Chapter 329
The elevator doors opened to the 6th floor corridor with a satisfying ding of victory. Stepping out with a turkey leg in hand, Gale marveled at the crispy shiny greasy high protein density of the meat. A bunch of roasted herbs, garlic, salt, and paprika seasoned its delectable lucious addicting body.
Honour? What's that? Can it be eaten? This was the true reward for victory.
The fight had been easier than expected. The Wutang disciple was just dancing around the arena while he let Gale figure out how to attack it. Once again, Kyle and Clyde's wisdom proved to be infallible. He shall call it 'the bambambam' Combat Maneuver.
Moving through the corridor towards the Ann Family private viewing area, two figures stood ahead of him, blocking his path.
Gale recognized them both clearly. One of them was Xinyu Liu, the dancing disciple. He was giving him the stink eye for no reason. Probably couldn't admit defeat or something.
Beside him was Elder Haoyu, with an expression that radiated calm, yet the twitch in his eyes gave it all away. He was mad. Every other expression was lost on Gale's eyes.
Stopping right in front of them, he took a big bite of his turkey leg that had a satisfying crunch, smirking.
"You cheated!" Xinyu spat.
Gale chewed. Swallowed. "I didn't cheat."
"Liar!" Xinyu stepped forward, his hand moving toward his sword. Elder Haoyu's arm shot out, stopping him. "That witch cast a buff on you! Everyone saw her whisper in your ear before the match!"
"What's a buff?" Gale asked, taking another bite. These people couldn't take him away from absorbing this turkey. "She was just comforting me with a treat after the match."
"Comforting you?!"
"Yeah. She said she'd get me a turkey leg if I won." Gale held up his prize like it was the most valuable thing he owned currently. "You don't even have proof that I cheated."
"Your demeanour changed completely after her whisper! You were shaking like a leaf, covering your ears like a child, and then suddenly you were calm and focused! That's proof enough!"
"That's because I wanted the turkey leg."
Elder Haoyu stepped forward, a scowl forming on his face. "Boy. Stop lying. Behaviour doesn't simply change for a mere turkey leg."
Gale's eyes glanced at his prize and then back at the two. "I would."
"You feral! That makes no sense!"
"I really, really wanted the turkey leg."
Footsteps echoed from behind Gale, coming from the elevator bank. A figure emerged from the shadows of the corridor, wearing flowing white and blue robes and a yin yang symbol on his chest. His hair was pure white, his face somehow looked younger than that of Elder Haoyu's. The signature was at least Mystic.
"We meet again, feral child," Grand Elder Zhang Bai said.
"Nice to see you too," Gale said. At this point, he was confused about whether he could take another bite of the delicious thing in his hand. The man was radiating his signature outwards, making it uncomfortable. It'd probably make the turkey leg taste worse too.
"If you truly did not cheat, then you would have no objection to being scanned for any lingering signatures on your person. A simple procedure. It will reveal any buffs or enchantments that may have been cast upon you before the match," Zhang Bai said.
Gale opened his mouth to answer.
"DON'T ANSWER THAT!"
Rachel's voice echoed down the corridor from the opposite direction. She was running toward them, her hair streaming behind her, her face flushed with exertion.
Erin floated horizontally, Rachel's hand gripping her wrist, dragging her along like always. The floating bluey's expression was as blank as ever, but her eyes were fixed on the Jiuling group.
Behind her came the others.
Lily followed closely behind, and Kyle and Clyde brought up the rear. All three had a slight nonchalance expression. Only the light of the city showed signs of stress.
"Gale!" Rachel stopped right beside Gale. "Don't say anything to them!"
"This is none of your business, Ann heiress. You would do well to stay out of it. For your own good," Zhang Bai said.
"This is completely my business," Rachel said. "Your disciple lost. Accept it and move on."
"The matter of cheating must be resolved through official methods, do you not agree, Ann heiress?"
Erin spoke up. "This nonsensical display of power and bureaucracy is once again meaningless. Everyone present has eyes. Have they not used their eyes to witness my disciple winning through superior combat ability? The match was observed by thousands. The result is clear."
Xinyu whirled on her. "Your disciple cheated!"
"That is incorrect."
"The witch whispered!"
"Your inability to accept defeat reflects poorly on your training," Erin said, turning her head up to see the disciple. "Or perhaps it reflects poorly on your master."
Elder Haoyu's face contorted. "The disciple is as trashy as the master, it seems."
"Your opinion is irrelevant to the facts of the situation."
"You dare!"
"There were multiple Arcanes watching the match," Gale cut in. "Three of them or more, I think. They didn't stop the fight because they saw no foul play. You should blame them."
