Chapter 94: What’s Wrong with Hitting You?!

“What’s wrong with hitting you?!” Chu Xin’s voice was filled with loathing. “I should have killed you ages ago. That’s what I should have done.”

“Starting today, you’re no longer part of the Chu family! Get out!” Chu Xin’s voice trembled.

He regretted it—regretted mistaking a lump of wood for a pearl, cherishing this worthless piece while letting go of the true treasure.

She remembered when Kyeong first returned home. He had respected her then. He would sneak peeks at her, cared for her, and longed for her attention. He even tried to please her by cleaning his room when she asked him to.

But because of this fool, she had hurt her own daughter deeply.

Chu Yan’s face froze. Hearing this, she stopped crying and quickly grabbed Chu Xin’s hand.

“Mom, I was wrong! You can scold me or even hit me, but please don’t talk like that. I can’t bear for you to reject me anymore!”

“Dad is gone now, and you’re the only family I have left.”

“I promise—I’ll listen to you from now on. I’ll work hard at my psychic energy to become a Pill Master.”

“I—I’m definitely going to become a Pill Master, and then I’ll aim for a Grade 1 status. Chu Ning—she was lying! Her psychic energy is only E-grade, and her hidden psychic strength is just C. There’s no way she could become a Grade 1 Pill Master!”

Hearing this, Chu Xin flew into a rage once more and pushed Chu Yan away with all her might.

“How dare you suggest my daughter’s hidden psychic strength is only C-grade! I should have known you were lying! You made me doubt my own child—Chu Ning must have left because of your lies!”

“Get out! While I still don’t feel like killing you, you’d better leave right now!” Chu Xin was shaking with anger.

It all made sense now. During Chu Ning’s assessment, this little brat must have tampered with the test, deliberately causing both her psychic energy and hidden psychic strength to appear low.

In her anger, she hadn’t even thought to test her daughter herself.

How could I have been so blind?

“Mom—!” Chu Yan was scared but still refused to leave.

She tried to approach Chu Xin again, but Wu Hui stopped her.

“Second Sister, the mistress is upset. It’s best if you go now.”

“No second sister here! She’s not my daughter! I won’t let her set foot in the Chu household again!” Fear flashed in Chu Yan’s eyes.

“Then take care of Mom and get her home. I’ll—I’ll come to apologize another day,” she finally managed.

Wu Hui breathed a sigh of relief when Chu Yan left.

He called the flying car to take Chu Xin back to the Chu residence.

On the way, Chu Xin sat with her head down, not saying a word.

When they arrived, she spoke for the first time, telling Wu Hui to contact Gu Ming and bring him home.

Chu Xin waited in the study while Gu Ming arrived.

“Mother, you wanted to see me—” Gu Ming entered respectfully, looking at Chu Xin.

His face showed some concern as he lowered his head. He couldn’t understand why Chu Xin had urgently called him back. Since the last training session, he’d hardly left the Pill Sect. He’d been working harder than anyone else, day and night, trying to improve his spiritual strength to become a journeyman apothecary as soon as possible.

Every day at the Pill Sect cost Gu Ming valuable star coins.

And he wasn’t sure how much longer his mom was willing to help him.

“Uh-huh.” Chu Xin agreed and looked up at her son.

This child was her son with Blue Feather, Gyeong’s younger brother.

Her own son was a highly trained S-rank specialist in skills.

As Chu Ting’s sister from the same mother and father, how could she be only a C-rank specialist in skills?

Why didn’t I realize this earlier? she thought, feeling regret. I allowed Gyeong to be tricked by that foolish thing.

“Gu Ming, I heard your sister’s speech today at the Orchid College,” Chu Xin said.

Gu Ming looked up at Chu Xin, thinking she was talking about Chu Yan and didn’t respond.

Chu Yan had been using the Chu family resources for years and was hostile towards her brother, with neither sibling liking the other’s company.

Chu Xin sighed.

“Only now did I discover that not only did your sister get into the Emperor’s Star Military Academy, but she’s also a master pill maker.”

Gu Ming looked at Chu Xin, surprised.

Chu Yan got into the Emperor’s Star Military Academy? And she’s a master pill maker too?

First surprise, then panic.

Does that mean Mom called me back because of what Chu Yan said? Is she going to stop helping me?

“Mom, my psychic power is almost at the peak of C rank,” Gu Ming said anxiously. “Tomorrow, I can go to the Pill Master Association and sign up for the pill mastering test!”

Seeing Gu Ming’s expression, Chu Xin’s gaze softened a bit.

“Gu Ming, you’ve misunderstood. Mom isn’t comparing you to your sister.”

Still feeling uneasy, Gu Ming listened as Chu Xin continued.

“What I want to tell you is, I’m certain now: your sister is the leader of the Pill Sect.”

A look of surprise crossed Gu Ming’s face.

“So, Mom, when you talk about your sister, you mean—”

Chu Xin nodded.

“It’s Chu Ning.”

Gu Ming’s feelings were mixed.

He had actually known for some time that Chu Ning was the leader of the Pill Sect.

While he wasn’t at the Pill Sect himself, he was close enough that even if he couldn’t meet with the sect leader, he heard plenty of stories about her.

On top of that, having occasional contact with the Pill Sect’s alchemists gave him even more information.

After learning the truth, though, he never tried to contact his sister or tell his mother about it.

Firstly, Chu Ning was very resistant to the Chu family. Even if he went looking for her, he probably wouldn’t get any support—and it might even backfire.

Secondly, if his mother knew Chu Ning was the leader of the Pill Sect, she’d surely pressure him to try and get Chu Ning to come back home.

But he was certain the chance of that happening was practically zero.

The longer he stayed at the Pill Sect, the more he realized how incredible it was. Chu Ning was already the sect leader, and she’d even married the marshal—a high-ranking official—and the young master of the Gu family—a wealthy clan.

To her, the current Chu family was nothing.

How could someone like Chu Ning be willing to return to such a cold home?

“Gyeong is not just a high-level Pill Master; her spiritual potential is even more remarkable, reaching S grade.”

“And there’s the Pill Sect. Didn’t you mention they have precious secret medicines that can rapidly enhance one’s spirit?”

“If your sister could come back to the Chu family—”

Gu Ming furrowed his brow.

“Ming, please help me,” Chu Xin pleaded, looking at him with emotion in her eyes. “I want to make up for hurting you and your sister.”

Gu Ming stayed silent. He didn’t know what to say.

“Later, I’ll announce that I’ve cut ties with Chu Yan. From now on, the Chu family is yours and your sister’s.”

Gu Ming’s eyes flickered.

“Mom, position-wise, I’m still unlikely to meet my sister. Besides—” he looked at Chu Xin worriedly.

“Even if I met her, she… probably wouldn’t want to come back.”

A painful expression flashed in Chu Xin’s eyes.

“We have to try. Chu Ning is the hope of the Chu family. We can’t give up.”

Hearing this, Gu Ming’s warming heart suddenly turned cold again.

As expected, in his mother’s eyes, usefulness to the Chu family comes first.

“Alright, I’ll look for a chance to see her and bring her back to the Chu Family,” Gu Ming said, pushing down his emotions.

Tomorrow, take the test for Journeyman Apothecary.

Then quickly raise your spiritual energy to the peak of C rank.

Finally, buy the Pill Sect’s beginner cultivation technique.

Chu Xin nodded with satisfaction.

After a few more encouraging words, Chu Xin assured Gu Ming that she would support him continuing to cultivate at the Pill Sect.