The next couple of months passed by quickly. In a blink of an eye, it was already June, and we were in the middle of a sweltering summer.

The terrible weather had no bearing on my plans, however. As per Tang Qi Hong's instructions, I ended up renting a workshop with golden coins, so that I could practice forging armaments and the like. Under her tutelage, I began to craft various spirit artifacts and tools. They ranged from spiritual equipment such as an Elemental Crystal Bead, a leather scabbard that sheathed the potent spiritual power of a sacred sword, a crafting knife, or even the steel shaft of a spear.

I noticed a slight pattern. All of these were parts of a larger object. They were obviously not the central components, but they were necessary. You know, the saying about how an object is more the sum of its parts. Or a machine wouldn't work if even one of its gears was out of place. Something like that. I was crafting small, little gears that might seem insignificant at first glance, but would prove to be vital cogs in a whole machine.

"Yay.."

Cocking my head, I lifted the Elemental Crystal Bead that I had just crafted. Eventually all these would be gathered and used to form a protective necklace of some sort, that would most likely be used to enhance the user's elemental power. Or something like that. Well, it wasn't as if I was going to be the one using it, but even so I had to ensure I did a good job.

I was such a responsible person, after all.

"Um..what's next?"

Scratching my head, I glanced around my rented workshop. It was pretty good, considering, and I was provided with a single spirit furnace, a few shelves and a whole assortment of tools. It was much better than the workshop I had in my apartment, with a much wider array of tools and equipment. And the furnace..the workshop back in my apartment didn't have a furnace. How sad.

The damned thing cost a gold coin a day. But I would consider it cheap, especially since I finally had access to a furnace. Unlike Tang Qi Hong, I only had one furnace, but it was more than enough for an amateur like me.

Like they said, don't try to run before you crawl. I needed to practice and perfect my blacksmithing skills before I attempted to multitask in the manner that Tang Qi Hong did. Hell, I had no interest in trying to pull that off. I had better thing to do with my time and energy, like cultivating my techniques and increasing my combat capabilities.

Over the past couple of months, my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship had improved, but I needed to actually test it out in actual combat to see that I wasn't just deluding myself. And real battles were the best way to concretely improve my skills anyway.

Tang Qi Hong would occasionally come over to have me fetch spirit materials from the usual shop. Thank heavens for that, I couldn't afford to purchase the spirit materials for whatever artifacts she assigned me to craft. I would go bankrupt trying to procure those spirit materials and keep up the rent of the workshop at the same time. Fortunately, Tang Qi Hong also provided me with explicit instructions as well, so I followed those instead of having to rely on Google.

While diligently crafting the various spirit artifacts and armaments that Tang Qi Hong assigned me, I spent the nights training in martial arts and hopefully improving my swordsmanship. One of these days, I had to take a mission to execute them in combat, but right now I was too occupied with blacksmithing to undertake such extended missions in the field. Sometimes, I wondered why I bothered working so hard in something that I wasn't even that interested in to begin with.

It's for forging my own spirit weapon.

Glancing at the five Ice Soul Python scales that rested on my shelf, I took a deep breath and reminded myself of the distant rewards that lay in the far future. As long as I learned and improved myself in blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving, I would surely one day be able to forge a spirit weapon for myself. I already had a few ideas, but not the skills to put those ideas into practice. If I wanted that to become reality and not just remain a dream, I needed to put all my heart in learning how to forge a spirit weapon properly.

Fortunately, Wu Ling Academy had a curriculum that allowed us to take classes in cooperative sects. Those who were in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, for example, were allowed to take classes and electives within our own sects in place of classes in Wu Ling Academy. I made good use of the system to pick a few lessons from the great elders and learned more about Spirit Engraving and forging.

Thanks to the individualized curriculum, I was able to take a few classes on forging and Spirit Engraving that I would otherwise not be able to. Teacher Jiao approved of them, though he was curious as to how I ended up in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.

"I thought you were going to remain an Experimentalist," he had remarked. I had chuckled in reply and scratched my head awkwardly.

"Well..a lot of things happened and I ended up in there. I don't think I'll be an inner sect member or stay there for long. I have my own sect to revive."

"Your own sect..?"

"Never mind. It has something to do with the martial arts I'm learning, but..I would like to keep it a secret for now."

Teacher Jiao had nodded, and decided not to pursue more. Putting his signature on the form, he then let me submit it to the office.

Aside from the lessons on forging and Spirit Engraving, I spent quite a bit of time in my rented workshop, crafting spirit artifacts for Tang Qi Hong. Thanks to that, I was growing increasingly familiar with the myriad of spirit materials available, particularly their properties, attributes and characteristics. I specialized, particularly, in forging weapons.

