"Did you gain any insight during this retreat?"

Cao Ying looked at him with great concern and asked.

In the family, Cao Ying has many trump cards, and the person in front of him is definitely one of the most important ones.

Therefore, he is particularly concerned about this person, because he knows that even in times of crisis, he will never betray him.

Glaring expressionlessly at Cao Ying, he said without any emotion, "There’s still no breakthrough, though I feel I’ve gained more insights. Next time, I should be able to achieve it all at once."

His face held not a trace of emotion, as if discussing something unrelated to himself.

Upon hearing his words, Cao Ying was not the least bit disappointed, instead gently advising, "Your expectations for yourself are too high. You are already the strongest in our family; don’t put so much pressure on yourself."

"Family Head, is there anything else? If not, I will continue with my cultivation. My time is precious."

Hearing this slightly impatient tone, Cao Ying’s eye twitched.

If anyone else spoke like this, he would have cursed them outright.

But he didn’t dare to now, because he was still counting on this person to help him.

"Don’t hurry. You’ve just finished your retreat; going back into it isn’t great. Take a break, I have something for you to do, just to relax."

"What’s the task?"

"To secretly follow a few young members of our family to gather some information for me! Ensure their safety if necessary."

Having said that, Cao Ying took a deep breath and briefly mentioned some matters previously assigned to Cao Wei.

"You mean to have me play bodyguard? Do they deserve my protection?"

Sensing his annoyance, Cao Ying quickly soothed him, "It’s not about protecting them, but for you to relax. Besides, the primary task is for you to investigate someone named Hu Xiaobei for me."

Pausing somewhat here, Cao Ying soon continued, "Previously, I heard from Cao Ya that this Hu Xiaobei seems quite proficient. You should test him out. You’re at a bottleneck, more encounters could help you break through faster."

"Is he really proficient?"

Noticing some interest from him, Cao Ying calmly continued, "I’m not entirely sure of the specific situation. But you could try; it might not disappoint you!"

"Is that so! When will they leave?"

"They are preparing now, should be soon. You can stealthily follow."

"Okay! Got it!"

Nodding his head, this person left directly...

...

"Geniuses truly come in various forms!"

Watching him turn and leave directly, Cao Ying mused inwardly.

This person named Cao Tian is the most talented genius Cao Ying has ever encountered, never forgetting anything.

Therefore, Cao Ying had a deep impression of him from an early stage.

After contact, Cao Ying found this person’s IQ indeed very high, but his EQ is quite lacking, often opposing him.

Initially, Cao Ying was a bit upset, but gradually became accustomed to it.

"Family Head, is it a bit too formal to send Cao Tian for this?"

"Yes, Family Head, it’s just a Hu Xiaobei."

Hearing the two elders’ soft-spoken remarks, Cao Ying squinted his eyes and said calmly, "Things are not as simple as we think; Cao Ya definitely concealed something before. I guess he must have suffered. Cao Ya’s strength isn’t great, but decent enough. If he suffered, it indicates the opponent is truly skilled, so a bit of formality is good."

"Family Head, even if it requires formality, there’s no need to send Cao Tian!"

"Indeed!"

Hearing their words, Cao Ying glanced at them and explained meticulously, "I understand your point. I actually don’t intend for Cao Tian to do anything because, in my view, no matter Hu Xiaobei’s competence, he’s just an ant, at most a slightly bigger ant. My main reason for sending Cao Tian is to let him relax. You all know sometimes when breakthroughs can’t be made, one gets agitated, fixated. Cao Tian is the future of our family, and I can’t let him face any risks."

"That’s true!"

They thought for a while and nodded in agreement...

They knew that Cao Tian is truly a special asset to the family, hence must be safeguarded properly.

Seeing them all agree with him, Cao Ying smiled proudly, saying, "Alright, we don’t need to dwell on this issue now. They’ll definitely resolve the problem. Let’s discuss other matters!"

"Okay!"

Thus, they started discussing...

On the other side, Cao Wei was cheerfully humming a tune.

At this moment, Cao Wei was in an exceedingly good mood.

Glancing at Cao Ya and others trailing behind him, he softly said, "What’s wrong? Your spirits seem pretty low. Is it really that bad following me?"

"Not at all, we’re quite happy!"

Having said this, Cao Ya looked towards his team and asked, "Right?"

"Right, we’re very happy!"

"You better be! Otherwise, you’ll face consequences."

After coldly saying this, Cao Wei looked at Cao Ya and continued, "In the future, you’d better not show off in front of me continually because you really don’t have the right."

"Rest assured, wherever you show up, I’ll certainly stay far away."

"Yes! That’s best!"

After saying so, Cao Wei said proudly, "Go gather some people, we’re about to set off. I want to see if this Hu Xiaobei has three-headed and six-armed abilities."

Hearing him instruct to gather people, Cao Ya frowned and straightforwardly said, "I should be selecting people? What about you?"

With a glance at the disgruntled face of Cao Ya, Cao Wei smirked and said, "Me? I’ll take a bath and change into a different outfit! What’s up? Are you questioning my orders? Don’t forget, you are still in a position to atone for your crimes."

Recalling his current situation of atoning for crimes, he suppressed the fury in his heart, humbly lowered his head, "I have no doubts about your orders, I’ll go summon people right away!"

"That’s right! After gathering everyone, wait outside for me, I’ll come out prepared!"

"Okay!"

After saying this, Cao Ya watched Cao Wei leave without looking back.

...

"Damn it!"

Once Cao Wei was far enough, Cao Ya furiously cursed!

Never before in his life had he endured such great humiliation, truly unbearable now.

"Brother, don’t take it to heart against him."

"Exactly, Brother, he’s just a petty little man reveling in his brief luck!"

"All of you shut up!"

Upon hearing their advice, Cao Ya fiercely glared at them.