"A witch's spell is difficult to detect when there are thousands of signatures crowding an arena. That is why the boy must decide whether to participate in a direct scanning process. It is the only way to settle this matter," Zhang Bai said.
"That's completely irrational!" Rachel stepped in front of Gale. "If you're going to accuse him of cheating without evidence, then I accuse Xinyu of using some kind of enhancement to make himself faster! He should be scanned too!"
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Xinyu's cheeks turned red. "The Jiuling is honourable! We do not use underhanded tactics like the Path pigs who resort to tricks for even the smallest gain!"
"Goddamnit, man. We keep catching strays," Kyle muttered.
"We didn't even do anything..." Clyde said.
"She's right though," Lily giggled.
"How were you able to stop a sledgehammer so easily if you weren't, huh?!" Rachel grunted.
"Superior technique and precision!" Xinyu shouted back.
"Enough!" Zhang Bai silenced the argument. His signature flared, pressing down on everyone in the corridor. Even Rachel flinched under the weight of it. "The boy will decide. Will he submit to the scanning process, or will he not?" His eyes glared at Gale. "Choose."
The pressure that radiated from the grand elder's signature pushed down on his shoulders, trying to make him bend and submit. It kind of made him hungrier, and now he was getting annoyed since he couldn't eat his turkey leg.
These idiots were so stubborn, always thinking they're right for their stupid egos. Clenching his fist, Gale was about to speak up again.
A wave of heat flooded the entire corridor, disappearing as fast as it appeared. The sound of heels clicking against concrete echoed from the elevator bank.
Witch Ember walked toward them from the far end of the hallway. Her orange hair was bright against the dim lighting. Her dress of fire flickered and danced with each step, making her look like the personification of beauty and fire. She stopped a few feet away from the group, her eyes fixed on Zhang Bai.
"If you really believe your own words," Amber said, grinning, "and the boy agrees to undergo this scan of yours... what does he get in return?"
Zhang Bai's signature flared even more. The pressure that had been uncomfortable became suffocating, making the turkey leg in Gale's hands feel even heavier than before.
Rachel stumbled. Kyle and Clyde braced themselves against the wall. Even Lily's composure cracked as she gritted her teeth against the force. Though Erin remained unaffected, floating horizontally while still being held by Rachel.
And then Witch Ember's signature flared in response, making the situation even worse. It now felt like this whole place was a pressure cooker. Literally.
Zhang Bai's eyes narrowed. "Asking for compensation to be tested for cheating is laughable. The very suggestion insults the integrity of this summit."
Elder Haoyu stepped up beside the grand elder. "What else would you expect from the pigs of North America? They have no honour."
"So what?" Amber shrugged. "You're just going to test the boy and not give him anything in return? That doesn't sound very fair to me."
"It is fair," Zhang Bai said. "Witch Ashen whispered to the boy before the match. Everyone saw it. Everyone knows the meaning of whispers for witches."
"And just like Gale said," Amber replied, "there were three Arcanes watching that match. Three. One from each faction. More if you count the Witches that are running around. Even if there are thousands of signatures crowding the arena, those three are smart and detailed enough to distinguish each individual one."
She tilted her head, her lips curled into a sharp smile. "Unless you're saying Zhang Bai can't do that himself? Is that it? The great Grand Elder of Wutang can't perceive what three Arcanes easily could?"
Zhang Bai's hand twitched toward his hilt. Just a twitch that everyone saw, making Amber's eyes turn sharp for just that split second.
"Gale is right here, right now," Amber continued. "Standing in front of you. As a Late-Mystic, you should be able to perceive whether there's any signature residue on him. Just as I, an Early-Arcane, can clearly see that there is nothing. You feel me?"
"That is exactly why the boy needs to be formally tested. An Early-Arcane's whisper is far more deceptive than you realize. As a Late-Mystic, it would be harder for me to perceive such subtleties without proper scanning equipment," Zhang Bai scoffed.
"Really?" Amber took one step forward, leaning towards the white haired grand elder. "Then you have all the time in the world to scan the boy yourself. Go ahead." Her sharp smile slightly lowered along with her tone. "But be warned. If you do anything funny during that scan... your head rolls. Immediately."
No one talked. Silence fell apart from the flaring signatures. Zhang Bai and Amber stared at each other, their signatures pressing in on everyone. Finally, Zhang Bai snorted.
He turned away, his robes swirling as he moved toward the elevator bank. Elder Haoyu and Xinyu followed behind him, the disciple shooting one last glare at Gale before disappearing around the corner, watching him like a hawk.
Well, I'm watching you too, like a hawk, disciple Xinyu of the Wutangmen.
