They're the Ones Who Belong at the Kids' Table!! Please Keep Reading! Please Vote!

"How dare you!" Hu Liena's brows twitched as she snapped coquettishly.

Chen Hong could be shameless, but she could not afford such humiliation! Would the dignified Saintess of Spirit Hall take a man as her dog?! Saying it aloud would utterly ruin her reputation!

Break her word? Her pride would never allow her to do that either!

"Ah, Holy Maiden, don't be so angry. I was just joking to lighten the mood."

Chen Hong sighed inwardly. He had completely thrown away his dignity, but fortunately, this Little Fox before him was not seasoned enough, so he could still handle her.

He did not know any of the people from Spirit Hall anyway. Even if he embarrassed himself before them, so what?

Only his father knew too much. He had to find a way to list all the bad things his father had done and form a united front with him.

What? You wanted him to kill his father?

How could that be! That was his father, as close as his own flesh and blood, as dear as a father and son!

What? They already were father and son?

Closer than close, get it?!

"Honorable Holy Maiden, could you untie me?" Chen Hong shrugged at the dark-faced Hu Liena, indicating that being tied up like this was rather uncomfortable.

"Elder," Hu Liena called out grimly toward the outside.

Then Chen Hong saw the strips of cloth around him suddenly loosen. The caterpillar had finally broken free of its cocoon and turned into a butterfly, growing four limbs. A fifth limb would not have been impossible either.

"Honorable Saintess—no, big sister—can we talk about nothing else, just the Soul Engine?"

Chen Hong actually felt rather embarrassed too, but there was no helping it. No matter how difficult life was, he had to face it bravely, because his mother was still waiting for him to come home for dinner.

(Chen Hong: My mom told me to come home for dinner. Didn't your mom tell you to?)

(Tang San: You have already earned your death!!!)

(Chen Hong: Are you sick or something?!)

Seeing that Chen Hong was not courting death, Hu Liena's expression eased considerably.

"Call me Hu Liena. Don't add any modifiers!" Hu Liena said coldly. She did not want to hear words like "honorable," "sister," or "ma'am" right now. Ever since meeting Chen Hong, she felt as though the rhythm of the entire conversation had been led around by the nose by him!

Hu Liena understood that in terms of intelligence, this boy who had invented that "ingenious contraption" at such a young age was no worse than her—perhaps even just a tiny bit better. The tiniest little bit.

Under such circumstances, whenever she heard words like "honorable," "ma'am," and "sister" from him, they always felt like mockery.

"Uh, fine. Hu Liena?" Chen Hong, who did not have the strength to bind a kun, felt a little uneasy. To be honest, he had always relied on the advantage of being young, and had never encountered anyone who treated him as an equal.

"Mhm, Chen Hong," Hu Liena said evenly. To be honest, this was the first time she had ever asked someone to treat her as an equal.

It was a first for both sides. That was true, but it still felt a little strange.

One was being treated equally for the first time, while the other was asking for equality for the first time.

"Since we're talking about the Soul Engine, then I really ought to introduce it properly. Because of my age, people always underestimate me, and I'm in urgent need of an angel investor." Chen Hong sat down cross-legged. Although he had not entered Sage Time, his mind was exceptionally clear right now, because just over ten seconds ago, he had "spent" all the distracting thoughts that had accumulated in his head.

Angel investor. Hu Liena froze at those words. For some reason, an absurd feeling rose within her. If—she meant if—that Angel Maiden, whose position she could never shake so long as she remained, were to switch places with her, then would she become the angel investor fated by destiny???

"..." Although Chen Hong wondered why Hu Liena had suddenly fallen into a daze, he did not dare provoke her. After all, he could only be treated as an equal, not actively demand equality. He knew his place very well, so he continued, "There probably won't be any major changes regarding the Soul Guidance Mithril Ore. It's merely a matter of whether the vein is large or small."

"With the appearance of Soul Guidance Mithril Ore, there may be a trend of searching for all kinds of mineral veins across the land. In the short term, blacksmithing will have great prospects. Of course, Soul Tools may also see some development."

As Hu Liena slowly came back to herself, she frowned and asked skeptically, "It's not as though there are no Divine Craftsmen on the continent. How will someone with no experience like you convince others? Convince them that your path is definitely correct? That it is definitely a path that must be taken?"

Although Hu Liena took Chen Hong seriously enough, this bastard's age was simply too deceptive!

To her surprise, Chen Hong looked as though he had been forced through a university student's thesis defense. With a dark expression, he said indignantly, "How can you compare them to me? Think about it—how many years have they researched Soul Tools? Virtually none! It's all just piles of the simplest materials!"

"But look at me. While those little brats were still peeing in Martial Soul Academy and comparing their dicks... Why does that sound so dirty? Whatever! While those little brats were still fighting at school, flirting, competing for affection, sleeping together, charging headfirst for love, fighting to stand out, and getting their heads smashed bloody." Chen Hong's brows drew tighter, and his voice grew softer and softer. The more he spoke, the more tightly his brows furrowed, because he felt that when all those perfectly good phrases were put together, something seemed increasingly wrong.???

"...And me! I studied hard and improved every day! I painstakingly researched the mysteries of metals, devoted myself to studying the logic of Soul Tools, and explored the great path of Soul Tools for at least four or five years! What right do outsiders have to say I lack experience? What ability do they have to lecture me about seniority?!"

"Do those people know what Amorphous Metal is?! Do they know that when metal is rapidly cooled, its surface becomes smoother?! Even if they know it through experience, do they know the principle behind it?!"

"No! They don't!" Why was Chen Hong so certain? Because... Chen Lin had become the Vice President of the Suotuo City Blacksmith Association using exactly that trick!

"How can you compare them to me??? While Soul Tool research throughout the entire world is still a complete mess, when it has not even truly begun, I have already spent five years walking a relatively correct path! In terms of qualifications, I am their founding master!"

"How can they sit at the same table as me? They're the ones who belong at the kids' table!" Since Hu Liena wanted equality, then Chen Hong would give her some damn equality.

If he was unhappy, he was unhappy. When it was time to lash out, he would lash out!

Did they really think that just because he was meek and submissive around his mother, he would not dare throw heavy punches outside?

His fist was... Intentional Fist!

"Pfft!"

Chen Hong's line, "They're the ones who belong at the kids' table!" made the Spirit Hall Elder and Bishop Suotuo, who had been silently listening outside the carriage, burst into laughter. Behind them, Chen Lin, who had originally been full of worry, wore an odd expression as well.

Because that line... coming from the mouth of a child... became more and more amusing the more one thought about it.

Except for those who saw themselves in it.

Brothers! Please keep reading! Let's charge onto the new book rankings!