Chapter 10 – The First Match of the Freshman Compet.i.tion (IV)
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Zi smiled and said, “I came here as promised. I just saw your match on stage, and it seems like you have a.s.similated into the life here.”
Ye Yin Zhu nodded his head and asked, “Zi, are you okay? Why do you appear tired?”
Zi’s eyes flashed with a cold light. “It’s nothing. I merely had something I needed to do. In addition, this is still only the beginning.”
Yin Zhu was startled. “Zi, you still have to leave?” His voice changed a bit upon asking this question; it brimmed with unwillingness to part from Zi.
Zi expressed a trace of a rare smile. “You are a student here. I cannot always be by your side. You’ll study here and learn everything you need to adapt to the mainland well. I have asked around, and the Milan Inst.i.tution for Magic and Martial Arts is also known as the Milan Imperial Inst.i.tution which possesses the highest reputation on this mainland. Perhaps your zither magic cannot be studied here, but your social experience will increase exponentially. Furthermore, you are unlikely to encounter any danger here.”
Ye Yin Zhu’s eyes flashed with a determined light, and he immediately stretched out his right hand with lightning-speed to grab Zi’s left arm. “Zi, if you leave, I’m following you. My two grandfathers allowed me to explore the mainland to learn through experience, and you are also here to similarly learn through experience. I don’t want to part from you again.” Although his hand only had four fingers, it was as strong as steel. Zi was somewhat amazed at Yin Zhu’s unexpected great strength.
Zi patted Yin Zhu’s shoulder. “I also don’t want to part from you again. The two of us, however, are not enough to accomplish everything we need to do on the mainland. It will be advantageous for you to stay here. Thus, I now have a compromise, but I don’t know if you will like it.”
“What compromise?” Ye Yin Zhu curiously asked.
Zi explained, “This method can allow me to not be at your side, and still allow us to see each other at any time.”
Yin Zhu stared at him blankly, and puzzledly inquired, “Can there be such a method?”
Zi nodded, his eyes exuding a steady radiance. “I can do it today if you grant me approval. Don’t ask me why. When your strength is enough, I will explain everything to you. This method is called the Equal Life Contract.”
“Equal Life Contract? What’s that?”
Zi elaborated, “On the mainland mages can summon magical beasts to protect them, and warriors can also possess them as mounts. It’s just that they cannot summon them as easy as mages can, that’s all. When a mage summons their magical beast, however, the mage can only summon a ranked magical beast of equal rank to theirs. In addition, a mage can only sign with one magical beast contract throughout their lifetime. As a result, Rudimentary mages are unlikely to sign a contract with a magical beast. All of them will wait until their magical strength has improved before seeking out a magical beast best suited to be their lifelong partner. This is the so-called Master-Slave Contract. The reason why mages can’t summon magical beasts a rank higher is quite simple. It is because the summoning uses up a mage’s spiritual power, and if they skip a rank, it will hugely impact the mage. Only those with specialized training on the Summon division’s Summoning Technique are exceptions to this. Consequently, as you are a Milan Inst.i.tution for Magic and Martial Arts student, you can possess a growth-type magical beast. This is why I spoke of the Equal Life Contract, breaking the Master-Slave Contract standard. Equally, you only have one chance to complete this contract in your entire life. This contract’s incantation is something only I know. Once completed, it cannot be changed. In simple terms, if you and I agree to this kind of contract, we will become contracted partners. Hereafter, no matter where we are, we will be spiritually linked. You can call me to your side, and I can do the same. This way, no matter how far we are apart, we can see each other. Each time, the summon only lasts for half an hour, and it consumes very little of the caller’s spiritual power.”
Ye Yin Zhu was pleasantly surprised and said, “Human beings can only agree to and sign this contract with magical beasts? There is such a magical contract? Fantastic, let’s begin now.”
Just as Zi was about to say something, his complexion suddenly changed. His glacial gaze looked to the side of the forest.
“Wait a moment.” A figure flickering with yellow radiance had, in the blink of an eye, arrived in front of the two of them. Even Yin Zhu couldn’t clearly see this figure’s appearance because of their extremely quick speed. He did not necessarily need to rely on his eyes to discern who it was, however, as the familiar smell was enough for him to come to a conclusion.
“Father!” Yin Zhu excitedly shouted. That was right, the figure that suddenly appeared was Ye Yin Zhu’s father, Ye Zhong.
Ye Zhong wore a gray warrior uniform. Despite already approaching the age of 40, he didn’t appear to be much bigger than Yin Zhu, only more mature. A long, jade green sword rested on his back, and he looked at Ye Yin Zhu with a gaze full of affection.
Zi looked at Ye Zhong, and Ye Zhong’s gaze also shifted to him. Their two gazes collided in the air. Ye Yin Zhu seemingly saw a spark ignite mid-air. Sixteen years, and Ye Yin Zhu had grown up. Ye Zhong’s Bamboo Dou Qi also finally cultivated to the Yellow Bamboo Sixth Rank. This was equivalent to the Rainbow Ranking System’s Advanced Level Cyan Rank Sky Warrior, which was only one level away from War Master.
“No wonder I sensed someone following us ever since we left Desolate Jade Sea. As it turns out, it’s you.” Zi said lowly.
Ye Zhong faintly smiled. “I only have one son. Regardless of whether it is his mother, two grandfathers, or I, none of us are completely at ease to allow him to explore the mainland alone. Thus I have been secretly protecting him. Now that he has arrived at the Milan Inst.i.tution for Magic and Martial Arts, I can consider this mission to be complete.”
“What? Father, you have been following me?” Ye Yin Zhu stared at Ye Zhong, shocked. “Does that mean you know where the person who stole my ring is?”
Ye Zhong didn’t speak. Zi’s complexion changed greatly as his gaze fell upon Yin Zhu’s four-fingered left hand to discover that the s.p.a.ce ring had been replaced with another. “Yin Zhu, you lost your s.p.a.ce ring? That means your zithers…”
Yin Zhu bitterly laughed, “And the introduction letter and my money – they’re all lost.”
“What?” Zi roared. Suddenly, his breath and body released their energy. Although there was no dou qi radiance, Ye Zhong was still overwhelmed with shock as he looked speechlessly at the ground beneath Zi which appeared to have cracked. Zi’s wrath even made Ye Zhong feel some pressure. His two fists clenched tighter, causing his knuckles and bones to make pipasounds. “Let me know who it is, and I’ll crush every bone in his body.”