"I'll try."
After speaking, Chen proceeded to taste the exquisite tea—tea that was not only ridiculously expensive, but also something money alone couldn't buy. It relaxed his mind and slightly nourished his mana. Then he set the cup on the table and began recounting his story in a serious tone.
"Well, actually, it all happened during the family gathering. At first, everything was going pretty well. All the younger generation members of the clan were showing their progress in formation techniques, and I managed to stand out quite a bit—I was the only one who could deploy all the formations. The problem began when the youngest son of my third uncle showed up."
"I still can't get used to the way you number your relatives..." Erik commented casually in the middle of Chen's story, to which Chen quickly replied in a calm tone.
"It's by seniority. I've told you this already. And don't interrupt my story."
"Alright, alright, carry on." Erik said casually while taking a cookie, and Chen nodded before continuing seriously.
"Anyway, as I was saying, everything was going well. I was the best among the younger generation, and my father was quite proud. But then Zhang Ming, the son of my third uncle, showed up—and everything changed. I don't know how he did it, but the bastard managed to master two of the ancestral formations."
"Ancestral formations?" Erik asked back, a bit confused, to which Chen replied in a serious tone.
"The secret ones."
"Ohh, I see. So he totally crushed you."
Erik commented with realization, understanding the core of the problem—since the techniques were supposed to be secret, getting outside help was difficult, and if someone managed to master them before everyone else, they'd naturally be seen as more talented. At that moment, Chen nodded and continued speaking.
"Exactly. And as you can imagine, my father didn't like that one bit—especially because my third uncle has always had his eyes on the patriarch's seat and holds considerable influence within the elder council. Having a son with superior talent would be the perfect excuse to put pressure on my father. So I had to improvise."
"Wait, wait—you can just casually talk about internal clan conflict like that?" Erik asked, somewhat confused as he looked at Chen, who replied with a small smile.
"Well, it's not exactly a big secret. Honestly, it's something that can be figured out pretty easily. Besides, I involved you this time, so it's better if you know."
"…What the hell did you drag me into?" Upon hearing Chen's answer, Erik's expression soured as he asked in a blunt tone, to which Chen chuckled awkwardly before beginning to explain more seriously.
"Hehe, it's not a big deal—let me finish the story, and it'll all make sense. So, as I was saying, when that idiot Zhang Ming managed to show off by successfully deploying two of the ancestral formations, he started mocking me and challenging me with that arrogant attitude of his. At the same time, my third uncle was trying to pressure my father with the elders from his camp.
"That didn't leave me with many options, so I had to come up with an excuse for why I couldn't deploy the ancestral formations. The only thing I could think of was saying I was focusing on a project to improve formation efficiency—which, if successful, could be applied to the ancestral formations as well, making it a major breakthrough for the clan and all that.
"But as you can imagine, they didn't believe me. So I had no choice but to show them the prototype you deployed in your garden the other day. Luckily, everything went well, and it worked in a similar way—though interestingly, it only improved efficiency by about 35%. Still, that was more than enough to leave everyone speechless."
"But that still doesn't explain how I'm involved. I haven't published any academic paper on the subject, or… don't tell me you gave me the credit?" Erik asked, a bit surprised, to which Chen nodded and replied with a slightly helpless expression.
"It's not like I had much choice. While showing the prototype really helped me get out of that situation, the clan is now expecting results—and I know myself, I don't have the capability. So I had to say it was a joint project with you. That also made it more believable as to why I hadn't been studying the ancestral formations actively."
"So you're expecting us to improve the efficiency of the formations…" Erik sighed and took a bite of his cookie before continuing.
"But I don't think I'll have the time. As interesting as formations are, I've got way too much on my plate right now."
"Oh, no, no—I never expected you to actually make time for it. I just wanted to inform you, so there wouldn't be any trouble later. I'll be working on it as much as I can on my own. After all, no one knows what a monster you are when it comes to formations, so I easily claimed that small result took us a decade of development and only happened by pure chance.
"So I've got at least three or four decades before they get desperate and start pressuring me for results. In the meantime, I'll focus on mastering the ancestral formations and the prototype you created that day. If I can deploy it the same way you did and back it up with solid theory, the old men in my family will be jumping for joy.
"So there's more than enough time for you to spare a couple of afternoons to help your good friend Chen. And, as always, your name goes first; I'll cover all expenses, and I'll write the paper. They gave me a nice budget to work with—and a few things I'm sure you'll find interesting. So it's a win-win. What do you say?"
"You're a damn shameless bastard, you know that?" Erik said with amusement, to which Chen laughed cheerfully and replied.
"Hahaha, well, you've got to make the most of the resources at hand."
Erik shook his head and thought for a moment, quickly concluding that it wasn't a bad deal. Sure, Chen would be gaining resources and reputation from his work, but the guy wasn't stupid, and he'd known him long enough to know he'd never dare take the credit for himself. Plus, he never forgot to bring something interesting whenever he asked for help.
So in reality, Chen would get to enjoy the honor of being listed as co-author—something he was used to trading for favors in his past life—while he would gain access to interesting resources from the Jade Lotus Union, or more specifically, from the Zazen Discipline, which was the most "inaccessible" to him.
"Well, I suppose I can help you out—just don't push it. Everything in moderation." Erik said with a smile after a few moments, to which Chen responded cheerfully with a satisfied and relaxed expression.
"Hahaha, of course."
While chatting with Chen, Erik glanced around and easily spotted Elara and Zoe chatting with different people, while Ethan was shamelessly flirting with women from all sorts of factions—and it looked like things were going pretty well for him. Several of them seemed ready to jump on him, especially a gorgeous blonde wearing a mage's robe.