"We will file a formal complaint with the summit organisers," Zhang Bai said without looking back. "This matter is not over."
"You shouldn't," Amber chuckled. "Give Witch Ashen a break. She's already dealing with enough paperwork without you adding to the pile."
The elevator doors opened with a ding. The three Jiuling members stepped inside, and they were gone.
Gale took a deep breath of relief. "Thanks, Amber."
He extended his turkey leg toward her.
Amber laughed and took a bite. "No problem. The Jiuling always gives us trouble at the summit. This is nothing new." She swallowed the piece of turkey meat. "Just feel sorry for Witch Ashen."
"Is she going to be okay?" Lily asked.
"Ehhh. She'll be fine. Ashley's dealt with worse." Amber took another bite. "Good turkey, by the way."
"Right? It's really good," Gale smiled.
Rachel suddenly grabbed Gale, pulling him into a hug. Her arms wrapped around him tightly, squeezing hard enough that he almost dropped his turkey leg.
"You're okay," she breathed. "You're okay."
"I'm okay," Gale confirmed.
Rachel pulled back slightly but didn't let go. Instead, she produced a napkin from somewhere and started wiping his face.
"There's dirt on your cheek," she said, dabbing at his skin. "And sauce on your mouth. Hold still."
Gale held still. Rachel's touch was gentle. It felt kinda nice being cared for.
"Can you stop babying him?" Lily sighed.
"I'm not babying him... there's just dirt on him."
Kyle snickered. "Looks like he doesn't mind though."
Gale didn't mind at all. Mom would do the same to him whenever they all ate too much. Erin did the same as well when some spider goo was stuck on him.
"Can we go back and eat now?" Clyde asked. "I'm starving. The pressure from that old man made me hungry."
"Everything makes you hungry," Kyle said.
Gale looked up at Erin, who was still floating horizontally above them. He extended his turkey leg toward her.
"Want a bite?"
Erin's blank eyes stared at the turkey leg. Her mouth opened and took a bite from where she floated.
"This meal is as what the natives of this world call 'cooked,'" she said.
"That's... not how that word is used," Lily muttered.
"The turkey has been cooked at an adequate temperature for an adequate duration. Therefore, it is 'cooked.' The usage is correct."
Lily shook her head, letting go of arguing with the floating bluey.
"Alright, everyone. Let's head back to the viewing area. The tournament should be starting soon," Rachel said.
She grabbed Gale's hand and started walking down the corridor, leading the group toward the Ann Family private viewing area while also still dragging Erin by the hand. Kyle and Clyde followed while Lily walked beside Amber, chatting something about shoe brands.
They reached the double doors with the crooked 'Ann Family' sign taped to it.
Pushing open the door, Rachel gestured at the tables laid out across the room, filled with food.
Gale's eyes went wide. By the walls of the room were catering platters from all kinds of cuisines. From Japanese ramen, tempura, sushi, curry, to Korean spicy foods that he didn't like too much, to Caribbean jerk chicken, oxtail, and rice and peas. There was even Chinese food that was Chinese and the not-Chinese ones. There were also American, Spanish, and other things that Gale didn't recognize. A couple of turkey legs also sat at the coffee table by the viewing area sofa.
"All you can eat," Rachel smiled. "Like I promised."
Gale's mouth watered. Suddenly, on the large TV screens mounted on either side of the wall, Witch Ashen's face appeared. She stood at the centre of the arena, her voice carried through by the speakers.
"The Tri-School Tournament will now commence," Ashley announced. "This year's bracket consists of six participants. Due to the uneven numbers, there will be two bye rounds in the first stage. One bye has been allocated to the Jiuling representative. One bye has been allocated to the United Knights representative."
The screen shifted to show a tournament bracket.
- Mikael Lebedev, representing Sterling vs Xiurong Huang, representing Martial Alliance.
- Raymond Brown, representing Sterling vs Loid Smith, representing Ordo Trianguli Aurei
- Kenji Harima, representing Marial Alliance - Bye round
- Cynthia De La Cruz, representing Ordo Trianguli Aurei - Bye round
Kyle and Clyde grabbed their own plates, filling them up with as much food as Gale. Lily went directly for the hotdogs and a bottle of Diet Coke. Rachel went to the carribean section and Korean. Erin, instead of taking a plate, just floated the items she was interested in. Amber took mostly just Korean food while also taking a whole bottle of hot sauce.
All of them sat on the sofas as they watched the first contestants, Mikael and Xiurong, enter the field.
Gale looked around him, everyone eating beside him while watching a summit together. Indescribably, he felt a surge of happiness as he ate with his family.