CSMCDB - Chapter 34
Chapter 34
What… was happening? For a moment, Wen Yuncheng didn't react. She instinctively started to step forward but was pulled back by Yan Ling. "That's her dad."
But even a dad shouldn't act like this! In front of so many people, a direct slap to the face! To the face!
—"Do you know you were wrong?!"
Lin Jinyu didn't raise a hand to touch her struck cheek, merely turning her head back silently. She had reverted to that expressionless look, only slowly lowering her head. "I shouldn't have put myself in danger."
"Don't you know how dangerous a demonic beast rampage is?! Couldn't you hear the dragon's roar? Everyone else knew to run out, but what about you? Did you have to wait for your teacher to come get you?" The more Sect Master Lin spoke, the angrier he became. He raised his hand high, looking as if he was about to strike again.
"Wait! That's not it! Lin Jinyu was lost! She used her distress signal when we encountered a Star Master-level Winged Tiger, and the communication stones didn't work where we were lost, that's why—"
—"And what are you? Who are you to interrupt while I'm disciplining my daughter?!"
Before Wen Yuncheng could finish her explanation, Sect Master Lin cut her off.
"You were with him in the Demonic Beast Great Forest? Have you been cultivating properly at the academy? Do you think you can slack off just because you broke through to Star Warrior Level 1? Do you have any idea how much effort I've invested in you, how much the Flowing Cloud Sect has given you?! If your mother knew what you've become—"
"Stop…" Lin Jinyu's voice was low, her tone choked. "Don't say any more. I was wrong." Held by the collar by Yan Ling, Wen Yuncheng couldn't break free. She could only watch as a reflective liquid dripped onto the ground.
Her heart clenched in an instant, her cheeks flushing red with anger. But she was afraid that speaking up would make Lin Jinyu feel worse, as Sect Master Lin did not seem like an easy person to deal with.
"Sect Master Lin, Lin Jinyu really has been cultivating very hard. She spends her entire day on it," Qiu Fei couldn't stand it anymore and spoke up to explain. "She is diligent and hardworking. A fifteen-year-old at Star Warrior Level 1 is unprecedented."
Sect Master Lin's expression softened slightly as he shot a cold glance at Wen Yuncheng. He could sense that Wen Yuncheng was only at the second layer of a Star Practitioner, so he scoffed and ordered Lin Jinyu, "Stay away from unsavory people in the future. Cultivate properly!"
"I understand."
"What are you crying for? So useless! The Flowing Cloud Sect wasn't even going to participate in this Beast Tide. If it weren't for you causing this scene, I wouldn't have rushed over!" Sect Master Lin's brows furrowed tightly, making him look quite fierce. He casually took out a storage bag and tossed it into Lin Jinyu's arms. Without another word, he turned and left with the Flowing Cloud Sect elders.
A few of the elders were rather kind, nodding at Lin Jinyu before they departed.
[Stop biting, doesn't it hurt?] 1947 watched its cub bite her lip in anger, blood already trickling down to her chin.
Wen Yuncheng: My heart hurts. Why is the Little Ice Mountain's dad like this? No wonder Lin Jinyu has this kind of personality… Wuwuwu.
"What are you doing? —You still like her? Didn't you two break off the engagement?" Only after the group from the Flowing Cloud Sect had left did Yan Ling set Wen Yuncheng down. She was then startled, immediately pinching Wen Yuncheng's chin to check that she hadn't bitten off her tongue before she felt relieved. She casually took out a handkerchief to wipe away the blood.
"Her father is too much."
"Ah, about that… Lin Jinyu's mother died from complications during childbirth, so Sect Master Lin… mm." Yan Ling hesitated before continuing, "He is quite harsh, but he has never deprived Lin Jinyu of anything materially."
Wen Yuncheng pursed her lips. But even so… it was an accident. Why treat Lin Jinyu this way? Was it tough love? A form of punitive education?
It reminded Wen Yuncheng of the top student in her class from her previous life. That student was a true academic prodigy, incredibly hardworking. She never played during breaks, and it was said that she had tutoring right after school, with her weekends completely packed with various enrichment classes. Back then, Wen Yuncheng had been a little envious of her grades, but she absolutely did not envy her life.
Later, perhaps due to excessive pressure, the top student fell ill during the final exams. Her grades plummeted, and she became second in the class, dropping more than ten places in the grade ranking. Wen Yuncheng remembered that when the results were announced, the top student broke down and cried inconsolably. Everyone, including the teacher, tried to comfort her, but she just kept crying. The next day, when she came to class, her right cheek was noticeably swollen, as were her eyes.
It was only through gossip from her classmates that Wen Yuncheng learned how difficult the top student's life really was. Her parents never affirmed her. For example, if she scored 145 out of 150 in English, her parents would focus on the 5 lost points and scold her. If her math score was 147, her parents would harp on, "Why didn't you get those three points?" "Were all those practice papers for nothing?" "We spent so much money and time on your enrichment classes, driving you back and forth every day. Why can't you get a perfect score?"