..which was my aim to begin with, so I had no complaints about that.

After a while, Tang Qi Hong allowed me to begin forging actual weapons and artifacts, such as swords, axes, spears and other simple armaments. Needless to say, I screwed up in the beginning, so I wasn't going to detail my embarrassing failures here. It took me a few weeks but I eventually managed to scrape up passable weapons.

At the same time, I was growing more aware that the summer tournament was only a month away, so I kept an eye on that schedule. I needed to devekop my martial arts more and improve my combat techniques as much as possible.

"Huff..huff.."

It was precisely after one of these training sessions that a mission on the digital bulletin board caught my eye. I was passing through the platform and returning to my apartment after a grueling session of forging at the workshop and running around the foot of the volcano as part of my physical training when I caught sight of a crowd of disciples gathered at the gigantic bulletin board near the main community center of the sect.

"Oh, what's going on?"

Venturing forward, I caught sight of Tong Xue. He grinned and waved at me.

"They're posting new missions!"

I raised an eyebrow at that. The sect posting missions wasn't a rare occurrence. In fact, they post new missions like every week or even everyday. Most of them were shared with the missions Wu Ling Academy posted on their website. The convenient thing about online registration these days is that it doesn't matter which portal you applied the mission from. As long as you applied online, the system would naturally register your participation, whether you applied through Wu Ling Academy or through your parent sect.

The Internet had made life in a contemporary wuxia world a lot easier.

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"But it seems like there are more people than usual," I remarked. Tong Xue nodded.

"The tournament is one month later," he reminded me with a smile. "So everyone is scrambling to get as much combat experience as possible before the tournament."

"Ah, that makes sense." I nodded. Peeking at the luminous, digital bulletin board, I glanced back at Tong Xue. "What about you? Are you applying for a mission as well?"

"Yup! As someone who's aiming to be a Blood Blade, I'm definitely taking this chance to gain some combat experience! Not to mention, I don't want to fall behind in the tournament rankings this year! This is our first year taking part in a martial arts tournament, and I would rather not embarrass myself if possible!"

"I feel you."

Sighing, I glanced at the digital bulletin board again and scanned for any interesting missions. I should probably take one too, or I would fall behind.

"..eh?"

And just like that, one of the missions posted atop the bulletin board caught my eye. I stopped and squinted at the mission that was hovering in one corner, then retrieved my tablet and accessed the missions' portal.

"I knew it."

Void Whale Hunt. That was one of the missions specified in the bulletin board. They were looking to recruit a team of martial artists to help hunt one of the elusive and highly dangerous Void Whales in the darkest depths of the ocean. Anyone could apply and join the team, but they made sure to leave a grave warning for anyone considering this mission.

The rewards were a thousand gold coins. If we survived. Even if we didn't, the thousand gold coins would go to our families and bereaved ones. Holy..! Talk about a great deal!

We could even get a bunch of Void Whale material if we want, or trade it away for even more gold. I decided to grab some for myself, particularly because I had been toying around with an idea for the last few months.

I'll take this mission.

Making the decision on the spot, I pressed the relevant buttons, filled in my particlars, and submitted my digital profile online. Within a few seconds, I received a notification that my submission was accepted, and I would receive more details soon.

"Oh? You've already taken a mission?"

Tong Xue peered over my shoulder, but I casually swiped the screen of my tablet to blank it out before he could see my stuff. You know, privacy and all that. And obviously there was the issue with letting people see your passwords. Even if it only appeared as a series of *, he could see my fingers typing the specific buttons in the touch keypad.

"Yeah, I have. What about you?"

"Hmm..I guess I'll take one in the montains. There's a band of bandits raiding a poor village to the north. I should try subjugating them."

What was he, Li Fu Chen or something? Trying to take on a band of bandits by himself? I wouldn't be surprised if he stumbled upon the poor naked girls that the bandits abducted and made himself look like a smug hero.

"Good luck."

"What about you? What mission did you take?"

I smiled. "It's a secret."

"Oh, come on! Don't be like that. Tell me!"

"Don't wanna."

"Eh.." Tong Xue looked a little pitiful, so I shook my head and sighed.

"Just going to hunt a magical beast."

"What sort of magical beast?" Tong Xue looked curious. I knew he would flip out if I told him it was a Void Whale, so I tried to be as vague as possible.

"An aquatic magical beast. So I'll be shipping out to the sea tomorrow. I had best get ready then." I turned away and waved goodbye. There were a few things I needed to prepare, not least for my trip tomorrow. While the system would inform Teacher Jiao about me being away on a mission, I had to personally tell Tang Qi Hong or she would be worried when I suddenly disappeared.

