Three consecutive victories, Li Weixin stood on the stage calmly awaiting the next opponent.
Tian Jing nodded secretly. Her youngest son was a bit mischievous, but when facing an actual enemy, he was quite steady and fully utilized his advantages.
Several more team members came up afterward, with both wins and losses.
By the time the sun set, Li Weixin's record was five losses and seven wins.
The team members, now aware of Li Weixin's predictive abilities, were cautious and did not give him opportunities to exploit.
Furthermore, although the martial arts team members had no internal energy, their techniques were not something Li Weixin could resist.
After these twelve bouts, Li Weixin, covered in injuries, declared the competition over and his punishment postponed.
Tian Jing asked the team members if they agreed.
The team members unanimously agreed. Through this experience, they had a different view of Li Weixin, no longer seeing him as merely someone who bullied others with his status.
Dismissed.
The team members quickly left for dinner in the mess hall.
Li Weixin grabbed Li Weiyan, "Brother Yanyan, teach me martial arts."
Li Weiyan slapped him on the head, "This is something learned from childhood. It's too late for you to learn now."
"It's not too late!" Li Weixin insisted, "I'll learn the moves, I don't care about internal energy."
Li Weiyan looked at his aunt.
Tian Jing nodded at Li Weiyan. She had no objections to her youngest son learning martial arts. Supersensitive individuals were relatively fragile when their own energy couldn't be replenished. Knowing some martial arts techniques was a good way to protect themselves.
Li Weiyan: "..." He was truly fated to be burdened with two younger brothers.
In the mess hall, over two hundred people rushed in, creating a noisy din.
The moment Tian Jing entered, the mess hall fell silent.
Today, both the supersensitive team and the martial arts team members had witnessed the ruthlessness and severity of Deputy Captain Tian.
Even though Li Weixin was beaten black and blue and defenseless, as long as he didn't surrender, Deputy Captain Tian watched coldly without even a frown, as if Li Weixin wasn't her son.
They felt they couldn't have done the same. Even watching from below the stage, they had wished Li Weixin would surrender.
Even the martial arts team members who had beaten Li Weixin the hardest couldn't help but go easy on him in the end; after all, they were teammates, not enemies.
Tian Jing served her food and took it to the table of her youngest son and eldest nephew.
Ouyang Renzhi was also at their table.
Li Weixin's face hurt so much that he couldn't even open his mouth to eat, only managing to open a small gap and slowly chew with his spoon.
Tian Jing glanced at her son's miserable state and asked, "Is it serious?"
Li Weixin shook his head without speaking.
Tian Jing looked at Li Weiyan and said to her son, "After eating, accompany me out."
Li Weixin nodded.
Li Weiyan glared at his affected younger cousin. Was he just upset that his aunt hadn't protected him?
But in that situation, how could his aunt have protected him? Protecting him would have been worse than not having the punishment at all.
Under Li Weiyan's angry gaze, Li Weixin lowered his head.
After the meal, it wasn't yet dark, and Li Weixin's second dose of medication hadn't expired.
Tian Jing took him and flew over the mountain forests, entering the primeval forest.
Little Pine saw Tian Jing and excitedly swayed its branches, "Tiantian, you've finally come to see me."
For nearly six years, since Little Black's death, Tian Jing hadn't visited Little Pine even once.
In her heart, she knew Little Pine was special and should have had a long life if its uniqueness hadn't been discovered. Even if discovered, it would only lose its freedom; no one would be foolish enough to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
But whenever she thought of Little Pine, she thought of Little Black.
It was just a beast, but Little Black's steadfastness on that mountain waiting for her at the last moment was something that would forever linger in her heart.
That kind of loyal trust was something she had never encountered in three lifetimes.
At the sound of Little Pine's excitement, a surge of guilt welled up in Tian Jing's heart, "Little Pine, I've brought Ranran to see you. Are you willing to communicate with him? His temperament should be similar to yours."
Little Pine directed its consciousness towards Li Weixin, "Tiantian, is this the little baby born in the Qing Song Yan mountain cave?"
"Yes."
"He seems ordinary?"