She was scolded even when she was infinitely close to a perfect score. This time, with her failure in the exam, the top student completely broke down.
Wen Yuncheng never found out what happened to that student, or whether she did well on her college entrance exams, because she had died from her phone falling on her face while scrolling Weibo late at night and came to this world. But, but…
Seeing Lin Jinyu like this, she was reminded of that top student from her past.
Why is it that adults who don't know how to properly raise children can so easily become parents? Is this kind of pressure, this kind of severity, really good? Even with one thousand percent material support, is it really good without a single word of affirmation?
Irresponsible parents, parents who didn't want children but had them anyway, parents too busy with work to spare time for their kids, parents who were overly harsh and believed in "spare the rod, spoil the child"… all sorts of parents. Wen Yuncheng clutched the handkerchief Yan Ling had used to wipe her blood and wiped away her tears. "But I don't know if this is what Lin Jinyu wants."
Yan Ling was taken aback. Thinking of Wen Yuncheng's own background, she said no more, simply ruffling Wen Yuncheng's hair. "Why are you thinking so much, kid? Just focus on cultivating. When you have strength, you can have anything, change anything."
That's right. This was a world where strength was respected. With strength came a voice, a degree of decision-making power…
Wen Yuncheng suddenly recalled the words Lin Jinyu had used to comfort her when she revealed her secret—Lin Jinyu cultivated so hard. How much of it was because of Sect Master Lin, and how much of it was… for the sake of controlling her own life?
Wen Yuncheng didn't know.
And no one in this world could know, except Lin Jinyu herself.
When Sect Master Lin left, Qiu Fei had already gone to comfort her disciple. She had wanted to hug Lin Jinyu, but Lin Jinyu wiped away her own tears, said softly, "I'm going back to the inn to rest," and left on her own. Worried, Qiu Fei followed her back.
For a fleeting moment, Wen Yuncheng had the impulse to rush over, but she didn't move. What good would it do? Verbal comfort was flimsy. Since she hadn't experienced it herself, her words of comfort might give Lin Jinyu the feeling that "it's easy for you to say." Besides, Wen Yuncheng truly didn't know how to offer comfort. Her mind was a mess; on one hand, she thought Sect Master Lin was a jerk, while on the other, her reason told her he was Lin Jinyu's biological father.
—And very strong.
She was still too weak. Wen Yuncheng clenched her fists and looked at Yan Ling, who seemed lost in thought. "Teacher, I want to go to the Fire Tempering Bath to cultivate!"
"Huh? Using the back door once is enough. Don't push it," Yan Ling said, her brow twitching in exasperation.
"I can do it! I want to get stronger! Once a week is fine, even once a month is fine. I want to get stronger! I'll pay you back the Star Stones in the future!"
Yan Ling pressed her temples. "But it's not like I'm short on Star Stones."
Wen: That stings.
"I'll figure something out and let you know." Despite her words, Yan Ling still agreed.
The sudden appearance of the Dragon Race had interrupted the trial in the Demonic Beast Great Forest, and the students of Star Academy were all heading back. Wen Yuncheng had wanted to see Lin Jinyu and travel back with her, but Yan Ling was too lazy to wait for Qiu Fei, so Wen Yuncheng ended up leaving with Yan Ling first.
During the flight, Wen Yuncheng made a vow to 1947: I want to get stronger.
[Okay!]
Work hard, get stronger, strive.
[Mission Issued: Heart of a Victor]
[Mission Requirement: As a Long Aotian, you should possess the heart of a victor. Fight with all your might to win!]
[Mission Reward: Gain an extra 50 EXP and 1 point for every battle won.]
[Mission Message: I hope you can take it one step at a time, forging your future path with victory after victory. I believe this path will be filled with light, leading straight to the most brilliant star in the sky.]
The most… brilliant star? Wen Yuncheng was stunned. She looked down. But… without Star Power, she had no star.
[When you reach max level, I'll give you a satellite!] 1947 paused. [Wen Yuncheng, you will become a legend on the Starry Sky Continent. Believe me!]
1947 watched as its cub's eyes lit up little by little, and she broke into a huge smile. It was as if thousands of stars had fallen into her eyes, blooming into beautiful flowers in their depths.
It thought that although its cub was always narcissistic, Wen Yuncheng was genuinely beautiful.
It thought that Wen Yuncheng was probably the first and last… one-of-a-kind host it would ever have. Perhaps in its long system career, it would never meet another binder like her.
By the time 1947 came to its senses, it had already automatically captured and saved the moment of Wen Yuncheng's smile. It looked at the picture it had recorded. An emotion called "happiness" seemed to flow through its data stream. It opened its log and saved the picture.
This spatial turbulence, for it, was perhaps the luckiest spatial turbulence in the entire galaxy, across all planes.
After she finished smiling, Wen Yuncheng said cheerfully to 1947: Actually, you don't have to wait until I'm max level. You can pay in installments. For example, the points for the satellite, you can just transfer them to me periodically. I don't care about empty things like stars or satellites~ Just give me the points! I'll be overjoyed just thinking about having so many points!
[?]
[Eat shit!]
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