Shui Bailan hadn’t expected her sister-in-law to suddenly bring up the matter of further studies. After all, both she and Yu Qing had already trained at Rain God Peak before returning to serve as Grand Mentors in the Outer Academy.
Of course, she wanted to go—especially since Yan Zhen was there too.
However, facing her perceptive sister-in-law, Shui Bailan didn’t dare show her eagerness. After calming herself slightly, she said, “Bailan will of course obey Sister-in-Law’s orders. But how long would the training last?”
The Family Head Yu Lu had already made her arrangements. “Half a year. If you can break through to Three-Star Mystic Lord within that time, I’ll request from the Supreme to let you stay at Rain God Peak and look after Xuan’er and Son-in-Law Yan Zhen.”
Shui Bailan’s breath hitched, her heart pounding wildly. She glanced at her sister-in-law’s profile but couldn’t read her intentions. Could she have been found out?
Yet she’d never shown her feelings in front of her sister-in-law, and it had only been a month since she’d come to terms with her own heart.
Once she’d thought it through, Shui Bailan steadied herself and replied, “Bailan will give it her all and won’t disappoint Sister-in-Law’s expectations.”
Dean Yu Qing grew anxious at those words. “Second Sister, don’t decide so hastily! If Bailan stays at Rain God Peak, what about me? How am I supposed to manage such a large Outer Academy on my own without her help?”
Shui Bailan shot her a sideways glance, thinking that it sounded nice, but she was clearly just jealous of staying near Yan Zhen.
Hmph, what a petty best friend!
The Family Head Yu Lu said calmly, “Once you return from your training at Rain God Peak and break through to Three-Star Mystic Ancestor, you’ll enter the Inner Academy and take over as Great Elder from your eldest sister… As for the positions of Outer Academy Dean and Grand Mentor, I’ll discuss specific arrangements with the Supreme.”
Dean Yu Qing was stunned. “I’ll take Big Sister’s position? What about Big Sister, then?”
The Family Head Yu Lu sighed helplessly, feeling exhausted by her foolish little sister. “The Inner Academy Dean position has been vacant for a long time; it’s about time we found a suitable candidate. Now that your eldest sister has advanced to Six-Star Mystic Ancestor, she can outmatch Vice Dean Wen Qingshan and the others, claiming the Dean’s seat. From then on, the Inner Academy will be under our Yu Family’s sole control. We’ll temporarily cede the Outer Academy to the Wen Family and Han Family, then gradually take it back once the Inner Academy stabilizes. Do you understand?”
Dean Yu Qing blinked. “Of course I do. Actually, that’s exactly what I was thinking. I told Big Sister about it long ago.”
She’d said it back when Wen Qingshan had deliberately stalled her paperwork, making her run errands in vain multiple times.
—That old Wen guy is so annoying. Big Sister, let’s find a chance to kill him!
However, Wen Qingshan was a Four-Star Mystic Ancestor, and with the Wen Family’s Crystal Eye technique, even Elder Yu Yan at Five-Star Mystic Ancestor would struggle to defeat him quickly. If he sensed something amiss and fled, it would be effortless for him. Killing him had always been a pipe dream.
Now, though, killing him was still difficult, but defeating him would be a piece of cake.
Elder Yu Yan didn’t expose her little sister’s thoughts and smiled gently. “Little Qing has great foresight too.”
Yan Zhen listened quietly, reflecting on how the social structures in this mystic world differed greatly from Earth. No matter what one did, cultivation level was always the top priority.
Just advancing one star had transformed the Elder Great-Aunt so dramatically, and with the Yu Family’s maneuvering, they could instantly shift the balance of power in the Inner Academy!
It felt so cool!
Yan Zhen first glanced at the Elder Great-Aunt, then at the Family Head Mother-in-Law, marveling at how she had decided the leadership changes in both academies with just a few words. She truly lived up to her title as head of the Yu Family!
