Volume One: Emerging Brilliance Chapter 116: It’s Good That You’ve Returned

Wang Jue finished speaking and, without giving the two men a chance to respond, walked away.

Watching him leave, Ning Chuan and Niu Zhen finally let their expressions return to normal.

"Old Niu, you are truly shameless," Ning Chuan remarked, looking thoroughly annoyed as he watched the "cooked duck" slip right out of his hands. "You actually came all the way from the Qingshan Martial Arts Association to poach talent from our Heping Martial Arts Association. Is that even something a human would do?"

Ning Chuan had previously invited Wang Jue, but at the time, Wang had said he needed to consider it. Ning had played it cool, convinced that Wang would join his association sooner or later. He never expected this jerk Niu Zhen to interfere, causing Wang Jue to abandon the idea of joining any martial arts association entirely.

"Cut the crap," Niu Zhen retorted, his eyes wide with indignation. "Did Wang Jue join your Heping Association? No! So how exactly did I poach him?"

Missing out on such a genius left Niu Zhen feeling genuinely pained. Although the status of the main headquarters was unshakeable, the rivalry between the various regional branches could be described as a constant "clash in the shadows." While the high-level officials often greeted each other with smiles, they were secretly at each other's throats, desperate to gain an edge. They couldn't stand to see the others succeed; whenever a genius appeared, they would pull out all the stops to recruit them.

The main headquarters generally watched these internal squabbles with amusement—or rather, a sense of total indifference. After all, the gap between the main branch and the regional ones was simply too vast in terms of resources and heritage.

"If you hadn't messed things up, Wang Jue would have definitely joined our association," Ning Chuan said, his tone souring as his frustration grew. "Now, thanks to you, nobody gets him. It’s just a waste of his incredible talent."

"It seems you really don't understand Wang Jue at all," Niu Zhen said, his tiger-like eyes narrowing slightly. "I know he has high talent, and I know he was the best among the examinees. But you clearly don't know the extent of his actual strength. If you did, you wouldn't have let such a genius slip through your fingers. If it were me, I would have done anything to get him into the association!"

"You're joking," Ning Chuan said, looking skeptical. "How could I not be clear about his talent? The moment I discovered him, I went to his school to recruit him. He just said he needed time to think, so I didn't push him. If not for this practical exam, I wouldn't even have known he signed up."

Although he wasn't entirely certain of Wang Jue's exact combat capability, he knew that in terms of both raw talent and skill, the boy was a true prodigy.

"Heh, it seems you really are clueless," Niu Zhen said, a playful look crossing his face. "Let me be clear: if I were his age, even if there were three of me, I wouldn't be able to beat one Wang Jue in a real fight."

"What do you mean?" Ning Chuan frowned, a sudden sense of foreboding washing over him.

Niu Zhen spoke with a mix of self-mockery and irony. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. A sixteen-year-old at the Micro-level, with rich combat experience and excellent physical fitness—how many of his peers can compare to that?"

Ever since he became the head of the branch, he had spent years trying to cultivate geniuses, using pressure, martial arts manuals, and resources to lure them in. The more experts he cultivated, the more secure his position became.

Hearing this, Ning Chuan felt a sharp, suffocating pain in his chest. He pointed a trembling finger at Niu Zhen, his face full of grief and indignation. "So that's how it is. No wonder you personally tried to recruit him. This is a massive loss..."

"No, no, no. The loss is yours, not mine," Niu Zhen said, looking smug. "Don't forget, I already signed the other two geniuses from this exam, Wan Qianshan and Song Xiaoqing. Maybe they'll give me a surprise in the future. Though, I'm not asking for them to be incredible—if they can at least keep pace with Wang Jue, that would be enough."

Ning Chuan remained silent. Niu Zhen’s words were like salt in an open wound, mocking him for being blind to true talent.

...

At the exam camp plaza, Wang Jue and Monkey, who had changed back into his own clothes, were walking and chatting.

"Junior brother, you weren't there earlier, so you didn't hear what Wan Qianshan said. He was talking about competing with you to see who breaks through to the Red Star Realm first," Monkey said, looking quite puzzled. "By the way, do you have a grudge against him?"

"Who knows what his deal is?" Wang Jue said, feeling both amused and helpless. "I don't even know the guy. I suppose he heard we were both considered the top three geniuses and decided to treat me as his rival."

