Chapter 86 - 85: A Show of Authority

Chapter 86: Chapter 85: A Show of Authority

Having been ridiculed, Huo Xingchen remained silent the entire way back. His face was so sullen it was as if he was afraid people *wouldn’t* know he was angry.

Gu Qingyin didn’t bother trying to coax him, instead spending the whole ride discussing with Liu Ergou how Tuoba Yan had become president. The man clearly had no intelligence, strength, or taste—nothing to his name.

Only after Liu Ergou got out of the car did Gu Qingyin yawn and say, "Give me my notebook back tomorrow."

Huo Xingchen instinctively sat up a little straighter. Staring straight ahead, he pursed his lips and said, "What notebook? I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Gu Qingyin scoffed. "Are you telling me the Thunder Decision you used at the association wasn’t learned from my notes?"

Huo Xingchen stubbornly craned his neck. "It wasn’t."

"Oh?" Gu Qingyin feigned surprise. "Well, then I’ll have to investigate how my original, unfinished Thunder Decision got leaked. If used improperly, it can cause a backlash."

She glanced sideways at Huo Xingchen’s increasingly uncomfortable expression and added slowly, "In mild cases, you get shocked. In severe cases, you get fried."

Huo Xingchen instantly recalled the few times half his body had gone numb after using the Thunder Decision to suppress a Fierce Ghost.

He had assumed his own cultivation was lacking and never imagined the problem was with the Thunder Decision itself!

Huo Xingchen’s face flushed red, but he was still too proud to ask about it.

Gu Qingyin huffed a laugh. "Looks like someone doesn’t want to learn the complete version. What a shame. He’s probably doomed to flop in this lifetime."

Besides being a half-baked Heavenly Master, Huo Xingchen was also one of the most valuable e-sports players of the moment. He was extremely sensitive to the word "flop"; just hearing it made him uncomfortable.

"I won’t flop," Huo Xingchen ground out. "I’m at the top of my game."

Gu Qingyin paused for a second, then let out a muffled laugh. "I know, you’re an e-sports pro. I admit, you’re much better at playing games than you are at Xuan Techniques. From now on, you should just stick to gaming. The world of Xuan isn’t for you."

Huo Xingchen’s expression shifted several times. One moment, he was surprised that Gu Qingyin knew about his job; the next, he was furious at being looked down on; and then, he was even a little secretly pleased... It was an impossibly complex mix.

After admiring the show for a moment, Gu Qingyin asked, "Did you take up face-changing?"

Huo Xingchen flew into a rage out of embarrassment. "I don’t want to talk to you right now!"

’Oops. Went a bit too far.’

For the rest of the drive, Gu Qingyin kept trying to think of how to placate her son, but she had no experience in that department. She wracked her brain, but it remained a blank slate. By the time they reached the old family home, she still hadn’t come up with a single viable idea.

Seeing Huo Xingchen storming toward the stairs, Gu Qingyin blurted out, "Get up early tomorrow. I’ll teach you the real Thunder Decision."

Huo Xingchen’s footsteps faltered, but then he continued up the stairs without another word.

Gu Qingyin tutted. ’What’s with this kid? I made the offer, but couldn’t he at least say if he’s coming or not? I really don’t want to get up early for no reason.’

That evening, neither Huo Xingye nor Huo Xinghai came home. Gu Qingyin watched some TV in the living room, originally planning to wait for Huo Xingchen to come down so she could ask him, but unexpectedly, the kid didn’t show up even by midnight.

Gu Qingyin couldn’t stay awake any longer. She took Mao Mao upstairs and reluctantly set an alarm for five o’clock. After staring at the screen for a few seconds, she reached out and changed the five to a six.

’Six in the morning should be plenty early for a young person, right?’

For a normal young person, six in the morning was indeed quite early. But for Huo Xingchen, who had read Gu Qingyin’s notes and knew what time she started her morning training each day, six was a little late.

At five in the morning, Huo Xingchen was already washed and dressed, waiting for Gu Qingyin downstairs.

His initial secret delight slowly morphed into a dark-faced glower as he waited.

