"Child, the time is not yet ripe." The old man's expression was stern, his tone grave. "Your enemies are powerful, and there are even deeper forces behind them. You are no match for them yet."
"But..." Qin Zhizhi wanted to say more, but the old man interrupted her. "Remember this: a wise man waits ten years to take his revenge. Only by constantly improving your own strength can you truly take control of your destiny and protect the people you want to protect."
With that, the old man turned into countless specks of starlight and vanished.
Qin Zhizhi stood where she was, lost in thought. She understood the old man's words, and she knew that her current strength was still not enough to contend with Qin Jiaojiao and Lin Wan.
"The time is not yet ripe?" Qin Zhizhi murmured to herself, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes. "Very well, I will wait! I will cultivate diligently, and one day, I will trample them underfoot with my own hands!"
Outside the window, the night was deep and the stars were scattered like dots, as if responding to her determination. An even greater storm was brewing.
Qin Zhizhi took a deep breath and pushed down her chaotic thoughts. The old man's words still echoed in her ears, and she knew she could no longer let herself be pushed around like before. She was going to grow strong—strong enough to protect herself and the people she cared about.
A few days later, the Qin Family hosted a grand family gathering. It was ostensibly to celebrate Father Qin's birthday, but in reality, it was meant to build hype for Qin Jiaojiao's recent "achievements" on the path of immortality.
Qin Jiaojiao wore a light purple long dress with exquisite makeup, and every movement of hers exuded an air of arrogance.
"Jiaojiao is truly getting more and more impressive! At such a young age, she has already reached the Qi Condensation Stage Level 5. She is truly the pride of our Qin Family!"
"Indeed! Unlike some people who occupy the status of legitimate daughter yet possess not a shred of cultivation, simply wasting family resources."
The murmurs of the guests reached Qin Zhizhi's ears, but she merely smiled faintly and paid them no mind. These past few days, she had cultivated diligently according to the System's instructions, and her cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. She had simply been concealing her strength, waiting for the right moment.
Halfway through the banquet, Qin Jiaojiao walked up to the high stage surrounded by the crowd, preparing to display her "unique skill." She formed hand seals and chanted an incantation. A pale blue Spiritual Power gathered in her palm, gradually forming an exquisite ice lotus.
"Wow! It's an ice lotus! I heard that this can only be conjured by practicing an advanced Cultivation Manual!"
"Jiaojiao is truly amazing! Her future prospects are boundless!"
The guests exclaimed one after another, looking at Qin Jiaojiao with eyes full of envy and adoration. Qin Jiaojiao reveled in the adoration of the crowd, feeling immensely smug. She looked toward Qin Zhizhi with a provocative gaze, only to find the latter lowering her head to eat a pastry, seemingly entirely indifferent to her performance.
Qin Jiaojiao sneered inwardly: What qualifications did a good-for-nothing have to judge her?
However, right at that moment, Qin Zhizhi suddenly stood up, clapped her hands, and said offhandedly, "This ice lotus is indeed pretty, but the color seems a bit pale, and the power isn't much to speak of."
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall was shocked. Complete silence fell, so quiet that a pin dropping could be heard.
The crowd looked at Qin Zhizhi in disbelief, as if gazing at a monster. Qin Jiaojiao's face turned ashen; the perfect image she had painstakingly crafted had been destroyed by a single casual remark from Qin Zhizhi!
"Qin Zhizhi, what nonsense are you spouting!" Qin Jiaojiao scolded furiously. "What do you know about cultivation? How could you possibly be qualified to critique my ice lotus?"
Qin Zhizhi sneered, slowly walking up to the high stage and stopping opposite Qin Jiaojiao. Today she wore a simple white dress without a trace of makeup, yet she possessed an inherent cold and aloof temperament, making her look like a completely different person from usual.
"Am I talking nonsense? You'll know if you just try," Qin Zhizhi said. She raised her right hand as well, and with a light touch of her fingertips, a rich wave of blue Spiritual Power instantly surged forth, condensing in mid-air into an ice lotus that was larger and more exquisite than Qin Jiaojiao's.
