Night of the Broken Gliph

“Shadow’s a great friend.” Lam Zaa flashed a thin smile. “We’ve been friends since young, and he has always been following me around like my shadow.” 

His words reminded Chui Yim of Lam Ming, his father Chui Tin, and the relationships he formed back at Sallow Continent. Feeling relatable, he sighed. “Brother, nothing in this world is certain. He might be with you today, but not tomorrow. You might not even know when you will see him again. I’ll stop talking about him on your behalf, brother Lam.” 

Lam Zaa looked at Chui Yim, startled. It was as if his world was spinning; Chui Yim spoke like an old man with countless life experiences rather than a twelve-year-old. His eyes were filled with loneliness, just as he thought about how nobody would understand him. Moreover, this reminded Lam Zaa of somebody else… someone he had always detested. 

Faking a smile, Lam Zaa lifted his cup. “What brother Chui said makes sense. Let’s toast!” 

His words brought Chui Yim back to reality, who let out a hearty laugh. “Yes! To the present!” 

Lam Zaa continued sipping while Chui Yim drank straight from the jug. “Oh yeah, brother. This is our first meeting, so what’s with the invitation?” 

Chui Yim only received a smile in reply. As the current crown prince and future king, the world would be his one day, and Lam Zaa needed to nurture his line-up of aides early on. 

It might seem funny to start now, as who knew how long it’d take before Lam Zaa’s succession. However, this was also why the Lam dynasty survived so long. Every genius had the potential to become a terrifying existence, like Tse Man Tin, ancestor of the Tse Clan, who was born ordinary yet extremely talented in battle. The crown prince back then, the current Emperor Lam, selected him as part of his aides to be nurtured. At last, Tse Man Tin became one of the strongest cultivators globally, a secret weapon that the North feared. 

Sourcing talented youths to nurture into the next generation of supporters for the Lam dynasty was their tradition, and Chui Yim was the first person Lam Zaa chose. 

Lam Zaa only smiled instead of making his intention obvious. He had other plans for Chui Yim, who didn’t recognise him. Why not just leave it to fate? I don’t hate this experience either, it’s pretty fresh. 

They drank and chatted happily. Chui Yim was slightly taken aback to find out that just like him, the teen read a lot as well. From astrology, alchemy and even medicine, they could chat about anything. Lam Zaa even expressed his opinion on the Outstanding Talent Competition’s alchemy and medicine segment. 

On the other hand, Lam Zaa was shocked as well. As the crown prince, he received the best education possible, and Chui Yim, who looked like a country bumpkin, turned out to be extremely knowledgeable. Chui Yim could even answer and talk about niche topics when probed. To Lam Zaa, Chui Yim was more extraordinary than he expected. 

After some time, the bell signifying midnight rang. Lam Zaa stretched and burst into laughter. “Brother Chui is so knowledgeable I admire your knowledge.” 

“You’re great too,” Chui Yim replied, laughing. “I had a great day today, let’s drink together again sometime.” 

“Brother Chui mentioned that you’ll attend the Cloud Palace’s enrollment about a year later, right?” Lam Zaa said with a smile. “So that means you’ll be heading to South Imperial City?” 

“Yeah, but it’s unknown when we’re going to leave.” Chui Yim nodded, letting out a burp. 

Suddenly, a jade badge appeared in Lam Zaa’s hand. It was a pitch-black piece of square jade, with the character “Zaa” in the middle. Even Chui Yim couldn’t tell the material this badge was made out of. 

“It’s fate that brought us together.” Lam Zaa flashed Chui Yim a smile. “I hold some authority in South Imperial City, and this jade symbolises my identity. If brother Chui encounters any trouble in the future, this badge might help you, so keep it well. There aren’t many of this particular badge in this world.” 

“You’re so polite, brother Lam.” Chui Yim laughed as he kept the badge. “Since you treat me as your brother, I’ll give you something as well.” He slapped the bag hanging on his waist, which lit up brightly. 

Even Lam Zaa’s jaws dropped. 

Ping Chi’s Direct Disciple! 

The words rose into the air after Chui Yim inserted energliph into the jade. This was Ping Chi’s trick, as he knew that Chui Yim didn’t actually go through any ceremony to become his disciple. So he used this jade, which contained a space that Chui Yim would frequently use, to show these words. Moreover, he stored the cauldron inside this badge, which Chui Yim would have to use a lot when practising alchemy in the future. 

In terms of tricks, Chui Yim’s two lives still weren’t a match for the old fox Ping Chi. The space in the badge was big, but there wasn’t much space left after storing the cauldron, only enough for Chui Yim to store some of his small tricks inside. 

He took out an ordinary-looking item that didn’t seem to be made of gold or wood. “This belonged to a gliphist who has passed on, and I used a forging method to store the energliph inside, so it contains enough power to be activated one more time. If brother Lam gets into danger in the future, it might be of some help. I don’t have anything suitable on me for a gift, so here you go. Hahaha.” 

Lam Zaa didn’t look down on the item as he accepted it. “You can use a gliphist’s item like this? That’s interesting.”

However, it wasn’t this ordinary stick that interested him but the theory behind it. Most treasures turned to trash after the gliphist passed on, unless they were superior items like the Thirty-Six Night Lunar Needles that could still be used to a certain extent after the gliphist passed on. 

Lam Zaa’s interest in Chui Yim grew even more. 

Lam Zaa sat on the top floor of the inn. The cold night breeze wasn’t enough to make him feel cold. Shadow appeared behind him, hesitating to speak. “Your highness, I still think that Chui Yim isn’t qualified to be part of your team. He’s too careless and noisy…” 

“You weren’t around earlier, so you missed our conversation.” Lam Zaa waved his hands. “He might look careless, but he’s extremely knowledgeable. From our conversation, I discovered that he has a deep understanding of medicine, alchemy, gliphism, forging, and more. He’s not an ordinary person. He will shine even amongst the elite younger generation of the South.” 

Shadow was stunned. He had never heard Lam Zaa praise someone in such a manner, and he was at a loss on how to reply. 

“Since Chui Yim doesn’t know who I am, let him find out slowly. I’ve given him the badge, and the games must go on.” Lam Zaa laughed lightly. 

At the same time, a loud shout came from outside. “Why can’t I enter? The five clans support this inn. Do you know who I am? I’m Mo-Yun Kit! Disciple of the Divine Doctor and future leader of Southern Ping! How dare you stop me!?” 

“Mister Mo-Yung…” Apologetic voices could be heard in reply. “The top floor was fully booked, and we are just abiding by the rules…” 

“Rules?” The shouter was heard once more. “My words are the rules! Let me see who dares to stop me!”