A few days after the massacre of Divine Dragon Sect, Cheng Long called me to pay the Na Lan residence a visit. Since I was waiting for the Gao Kao results anyway, I thought I might as well go. I had nothing better to do, after all.
Plus I owed him since he was my master. I didn't expect my magic carp's Devouring the Heavens technique to be so incredible. I made a mental note to continue trying it out again in future.
After letting my parents know, I hurried to the residence. It took me a while to get there – public transport only got me so far. And rich people loved to live in the outskirts of the city, in remote neighborhoods far from any bus stops or train stops.
Damn it. One day I would learn to travel on a sword. Or buy my own motorcycle. I mean, the cover illustration showed me riding a Harley Davidson-Fat Boy motorcycle (okay, maybe I screwed up the art because I was terrible at drawing). It was time for me to fulfil readers' expectation. Time to start saving for a rad motorbike!
For now, I had to move on foot. Fortunately, with my enhanced physique, I could travel faster than regular people. A journey that would normally take thirty minutes in foot, I covered in less than ten minutes. Even when I reached the gate, I hadn't broken a sweat.
"You're finally here!"
After the servants led me to the main guest room, I found myself in a hall with Cheng Long, Ye Wu Tian, the surviving elders of Divine Dragon Sect, Na Lan Jie and Na Lan Su. For some reason, Na Lan Yan Ran was also present, along with Na Lan Yan Rou.
"Master."
"Ah, Mr. Shu. Come, have a seat." Na Lan Jie extended a hand and gestured for me to sit in the sofa opposite them. I nodded and obliged. Na Lan Yan Rou joined me eagerly.
"It's been a while, Brother Cong!"
"Yeah, how have you been?"
"Great!"
The butlers and maids served some tea, and I returned my attention to the elders. Cheng Long and Na Lan Jie exchanged a look before turning to me.
"Uh, Xiao Cong, you���re now the only disciple in the Divine Dragon Sect. That automatically makes you the first disciple."
"Master, I've only been in the sect for a week, you know?"
"Yet you were able to successfully have your magic carp master Devouring the Heavens." Cheng Long nodded fervently. "I knew I hadn't misjudged you! You have great potential!"
He cast Ye Wu Tian a glare, and the elder immediately lowered his head.
"I'm so ashamed of my misjudgment. Sorry. I shouldn't have dismissed you so easily. If I had recruited you earlier that time, we would be able to teach you more."
"Well, actually, he would have spent the same amount of time trying to learn the basic summoning techniques in the manual you gave him. Standard beginner class takes about six months. He seems to have learned them all in about half the time."
"You overestimate me, Master."
"Anyway, the fact of the matter is that you are the most senior disciple…the only one. Therefore that automatically makes you the first disciple."
"Then we come to the crux of the matter." Na Lan Jie was beaming. "The engagement is on."
"Wait, what? What engagement?"
"Uh, well, the Divine Dragon Sect had an arrangement with the Na Lan clan. Sir Jie agreed to betroth his daughter to the first disciple of our sect."
No wonder they were telling me about how I was now the first disciple of the Divine Dragon Sect. Fuck this. I was out of here.
"I'm afraid I'll have to refuse."
I held up both of my hands frantically. There was a silence as the two old men exchanged uncomfortable looks.
However, unexpectedly enough, it was Na Lan Yan Ran who broke the silence.
"Why?! Are you saying I'm not good enough for you? Are you dissatisfied with me?"
Well, there was plenty about her personality that I was dissatisfied with, but I decided not to say that out loud. Instead, I bowed in a placating manner.
"I'm the one who is not good enough for you," I said in what I hoped was a diplomatic manner. Only to ruin it with the next sentence. "In fact, I recall very clearly your words. What was it you said, exactly? We are of completely different statuses, and I will never be able to step into the same world as you? That I'm only a lowly commoner and it doesn't matter if I join the Divine Dragon Sect, I shouldn't dream of reaching the same status as you?"
"T…that…!" Na Lan Yan Ran flushed crimson and sank into her seat. Her grandfather and father turned to scrutinize her sternly.
"Did you actually say that, Yan Ran?"
"How could you…?!"
"N…no! That's just a misunderstanding! I…I thought he was stalking me! So I said all those to drive him away! I didn't mean it…!"
"Why do you always accuse me of stalking?" I sighed heavily and shook my head. "Get it through your thick skull. I have no interest in you at all. And thus…"
I turned to regard an amused Cheng Long and a bemused Ye Wu Tian. They would probably be chewing on melons if they had them on hand, but they were probably doing their best just to rein in their laughter. I ignored them and continued my declaration.
"…I refuse any sort of engagement, particularly with Ms. Na Lan Yan Ran. Clearly she does not think I am worthy of her, and I have my own personal affairs anyway."
"Personal affairs?" Cheng Long asked. "You mean you already have a fiancée, or at least someone you like?"
"You can assume so," I replied, though nothing could be further from the truth. I had not encountered anyone I liked…or I did, but I was in no relationship with her. I knew myself the best. I was plain, unremarkable and average. According to most people, I was a pathetic loser, a nerd who should be banned from passing down my inferior genes. No girl would be attracted to me.
Na Lan Yan Ran had made that clear enough.
"Well, if that's the case, then we don't want to force you!"
Was it my imagination or did Cheng Long sound gleeful? Ye Wu Tian, on the other hand, nodded before casting a glance at Na Lan Yan Ran.
"No big loss," he muttered under his breath. I agreed wholeheartedly, but didn't voice it out. No point offending the Na Lan family when I didn't' have to.
