89: Chapter 89 Red

In the end, despite her reluctance, Wang Qingxin was kept in the courtyard.

"What are you standing there for like an idiot? Spread out the quilt; it gets cold on the mountain at night." Wang Qingcheng turned her face away, her voice still fierce, but the tips of her ears were blushing red. "From now on, you're my younger sister. If anyone bullies you, they'll have to go through me first. Do you hear me?"

...

The procedures for joining the Family were tedious, mainly involving background checks on the newcomer's past. However, with Wang Shouren acting as a guarantor, the process was simplified significantly.

"Shouren, keep this nameplate safe. As for the background investigation on this girl, the Family will still continue it."

An elderly man took out a jade medallion. Wang Shouren reached out to accept it and politely bowed in return.

"It is as it should be. The Family's necessary procedures must still be followed; one should not let private matters interfere with public duty."

The old man nodded in satisfaction. "It's good that you understand."

Early the next morning, Wang Shouren took Wang Qingxin to test her Spiritual Root.

The reason he hadn't used a spiritual testing stone when they first met was, firstly, concern over the many uncontrollable factors away from the Family, and secondly, because spiritual testing stones were merely basic Spiritual Root detection tools.

Aside from detecting the attributes and quantity of Spiritual Roots, it couldn't detect affinity or Mental Energy at all.

When she came out of the small courtyard, Wang Qingxin had changed into a clean set of new clothes.

It was something Wang Qingcheng had worn as a child—a fine cotton skirt in a soft lotus-pink shade, with a few small lotus flowers embroidered on the cuffs, carrying a faint scent of lotus blossoms.

When Wang Qingcheng stuffed the skirt into her hands, she turned her head away and claimed it was "a size too small and didn't fit anymore, just gathering dust anyway, so might as well give it to you." But Wang Qingxin looked down at the small lotus flowers on the skirt, staring at them for a long time without blinking.

She had never worn a skirt before, let alone clothes embroidered with flowers.

She reached out her finger and touched the lotus flower ever so gently, as if afraid she might ruin it.

Walking beside her, Wang Shouren saw this and slowed his pace.

"The clothes look very nice on you. They suit you well."

"Ah, really?" Wang Qingxin's heart skipped a beat.

Wang Shouren gave a nod of confirmation.

Receiving Wang Shouren's affirming response once more, Wang Qingxin froze for a moment, lowered her head to tug at her skirt hem, looked up at him again, and quickly bowed her head back down.

Her heart thudded loudly, and her face felt slightly warm. She secretly touched the back of her hand to her cheek, wondering what was happening to her.

As they passed through the corridor, Wang Qingxin looked down at the identity nameplate in her hands. "Is the Spiritual Root test coming up shortly?"

"Mm." Wang Shouren said as he walked, "Just step onto the Spiritual Testing Platform and feel with your heart. No need to be nervous."

Wang Qingxin tightened her grip on the nameplate in her hand.

Earlier, while she was changing in the room, Sister Qingcheng had already explained to her what Spiritual Roots were.

With a Spiritual Root, she could Cultivate like Master, fly through the heavens and burrow into the earth, and help Master fight.

She didn't quite understand what Cultivate meant, nor did she know how one could fly or burrow into the earth, but she had heard that everyone living on Lotus Pier had a Spiritual Root.

Only people with Spiritual Roots were useful, and only useful people wouldn't be abandoned.

She pulled out the nameplate from her bosom, her thumb softly tracing the character for "Wang," her steps growing slower and slower.

Stopping at the entrance of the Spiritual Testing Hall, she lowered her head and spoke in a barely audible whisper, as if asking herself, "Is having a Spiritual Root the only way to avoid being disliked?"

Wang Shouren paused in his footsteps.

He turned around and looked down at the little girl who barely reached his waist, her thin shoulders unconsciously tense.

The knuckles of the hand gripping her nameplate were slightly pale. Wang Shouren squatted down to eye level with her, his voice softening unconsciously.

"Even if you don't have a Spiritual Root, it's fine. Starting from yesterday, you are a member of the Wang Family. No one here will look down on anyone because of their Spiritual Root, and neither will I."

Wang Qingxin's eyelashes trembled, and only after a long pause did she give a very faint nod.

Yet the hand clutching her dress remained tightly clenched, knuckles still pale.