Taking in the general landscape of the youth section, Erik then turned his attention to the Master-level section, where he spotted his own masters speaking with members from various factions. Judging by their expressions, though, it was safe to say that Sigrún was pestering them quite a bit.
Particularly, a beautiful Asian woman with long jet-black hair, dressed in an elegant and intricate white robe that looked as if it were made from a piece of cloud—highlighting her slender and agile figure. She looked like she was about to start steaming from the ears at any moment, her face slightly flushed and her teeth tightly clenched.
...
After a while, Elara and Zoe finally made their way to Erik's table, having barely managed to escape the endless tide of people trying to flirt with them or approach them in some way. The two beautiful young women felt as if they had reached a safe oasis—since, for some reason, no one dared get too close to Erik's table, even though many kept eyeing the star-haired boy with visible desire.
As soon as Elara and Zoe arrived in front of Erik, a pair of elegant chairs appeared before the table, and the girls sat down with familiarity. At that moment, Seraphina—ever the perfect maid—swiftly served them tea and desserts with a professional smile.
"A pleasure to meet the renowned direct disciples of the Arcane Order. My name is Chen Ming, a humble cultivator from the Ming family and a student of the Arcane University."
Upon seeing the two stunning women, Chen quickly stood up and gave a slight bow as he greeted them. They responded with a gentle smile while sipping the delicious tea prepared by Seraphina.
"There's no need for such formality, fellow Chen Ming. Since you're a friend of Erik's, you can be more relaxed and informal." Elara said casually, to which Zoe nodded and added.
"Yes, a friend of Erik's is a friend of ours as well—no need for excessive formalities."
"Thank you very much. Your humility and warmth truly deserve admiration."
Chen responded with a smile and sat back down, though he couldn't help but glance subtly at Erik, wondering how that antisocial guy—who looked like the very air outside his mansion bothered him—had managed to become so familiar with two of the most sought-after beauties of the younger generation.
(This guy's a monster in more ways than one… getting close to him back then was honestly one of the best decisions I could've made...)
"Don't worry about that—it's not humility. It's simply the natural treatment a friend of Erik should receive from us."
While Chen was lost in deep reflection, Zoe elegantly spoke as she picked up a small dessert from the table, snapping him out of his thoughts and prompting him to turn toward her in slight surprise.
"Zoe's right, don't overthink it." Elara added casually before turning to look at Erik and continuing to speak with a beautiful smile.
"But setting that aside, it's really nice how you've managed to create your own little island away from all those annoying people, Erik."
"What can I say? Apparently, I have a natural talent for repelling others. So if you ever need someone cleared out, call me—I'm pretty good at it."
Erik joked, though the comment didn't earn a laugh from Elara, Zoe, or even Seraphina. Instead, all three stared at him in silence. Not wanting to be scolded again, the star-haired boy quickly changed the subject with a smile.
"But the Master-level section over there looks pretty lively. Any idea why?"
"Hmm, hard to say. But from what I've heard from my grandfather, those gatherings usually turn into a competition to see who has the best disciple."
Zoe commented casually, following Erik's lead in changing the subject. After all, she was just starting to get along better with him, and it wasn't a good idea to become annoying—her best strategy was to play along and keep him happy.
"Yeah, my master's told me similar things. Also, this is the first time Master Eldurdóttir gets to talk about her disciple, and it looks like she's really enjoying herself."
Elara added with some amusement as she looked toward the beautiful Master-level woman with golden hair, prompting Erik to glance in the same direction. There he saw Sigrún laughing cheerfully and teasing everyone around her, having fun like a little girl.
"Yeah, she looks like she's having a blast—so much so that the other Master-levels seem on the verge of a nervous breakdown…"
Erik added casually, just as he noticed a young man from the Jade Union approaching. He wore an elegant, traditional white robe, and his long hair was tied up with a pair of metal hairpins.
"A pleasure to meet you, Disciple Erik, Disciple Belmonte, Disciple Laverne. We're organizing a small friendly competition among the younger generation, and I would humbly like to extend an invitation. It would be an honor to have you participate."
Upon arriving, the young man spoke with style and grace, though his attention was mainly on Erik. Erik turned to look at him and asked in return, noticing that in the distance, several youths from different factions were gathering and setting up tables and chairs.
"Competition?... What kind of competition?"
"It'll be a casual arts competition, nothing too serious." The young man replied with a relaxed smile, though there was a strange gleam in his eyes as he looked into Erik's green ones.
"Arts?" Erik couldn't help but murmur in confusion, prompting Seraphina to lean close to his ear and whisper softly in a voice only he could hear.
[Young master, he's referring to things like poetry, music, chess, and similar disciplines. Since battles aren't always possible, it's quite common among the younger generation of the Jade Lotus Union and the Meridian Federation to hold these kinds of 'competitions' to stand out and attract attention.]
"Oh, I see. Sorry, I'm not really interested in the arts, so I'll pass—but thanks for the invitation."
Now understanding the context, Erik looked at the young man and replied disinterestedly, which caused a cunning glint to flash in the young man's eyes. He quickly responded.
"It would be a shame for Disciple Erik not to join. We were truly hoping to witness the talents of someone so renowned—someone who's left the galaxy in shock."
"Well, there's nothing to see. I don't know anything about 'arts'." Erik replied casually, which brought a complicated expression to the faces of Elara, Zoe, and Chen, who couldn't react in time to stop him.
***
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