Chapter 114: The Staircase Method Is Activated (First-Subscription Bonus Chapter 1)

At seven o’clock the next morning, when Cheng Long awoke, Xiaoyu had already been in the backyard for some time. In her hands was a notebook—judging by the cover, a book of corrected mistakes. Reviewing errors early in the morning, especially the parts requiring memorization, was said to be a more efficient way to study.

Though Cheng Long didn’t know the basis for this claim, everyone seemed to agree, so perhaps there was some truth to it. However, Cheng Long doubted that reading upside down in the morning would be effective. Indeed, while Xiaoyu appeared to be reciting her lessons, she was actually in a daze, not even noticing that the book was held upside down.

“Xiaoyu, come here,” Cheng Long called to her, waving his hand. Xiaoyu snapped out of her trance and looked at Cheng Long, who was dressed in his training attire. She turned her head sideways and snorted, as if to say, “You didn’t help me yesterday, and I’m still not happy about it.”

“Xiaoyu, don’t you really want to learn martial arts from me?” Cheng Long approached and looked at her.

Xiaoyu lifted her chin, glanced sideways at Cheng Long with a sly look, and hesitated awkwardly for a few seconds. “Don’t think that just because you’re teaching me now, I’ll forgive you.”

Cheng Long smiled and assumed a stance. His right hand slowly clenched into a fist, and faint, milky-white energy began to gather around it in swirling circles. Xiaoyu’s gaze was drawn to the energy gathering on his right fist.

Suddenly, a sharp shout echoed by her ear as Cheng Long’s right fist surged forward with tremendous force!

A fierce wind swept through the yard. Xiaoyu instinctively raised her book to shield her face. Through the narrow gap, she saw the fallen leaves and dust in the courtyard being swept to both sides.

From beneath Cheng Long’s fist, a distinct path stretched all the way to the wall. The plaster on the wall flaked off in layers, revealing a massive fist-shaped imprint.

Xiaoyu sucked in a breath, startled to the point of drooling, then tossed aside her book of mistakes and leapt onto Cheng Long’s back.

“Uncle Long! Uncle Long! Are you really going to teach me this? Really? Really?” Xiaoyu kept repeating like a broken record.

Cheng Long grabbed her by the collar and gently set her down. Then, with a slow smile and a gleam of anticipation in Xiaoyu’s eyes, he said, “The school you want to enter specializes in this kind of training. There are many masters inside who are far more skilled than me.”

“Really?” Xiaoyu’s eyes sparkled, her pupils darting mischievously. “I don’t believe it. Who could be better than Uncle Long? Uncle Long, teach me right now!”

Just as Xiaoyu was coaxing him, their father suddenly appeared at a second-floor window behind them. “Cheng Long~ How many times have I told you~ Don’t practice martial arts in the yard; you’ll break something. You never listen to me~”

“And another thing~ The agreed time is almost here. Hurry up and get ready to leave.”

“All right, I’m coming,” Cheng Long replied.

“Uncle Long~ Where are you going? You haven’t taught me yet!” Xiaoyu clung to his clothes, refusing to let go.

Cheng Long crouched down and said, “I’m going to apply for a teaching position at the school you want to attend. If you get admitted, I promise I’ll teach you.”

After saying this, Cheng Long patted Xiaoyu on the head and quickly walked off. Xiaoyu, a little disappointed, picked up her notebook and muttered to herself, “What kind of school is this? So mysterious. Maybe I should visit it beforehand; it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Several dozen minutes later, Cheng Long got into the car that had come to pick him up for registration. To his surprise, their father was sitting beside him, holding a cup of tea.

“Dad, you’re not registering too?” Cheng Long asked in astonishment.

“No. Master Cheng is the associate professor we invited. Today, he’s meeting with Principal Li and others to discuss the curriculum,” the driver in front tactfully explained on their father’s behalf.

Their father shot Cheng Long a glance that seemed to say, “Young man, you’re still inexperienced.”

Cheng Long scratched his head and fell silent. He had never cared much about becoming a lecturer, but with his father already an associate professor, he felt a bit motivated—if only he could surpass his father’s position someday.

Lost in such thoughts, he began to imagine himself sitting at a professor’s desk, waiting for his father to come in and report.

“Snap!” Their father flicked Cheng Long’s head with his finger. “We’re almost there. Stop daydreaming.”

“Oh, okay.” Cheng Long rubbed his head as the car twisted and turned, entering a courtyard. A flash of light from a teleportation array briefly appeared, and before he knew it, they had arrived at the Huaxia Cultivation Preparatory Academy. The registration was held within the school itself due to a shortage of staff.

After entering the school, the car slowed to ten miles per hour and continued for a few more minutes before stopping in front of a large building.

At the entrance stood a woman dressed in silk embroidered with lotus flowers. Her long hair cascaded naturally over her shoulders, and even from a distance, Cheng Long sensed a faint fragrance of lotus blossoms.

“Greetings, I am Vice Principal Zhao Ling’er. On behalf of Huaxia Cultivation Preparatory Academy, I welcome you to join us,” she said with a gentle and melodious voice. Combined with her flawless features, no one would doubt she had just come of age. Yet her demeanor exuded a composed elegance, a perfect harmony of contrasting qualities.

“You’re too kind. It’s an honor to receive the school’s invitation,” their father straightened his posture and lightly shook her fingertips.

Cheng Long glanced at his father with surprise. In the past, his father had seemed like an ordinary old man when not taking action, but now he appeared more like a formidable figure.

Their father shook his head, seemingly dissatisfied with Cheng Long’s reaction. “Principal Zhao, this is my son, Cheng Long, an archaeologist and a junior professional. He is here to apply for a teaching position.”

“I’ve heard of him. Welcome,” Zhao Ling’er greeted Cheng Long appropriately, then tilted her head slightly to look behind them. “That little girl came with you, didn’t she?”

A little girl?!

Cheng Long spun around to find Xiaoyu standing awkwardly by the car, hands clasped behind her back, smiling sheepishly.

Xiaoyu didn’t want to come out from her hiding spot but had been gently but irresistibly guided here by an unseen force.

“Xiaoyu!” Cheng Long rushed over. “How did you sneak out of the house?”

“Uh… I took the stairs,” Xiaoyu replied, then smiled brightly at Zhao Ling’er. The sharp girl immediately recognized her as the one with the real influence here.

Embarrassed, Cheng Long looked at Zhao Ling’er. “Vice Principal Zhao, I’m terribly sorry. She’s my niece. I’ll take her back right away.”

“No worries. It’s alright to want to visit. Little one, stay close to your uncle and don’t run off,” Zhao Ling’er said softly. A girl just eleven years old, with no cultivation experience, yet able to evade the teleportation gate and the school’s entry detection—she was truly a top-tier prospective student.