Fortunately, Tang Qi Hong had been busy the past few days, probably with learning the Spirit Engraving pattern for the spatial storage pouch from Elder Hai Mo. She would be too occupied with her new lessons to notice that I was gone, but obviously it was best to inform her. Tang Qi Hong had not neglected to assign me new tasks, after all.

I had to inform her that I wouldn't be able to do any of these new tasks for a while. Thinking about it, I was certain Tang Qi Hong would be undertaking a mission of her own shortly, also to earn practical combat experience for the tournament.

*

Less than five days later, I proceeded toward the harbor of Tushan City, which was a few kilometers east of the great fortress walls. It was a pretty easy journey – there was a bus that regularly went back and forth, making it a 20 minute ride at the most.

As the bus came to a stop, I immediately sprang to my feet and hauled my haversack to my shoulders. Joining the flow of passengers off the bus, I made my way to the bustling harbor where countless ships teemed, bobbing gently in the morning waves. Even at this hour, there were already a lot of people gathered on the docks. Many of them were embarking or disembarking from their respective boats, talking with the captain and exchanging pleasantries.

Now, where is the boat I'm supposed to go to..?

Consulting my tablet, I followed the directions and looked for a relatively massive ship that was named Mo Bi Di Ke. Pushing up my glasses, I gaped at the size of the ship, its red, rusted hull gleaming under the early morning sun.

"What are you gaping for, brat?"

One of the elderly sailors leaned over the rusty railings and spat into the sea. He then fixed a glare onto me, his grizzled face half-covered in the huge shadow of the boat housing. I met his gaze evenly, refusing to back down.

The sailor couldn't intimidate me. Not after all I had been through. I had survived torture and abuse, I had prevailed over psychotic enemies in plenty of life-to-death battles. If the sailor thought he could scare me away, he was dead wrong.

The scarred sailor's lip curled. "If you have no business here, get lost! We're busy!"

I cocked my head to the side. "Anything I can help with?"

"Huh?!" the sailor snarled, taken aback. "Well, for starters, you can help by getting lost and not taking up space in the docks! We're busy here, and the place is going to be bustling with people in a few minutes."

I nodded and began to board the ship. The sailor did a double take.

"Where do you think you're going, brat?!"

"This is the Mo Bi Di Ke, isn't it?"

"It is, but.." the sailor glared at me. "This is no place for you, brat. Get off my ship or I'll send you crying and screaming back to your mama."

Sighing, I shook my head and suppressed the annoyance that was rippling just beneath my calm fa?ade.

"If I'm not mistaken, your ship has been chartered for the mission to hunt a Void Whale, correct?"

"..yeah, so what?"

"I'm one of the members who volunteered for that mission."

The sailor burst out laughing. "Get out of here! Do you honestly expect me to believe that a puny, skinny kid like you can help with hunting a Void Whale? This isn't some kiddy expedition, you know? Go home before you get yourself killed."

I held up my tablet and displayed the screen that proved that I had been accepted for the mission. The sailor gawked at the unrecognizable signature of his captain (or so I presumed).

"You've got to be kidding me!"

The sailor was shaking his head in disbelief as he approached my position, crossing the broad deck with wide strides. He glowered at me, unable to contain his fury. Apparently he still certain there was some sort of mistake.

"Are they desperate enough to recruit kids now? I know hunting a Void Whale is one of the most dangerous and riskiest missions, but even so, they've sunk to a new low and resorted to deceiving brats into throwing their lives away now?"

"If it's that bad, why did you agree to sail on a ship that's heading out on such a dangerous mission?" I countered.

The sailor sneered at me with derisive laughter. "Firstly, I'm not a greenhorn brat who's still wet behind the ears. Secondly, I'm strong enough to take care of myself. That said, I don't have the time or energy to spare to babysit amateur children like you!"

"Uh huh." I nodded wearily, not wanting to argue too much with the supposedly hardened sailor. "Even so, I've already signed up for the mission, so the higher-ups evidently think I can do the job."

"Did those higher-ups actually see you in person?" the sailor snarled. I shrugged.

"They should have all my information and track record, so I don't think there should be a problem."

"Hmph." The sailor began rolling up his sleeves. "Fine. I'll give you a chance to prove yourself. Let's have a bout. If you can even land a single hit on me, you can come aboard and I'll kowtow to you and apologize."

"Uh, that's.."

"What, are you scard or something?" the sailor scoffed. "If you dare not fight against me, then how do you expect me to believe that you've the courage to confront something as dangerous and powerful as a Void Whale?"

This guy..was there a screw loose in his head or something?

"No, that's not the point." I sighed. "I just don't think we should be injuring each other even before the mission begins."

"Injured?" The sailor burst out laughing. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to hold back, so you won't run back to your mama, crying about being bullied by adults."

