The next day.
After spending the entire night brooding at home.
Xiao Hongchen arrived at the teaching building with dark circles under both eyes.
He had originally planned to come with Meng Hongchen.
But Meng Hongchen said she was going to find Chen Mo for breakfast, then abandoned him, her own older brother.
At that moment, snowflakes drifted through Xiao Hongchen's heart.
I only went into seclusion for a few months, and some punk already sweet-talked my sister away?
But on second thought.
That punk was only nine, so surely it had not gone that far.
He entered the classroom.
He had barely sat down.
His seat had not even warmed up yet.
When he heard his classmates discussing how Chen Mo had passed the Level Three Soul Tool Assessment in July.
They even called Chen Mo the greatest genius in the history of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
They had completely forgotten him, the former number-one genius who had just passed the Level Five Soul Tool Assessment.
Just as Xiao Hongchen was wallowing in self-pity.
Several people came over.
They were Xiao Hongchen's usual lackeys.
"Boss Xiao, that freshman who passed the first-year Soul Engineer assessment in just three months is stealing the spotlight again."
Xiao Hongchen waved them off. "Enough, I already know. Get lost, all of you. Stop bothering me."
He had already spent the whole night brooding over this, yet these fools were still rubbing salt into his wounds.
It only made him more irritated.
His lackeys failed to notice his mood and spoke with righteous indignation.
"Boss Xiao, don't worry. We'll definitely help you get your dignity back."
"That brat really doesn't know the rules."
"Exactly. He doesn't even know to stay clear of Boss Xiao's edge. We've got to teach him a lesson he won't forget."
At those words.
Xiao Hongchen abruptly raised his head.
Disgust flashed through his mismatched eyes.
He summoned his Martial Soul, the Three-Legged Golden Toad.
Five Soul Rings appeared: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, and black.
The pressure of a Soul King bore down on them.
He raised his right hand, and several pieces of rare metal floated out of his Storage Soul Tool.
With a squeeze, he turned them into liquid metal.
He knocked all of them to the ground, then bound them with the metal before solidifying it again.
The lackeys sprawled on the ground, flailing as they struggled.
"Boss Xiao, don't be angry. We'll definitely teach that brat a lesson for you."
"Shut up!"
"You idiots!"
Xiao Hongchen looked at them as though they were already dead.
"If you're tired of living, just say the word," he said coldly. "I can send you on your way."
"Do you really think I don't know what you're planning? You want to use my name to pull some dirty, low-down stunt, then have me wipe your asses afterward."
"Do you really take me, Xiao Hongchen, for a fool?"
"Consider yourselves warned. If any of you dares provoke Chen Mo and sends him knocking on my door afterward, I'll send you off to have tea with the King of Hell."
"And let me make one more thing clear. Even if I lose, I'll lose fair and square. If I want to reclaim the honor that belongs to me afterward, I'll do it through my own efforts. I don't need your filthy tricks!"
"Do you understand?"
"Y-yes... we understand..."
The lackeys were so terrified that their calves trembled.
Xiao Hongchen could not be bothered with these idiots anymore. He released the metal and let them leave.
Yesterday, he had already learned from his sister, Meng Hongchen.
That their grandfather, Jing Hongchen, had taken Chen Mo as his student.
By a little generous rounding, that made him one of their own.
The Hongchen Family had always protected its own.
Although he resented Chen Mo breaking his records, whatever happened, it was still their family's business.
What right did outsiders have to pass judgment?
"I heard that brat is only nine. I wonder what he looks like."
"These classes aren't interesting anyway. I might as well go see what this Chen Mo looks like."
With that, Xiao Hongchen stood up from his seat.
He headed out of the classroom.
The teacher arriving for class merely sighed helplessly when he saw Xiao Hongchen leave.
There was nothing he could do. The boy's grandfather was the dean, after all.
"What are you two doing?"
Before long, Xiao Hongchen arrived at the cafeteria.
The sight before him made the corner of his mouth twitch and anger rise in his heart.
His adorable little sister was holding a piece of shrimp between her chopsticks, offering it to Chen Mo's mouth.
Does this brat not have hands?
He actually has Meng feeding him.
Even I, her own brother, have never enjoyed that treatment.
What puzzled him even more was.
Hasn't my sister always liked handsome guys?
Why is she suddenly interested in a little kid?
At the sound of his voice.
Meng Hongchen and Chen Mo both turned around.
"Brother, weren't you going to class? Why are you here?" Meng Hongchen asked in confusion.
"I happened to get hungry, so I came to grab something to eat," Xiao Hongchen said as he walked over.
He insisted on sitting between Meng Hongchen and Chen Mo, separating them.
Meng Hongchen was thoroughly confused.
There were clearly so many seats here.
Why does my brother have to sit between me and Xiao Mo?
Meeting Xiao Hongchen for the first time, Chen Mo studied him carefully.
How should he put it?
Apart from their different eye colors.
The siblings really did look alike.
"Xiao Mo, this is my older brother, Xiao Hongchen," Meng Hongchen introduced him.
"Hello, Brother Xiao," Chen Mo greeted him.
"Mm." Xiao Hongchen nodded slightly, putting on a cool, aloof air.
He scrutinized Chen Mo.
He's still young. Although he doesn't look quite as good as I did at his age, he's decent enough.
He probably won't grow up ugly.
His talent is excellent, too.
He'd make a very suitable brother-in-law.
Hm?
No!
Why am I thinking like this?
Xiao Hongchen hurriedly shook those thoughts out of his head.
His gaze sharpened, and he was about to speak.
But a smack from Meng Hongchen knocked him right out of his act.
"Oh, come on, Brother. If you're here to eat, then eat. Stop staring at little brother Xiao Mo. What if you scare him?" After scolding Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen turned to Chen Mo. "Xiao Mo, don't be afraid. My brother only looks cool and aloof on the surface. In private, he's actually a total goofball, and he keeps all his feelings bottled up. Whenever he meets a girl he likes, all he does is blush. He never dares go up and tell her how he feels."
"Meng! Why are you telling an outsider all this?"
Sure enough, with his sister exposing his secrets.
Xiao Hongchen instantly reverted to his true self.
He hurriedly spoke up to stop her, afraid that another moment's delay would destroy his lifelong reputation in one fell swoop.
Meng Hongchen knew when to stop, too.
She knew to leave her brother some dignity in public.
She stuck out her tongue and smiled slyly. "That's what you get for putting on that aloof act, Brother."
Xiao Hongchen sighed helplessly.
Looking at Chen Mo, he said, "Chen Mo, right? You're pretty impressive. You actually broke the records I'd held for so long in the Level One, Two, and Three Soul Tool Assessments."
"I just got lucky," Chen Mo replied modestly.
After exchanging a few words, the two quickly grew familiar with each other.
Xiao Hongchen patted his chest. "All right, stop being modest. From today onward, if anyone at the academy gives you trouble, come straight to me. I'll back you up!"
"Thank you, Brother Xiao. As it happens, there really are two people I need your help teaching a lesson."
Chen Mo spoke with a mischievous grin.
Xiao Hongchen did not notice at all and said confidently, "Just name them. I, Xiao Hongchen, have some clout in this academy."
"Ji Juechen."
"Uh... pick someone else."
"Jing Ziyan."
"...Pick someone else again."
Before you continue