Kai Lan didn’t return to class until the following week, supposedly he’d gotten a stomach flu, only Wan Long and Kai Lan’s family knew differently. Following that incident though, Wan Long’s teasing stopped. In fact, Wan Long made an effort to sit down near Kai Lan. Kai Lan put up with this change in behaviour for three days before he turned to Wan Long and asked, “What?”

Wan Long blanched, unprepared for the question before he seemed to shrink into himself, “I’m sorry”.

Kai Lan knew he didn’t mean the 3 days of changed behaviour. Kai Lan sighed and turned back to the book he was reading, “Whatever”.

After another moment of silence, Wan Long spoke again, “Can you teach me?”

Kai Lan frowned, “Teach you what?”

“About Formations”.

Kai Lan turned to Wan Long with an eyebrow raised in disbelief, “You’re the Heir of the Lu Corporation, I’m sure you have access to all the Formation teachers you could ever want, why bother me?”

“Because…you were right. You’re always right about Formations, and about Talismans”.

Kai Lan thought for a long moment before he sighed, “Fine, but if it gets back to your family that I’m teaching you-”

Wan Long scoffed, “If my father knew that, he’d have my head”.

Kai Lan raised an eyebrow, then nodded.

“So…how did you know a Primary could be nine-sided?”

Kai Lan sighed and turned back to his book, “How many elements are there?”

“Nine,” Wan Long stated, the answer obvious.

“So therefore, there can be nine-sided primaries,” said Kai Lan.

Wan Long looked away, the answer making sense, but unable to compute, “But then why are only four-sided and three-sided primaries used and the rest just…not?”

“Because Formation Masters most frequently wield three or four elements,” said Kai Lan.

Wan Long opened his mouth to argue otherwise, but realised as he went through the catalogue of Formation Masters that he knew, that Kai Lan was right.

“So then…” Wan Long leaned forward in a whisper, “Why can you make one that’s nine-sided?”

Kai Lan paused, suddenly realising he’d made a grave mistake. He’d been scolded already about this. For hours after Xia Fei had brought him home the other night, she and Hei Hei had proceeded to lecture him on how any activation of his full power would be noticed within a certain radius. They’d kept him home a day longer than necessary just to be sure that no one else would show up looking for him. He thought that was all they were concerned about. He couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid in his anger at Wan Long.

Kai Lan slid a gaze to Wan Long, who seemed to be placing the pieces together in his mind. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he gasped.

“You have-”

Kai Lan slapped a hand over Wan Long’s mouth, hissing at him, “Shut up!”

Wan Long’s eyes widened even more as he mumbled into Kai Lan’s hand.

Kai Lan looked around at the other students in the study hall who were all looking over curiously before he smiled apologetically then dragged Wan Long out of the study hall and into the boy’s bathroom down the hall.

After checking that it was all clear, Kai Lan released Wan Long.

“I can’t believe it! How could you hide something like that? It’s completely unheard of!”

“Would you shut up?” snapped Kai Lan, “It’s hidden for a reason!”

Wan Long blanched, “But why? If I had that ability, I’d be screaming it from the roof tops, no one would ever look down on me-”

“And every power that ever was, would come to take you away from your family and build you up the way they want you to be,” said Kai Lan.

Wan Long paused, his excited grin fading as he realised what Kai Lan meant, “Oh”.

“Yeah, ‘oh’,” said Kai Lan, “Forging my Golden Core at barely two years old drew enough attention. Hei Hei-Ge and Xia Fei-Jie have been protecting me since, but that only works if I keep it quiet. I was an idiot to show you what I did”.

“Then why did you?” asked Wan Long after a short pause.

Kai Lan sighed, “I got angry. You’re in a position where you could have a lot of influence on the Formation and Talisman market in the future, and being so short sighted that you only produce three- and four-sided primaries would be a waste”.

Wan Long thought a moment, then nodded, “Still, it’s not like there’ll be many that can wield a nine-sided primary, especially if it’s reliant on the number of elements you wield”.

“Well, it’s more complex than that,” said Kai Lan, “Technically you can wield a Talisman that possesses a primary with more or less sides than the number of elements you wield, it just means that the Talisman will be more unstable. If a Talisman Master has 3 elements it’s ideal, because they can also wield six- and nine-sided primaries at higher levels of cultivation. It is possible, it just requires an apt master”.

Wan Long looked a long moment at Kai Lan before he spoke, “I won’t tell anyone”.

Kai Lan gave a faint smile, “Thanks, but you were a bully up until ten days ago”.

Wan Long opened and closed his mouth before he sighed, “The reason I asked you to teach me is because I suck at Talisman Theory and my dad keeps threatening to give the company to someone else if I don’t improve my marks”.

Kai Lan looked at him for a long moment before he nodded, “You’re the only one outside of my family, Hei Hei and Xia Fei that knows”.

Wan Long frowned, “Even Ran Ran and Do Han don’t know? I thought you were taught with them”.

Kai Lan shrugged, “They know I’m far more skilled than what I let on here at school, but as for my elements and actual cultivation level-”

Kai Lan glanced over at Wan Long, who looked at Kai Lan expectantly.

“You may as well tell me at this point”.

Kai Lan sighed, “Seventh Step Foundation”.

“Seven-”

Wan Long paced in astonishment before he turned back to Kai Lan and released a breath, “You…I’ve never heard of anyone that’s gotten that powerful at our age”.

“Kind of the point of keeping it quiet”.

Wan Long nodded, “Yeah…I promise, I’ll keep it quiet”.

Seeing the truth in his eyes, Kai Lan released a breath of relief, “I’ll tutor you in Formation Theory. Not cause of the secret-”

“I know,” said Wan Long, “You may have looked weak, but you’re also really nice, Kai Lan. I…can I be your friend?”

Kai Lan grinned, “Really?”

Wan Long looked at him surprised, “Ah…yes?”

Kai Lan took Wan Long’s hand, “Come on”.

It would take Wan Long some time before he realised that he was the first friend Kai Lan made of his own accord. Ran Ran and Do Han, while they were his friends, had also only been his friends at first because their mothers were friends and got together frequently.