Chapter 9: Double Standards

Wei Lingyue's hand, holding the teacup, stiffened for a moment at those words. Could he admit that he hadn’t prepared anything at all? But faced with his daughter's expectant gaze, he found it rather embarrassing to speak up.

Wei Yunxi didn’t need to think hard to guess that her unreliable father hadn’t prepared a thing for her. Still, that didn’t stop her from angling for a gift, so she deliberately spoke with a note of disappointment, “Father, you didn’t forget to prepare a birthday present for me, did you? When Sister Yunqing had her birthday, you gave her a present—the red ribbon was so pretty, but she wouldn’t even let me touch it.”

As soon as she finished, Wei Yunxi began to well up with tears. If her unreliable father dared say he hadn’t prepared anything, she was ready to cry right there. After all, she was just a child now and had every right to throw a fit.

Seeing the situation turning dire, Wei Lingyue quickly fumbled through his storage pouch and pulled out an egg. The egg was about the size of a chicken egg, the white shell speckled with irregular black spots. It looked rather like a quail egg, though it was twice as big.

“Yunxi, this is a spirit beast egg I came across by chance during my travels. When you begin cultivating, keep this egg with you and nurture it. When it hatches, the beast will recognize you as its master and be loyal only to you.”

Wei Yunxi rolled her eyes inwardly. Did he think she couldn’t tell this was some random item he’d grabbed to fob her off? Most likely, this spirit beast egg was already dead. If it were truly valuable, her unreliable father would never have given it away so casually.

Still, Wei Yunxi knew when to quit while ahead. She immediately accepted the flashy egg with a bright smile, tucked it carefully into her storage pouch, and cheerfully returned to Zhuohua Court.

Once he had sent his youngest daughter on her way, Wei Lingyue returned to Haitang Court, where Du Ruolan was still waiting for him.

Wei Yunxi slept soundly that night. The next morning, Chunyu dragged her out of bed early. After washing and dressing, she had a simple breakfast before being carried to the Wei family ancestral hall.

By the time Wei Yunxi arrived with Chunyu, several people had already gathered in the ancestral hall. Each had one or two children over the age of five at their side. These were the direct and collateral descendants of the Wei family, all brought to be tested for their spiritual roots to determine their future path.

Wei Yunxi spotted Wei Yunqing standing at the very front. As the legitimate daughter, she leaned confidently against her mother, her gaze sweeping casually around the hall until it landed on Wei Yunxi.

She curled her lip at Wei Yunxi before withdrawing her gaze, as if she couldn’t be bothered to spare her younger sister a second glance.

Wei Yunxi touched her own round chin, her face all smiles but inwardly scoffing. Wei Yunqing was still very immature—not as cunning as she would become later—so her little schemes were plain to see and easy to deal with.

But with Du Ruolan beside her now, it wouldn’t be wise to clash directly, especially since, after today, she would be revealed as having a mediocre three-root constitution. It was best to avoid open conflict with them.

“Quiet, everyone. We will now begin the spiritual root testing, starting with the collateral branch. When your name is called, step forward,” the clan elder announced loudly, then began reading the names.

“Wei Zinan!”

“Present.” The little boy, being the first called, was visibly nervous. He walked awkwardly to the elder and placed his small hand on the spirit-testing orb. Moments later, the orb remained unchanged.

“No spiritual root! Next, Wei Congshan!”

On hearing he had no spiritual roots, Wei Zinan hung his head and went to seek comfort from his father.

The second child, Wei Congshan, was found to have four roots—water, wood, metal, and fire—with values ranging from thirty-five to fifty, none exceeding sixty. His aptitude was slightly below average.

Though his talent was mediocre, Wei Congshan was still delighted that he could cultivate.

After an hour, the collateral children had all been tested. Most had four or five roots; only three children had three roots. Next, it was time for the direct descendants.

This time, Wei Yunqing confidently stood at the front. She tested as having water and wood dual roots, both valued at eighty-five—an upper-middle grade aptitude. Both she and Du Ruolan were very satisfied.

The clan elder was pleased as well. He patted Wei Yunqing’s head and said, “Yunqing, your aptitude is excellent. Work hard at your cultivation.”

“Yes, I will train hard and not bring shame to the Wei family,” Wei Yunqing replied crisply.

“Very good! Very good!” The elder nodded approvingly.

As Wei Yunqing returned to her place, she shot Wei Yunxi a provocative look.

Wei Yunxi rolled her eyes inwardly, then feigned nervousness as she walked forward, rubbing her hands before placing them on the orb. Moments later, three beams of light shone from the orb.

The clan elder looked a little disappointed but still announced loudly, “Wei Yunxi—water, wood, and fire: three roots, each valued at sixty-five.”

Only then did Wei Yunxi breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed her true roots were safely concealed. Still, she feigned ignorance and asked,

“Grandfather Elder, are my roots poor?”

The clan elder, patient with the children, explained kindly, “Yunxi, although you have three roots, don’t be discouraged. Your roots are harmonious, which is much better than conflicting ones. Besides, they’re very suitable for alchemy—you can inherit your mother’s legacy.”

The elder’s words were fair and truly considered Wei Yunxi’s future.

Wei Yunxi smiled at last. It seemed the Wei family wasn’t entirely rotten; at least this clan elder viewed matters from the perspective of nurturing new talent.

“Thank you for your guidance, Grandfather Elder. I will work hard at cultivation and study alchemy diligently.” With that, she made a proper bow before returning to Chunyu’s side.

After hearing the elder’s words, Chunyu felt some of her worries ease. Though her young mistress’s roots weren’t the best, her aptitude was passable, and with a foundation in alchemy, her cultivation path ought to be a bit smoother.

Upon learning that Wei Yunxi had three roots, Du Ruolan’s expression lightened. Even with the elder’s words, she paid it no heed. Everyone knew that dual roots cultivated faster than three roots. Perhaps Wei Yunxi would be stuck at the Golden Core stage her entire life, just as the Feng Clan ancestor had been, achieving that with the help of pills and advancing no further—eventually turning to alchemy out of necessity.

She reckoned that Wei Yunxi’s future role would be to refine pills for the clan and support her own daughter’s cultivation. The thought pleased her greatly.

Moreover, her husband had mentioned that after this round of testing, the clan would determine which disciples would be sent to train at the Haoran Sect. Her daughter had an excellent chance of making the list, and she intended to discuss it with her husband. Her own future was set, but with such a talented daughter, she must ensure the best possible start for her.

Meanwhile, Wei Lingyue pondered the cultivation paths of his two daughters. The elder had dual roots and, barring any mishaps, would easily reach the Nascent Soul stage, so she must be sent to the Haoran Sect. As for his younger daughter, he hesitated. In truth, he preferred to keep her in the clan for focused training. The elder’s words had reminded him that her roots were well-suited for alchemy.

The Feng Clan had always been reluctant to share the core secrets of their alchemy arts with the Wei family, but if Yunxi became their pupil, perhaps they would no longer have grounds to refuse.