"He's been suppressed by medicine. The medicine only seals him for four hours. Your tree core essence should be able to break it. I intend to entrust you to him. Are you willing to communicate with him, be friends with him, and let him know about your tree core essence? These are all decisions you must make yourself. I am increasingly bound by family, and I may not be able to visit you for years or even decades."
"I am willing!" Little Pine replied with certainty, "When you're old, I'll have him send you to me. I'll accompany you through your final moments."
Unknowingly, Tian Jing's eyes filled with tears. The emotions of plants and animals were purer than those of humans. "Okay."
This "okay" made Little Pine very happy. It had defeated that stinky man who once tried to chop it with an axe.
Li Weixin had only lost his supersensitivity; his consciousness, strengthened by his abilities, was still intact.
As soon as he arrived under the pine tree, he felt a fluctuation in consciousness.
Then he felt his mother's consciousness fluctuate and curiously observed the pine tree.
He didn't find anything different about the pine tree, except that it was very old.
Then, to his astonishment, a root emerged from the ground, and at its tip appeared a drop of crystal-clear sap.
Afterward, his mother told him to take the sap.
After swallowing it, a warm current immediately flowed through his limbs and bones.
With a "bang," the sealed supersensitivity was released, and it instantly burrowed into the ground from his feet.
He immediately "saw" the intricate network of tree roots beneath the earth.
"Eh? Little fellow, quickly retract your abilities, or don't blame me for absorbing them."
Li Weixin froze, immediately retracting the suddenly unleashed abilities, "Who? Who's speaking?"
"It's me, your Uncle Little Pine."
"Uncle Little Pine?"
"Yes!"
Li Weixin: "..."
Seeing her son flustered, Tian Jing chuckled.
Little Pine's consciousness was not restricted from third parties, so she naturally heard Little Pine's words. She hadn't heard her son's reply, but Little Pine's words were enough:
"Ranran, Little Pine is this pine tree. When I met it, I also met Little Black. Back then..."
Tian Jing selectively told him what she could, "...The essence you consumed is of great importance. It must never be revealed, or it will harm both you and Little Pine."
"This is your ultimate life-saving trump card."
"Little Pine has an extremely long lifespan, while humans live only a few decades, burdened by worldly affairs."
"Little Pine has agreed to let you know its secret, so you must dedicate your life to protecting that trust."
"Even if Little Pine continues to live a lonely life without human friends, you cannot casually choose an unworthy descendant among your children to know Little Pine, do you understand?"
Li Weixin immediately raised his hand and swore, "I, Li Weixin, swear upon my life that if I reveal Little Pine's secret, or casually choose an unworthy companion for Little Pine, I shall be struck by lightning and never find peace."
From the distant sky, a low rumble of thunder sounded, as if acknowledging the oath.
Little Pine happily said to Li Weixin, "Little fellow, you can't call me Little Pine. According to human customs, you should call me Uncle Little Pine."
Li Weixin refused, "I'll just call you Little Pine. Your voice and your intelligence are like a human child's. Don't try to act like an elder."
"No! Tian Tian and I are friends on equal footing."
"But I never heard you call my mother 'sister,' and it's too late to start now."
"You little rascal are too cunning. When you were born..."
Li Weixin regretted it somewhat. Little Pine had seen his time from birth to six months, and using that against him now, he had no comeback.
Listening to Little Pine's garrulous recounting of Li Weixin's childhood with an aged tone, Tian Jing smiled warmly.
This was likely the first time Little Pine felt the benefit of acting like an elder.
Li Weixin looked at his mother for help.
Tian Jing smiled, "If you're willing to call it 'Uncle,' it will probably be satisfied and stop talking."
The incessant nagging in their consciousness made Li Weixin concede, "Uncle Little Pine, stop nagging."
"Yes!" Little Pine responded to being called "Uncle" with great alacrity and ceased recounting Li Weixin's childhood.
"Ranran, when you have time, remember to come and keep Uncle company. Uncle is old and fears loneliness the most."
Old? Lonely?
Li Weixin didn't believe it. In this primeval forest, there were many ancient plants and trees. Little Pine couldn't possibly be lonely.
Especially with a tree at least a thousand years old nearby.
However, he still nodded and agreed, "I'll come often."