grief into appetite, swallowed the Mystic Water Pill in one bite, then sat cross-legged to meditate, choosing not to see or hear anything unpleasant.

"Damn Genius from the Three Kingdoms, don't let me meet you too soon. Otherwise, I'll definitely defeat you soundly in front of Meng and reclaim my dignity as an older brother..."

At noon, Xu Xiaoyun returned on clouds, and the outline of the Xuanming Sect estate leaped into view.

"After meeting Old Dragon this time and sending that letter to Jing Hongchen, Tian Xi should be able to cultivate in the Sun Moon Empire much more safely in the future..."

Xu Xiaoyun traveled through the air along the stone-paved road, reviewing his plans and considering what else could be done.

Suddenly, Xu Sanshi's grief-stricken cries came from not far away, making him hurry over.

"Aah, Tian Xi, what have you eaten? Stop chasing me! Big Brother can't take it anymore!"

Xu Xiaoyun: "..."

Where did San Shi learn such filthy lines? He needed a beating!