Meng Hongchen: Let Go of Him, Let Me Do It!

Meng Hongchen: Let Go of Him, Let Me Do It!

This silver-haired girl was Meng Hongchen. Curiosity and inquiry showed on her pretty little face as she partially closed the book in her hands, The Wealthy Young Lady Falls for the Handsome Young Gentleman.

"A genius... better gifted than Xiao?"

She fell into brief contemplation, and her slender, fair calves beneath her silver-white dress slowly stopped swinging.

Meng Hongchen tilted her head slightly as she thought.

Her fair, delicate cheek peeked out beside the illustrated cover of the novel.

"What kind of genius is worth Grandpa making time to personally go fetch him...?"

Meng Hongchen pondered for a moment, picked up the drink on the armrest of her Soul Guidance Chair, and took a sip. A hint of confusion appeared in her eyes.

Jing Hongchen looked at his granddaughter and smiled kindly.

"I haven't seen his talent for myself, so I can't say exactly how high it is."

"But Grandpa has a feeling that his potential may very well rival—or even surpass—Xiao's. Otherwise, with Xuan Ziwen's temperament, he never would have written such a Recommendation Letter."

If Xuan Ziwen had made the Recommendation Letter more detailed, listing his innate level, martial soul, cultivation, and other advantages one by one, Jing Hongchen would not have taken it so seriously.

Yet it was precisely those few sparse lines.

They made Jing Hongchen's feeling that this child's talent is far beyond that of ordinary geniuses grow stronger and stronger.

Xuan Ziwen had once held the record for the youngest Level 8 Soul Engineer, proving that his talent was already exceptional.

However, ever since Jing Hongchen's grandson, Xiao Hongchen, had broken the Sun Moon Empire's record for the fastest advancement to a fourth-level Soul Engineer, he had constantly shown off in front of Xuan Ziwen.

He claimed that since he could break the fourth-level record, he would surely break the eighth-level record in the future as well.

Jing Hongchen clearly remembered Xiao Hongchen's expression when he had advanced to a fourth-level Soul Engineer, as though none of those present were worthy of competing with him. He had then told Xuan Ziwen in an old-fashioned tone—

"Teacher Xuan, you count as one of the goals I'm pursuing. Don't let me advance to a Level 8 Soul Engineer while you still haven't touched the threshold of Ninth-Level Soul Engineer... Work hard, Teacher Xuan."

Xiao Hongchen would occasionally wander around in front of Xuan Ziwen. Xuan Ziwen did not take it too seriously, but it still made things rather noisy around his ears.

Putting all that together, Jing Hongchen vaguely began to suspect that the student Xuan Ziwen had found might possess even greater talent than his own grandson, Xiao Hongchen.

"Grandpa, I heard Teacher Xuan went out and found a genius. Is he trying to measure him against me and put some pressure on me?"

The handsome and noble-looking Xiao Hongchen walked to his grandfather's side, a faint smile curling at his lips. "There are differences even among geniuses."

"It seems that the exceptional aptitude I've displayed in the Soul Guidance Field has put Teacher Xuan under tremendous pressure. He actually picked some random person with a little talent and thinks he can raise the stakes for me."

Teacher Xuan must have been confused for a moment. Xiao Hongchen sighed soundlessly and said blandly—

"How can an ordinary genius possibly be mentioned in the same breath as me...?"

Even Meng Hongchen could not stand it anymore. She said irritably, "Brother, can you tone it down a little? Look at yourself—you've practically got 'I'm the Number One Genius' written all over your face."

"Heh, Meng, we siblings are the empire's greatest geniuses in a thousand years to begin with." Xiao Hongchen laughed.

"Hey, hey, stop right there."

Meng Hongchen raised her right hand, her palm held beside her delicate, fair cheek. "You can be this Number One Genius if you want. Don't drag me into it."

With that, she took out a comic and began reading again.

As the beloved daughter of Mingde Hall's Hall Master, she was extremely talented with Soul Tools as well. Her martial soul was the special Ice Attribute Vermillion-Eyed Ice Toad.

However, she was also a devoted admirer of good looks.

Aside from practicing the inscription of Core Arrays, she usually liked reading comics about handsome two-dimensional young men, as well as sweet romance stories between wealthy young ladies and handsome young gentlemen.

Xiao Hongchen casually brushed back his hair, his face carrying an uninhibited smile.

"Grandpa, I'll go with you to see the potential recruit Teacher Xuan brought back."

Compared to himself, he felt that ordinary geniuses could only be considered to have a little potential—decent, nothing more.

Jing Hongchen knew what his grandson was like. It would be difficult to correct him overnight, so he said nothing more and merely nodded slowly.

"Meng, are you coming too?"

Xiao Hongchen walked to his sister's Soul Guidance Chair, glanced at the comic in her hands, and remarked, "The plot is so clichéd, and the art style is pretty mediocre too."