Wang Shouren walked through the corridors of Lotus Pier, heading straight toward the Spiritual Testing Platform in the center of the Lotus Pond.

The Spiritual Testing Platform was activated only once a year, specifically set up for children of suitable age in the clan. This year's opening date had already passed, and to restart it as an exception required the approval of the Formation-Guarding Elder.

Formation-Guarding Elder Wang Zhongzhao was Wang Chongyang's younger cousin, ranking fourteenth among the Chong generation. Though born late, he was still over ninety years old.

When he was young, he suffered severe injuries while venturing in the prefectural city, leaving his cultivation permanently stuck at the seventh layer of Qi Refining. Afterward, he switched to studying the Dao of Formations. Although he didn't achieve grand success, he had spent more than half his life guarding this Spiritual Testing Platform and the eye of the Clan-Protecting Formation.

Wang Zhongzhao was dozing on a stone bench by the pond when he opened an eye upon hearing footsteps. Seeing who it was, he clicked his tongue, "Brat Shouren, waking this old man up so early... did the sun rise from the west today?"

Wang Shouren cupped his hands and bowed, "Greetings, Fourteenth Grandfather."

Wang Zhongzhao waved his hand, his eyes passing over Wang Shouren to settle on the little girl behind him who only reached his waist.

The girl was dressed in a lotus-pink skirt, small and thin, with bright black eyes timidly hiding behind Wang Shouren, peeking out with only half her head.

The old man's expression shifted slightly as he sat up straight. "You aren't planning to test this girl's Spiritual Root, are you? The Spiritual Testing Platform opens once a year, and this year's turn has long passed. You should know the rules."

"Your grandson knows, but this child's situation is special. She gives me a very special feeling."

Wang Shouren looked down at Wang Qingxin. The little girl looked up, timidly calling out "Brother," before lowering her gaze again. Her voice was thin, but it held a remarkably firm sincerity. "Me too... Seeing you makes me feel very close to you."

Wang Zhongzhao looked at Wang Shouren and then at the frail little girl. After a moment of silence, he sighed, "Ah, fine, fine. This old man will make an exception just this once. The Spiritual Testing Platform is sitting idle anyway; it's only lively one day out of the entire year."

The three of them stepped onto the stone bridge leading to the small island in the center of the pond.

The Spiritual Testing Platform was constructed entirely of blue jade, its surface carved with intricate Formation runes. The pathways of the runes spread outward from the center of the platform, linking with the water veins of the entire Lotus Pond, allowing one to faintly feel the pulsing spiritual energy from beneath their feet.

Standing below the platform, Wang Qingxin looked back at Wang Shouren. Her eyes contained nervousness, anticipation, and even more of an indescribable persistence. Wang Shouren gave her a gentle nod.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her skirt with both hands, walked up the stone steps step by step, stood firm in the center of the Spiritual Testing Platform, and closed her eyes.

At first, nothing happened, but before long, an emerald-green light glowed from beneath her feet—clear, yet extremely faint.

Immediately after, a second beam of light soared into the sky. It was golden, pure like a scorching sun, reflecting off the green light as it shot straight into the heavens.

"Dual Spiritual Roots!" Wang Zhongzhao stood bolt upright, his voice trembling. "Gold-Wood Dual Spiritual Roots! Especially the Gold Spiritual Root—its affinity rating is at least 90 or higher! Brat Shouren, where did you pick up such a precious treasure? This is the very first Dual Spiritual Root in our Wang Family!"

He knew better than anyone what Dual Spiritual Roots signified. The foundation of the Wang Family was Spiritual Fish farming, and after hundreds of years of accumulated history, their annual income was merely tens of thousands of Spirit Stones. Yet a youth with Dual Spiritual Roots possessed the Aptitude of an Inner Sect Disciple even within a Sect, and in the Three Counties area, it was a once-in-a-century rarity.

The commotion here had already alerted nearby clan members; some poked their heads out from the far end of the corridor to watch, while others walked swiftly toward the Lotus Pond.

But just at that moment, the light on the Spiritual Testing Platform suddenly dimmed for an instant. The two sky-piercing pillars of light seemed to be swallowed from within by something, suddenly collapsing inward. Immediately following, an extremely thin and faint red light slowly lit up from her Dantian.