The Clever Child

After the door opened, Xie Yuling saw a timid little girl walk out. Covering her mouth, she looked at Lin Mo.

You actually did something like this! You bad uncle!

As she spoke, she spread her arms wide, symbolically blocking the little girl like a mother hen protecting her chick.

Lin Mo's temples throbbed. He decided to ignore this drama queen for now and let his gaze fall upon the little girl.

Little one, do you still remember your name?

Standing at the door were an older brother and an older sister, neither of whom looked very old.

The woman was very pretty, though her brain did not seem to work too well. The man was quite handsome, but his gaze gave her an inexplicable sense of pressure.

She sized up the unfamiliar environment. After a moment, she spoke with a slight timidness, her voice childish but very clear.

My name is Ying Qingcheng. Ying as in application, Qing as in leaning, and Cheng as in city.

Giving a fake name right off the bat and explaining every single character clearly for fear that others might remember it wrong. Her psychological fortitude was excellent.

Lin Mo gave her a mental thumbs-up. This future disciple was smarter than he had imagined.

It seems you are very clear on who you are. You are even smarter than I thought, Ning Qingcheng.

Lin Mo calmly called out her real name.

Hearing this, Xie Yuling could not help but turn her head to give him a second look, then glanced at the little girl who called herself Ying Qingcheng.

This little one's vigilance was truly unusually high.

The air seemed to freeze the moment Lin Mo uttered that name.

And at this moment, Ning Qingcheng could not help but shrink her pupils, instantly leaking true fear.

She quietly took a small step back. The fingers of her small hand hidden behind her back curled slightly, and a faint light, nearly invisible to the naked eye, flickered at her fingertips.

However, Lin Mo acted as if he had not noticed that faint fluctuation of energy at all, turning around and walking toward the living room.

His back was completely unguarded.

Come over and sit. Since you are so smart, I will not need to waste my breath on many things. I will just show you some things directly, and perhaps you will understand everything.

Lin Mo walked into the living room, pulled a kraft paper file bag from under the coffee table, and casually tossed it on the table.

The soft slap sounded exceptionally harsh in the quiet living room.

Xie Yuling followed curiously. Just as she was about to reach out for the file bag, the back of her hand was lightly slapped by Lin Mo.

Do not look at this.

Lin Mo's tone was unusually serious. The contents in here will cause a huge shock to your worldview. I do not want you exposed to this right now. Once you have cultivated properly, I will slowly tell you in the future.

Oh.

Xie Yuling rubbed the back of her uninjured hand and pouted unhappily, but seeing that Lin Mo was not joking, she could only nod gloomily.

Fine then, you said it.

She suddenly smiled again. Then take me home first. I will wait for the day you tell me the truth. As for this little sister, you are not allowed to bully her!

She waved her small fist as a final warning.

Xie Yuling knew that there were many things Lin Mo kept from her to protect her. She was not going to be an idiot and pester him with questions. All she needed to do was trust Lin Mo.

Lin Mo nodded, shifting his gaze to Ning Qingcheng, who had been scrutinizing everything with the vigilance of a frightened deer from the very beginning.

His voice was flat, betraying no emotion.

Read it yourself first. I am taking her home. If you finish reading and want to leave before I get back, that is fine too. It is up to you.

Before his voice even faded, Lin Mo wrapped his arm around Xie Yuling, and their figures vanished from the living room without a trace, like a drop of ink dissolving into water.

Leaving Ning Qingcheng all alone.

The sudden silence made the entire space feel vast and empty.

Ning Qingcheng stood frozen in place, her mind slightly dazed.

Her tense vigilance was real, but as she looked around now, an indescribable sense of confusion welled up in her heart.

Her gaze fell once again on the black-and-white memorial portrait on the wall. The gently smiling couple in the photo was exactly the same as the couple in the color wedding photo in the room just now.

On the altar table in the living room sat a single, solitary urn.

One urn, yet a memorial photo of a married couple.

This meant that the couple had likely passed away in the same disaster.

Recalling the words of the man and woman just now, he must be the son of this couple.

Ning Qingcheng's eyes slowly swept over the simple but clean furnishings in the living room. There was an old sofa that had been used for many years, its armrests worn and faded, and a set of upside-down glass cups on the coffee table.

Everything here exuded the most ordinary, everyday warmth of human life.

She turned her head and saw a slightly ajar door. In this two-bedroom apartment, the other room should be that guy's bedroom.

She hesitated, but her feet felt as if they had taken root, not moving an inch.

Ultimately, her gaze returned to the kraft paper file bag sitting on the table.

She wanted to know exactly what had turned her world upside down.

System: A smart disciple, a scumbag master

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Inside Lin Mo's rented apartment.

With a flash of light and shadow, Xie Yuling only felt her vision blur before her feet were already on solid ground.

Arrived safely. Lin Mo's voice carried a hint of a smile, yet the hand resting around her waist showed no sign of letting go.

So fast... It feels like we came back in the blink of an eye.

Xie Yuling was still marveling at this god-like method when, a second later, the physical sensation brought her back to reality.

She snapped her head down, her gaze locking precisely onto the hand resting firmly on her waist.

This guy!

Hmph! Let go already!

Xie Yuling's pretty face flushed red. Without a second thought, she threw her elbow back in a vicious strike.

Ugh!

Lin Mo took the hit solidly. He let out a muffled groan but still did not let go, instead speaking up in a pitiful tone.

Murder! I was doing this to ensure spatial stability during the teleportation, just to keep you from being sliced into pieces by spatial turbulence. How can you bite the hand that feeds you?

Lin Mo was spouting nonsense with a completely straight face.

You!

Xie Yuling was both angered and amused by his twisted logic. Smooth talker! Hurry up and tell me, what exactly is going on? You have to give me an explanation about that little girl!

Seeing that she was truly getting a bit annoyed, Lin Mo finally let go, and the playful look on his face faded away.

He fell silent for a moment, seemingly organizing his words. He omitted the Yanhuang Awakening and the overly complicated intermediate processes.

Using the most concise language, he recounted the grievances between the main and branch families of the Ning clan, as well as Ning Qingcheng's situation.

Because Ning Qingcheng's abilities are estimated to be very powerful, I felt it was best to take her away so she would not be used by people with ulterior motives.

As his voice trailed off, he realized that Xie Yuling, who was standing beside him, was already covered in tears.

A young girl's heart is always soft. Especially upon hearing a story of a father burning away his own life to protect his daughter, that profound fatherly love instantly broke through all her emotional defenses.