Chapter 45: Acknowledgment of Worldly Matters

Chapter 45: Acknowledgment of Worldly Matters

Liming practically tumbled through the door before it was even all the way open. Paike couldn’t help but crack a smile as she half-fell, caught herself, and straightened before smoothing her robes and meeting his eyes. She then proceeded to glide across the floor like a proper lady. When she reached him, she placed her hand on his forehead, her face a mask of concern.

“Brother. I’m glad you have awakened.”

Paike snorted, doing his best to suppress a laugh as even the simple exhale made his entire aching body twinge. The past few days had been kind to him, but in general, his condition was far from good.

“Good to see you too, sis,” he said, teasing her slightly, and instead of becoming upset with him or anything, she just cracked a smile. That she was in the mood to smile relieved many of his worries.

“How are you faring? How did all of you hold up?” Paike asked. He heard there was no major harm done to any of his teammates, but he wanted confirmation himself.

Liming pushed up her sleeve, showing a few bandages along her forearms.

“Nothing terrible,” she said. “I managed to fight a peak Ruby cultivator for almost a minute! And I only received a few light wounds,” she bragged. And that she was an Early Ruby who had awakened only a couple of weeks before it was truly a feat worth boasting about.

“Wow. Impressive,” Paike said, moving in the gentlest clap he could. “I’m sure Mother will be excited to hear of your exploits.”

Liming smiled. “I have written them a letter detailing what we’ve done, but have not received a response to that yet. But,” she said, pulling a scroll with their family’s seal on it, “I have received some other news from the family. Not from our parents, but the information department.”

Paike looked at her impassively, waiting for her to explain. She pouted.

“Come on. Guess.”

He waited.

“You’re no fun,” His sister whined.

“I am still in a decent amount of pain. I think I have every right to be a little grumpy,” Paike grumbled, though there wasn’t much heat in it.

Liming unfurled the scroll. “Dear young lady, yada yada yada,” she said, skimming through the tedious formalities of the letter. Paike could only be amused at how much, or how little, she tried to maintain a proper image, but at the same time, her relatively young age still shone through at times.

“To inform you about the developments regarding our interactions with the Fang clan. Their family has been encountered in a few of our recent business dealings and has seemed to take personal offense at their repeated defeats. We find it unlikely, but there is a chance that those grudges might spill into the younger generation. Be on guard and do not be caught alone or in a negative position. They have been shown to have very little honor and will not hesitate to engage in an unfair fight. But above all, make sure you do not embarrass the family.”

She let the scroll close. “It goes on like that for a while. But apparently, they are pleased with our positions on entering the sect. Though they haven’t yet got word about your incredibly fast breakthrough to Middle Ruby. But we are both going to get a stipend increase, and we are expected to both be in the top five within three months.”

The increase in his resources was welcome news, but the added pressure to move up in the rankings was not something he needed. But the deadline was far enough away that he could worry about that after he took care of the elders’ concerns.

Paike gestured for her to hand him the scroll. He skimmed through it himself, verifying that yes, they were warned about the Fang clan, their underhanded tactics. The letter also included a lot more details about their fighting style. Close-ranged melee weapons, for the most part, along with variations of fire and wind, were preferred. There were also some instructions to, if provoked, show them the power of the fan of the Kong family. Paike hoped that they had done their mother proud.

Before they had a chance to talk about anything else, the attendant came back and set the tray with a pitcher of water, a glass, and a small bowl of plain rice. Liming jumped out of the way, allowing her to place the tray across Paike’s legs.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Do you require any assistance, Master Kong?”

Paike shook his head. “I will be okay. Thank you.”

He had to fend off Liming attempting to feed him, but he did let her fill his glass with water from the pitcher. After finishing it, she sat in one of the chairs as he ate and filled him in on all the happenings in the last few days.

“They mentioned that your qi sense was suppressed, so it’s a little bit sad that I have to tell you this way, but I broke into Middle Ruby yesterday!” Liming finished with a cheer.

Paike let out a small cheer of celebration. “Congratulations, sister.”