i
In an instant, the battle was over. Jin, now fourteen years old, had peers who had reached the sixth and even seventh level. Except for his resistance to poisons (thanks to the Poison Haze Technique), his chances of defeating Du Bai in a direct fight were certainly nonexistent. But in a competition governed by rules, all he had to do was lure him to the edge of the platform before throwing him off.
Jin left his opponent trying to understand what had happened and jumped off the platform, leaving. The girl who was supposed to be in this match asked,
"Where are you going? You won your first match."
"First? Who said I want a second match? I came to defeat him, and I did. My work here is done."
"Wait a moment, the nobles want to talk to you," this time, it was the village chief who stopped him, so Jin turned back.
The young noble eyed Jin with disdain and said,
"They told us you found Mr. Monroe dead. What were you doing at his place?"
The village chief intervened to answer,
"He was one of Mr. Monroe's debtors. He was there to pay what he owed."
"In that case, you can pay me. How much was the amount?"
"Oh... Mr. Monroe, is that you? I thought you were dead. You look well and younger, even regaining your hair?"
Jin's sarcastic reply left the young noble speechless, veins bulging on his forehead in anger. The elder intervened to calm him down.
"There's no point in discussing Monroe. His servant is our culprit. But tell me, young man, where did you learn the Falling Leaf Defense Technique, and why do you refuse to participate in the competition?"
Jin scratched his head and answered nonchalantly,
"I'm not obliged to tell you where I learned it, and I have no intention of joining a second-rate institute."
This time, the young noble exploded in Jin's face, raising his fist threateningly.
"How dare you speak so rudely to us? Don't you know your place?"
"Rude? Everyone knows that students of second-rate institutes will end up as mere servants with some combat skills. You held a competition for that, and then you talked to me about rudeness."
The village chief, drenched in sweat, jumped between the two, hoping his age would make the young noble reconsider attacking Jin. He scolded Jin,
"Young man, have you forgotten the manners of addressing those above you during your captivity? Apologize and ask for forgiveness."
Although everyone heard the village chief's scolding, Jin could see the pleading and fearful look in his eyes.
'It seems young Monroe is cut from the same cloth as old Monroe. If only I still had my strength...'
Jin turned to the elder noble, trying to avoid the young man who argued with his own shadow and calm the situation. He was too lazy to get involved in a fight that wouldn't benefit him.
"Why are you all angry with me? All I wanted to say is that I won't waste my time on a servant competition and would rather try my luck at the Heavenly Star Institute's student test next month."
"Ha ha ha ha," the young noble burst into laughter, "This boy thinks he can enter a first-rate institute. He's really funny."
"Mr. Monroe, if you find it funny, would you like to bet on it?"
"Why not? But what could a beggar like you offer me?"
"How about the Falling Leaf Technique in exchange for your red cube on your belt?"
The red-black cube wasn't an ordinary spatial cube. It was an infinite-sized cube, requiring its owner to be at least an elementary mage to use it. Although the young noble had no magical talent, he had no intention of giving up his precious cube for a technique primarily aimed at girls. But his confidence in winning changed his mind.
'The Falling Leaf Technique might help me win over some beauties,' the noble thought before declaring,
"I am Mr. Shin Liu. I bet the boy Jin my cube against his feminine technique... We'll meet in a month at the institute."
The elder sighed, disliking the idea of betting. Although the Falling Leaf Technique was originally feminine, it remained a high-ranking skill due to its difficulty in training. Staying calm under an opponent's attack capable of killing you with one blow requires courage and bravery.
He saw in Jin the courage to be a good follower.
"Mr. Liu, you don't need a feminine technique. And you, young man, despite your rudeness, you have some good qualities. Stop daydreaming, and I'll take you under my wing as my follower. From one look, I can tell you've never tasted a development elixir. You need to understand that people aren't born with the same status or luck."
Being a follower of a noble was certainly better than joining a second-rate school, especially since the success rate at the Earth Dragon Institute didn't exceed twenty percent.
Among the wealthy youths who had enhanced their bodies with expensive elixirs and their strength with rare skills, the chances of commoners succeeding were almost nonexistent.
Jin scratched his head, thinking about the noble's offer.
"People aren't born with the same status, that's true. So, you want me to give up the bet and abandon my dreams like the youths of this village, and accept wearing your golden collar to become your slave."
Jin raised his head high and spoke with a voice full of determination, echoing throughout the area.
"I will either reach the top of this world or die trying. That's my answer."
Jin said his piece and left with his sister.
The crowd began whispering behind his back. Some called him crazy, while others said he didn't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth, and other words that weakened the spirit. But all voices fell silent when the dark-skinned young man raised his hand and said,
"I won't wear any collar either. I withdraw."
At the dinner table, Jin continued to stare at the unexpected guest, who was completely at ease and spoke comfortably.
"Lady Eirene's cooking is wonderful. Besides her beauty, no wonder my uncle wants to marry her."
Cough Jin choked, spitting out his food, but Du Bai continued talking.
"I, Du Bai, was moved by what you said today and decided to become your companion. Of course, if your mother agrees to marry my uncle, we'll become relatives."
"Matchmaker, stop talking about marriage."
"What marriage are you talking about?" At that moment, Eirene entered, asking if they needed anything, but she heard their conversation and was puzzled.
"Your marriage. Matchmaker Du Bai wants to marry you to his uncle, and I refused because I've already chosen a suitable husband for you."
Du Bai smiled, feeling embarrassed. Although his uncle's story was true, he mentioned it as a joke.
'He took it seriously. Who's the fool who expects children to accept their mothers' remarriage?' he thought for a moment before shouting,
"What? Are you going to marry off your mother?"
"Are you both crazy? How can children discuss adult matters, and who said I want to remarry after your father?"
"Mother, does that man deserve such a sacrifice?"
His question implied that he knew things he shouldn't, causing her to feel uneasy.
"Listen, you're still young, and life is ahead of you. I've already chosen the right man who will take care of you and your daughter."
"But...?"
"No buts. I've already given him my blessing. Don't forget that I'll be leaving soon, so please don't be stubborn."
Throughout this conversation, Du Bai kept looking back and forth between the mother and son. An ordinary person would feel embarrassed and leave or at least remain silent, but Du Bai's reaction was the opposite. He started shouting again.
"This is madness. Have the roles reversed? You're the son, and she's the mother, not the other way around. What do you mean by giving your blessing and ensuring her well-being before you leave? Anyone hearing you would think you're an old man marrying off his daughter before he dies."
"Hey, you, this is a family matter. What right do you have to interfere?"
Du Bai's shouting snapped the mother out of her shock.
"He's right. I'm the mother, and I'm the adult here. How can you treat me this way and plan something like this behind my back?"
"And what does being an adult mean? Don't adults make mistakes? Meet the suitor first, and we'll continue our conversation later. And you still haven't told me what you want from me exactly?"
Seeing her son change the subject, the mother left, muttering,
"Crazy, years of captivity affected his mind. What child in the world marries off his mother... Crazy, I need to consult the doctor about him. There must be something wrong with his brain."