Daqian Martial Saint

Chapter 461: Chapter 376: Ten Thousand Demons Branch, Talented Girl of the Academy

“Of course. We should talk more.”

“Erya, the Instructor only went over it once, and you memorized it all! I wish I had your brain~”

“If you put your mind to it, you can do it too~”

“BOOHOO, I swear I studied really hard! I went over it three times and I still can’t remember it!”

From within the crowd, two vibrant and beautiful young women walked out of Weishui Academy, shoulder to shoulder.

Chen Erya wore a simple school uniform and carried a plain bag on her back. Beside her stood a tall, stunning young woman who looked to be a few years her senior. Though this young woman also wore a school uniform, hers was lavishly decorated, making her stand out even more.

However, most of the eyes in the crowd were drawn to Chen Erya. Having finished the Outer Residence curriculum early to advance to the Inner Residence, she had garnered a great deal of attention.

“Look! That’s Chen Erya!”

“She looks so young! And she’s already an Inner Residence student!”

“She’s the academy’s prodigy!”

“…”

The voices in the crowd weren’t particularly quiet, so of course Chen Erya heard them. Her expression remained unchanged, however, maintaining its usual serene elegance.

It was Fu Chunli, beside her, who showed a flicker of envy.

“Young Miss!” a pretty maidservant came running over, panting. “The master is here to pick you up from the academy himself today!”

“Father’s here!” Fu Chunli’s eyes brightened. Looking toward a nearby carriage, she could indeed see her father’s figure.

“Erya, my family is here to pick me up! See you tomorrow~”

Chen Erya nodded. “Yeah, see you tomorrow!”

Fu Chunli waved, turned as if to leave, then suddenly turned back. “Oh, right, Erya. Remember to come visit my house when you have time!”

“Okay, I will when I have time,” Chen Erya said with a smile.

“Okay! You have to come!” Fu Chunli waved again, then turned and walked towards the nearby carriage. The maidservant hurried to follow behind her.

Chen Erya watched Fu Chunli get into the carriage. When the other girl waved at her, she smiled and waved back. Only after the carriage curtain fell, obscuring the view, did Chen Erya turn to head home.

To bid farewell, watch the other depart, and only turn away once their figure has vanished from sight—this is the mark of true courtesy.

…

Fu Chunli sat in the carriage and waved goodbye to Chen Erya until the curtain fell.

Comparing Chen Erya, who was walking home from the academy alone, with herself, sitting comfortably in a carriage, Fu Chunli felt a faint sense of superiority.

“Chunli, was that your classmate?” asked Fu Shenghua. He had struggled for most of his life to become as wealthy as he was today, a man with business dealings that even reached the County City.

In contrast to the strictness he showed his son, he doted on the daughter he’d had late in life. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken time out of his packed schedule to personally pick her up from the academy.

“Yup, she’s the classmate who just got promoted to the Inner Residence today. She’s the famous prodigy of the academy!” Fu Chunli excitedly introduced her new friend to her father.

“Oh? So my Little Chunli has made friends with a prodigy?” Seeing his daughter so excited, Fu Shenghua decided not to burst her bubble.

“She did! Father, let me tell you! She finished six years’ worth of Outer Residence coursework in less than one year! Isn’t that speed just shocking? It’s seriously incredible!” Fu Chunli’s tone held a hint of pride, as if she were showing off.

Sense of superiority aside, she still felt a little honored to be friends with such a talented girl.

“That’s wonderful! Little Chunli, you’re really something to have a friend like that!” Fu Shenghua praised with a chuckle.

‘My daughter still thinks like a student. She doesn’t understand that at my level, whether someone is a prodigy is completely irrelevant. Forget a student prodigy—even the most famous Instructors at Weishui Academy have to show me the utmost respect.’

‘But there’s no need to explain that to my own daughter.’

With her father providing the perfect validation, Fu Chunli was delighted. She asked curiously, “By the way, Father, how come you had time to pick me up today?~”

“I had a banquet tonight, but it was canceled at the last minute, so I happened to be free,” Fu Shenghua said with a smile, but a hint of gloom lurked in his eyes.

His business had hit a snag. He had spent a great deal of energy and pulled many strings, even hiring an intermediary, just to finally secure a meeting with Lord Zhao Lianzhi of the Weishui Garrison.

If he could just get in with Lord Zhao, the little problem with his business would be a trivial matter to resolve.

He had meticulously prepared for the banquet for days. But just this afternoon, the intermediary suddenly informed him that Lord Zhao had urgent business to attend to. The banquet was canceled, to be rescheduled for a later date.

He still had no idea what had actually happened.