Section 008: The Winds of Change Are Blowing

"You're back?" As soon as Ou Xinlai returned to her own room, guided by the memories of her predecessor, she found that an extraordinarily handsome middle-aged man had appeared there. Upon hearing the man's voice, a wave of familiarity washed over her, tinged with a trace of intimacy.

Ou Xinlai shivered slightly. In the modern world, she was an orphan; this sense of closeness must have come from the original owner's feelings.

"I'm back." Though the man's voice was familiar and kind, Ou Xinlai couldn't help but wonder about their relationship. Wasn't the original owner supposed to be the daughter of the Ou clan head? Could this handsome man before her be her cheap, conveniently acquired father?

If that were the case, it was rather odd. The original owner remembered Ou Xinya and Ou Xinyu well enough, but had little memory of her own father. Was she truly his flesh and blood, or had she been adopted?

"So long as you're back." Ou Chenfeng nodded, a glint flashing in his eyes. "Has your spiritual root awakened yet?"

Ou Xinlai tugged at the corner of her mouth in silent exasperation. Why was it that this so-called father had always let the original owner run wild, yet the moment it was her turn, he questioned her directly about spiritual roots?

She studied Ou Chenfeng intently, searching for any sign of ulterior motive.

This father had always indulged the original owner. At fifteen, she had lived as she pleased, never once pressured by him. Everyone in the Ou family knew she was a good-for-nothing, born with all five elements, yet not a single spiritual root awakened. In the Xuanwu Kingdom, Prince Xuan Ye was a dual-root prodigy, awakened to earth and water—one at level four, the other at level three. He had awakened his earth root at seven, and at fifteen—who knew what treasures the Xuan family had found for him—he awakened the second.

Yet in terms of talent, Marquis Wu’s heir, Ye Zifei, outshone Xuan Ye. At five, Ye Zifei awakened his fire root; at twelve, his wood root. Both were said to have reached level four, but in Ou Xinlai’s estimation, his fire root technique was already at level five.

So it was no wonder that Ou Xinya and Ou Xinyu cared so much about Ye Zifei.

Generally, once a person’s spiritual root awakened, they would acquire supernatural abilities. While everyone’s talent varied, those destined for such power always awakened before the age of ten. If nothing happened by then, they were doomed to remain ordinary.

Yet she was already fifteen, an old sprout, with no hope of ever awakening a spiritual root or becoming a practitioner of supernatural arts.

The original owner’s father had never pressured her. When she turned ten and everyone fretted over the clan head’s only daughter being ordinary, he alone was silent, not even appearing to offer encouragement.

So why had everything changed now that she had taken over this body? She’d only been here three days, and only truly clear-headed for one. She couldn’t help but suspect that this cheap father had recognized the soul within was not the original, and was now acting so sternly because of it!

“Father, I’m already fifteen. It’s impossible for my spiritual root to awaken.” Uncertain how the original owner spoke to this handsome man, Ou Xinlai decided to handle things in her own way.

“Are you saying I’m being unreasonable?” For the first time, a faint smile, as gentle as spring, softened Ou Chenfeng’s usually cold visage.

Ou Xinlai nodded. She disliked trouble—she only liked causing it.

“Quite right.” Ou Chenfeng’s smile deepened. “I am indeed being unreasonable.”

Three dark lines seemed to drip down Ou Xinlai’s forehead. Was this truly the stern, aloof family head from the original memories?

“Father, are you trying to send your daughter off to die?” As an orphan, Ou Xinlai was well-versed in survival. Since upright reasoning didn’t work, she decided to shamelessly cling to his leg.

Clutching his thigh, she pleaded, “Father, I don’t have the skills for that kind of greatness. If I can’t be a five-element prodigy, I could at least learn medicine. If you ever have aches or pains, you can come to me—your personal doctor, on call twenty-four hours a day!”

“Lai’er.” Chenfeng reached out and patted her head. “The Ou family has the Five Elements Array.”

“No way! Not even if I die!” At the mention of the Five Elements Array, Ou Xinlai shuddered. The array was unique to the Ou family, used to forcibly awaken children’s abilities before they turned ten. Normally, elders let their children awaken naturally, but if a child reached nine without any sign, they would be placed in the array to force the awakening.

The array was extremely effective—children who entered nearly always came out awakened. Yet even if they succeeded, half their life would be lost in the process. The energy required to activate the Five Elements Array was immense, so only the children of those who had rendered great service to the clan were eligible.

When the original owner was nine, someone suggested that, as the clan head’s daughter, it would be a disgrace if she remained ordinary. Many proposed putting her into the array. Strangely enough, her father never uttered a word, and even at fifteen, she had never been inside it. Yet he never neglected her needs, always protecting her.

Otherwise, with her weak body, plain looks, and an enviable marriage contract, she would have been killed by jealous rivals long ago.

Ou Xinlai sighed. For her once-cold father to suddenly become so proactive—could it be that the world was about to turn upside down?