"I'm more worried about you, actually," I muttered. A vein twitched in the sailor's brow and he glared at me.

"Huh?! What did you say?!"

"..never mind. Let's begin then."

"Hmph. Don't overestimate your own strength. You aren't strong enough to leave even a scratch on me. I'm already at the Qi Fusion Stage! You're probably only at the Qi Essence Stage..or Flowing Qi Stage at most. You can't.."

I kicked him before he could finish his sentence. Even though he brought up his guard on reflex, my foot snaked beneath his elbows and slammed into his midriff, causing him to stagger. Straightening up, I shrugged.

"There you go. I landed a single hit on you. So do you acknowledge me now?"

"You..you..!" the sailor spluttered, and then he shook his head furiously. "That didn't count! That was just a lucky hit! You started even before I was ready! Who the fuck attacks while their opponent is talking?! How dare you use a sneak attack?!"

Sighing, I cocked my head to the side and beckoned for him to make his move. "All right, then begin. What are you waiting for?"

The sailor growled, and then lunged at me. I stepped to the side, using Shadow Step, and allowed him to barrel forward. As the sailor skidded to a stop and spun around to clutch at me with his claws, I ducked under his fingers and kicked him in the midriff.

"There.."

I had barely finished my sentence when the sailor countered with a vicious hook, forcing me to dodge and withdraw to a safe distance.

"Hey! What are you playing at?" I demanded, annoyed. "I landed another hit on you. You started the attack first this time, so you should have no complaints about me launching a sneak attack or whatever, right?"

"Not counted! You got lucky!"

The sailor wasted no time arguing and launched himself at me again. Feeling incredibly irritated, I jumped above him right when he pounced on the deck, and landed on top of his head. I resisted the urge to use Seismic Step, and instead jumped away when he swiped at his scalp with a huge paw. Spinning in midair, I lashed out with a roundhouse kick.

My foot connected with the sailor's face and a thunderous crack echoed throughout the air. The sailor's eyes widened in shock, but that was the last thing I saw of his face before he was lifted off his feet and flung off the deck. The sailor gave a short cry before he sailed over the railing and crashed into the waters below.

"Bleah! Ugh! Argh!"

Coughing and spitting out the salty seawater, the sailor fumbled around and forced himself to remain afloat. He gaped at me, his eyes still mired in disbelief.

"How..how..?!"

"Hai Yuan, with this, you should be convinced, right?"

Both of us turned in surprise, only to see an elderly man stride out of the ship's cabin. His hair was a white mess, complete with a long beard that trailed to his collar. A smoking pipe stuck out of his wizened lips, and he watched both of us, mirth evident in his wrinkled eyes. Dressed in a white naval uniform with black lapels and golden buttons, and even complete with a navy cap, the elderly man stood rimrod straight with a forceful presence that belied his advanced age.

"Captain Chuan Zhang," the sailor named Hai Yuan muttered, his face red from humiliation. He silently swam toward a ladder at the side of the ship and climbed up, drenched and dripping wet after his tumble into the sea.

Chuan Zhang merely chuckled before he drew a deep breath from his pipe. "You should know that the Martial Arts Alliance don't just simply send anyone on dangerous expeditions like this. If they allowed this kid to go, then it means that the kid definitely has some sort of ability." He then turned to me and bowed slightly. "I apologize for any offense that my subordinate has caused you. And I would like to welcome you aboard my ship, Mo Bi Di Ke."

"None taken," I assured him. Glancing at Hai Yuan, I expected resentment, but the big man was viewing me with respect now. Cupping my hands, I bowed respectfully. "This humble person is Fei Wu, and I am one of the volunteers for this expedition."

"Ah..Fei Wu, was it?" Captain Chuan Zhang stroked his beard as he studied me. "I believe I've heard of you. You've quite the interesting..record."

I smiled. "I doubt it's as interesting as the others', though."

This wasn't me being humble. I actually meant it. Anyone crazy enough to participate in an expedition to hunt a Void Whale had to be a seasoned veteran with decades of combat experience, a super-powerful expert, or a former top mercenary with nothing to lose. I was looking forward to meeting them and learning some pointers from them. This would turn out to be a very fruitful journey, not just in terms of getting the spirit material I needed for a spatial storage device, but also to learn from the very best of the jianghu.

"Eh? Isn't that Brother Wu?"

My jaw dropped when I heard the familiar voice. Turning around with a small amount of dread, as well as no small amount of resignation, my shoulders drooped and I gazed down on the newcomers who had just boarded the Mo Bi Di Ke.

The familiar figures of Zi Xiao Ji, Zhao Shi and Da Ge came into view. Da Ge was waving affably and Zi Xiao Ji was skipping excitedly toward my position.

I should have known..

I sighed and wondered if we would really be all right.