Self-Awareness, Jing Hongchen: Must Take In!

"Then I would like to ask, can I join the academy now?"

"Um, please wait a moment. I need to report this to my superiors; you are simply too much of a genius."

After hearing the staff member from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy say this, Zhong Kui understood that at his age, reaching this level truly qualified him as a genius.

However, he knew that he was not a true genius.

First of all, he was an outsider, a transmigrator. Although his physical body was that of an underage child, the problem was that his soul came from another world; in that other world, or rather, his soul was already that of an adult.

Just like Tang San; before Tang San transmigrated from the Bashu Tang Sect to this world, he had already been an adult, a middle-aged man for who knows how long.

Then there was the cheat. Zhong Kui knew he could become this strong because he had the help of a system—this cheat. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to become a genius in such a short period of time.

Moreover, his own soul was already quite old. Compared to those child prodigies who grew up naturally, he had no right to call himself a genius because he understood that he relied on a cheat. Compared to those who relied on their own abilities, those true geniuses who relied on themselves, he was someone using a hack.

It was like playing a video game; those people relied on honing their skills to become true masters, while he was just someone who used the system to activate a cheat and take a shortcut, which was why he became so powerful.

Zhong Kui was well aware of whether he was a genius or not; he was not a true genius, he was a cheater.

Just like Tang San, Tang San was also a cheater. Those Tang Sect techniques were not originally Tang San's; he had stolen them, was discovered, had nowhere to run, and finally jumped off a cliff to arrive on the Douluo Continent, bringing them with him.

Furthermore, Tang San's Innate Full Soul Power was also fake!

He had cultivated the Mysterious Heaven Skill and eventually reached Innate Full Soul Power; this kind of Innate Full Soul Power was a fabrication.

However, Tang San was also quite foolish. Knowing that his Innate Full Soul Power should have been cultivated through the Mysterious Heaven Skill, he still took Yu Xiaogang as his master. When Yu Xiaogang said things that were all wrong, he still believed them and took them as truth; he was quite stupid indeed.

On the other side, the staff member from the Sun Moon Academy quickly arrived at a location. This was the office of the Red Dust Family, and also the office of Jing Hongchen, the Hall Master of the Virtue Hall.

After all, the Red Dust Family was currently managing the academy; the Red Dust Family had the final say. If a genius was discovered, it naturally had to be reported to the leader, Jing Hongchen of the Red Dust Family.

"Hall Master! I have discovered a genius! 14 years old, level 62 Soul Emperor. This is a genius among geniuses; we must recruit him quickly!"

"A genius among geniuses, 14 years old... level 62 soul power is indeed very gifted. You recruit him first, and we will send a mental-type Soul Douluo to test him, have him reveal his background, and confirm whether the other party is a spy sent by the Douluo Three Kingdoms."

"Yes."

Zhong Kui was soon invited to an office where a mental-type Soul Douluo was waiting.

"Are you from the Douluo Three Kingdoms?" this mental-type Soul Douluo asked, pretending to be casual, but he had actually already begun to secretly release his soul skill, wanting to make Zhong Kui honestly tell the truth.

He wanted to confirm whether Zhong Kui was a mole sent by the Douluo Three Kingdoms.

Zhong Kui also pretended not to notice; after all, he had the system.

He discovered it quickly, so he pretended to fall for the trap.

"I am from the Douluo Three Kingdoms. I came to the Sun Moon Empire just to join the Sun Moon Empire's academy and become stronger."

"Can you tell me about your detailed family situation?"

"My parents' names are..."

Zhong Kui then began to state the information about his parents, but he only spoke of ordinary family matters and simple details that would not involve major issues. Moreover, the more detailed the ordinary content was, the more it could prove to be true.

"We also welcome a genius like you to join the academy. Please wait patiently and stay in the academy for a period of time. When the time comes, we will give you a school uniform, and then we will decide which class you will join and arrange your courses."

"Thank you." Zhong Kui then left the office directly.

"Although on the surface it seems there shouldn't be any problems, I still don't feel entirely certain in my heart."

"In case the other party has a way to resist mental-type soul masters... you take the information he provided now and go to the Douluo Three Kingdoms to investigate. If it's fake, it means the other party is a spy. If not, it means the other party is truly a genius who came to join us, and we will warmly welcome him."

"Yes."

After Jing Hongchen gave the order, his subordinate quickly went to take action.

One week later.

"Reporting to the Hall Master, everything the other party said seems to be true, and we have also investigated his parents' environment; it is indeed as he said. He should not be a spy."

Jing Hongchen's subordinate placed the investigated information on his desk.

"I will go and consult Elder Kong."

Elder Kong, Kong Deming, was one of the most formidable people in the Sun Moon Empire, or rather, the most formidable Soul Engineer in the Sun Moon Empire, the existence closest to the legendary level 10 Soul Engineer.

In the Sun Moon Empire, Kong Deming helped with the decision-making on many major issues.

Soon, he arrived at the Worship Hall where Kong Deming resided. Led by the guards of the Sun Moon Empire's Worship Hall, Jing Hongchen soon arrived inside the room to see Kong Deming.

Seeing Jing Hongchen arrive, Kong Deming first smiled and signaled for him to sit down; he was also curious about what business the other party had with him.

Then he had someone pour a cup of tea for each of them. Only then did he ask Jing Hongchen: "Alright, speak. Given your personality, if it weren't for something particularly important, you wouldn't have come uninvited."

Hearing this, Jing Hongchen nodded at Kong Deming, but soon looked at the nearby guards.

Kong Deming waved his hand at the guards upon hearing this, and the latter immediately left the room.

With this, only Jing Hongchen and Kong Deming remained in the room.

Therefore, Jing Hongchen did not continue to hide it.

Jing Hongchen released the information on Zhong Kui directly, then proceeded to brief Kong Deming on everything he had uncovered about the man so far.

"So, I wanted to ask you, Elder Kong, do you think this Zhong Kui is a spy planted by the Douluo Three Kingdoms? I can't be certain, which is why I came to you; I truly have no bottom line to go by."

"When he first arrived at the Sun Moon Empire, he was already tested by a Spirit Saint of the spirit type, and when he joined the academy, he was tested again by a Spirit Douluo-level spirit master. Although I feel it is unlikely that either of these two spirit masters would be a mole, I still harbor suspicions about this Zhong Kui. I just can't shake the feeling..."

This remark from Kong Deming left Jing Hongchen somewhat confused. Why would Kong Deming say such a thing, and what was his basis for it?

"It's very simple. If you were asked to send your grandson or granddaughter to act as a mole, would you be willing?"

"I certainly would not. While their talents might not be top-tier, they are still outstanding individuals. Sending such talents to act as moles would be nothing more than burying their potential. Wouldn't it be better to wait until they become pillars of the Empire?"

"I have also reviewed the files on this Zhong Kui. He is a genius of the highest order. To reach the Spirit Emperor level at such a young age already makes him a more formidable talent than your own grandson and granddaughter."

"If you wouldn't agree to let your own grandson or granddaughter act as a mole, then how could there possibly be a faction foolish enough to agree to let a genius of Zhong Kui's caliber act as one?"

"Could it be that the Douluo Three Kingdoms have holes in their brains or were crushed by a door? Why else would they send such a genius to the Sun Moon Empire to act as a mole?"

These words were a sudden awakening, and the Hall Master of the Virtue Hall finally understood—it made perfect sense.