Once the Zhu family left, the hall was left completely empty.
Leon Zheng looked deeply regretful about having forced Evan to cut his wrist and sever ties the night before last. Several times he wanted to say something, but each attempt only ended in a sigh.
"Our Zheng family is destined to rise!"
Old Master George Zheng, trembling with excitement, supported Evan by the arm.
Even putting aside Evan’s identity as Master Lin from Seacrest, just the backing of the Southriver Sword Sect, Medicine King Valley, and Miracle Hand Sect alone was enough to support the entire Zheng family.
The Southriver Sword Sect has so many Vajra Realm experts—far more than any ordinary Oceanport family.
"Faye, come over and apologize to Evan!" Leon Zheng called out to Faye Zheng, who was standing there in a daze.
He had originally meant to ask Faye Zheng to apologize to her brother, but calling Evan 'brother' might only make him uncomfortable.
Faye Zheng hesitated as she walked over, looking at Evan with a complicated expression. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have treated you that way before."
"Please... please forgive me."
Faye Zheng lowered her head, with not a trace of arrogance or pride left.
"Xiao Yi, just stay here. I'll go find you a room," Joy Zheng said, stepping forward nervously.
Seeing the look in Joy Zheng’s eyes, Evan could only sigh inwardly.
There was a clear sense of unfamiliarity and hesitation in Joy Zheng’s expression toward Evan. This was exactly why Evan had always been reluctant to reveal his true identity.
Being Master Lin from Seacrest might seem glamorous, but for Joy Zheng, it was a huge problem. The hardest part to explain was how Evan could go from an ordinary life for over ten years to becoming the famed Master Lin in less than a year.
"Mom, no matter what happens, I’m still your son."
Evan looked at Joy Zheng, his face full of sincerity.
Hearing this, Joy Zheng’s eyes relaxed a little, but she still struggled to accept such a sudden change.
Evan followed Joy Zheng out the door, while the rest of the Zheng family quietly stayed behind.
"From now on, if anyone in the Zheng family dares say they don’t welcome Joy or Evan, they can get out. Got it?"
Old Master George Zheng swept his gaze around the room and barked out the order.
As Zheng Qiuchan finished speaking, Faye Zheng and the others were struck silent, their hearts in turmoil.
"To become Master Lin from Seacrest before the age of eighteen, he must have suffered a lot." Claire Zheng sighed. "The way you all treated him before—if Joy hadn’t been here, he might never have set foot in the Zheng house again."
"He’s truly a prodigy. In all of Oceanport, there might not be anyone more outstanding." Hans Zheng nodded and patted Leon Zheng on the shoulder. "Don’t blame yourself too much. In the end, the way you pushed him the other night was actually for his own good."
Leon Zheng opened his mouth, but could only shake his head and give a bitter smile.
"Qiu Chan, what’s wrong?"
Hans Zheng turned to Zheng Qiuchan, who stood there frowning and lost in thought, and asked with curiosity, "You know, he’s basically your younger brother. You might need to help him out in the future."
"Oh, right. I heard from Joy that Evan is a senior in high school now. Qiu Chan, aren’t you a director at Pearl Academy? Why don’t you pull some strings and help Evan transfer to your school? Pearl Academy’s teaching quality is way better than Capitalview, right? For his last semester, you could tutor him and help him get into a top university." Claire Zheng suddenly suggested.
Old Madam Grace Zheng’s eyes lit up at once and she nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, my grandson is a dragon among men—he absolutely has to get into a top university!"
For most people, academic credentials are still the most straightforward way to gain social recognition.
As soon as she spoke, everyone turned to look at Zheng Qiuchan, who simply sighed and shook her head. "Maybe he doesn’t need to transfer schools or get extra tutoring after all."
"How could he not need it?" Claire Zheng asked, confused. "When I was talking with Joy earlier, she also said she hoped Evan could get into a good university."
"Even with Evan’s current status, a university diploma might not matter much to him. But he’s always been a filial kid—I think he’ll take the college entrance exam just to make Joy happy, and try to get into a top university."
"Qiuchan, are you just avoiding trouble? If you don’t want to do it, I’ll go talk to the principal at Pearl Academy myself!" Old Madam Grace Zheng said, a bit displeased.
"Grandma, it’s not what you think," Zheng Qiuchan replied quietly. "When I was invigilating at Capitalview First High, I actually ran into him."
"The kid’s already been personally selected by Professor Gu Chujie from the Department of Mathematics at Huaqing University. As long as his score on this Hundred-School Joint Exam is high enough, he can be admitted to Huaqing without taking the standard entrance exam."
"I’ve reviewed his previous test scores myself. Genius is the only word for it—not a single weak subject. Even if he transferred to Pearl Academy, his grades wouldn’t improve any further."
"His grades have already reached the top."
As Zheng Qiuchan said this, she couldn’t help but look a little dazed herself.
Among Oceanport’s young elites, some are either exceptionally intelligent or incredibly strong, but rarely both.
Evan isn’t just a cultivation genius—he’s an academic prodigy too. A true dragon among men, and rare as they come.
As Zheng Qiuchan finished speaking, Faye Zheng and the others were struck silent, their hearts in turmoil.
Joy Zheng led Evan out the door. On the way, she carefully asked about his current situation. Evan thought for a moment, then simply said he’d met a mysterious master years ago, and all his skills came from that teacher.
He also promised not to take unnecessary risks, which finally calmed Joy Zheng’s nerves.
"Xiao Yi, there are things I can’t ask too much about. But no matter what, I just want you to live happily. Even if your grades aren’t great or you don’t make much money, as long as you’re safe, that’s enough for me."
Joy Zheng looked at Evan, still worried. "Now that you’re Master Lin from Seacrest, you’re attracting a lot of attention. I’m afraid you might run into trouble."
"It’s fine, Mom. No matter how big the trouble, it’s just a small problem to me."
Evan thought for a moment. "How about I promise you I won’t go looking for trouble? As long as nobody messes with me, I won’t make the first move."
Hearing this, Joy Zheng could only shake her head, but the worry in her eyes didn’t go away.