He suspected he’d been played.

No one else in the old house was awake. He was the only one sitting there silently on the living room sofa, like an idiot.

The more Huo Xingchen thought about it, the angrier he got.

Logically, he should have gone straight back to bed before anyone noticed him. But, as if in a fit of pique with some unseen person, he remained stubbornly seated on the sofa.

At six a.m., Gu Qingyin was woken by her alarm.

She rolled around in bed twice in misery, mumbling into her pillow, "Huo Xingchen, you’re dead meat if you’re not awake!"

After lazing in bed for another five minutes, Gu Qingyin finally threw herself up. She looked at Mao Mao, who was sleeping soundly by her pillow, and gave the pet an indignant scratch. Mao Mao grumbled in protest, turned over, and went right back to sleep.

Gu Qingyin huffed, got out of bed, washed up quickly, changed into her training clothes, and walked out the door.

The moment she opened her door, she sensed a "steaming" aura from downstairs.

Gu Qingyin’s eyes widened. ’No way,’ she thought. She walked to the top of the stairs and peeked down, spotting Huo Xingchen sitting bolt upright on the sofa.

Not only was Huo Xingchen awake, but it looked like he had been waiting for a long time!

Gu Qingyin was suddenly struck by a pang of guilt. She was the one who told him to get up early to train, but she was the one who was late! ’How incredibly awkward!’

Hiding at the top of the stairs, Gu Qingyin’s expression shifted constantly. Finally, she took a deep breath and forced a calm demeanor as she descended.

Huo Xingchen heard the movement and immediately shot her a dark, silently accusing glare.

Gu Qingyin’s steps faltered. She cleared her throat and asked, "Have you been waiting long?"

Huo Xingchen’s face was devoid of expression. "I came down at five on the dot."

A flash of annoyance crossed Gu Qingyin’s eyes. ’How could I have forgotten that he knew my morning training schedule?’

She gave a dry laugh. "I just assumed all you young people had trouble getting out of bed. You’re up way too early. Let’s make it six from now on."

Huo Xingchen continued to stare at her, his face a blank mask.

Gu Qingyin couldn’t take it anymore. ’I feel like a horrible parent who can’t keep her promises.’ She turned and walked outside. "Let’s go to the back garden. There isn’t enough room to practice in here."

The oppressive air around Huo Xingchen hadn’t lifted, but he obediently stood up and followed her.

The mother and son walked in silence to the lake behind the house and began their first Xuan Technique lesson together.

The previously awkward Gu Qingyin immediately turned serious once it was time to get down to business.

"Use the Thunder Decision for me once. Let me see."

Huo Xingchen didn’t dare to be careless. Like a child showing off a new trick to his parents, he performed it with a mix of earnestness and pride. When he was done, he looked at Gu Qingyin with shining eyes, awaiting her praise.

"That’s *my* Thunder Decision?" Gu Qingyin’s brows furrowed. "Even the unfinished version shouldn’t be this weak. How on earth did you learn it?"

The brief sunshine on Huo Xingchen’s face was instantly swallowed by dark clouds.

"You do it, then. Let me see." After a beat, he added craftily, "The unfinished version!"

Gu Qingyin gave a cold scoff and raised her hand, forming a spell sign.

Instantly, a clap of thunder exploded in the air, so loud it made their ears ache. Then, a bolt of lightning struck the lake, sending up a curtain of water.

Huo Xingchen didn’t have time to dodge and was drenched like a drowned rat. But he didn’t get angry; he just stared blankly at the lake’s surface. ’The unfinished Thunder Decision is that powerful? No way! This has to be a trick!’

"Your cultivation method is wrong," Gu Qingyin said calmly. "Your foundation is unstable. Without a solid foundation, even the best spell is useless. Starting today, you are forbidden from using any talismans or spells. We’re going to build your foundation first. Got it?"

Huo Xingchen was silent for two seconds before mumbling, "Got it."

A flicker of triumph flashed in Gu Qingyin’s eyes. ’Heh, you little punk. As if I couldn’t handle you.’