Chapter 6: The Wang Quan Family

“Cough, cough, Wang Quan Baye isn’t that bad—he’s still one of the four most outstanding geniuses of the Wang Quan family.”

“Though his natural talent falls short of Wang Quan Wumu, Wang Quan Shouzhe, and Wang Quan Fugui, and he eventually lost his Sword Heart, his strength is still formidable—he counts as one of the strongest humans of his time.”

Zhang Yu swallowed his bun, glanced at Ye Xuan dressed in Wang Quan Baye’s attire, then at the bun in his hand, and offered a brief explanation.

“Oh.”

“So he’s the worst of the four, right?”

Chen Hao bit into his bun, blinking at the two of them.

Zhang Yu fell silent for a moment, then forced out:

“At least he lived longer.”

“Your consolation is worse than no consolation at all.”

Ye Xuan rolled his eyes, speaking irritably.

But Zhang Yu wasn’t wrong about this.

Wang Quan Wumu, Wang Quan Fugui, Wang Quan Baye, Wang Quan Shouzhe—the four most outstanding geniuses of the Wang Quan family.

Unfortunately, one died too early, one was frail and plagued by illness, one lost his Sword Heart; only one truly grew into his potential.

In terms of natural talent, Wang Quan Baye truly couldn’t match the other three.

“Squeak.”

As the classroom door opened, the homeroom teacher waddled in, his round belly swaying, clutching a stack of homework papers; his black-rimmed glasses trembled slightly with each step.

“What’s all this noise? What’s going on?”

“Your voices carried all the way down the stairs!”

He cleared his throat, scanning the classroom, about to say more—when suddenly his gaze locked onto the back row.

Chen Hao was stealthily shoving half a bun into his mouth; Zhang Yu was frantically hiding his soy milk cup under his textbook, still chewing a bite of bun.

“Eagle Eye, Zhang Yu—what’s going on? It’s been class for ages, and you’re still eating breakfast?”

“Did Ye Xuan bring this for you again?”

The classroom fell silent, save for the chewing sounds of Chen Hao and Zhang Yu; both froze in place, buns still lodged in their mouths, like two hamsters caught mid-theft.

“Director, there’s a reason for this.”

Chen Hao struggled to swallow the bun in his mouth.

“Oh? What reason?”

Director Li raised an eyebrow, hands behind his back, clearly intrigued.

“We… we couldn’t get up.”

Zhang Yu muttered softly.

“Couldn’t get up?”

“I remember you two are day students, same as Ye Xuan—he lives in the south of the city, you in the north—he makes it to school on time, how come you can’t get up?”

Director Li walked over to them, sounding annoyed.

“Maybe Ye Xuan doesn’t need sleep?”

Chen Hao scratched his head, speaking cautiously.

A ripple of quiet laughter spread through the classroom.

Ye Xuan couldn’t help but chuckle—only Eagle Eye could say something so astonishing.

Doesn’t need sleep?

Even after fusing with Wang Quan Baye’s template, he didn’t have that ability.

“Stop joking!”

“Starting tomorrow, bring your own breakfast!”

Director Li tapped the desk.

“Director—”

Chen Hao tried to say more, but Director Li shot him a glare that silenced him.

“And you, Ye Xuan.”

Director Li suddenly turned to Ye Xuan; all the students’ eyes followed.

“Don’t bring them breakfast anymore. Get as much sleep as you can in the mornings.”

“You’re in your final year—your rest is the most important thing.”

“Other teachers encourage more studying and less rest; there’ll be plenty of time to rest later. But I’m different—I want you to maintain your grades while keeping a healthy body.”

As he spoke, Director Li’s gaze swept over the bizarre outfits in the classroom, and he couldn’t help but sigh:

“Times have changed—nowadays, all sorts of monsters and demons are showing up.”

“Supernatural power is no longer human fantasy—it’s become a real possibility; I understand your longing for such power, because I crave it too.”

“But I don’t want you wasting too much time on it outside your studies; the college entrance exam is right around the corner—I want you to focus your energy on learning.”

“That’s enough. Let’s begin class.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

A scattered chorus of responses echoed through the classroom; though Director Li spoke sense, they—still unaware of life’s harshness—could not truly feel it.

Before the Qi revival, few cared about studying; after the revival, even less so.

One cannot possess both youth and the awareness of youth.

Even Ye Xuan, after awakening his past-life memories, could never return to his former self.

“Alright, class begins!”

Director Li tapped the podium; the classroom fell quiet. He opened his lesson plan, but his eyes unconsciously drifted to the window.

There, a crow perched on a branch, its black eyes glinting with crimson light.

Soon, the class hour slipped away unnoticed.

“Ding—”

The bell rang; the classroom burst into noise.

Zhang Yu slumped back in his chair, eyes vacant, as if his soul had been drained.

“Why does class feel longer now? Isn’t it supposed to be forty-five minutes?”

“Obviously—without a phone, time drags.”

Chen Hao sneered, then pulled a phone from beneath his textbook, waving it triumphantly in front of Zhang Yu.

“Look what I’ve got.”

“Huh? How is your phone still here?!”

“Didn’t the Director make your mom confiscate it last parent-teacher meeting?”

Zhang Yu stared, eyes wide, at the phone in Chen Hao’s hand.

“I’ve got two—my mom doesn’t know.”

Chen Hao smirked, raising an eyebrow.

“And now that I’ve awakened my ability, the Director can’t even spot me using it—he glances my way once, and I’ve already tucked the phone away.”

“Good eyesight really is a blessing—Eagle Eye, you really live up to your name.”

Chen Hao’s eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of satisfaction in them.

Before the Qi revival, when the Director walked up to him, he might not even notice; now, one glance from the Director gave him time to scan the man eight hundred times.

“Damn it! Why is your ability so useful?! Mine, the Gluttony ability, just lets me eat two extra bowls of rice—useless!”

Zhang Yu slammed the desk, envious.

“Don’t even mention your Gluttony ability—it’s just a food pig, how can it compare to my Eagle Eye?”

“It’s not just a food pig—it’s Gluttony: it rapidly digests the food I eat, extracts nutrients, and enhances my physique. Haven’t you noticed I’m stronger than before?”

Hearing this, Zhang Yu instantly bristled.

He could mock his own ability, but how dare Eagle Eye join in?

“So what? Your body’s stronger, but you still never show up earlier than me.”

“How about you bring me breakfast from now on?”

Chen Hao looked at Zhang Yu with hopeful anticipation.

“...Fine, you’ve got a point.”

Zhang Yu looked away—he would never agree to this, not under any circumstances.

(End of Chapter)