A Good-for-Nothing

156. This Is Sheer Madness (2)

Translator: Dragon Rider

Qiao Peiyu unnoticeably threw a glance at He Yu, who was sitting opposite her and instantly on the alert.

She heard Qiao Peiyu say, “A woman as I am, I have heard some messages as well. It’s said that Li Zong has always been performing very well and seldom made any mistakes.”

While speaking, Qiao Peiyu tossed He Yu another glance which was a little cold and He Yu gave an involuntary shudder at the sight of it. The next second, a thought suddenly occurred to He Yu. With a flash of inspiration, she immediately came to understand what Qiao Peiyu meant.

“Dad, I think I know what the reason was.”

“You’re just a kid. How much could you possibly be aware of?” He Changchun shook his hand. “I need a word with your mother. Go back to your room so we can have some privacy.”

He Yu shook her head. “Dad, you do know that this year’s Special Talents Training Program (STTP) has started, don’t you?”

“That’s none of your concern. You’re going to take the recruitment examination directly.”

He Yu sneered, “Of course it’s none of my concern, but Dad, you may not believe this — an elder sect-brother of mine gave me a phone call, saying that he saw someone in the test venue. You know who it was?”

He Changchun, who disliked being kept guessing, huffed, “If you want to say something, say it. Don’t prolong the agony.”

He Yu didn’t lose her temper at her father’s rebuke.

Qiao Peiyu said blandly, “Tell us what you know. You don’t want to antagonize your dad further.”

He Yu made a grimace. “I just don’t want to startle you, Dad.

It was He Zheng. He attended the interview for STTP and got a pass.”

“What?!” exclaimed He Changchun, springing to his feet from the chair, and with that he alleged disapprovingly, “That can’t be true. How is it possible that He Zheng attended the interview for STTP and passed it? He just doesn’t have any of the required skills!”

The last remark was exactly what Qiao Peiyu had been waiting for!

He Yu’s face also gradually grew serious after seeing Qiao Peiyu’s wink. “How He Zheng managed to pass the interview confused me terribly as well, but Dad, as you see, He Zheng has indeed got a pass, despite the fact that he has no exorcism skills whatsoever, and Li Zong was dismissed from his post. Of course, I’m fully aware that Brother Li is a wise and righteous man, but what if He Zheng resorted to some underhand finesse and threatened him? Dad, you know what kind of person He Zheng is as well as we do. He–”

“That’s enough.” Qiao Peiyu placidly interrupted He Yu, keeping her from laying any malicious remarks on He Zheng. He Yu was puzzled, but Qiao Peiyu continued in a reproachful tone, “He Zheng is your elder brother. If word gets out that you made such ungrounded accusations against your own brother, our family name would be disgraced! Now go back to your room!”

“I–” He Yu appeared deeply aggrieved. “I said nothing wrong! I’m just telling the truth. The moment my sect-brother told me about it on the phone, I came to know this matter is not as it seems. He Zheng could never have got a pass unaided!”

“Go back to your room or face my anger!” Qiao Peiyu’s countenance went cold thoroughly.

He Yu “crossly” stomped up the staircase back to her bedroom upstairs, the clatter of her shoes upsetting.

Without the slightest change of her countenance, Qiao Peiyu twisted her head aside and exchanged looks with He Yu, a ghost of smile in their eyes. Of course Qiao Peiyu concealed her feelings very well. She said to He Changchun, “Changchun, don’t think too much about it. Maybe He Zheng had a stroke of very good luck. He asked for our family’s mental cultivation method before leaving and you gave it to him, didn’t you?”

He Changchun went even more suspicious at her words.

“The mental cultivation method of He family is of no use to him. He wouldn’t make any improvement by following it to cultivate, not to mention pass the interview.” He Changchun contradicted Qiao Peiyu’s statement without a second thought, but he also felt enlightened by her words. He Changchun knew better than anyone how He Zheng’s cultivation base was. Had it not been for He Zheng’s incapability of cultivating, He Changchun wouldn’t have been showing so little regard for him all these years.

The knowledge that He Zheng had passed the interview held by SMB filled He Changchun’s mind with suspicions.

Was it really because Li Zong had helped He Zheng pass the interview by the back door that he’d got dismissed from his post as vice-superintendent, by any chance?!

“Take it easy, Changchun. If it really bothers you so much, just call He Zheng back and ask him. You’re his father. Surely he won’t refuse when you summon him?” Qiao Peiyu clapped He Changchun on the back, but a frosty look flitted across her eyes as she said this.

Humph… Judging by He Zheng’s personality, he might not even answer his old man’s phone call.

Feeling that she’d got a point, He Changchun gave He Zheng a phone call. Not to Qiao Peiyu’s disappointment, He Zheng directly declined the call, which momentarily ignited He Changchun’s anger and “confirmed” his speculation.

It was almost certain that He Zheng had been the cause of Li Zong’s dismissal from his original position.

He Changchun’s eyes gradually went flinty. Without uttering another word, he stormed out of the room, a scowl on his face.

Watching He Changchun furiously striding away from behind, Qiao Peiyu gave a faint smile, walked upstairs in a very unhurried manner, called He Yu downstairs and briefed her on the next step.

He Yu patted herself on the chest. “Mom, you may rest assured that I’ll turn that good-for-nothing’s life upside down and have him sever his relations with the He family on his own account!”

It turned out that what they’d been plotting to do was have He Zheng disown He Changchun, so that the Welkin Upender would be rightfully He Qin’s or He Yu’s…

“You and your brother need to figure out a way to learn from your father how to wield the power of the Welkin Upender. I’d like to see who would dare scorn us again after any of you master that skill,” sneered Qiao Peiyu. He Changchun had once said that she was a narrow-minded countrywoman, and she would never forget that. Never!