Book 6: Chapter 32:2: Coasting Through LifeâMo Qingtong, Part 2
Purple Cloud Palace, in the void outside the world:
âAh! Jixia Academy. Iâve heard of it before. Ermâ¦let me thinkâ¦I recall now. Gui Gu and Li Er once thought about creating a cultivation school belonging to China that would take in all the talents. They initially started it near Linzi Cityâs Ji Gate. Jixia, meaning below Jiâthat must be the one. To think it still exists! It must have weathered many storms.â A white-clad youth sat in a sealed secret room. If another were here, that person would have felt a piercing sharpness when looking at him.
[TL Note: Gui Gu and Li Er are prominent Chinese philosophers in Chinese history. Li Er is the real name of Laozi. Here are the Wikipedia entries for the two: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guiguzi and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laozi.]
[TL Note: Linzi City is where the ancient Jixia Academy in history was located. It is believed that the academy was named after the nearby city gate, which was the Ji Gate. Here is the Wikipedia entry on Linzi City for more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Linzi.]
This person was none other than Chen Hengâs ancestorâChen Xiu.
At this time, he seemed to be speaking to someone. However, there was no one across from him.
âSince Little Heng wants to enroll in Jixia Academy, then go enroll everyone connected to him there. Let me see. Hmmâ¦not bad. This Jixia Academy is pretty good. However, where are the slots for my Chen Clan? My Chen Clan used to be a prominent clan, too.â Chen Xiuâs aura changed. His aura alone created spatial cracks. One should know that this was the Purple Cloud Palace, where the laws were very sturdy. However, he seemed to have thought of something, and his aura slowly calmed down.
âNever mind, that is all in the past. Now, all eyes are on Heng`er to carry on the family legacy. I hope heâll have many children while heâs still young. Once he gains more strength, itâll be harder. Luo Li is a good match, tough on others and even tougher on herself. Most importantly, I think she really likes Little Heng; her affection could even be described as off the charts, right? However, I wonder if Luo Li would accept a polygamous relationship. One wife isnât enough to further the Chen legacy.
âShut up. The law? Thatâs nothing. You have no say in this. I am already very benevolent for not turning you into a puppet. If not for the Multidimensional World Consciousness Conference ruling that one cannot turn a living being into a world consciousness, do you think you would be birthed? Just do what you are supposed to do; this is also the Multidimensional World Consciousness Conferenceâs decision. Alright, you can go. Iâm going into seclusion for training. Let me know if anything happens.â
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Initially, Chen Heng planned to take his college entrance exams during the day and participate in the Holy Grail War at night. However, the Holy Grail War turned into a Holy Grail Carnival, shifting to daytime, so he could only pass his evenings forming Will Energy swords.
Instead of hopping between worlds, he decided enjoying the Holy Grail War world after his exams would be more fun.
That evening, Mo Qingtong didnât return to her familyâs mansion or the villa next door. She stayed at Chen Hengâs house, which thankfully had many guest rooms.
Sirin, Jeanne dâArc, Chen Heng, Fu Hua, Luo Li, Mo Qingtong, and Ravenâa total of seven peopleâstayed in his three-story villa, but there were enough rooms to accommodate everyone.
Chen Heng yawned as he got out of bed. He had spent four hours pushing his Will Energy to its limits and taken two bottles of medicinal pills before succeeding in forging his seventh Will Energy sword the previous night.
After forming the seventh sword, he immediately toppled over and slept. Then, his biological clock woke him up at six in the morning. By then, his Will Energy had recovered by about half.
Chen Heng immediately saw his master, Fu Hua, making breakfast when he went downstairs. Raven was helping at her side.
It was honestly a rare sight to see someone wake up earlier than Chen Heng to cook breakfast.
Sirin went without saying. Who knew what she did every day? But she would most certainly be up the entire night. Jeanne dâArc was a shut-in. When have you ever seen a shut-in wake up early?
The most likely to wake up early was Luo Li, but she couldnât cook. Thus, Chen Heng prepared breakfast every morning. The 500 points heâd spent on his cooking skills now seemed well worth it. He contemplated whether to advance his cooking skills to the high tier.
Chen Heng greeted his master and Elder Sister Raven from the kitchen doorway. âMaster, Elder Sister Raven, youâre up early! Need any help?â
He noticed they were making dumplings. His master had a penchant for dumplings, and judging by their shape, they would probably be pan-fried.
âYoung Master Heng, just leave breakfast to Madam Fu Hua and me. You should rest for a while.â
âLittle Heng, you can head back to sleep or train. Leave breakfast to me.â
âGot it, Master. Iâll go train, then.â Chen Heng entered the basement after letting out a yawn. Then he started training with the sword.
Actually, the Chen Clan Sword Technique did not emphasize form. He did not practice so as to wield the sword better but to experience the sword conception and being one with the sword.
Once he finished and left the basement, the enticing aroma of pan-fried dumplings wafted through the air. An hour of training and the fragrance made him ravenous.
âLittle Heng, quickly go wash up. Raven has already gone to wake the others.â
âSpeaking of the others, there should only be Qingtong, right? She is still not up yet? I truly wonder how she cultivated to the Soul Separation Realm. Iâll go wash up first, Master.â
The sight of fresh dumplings brought joy to Chen Hengâs heart. They seemed timed perfectly for his return.
After washing up and exiting the bathroom, he found a drowsy Mo Qingtong seated at the dining table and the table set with plates of dumplings.
âQingtong, have you washed up?â
âOh! Itâs Ah Heng. Itâs fine. As a cultivator, I donât need to wash up; I can just use a cleansing spell, perhaps a bath at night. Alright, since Ah Heng is out, letâs eat. Iâm a little hungry already. After that, Iâm going back to sleep.â
ââ¦â Chen Heng did not say anything. Instead, he looked at Raven, who stood behind Mo Qingtong.
Raven shook her head, indicating she was helpless. Her young mistress had been like this since childhood, never paying attention to her appearance before family.
âQingtong, what time did you sleep yesterday? What did you do?â
âI slept about 2 a.m. I was arguingâ¦ermâ¦communicating with Luo Li in the Re:Life Chat Group.â
ââ¦â
Chen Heng didnât probe further. Although he sensed something amiss, breakfast had priority.
After eating, Mo Qingtong staggered upstairs for a nap. Elder Sister Raven intended to do the dishes, but seeing Mo Qingtongâs state, she escorted Mo Qingtong to prevent an accident.
In the end, Chen Heng did the dishes, or rather he used his ability to wash the dishes.
After Chen Heng did the dishes, he started cultivating Spiritual Energy, something he had neglected for a long time. Right now, he lacked Will Energy. Cultivating Spiritual Energy could raise his cultivation realm. Meanwhile, his Will Energy would recover.
Then, Chen Heng broke through from the mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm to the late-stage Nascent Soul Realm.
âMaster, Iâm indeed exceptionally talented, right?â
Bang! Instead of answering, Fu Hua thumped Chen Heng on the head.
âOuch!â
Keeping Chen Heng humble and focused was one of Fu Huaâs responsibilities. Chen Hengâs talent was undeniable, but Fu Hua wouldnât let him become arrogant.