For once, Meng Hongchen agreed with him. She snapped the comic shut.

"Mm. At the very least, the characters have to be drawn better-looking than Xiao, or I can't even bear to read it. I won't buy any more comics published by this studio."

Xiao Hongchen froze. What did that mean? Was his noble appearance not enough? At the academy, there was a whole group of "Xiao fans" waving banners for him.

Meng Hongchen put the novel into her Storage Ring, then rose from her Soul Guidance Chair. She took out a small mirror and adjusted the blue bow tied into her silver-white hair.

"Grandpa, I'll go take a look with you too."

She was also curious what kind of genius student Teacher Xuan, whom Xiao Hongchen regarded as someone worth pursuing, would choose.

Jing Hongchen called Lin Jiayi over and headed toward Mingdu's city gates with his grandson and granddaughter.

High above the Ming Dou Mountain Range.

Xu Sheng flew toward Mingdu with Xuan Ziwen, carrying Huo Yuhao, who had finally collapsed from exhaustion and fallen unconscious after continuously practicing the Purple Cloud Wings.

"Yuhao truly is a resilient child. He's talented and hardworking. When he tried flying just now, he must have drained every last bit of his Soul Power."

Xuan Ziwen sighed emotionally. He admitted that if he had faced such a situation, he would not have been able to do the same. He would have chosen to land early.

Xu Sheng chuckled. "That's why I say Yuhao's physical strength is high. He could have taken medicine, but he stubbornly refused to. That kind of conviction is no different from mine when I was young."

Xuan Ziwen was now certain that if Huo Yuhao were given some time, he would definitely surpass Xiao Hongchen, who kept swaggering around in front of him all day.

Then they would see whether Xiao Hongchen would finally behave himself. He still dared to boast that he was invincible among his peers—his ego had practically floated into the heavens. Someone needed to suppress that arrogance.

Several hours later, the three landed outside Mingdu.

Xuan Ziwen and Xu Sheng supported the sleeping Huo Yuhao as they entered Mingdu. Yet the moment their identities were verified and they stepped inside, they saw two familiar short, plump figures.

They were Jing Hongchen and Lin Jiayi.

The two looked toward Xuan Ziwen with warm smiles, then hurried toward him in large strides.

Xuan Ziwen was immediately stunned.

What was going on? He was puzzled. Why were the Hall Master and Director Lin rushing toward him so happily? What did they want?

"Ziwen, we've been waiting for you for a long time."

"Hall Master, is something the matter?"

"Nothing much. I was simply concerned about you. Seeing you return puts my old heart at ease."

Jing Hongchen took Xuan Ziwen's hand. His gaze swept over Huo Yuhao without leaving a trace, and he instantly sensed that the boy was extraordinary. His Mental Power alone far surpassed that of Soul Masters at the same level.

Thus, with an amiable smile on his face, he began the handover with Xuan Ziwen.

"Ziwen, you must be tired after this trip. Go back and get some proper rest. Leave everything else to me."

As Jing Hongchen spoke with a genial smile, he smoothly reached out and supported Huo Yuhao.

The maneuver was extremely fluid, without the slightest hint of deliberateness.

Before Xuan Ziwen could figure out what was happening, he shook his head. "I'm not tired. I only went back to Heaven Dou City to pay respects to my ancestors. There wasn't much work involved."

Jing Hongchen said pleasantly, "How can you neglect your health like this? You're one of Mingde Hall's most important researchers."

"This Hall Master says you're tired. Jiayi, take Ziwen back to rest."

Lin Jiayi immediately understood. Like close brothers with deep friendship, he slung an arm around Xuan Ziwen's shoulders.

Then the two dragged and pulled each other toward Mingde Hall.

Xu Sheng smiled. "Hall Master, Yuhao has overdrawn his Soul Power. Take him somewhere to recuperate properly first. His aptitude absolutely will not disappoint you. You could even say it is astonishing beyond belief."

As Jing Hongchen listened to Xu Sheng recount Huo Yuhao's performance over the past few days, undisguised shock appeared on his face.

"Good! Excellent. Such a compatible martial soul, coupled with our training and guidance, will strengthen his sense of belonging and identification with the empire. Like Ziwen, he will surely become a pillar of the empire in the future."

Not far away, Xiao Hongchen watched his grandfather and Xu Sheng whispering through Soul Power encryption and could not help shrugging.

He did not believe the ordinary genius Xuan Ziwen had brought back could suppress him.

At that moment, Jing Hongchen waved in this direction. "Meng, come quickly. Help Grandpa carry this child back to Mingde Hall."

"Teacher Xu Sheng and I have other matters to handle."

Meng Hongchen reluctantly walked over, her lips pursed. "Grandpa, he's a boy, right? How could I possibly carry him? Xiao, you take him—"

Her voice abruptly stopped.

