The Gap Between a Genius and an Ordinary Person

Kagang stood frozen in place, completely stunned.

He never imagined that Ling Xiao, who had only been at the level of a Dou Zhe a year ago, would give him such a massive surprise when they met again today.

"Da Dou Shi?"

He himself had only just managed to reach the level of a two-star Dou Zhe, and he had been proud of that for quite some time, but compared to the youth before him, he was nothing.

Is this the gap between a genius and an ordinary person?

Looking at Kagang, who was so shocked he was questioning his own existence, even someone as thick-skinned as Xiao Ling couldn't help but rub his nose in embarrassment and cough lightly to change the subject.

"Um... Brother Kagang, I wonder what kind of mission you all have taken on?"

In truth, he hadn't planned on joining a team, but Kagang and the others were friends, and with Qingxin involved, he would help out whenever it was within his power to do so.

After all, one must have a few friends while living in this world.

Hearing this, Kagang snapped out of his daze, gave a bitter smile, and shook his head.

"Please, Brother Ling Xiao. I believe if those brats knew you were here, they would turn the place upside down, especially that girl Ling'er, who talks about you all day long..."

"Haha, then I'll have to trouble Brother Kagang to lead the way."

Xiao Ling held Qingxin's small hand and followed behind Kagang. The three of them chatted and laughed as they turned down a street. At the end of the street sat a small courtyard that, while old, was very clean—the kind that was small but had everything one needed.

"Brother Ling Xiao, this is the small courtyard I bought after saving up, following your advice. How is it? Not bad, right? Does it have that feeling of a 'home' you mentioned back then?"

Seeing the surprise in the youth's eyes, Kagang smiled and explained.

"Eh?"

Xiao Ling gave a bitter smile internally. He had only been lamenting his own obsession with "home" from his past life; he never expected Kagang to actually take it to heart. It truly left him feeling a mix of amusement and helplessness.

"It's nice, truly cozy."

Xiao Ling smiled.

"Haha, let's go, Brother Ling Xiao. I'll take you to meet the others."

"Alright!"

Xiao Ling nodded with a smile.

Afterward, the three of them stepped into the courtyard.

"Boss, you're back! How did it go?"

"Is that girl Qingxin alright?"

As soon as the three entered the gate, they were met with a barrage of questions. Kagang pointed to the youth in white behind him and laughed.

"You little brats, come over here and see who's arrived."

"Who is it?" Several youths, aged between their teens and twenties, wearing a shield-shaped badge made of blood-colored feathers on their left chests, looked behind Kagang. They were slightly stunned, then immediately cheered: "Boss Ling Xiao, why are you here? Is there something going on?"

"What? Can't I come by if there's nothing going on?" Xiao Ling looked at them and smiled: "Have you all been slacking off for the past year? I don't see your strength increasing at all."

Kagang's face turned red at these words, and he said awkwardly: "Cough... well, Brother Ling Xiao, they can't compare to you. Being able to reach this point has already taken every ounce of effort they have."

"That's right, Brother Ling Xiao, we've been working very hard, but our talent is limited. Being able to reach this level is already quite good."

Standing beside Xiao Ling, Qingxin smiled slightly, her cold eyes revealing a trace of unwillingness, yet she felt helpless.

Just as Brother Kagang said, their talent could only be described as average; they simply couldn't be mentioned in the same breath as Brother Ling Xiao.

Reaching their current level was the result of their day-and-night efforts.

She didn't have any complaints about this; she simply accepted that small people have their own way of living.

Hearing this, Xiao Ling narrowed his eyes slightly, then changed the subject.

"Right, Brother Kagang, what is your mission this time? Since I happen to be free, let's go to the Magic Beast Mountain Range together. It's been a long time since I've been there."

Hearing this, Kagang's eyes lit up. He cupped his hands toward the youth in white and smiled.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Brother Ling Xiao. Our mission is to hunt ten second-tier Purple Sables. You only need to help us hold the line."

"What do you think?"

"No problem."

Xiao Ling nodded with a smile, then looked at Kagang again: "When are we leaving?"

"Anytime. Just say the word, Boss Ling Xiao, and we'll flatten the place."

Kagang said half-jokingly.

Hearing this, the other youths, prompted by Kagang's gaze, stepped forward and shouted.

"Boss Ling Xiao, we listen to you. Wherever you point, we strike."

At first glance, their voices sounded quite imposing.

Xiao Ling only smiled slightly at this and didn't offer any opinion.

After this meeting, he had a good grasp of what Kagang and the others were thinking, but just shouting slogans wasn't enough to follow him—and besides, he didn't have any such plans at the moment.

"Alright, let's go."

After saying this, he took Qingxin's small hand and walked out of the courtyard.

Hearing this, Kagang's face showed no embarrassment; he turned his head to beckon his team members to follow along.

However, just as the group had walked a short distance from the courtyard, a milky, childish voice drifted over from behind.

"Wait for me... wait for me... Brother Ling Xiao, wait for me..."

"Cough... cough..."

A little girl of about four or five years old, dressed in a pink one-piece embroidered short skirt, could be seen stumbling toward them on her short little legs.

Perhaps exhausted from running, the little girl began to cough, gasping for air.

"Brother... Brother Ling Xiao... wait... wait for me..."

Hearing this, the group turned to look behind them and saw the little girl in the pink embroidered skirt panting as she stopped in the middle of the road, waving her hands and calling out incessantly.

Seeing everyone stop and look at her, the little girl immediately straightened up and once again began to stumble toward the white-clad youth in the crowd on her short legs.

"Brother... Brother Ling Xiao... wait for me..."

"Cough... cough..."

Seeing this, Qingxin glanced at the white-clad youth beside her and immediately went to meet her, crouching down to scoop the little girl into her arms with a faint smile, her cold eyes revealing a touch of tenderness.

"Be good, Ling'er. Brother Ling Xiao is going to do something very dangerous, and it would be easy for something to go wrong if he brought you along. So you must stay home and be good, and when Sister comes back, I'll buy you some candied haws."

"Re... really?"

Ling'er blinked her innocent, large eyes as she looked at Sister Qingxin before her.

"Of course, why would Sister lie to you?" Qingxin said gently.

"Then... then I want two... three... no... five... five candied haws, five candied haws."

Ling'er held out her small hands and began counting on her fingers, her innocent eyes filled only with thoughts of candied haws, her speech becoming slurred.

In the end, Qingxin successfully bribed her with the promise of "five candied haws."

The group standing to the side couldn't help but laugh at this scene, not knowing whether to cry or smile...

Xiao Ling, in particular, shook his head repeatedly; he found it very difficult to connect this little girl with the Ling'er from the original story.