Chapter Sixty: The True Genius

In the Ye family, Deng Qiaoying had remained unconscious for six or seven hours before she finally awoke, her senses slowly returning. Ye Xin and Ye Ling had kept a constant vigil at her bedside. Several doctors had been called, each assuring them that Deng Qiaoying was in no serious danger; her fainting was merely the result of a sudden surge of anger and distress. With some rest and peace of mind, she would recover.

“Aunt…” Ye Xin called softly, guilt weighing heavily in his heart. He knew he had no other choice; to win people’s trust, he had needed to use the unsuspecting, guileless Deng Qiaoying.

It was much like advertising: in an era rife with lies, even the most sophisticated adverts inspire little belief. The best strategy is to find a celebrity with an impeccable reputation to endorse the product. People may doubt the commercials, but the word of a beloved star carries weight—especially when it’s someone they admire.

If he had to do it again, Ye Xin would make the same decision. Others could doubt him, but there was no reason to distrust the earnest Deng Qiaoying. The blood she coughed up was invaluable.

“Leave. I don’t want to see you anymore.” Deng Qiaoying closed her eyes again, her voice cold. There is no grief greater than a heart that has died—her heart was truly dead now.

“Aunt, the real Heavenly Wolf Manual is here,” Ye Xin said, taking out the manual and gently placing it by Deng Qiaoying’s pillow.

She ignored him. No matter what Ye Xin said now, she would not believe him.

“Mother, it’s really the Heavenly Wolf Manual!” Ye Ling cried urgently. “Brother tricked everyone!”

Deng Qiaoying finally opened her eyes, looking at Ye Ling with suspicion.

Ye Ling seized the manual and handed it to her mother. “Look, it’s real!”

In a sudden motion, Deng Qiaoying sat up and snatched the manual, examining it closely. After a long while, she looked up at Ye Xin, speaking with difficulty. “Xin’er, I saw you burn the Heavenly Wolf Manual with my own eyes. How… how…”

“It was just a simple trick,” Ye Xin replied.

“Then why did you pretend to destroy it?”

“Aunt, it’s complicated,” Ye Xin explained slowly. “The clan won’t rest until they have the Heavenly Wolf Manual. Not just them—the Deng family has tried as well! Last time, Sun Meifang and Deng Duojie visited, and Deng Duojie attempted to steal the manual. She didn’t know where it was hidden, and by chance, I discovered her plot.”

“They dared?!” Deng Qiaoying erupted in anger, swinging her legs off the bed to rise.

“Mother, are you going to confront them?” Ye Ling’s tone was helpless. “Go ahead, but bring a few coffins home. If you leave now, none of us will survive.”

“What…” Deng Qiaoying was taken aback.

“Brother went to great lengths to convince everyone the manual was destroyed,” Ye Ling said. “If you storm over to the Deng family now, you’ll remind them that someone in the Ye family saw through their schemes, and then they’ll start to wonder: was the destroyed manual a fake?”

Deng Qiaoying gave a sheepish laugh. “Child, what a way to speak. I know I’m not as clever as you two. Just tell me what to do; I’ll listen.”

“Aunt, your temperament might bring trouble,” Ye Xin said frankly. “Now there are two options: I can have someone escort you to a secret place, but moving you too quickly may arouse suspicion. The other option is for you to feign illness at home, refusing to see anyone.”

“I won’t leave until I hear you admit it. How can I rest easy otherwise?” Deng Qiaoying declared.

“Then you’ll have to stay here and pretend to be ill,” Ye Xin said after a moment’s thought. “You mustn’t leave this room for some time, nor see anyone, no matter who it is. I wonder if you can endure it?”

“Silly child, what’s that to me?” Deng Qiaoying smiled. Her long unconsciousness had resulted from the shock; only the right medicine could cure her heart’s ailment. Now that she knew the manual had not been destroyed, her spirit revived. “Even if you locked me in a water jar, I could bear it!”

“Pretending to be ill is only a temporary measure,” Ye Xin said. “Aunt, after your uncle was defeated in battle, he knew the lord would blame him, yet he didn’t try to escape. Instead, he returned obediently to Nine Cauldrons City. Do you know why?”

“For…” Deng Qiaoying paused. “For me and Ling’er?”

“That’s right,” Ye Xin nodded. “Soon, great changes may sweep Nine Cauldrons City. If you stay, we’ll be forced to act cautiously.”

“Mother, there are things Brother can’t say outright,” Ye Ling added. “But surely you don’t think your own daughter would resent you? If you stay in Nine Cauldrons City, you’ll burden us! If trouble erupts, Brother could take us and fight our way out, but with you here, escaping the city becomes much harder.”

“What trouble could come to Nine Cauldrons City?” Deng Qiaoying asked. “If you want me to leave, I’ll take Xin’er with me. If he stays, won’t it be more dangerous?”

