Chapter Forty-Eight: A Gift That Shook the Heart

Tong Wan happily accepted the elixir, hugging her granddaughter tightly. Whether it was genuine or not, she was delighted. Xuanxuan’s sincerity touched her; even if it wasn’t real, what did it matter?

“Thank you, Xuanxuan,” Tong Wan said, kissing Xuanxuan’s forehead.

Xuanxuan, a bit embarrassed, turned her head and glanced at Wan Qi Lianhao.

Wan Qi Lianhao patted his daughter’s head affectionately.

Wan Qi Yi also put away his own potion, while Wan Qi Lianjun uncorked the vial before him. He sniffed it, glanced at Xuanxuan, then at Wan Qi Lianhao, and uttered four words: “Source of magic power.”

Wan Qi Lianhao stepped forward and opened all five bottles in front of him, gazing at Wan Qi Yi. “They’re all the same.”

No wonder she claimed they could be mass-produced.

Wan Qi Yi’s expression changed as well.

Tong Wan, however, was at a loss. Though she could be fierce with Wan Qi Yi, she was reasonable by nature and never meddled in major matters she didn’t understand. That was part of why Wan Qi Yi respected her as much as he loved her.

Xuanxuan, as if dissatisfied by the lack of shock, waved her hand and produced a stack of documents she’d toiled over for a long time.

Wan Qi Yi and Wan Qi Lianjun were both spatial type users; Tong Wan and Wan Qi Lianchen were dark type; Wan Qi Lianhao inherited both dark and spatial from his parents; Wan Qi Weihao was wood type; Wan Qi Weihan was also spatial.

For convenience, Xuanxuan had prepared information for all ten types. Yet, upon seeing their talents, she only handed over data for spatial, dark, and wood types, wondering if this would make their mysterious teacher seem even more inscrutable to them.

Indeed, that was the effect. Once she laid down the documents, Wan Qi Yi looked at Xuanxuan in astonishment, then turned to Wan Qi Lianhao, who shook his head to indicate he knew nothing.

Only then did Wan Qi Yi glance at Xuanxuan again. She widened her eyes, feigning ignorance.

Wan Qi Yi casually flipped through the pages, his pace slowing as he read. Along with Xuanxuan, the five of them waited in silence.

The more he read, the graver Wan Qi Yi’s face became. After finishing, he went through everything a second time, even slower than before.

Xuanxuan covered her mouth to stifle a yawn. The silence made her sleepy. Although the atmosphere was tense, it did nothing to dispel her drowsiness—her big eyes misty with fatigue.

When he finished the second round, Wan Qi Yi handed the material to Wan Qi Lianhao, shaking his head with a wry smile. “It’s truly unbelievable.”

Wan Qi Lianhao skimmed through it, raising his eyebrows slightly. He’d prepared himself and wasn’t as shocked as before.

Then Wan Qi Lianjun and Wan Qi Lianchen read through the documents and fell into silence. Although they had seen the information Xuanxuan provided for Wan Qi Lianhao before, to see so much all at once was still startling.

After the four had all read it, Tong Wan looked at them in confusion and took the documents from Wan Qi Lianchen. Just a glance left her dazed. “Is this real?”

Xuanxuan pouted, clearly unhappy at being doubted again.

Of course it was real.

Wan Qi Yi nodded. “I had seen the dark and spatial types before, but never expected there would also be water and wood types.”

He didn’t bother looking at his wife’s shocked expression; he was almost numb to it by now. He turned to Xuanxuan. “Xuanxuan, I’d like to meet your teacher, if possible?”

To meet her teacher—the one who had fallen into their laps, or rather, whom they had assigned to her—where was she supposed to find one now?

Xuanxuan drooped her head. That was a problem. It seemed she would have to improve her magical puppet before doing anything else. She shook her head at Wan Qi Yi.

“This is too great a gift for us to accept,” Wan Qi Yi said earnestly.

Indeed, even just the two vials of “Life Elixir” were a tremendous present for the Wan Qi family. That stack of documents, if revealed to the wider Federation, would send the entire upper echelon into a frenzy.

With these materials, even someone with mediocre talent could be gradually cultivated. And the level of mental power shown in those documents—Wan Qi Lianhao fell silent. He dared not even dream of attaining the so-called divine level. Yet to find he was only at level eight? Not even nine, let alone saint or divine, which felt utterly out of reach.

But with this information, he felt nine was easily attainable, not to mention saint. That alone would drive the Federation mad.

