Chapter 368: Proposition (1/2)
Chapter 368: Proposition
Translator: EndlessFantasy TranslationEditor: EndlessFantasy Translation
”Spaceships are indeed a rare sight in the space zone but they still exist, since this was not the only planet in the zone, and it is unavoidable to make contact with the other planets. I had heard that the development, the technique specifically for building the spaceships was also one of the 'gifts' brought by those outsiders during their visit that year. Normally, a planet would be facilitated with only two spaceships which would be under possession of the two largest tribes of the planet. For example on Dankwood, the Han family and Renlo tribe own the two limited ships, although they hardly used the ships, only during the Congregation perhaps,” elaborated Huang Baiyi as Ye Chong appeared to be confused in his eyes.
”Congrega-what?” Ye Chong did not quite get the foreign term.
”You don't know what Congregation is?” Huang Baiyi's stare grew foreign, ”With your capabilities, how would you ever be uninvited to a Congregation? Did your teacher disallow you from joining the event?”
”I don't know.” The plain, honest reply from Ye Chong was even more confusing.
”Maybe your teacher did not wish you to be distracted by things other than the training. Well then, you have a good teacher there.” Huang Baiyi was sentimental, but towards Ye Chong's ever-confused expression, he went on explaining, ”A Congregation is an event that happened once every 5 years and is held on Planet Risserd, in which all participants are the topmost experts in every planet out there. It is an important event in the space zone. There are many categories, but martial arts, mystic arts (the mentalist expertise mostly) and alchemy are given much greater attention, as they have the most yardsticks. Every planet has their own set of standards of 10 each on these categories. But, to a planet, 10 yardsticks are a bit less and over the top for decorative purposes, as the competition is far greater in actuality, many people had died during the process. Sigh, all for an impractical fame. Your teacher has a better insight in this! To not let you join the event!” Huang Baiyi gave out a loud sigh, shaking his head.
”Have you joined the Congregation before?” asked Ye Chong, curiously.
”Yes I did.” Frankly he replied, ”Thrice. But I had never become a champion. Not even once.” His tone remained flat, as if the statement was more factual than a fantasy to he himself. It felt like a fantasy to Ye Chong however, as it was not very long since he came to this tiny barren-looking village of the Wangs and he had already encountered quite a number of adepts. Now, set back and imagine, with the area and population of experts multiplied into size of a planet... Huang Baiyi was surely something for he was able to pass the selection process and joined the Congregation thrice at least.
Not that shocked... to be honest. Not like the shock-shocked, jump-shocked, scream-shocked kind of shock, not the kind like fandom on the forum discussing the latest moves of the mysterious YC, Ye Chong had met countless miracle-manufacturing experts since he encountered Mu Shang. Be those experts from the field of piloting, martial arts or the alchemy or those from the darker side like the Mavericks, these surfacing figures already had convinced him that there would always be a greater one somewhere out there, only whether known or not known to the humanity.
”The Wangs?” Huang Baiyi sounded very familiar to every force in the place, ”You meant the family of the Segean Sea? They were great once in the past, although they were already facing regression the moment they migrated too the coast of Seagean Sea. Speaking of them, I truly wonder what had happened to them all these years... But I guess their forces lingered somehow so they are still far better off than most folks like us,” muttered Huang Baiyi as he tried reminiscing the past, ”Oh yes, they once had quite a figure in the tribe, a Jie expert if I remember correctly... he joined the Congregation too... He should be in his eighties now, well, given that he's still alive, though I remember he seemed to have banished his own skills 20 years ago... on an accident? He apparently committed some taboo of his own kind... Wait, why the Wangs all of sudden? Is any of them your teacher?”
”Nope,” shook Ye Chong.
Okay, wow, the Wangs haven't even flashed their trump yet. Luckily I did not join the war directly or it would be bad, very bad... But what about Rui Bing and the others... I wonder what had happened to all of them...
”Oh...” Huang Baiyi's eyes, trained by encounters over ages, recognized the expression of Ye Chong, ”You seek to avenge? You have bad blood with the family? Well, with your skills, I don't think you would be terribly sorry in the fight. Wait, so did the elderly show up? Or... they have a new Jie expert?”
”They came in waves,” concisely Ye Chong replied.
”What?” Huang Baiyi was bewildered, ”Don't tell me your teacher never informed you any rules and regulation here before letting you out... You can't be challenging the authority all alone on a whim, it's an embarrassment.”
Ye Chong was wordless. It had been a nice chat with Huang Baiyi but he would not want to reveal himself being an utter outsider to the place, not just yet.
...
”Sigh! Let's stop talking about this! It'd be pointless if we are stuck here!” That was when Huang Baiyi realized they had sailed way off the course, although he was so indulged in chattering at the moment, ”So, what's your best move?” And so he initiated a new, better topic.
”Lancing.” It took Ye Chong a while to spit the two syllables. He was puzzled by the question, to be honest, since he was technically an all-rounded fighter. He was good at muscle control, exceptional in strength, speed and accuracy. He was also agile in hand-on-hand, or an armed fight with his dagger. He probably was good at everything while being exceptionally good at nothing. If he were to spit something, lancing seemed to be it?
”By lancing you meant this?” Huang Baiyi's glance set upon Ye Chong's wooden lance. Well, Ye Chong no longer possessed a mech, so any form of weaponry would be his key to survival. He had been carrying the wooden lance since forever.
”Yeah,” he replied briefly.
”Oh! A lancer!” Huang Baiyi lowered his eyes, reminiscing again, ”I do remember there were few adepts of lancing, but lancers do not seem to be as common as swordsmen...” Ye Chong's glance was sending him the awkward signal, ”Well, ummm, uh, since, little I know being a Mentalist, not an actual martial arts practitioner.”
”To be frank, I did once discuss the issue with the real deal before, and his comments left in my mind forever. He once said that, the weapon might be different, the technique might be different, but the core factor, the determiners to its mastery are always the same few. Do you know what those determiners are?” He looked at Ye Chong interestingly.
”Strength. Speed. Spirit.” Ye Chong said without hesitation, then he held for a while, as something came to his mind, ”Maybe the Angles too. And timing. Yeah, these two should form the factor of 'Position', both spatial and temporal. Hm, yeah, position.”
Huang Baiyi remained silent. His mouth was half open.
”What's wrong? Were my answers wrong?” He then went on pondering his answers earlier for the next three minutes, ”It should be right.” He lifted his head as he stood strong for his claim.
”You are right indeed,” replied Huang Baiyi with sentiments, as he stared at Ye Chong, ”You are brilliant for a twenty-three-year-old, knowing the working of this.”
”The senior said the same exact reply to me that year. In a typical martial arts execution, Spirit is not as apparent as Strength, Speed or Position, and it would only manifest itself during some occasion when you had achieved a greater self... which I guess you had experienced it well enough.”
Ye Chong nodded his head approvingly.
Finally! Huang Baiyi was excited, as he finally found the lighter to Ye Chong's interest! And they began discussing passionately on the determiners of martial arts, with focus on the factor of Spirit. It felt like a talk between a child and an adult at the beginning. The child was Ye Chong of course due to his lack of understanding on Spirit in this, but both of their positions soon switched when other factors came into light.
Their friendship grew rapidly, as Huang Baiyi had appeared to be an inquisitive educated man in Ye Chong's eyes, which was quite his type... Hah, but the irony was, both of them knew well deep in their hearts, that the passionate conversation was merely a mean to kill time. It was only logical for Huang Baiyi to act so excitingly when he finally discovered a companion, and something that he could work hard with that companion.