Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Pulling the fist back is so that the next punch can gain more power…” Gao Peng mumbled to himself, his eyes getting brighter and brighter.
Ji Hanwu nodded in admiration. It seemed like his grandson was somewhat spiritual.
“I was going to look for you when I came back to the mainland, but some other things happened. I was afraid I’d bring danger to you, so I didn’t come and see you,” Ji Hanwu said seriously to Gao Peng.
“I understand. Uncle Liu told me that you were occupied and couldn’t come to see me,” Gao Peng said, nodding.
“At the beginning of the Cataclysm, I was trapped on the island and only returned to the mainland a year later. By then, the Southern Sky Group had already changed drastically, and my return made some of them panic. Some even hated me to the bone. They wanted me to die, but they couldn’t kill me. But you were a different story. Back then, you still couldn’t sign a Blood Contract, and you were just an ordinary person. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to protect you,” Ji Hanwu said with a sigh. “I couldn’t take any chances when it came to your safety.
“After all, you are now my only family member.”
“Then, the thing with the group…” Gao Peng hesitated a little. “If there is anything that I can help you with…I have a lot of experience in training familiars.”
Ji Hanwu smiled, waving his hands, “The thing in the group is almost settled; only a few minor characters are still struggling, and they can’t do any harm to the group.”
Ji Hanwu talked peacefully as if the thing he mentioned was negligible.
“I came here this time to see you,” Ji Hanwu said, observing Gao Peng attentively. He was different from what he had seen in the video. He was more realistic and warmer.
After a while, Ji Hanwu said, “You’ve grown taller.”
As he talked, he raised up his right hand to compare, “I remember you were only this tall. Now you almost reach my ear.”
Gao Peng nodded. His grandfather was really tall. He was at least 190 cm tall, and, especially in the era of his grandfather, that was very tall.
“Just a while ago, someone tried to take away your competition qualification,” Ji Hanwu said.
Gao Peng wasn’t surprised. Someone had already found him to talk about this before he had gone back to the hotel. And it wasn’t a pleasant chat.
“I know that you refused him, but he has more than one way to take away your competition qualification. Directly asking you was just him showing you courtesy before the war.”
“What kind of war?”
“First, he will ruin your reputation. The girl that invited you to a meal before was working for him. After you and the girl finish the meal, she will seduce you, and then she will frame you and accuse you of raping her.”
“Then, they will spread rumors, and you, a good child with no background, will never be able to defend yourself against such rumors. After all, even rumors become truth when enough people believe them. Once that happens, such mistruths may stick with you for the rest of your life.”
Gao Peng remained silent. Once his reputation went downhill, there would be a lot of ways to deal with him.
He knew that even if his grandfather didn’t tell him.
“So, how are you going to deal with him?” Ji Hanwu asked, smiling.
“Who is this person?”
“The mayor of Jinling base city, Han Mingyuan.”
Gao Peng felt his teeth aching. How was he supposed to enact vengeance on such a big shot?
“I hope that you can avenge yourself. If you need any help, I will help you with all my might. Having motivation is, in fact, good for you too.”
“Okay. Thanks, Grandpa.”
Gao Peng never saw himself as a generous person. After someone plotted against him, how could he treat it as if nothing had happened?
Han Mingyuan. Gao Peng memorized the name.
“Also, I hope that you are willing to give up this Alliance Youth Monster Trainer General Assembly,” Ji Hanwu told Gao Peng. “It doesn’t have any to do with that man; it is just my personal opinion.”
Gao Peng was a little puzzled.
“It has only been about three years since the Cataclysm. So, actually, the gap between individuals isn’t that big, and age does not bring advantage to anyone. Whether a person is 30, 40 or 50 years old, everyone stands on the same starting line. Why must you go and seek after the title of ‘The Strongest Youth Monster Trainer’? Isn’t it better to remove the word ‘Youth?’”
Gao Peng was dumbfounded. “‘The Strongest…Monster Trainer’?”
“Yes, ‘The Strongest Monster Trainer,’” Ji Hanwu said, nodding in approval. “A man should be more ambitious!”
Gao Peng felt a different sort of feeling rise in his heart after listening to those words.
Suddenly, inside his brain, a door was opened.
The word ambition was often used as a derogatory term, but it also contained a sense of mystery.
Ji Hanwu stood up and walked to Gao Peng’s side, patted Gao Peng’s shoulder, and signaled him to get up and look outside the window. “It’s a different era—an era for the ambitious. Although the overall situation right now is controlled by the Alliance, it’s only temporary. One day there will be an explosion of conflict. What if, one day, a person could ride familiars that destroyed mountains and hills, stirred up rivers and the sea, would he still be willing to be an average citizen? Would he be satisfied by his current position? A human’s greed is always proportional to his capabilities.” Ji Hanwu smiled. “Maybe there will be strong people who are willing to maintain order, but everything in the world has two sides. There will also exist a bunch of people who want to destroy this order.”
Gao Peng remained silent. He didn’t dare imagine the arrival of such a day.
“So, strive to make yourself stronger. Participating in this kind of competition will only waste your time,” Ji Hanwu said encouragingly.
“Grandpa, then…do you wish to maintain the order or…”
“Of course! It is to protect you,” Ji Hanwu said without any hesitation.
Gao Peng felt warmth in his heart.
“Then, I’ll retire from the competition,” Gao Peng said.
Ji Hanwu nodded happily. “Okay, Grandpa will support you.”
He paused for a moment, then Ji Hanwu said thoughtfully, “Grandpa prepared a small gift for you too. After three months, when the competition starts, I’ll recommend that you participate in the competition as a judge.”
Gao Peng was startled.
“But that doesn’t mean you won’t have to work for it. I can help you fight for this spot, but whether you deserve the spot will be up to your effort to get stronger in these three months. If your strength is too weak, it would be embarrassing, right?” Ji Hanwu laughed out loud.
Truthfully, Ji Hanwu had only just thought of this idea as a method to encourage his grandson. Though Gao Peng had been persuaded to give up competing, he knew that deep in his heart he was still not happy about it.
Participating in this sort of competition was indeed pointless, but to take part as the judge… That would be so much more interesting! And the other participants would be shocked to see a former competitor as their judge so quickly after the last exam. Ji Hanwu was rather proud of himself for his quick wit in hatching the idea.
However, when Gao Peng looked at his grandfather, his expression changed too. The fact that his grandfather had the influence to get him the position of a judge… It was actually quite frightening.
