Late at night, after work.
Gu Ming and Lu You got off work together and were walking back to their university.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps rang out from behind Gu Ming, and a voice called out to them.
"Wait for !"
The two turned around to see Yuan Ge catching up to them.
Yuan Ge was also a local university student, though the school he attended wasn’t as prestigious as Gu Ming and Lu You’s.
As for why he’d so brazenly chased after them, it all started with the Relay Cultivation thod Lu You had demonstrated earlier that day.
The technique’s special properties had captivated Yuan Ge, and he imdiately decided to cozy up to Gu Ming and Lu You.
He approached with a fawning smile, a small white cat cradled in his arms, and said,
"Teacher Gu Ming, we’ll be working together a lot in the future. Why don’t we grab a late-night snack?"
It was common for university students who practiced Spiritual Techniques to pull an all-nighter and still show up for work the next day, full of energy.
However, doing so day after day would certainly require one to find ti to rest.
Yuan Ge’s mind was whirring. To get on their good side and hopefully beco a disciple, he had chatted with Gu Ming nonstop on the way, and now that they were off work, he imdiately invited them out to eat.
Gu Ming’s first thought was:
’What are we eating?’
’If it’s sothing good, I’ll go.’
’If it’s just so ordinary street food, then there’s no need.’
’It’s the middle of the night. I’d be more comfortable going back to the villa to practice my Cultivation.’
Just then, Yuan Ge said,
"We’ll take you to Crescent Tower for a al. The food there is especially good—it’s all made with Three-star ingredients, so it’s very nourishing."
"I can see that Cyan Treasure, Mouse Treasure, and Ah Kun are all still growing, so it’ll be perfect for them."
Gu Ming was new here and didn’t yet understand the prices in the Capital. Hearing that the food was made with Three-star ingredients, he figured it would be a great supplent for Cyan Treasure and the others. Naturally, he didn’t refuse and followed Yuan Ge to Crescent Tower.
Crescent Tower was an antique-style building constructed entirely from High-star Wood Material.
Just approaching it, one could sll the pure fragrance of the wood, which soothed both body and mind.
As a Grass Elent Pet Beast, Cyan Treasure imdiately straightened up, its tongue flicking rapidly as its eyes shone with excitent.
Gu Ming stepped inside and was surprised to find that it wasn’t very large. It seed they hadn’t set up a Spatial Array to expand the interior.
This was quite unexpected.
The interior was exactly as large as it appeared from the outside.
It seed illogical. In the Capital, where every inch of land was worth a fortune, why would a restaurant owner not install a Spatial Array to increase their floor space?
After all, the number of tables was directly linked to a restaurant’s maximum revenue.
There were only ten tables on the first floor, with the sa number on the second and third. The number of tables was pitifully small.
Yuan Ge said with a pained expression, "A al here costs at least a hundred thousand, minimum. Ordinary people can’t afford it."
"But this is the family business of a senior from my university club. I get a discount with my mber ID, so it’s not too much of a strain."
As he said this, his expression still betrayed how much it pained him.
Gu Ming paid that no mind. Since the other party was asking for a favor, it was only natural to order generously.
Just then, a waiter approached, leading a tree-like Pet Beast.
The Pet Beast’s branches were as slender as green jade, and nestled among its boughs was a crescent moon the size of a fingernail.
Even in the late-night dimness of the tower, it was veiled in a hazy, pure radiance, like crushed silver subrged in a stream, faintly suffusing the air with a soft glow.
Although seating at Crescent Tower usually required a reservation, at this late hour, the main hall was sparsely filled with only a few tables of guests. A spot by the window was conveniently empty, its tablecloth as pristine as freshly fallen snow.
Since Yuan Ge was paying, Gu Ming opened the nu. He saw nas like Nine Dragon True Wood and Abyssal Dragon Vein, which sounded extraordinary and expensive just by their nas alone. The prices listed beside them were enough to make one’s eyes twitch.
He didn’t hesitate, ordering one of each in turn.
Of course, he didn’t order everything, just enough for three Pet Beasts and three people.
