Qin Zhao was so furious his nostrils were practically smoking!
How could Bai Shengyi be so… so audacious and outrageous!
“Bai Sheng…”
“Prince Gong.” The Duke of Rong appeared in the courtyard at some unknown time, his voice neither loud nor soft, interrupting Qin Zhao.
Qin Zhao felt as if he couldn’t swallow or spit out his anger, resembling a raging bull snorting as he glared at the Duke of Rong.
The Duke of Rong frowned, unceremoniously releasing his Golden Core stage aura.
The overwhelming pressure of Mount Tai descending upon him made Qin Zhao feel as if he’d been doused with cold water, and he immediately calmed down.
“Duke, why have you come?” Qin Zhao tugged at the corner of his mouth, forcing out a smile. If it weren’t for the three Golden Core cultivators in the Duke of Rong’s household, he wouldn’t have to be so subservient!
Just a little longer… as soon as his aunt and uncle both broke through to the Golden Core stage, the Duke of Rong’s estate would have reached its zenith!
The Duke of Rong was unaware of Qin Zhao’s thoughts, but he treated Qin Zhao with extreme casualness. After all, the current Emperor had ten princes, Qin Zhao was fifth, not the heir apparent nor the eldest, and moreover, he was not favored by the Emperor.
His talent was also mediocre. He was already this old yet only at the fifth level of Qi Condensation.
“Prince Gong, it’s getting late, you should be going,” the Duke of Rong said directly, showing no regard for Qin Zhao.
Qin Zhao, however, harbored deep resentment. The Duke of Rong’s attitude was clearly due to the Emperor’s lack of regard for him!
But on the surface, he had to concede. He politely said, “You are right, it was my oversight.”
“Butler, see the Prince out.” The Duke of Rong waved his hand carelessly.
After Qin Zhao left, the Duke of Rong personally stepped forward and knocked on the door, his voice carrying spiritual energy, ensuring it could penetrate the entire room.
“Shengyi, come out for dinner.”
Bai Shengyi abruptly opened the door, tilting her chin up, proud and defiant. “Have someone send it over for me.”
The Duke of Rong frowned. “Don’t you rely on your newfound abilities…”
“Send it or not?” Bai Shengyi sneered, interrupting him. “If not, then forget it. I’m not hungry anyway!”
With that, she slammed the door shut again with a “clang.”
The Duke of Rong was not a patient man to begin with. Having just experienced Qin Zhao’s treatment, the words of reprimand were already at the tip of his tongue.
“Grandfather, just have someone send it over,” Bai Murong said as she walked in from outside. “I declined dinner with friends to come back specifically to have dinner with you. Will you accompany Rongrong, Grandfather?”
The Duke of Rong knew very well that Bai Murong was trying to help him out of a difficult situation.
He frowned. “Murong, you don’t need to worry. I must properly discipline her character. What kind of young lady acts as arrogant and conceited as she does? If she weren’t born into the Bai family, she’d be courting death!”
Bai Murong wished Bai Shengyi would court death.
“Grandfather, don’t forget the Empress’s birthday,” Bai Murong said, supporting the Duke of Rong. “Shengyi already has a rift with us. If you discipline her today, and she causes trouble at the Empress’s birthday, it won’t be good. You know, the Empress already doesn’t like her very much…”
Bai Shengyi pushed the door open and leaned against the door frame, leisurely watching the grandfather and granddaughter walk away.
“Looking at it this way, they are the real grandparents,” she said with a half-smile.
“Jealous?” a calm voice echoed from within Bai Shengyi’s room.
Bai Shengyi closed the door and looked at Bai Yu, who had suddenly appeared in her room. She shrugged, “I’m just curious, Second Uncle, do you and Father truly have no suspicions about Bai Murong’s biological father and Grandfather’s relationship?”
Bai Shengyi was merely making a casual remark, not expecting Bai Yu, who was drinking tea, to actually pause.
“No way?” Bai Shengyi’s eyes widened in surprise.
Bai Yu hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself.
Bai Shengyi propped up her chin. “Second Uncle, beating around the bush is not a good habit.”
“Then I won’t say it,” Bai Yu said expressionlessly, putting down his teacup. He suddenly felt a desire to ask his elder brother and sister-in-law how they had raised Bai Shengyi, this mouth of hers was too much of a handful.
Unable to get an answer, Bai Shengyi’s heart itched, but Bai Yu remained silent.
“Aren’t you going to ask about your father?” Bai Yu raised an eyebrow.
He had only learned today that Bai Shengyi had broken through two stages under his father’s pressure. He worried that his father’s temper might harm Bai Shengyi’s foundation, and he also didn’t want to see any of the Bai family, so he had secretly come for another visit.
He had planned to leave before Qin Zhao arrived, but Bai Shengyi insisted he stay, saying she wanted to ask about her elder brother.
Bai Shengyi immediately became serious.
Seeing her demeanor, Bai Yu’s admiration for his niece grew. She knew when to be playful and when to be serious, showing considerable improvement.
“So what was my father doing? Looking for my mother?” From her memories, Bai Shengyi knew her mother had gone to the Boundless Cloud Sea in Jinque Kingdom for training but had never returned.
Bai Yu said solemnly, “Yes and no. But I can tell you, your father is very safe and should be back within half a year.”
The world generally believed that once a cultivator reached the Golden Core stage, that was the pinnacle. However, they didn’t know that this Divine Revelation Continent harbored many individuals more powerful than Golden Core cultivators, and it also concealed secrets capable of overturning the entire continent.
Bai Yu felt it was still too early to tell Bai Shengyi these things.
“That’s no different from saying nothing,” Bai Shengyi glanced at him and revealed the Samsara Brush. “Do you know what this is?”
She was now at the sixth level of Qi Condensation, but she still couldn’t figure out how the Nine Revolutions Samsara Brush was used. Was it only good for blocking attacks like a pot lid, or spinning around like an auspicious ornament?
It couldn’t be this useless, could it!
“This is?” Bai Yu initially intended to reach out and touch it, but he found the spiritual energy swirling around the brush body to be quite aggressive. When he retracted his hand too late, he was cut.
Bai Yu ignored the minor injury. After listening to Bai Shengyi’s reply, he pondered, “Since your eldest sister-in-law gave it to you, it shouldn’t just be an ornament. You said it’s called the Nine Revolutions Samsara Brush. I have heard of a brush that can alter life and death, and slay gods and Buddhas. This should be a replica of that brush.”
“Try fitting a refill into it?”
Bai Shengyi, contemplating Bai Yu’s parting advice, went to her nominal father’s study, chose the most aesthetically pleasing brush, snapped off a refill, and prepared to attach it to the broken section of the Samsara Brush.
“Bang!”
The Samsara Brush leaped out of Bai Shengyi’s hand, and the brush handle struck her forehead!
Bai Shengyi swore she heard the Samsara Brush letting out an indignant hiss.
“Are you crazy!”
Bai Shengyi looked at the half-broken refill in her hand, touching her forehead, and chuckled ruefully. “I’m not crazy, I’m stupid! What use is a brush like you without a refill! Instead of yelling at me, you should just answer my questions properly!”
The Samsara Brush leaped up and down, as if frustrated by her foolishness, repeatedly tapping Bai Shengyi’s forehead.
“You say brushes are for what! Brushes are for writing! Write something useful!”
The Samsara Brush was utterly exasperated. How did it end up with such a silly owner!
It was one thing for her to treat it like a spinning toy, but when she actually used it, she only knew how to draw circles. It was embarrassing even for the brush to witness!