The young girl was standing in the doorway, overlooking the mess Chanui had made without much interest. She only came here for one reason; get easy treats.

"When are you going to stop barging in like this? I've told you to knock before you enter my room." Feng Chanui was an only child before. He didn't know sisters could be this troublesome.

Where's the fun if I knock?

Yanran sneered as she thought.

"Kid, before you reach my level, you should change that tone. I've heard you've been making life hard for our little cousins." She replied leisurely.

This girl is difficult to deal with as usual. She's a clear replica of aunt Hua. I wonder how Mom and Dad managed to give birth to such a perfect copy...

"Don't make such a face. I'm just teasing you. Let me remind you of one thing though..." Yanran walked inside. She bent down as she picked up a few chocolates and sweets.

"What?" He smiled; no one would listen seriously when she acted like this.

She took her time sorting and got up when she finished.

"Don't be too overbearing before the family tests your talent."

She said and left, leaving the door open. The sentence was infused with heavy meaning and made her brother contemplate in silence...

.....................................................................................

 Not long after, their mother called them for dinner.

"Yanran how is your training going?" Shui Ling asked.

There was going to be a family competition soon, and she was worried her daughter wouldn't be ready. Her training had been sporadic recently and she wasn't able to monitor nor evaluate the progress.

Feng Kong was eating rice in silence, but looked at her when his wife mentioned the subject. This time's competition held significant importance. His brother had invited eminent cultivators from different powers. There was even a rumor that their old ghost would oversee the event.

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He couldn't be sure because he wasn't part of the council of elders, but he was working for one of the old fogies. He used reverse psychology against him and dug out some truth. The old man was boastful and weak against flattery, so it wasn't too hard to trick him.

 "I should reach the middle stage without problem before the competition. There's no need to worry, Grandmother even said she's going to direct my cultivation when I plan to breakthrough. I think she's getting busy looking for a demon core, even though essence pills are more than enough."

Yanran replied, somewhat distressed. On the Tianyang Continent, people with modest wealth wouldn't use "demon cores" before the Disciple realm. They were extracted from magic beasts and contained a great deal of energy. As for essence pills, they were concocted by druids, but not as luxurious. Their own clan had three druids, so they never suffered from shortages.

She didn't choose to have such a bigoted and dedicated master. The old woman was even more unreasonable than the granddaughter and decided for both of them. The witch also forced her to become a sorcerer like her...

When Feng Chanui learned the story he thought this was definitely child abuse.

After her parents heard her reply they were reassured. Their daughter's talent was average compared to the most outstanding young clansmen. However, she made every effort to succeed.

When her talent was judged to be of green grade, she had suffered a mental blow, which caused them to worry. But as time passed they understood it was unnecessary.

Looks like Mother has totally rubbed off on her without her notice...

Feng Kong chuckled. His mother was a cultivation madman, and she didn't tolerate half-assed endeavor. He also had misgivings about training with her as a younger man. She made life hell for him, but she was kind. It was all for his future. She didn't manage to change his character, but it seemed as if she whetted his daughter the right way.

"Good! I hope you get into first five this time." The man of the house said.

"Whatever." She replied nonchalantly as she picked some fish with her chopsticks.

Feng Chanui didn't miss the flash of fire passing in her pupils as their father mentioned top 5. The clansmen would probably receive different rewards depending on their ranking. It was both to encourage young practitioners, and also to display the clan's might and wealth in front of outsiders. This type of award was not only used inside the Feng, but it was something cultivators used as incentive concerning younger generations.

It was true that privileging the grooming of people with first-rate elemental affinity was recognized as the consensus. But not all of them turned into awe-inspiring adults. Some of them were lazy or just too stupid to preserve their lives until adulthood. The "young master" syndrome Feng Chanui had read about was omnipresent among young elites, and those who suffered from the sickness often caused headaches for their older generations.

The Feng Clan was just one of those institutions who had taken precautionary measures...