Superhumans of the Dome City-Chapter 1393 - 10: Disorder Factor_2

Chi Zijing suddenly asked: "Liu Qing, is Master Jing the father of that child?"

"I don’t think so." Liu Zhongwu said, "The transformation of ordinary people by the Fan Ding Realm doesn’t happen so quickly. Even if one enjoys staying in the Grotto Heaven, it takes a long time to become a true master. Most likely, he is a ’senior’ whom he happened to meet, someone who takes care of... or monitors the child as they’re still young."

"Oh."

After that, Chi Zijing said nothing. The three of them escorted the Crown Prince back to the Eastern Palace, then Situ Yi went to the East Martial District to watch a play, Liu Zhongwu returned to the Imperial Academy Supervisor to study, and Gongsun Ce bought a few candied haws and sat on the curb, quietly watching the winter scenery of Divine Capital City.

It was after four in the afternoon, the sunlight had weakened a bit, hiding behind the clouds. Middle-aged women and elderly folks pedaled their bicycles with effort to pick up children from school. The street vendors also pushed out their carts, preparing starchy sausages, hand-grab cakes, and beef offal, and finding spots near school gates to sell to students. Amidst the jingling of bike bells, people were chatting and laughing, discussing prices and topics from TV and newspapers.

Late 1997 was the climax of the secret war, with non-stop artillery fire on the border battlefield, but the school gate seemed like a small Holy Sanctuary, isolating the atmosphere of war. Even the elders most concerned about national affairs didn’t let discussions veer into this area; those few who inadvertently did were nudged by other parents to dismiss the topic with a smile. Everyone wanted the children to live happily without hearing about warfare. Such a scene certainly didn’t welcome the involvement of Master Jing, nor would anyone want a school gate with a mechanical man who could launch missiles from its arms, even if he was "the father" of another child.

"It’s not easy being an official," Gongsun Ce muttered.

Having finished a hawthorn and bean paste candied haw, he was about to bite into the second one made of yam when a small shadow cast over, landing on the candied haw. Gongsun Ce looked up to meet a pair of curious eyes.

Their eyes were as clear as a lake, with black pearls lying within. They belonged to a seven-year-old girl, wearing black cloth shoes, a black cheongsam, with her hair styled into two tiny buns. She tilted her head, her voice crisp: "Uncle, you’re squatting on the street in broad daylight, do you not have a job?"

"Uncle is a student now, students don’t have jobs." Gongsun Ce replied gently.

The little girl continued to tilt her head: "Why were your eyes so gloomy earlier, yet they are bright now?"

Gongsun Ce noticed her elder in blue clothing not far away, raised a brow, then suddenly put on a serious face: "Uncle has a free-spirited, dashing nature, and delights in admiring elegant beauties. Today, upon seeing a young lady with such captivating looks that surpass even mythical beauty, my heart brightened, dispelling any gloom!"

The little girl did a flip backward, tugging at her elder’s sleeve, changing her tone abruptly: "Uncle Ming, this person is all talk, not someone to associate with."

Gongsun Ce exclaimed "Ah!" and quickly stepped forward with a smile: "Don’t badmouth Uncle, how about Uncle gives you candied haws to eat? Oh, why am I getting hit! How can you hit me after taking the candied haws!"

The little girl, with a cold demeanor, replied: "Pretending to be an ordinary girl was just a test. You’re just a pretty facade but full of flattering words, you’re a menace and should leave quickly."

"You praised my good looks! See, you still find Uncle handsome, right? Oh, that’s wonderful — it’s my appearance that won!" Gongsun Ce cheered joyfully.

"Stop your nonsense!"

Gongsun Ce clenched his fists in a victorious pose, and the little girl, realizing her slip-up, angrily stepped forward to stomp on him. Gongsun Ce cried out and dodged, raising his hands in surrender. The two ran circles around Qin Ming, resembling the silly cat and mouse from a cartoon.

Qin Ming watched the pair with interest, then reached out and picked the little girl up: "Little Qian, say hello. This is my new classmate, Gongsun Ce."

Gongsun Ce cooperated by stopping, stooped down and asked: "Little girl, what’s your name?"

The little girl looked at him with disdain, broke free and hid behind Qin Ming.

"In response to Uncle Gongsun, I am Uncle Ming’s niece, named Qin Qianbai."

·

"Little Qian and you are uncle-niece?"

"Uh... if we go by generations, it’s quite messy. I’m just the age of her father’s generation, so I had her call me Uncle," Qin Ming explained.

Seeing the conversation turn towards her, Qin Qianbai quickly hid behind Qin Ming, determined not to speak to Gongsun Ce. Gongsun Ce, holding an array of food, wore a troubled expression, making people want to laugh.

Having spotted Gongsun Ce from afar earlier, Qin Ming sent Qin Qianbai over to say hello, but the young lady from 13 years ago had no affection for this flirtatious man, deciding not to converse despite any food Gongsun Ce bought to tempt her. Gongsun Ce deliberately sighed loudly: "Ah! Speaking to a young lady from the Qin family is indeed difficult."

Qin Qianbai furrowed her brow: "How am I a young lady?"

With a playful tone, Gongsun Ce said: "Flattering you is deemed as flippant, you resort to action for your slip-ups, and even with a mountain of gold and silver, it’s difficult to exchange small talk with you. Such a hard-to-please treasure, if not a young lady then what?"

Qin Qianbai’s face reddened as she pouted: "Fine, I’ll talk with you."

Gongsun Ce smugly adjusted his glasses, teasing her without missing a beat: "In terms of seniority, what’s Qin Ming to you?"

Qin Qianbai calculated on her fingers, replied: "Uncle Ming was born in the 34th year of Hua Xuan, which is 317 years ago, many generations above me, meant to be a great-granduncle in the clan."

Gongsun Ce almost choked: "He’s 317 years old???"

"I’m twenty-five," Qin Ming said.

"How come... did you also visit the Grotto Heaven?"

Qin Qianbai looked at him uninterestedly: "Uncle Gongsun, you’re in the Imperial Academy Supervisor’s inner circle; no need for empty chatter or forced topics."

Why mention the Imperial Academy Supervisor again? What’s this got to do with identity...

Suddenly, Gongsun Ce recalled Liu Zhongwu’s earlier vague explanation, Zhang Hongzheng’s implicit words when giving him the token, and the inexplicable annoyance of Yan Qi. In that moment, he understood the undertone behind those actions, a well-known truth among all inner circle students.

Students of the Imperial Academy Supervisor’s inner circle — they’re all ancient beings from the Grotto Heaven!

"...No wonder Yan Qi looked at me that way before," Gongsun Ce muttered.

Qin Qianbai’s expression worsened upon hearing this, her voice cold: "How can you make such jokes about Uncle Yan."

"Huh?" Gongsun Ce was stunned, "No, I really didn’t mean it, did I say something wrong?"

Qin Ming scratched his head, his expression puzzled as he spoke: "Yan Qi ’should’ be unable to ’see’ you... because Yan Qi is blind, he has no sight."