"So, how do you fit yourself in this....constantly advancing, dog-eat-dog social structure, brother Wu?" Han Xuhan finally found a chance and took it without hesitation, his mind still rather numb from all the revelations he had been graced with, and their implications. Xiao Wu's behavior was turning out to be more and more disconcerting, and Xuhan had an ominous feeling that this fellow was plotting something sinister by messing around with information that he shouldn't have.

In the back of his mind, a small voice insisted that he was just being paranoid. Maybe the sect wouldn't really go out of their way to punish anybody who figured out these things. Maybe this was just an open secret that newer disciples had to work their brains to figure out. Maybe Xiao Wu was just being his friendly, easygoing, blabbermouth self.

But his experience insisted that he shouldn't take any chances and raise his guard against all parties concerned.

As usual, Xuhan listened to the latter voice.

"Me?" Xiao Wu answered absent-mindedly, his eyes drifting toward the cloudy, grim sky.

"I see myself cultivating to a decent level of strength, perhaps reaching the highest realm of power within this planet and settling down somewhere with my family. I'm not particularly interested in these power struggles among large sects, even though I admit I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment they tend to give once you triumph over your opponents in battle. I value my family and my primary aim more than that. As the last remaining son of my clan, there are far too many responsibilities I must take on rather than engaging in risky combat and indulging myself in the excitement. I'm their only hope for redemption-"

Xiao Wu stopped mid-sentence, as if afraid that he had revealed too much. The silence dragged on, making the atmosphere gloomier and heavier every moment.

"Do you have a death wish, brother Wu?"

Startled, Xiao Wu gave him a blank look.

"What?"

"I mean, listen to yourself, martial brother. You've been talking exactly like those characters in tragedy stories before they horribly die in the next battle. These characters exist just to portray a grim atmosphere and tragic scene, providing the audience with emotional upheavals as they're killed off. Why are you consciously putting yourself in their shoes? You don't want to follow their footsteps, do you?"

"...."

Xiao Wu opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out in the end, giving Xuhan a chance to push on.

"Martial brother, we must always be careful with our words, especially when speaking with such spirit and honesty. Otherwise, we'll end up triggering chains of events that we cannot break out of!"

"I...uh, I don't think-"

"Oh no no no. Listen, listen to me first. Having an aim in life is all fine and fancy, but it's not like you should forego concentrating on having some fun in life and short-term goals! Why be so edgy and grim? Yes, I get it. The world is harsh, your goals are too difficult and your path is filled with adversities. But what are we cultivators if not pursuers of power beyond imagination? To become a transcendental being, we must not fashion our own characters following what is the norm in the mortal world. The boatsman who knows only how to navigate his way in the shallow rivers shall never survive in the abyssal sea !"

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

"What the hell are you even talking about-"

Flabbergasted, Xiao Wu tried to interrupt his blood-boiling speech comprised of random lines he had procured from the books in the archives. But Xuhan kept on babbling.

"Of course, you might think my words feel disjointed and meaningless drivel. But trust me, trust our sincere, sacred friendship that is untainted by any sort of benefit-oriented interests, hidden intentions, or intentional manipulations! I'd never want to cause you any harm!"

Xiao Wu's eyes twitched as he swallowed a gulp. Whatever he wanted to say died down in his mouth as a faint light of realization gleamed within his eyes.

Trying not to snicker, Xuhan finally dished out the line he had been waiting to.

"Live better, brother Wu. Unless you're sure of reincarnation after death, you must treat this as your only life. Does living so grumpily without any definite guarantee of success count as a nice, enviable life? I'd not have advised you to find happiness in other ways if you seemed like the sort who'd be happy and satisfied with your current lifestyle. I'm not telling you to stop working hard to achieve those faraway goals. I'm telling you to find some ways for yourself to be happy while doing so. Focus on the present a bit more, and focus on some short-term goals to keep you satisfied and happy. Think about it for a second, the apprenticeship tradition is at our doorstep right now, followed by the worldwide tournament. Don't you think you could sync these two events and find a way to do something grand and super satisfying?"

