Chapter 006

Chapter 6: A Flawed Treasure

Ancestor Feng’s eyes brightened as he listened, saying eagerly, “That’s wonderful! But surely you’ve come for more than just this matter?”

Feng Jia Qing nodded immediately and replied, “Ancestor, I’ve tested Yun Xi’s spiritual root. She has mutated variant roots of wind, lightning, and ice—the very highest grade.”

Upon hearing this, Feng Feng’s figure flashed forward, arriving instantly before Feng Jia Qing as he asked urgently, “Are you certain?”

“Naturally,” Feng Jia Qing assured. “The phenomenon caused by her spiritual roots was concealed by me using the Soul Lantern Hall’s formation.”

“Good! Good! Good!” Feng Feng said three times, pacing excitedly before declaring, “Yun Xi absolutely must stay with the Feng family to cultivate.”

Feng Jia Qing naturally agreed, though his brows knitted as he cautioned, “Ancestor, if the Wei family learns Yun Xi’s talents are this extraordinary, they surely won’t let go of this child.”

Ancestor Feng nodded thoughtfully. “Indeed, given the Wei family’s profit-driven nature, they’d never willingly relinquish such a promising seedling. More than that, they’ll surely seize this opportunity to demand resources from our Feng family. Otherwise, when Yun Xi achieves great things in the future, they won’t let us benefit at all.”

Feng Jia Qing agreed, adding, “It’s clear Wei Ling Yue doesn’t truly care for Yun Xi, especially considering how swiftly he plans to elevate his concubine. Once Du Ruo Lan becomes Madam Wei, Yun Xi will certainly suffer even more mistreatment. She’s still young and hasn’t started cultivating, yet we can’t openly keep the little one permanently at the Feng residence.”

Ancestor Feng paced around the courtyard, suddenly remembering something. He hurried into his room, soon returning with a small brocade box, handing it to Feng Jia Qing. “Help Yun Xi refine this high-grade artifact, then test her spiritual root again afterward.”

Feng Jia Qing swiftly understood, eyebrows raised. “Ancestor, is this an artifact for concealing spiritual roots?”

Ancestor Feng nodded. “Yes, it was something I acquired long ago, but due to its flaws, I’ve kept it hidden away all this time. Now, however, it seems perfectly suited for Yun Xi.”

Without reservation, Feng Jia Qing opened the brocade box and saw a simple silver band inside—plain, lacking decorations or any hint of spiritual energy, looking exactly like an ordinary mortal’s ring.

Ancestor Feng continued, “Once refined, this artifact will present her spiritual root as one tier lower during testing, though it loses its concealment ability when cultivating or fighting. For instance, my fire and wood dual-rooted talent, after using this artifact, would still appear as dual-rooted, but with significantly lower values, greatly diminishing my apparent aptitude.”

“But Yun Xi is different—she hasn’t yet begun cultivating. If she refines this artifact now, it won’t fail her in future cultivation or combat. When she’s strong enough, she can easily remove it herself. This should be sufficient to handle the Wei family for the time being.”

Feng Jia Qing smiled knowingly. “Rest assured, Ancestor. Tomorrow, I’ll explain the situation clearly to Yun Xi. I believe the girl will understand our intentions.”

Ancestor Feng went on, “We’ll need Yun Xi’s cooperation. Even if her talent appears diminished, the Wei family likely won’t release her immediately. Once they’ve completed their own testing and selected the younger generation to send to the Grand Righteous Sect, we’ll step in carefully. Everything must happen slowly. Rushing will only alert the Wei family.”

“Ancestor, don’t worry,” Feng Jia Qing reassured him. “Jia Qing understands.”

After they had spoken privately for a while longer, Feng Jia Qing finally departed from the ancestor’s courtyard. Feng Feng, seeing him off, raised the protective formations around his courtyard again. With a sigh, he murmured to himself, “Jia Yun, this is all Ancestor can do for you. I pray for your safe return.”

The next morning, Wei Yun Xi slept until the sun climbed high in the sky, only dragging herself out of bed when her stomach began growling.

Four maids skillfully divided the tasks of dressing, washing, combing her hair, and serving breakfast. By the time they finished, it was already midday.

Wei Yun Xi stretched her tiny limbs and prepared to visit her maternal uncle, having more questions she wished to ask clearly. But just as she stepped out the gate of her temporary residence accompanied by her maids, she met Feng Jia Qing, who had come looking for her.

Seeing that the little girl was visibly refreshed compared to yesterday, Feng Jia Qing smiled and asked, “Yun Xi, did you sleep well last night?”

Wei Yun Xi performed a polite curtsy before softly replying, “Thank you for worrying, Maternal Uncle. Yun Xi slept very well. I woke late today and was just about to come greet you.”

Feng Jia Qing waved gently. “There’s no need for such formalities between cultivators. Still, I do have something important to discuss privately today.”

Wei Yun Xi nodded immediately, indicating no issue. The group returned to the small courtyard, where the four maids were left outside. Feng Jia Qing activated a defensive formation disk for privacy, then retrieved the brocade box from his storage ring. He carefully explained the silver ring’s function, their purpose in refining it, and the likely chain reactions resulting from her changed spiritual root.

Wei Yun Xi listened attentively, eyes wide and seemingly confused, yet her mind spun rapidly. This was another plot point never mentioned in the novel. It had occurred solely because she’d come to stay temporarily with the Feng family. In the original story, the supporting character Wei Yun Xi never visited the Feng household, nor was she close to them.

Now, the Feng family had proactively tested her spiritual root, discovering her incredible potential and eagerly plotting to bring her into their fold. Clearly, they hoped to subtly guide her away from the Wei family’s grasp, nurturing her without drawing suspicion.

After brief consideration, Wei Yun Xi concluded joining the Feng family had far more advantages than staying with the Wei family. The Wei household already had Wei Yun Qing, the novel’s female lead. Even with Yun Xi’s extraordinary talents, if she didn’t have room to grow, she’d amount to nothing. Du Ruo Lan would surely never permit her growth, hence the novel’s fate for the original Wei Yun Xi as nothing but a stepping stone.

Wei Ling Yue was fickle, chasing whichever side offered more benefits. If he thought her talent was poor, he’d likely trick away her possessions and then abandon her once her usefulness was exhausted.

The Feng family was different. Out of affection for her mother, Feng Jia Yun, they’d care for her to some extent—especially upon discovering her extraordinary talents and the Feng bloodline she carried.

Having reasoned through this, Wei Yun Xi pretended to be innocently confused, saying softly, “Maternal Uncle, I understood some of what you said, but some was too difficult. However, Mother said I should always trust you and that you wouldn’t hurt me. So, I’ll follow whatever you decide.”

Feng Jia Qing warmly patted Wei Yun Xi’s head, smiling kindly. “Of course. Your uncle would never harm you.”

Saying this, Feng Jia Qing swiftly cast a hand-seal, drew a drop of Wei Yun Xi’s heart-blood, dripped it onto the silver ring, and infused it with spiritual power. Soon, the ring turned crimson and settled within Wei Yun Xi’s spiritual roots.

Wei Yun Xi immediately felt a dizzy spell, her chest briefly stinging as if pricked by a needle, vision swimming momentarily.

Once Feng Jia Qing confirmed the artifact had successfully recognized its master, he fed Wei Yun Xi a Blood-Replenishing Pill, restoring color to her pale face. After the child recovered, Feng Jia Qing once again produced the spiritual testing disk.

This time, without prompting, Wei Yun Xi obediently placed her hand atop the disk.