The pain in Son’s voice was gut-wrenching, but Sol knew the feeling all too well.
Sol opened his mouth to say sothing, but he quickly closed it. Just because he understood Son’s pain, it didn’t an they were in the sa position.
At least Sol had an outlet for the anger and frustration he felt. Getting stronger and taking revenge; to make that person regret what he did.
Although his master wanted him to stop and take a break, the more he adapted to the daily life in the Academy the more anxious he felt.
Sol felt like he wasn’t doing enough to get stronger, and he was beginning to question his decision to enter the Academy.
Suddenly, Sol shook his head internally.
It was selfish of him to be thinking about his own problems in this situation.
"Brother Sol..."
Son’s call brought Sol out of his thoughts. He looked up and saw Son staring at him with his listless eyes.
"Is it my fault they died? An Elder of the Huashan Branch Sect told the people who attacked us were from the Demonic Cult, and that they were after . Brother Sol, it’s my fault they’re not here anymore, right?"
Sol didn’t hesitate to shake his head.
"No Brother Son, how can it be your fault? You did nothing wrong; they are the ones who attacked you for your Innate Dharma."
When Son heard that, for the first ti sothing other than sadness and regret appeared in his eyes.
Anger.
A deep abundance of anger that could drown the world if released. But it couldn’t be released, there was no outlet. He didn’t know where those attackers were, and even if he did, could he defeat them with his strength alone?
Son’s eyes returned to normal, but he still clenched his fists.
Sol saw all of this, and suspicion started to grow in his heart. He had noticed a peculiar detail about Son. Maybe no one else would have been able to sense it but he could.
Sol’s expression turned ugly, and he asked solemnly.
"Brother Son, did they manage to take your Innate Dharma?"
Son nodded slowly.
Crack.
Sol’s fist involuntarily clenched and he crushed the cup in his hands. A murderous aura unintentionally leaked from his body and into the surroundings.
Sowhere in the mansion, a middle-aged man who was wearing simple robes was seated at a desk in an office-like room. When Sol’s murderous intent accidentally leaked out, he suddenly looked up from the papers in his hands.
"Hm? That murderous intent is coming from my son’s room."
The middle-aged man frowned before he called for a guard just outside the double doors of his office.
Back in Son’s courtyard, Sol quickly regained his composure and withdrew his murderous aura.
Son seed to smile at this and said.
"Brother Sol, I’m really glad I can call you my friend. I’m weak, but you..."
Son was about to continue, but it seed like he couldn’t bring himself to say his next words.
However, Sol intuitively knew what Son was about say, or rather ask of him. To take revenge on his behalf.
But Son shook his head and instead asked.
"Brother Sol, are you planning on leaving anyti soon?"
Sol smiled and responded.
"I can stay here for a few days to accompany Brother Son. I hope that won’t be a bother."
Son actually laughed and then said.
"No, of course not Brother Sol. You’re the first person to visit besides my father and little sister. I feel so alone I might just go crazy more than I already am."
"Don’t say that Brother Son. Here..."
Sol paused then looked around for a mont before spotting sothing on another table.
"Is that a board ga? Why don’t you teach how to play?"
Sol got up and brought over the ga board to their table. It looked old and worn out. It seed it was exposed to the weather for quite a while.
"Ha-ha, I haven’t played in a long ti."
"What kind of ga is it?"
"It’s called chess. It’s one of the Four Arts."
"The Four Arts?"
With that, Son rembered that Sol was clueless about the outside world, so he patiently explained.
"You have the cultivation world and the world of normal folks, or mortals. Just like the cultivation world that has a hierarchy of power, the normal folks are split into the rich and the poor. The rich have a different lifestyle than the poor, they teach their younger generation the Four Arts and stress getting a good education to beco a governnt official. As for what the Four Arts are, their Calligraphy, Chess, Painting, and Music."
"So, you learned the Four Arts when you were younger?"
Sol asked as he curiously watched Son place the strange wooden pieces onto the board. They were stored in a compartnt hidden at the side.
"Yes, I did. Even though the Four Arts are sothing normal folks’ study, it has been adopted by the cultivation world. After all, we were all mortals before we beca cultivators seeking Immortality."
"That is true."
"Hm, but Brother Sol, there are Pavilions in the Academy that teach the Four Arts."
"There are?"
"Yeah, especially the Music Pavilion. They are almost as well known as the four main Pavilions, the Weapon Innate Dharma Pavilion, the Elental Innate Dharma Pavilion, the Divine Beast Innate Dharma Pavilion, and the Irregular Innate Dharma Pavilion."
It was then Sol rembered his Master explaining the types of Irregular Innate Dharmas to him. He did ntion that soone could awaken musical instrunts as their Innate Dharma.
Speaking of Irregular Innate Dharmas, Sol looked at Son and asked.
"Brother Son, I heard that the Demonic Cult targets people with Irregular Innate Dharmas. I can guess the Forgotten Geniuses they went after had Irregular Dharmas, but why did the Demonic Cult target you? I’ve seen your Innate Dharma before, and it’s only a Weapon-type Innate Dharma. Did they only target you because you’re a Forgotten Genius?"
Son’s hand, which was placing a chess piece in its place on the board, paused when he heard Sol’s question. However, he soon recovered and said.
"Brother Sol, that pertains to a secret that I have been keeping even from my family, no one knows about it. However, if you defeat three tis while playing this board ga with , I’ll tell you, Brother Sol."
Sol was intrigued by this, and he agreed to Son’s offer.
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