What was this?
This was like sifting through sand for gold, only for her master to pull out a whole basket of it!
If the people from the Siming Pavilion were here, they would definitely start a fight just to snatch up these talents!
What kind of heaven-defying luck was this?
No, this wasn’t just luck.
It was… all these talents were being drawn to her master!
“What’s wrong?” Ling Huan asked, noticing Ling Xue standing there dazed.
Snapping out of it, Ling Xue immediately shook her head.
“No, it’s nothing. I’m just a bit surprised.”
“Surprised? Hehe, are you surprised by their talent?” Ling Huan asked triumphantly.
Ling Xue initially wanted to tell him the truth, but where was the fun in that?
If she told him the truth, where would the joy be?
How could she get him to scold or beat her then?
Besides, she also wanted to see how her master would react if he thought these children were of no use to him.
Immediately, she put on a look of distress.
She did nothing but sigh repeatedly, refusing to say a word as she slightly shook her head.
Instantly, all the children present understood what that meant.
Their expressions fell, and they looked utterly dejected.
Silence was the answer.
“Say something. Well? How is it? Why are you shaking your head? Why are you sighing?”
Ling Huan sensed something was off.
This girl was trying to cause trouble!
What was the reason for her silence?
It had to be because the contract between them didn’t allow her to lie to him!
That was why she was playing these riddles!
“Sigh… this matter… sigh…” Seeing Ling Xue hesitate to speak, Ling Huan became even more certain that she was looking for a scolding.
Acting all pretentious like this, wasn’t she clearly trying to annoy him?
Damn it, he couldn’t even lash out properly with all these children watching!
“You—”
“Don’t make it hard for the Immortal Sister, Boss,” Lü Qilin spoke up.
She stood quite tall among the group of children.
Even though she was only a 7-year-old, she was taller than Ling Huan, and her strength was naturally exaggerated.
“Yeah, Boss… we know what we’re worth. We’re sorry we can’t help you.”
The second to speak was Yan Qing.
His words seemed to echo the thoughts of everyone there, and they all nodded heavily.
“What do you mean ‘help’? Helping me is secondary. What matters is yourselves! Besides, this ‘Immortal Sister’ is just joking with you! She—”
“Boss, don’t try to comfort us. We came here because we thought we could help you, but if we can’t be of use, then forget it.”
Almost every child shared this sentiment.
Ling Xue was completely stunned.
She was utterly speechless.
She had originally thought these children would be depressed or cry because they lacked the talent for cultivation, but she never imagined their disappointment would stem entirely from “not being able to help the Boss.”
For a moment, she wondered what kind of spell Ling Huan had cast on them to make these children, some only 11 or 12 years old, so fiercely loyal to him.
“Don’t get discouraged! Who says you can’t help? Did I call you here just to be tools? You’re looking down on me too much!”
Ling Huan let out a loud shout.
“I know you have pride, but without strength, what’s the point of pride?”
Ling Huan stepped up onto a nearby flower bed.
“Trash!”
They thought he was going to offer words of comfort, but they never expected a lecture.
“Just because you can’t cultivate, you think you’re worthless? You think I, Ling Huan, will just give up on you?
So young, yet so obsessed with utility!
Listen up.
Helping me is just a bonus, but I want you to live like real human beings!
What does it matter what others think of you?
If someone tells you to go die, are you actually going to do it?
Cultivation isn’t everything in life.
Even without it, your life can be just as brilliant!
Why are your heads hanging low?
Look up! You’re the ones who decide your own lives!
I’m only giving you the chance to change your fate and do what you want to do!
I’m your Boss, and I’ll take responsibility for your future!
If we can’t cultivate, we’ll find another way!
We’ll make a name for ourselves in this secular world too!”
Ling Huan’s speech was passionate, and the effect was outstanding!
Ling Xue watched as the gloomy atmosphere was gradually washed away by his words.
One by one, their eyes began to sparkle with light.
Ling Huan actually had quite a talent for public speaking.
But perhaps it wasn’t just a talent for speaking.
Perhaps it was the trust they placed in him.
They believed in him from the bottom of their hearts, which was why a few simple sentences could stir them up so easily.
“Oh my! I was wondering why I couldn’t see anything. It turns out Young Master Ling’s talent is so radiant that it was overshadowing all of you! Come, Young Master Ling, please step back a bit so I can take a closer look.”
As soon as Ling Xue finished speaking, the children burst into cheers.
However, they weren’t cheering for themselves, but for Ling Huan.
“As expected of the Boss! Too strong!”
“The Boss is amazing! He’s a one-in-a-million cultivation genius!”
“Boss is number one in the world!”
…
The cheers continued, making even the thick-skinned Ling Huan turn a bit red with embarrassment.
Though he tried to maintain his composed “Boss” persona, the sincerity of their praise was a bit too much to handle.
Ling Huan obediently retreated, moving at least 7 or 8 meters away before the children walked up to Ling Xue one by one to let her examine them again.
“Oh! A genius!”
“Incredible talent!”
“A rare talent of the century!”
…
Following Ling Xue’s exclamations, the children’s faces lit up with joy.
Every comment brought about a new round of cheering.
Aside from being useful, they were also genuinely happy for themselves.
Soon, the evaluations were finished, and the courtyard became lively with the sound of constant chatter.
Only Ling Huan quietly walked over and whispered, “So, what’s the actual situation?”
Ling Xue looked at Ling Huan, knowing her master must think she was just patronizing the kids.
“Master, it’s all true. If the people from the Siming Pavilion were here, they would literally fight to the death over these kids. Every single one of them is destined for greatness.”
“Holy crap, they’re that good?”
“Of course. Master, your luck is off the charts! If you took any one of them to a sect, even the ‘worst’ one would be a top priority for training. Some of the more talented ones could even become Holy Sons or Holy Daughters!”
Just as Ling Huan was eyeing the children with a burning gaze, calculating how to use the system to simulate their cultivation prospects—
Creak!
The wooden gate of the courtyard was suddenly pushed open.
A figure rushed in, his face masked with uncontrollable panic.
Ling Huan looked up and saw it was none other than Ninth Brother, whom he had sent to negotiate with the government about opening a private school.
“Ninth Brother!” A flash of surprise crossed Ling Huan’s eyes.
He quickly went to meet him, wanting to ask how things had gone, but then he noticed the swelling on Ninth Brother’s face.
“Who hit you?”
“Young Master… I don’t know when a group of people arrived in the city… they’ve monopolized the private schools… they won’t let anyone else open one. Even when I mentioned the Ling family, they didn’t care! They were incredibly arrogant and even tried to give me a beating! Luckily, I ran fast! And… the cultivators on their side are quite powerful!”
Holy crap…?
Aside from anger, Ling Huan felt a bit of excitement.
He was just worrying about having no “villainous” deeds to do, and now a problem had delivered itself right to his door!