A glimmer of excitement and mischief slowly replaced the odd look in Xiao Wu's dazed gaze. As Xuhan stopped to see whether the fish had taken the bait yet, Xiao Wu's mouth opened wide, a shark-like smile making itself prominent on his face.

"When you put it that way martial brother, I'm indeed starting to see things from a slightly different perspective."

Standing up suddenly, Xiao Wu cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders a couple of times, his eyes swiping toward the sun on the horizon.

"I think...I'll try learning a Spirit Manifestation technique from an elder for my apprenticeship. I don't care whether I have to beg them to teach me. I don't care even if nobody in this sect can teach that type of skill. There are bound to be some books and manuals in the archives related to Spirit Manifestation, no matter how rare a technique it is. I really like that suggestion of yours, martial brother. The worldwide tournament...I want to have some fun in it, hehe."

Laughing rather devilishly, Xiao Wu started striding away with a heroic gait, only to be stopped by Xuhan, who was trying not to laugh along with him in that exact same manner, although for much different reasons.

"Wait up, not so fast! What a coincidence, martial brother!"

Xiao Wu turned around with a confused expression, his flamboyant flair broken.

"What coincidence ?" He asked.

"I know just the person you need. He's extremely skilled with this Spirit Menstruation...what was it again?" Xuhan stopped mid-sentence to ask the name. The term was completely unfamiliar to him to begin with. Having been too focused on the exhilaration of victory, he had forgotten the exact wording...

"Manifestation, it's called Spirit Manifestation," Xiao Wu answered in a suspicious tone.

Feeling that his hook wasn't looking particularly effective, Xuhan hurried on to drag the fish up and let it 'breathe freely' in the clean air.

"Yeah, exactly! You know how much Elder Kong favors me, don't you ?"

"I do. What about it though?"

"Just this morning, he let it slip that he was extremely skilled at techniques related to spirits. Manifestation of spirit in particular is something he is really, really good at. No other elder in this sect is remotely close to his level of skill in this area. He agreed to teach it to me if I accepted him as my master!"

With a wide, jovial smile, Xuhan wrapped not only Xiao Wu but also Kong Ye around with threads that led to his fingers.

You want to use me as a safeguard?

You want to use me to win bets and recruit disciples with unlimited potential?

All of you shall pay for it accordingly! And I'll see how far your own qualifications go!

"But...why isn't he well known for it? Shouldn't he be famous if he's that good? I know a thing or two about Spirit Manifestation myself. But I've never heard of his expertise."

Xiao Wu's words of doubt were hardly unexpected. But Xuhan was ready with his own reply long before this conversation even took place.

"Exactly! I didn't quite believe him at first either. But then he revealed that he had actually kept it a secret because his techniques come from a legacy of a long-lost sect, now deemed forbidden, yet sought after by cultivators far above his own strength. Even more importantly, he wants to wait till all the elders have chosen their disciples so that the remaining ones really value the chance he extends toward them and work hard for it."

Sometimes, Xuhan felt pretty bad for lying so much to people close to him. The excuse that Xiao Wu was possibly using him for a vague purpose was hardly a deterrent. Two wrongs didn't make a right, that much he understood. He would be a hypocrite to say that that's just how this world worked since he himself had lectured Xiao Wu not to bend to the harsh nature of their reality.

Perhaps his only solace was that he trusted Elder Kong enough to believe that the man would teach them well if his boasts were remotely true.

"If that's true, then how do I approach him? He won't accept me right now, would he? He chose you because you're a teacher's pet, martial brother. But I'm a disciple living in the Black Sheep Mountain. No matter how trashy the dregs left by the other elders are, there'll be disciples far more talented than me among them for him to choose."

The light of hope in Xiao Wu's eyes was getting dull, but Xuhan's smile only got brighter.

"That's why, martial brother, you'll owe me a favor from tomorrow."