Rags to Riches: The Rise of a Dual-Talent Prodigy-Chapter 466 - 460: Old Stories of the Xi Family

In the year 2986 of Blue Yuan, Xi Pingzhe was only seven years old.

In the Xi Family Manor, a woman with sharp eyebrows wearing an S-Class blue combat armor strode in with a commanding presence. The deep blue communicator on her ear had a green light on, indicating an ongoing call.

"Admiral Jiang, urgent notice, A-level Demon Locusts have been spotted in the southern area of Beishan City. It is estimated that an A-level Magic Locust Tide will form in 28 minutes! Please proceed to Beishan City as quickly as possible to suppress the spread of the Locust Tide and prevent further severe consequences!"

"Received."

The woman with sharp eyebrows solemnly turned off the Light Brain, and the waiting butler quickly stepped forward to hand her the car keys, his expression complex, "Madam, the A-level Magic Locust Tide is extremely dangerous, you..."

The rest of the words were left unsaid, but both of them knew clearly.

This was a battle where any carelessness could lead to death.

"See the young master before you go," the butler choked out.

On the second floor, an extremely gentle-looking man descended the stairs with a lovely child. The man, with an extraordinarily gentle demeanor, wore soft white pajamas, appearing like a pampered husband kept at home, with eyes full of innocent clarity.

He gazed gently at the woman with sharp eyebrows, straightening the collar of her combat armor, as he had done every time he sent his wife off in the past, speaking softly, "Tingge, be careful."

He knew his wife’s strength and the responsibility she bore, but without awakened ability himself, all he could do was support and wait.

"I will." Jiang Tingge raised her head and gently kissed Xi Shiyun’s chin, her eyes filled with tenderness and reluctance, "Protect Little Zhe at home, I’ll be back as soon as I can."

"Mom..." The seven-and-a-half-year-old boy lifted his teary doe-like eyes. For some reason, as he watched his mother leave today, he felt a deep fear, as if once she stepped out the door, she would never return.

He reached out his small hand, tightly grabbing Jiang Tingge’s hand, "Mom, don’t go..."

"Be good, Little Zhe," Jiang Tingge knelt, wiping the tears from the child’s eyes, speaking softly, "Mommy is going out to fight monsters to protect you and Daddy."

Xi Pingzhe shook his head vigorously, "No, I don’t want Mommy to protect us, Little Zhe will protect Mommy..."

"Mommy is strong and can protect you from outside. Our Little Zhe protects Daddy at home, okay?" Jiang Tingge kissed her son’s forehead, her eyes encouraging.

The little boy had no choice but to nod, holding her hand tightly, whispering, "Mom, you must come back, come back before my birthday..."

The butler spoke up at this moment, "Madam, the hovercar is ready."

"Okay." Jiang Tingge’s expression turned serious in an instant, placing her son’s small hand in Xi Shiyun’s, "Shiyun, I’m leaving our son to you."

Xi Shiyun nodded, looking at his wife with tender reluctance, "You go without worry, I’m here at home, I’ll... wait for you to come back."

Taking a deep look at the father and son, Jiang Tingge no longer hesitated and resolutely stepped out of the Xi Family Manor.

The little boy watched his mother’s retreating figure, anxiety growing in his chest.

A child’s intuition is often inexplicably accurate. He stood by the door, hoping his mother would return on his birthday. But on the morning of his birthday, the third day after Jiang Tingge left the manor, the nationwide news reported the heroic sacrifice of S-level Fire Element Awakener Jiang Tingge.

This female admiral, at the cost of self-detonation and a tragic slaughter, finally halted the further spread of the A-level Magic Locust Tide, saving millions of humans in dozens of cities, allowing other Awakener warriors to clear the Locust Tide quickly, ultimately calming this near S-level disaster.

She died heroically, yet her death was surrounded by controversies.

Some revered her self-sacrifice as a grand heroic act, while others questioned her self-detonation for being inconsiderate of the lives of the citizens who had not yet escaped from Beishan City and the three nearby cities, labeling it as ruthless and bloody. People debated her decision to sacrifice a few to save many, and some went so far as to find the Xi Family Manor and splatter unknown blood to mourn the souls lost in Beishan City.

Xi Pingzhe didn’t know there were bad people cursing his mother at the door, as the butler didn’t let him out. He happily stayed in the kitchen, waiting for the chef to finish making his beautiful birthday cake, awaiting his mother’s return. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Yet, that night, before he had the chance to light the birthday candles, he was met with the tragic news of his father’s death by hanging.

In the dim room, the man’s body hung from the crystal chandelier, the fragmented light refracted by the crystals couldn’t cover the shadows dancing on the walls. For seven-year-old Xi Pingzhe, it was a memory that could never be forgotten.

Xi Pingzhe didn’t dislike his father, even though he lacked awakened abilities or Guardian Beast abilities. As an ordinary person, he had nothing but an exceptionally beautiful face and an overly gentle nature, which attracted Jiang Tingge, an S-level Awakener, to keep him at home like an unblemished white flower—beautiful yet useless.

But at least his father loved him. At least, even after his mother passed, he still had his father.

Yet at this moment, Xi Pingzhe completely hated Xi Shiyun, hated that he was a useless waste, hated him for not having the ability to protect his mom, and hated most of all his fragile and cowardly heart that couldn’t withstand a single blow, breaking his promise to his mom and abandoning him like this.

He began to despise any useless and weak men in the world.

If they couldn’t even protect the woman they loved, why should these men have them?!

He would never let his mother’s tragedy happen again!

Therefore, he would never allow Su Ang and Qian Qi to be together, letting Qian Qi repeat his mother’s fate, stained with those vile disputes!

Feeling Xi Pingzhe’s peculiarly targeted gaze, Su Ang hid behind Qian Qi, complaining softly, "Junior Sister Qiqi, your apprentice is very fierce, he seems unhappy with me in some way."

Xi Pingzhe glared angrily.

Not only is this man weak, but also green-eyed?

He could hardly imagine that this person was once the idol all of humanity revered!

Annoyed, Qian Qi glanced at them both, "Immature."

Regardless of the undercurrents between the two, Qian Qi lifted both of them by the back of their collars and leaped onto Er Ya’s head, "Stop dawdling, let’s find Yan Shuiyue and Leng Yuntian first."

Neither of them cared how embarrassing it looked being lifted by her. Xi Pingzhe even took the chance to secretly kick Su Ang, but Su Ang dodged effortlessly with a sidestep and even sneered, "Rookie."

Xi Pingzhe was filled with impotent rage: Aaaahhhh—!

Approaching Song City’s Jing Six District, the three could see the dark sky in the distance, and could even hear the dense flapping wings and chewing of the Magic Locust Tide, mingled with human wails and the frequent honking of agitated cars—a visual and auditory experience that was chilling.

To Qian Qi’s lack of surprise, there was a black hovercar swiftly cutting across the sky ahead, flying rapidly toward her. It was the hovercar that Leng Yuntian and Yan Shuiyue had left in.

"Hmm, let’s hope this trip wasn’t for nothing, at least save one person." Qian Qi rubbed her chin.

If so, it would do her the favor of finding an extra laborer.