Well, not everyone was that impressive. There was still one useless member of the Yu Family’s direct lineage here—a Mystic Ancestor who amounted to nothing.
Dean Yu Qing noticed Yan Zhen’s warm gaze, the kind reserved for fools, and felt inexplicably baffled. Blushing, she snapped, “What are you staring at?”
All she could do was bully people. Tsk tsk tsk… Yan Zhen shrugged and used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of walnut cake for the Dean Little Aunt. “Here, Little Aunt. (To boost your brainpower.)”
“Who asked you to serve me!”
Dean Yu Qing was a bit surprised. Pretending to be tsundere, she ate the pastry anyway. The treat she was used to suddenly tasted indescribably sweet, lifting her mood.
Seeing this, Elder Yu Yan feigned resentment. “Little Yan Zhen, only serving Little Qing? I fed you earlier too.”
—Fed?!
The Family Head Yu Lu, who was sipping tea across the table, caught that sensitive word. She set down her cup with some suspicion and looked toward them.
“…”
Yan Zhen chuckled and picked up a piece of a different flavored pastry for the Elder Great-Aunt. “Here, Great-Aunt.”
“Good boy.” Elder Yu Yan immediately beamed again. “It would be even better if you fed me.”
“Great-Aunt is joking.”
The Family Head Yu Lu instantly understood the meaning of “fed” and slowly relaxed, as if she’d safeguarded something precious.
Like… exclusive feeding rights.
—No, that’s not it!
The Family Head Yu Lu shook her head, unwilling to dwell on these vexing thoughts. She picked up her chopsticks and took a piece of fish.
Yan Zhen glanced outside and asked, “Mother-in-Law, where’s the Yu Shizun?”
The Family Head Yu Lu swallowed her food. “The Supreme should arrive tonight. Her mood isn’t great right now.”
Mood? Yan Zhen understood at once. Yu Shizun must have gone to visit her foster mother’s grave.
He recalled that the Yu Shizun’s foster mother had passed away quite early, before she’d become a top-tier powerhouse. She’d never seen her foster daughter shine, nor had the Yu Shizun been able to fulfill her filial duties. That must be why she felt regret.
Yan Zhen could relate to that feeling. Even without past-life memories, he could sense the grief of losing his grandfather from the script’s words.
“Are you enjoying the food?” The Family Head Yu Lu changed the subject. “You mentioned yesterday that you like cooked dishes, so I had them specially prepared. Just help yourself outside if you want more.”
“So that’s why the Ship Assembly has cooked food,” Dean Yu Qing realized, then added sourly, “Second Sister really dotes on this rascal.”
Yan Zhen was quite surprised. The Listen-to-Rain Boat Meeting didn’t usually serve cooked food?
Upon reflection, it made sense—the Yu Family lived around Heavenly Water Lake and were accustomed to raw fish.
The Family Head Mother-in-Law was incredibly attentive; he’d only mentioned it casually yesterday, and she’d remembered it perfectly.
“Of course a mother-in-law dotes on her son-in-law,” Shui Bailan chimed in. “As the saying goes, the more a mother-in-law looks at her son-in-law, the fonder she grows~”
“It’s mostly because Little Yan Zhen is so lovable,” Elder Yu Yan said with a smile. “If I were Xiao Lu, I’d dote on him too.”
Mentor Yu Xuan pressed her lips together. Before, such words would have made her happy, but now it felt different. It seemed like everyone was coveting Yan Zhen’s body.
Especially since she still hadn’t figured out what happened last night.
She sat primly upright but slyly extended one jade-like leg under her skirt toward Yan Zhen across the table.
Yan Zhen’s face was already flushed from the teasing, and when he felt his thigh brushed twice, he looked at Mentor Yu Xuan in surprise. She flashed him a mischievous smile behind her hand before quickly resuming her prim expression and eating obediently.
The Family Head Yu Lu, facing the teasing from her sisters and sister-in-law, remained unfazed and resolute, for she had already formed a new determination.
