He had played chess with Tal before and understood what his level was at that time.

To be able to raise his level that high in just two years showed that he wasn't just using the talent ability blindly.

Maybe this was how all the talents that he gave should be used. Could they learn all the abilities the talent bead had given them?

But that didn't make sense either because what about the Unique Heavenly Body like Anda and Mr. Bison had? They were something that people were born with, right? How could you learn that?

"Hahaha! Great job, Tal! As expected of my disciple. Getting third in the entirety of the South Region? Wonderful! Excellent! In a few more years, maybe you'll become the best chess player in the South Region." Leyvi didn't hold back and praised as much as he could.

Tal immediately cheered up from Leyvi's praises. In the end, his master was still the best!

Other people in the Chess Association tried to console him for not being able to perform as well as he 'usually' did because of his 'nervousness.' His master was the only one who truly praised him for his achievement.

"Young Lady Tasya, can you please prepare a feast to celebrate Tal winning third place?" Leyvi requested.

"Hehe." Tasya giggled. "No problem, Brother Leyvi. That was my plan too after coming back. I'm going to cook all of his favorite food! I'm going to make sure he eats all of it!"

Tasya immediately gathered the available maids and prepared the feast with them. It had been a while since they cooked together, and the kitchen soon filled with the lively chatter of maids and the aroma of delicacies being prepared.

That night, they celebrated Tal's achievement of placing third in the chess tournament for young people under 21 years old. The feast was lavish, with dishes ranging from savory stews to sweet desserts, reflecting the joy of the occasion.

Unfortunately, Anda wasn't there to celebrate together, or it would have been livelier.

Leyvi's father-in-law, Bana, told him that after the tournament, Tal received multiple offers to join some of the most famous sects in the South Region that focused on entertainment activities like chess.

Aside from chess, they focused on singing, dancing, painting, writing, playing musical instruments, sculpting, embroidery, and many other miscellaneous activities. Their emphasis on artistry and culture was unparalleled, making them a prestigious choice for anyone interested in these fields.

Ultimately, Tal rejected all the offers. He felt that the Leyan Family was the best place for him.

During the Chess Grand Festival, he met many pretentious youngsters from these prestigious sects, both boys and girls. All they did was kiss each other's ass, competing to show off their 'great manners.' He felt that he wouldn't fit in at all with them. Everything about them seemed fake. Even Tasya agreed with him, nodding emphatically when he shared his thoughts.

However, not everyone was like that. Even among the sea of pretentious youngsters, there were a few who acted authentically, not caring about what people thought about them. These were the people Tal and Tasya were comfortable interacting with. Their candidness made conversations refreshing in an otherwise stifling atmosphere.

There were also many young masters who tried to court Tasya as she grew more and more beautiful. They could see that she would definitely be a great beauty once she became an adult. Unfortunately for them, Tasya rejected and chased them away with her fiery hair while holding a ladle. Her fiery temper became a legend among the youngsters, further discouraging unwelcome suitors.

Bana also informed Leyvi that there were rumors spreading that the Homun Family had disowned their 13th Young Lady, Dorin Homun. She had been in low spirits ever since she heard about it.

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"I see. No wonder she locked herself in her room ever since you guys came back," Leyvi said while noticing Dorin's absence. She didn't even come out to celebrate together.

Leyvi cursed inwardly, directing his dissatisfaction at Tordin Homun. That guy even publicly disowned his own daughter so that she would continue to stay here.

Leyvi couldn't understand why Tordin wanted Dorin to stay with his family so much. Was this due to the rivalry between the three alchemy families? Did Tordin plan to push his daughter on him to compete with Ava Clover and Selene Goldstone?

Leyvi shook his head. They were so ridiculous.

Now he wondered how he should treat Dorin from now on. As a guest or part of the family?

A month later,

Bara City was shaken again after City Lord Layla exposed another criminal activity done by one of the biggest merchant groups in Bara City.