"You…you…!" Na Lan Yan Ran spluttered, jabbing her finger at me.
"Enough, Yan Ran!" Na Lan Su snapped. He sighed and rose from his seat, gesturing for his eldest daughter to follow him. She huffed angrily, but obeyed.
"What a waste." Na Lan Yan Rou shook her head in disapproval. "Sister is making a huge mistake."
"Actually, I don't think it's a mistake. And I'm glad she doesn't like me. I don't like her either."
Na Lan Yan Rou looked a little hurt, and she turned away with a huff. Then she turned back and offered a reconciliatory smile.
"Don't worry, no matter what, you'll always be my brother!"
"Uh, right."
"It is true that you have saved Rou Er twice," Na Lan Jie said and bowed his head. "The Na Lan family owes you a great debt. If possible, I would like to offer you my granddaughter's hand in marriage. Hmm, how about this? You can get engaged to Rou Er instead of Ran Er."
"Uh, I don't think so. I don't want to be arrested for being a pedophile."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
"You do realize you're underage right now, right?"
"That's not a problem," Na Lan Jie began, and then he coughed when I stared at him with wide eyes, completely horrified. "No, I don't mean that. I mean, engagement usually take place when both parties are young, sometimes when they are still infants. If you're willing to wait for Rou Er to come of age, perhaps in ten years, then…"
"I'm afraid I'll have to refuse. I don't know what's going to happen in ten years. I also have personal affairs to settle. Whatever future may come, I wish to focus on the present first. Many things may happen, encounters will inevitably occur…"
"That's right. And if you want to wait ten years, perhaps we should wait until ten years later before discussing this." Cheng Long also helped me out. I silently nodded my thanks to my master.
Na Lan Jie sighed. "All right then. Then I will speak no more about this."
"Thank you for your understanding, sir."
"We'll proceed to discuss the process of rebuilding the Divine Dragon Sect." Na Lan Jie turned back to Cheng Long. "Of course, we'll offer our assistance. Whatever resources the Na Lan clan can spare, we'll contribute to rebuilding the Divine Dragon Sect."
"Thank you very much."
"Not at all. We are brothers, after all. I owe you for saving the Na Lan family back then. So how can I turn my back on you now, when you're in such a crisis? I am not like some old man, who refused to help an alchemist or receptarier who saved my life when he was under attack by the Misty Cloud Sect, despite telling him that I owe him a favor."
"Please don't mistake me for Xiao Yan," I muttered under my breath. Just then, Na Lan Su also entered the room. He shot his father a helpless look.
"Ran Er has thrown a tantrum and locked herself up in her room."
"Just what exactly does that girl want?" Na Lan Jie asked, exasperated. He shook his head and signaled for his son to sit. "Xiao Su, good timing. We're just about to discuss how we will rebuild the Divine Dragon Sect."
"Ah, of course. I'll see what we can do. I believe there's a spare facility under our Na Lan family's name that you can use as a training hall for now. It's wide enough for you to practice your summoning techniques."
"Thank you. That's much appreciated." Cheng Long nodded at him.
"I have also gotten my wife to help," Ye Wu Tian said. "She'll be here anytime now…oh, here she is."
A beautiful woman strode in, dressed in a business suit and straight skirt. Her blond hair was tied into an elegant bun, and she was also in her forties, just like her husband. She bowed politely when the maid led her into the hall.
"Everybody, this is Cheng Ke Xin, my wife." Ye Wu Tian rose to his feet to take her hands. Na Lan Jie nodded as a greeting, and I bowed my head politely. Ye Wu Tian smiled. "She's a great businesswoman. With her around, we'll be able to manage the finances of the Divine Dragon Sect."
"I'll do my best," Cheng Ke Xin said. I wondered if she was Cheng Long's daughter, but it seemed not. The character was completely different – the character Cheng in Cheng Long's name was "Become" whereas the character Cheng in Cheng Ke Xin's name was "Journey" or "Order." Confusing, I know.
"We'll have to slowly recruit new disciples as well," Cheng Long continued.
"What should I do?" I asked, raising a hand. Cheng Long glanced at me and smiled.
"Oh, before I forget…here's the recommendation letter I promised you." he took an envelope out of his traditional Chinese suit and pushed it toward me. "To the Imperial Valley University. They should accept you. Your Kao Gao results should be out sometime next week, right?"
"Yeah. But are you sure? I'm supposed to just go to university like this? How about the sect?"
"Honestly, there's nothing much you can do to help the sect right now." Cheng Long shook his head. "You must focus on training, getting stronger and graduating from a good cultivation academy. Only then will you be able to support our sect."
"Besides, it's a better idea for you to lay low and stay away for now," Ye Wu Tian added. "We don't know when Chen Bei Xuan will attack again. We don't want you to be around if he does. So rather than distract us with worrying about your safety, we want you to keep your head down and diligently train in Imperial Valley University."
"That's the same university that Ran Er will be attending," Na Lan Jie said with a chuckle. Great. Just fucking great. I would rather not have to deal with that stuck-up bitch.
Once again, I refrained from speaking my honest thoughts out loud. Imperial Valley University was the cultivation academy that specialized in summoning techniques, if I recalled correctly. That was why the Divine Dragon Sect wanted to send me there. Honestly, I had half a mind to run off to Ten Thousand Swords University instead. Well, I would see when I get to Xing Hao Island.
"Understood." I cupped my hands and lowered my head in compliance. "I'll do my best to obey, Master and Elders. So please take care of yourselves, all of you."