The Mirror Legacy

"Your child really only needed two hours? Hah! Who do you think she is, a noble heir or An Jingming himself?" Guest Cultivator Hu chuckled quietly, inwardly scoffing at Li Baotuo for not knowing his place or understanding cultivation matters. He simply asked, "Just answer this, how long did it take from the moment you gave her the technique to the moment she claimed to have produced her first wisp of spiritual qi?"

Li Baotuo was momentarily stunned. After thinking for a second, he answered, "Senior, it took two days and one night."

"Two days and one night!" Upon hearing this, Li Chengzhen, who had been seated nearby, straightened with a hint of surprise and said softly, "Though Lijing Prefecture is built upon a prestigious bloodline, its spirit vein ranks in the lower nine prefectures. It's already considered an exceptional talent to awaken spiritual qi in two days and one night!"

He spoke half the sentence, then swallowed the rest, silently thinking, If she had sufficient resources, she could compete for a spot in the island's entrance trials in five years. If Li Baotuo can get her admitted to a major sect, that would give me a solid connection within the island.

Li Chengzhen’s thoughts were already spinning. Hu Jingye wasn’t far behind; he immediately began comparing the situation with his own favored son and muttered, "Oh? Her innate ability is quite decent."

Hu Jingye was a Qi Cultivation Realm cultivator himself, and his youngest child also had promising talent. If Li Shuwan really could be taken into a major sect, then Hu Jingye would have hit the jackpot.

He maintained his posture, but moderated his tone as he said, "Your daughter entering the central island may be difficult, but for the surrounding prefectures, her talent is still rather promising..."

His tone had softened considerably, though he still kept a stern expression, afraid Li Baotuo might see through his intentions. He said in a serious tone, "Since Chengzhen is here, we're all on the same side. I won’t go on too long. Once Shuwan’s innate ability is reported, the family will naturally provide suitable resources and techniques... Though there’s still some distance to the central island, I can make up the difference for Baotuo, so long as she applies herself."

He kept up his formal posture and steered the conversation with decent grace, but Li Baotuo had been educated in the prefectural halls in his youth. He’d seen enough from his ferry work along the river to realize immediately, Damn it, this old dog switched faces real quick... My Shuwan’s innate ability really is top-notch. He sure knows how to pretend.

He responded cheerfully, wearing the simple honesty of a farmer on his face. He kept nodding and smiling but gave no clear reply.