Chapter Five: The First Formal Meeting

"To master one's fate? Easier said than done!" A deep male voice rang out behind Su Bai, instantly making his hair stand on end.

He knew immediately this was not Li Siguo's voice. Just as he was about to cry out for help, he found himself unable to make a sound.

Suddenly, Su Bai snatched a stone from the ground and hurled it toward the bamboo house, hoping Li Siguo might hear. Yet, before the stone had even reached mid-air, an invisible force shattered it into dust. The middle-aged man before him had not moved at all since he appeared.

Su Bai furrowed his brows tightly; he realized he had encountered a master, one whom Li Siguo likely could not rival.

As he weighed his options, the middle-aged man smiled at him with genuine approval. "Good, very good. As expected of the son of Su Qing and Nian Ci. Even when faced with such a vast difference in strength, you can still think calmly. That alone is commendable."

With these words, he settled beside Yu Nian Ci's grave under Su Bai's astonished gaze. He warned Su Bai, "But do not ever act so rashly again. Those who have reached the rank of Grandmaster have all survived countless battles and death’s door to attain such heights. Whatever schemes you harbor in your heart, they see through them as clear as day. The more you try these petty tricks, the more likely they are to kill you."

His gaze locked onto Su Bai as he spoke. "Have you remembered what I said?"

From the very start, Su Bai had fixed his eyes on the middle-aged man, but now his brow relaxed and a smile appeared upon his face. He knelt respectfully and bowed his head. "Your son Su Bai greets you, Father!"

Su Qing smiled, a hint of amusement in his tone. "Calling me father at our first meeting—aren’t you afraid you might be mistaken?"

But Su Bai replied fluently, "From the beginning, you had countless chances to kill me. If you were an assassin, I doubt you’d bother with the rest of these words. Besides, I grew up here from birth—if someone were trying to trick me for information, I’d say they were out of their mind. And if you can speak of Grandmaster-level cultivations so casually, your own rank must be close to that. If I recall correctly, in the books you left for me, there’s one volume detailing all the high-ranking officers of the Western Palace. But among those who reached the Grandmaster realm, it seems only you did, Father."

He finished, secretly thinking, "Luckily, I vaguely remember his face."

Su Qing was quite satisfied with Su Bai's clever response.

"You have plenty of wit, but your vision is a bit narrow."

Su Qing walked slowly to a reclining chair and sat down. "If you show your talents too openly, you become the tallest tree in the forest. Learn to conceal your abilities. You cannot reveal everything you know, but neither should you say nothing at all. Mastering the balance between advance and retreat is the foundation of serving others."

Su Bai's expression remained unchanged; he bowed again respectfully. "Your child is enlightened and will be mindful in the future."

He secretly grumbled, "This old man really has a lot of opinions. I thought playing humble and talking theory would win his favor, but now he’s making me look less steady. Damn!"

His opinion of this convenient father was hardly high, but still—having a Grandmaster-level (former) Commander-in-Chief and Duke of the West as a father was not a bad deal.

After all, this world was far more dangerous than Earth; a single misstep could send one spiraling into disaster. Having a towering tree for shelter would give Su Bai more space to grow.

Su Bai’s eyes flashed with calculation. "For a busy man like him to visit me once is rare. I must seize this opportunity and curry favor. If he teaches me even one or two moves, I’d benefit endlessly."

Su Bai was no novice. He’d been in this world long enough to accumulate far more book knowledge than most.

Moreover, he’d discovered he possessed a photographic memory—the entire bamboo house full of books had been committed to his mind.

This gave him a sense of pursuit toward strong men like Su Qing—not out of idol worship, but for the power itself.

But before Su Bai could begin his cunning operation, Su Qing’s next words poured cold water over his hopes.

"Forget those little schemes. I’m not here to secretly teach you any peerless martial arts.

Those skills must be cultivated by yourself. If I force them on you now, I’ll fix your path and make it harder for you to reach higher realms. You should understand my intentions."

Su Qing looked at Su Bai with casual ease as he spoke.

Su Bai was caught off guard by this sudden statement and hurriedly agreed.

---

Inside, he was already cursing wildly. "What nonsense! Nine years without a visit, and when he finally comes, he teaches nothing, just lectures on some grand philosophy and claims it’ll ‘limit my future growth’. I don’t even know if I’ll ever reach Grandmaster in this lifetime! Is he out of his mind? How am I supposed to play this game?"

Su Qing had no idea what Su Bai was thinking. From the moment he saw his son, he’d been reasonably satisfied.

He thought leaving so many books would help Su Bai mature and become more reserved.

But seeing him today—he was a brash, youthful show-off, which left Su Qing somewhat disappointed. He wondered if the boy had actually absorbed any of the lessons.

Su Qing continued, "Come, let me test your progress in these years of study. I’ll ask, you answer. I warn you, if you don’t perform well, my punishment won’t be light."

This suited Su Bai perfectly; he was secretly delighted, but maintained a serious demeanor. "If Father wishes to examine my studies, your child will obey, only..."

He paused intentionally, succeeding in drawing Su Qing’s attention. Then, he spoke with eloquence, "If there’s no wager in a contest, where’s the fun?"

Su Qing laughed and scolded, "You little rascal, haven’t seen me more than twice and already thinking of fleecing your old man!"

He pondered for a moment and drew out a round steel orb from his bosom. The orb was pure silver, engraved with twin dragons chasing a pearl. Su Bai couldn’t tell what purpose it served, but since it was produced by a Grandmaster, it was surely no ordinary trinket.

Su Qing shook the orb in his hand, smiling with amusement. "Don’t underestimate this. Your mother forged it herself and kept it with her for thirty years—the blood it has absorbed is countless." At this, Su Qing’s expression showed a trace of reminiscence.