The key figure for the operation this time was none other than Stripey. After he heard about the success of Layla's Bara Corps last time, Stripey immediately resigned from his Law Enforcement Officer position and begged Layla to join the Bara Corps.

He was already bored of only patrolling around catching petty criminals and wanted to do something bigger. And he realized that the Bara Corps offered the best opportunities to do it.

Layla naturally welcomed Stripey with open arms because she knew that his special abilities of stealth and magical hands would benefit her private force a lot. She let him join the Bara Corps as a special hidden member to conceal his identity. The secrecy was crucial, as Stripey's unique skills made him a valuable asset against the city's underground forces.

The day Stripey proved Layla right came very quickly as he successfully got his hands on the evidence to prove the illegal activities of the merchant group.

Using the intel that Layla had gathered with her mini clones, Stripey infiltrated their secret operation facility and took away every piece of evidence they had hidden in a secret room. These were the things they didn't dare to carry around in their space bags because it would easily expose them if their space bags were stolen or lost somewhere. Stripey's ability to remain undetected even in heavily guarded areas was critical to the operation's success.

With evidence in hand, the Bara Corps, led by Paulina this time, stormed the merchant group and apprehended them. The merchant group had attempted to destroy the secret room containing all the evidence as their last resort, but it was futile since the evidence was already in Layla's possession. They only destroyed an empty room.

Without Stripey, their last resort would have been successful, and Layla wouldn't have had the evidence to prosecute them.

With another successful operation in such a short time, Layla's reputation as the city lord rose again, and more people began to express support for her by secretly sending anonymous tips about suspicious activities going on in the city.

On the other hand, the bad actors behind the scenes became more wary of her presence in the city and started to act with more vigilance. They couldn't afford to be careless at all or they might suffer the same fate as the two previous groups of villains.

A few days later,

A group of cultivators entered Bara City.

"Oh my, oh my. The atmosphere here has changed a little since the last time. Sect Mistress, this is the city we will be living in from now on."

"Hmm...why are the cultivators here so weak? The spiritual energy here is just as dense as in other cities," the Sect Mistress commented.

She was a graceful middle-aged lady wearing a red and blue flowing dress. The left side of her dress was blue, while the right side was red.

"Are you sure you found a five-element cultivator here, June? Even after you tried to convince me so many times, I found it hard to believe. I spent my whole life as a member of the Multi-Element Sect searching for a three-element cultivator, and suddenly you tell me you found a five-element cultivator. So unfair," she questioned and complained.

June rolled her eyes. "Why would I lie about a thing like this? I wouldn't waste my time looking for you guys all over the continent just for a prank. Lina, Rosa, and Terra saw it with their eyes too. Right, girls?"

The three ladies nodded.

"Then what are we doing here wasting time? Let's go meet that youngster. I want to confirm this thing with my own eyes. You said he wants to live off his wife like me, right? I already like him! Hahaha!" A handsome middle-aged man said out loud, his laughter booming across the street.

He was an elder of the sect, from the same generation as the Sect Mistress, and also her husband. The Sect Mistress's husband was a strikingly handsome middle-aged man, with the kind of rugged, timeless charm that made him stand out even among the most refined cultivators. Unlike his wife's measured and regal movements, his gestures were animated, and his laughter boomed like thunder.

The pair of husband and wife were both in the Soul Formation realm.

The disciples of the Multi-Element Sect were speechless. Is that something you want to brag about?

In the Leyan Mansion,

Layla opened her eyes and said, "They are here. I should inform Leyvi right away."

Not long after, Layla welcomed them to the Leyan Mansion guest room with Leyvi.

Leyvi immediately sensed their cultivation realms and sighed inwardly. Three Soul Formation realm experts, including Senior Sister June. It seemed that she wasn't lying.

Uh...but why does this handsome middle-aged man seem so happy to see me? Don't tell me I'm his long-lost son or something. No no no. That can't be. He's far too handsome to be my father.