If Qin Jiaojiao's ice lotus was merely an unblossomed flower bud, then Qin Zhizhi's ice lotus was a fully blooming peony, its petals layered and crystal-clear, emitting a biting chill.
"Th-This is impossible?!" Qin Jiaojiao cried out in alarm, her eyes filled with sheer disbelief. She never imagined that Qin Zhizhi could actually cultivate, and that her cultivation was even higher than her own!
The guests below the stage were also dumbfounded. They had never expected that Qin Zhizhi, whom they had always regarded as good-for-nothing, had actually concealed her strength, and that her first display would be so astonishing!
"Zhizhi, your cultivation..."
Father Qin stared at Qin Zhizhi in shock, speechless for a long moment. He had always thought Qin Zhizhi was a good-for-nothing incapable of cultivation, never expecting her to possess such talent!
Mother Qin also covered her mouth, her eyes filled with excitement and remorse. All these years, she had been hoodwinked by Qin Jiaojiao and had treated Qin Zhizhi with all sorts of harshness. Thinking about it now, she regretted it bitterly!
Right at that moment, a deep and magnetic voice sounded: "Miss Qin's natural talent is extraordinary, truly admirable."
The crowd looked toward the source of the voice and saw a man in a black suit walking slowly over. He had handsome features and a cold demeanor, with a pair of deep, penetrating eyes that seemed capable of insight into everything. He was none other than the head of the Yin Family—Yin Sichen.
Yin Sichen walked to Qin Zhizhi's side and nodded slightly in greeting. Qin Zhizhi responded politely as well, though she felt somewhat surprised inwardly, not expecting Yin Sichen to appear here.
"President Yin flatters me," Qin Zhizhi said calmly, her gaze sweeping past the pale-faced Qin Jiaojiao as the corners of her lips curved into a mocking arc. "I merely worked a little harder than certain people."
Yin Sichen naturally understood the implication behind her words. He gave Qin Zhizhi a deep look, a trace of appreciation flashing in his eyes. This girl was even more interesting than he had imagined.
Seeing that Yin Sichen actually looked at Qin Zhizhi in a different light, Qin Jiaojiao burned with jealousy. She glared fiercely at Qin Zhizhi and turned to run down the stage.
"Jiaojiao!" Seeing this, Mother Qin hurriedly gave chase.
Father Qin looked at Qin Zhizhi, his eyes filled with complex emotions—shock, guilt, and a trace of relief.
"Zhizhi, it is Father who failed you all these years," Father Qin walked up to Qin Zhizhi, saying with a remorseful tone. "Father was blinded and mistakenly trusted others, causing you to suffer so many grievances."
Qin Zhizhi looked at the elderly man before her with temples already tinged with grey, her heart full of mixed emotions. She knew that although Father Qin was biased, his basic nature wasn't bad; he had simply been deceived by the mother-and-daughter pair of Qin Jiaojiao and Lin Wan.
"Let's not speak of past matters," Qin Zhizhi said calmly. "I only hope that in the future, Father can distinguish right from wrong and not be hoodwinked by hypocritical people again."
Hearing this, Father Qin lowered his head in shame.
Qin Zhizhi gently patted her father's shoulder, giving him a comforting look. She knew that frozen three feet of ice does not form in a single day, and completely changing Father Qin's mindset would still take time.
Qin Jiaojiao's ice lotus "performance" had turned into a joke and ended hastily. And overnight, Qin Zhizhi became the focal point of everyone's attention. Those who had once mocked her hurriedly put on flattering expressions, attempting to curry favor with her.
Qin Zhizhi sneered at the hypocritical faces of these people and shifted her gaze to Lin Wan, who was still hiding in the crowd trying to lower her presence. This woman was the true mastermind behind all of this.
"Aunt Lin, you've worked hard all these years," Qin Zhizhi walked up to Lin Wan, a meaningful smile curling the corners of her lips.
Lin Wan felt her scalp tingle under that gaze, but she forced herself to remain calm as she said, "Zhizhi, what do you mean by that? I don't understand."
"Is that so?" Qin Zhizhi pulled an exquisite voice recorder from her pocket and pressed the play button.