Just for a moment, all emotion was tucked away again. He continued, "Its value far exceeds ordinary divine weapons, so accordingly, I’ll raise the difficulty of your answers.

Let’s say, if you answer incorrectly more than once, you lose. The penalty is to copy every book once over. Do you dare take this bet?"

Su Bai looked at the mountain of books stacked in the bamboo house and swallowed hard, but the allure of the treasure proved irresistible. After a brief struggle, he made his decision.

He looked at Su Qing, extended his hand, and declared resolutely, "A promise once made is irrevocable."

Su Qing stood, amused, his large palm meeting Su Bai’s youthful hand. "A true man stands by his word. Let’s begin!"

Su Qing lazily sat again. Those who reached this realm rarely put on airs. They lived by their own will, pursuing the path of the immortals—their lifelong goal. Except, of course, for court ‘employees’ like Su Qing.

The noon sun beat down on Su Bai’s back; soon his clothes were damp.

A book floated from the bamboo house and landed steadily in Su Qing’s hand. He had made no visible movement.

To Su Qing, this was trivial; but Su Bai was transfixed. He’d never witnessed anything so contrary to physics.

He’d seen Li Siguo practice, but that was mere physical training. This was completely different—what he’d read in books was now vividly displayed before him, shaking his worldview.

Su Qing flipped through a few pages and began his questioning. "Let’s start simple: tell me about the rivers, lakes, seas, and customs of the southern lands."

Question followed question in rapid succession, and Su Bai answered fluently, without pause. Eventually, Su Qing resorted to obscure trivia from between the lines of the books, but Su Bai’s speed never faltered.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Su Qing switched books and continued his interrogation—from astronomy to geography, from court to martial world, from weapons to poisons and remedies.

An hour and a half passed.

Su Bai, sweating under the blazing sun, finally uttered he could go no further, but stood tall and proud. He silently waited for this old rascal to give up the prize.

"The more I answer, the more he loses face. Isn’t this all because I’m too conspicuous and he wants to teach me a lesson? He should look at his own actions—trying to teach me! I want to see how shameless the Duke of the West can be."

Under Su Bai’s ‘righteous gaze’, Su Qing felt a bit awkward. His old face had been thoroughly lost. He muttered to himself, "This kid is a prodigy at memorizing—he’s remembered all these books. Maybe I really should give him the prize? Well, it’s returning to its rightful owner; Nian Ci would probably agree."

---

Su Qing stood and spoke to Su Bai, "Well done. It’s time this thing found a new master." He tossed the steel orb over.

"Finally mine..." Su Bai was about to rejoice, when a wave of dizziness hit his head and he immediately fainted.

Su Qing, with a gesture, drew Su Bai and the orb into his arms. Looking at the exhausted boy, he teased, "This kid can memorize books, but his body is weak. How can he be the son of the Duke of the West?"

Coo, coo, coo!

A familiar rooster’s crow woke Su Bai from his slumber.

"Ugh, morning already? I remember yesterday afternoon—three hours of reciting, drove me nearly mad. Oh no!" Su Bai suddenly sat up, finding himself lying in the bamboo house, everything as it had been.

He searched himself, grumbling, "Damn, that old man must’ve reneged on his promise. The prize he gave me, he must have snatched it back while I was out. Next time I see him, I’ll yank out his beard... Eh?"

As Su Bai continued his search and curses, he suddenly found something unusual in his shoe. He picked it up—it was yesterday’s wager.

"Uh, maybe I misjudged him. Never mind, he made me recite for hours last time. Cursing him a little is just interest! Hehehe."

He immediately began to examine the treasure.

After two incense sticks’ time—

"I think I’ve been scammed," Su Bai muttered angrily. "The old man clearly doesn’t want me to use this treasure. I still don’t know how to activate it, or where the switch is. At least give me a manual! Is he crazy? Is he crazy!"

"Brat! Watch your mouth. I’m not far away!" Even before the voice arrived, Su Bai felt a sharp rap on his head.

"Ouch! Got it, my dear father." Su Bai then thought, "That sensation wasn’t like being hit by a hand."

Just as he wondered, a letter dropped by his side.

A voice sounded in his ear, "The weapon I gave you yesterday is called Myriad Transformations Steel, also known as ‘Soft Around the Finger’. Your mother forged it, drawing from hundreds of schools and combining them with her mastery of the arcane arts. But you cannot wield it yet.

The reason is simple: you lack the necessary strength. If you wish to use it, you must first cultivate mental power. Moreover, this weapon consumes mental and internal energy rapidly—use it wisely."

Su Bai opened the letter. Inside were the various transformation forms and instructions for ‘Soft Around the Finger’.

After reading, Su Bai felt troubled. "If that’s really true, then I’ve suffered a huge loss. This thing can only be looked at, not used—I can’t just throw it at someone... In the end, personal strength is the greatest reliance."

Shaking his head, he finally put these matters aside and began his daily training.

Though Li Siguo had never taught Su Bai any martial arts, at least Su Bai was a transmigrator. He knew plenty of training methods, though previously he’d only cared about being a reliable office worker, never expecting to need them here.

It wasn’t until the noon sun shone on his face that Su Bai stopped.

"This body is far stronger than a child’s on Earth. Perhaps it’s due to the special laws of this world.

Well, there’s no point worrying about it now. Every ounce of strength is an extra guarantee for the future. Since that ghostly old father won’t teach me, I’ll just have to think of more ways myself."

Looking up at the blinding sun, Su Bai allowed himself a rare smile. "The world has offered me a grand chessboard, and now I’m thinking about how to play my moves against it."