Chapter 21 – Eastern Dragon Sect of Painting (II)
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Turning his body around to face away from Ye Yin Zhu, Ferguson’s eyes displayed a crafty light. As if indifferent, he said, “There is only one option. All in all, you are still a student of the institute. I do not want you to be considered a heretic by the Blue Dias Seven Pagoda. At present, there is only one road you can walk. You must pay your respects to me as your master. This way, I can claim to have previously presented you with magic equipment that concealed your rank, thereby helping you resolve this matter. Do you understand?”
“Eh? Pay my respects to you as my master? But, I already have a master. I’m afraid this is out of the question.”
Ferguson said, “Then I’m afraid my hands are tied. I can only deliver you to the Blue Dias Seven Pagoda. Only, did your teacher stipulate that you can only have him as your master?”
Ye Yin Zhu shook his head and replied, “This didn’t occur, but…”
“Since he didn’t, what is there for you to hesitate about? I have studied Spiritual Magic my whole life, yet I still haven’t had a single disciple to this day. Rest reassured; I will impart upon you teachings that will in no way clash with what your teacher had taught you. Divine Music Magic is a branch of Spiritual Magic. If your teacher asks you in the future, I can help you resolve the issue.”
At this moment, Ye Yin Zhu couldn’t help but recall what Nina had told him that day and probingly asked, “If I call you teacher, I won’t need to call you master, right?”
Ferguson was amused at Ye Yin Zhu’s self-deceptive way of speaking. “Yes; it depends on you.” He couldn’t help but lament in his heart, ‘I don’t know how many people of royalty and nobility within Milan have sent me a child to accept as a disciple, all of which I rejected. This boy is actually discussing prerequisites.’
“Teacher.” Ye Yin Zhu very naively bowed towards Ferguson. His pure character made him perceive Ferguson as benevolent. Such a benevolence produced amiable feelings without any menace. In addition, Nina had warned him beforehand, which made him no longer hesitant.
“Good. From now on, you are my sole disciple. If my deductions are accurate, you used a Contract Summoning today, and that should be your magical beast partner. Do you know his origins?”
“Magical beast? No, Zi isn’t a magical beast. He is my friend, my dear friend,” Ye Yin Zhu hurriedly explained.
Ferguson’s expression shifted. “So you’re saying that ever since you knew him, he has appeared as a human? When did you roughly meet him?
Ye Yin Zhu answered, “Ten years ago. At that time, I was six years old and Zi had appeared while I was practicing with my zither. Afterwards, he would come listen to me play every day. He was my sole friend before coming here to Milan. For ten years, we hadn’t ever separated.”
Listening to him, Ferguson couldn’t help but furrow his brows deeply. Ye Yin Zhu’s explanation had already exceeded the scope of his knowledge. “What’s this Equal Contract between you two about? I have previously seen an introduction of an Equal Summon Contract in ancient texts. Instead, this appears to be an Equal Life Contract. Essentially, your lives and souls are tied together as one. Were you aware of this?”
Ye Yin Zhu nodded his head. “I know! Zi is my dear friend. He can’t come to college with me, though. Zi said that we can frequently see each other with this contract. Thus, we agreed and signed this contract.”
Ferguson faked a smile and said, “But this contract also prevents you from possessing a magical beast. Furthermore, don’t tell me that you didn’t want to know where that Zi learned this contract from?”
Ye Yin Zhu simply replied, “I trust Zi.”
Looking at Ye Yin Zhu’s resolute and unyielding gaze, Ferguson was silent. This disciple had the kind of character he was naturally satisfied with. He felt, however, that Zi was not simple. No dou qi, no magic, simply relying only on brute force to actually stop a Green Rank Gigantic Dragon cavalryman’s all-out attack… this kind of power had never before been seen in a human.
The Equal Life Contract of legend was originally a marriage contract. Only when the affection of both husband and wife had become stronger than even blood ties would they give up the power of a magical beast and agree to sign such a contract in order to always be able to see the other person. It was abnormal.
That Zi was in no way human, making it impossible for Ferguson to use his spiritual force to determine the abnormality. Although there was no difference between Zi’s outward appearance and a human’s, he didn’t have a human’s aura. If he was a magical beast, then what magical beast possessed such powerful physical strength and the ability to transform into a human form? Contemplating the issues, Ferguson couldn’t help but get a headache.
“Well. Yin Zhu, you should go back now. Rest properly in preparation for the final match. I will reflect on this and decide how to impart my Spiritual Magic knowledge to you. Go back and don’t forget what I have told you just now. If someone asks, tell him that I’d given you magic equipment that had concealed your genuine strength. As for everything else, I can settle them on your behalf.”
“Okay, thank you, teacher.” Ye Yin Zhu gratefully bid farewell to Ferguson with the intention of leaving, but Ferguson called out for him to halt.
“Wait a moment. Yin Zhu, I have something I must tell you. Once this Freshman Competition finishes, the college will organize its first real combat drill. It’s completely unlike the match styles of the competition. Instead, it is a genuine battlefield. When that moment comes, when every division chooses their most outstanding students to participate, I want you to join. Battle experience often makes a person mature quickly. At that time, the college will inform the individuals of the specific details.”
“Okay. I will listen to teacher.” Complying with the college’s arrangements, Ye Yin Zhu simply assumed there wouldn’t be too many questions, including why no suspicions of war on the peaceful mainland have emerged.
Looking at Ye Yin Zhu’s departing back, Ferguson allowed his smile to flood his face. Within his heart, he secretly thought, ‘He doesn’t consider this to be a threat and promise? Such a good disciple; I’m afraid that I can’t find a second one anywhere on the continent. Simple and pure in temperament as well as simple and pure spiritual force and dou qi; in addition, he also gave the Divine Music division a miracle and has an Equal Life Summoning Contract. All of this can only be represented with one word: genius. Not only that, but a flawless genius.’
After watching a few of Ye Yin Zhu’s matches, Ferguson had concocted his plan. As the competition continued, Ye Yin Zhu had given him more and more wonderful surprises. He’d hesitated up until today, when Ye Yin Zhu’s magic had suddenly broken through to the Yellow Rank. He exploited this good opportunity to semi-force the acceptance of this disciple and vaguely sensed in his heart that not far off into the future, Ye Yin Zhu would inevitably become a nova in the mage circles on this continent.
Ye Yin Zhu had just left Ferguson’s residential area before he suddenly came across Sura. Sura seemed to be waiting here for him. Upon seeing him come out, Sura hastily walked up to him and urgently asked, “Yin Zhu, what did the President seek you out for? Was it about you skipping a rank? You’re also extremely reckless; how did this issue crop up? Don’t you know that this is very dangerous for you? Oh! In the end, was it about how you cultivate?”
Ye Yin Zhu was somewhat flustered by Sura’s series of questions. “Sura, speak slowly, and don’t worry! It was none of those topics. Just now, teacher helped me think of a good solution.”
At that moment, he explained the entirety of his discussion with Ferguson to Sura. In the institution, Ye Yin Zhu only highly trusted two people: Nina and Sura. Apart from secrets pertaining to the Zither Sect or Bamboo Sect, he didn’t feel the need to conceal anything from them.
“Not bad, not bad. You’ve truly scared me to death.” Sura patted his chest. “Who was that individual you summoned today? When I was watching Nesta and his dragon charge at you in the sky, I was really frightened. The President also didn’t block him. Fortunately, you had a way to deal with it.”