“Mother, Brother doesn’t need you to worry,” Ye Ling laughed. “He’s very capable!”

“Aunt, I’ve already mastered the Heavenly Wolf Manual,” Ye Xin said.

“What nonsense are you speaking? Xin’er, you must still be upset today,” Deng Qiaoying dismissed him.

Ye Xin quietly gathered his vital force, and a golden wolf’s head appeared upon his chest, causing Deng Qiaoying’s jaw to drop.

“This…” Deng Qiaoying reached out a trembling hand to touch the golden image, but as her fingers neared, an invisible force repelled them.

“Heavens… heavens…” Deng Qiaoying shook as if caught in a chill.

“Mother, Brother is amazing,” Ye Ling said. “Last time at Twin Ridge Mountain, if not for him, I would’ve died there!”

“Am I dreaming?” Deng Qiaoying began to doubt the reality before her.

Ever since Ye Xin was born, the Ye family had hoped he would become a remarkable man and bring honor to the family. Yet, time and again, he had disappointed them; Ye Guanhai and Tan Xinhui had devised countless plans for him, none of which succeeded.

To Deng Qiaoying, this was nothing short of a miracle.

“Xin’er, tell me the truth!” Deng Qiaoying seized Ye Xin’s arm. “When did you start cultivating?”

“Since I was imprisoned in the Heavenly Sin Camp, I suddenly found myself able to cultivate,” Ye Xin said, speaking honestly. Previously, the yang energy and yin energy in his body had been utterly separated, making it impossible to gather vital force. But when he took over this body, the two energies merged naturally.

“How do you compare with Ye Da-ge?” Deng Qiaoying pressed.

“Compared to Father, I’m still inferior,” Ye Xin replied. “But if we’re talking about when Father had just graduated from Dragon Soaring Martial Academy, he wouldn’t have been able to defeat me.”

“Heaven has eyes…” Deng Qiaoying clasped her hands before her chest, eyes closed, muttering prayers or words of gratitude.

She had waited so long, resigned herself to reality, and now, miraculously, happiness had arrived so suddenly.

After a long time, Deng Qiaoying finally calmed her excitement and looked earnestly at Ye Xin. “Xin’er, what do you want Aunt to do?”

“First, remain at home and pretend to be ill—ideally for one or two months. Then leave Nine Cauldrons City,” Ye Xin said. “That way, Ling and I can act freely.”

“Very well, Aunt will do as you say,” Deng Qiaoying replied firmly. “Now that you’ve made something of yourself, I can rest assured and won’t drag you down. But your uncle’s affairs are yours now—please…”

“Mother, Brother has already been handling it,” Ye Ling interrupted hastily. “A few days ago, Father was mistreated by the jailers in the Sky Prison, but Brother found the Third Prince, who intervened and resolved the matter!”

“Good, good, good…” Deng Qiaoying repeated the word like a broken record, unable to express her joy any other way.

Ye Xin finally breathed a sigh of relief. Had Deng Qiaoying remained in Nine Cauldrons City, she could have become a liability at a critical moment. Her agreement to leave was like shedding a heavy burden.

The three chatted for a while longer. Ye Xin urged Deng Qiaoying to rest and start feigning illness immediately, then left the room with Ye Ling.

“Most of those cultivators should have departed. Dragon Soaring Martial Academy must be opening soon,” Ye Xin said in a low voice.

“It opens today,” Ye Ling replied.

“Tomorrow I’ll go to the academy and make my mark,” Ye Xin smiled. “Ling, who’s the fastest cultivator in Dragon Soaring Martial Academy?”

“It’s probably Uncle… or Iron Crown Tian,” Ye Ling answered.

“How long did it take them to advance from Postnatal Warrior to Innate Warrior?” Ye Xin asked.

“Less than a year,” Ye Ling replied.

“If I do it in a month, would that be astonishing?” Ye Xin grinned with pride.

“That’s not just astonishing, it’s outrageous!” Ye Ling teased. “Brother, must you embarrass them so?”

“I’ve been very low-key,” Ye Xin said.

“I think Third Brother was right…” Ye Ling sighed. “Brother, sometimes you really make people grit their teeth in frustration!”

“Guess how long it took me to advance from Postnatal Warrior to Innate Warrior when I discovered I could cultivate?” Ye Xin smiled.

“Hmm… three months?” Ye Ling guessed, already giving Ye Xin the benefit of the doubt. Completing the breakthrough in three months would not just make him a genius, but a prodigy.

“Wrong. It was twenty-two days—I remember it clearly,” Ye Xin said.

“What… what?” Ye Ling’s eyes widened.

“If not for the severe injury I suffered two years ago, perhaps I would have already broken through the bottleneck and become a true cultivator,” Ye Xin mused quietly.