Jiang Che came to the Jiang family mansion in the capital city with only two tasks in mind!
Equality! Equality! And damn it, still equality!
*Ahem*... Sorry, got a bit sidetracked there!
First task: He used Longevity Pills for both Jiang Yunhuang and Lin Chun.
Second task: He thoroughly pummeled Jiang Ruoxu before leaving with a full haul.
Before departing, Jiang Che left three Zhuguo fruits with Jiang Yunhuang.
"Are these... Zhuguo fruits?"
Jiang Yunhuang's eyes widened when he saw Jiang Che pull out three bright red, peculiar-looking fruits.
"Che'er... did these come from your... Master?"
Jiang Yunhuang was well aware of the effects of Zhuguo fruits, which were virtually extinct by now. These fruits not only boosted cultivation but also enhanced one's physique, offering a range of benefits.
"Yes, they're from my Master. Please keep them," Jiang Che replied nonchalantly.
"Che'er... this..." Jiang Yunhuang felt a bit at a loss, thinking, "What do I do with a grandson who's so extraordinary?" As a Grandmaster, he had always served as a protective umbrella for the younger generations, single-handedly ensuring the Jiang family's stability for a hundred years. Yet now... his grandson was showering him with astounding surprises!
"Che'er, with you and Ruoxu in the Jiang family's next generation, I'd die without any regrets!"
...
As he was leaving, Jiang Che called out for several hours before Dong'er finally arrived.
"Dong'er, come here for a hug!"
Jiang Che immediately pulled Dong'er into his arms and kissed the little girl on her cheek.
The silver-haired, purple-eyed loli's appearance instantly captured the attention of everyone present. Her face was undeniably adorable, and the striking silver hair made her nearly impossible to overlook.
Of course, beyond her looks, it was her cultivation level that left everyone in awe!
A Master-level cultivator!
Jiang Yunhuang was the most shocked. During his last visit to Hangzhou to see Jiang Che, he had met this silver-haired girl, back then at the peak of the Transformation realm. But that was only half a month ago! How did she become a Master already?
Jiang Ruoxu, however, was the most devastated.
The young brat's mouth gaped wide, as if his worldview had been shattered!
"How is this possible? How could there be such a young Master-level cultivator?"
The boy's gaze was fixed on Dong'er. Of course... he wasn't interested in her stunning looks; in the world of a martial arts fanatic... beauty held little value.
This girl named Dong'er... looked even younger than himself! Some of his female classmates were already 1.6 or 1.7 meters tall, while this little girl seemed barely 1.5 meters tall!
And despite being younger than him... she was a genuine Master-level powerhouse! He was utterly crushed!
Jiang Che, meanwhile, held Dong'er in his arms, smiling as he looked at Jiang Ruoxu, his lips curling slyly. He knew how to play favorites!
"Xiao Xu, your talent is pretty good, but you're not quite at the top, you know? Got that?"
Jiang Ruoxu, stung by Jiang Che's taunt, immediately broke down and ran off crying.
As for the others, although they were deeply amazed, no one said much.
"Uh... Dong'er may look a bit young, but she's actually already 20," Jiang Che explained.
But of course, no one believed him, glancing at him with clear mockery.
Ha! If this little girl is really 20, I'll eat a meal of my own waste—and it'll be freshly made!
...
In the evening, at the Jiang family's ancestral house.
"Aaaah——"
A piercing scream echoed as Jiang Ruoxu jumped out of his medicinal bath barrel. Despite still being bruised and battered, he looked slightly better than his swollen appearance in the afternoon.
"Jiang Che!! Just you wait until I become a Master! When I'm stronger than you... I'll definitely beat you up thoroughly!"
The little brat was in so much pain that he could barely breathe.
Despite his constant cursing of Jiang Che, he still obediently swallowed the perfect Grade Nirvana Pill.
The Nirvana Pill combined with the medicated bath, plus the beating he received earlier, created an incredibly painful yet rewarding experience, leaving Jiang Ruoxu howling in agony.
His cloaked mentor within the ring had, unfortunately, exhausted its energy and fallen asleep earlier that afternoon. It would probably be a long time before it woke up again.
"Waaah... it hurts so much! Just you wait... one day I'll pluck your head off and use it like a ball!"
What's a so-called genius? Once you strip away the illusion, he's just a brat who only calms down after being slapped around with a shoe or a slap on the face.
But with agony came benefits; the effect of the Nirvana Pill was truly impressive. Jiang Ruoxu's body excreted a black residue, and his aptitude also improved accordingly.
"Boom——"
In a flash, the brat's cultivation surged, jumping from the mid-Transformation realm to the late-Transformation realm!
Prodigies like Jiang Ruoxu and Chen Ningshuang could leap directly from the mid to the late realm.
Only mediocre cultivators like Chen Hao and Ye Liangchen would have numerous smaller breakthroughs, like "a peak mid-Hardened realm," making their progress unnecessarily complicated.
"Hmm? I've broken through?"
Jiang Ruoxu furrowed his brows, not feeling particularly happy about his breakthrough. Instead, he realized that Jiang Che's Nirvana Pill was indeed a treasure.
Now his cultivation speed had increased noticeably.
"Hmph... fine, I'll forgive you for now. But you dared to attack a future Martial Deity! The death penalty may be forgiven... but life penalty remains!"
But soon, Jiang Ruoxu's mood soured again as he thought about the girl in Jiang Che's arms earlier that day. She was so young and had already reached the Master level!
Even if she was malnourished and slow-growing, she couldn't be more than the same age as him at most.
How could she possibly be a Master already?
"No! I must surpass you! I absolutely have to surpass you!"
Jiang Ruoxu started to push himself even harder.
First, set a small goal: achieve Master-level cultivation within a year!
...
"Mwah—"
"Dong'er, you did well today," Jiang Che said, kissing Dong'er's cheek. The little glutton's face had already become slightly chubby from Jiang Che's pampering—truly adorable.
The loli blinked twice, tilting her head as she looked at Jiang Che, her eyes seemingly filled with confusion. She still couldn't fully grasp why her master was praising her, nor could she understand the depth of Jiang Che's love.
Seeing Dong'er's confusion, Jiang Che didn't say much, just gently stroked the little girl's head.
Dong'er was so well-behaved that it broke his heart, especially when you look into her eyes... her gaze is empty, making her seem like a lifeless doll.
Sometimes Jiang Che would wonder if all the love he's given her will ever be reciprocated.
Dong'er and Yu Wan'er were both loli-types with similar heights but opposite personalities.
One was a very obedient "silent beauty," capable of evoking intense feelings of protectiveness in men.
The other was a charmingly bratty little devil, able to ignite intense destruction desires in men.