Yuan Ge watched, his heart aching at the cost, but he still smiled and let Gu Ming finish ordering.
As the dishes were brought to the table one by one, a faint Spiritual Mist instantly rose from the tabletop. Flecks of light floated in the erald broth, a lustrous sheen coated the amber-colored chunks of at, and the very air was filled with a sweet, refreshing Spiritual Qi.
Cyan Treasure, Mouse Treasure, and Ah Kun’s appetites were all whetted. They opened their mouths wide and began to feast wildly upon the table.
Gu Ming also gently scooped up a spoonful of broth. He took a small sip and imdiately felt every pore in his body, as well as his Sea of Consciousness, open up in blissful relaxation.
Lu You said little throughout the al. She was naturally a woman of few words, rarely speaking even when in the company of colleagues she had spent the entire day with.
Now, with her eyes slightly lowered, she copied Gu Ming and took a delicate sip. An almost inaudible sigh escaped her throat, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks, as if she were ward by the steam.
Clearly, she too was amazed by the dicinal broth made from Crescent Tower’s high-end ingredients.
At this point, Gu Ming set down his bowl and chopsticks and said,
"Alright, out with it. What do you need from us?"
Yuan Ge let out a huge sigh of relief.
This al was for the express purpose of asking to beco a disciple. He stroked the Night Demon Cat in his arms and said earnestly,
"I want to learn the Relay Cultivation system from you. Would you be willing to take as your disciple?"
Gu Ming shook his head. How could he possibly be anyone’s master?
If it were a high school student, maybe.
He had just finished a national competition and could offer so guidance on topics from his last year of high school or first year of university.
But Yuan Ge was a bona fide third-year Beastmaster student. Gu Ming wasn’t even sure if his own knowledge surpassed the other man’s.
When it ca to Relay Cultivation, the true difficulties really boiled down to a few key areas:
First, how to neutralize the repulsive force between the two Pet Beasts’ Mana within their respective bodies.
Second, researching the path of the Cultivation Technique.
Two Pet Beasts will inevitably have different ridian systems. Figuring out how to make their Cultivation Technique paths form self-consistent, interchangeable routes within these different networks required careful consideration.
Third, whether the Attributes of the two Pet Beasts clashed.
After all, ice and fire countered one another. If their Attributes were completely incompatible, practicing the Cultivation could trigger a massive explosion, like mixing fire and water.
Once these three main problems were solved, the remaining difficulties of Relay Cultivation were negligible and could be tackled one by one.
The third-year student before him surely knew all this. If he were left to figure it out on his own, his results might even be better than with Gu Ming’s guidance. Gu Ming certainly wasn’t confident that he was the more knowledgeable of the two.
However, just then, the system displayed a plot notification.
[Outer Disciple Yuan is deeply shaken, having seen you get promoted to Inner Sect Disciple based on the results of your Relay Cultivation.]
[Having failed to beco an Official Disciple in three years, he has decided to beco an informant, offering you Spirit Stones in exchange for your guidance.]
’An informant?’
’Offering Spirit Stones?’
’Well, you should have said so earlier! In that case, I have no objections.’
Across the table, Yuan Ge saw Gu Ming shake his head. His heart sank, and his lips trembled as he stamred,
"Is there no chance for ?"
"I just want to learn how it’s done, I don’t have to formally beco your disciple... Even just so pointers would be great..."
His voice grew weaker and weaker, until he sounded almost desperate.
After all, he had already spent the money. If he got nothing in return, he would be frustrated enough to cough up blood.
Even a few pointers from Gu Ming would be sothing.
Just then, Gu Ming nodded. "It’s fine, as long as I don’t have to be your master."
Yuan Ge was overjoyed.
"Then let’s set a ti! Should I co to your place? Or will you co to my school?"
"Late night is our free ti, so we’ll do it then. Let organize my thoughts before we set a specific ti. I’ll co to your university to teach you."
"Okay, okay! I can wait."
[You’ve spotted an opportunity to cultivate an informant. Just as you were worrying about having no leads in the corruption case, why not start with Yuan and develop him into a double agent?]
’I see. So that’s what you ant, System.’
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