In reality, Wang Jue wasn't wrong. When Wan Qianshan saw him quickly dispatch the Dark Night Leopard, he had indeed marked him as his primary rival. As for the third genius, Song Xiaoqing, he didn't even bother to keep an eye on him. Like many geniuses, Wan Qianshan suffered from the flaw of being "haughty and arrogant." He was especially insufferable toward those he deemed weaker, but the moment he met someone equal or superior, he became obsessed with defeating them—just to prove he was the greatest of them all.

"Forget it, let's not talk about that. I need to call home and let them know I passed the practical exam," Wang Jue said, smiling as he pulled his phone from his pocket. "Senior brother, you should call your family too."

"Right, I almost forgot," Monkey said with a start, pulling out his own phone.

...

Meanwhile, at Wang Jue's home, his parents, Wang Jianbin and Liu Wenjing, sat anxiously on the sofa. Their daughter, Wang Xiaoyu, sat alone on a rocking chair, looking curious. "Dear Mom, do you think brother passed the practical exam?"

"Jianbin, is this exam dangerous?" Liu Wenjing ignored her daughter, turning instead to her husband. "Little Jue said it wasn't, but we read online that it’s quite dangerous."

"Don't worry. Since Little Jue said it’s not dangerous, it must be fine," Wang Jianbin said with a smile, though he felt incredibly nervous inside.

Liu Wenjing nodded. "Hmm..."

The couple tried to keep up appearances, but they were both deeply uneasy. Wang Xiaoyu, naturally lively and mischievous, saw her mother didn't reply and began to feel a trace of anxiety herself.

Suddenly, the quiet living room was filled with the sound of a ringing phone.

Mother Wang picked it up, her face lighting up with joy. "Jianbin, it’s Little Jue!"

"What are you waiting for? Answer it!" Wang Jianbin urged.

Wang Xiaoyu stared at the phone with wide eyes, waiting in silence. Liu Wenjing steadied her racing heart and pressed the speakerphone. "Little Jue?"

"Mom, I passed the practical exam. I’ll be home tonight, so you better have some good food ready!" Wang Jue’s familiar voice filled the room.

"Heh..." Father Wang chuckled, and Wang Xiaoyu, who had been sitting stiffly, leaned back in her rocking chair, a happy smile blooming on her face.

"Yes, yes, yes, Mom will definitely prepare plenty of good food," Liu Wenjing said, repeating herself in her excitement.

...

At six in the evening, Monkey dropped Wang Jue off at the entrance of his apartment complex. As Wang Jue stepped out, he saw his parents and his little sister waiting at the door. He waved with a smile. "Mom, Dad, Xiaoyu, I’m home."

"It's good to be back, it's so good to be back..." Mother Liu said, her eyes tearing up as her anxiety finally faded away.

"That's my boy!" Father Wang said, beaming with pride.

Wang Xiaoyu’s eyes crinkled into crescents. "Yay, finally time to eat!"

After dinner, the family was in high spirits. In a sense, Wang Jue was now an official Adventurer. His parents were curious about the exam, so Wang Jue gave them a simplified, downplayed account of his experience. Having spent the whole day in suspense, the parents’ tension finally dissipated, and they soon went to rest, looking visibly exhausted.

Wang Xiaoyu, however, was mindlessly munching on the snacks Wang Jue had brought her, her eyes fixed on him. "Brother, are you a real Adventurer now?"

She had finished kindergarten and would be starting first grade next semester, but before that, she would have to undergo the talent test every child had to take. She longed to be a martial artist, especially now that her brother had gone from an ordinary person to an elite Adventurer. She was already calculating how she would show off to her friends.

"What are you up to now?" Wang Jue asked, raising an eyebrow. He knew his mischievous little sister all too well. She was clearly plotting something.

He assumed she wanted more snacks, even though he’d already bought enough to last her half a month. If it wasn't snacks, it had to be roast duck.

Wang Xiaoyu’s eyes sparkled. "Brother, to celebrate you becoming an Adventurer, let's go buy roast duck tomorrow!"

*I knew it.*

"The fox's tail is showing, isn't it?" Wang Jue’s mouth twitched. "Isn't that more for your celebration than mine?" He couldn't understand why she was so hopelessly obsessed with roast duck.

"It’s the same thing, it’s the same thing!" Wang Xiaoyu said, unfazed by being called out. "Look, brother, you won't be eating it alone. Mom, Dad, and you will be eating too, so you should buy a few extra just in case."

"You’ve got a vivid imagination," Wang Jue said, exasperated. "Why should I buy you roast duck?"

"Because you're my big brother!" she insisted, sticking her neck out.

Wang Jue was speechless. He found he had no retort.