"Hmph..." Chen Xi let out a nasal sound, then his face darkened. "Go play somewhere else and stop bothering me. By the way, what's the deal with that dog? If anyone knows, speak up. And Daoist Zuo, I have a few things I want to ask."
Cai Zhenji hesitated for a moment before following him, and Zuo Ci also followed.
Chen Xi sat at his desk in the study, gesturing toward two chairs, and soon, a maid brought in some fruit, snacks, and tea.
"Alright, tell me, what's going on? How did this dog suddenly become so strong? I don't recall there being any particularly powerful dogs in Taishan." As Chen Xi mentioned the word "dog," his eyelid twitched. "Previously, Jia Wenhe had basically rounded up all the capable dogs in Taishan for training. This must be something recent."
Cai Zhenji recounted the events from earlier, and both Chen Xi and Zuo Ci showed signs of understanding.
"That's how it happened. Chen Hou, it seems you already have a theory, so I won't stay any longer." After finishing her explanation, Cai Zhenji stood up and bowed gracefully to Chen Xi.
"Wait a moment. How has your sister been lately?" Chen Xi asked. "If she needs anything, have her find Li Wenru."
"My sister is doing well, but Chen Hou shouldn't worry too much," Cai Zhenji replied, a hint of surprise crossing her face. After a moment's thought, she added a word of caution. Clearly, Cai Zhenji had her own suspicions about why Chen Xi was inquiring about Cai Yan.
"I'm not thinking anything, just asking out of courtesy," Chen Xi responded indifferently. Sometimes, it's best to be straightforward to avoid misunderstandings. He had no particular interest in Cai Yan, so why complicate matters?
"Oh," Cai Zhenji nodded. Although Chen Xi held a high position and was seen as a young prodigy, after spending time with Cai Yan, she knew her sister had no feelings for him. If Chen Xi did take an interest, it would certainly cause complications.
"By the way, can you help keep an eye on things? Among your group, you and your sister are the only ones who can manage them. If this continues, Mi Zhen and the others might become too unruly," Chen Xi added after some thought. He realized that Mi Zhen needed some discipline—unlike the other girls who had been left to their own devices, she was starting to become a problem.
"I'll do my best," Cai Zhenji replied. She could indeed manage Mi Zhen, but most of her attention was focused on educating her husband's younger brother, Yang Dan, and her stepson, Yang Fa.
Speaking of which, Cai Zhenji used to be too busy to go out and play. It was only after returning to Taishan and meeting Cai Yan that she found some free time. Even Yang Dan acknowledged that Cai Yan's teaching abilities far surpassed those of Cai Zhenji, which is why Yang Dan turned a blind eye to his younger brother and son's education being entrusted to Cai Yan.
In reality, after Yang Dan, the Yang family had stopped teaching its own knowledge and had essentially been absorbing the Cai family's learning.
"Just do your best. Also, pass a message to your sister—see if she can take Mi Zhen under her wing," Chen Xi sighed. "Your sister seems to favor Sister Mi because their personalities are quite similar."
"Then forget it. Just deliver the message," Chen Xi sighed again. In this era, finding a female teacher was difficult, and finding one with a spiritual talent was even harder. Beyond Cai Yan, there really weren't any other options.
"I'll do my best," Cai Zhenji replied gracefully, bowing before leaving the room.
"No wonder she's the daughter of Cai Bojie; she's well-mannered," Zuo Ci said with a smile after Cai Zhenji left.
"She's alright. After all, she's a mother now. It's fine for her to act a little wild in private, but she's always composed in public. At least, I've never seen her misbehave," Chen Xi remarked with a smile.
"This woman will surely rise in status through her children. One of her sons is destined to become a marquis and leave a lasting legacy in history," Zuo Ci said with a strange expression.
"Indeed, one of her sons will become a marquis," Chen Xi nodded, confirming what Zuo Ci had said. Cai Zhenji's youngest son was none other than Yang Hu.
Zuo Ci's expression grew even more peculiar. Did Chen Xi already know such things? Was this some kind of fate manipulation?
"Alright, enough of that. Cai Zhenji's son won't be born for many years. Let's talk about that dog—did it eat a fragment of a divine stone? That's probably the only thing that could make a little dog so powerful," Chen Xi said, changing the subject.
"Yes, a fragment of a divine stone, and it seems to have already dissipated a lot of its life force. Based on her description, if the fragment had retained all its energy, even without the dog growing to its full potential, it would have reached the level of an inner energy master by now," Zuo Ci explained helplessly. "Such a rare item, wasted."
"How many of these divine stone fragments are there? If I'm not mistaken, most animals that have achieved inner energy probably consumed these fragments, right?" Chen Xi asked curiously. "Is there any way to locate them? They should work on people too, right?"
"Nobody knows how many fragments there are. Nan Hua might have an estimate, but these things can't be actively sought out—they're a matter of fate. Animals might have an instinctual ability to detect them, but humans have lost that instinct," Zuo Ci sighed, then recounted how Nan Hua had destroyed the second divine stone.
"Thirty years ago..." Chen Xi muttered, realizing why so many powerful figures had emerged around that time. The series of coincidences leading up to it made a lot of sense now.
"Yes, the current state of the world is the result of many factors. Besides the divine stones, there were other causes that accumulated and eventually erupted, leading to the present situation. Overall, the effects of the second divine stone were too strong, and people like us can no longer control the situation. The world we predicted thirty years ago was completely overturned by the divine stone and Zhang Jiao," Zuo Ci said with a bitter smile. "The way of heaven is unpredictable, truly unpredictable..."
Chen Xi listened to Zuo Ci's words without interrupting. He had many interests, but asking about them might not yield answers, as Zuo Ci might not be willing to share everything.
"Fortunately, no general of this era has reached the level of Xiang Yu. That man could truly fight against ten thousand by himself. While Han Xin was the first to summarize the cloud energy system, which made him undefeated in battle, even he almost lost to Xiang Yu alone," Zuo Ci said, his expression twitching. Cloud energy is fundamental but also the most important military attribute, as it weakens everything, including their magic.
"That strong?" Chen Xi was stunned. He had never heard of someone fighting against ten thousand under the pressure of cloud energy, especially when the opponent was a military god like Han Xin, who had perfected the cloud energy system.