In these martial times, what was more coveted than power?

Xuanxuan was momentarily stunned, not expecting Wan Qi Yi to refuse. Although she didn’t fully understand, she had some idea of how valuable her documents were to the Wan Qi family.

Yet he still declined.

She looked around at the four faces. None showed any ulterior motives; they all seemed to regard this as only proper.

For a moment, Xuanxuan was dazed. As someone who had been cast out by her family, she understood the value of talent, strength, and resources. For a family, what could matter more?

She now felt a sliver of confidence. Perhaps—even as a supposed good-for-nothing—she wouldn’t be abandoned by this family after all.

Xuanxuan smiled, her expression taking on a new warmth. In her soft child’s voice, she said, “Starnet, Daddy.”

Wan Qi Lianhao was taken aback. He hadn’t realized his daughter even knew that. It seemed her teacher was very candid with her.

Wan Qi Yi slapped his forehead as it dawned on him: Wan Qi Lianhao had already met her on Starnet.

According to Wan Qi Lianhao, she bore no ill will, and with her abilities, there would be no need for such roundabout means to harm the Wan Qi family. Besides, she had said these things were a gift for Xuanxuan upon becoming her apprentice.

Yet Wan Qi Yi couldn’t help but think: if they used these materials, wouldn’t he have to call Xuanxuan “senior sister”? What a tangled web of hierarchy.

He cleared his throat. “Xuanxuan, tell your teacher we will not pass these documents to anyone else.”

Xuanxuan blinked in surprise. She didn’t really mind if they were shared; after all, she was only building on the wisdom of those before her.

Wan Qi Yi’s concern was of little consequence to her. Still, she produced another stack of documents—this time, the remaining six types.

“They can be shared,” Xuanxuan said seriously.

This time, even Wan Qi Lianhao was stunned. Staring at the pile, Wan Qi Lianchen flipped through them one by one. “Metal, fire, earth, wind, and—light? This is thunder? Even something so hard to control?”

When he finished, Wan Qi Lianchen was dumbstruck. “Is this… everything?”

Wan Qi Lianhao and the others were equally astonished.

Wan Qi Lianchen pinched himself. “Maybe I just haven’t woken up yet?”

Only then did Wan Qi Yi react, taking Xuanxuan from Tong Wan’s arms and regarding her seriously. “Xuanxuan, did you give these out on your own, or did your teacher instruct you to?”

Xuanxuan was startled. Was Wan Qi Yi worried she’d handed out things without permission and would be punished by her makeshift teacher?

“These are very important; put them away and return them to your teacher,” Wan Qi Yi insisted. For the previous four types, he could believe Xuanxuan’s teacher had prepared them, since a child her age couldn’t possibly identify everyone’s attributes and pick the right materials.

But as he’d heard from Wan Qi Lianhao, Xuanxuan herself was all-types. He feared these materials were intended for her alone, and that she’d given them out on her own.

“My teacher gave them and said they could be shared,” Xuanxuan replied, thinking her teacher was truly omnipotent.

She found herself growing fond of this family. Perhaps not perfect, but compared to her previous life, it was something she could never have dreamed of.

Wan Qi Yi looked at Wan Qi Lianhao, the only one who had met Xuanxuan’s teacher and thus the only qualified to comment. “Lianhao, what do you think?”

Wan Qi Lianhao frowned in thought. Based solely on that one encounter, he was inclined to believe these were indeed from Xuanxuan’s teacher. Though their meeting had been brief, he could sense she was utterly unconcerned with how shocking these things might be to them.

“Very likely. She doesn’t seem to care about these things.”

Wan Qi Yi furrowed his brow. Regardless of her indifference, these were too valuable, at least to them.

Wan Qi Lianchen chimed in, backing Wan Qi Lianhao. “I think we’re overthinking it. Someone of her caliber, a recluse above the mundane world, probably doesn’t care about any of this.”

Xuanxuan glanced at Wan Qi Lianchen. Though she didn’t like him—he especially irked her—at least he’d spoken some truth. She might not be any legendary figure, but she truly didn’t care.

Wan Qi Yi gave his second son a look, then said, “Let’s put these away for now. Lianhao, after you see her again and confirm it, then we’ll use them.”

Xuanxuan quietly let out a sigh of relief. Her teacher’s title was now solidified, and there were no more doubts.

Wan Qi Lianhao nodded, agreeing that though it might take time, it was the safest course.

Tong Wan, holding Xuanxuan, nodded as well.