As Meng Hongchen approached and clearly saw Huo Yuhao's handsome face, her eyes widened slightly, and she could not help covering her lips.

So, so pretty... He's much better-looking than Xiao.

His skin is so fair, and his eyelashes are so long. How could a boy look like this? It's a pity he's asleep, so I don't know whether his eyes are pretty. They must be beautiful too, right?

"All right, Meng. If you don't want to, forget it. Let Xiao carry this child back to Mingde Hall."

Jing Hongchen did not force her. He was about to use Soul Power to lift Huo Yuhao and send him toward Xiao Hongchen.

Then Meng Hongchen let out a clear, pleasant shout.

"Wait, Grandpa! Put him down, let me do it!!"

Her face was filled with delight, her attitude changing completely. She hurried forward with light steps and directly scooped Huo Yuhao up in a princess carry.

As a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor and fourth-level Soul Engineer, Meng Hongchen found it effortless to carry him.

Of course, that depended on whether the other person looked good.

In the Original Work, as the top-tier appearance enthusiast Meng-xiaojie, she had fallen head over heels after merely glancing at Wang Dong during her first Soul Master Competition.

Mesmerized by Wang Dong's looks, she could not pull herself free and even wanted to cling to her.

If Huo Yuhao's first soul ring had not absorbed Snow Empress as a Soul Spirit, causing his appearance and temperament to develop toward a male version of Snow Empress, Meng Hongchen's attitude would not have changed so instantly.

Meng Hongchen lowered her head to look at Huo Yuhao in her arms, and a lovely curve rose at the corner of her lips. "Hehe. I was fantasizing about a handsome young gentleman just a few days ago. I didn't expect one to fall right into this young lady's hands so soon."

A circular device emerged from her back, rippling with an aqua-blue glow. In the next instant, it condensed into a pair of metal wings.

"Grandpa, Teacher Xu Sheng, Brother, keep talking. I'll fly him back first."

Jing Hongchen waved at her with a chuckle. "Go on, Meng. Remember to prepare some nourishing, restorative food for him."

Mingde Hall was quite wealthy, and its ingredients were all heavenly treasures. After all, it trained so many high-level Soul Engineers, and the sale of all kinds of Soul Tools to the imperial military provided an endless stream of funds.

The blue Flight Soul Tool on Meng Hongchen's back unfolded. Activating her Soul Power, she hugged Huo Yuhao and flew straight home.

Watching his sister leave happily, Xiao Hongchen rubbed his chin. Something felt off, but he could not quite put his finger on it.

"Grandpa, what do you think of the person Teacher Xuan brought back? Does he have even thirty percent of my talent?"

The moment Xiao Hongchen walked to Jing Hongchen's side, he heard Xu Sheng say—

"Hall Master, three-legged toads are hard to find, and students with talent like Yuhao's are even harder to find."

Xiao Hongchen froze at once. After hesitating, he could not help speaking up.

"Teacher Xu Sheng, perhaps you don't know this, but my martial soul is the Three-Legged Golden Toad. So... I'm basically similar to a three-legged toad?"

Xu Sheng immediately felt a little apologetic and came to a realization. "Oh, Xiao, Teacher knows your martial soul. I just didn't connect it to you for a moment."

Xiao Hongchen laughed heartily. "It's fine, Teacher Xu. You aren't wrong either. Three-legged toads are indeed hard to find—especially one like me. I'm rarer than anything seen since ancient times."

Seeing that he was still as arrogant as ever, Xu Sheng patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Xiao, you'll have to work harder from now on."

??

Xiao Hongchen was confused. He did not like hearing that. Not only did he already work very hard, but those words also seemed to carry doubts about the Number One Genius.

"His talent may be higher than yours."

"I don't believe it." Xiao Hongchen shook his head firmly. He had absolute confidence in his own talent.

His grandfather was a Ninth-Level Soul Engineer, his martial soul was the Three-Legged Golden Toad, and his aptitude and educational resources were all top-tier. Xiao Hongchen simply could not imagine anyone his age surpassing him in the field of Soul Tools.

Xiao Hongchen looked at Jing Hongchen, frowning slightly. "Grandpa, didn't you feel that Meng's reaction when she carried that guy was a little strange?"

Jing Hongchen thought for a moment. "No, not really. Meng simply likes reading comics. She probably thought Yuhao looked better than the illustrations she reads."

"Perhaps he caught her eye, so she carried him away and flew off."

Xiao Hongchen had not looked closely at Huo Yuhao earlier. Hearing that now, alarm bells began ringing in his mind.

He knew his sister's personality best. Aside from a few close female friends at school, she spent almost all her time with him and barely communicated with other boys. The key was that those other boys really were not much to look at.

So Xiao Hongchen had also noticed that his sister would fantasize about some handsome...

But was that brat really that good-looking? More handsome than me? Xiao Hongchen still did not believe it.