Night of the Broken Gliph

In fact, Chui Yim was excited to learn about gliphs. 

Under Chor Shing Chit, Chui Yim learnt about some basic gliphs. That’s how he was able to recognise the strength gliph that Kiu Chi Gong had carved onto his fallen star sword. However, after seeing the gliphs that Chui Tin drew for him before he came to the academy, these were nothing to him. 

Sadly, he needed to start from medicine to learn about gliphism. Thus Chui Yim could only persevere and memorise the books. 

In a blink of an eye, four years had passed. 

During these four years, every day was repetitive for Chui Yim. Study, memorise, visit Kiu Chi Gong after school and return home on Fridays. 

Week after week went in a full circle. Yet Chui Yim fell in love with such a productive lifestyle. He was like an old man who loved research; he didn’t like socialising and all he did was focus on what he loved. 

If there was a need to point out any change, it might be that he and Lam Ming had gotten much closer. After much interaction, Kiu Chi Gong also finally agreed to become Chui Yim’s disciple. However, Kiu Chi Gong still didn’t address Chui Yim as master, and their interactions tended to be more friendly than that between a master and his disciple. Under Chui Yim’s guidance, Kiu Chi Gong greatly improved, and he was now able to consistently forge grade one gliph weapons unlike in the past, where he struggled to make every weapon. 

Every time Kiu Chi Gong sold his weapons, he would give Chui Yim some of the earnings. Since Chui Yim didn’t need the money, he gave most of it to Lam Ming, who spent it on ingredients instead. 

As the duo got older, Lam Ming’s skills got better, and Chui Yim strongly believed that he’d become a g-chef in the future. 

“Big brother! We’re running late!” 

Lam Ming smacked Chui Yim who was lying on his bed. He stared at him speechlessly. “Yesterday, Mr Chor even made it clear that we shouldn’t be late today, or we’d be doomed!” 

Even four years later, Lam Ming still wore his patched-up clothes, and his hair was still long and messy. He tied up his hair randomly, but his fringe still covered his eyes. Even so, there were apparent improvements in his standard of living after living under Chui Yim’s care for four years. 

“Alright, alright…” 

Chui Yim grumbled. He was currently hugging onto a medicine scroll, which was why he had lost track of time last night and ended up sleeping in. For the past four years, he had learnt quite a lot about being a doctor from Chui Tin, but as if by magic, Chui Tin was always able to “create” another new book for him to memorise after he learnt a new skill or gliph. 

Thus, Chui Yim was unable to escape his books these past years. 

He stood up and yawned. Since he hadn’t washed up yet, the smell from his mouth made Lam Ming pinch his nose. “Brother Chui, I won’t wait for you if you take your own sweet time again!” 

“I’m done! Let’s go now!”

“Don’t you need to wash up, brother Chui?”

“Hmph, I’m a man, why so wishy-washy?”

“... Brother Chui, don’t look at me while you talk. Your mouth stinks.” 

The duo walked side by side. But what angered Chui Yim the most was that Lam Ming towered over him these four years. 

Chui Yim was merely one hundred and fifty centimetres tall, which was admittedly pretty good for a ten-year-old. However, Lam Ming was already one hundred and sixty centimeters tall! Chui Yim knew that he was still growing, but the height difference made Chui Yim unhappy when they walked side by side. 

Other than his height, thanks to Chui Yim’s daily exercises, he was also much stronger than those his age. His muscles bulged even when he exerted even only a little force. On the other hand, Lam Ming was so fragile and skinny that he looked like a sheet of paper. 

As they walked to class, many students were seen talking about them. 

In these four years, Chui Yim and Lam Ming had become a famous duo in the Riding Clouds Academy for their outstanding results. It was always either of them who would rank first while the other ranked second in exams. Sometimes it was Lam Ming who came first and Chui Yim who was second, or vice versa. It didn’t bother the both of them. Lam Ming was still as timid as before and Chui Yim still “kept his nose in the air”. 

In the class. 

They changed classes according to their grades yearly, but as if it was fate, the two corner seats next to the window would always remain unoccupied, and theChui-Lam duo would occupy it. 

When the duo entered the class, an unfriendly look was directed at them. 

Obviously, it was still Chan Ngou Tin. Four years had passed, but he was still as arrogant as before, maybe even more so than before. 

With his clan’s power, he had been gathering followers everywhere in school, looking as if he was the student council president of the Riding Clouds Academy. However, he was unhappy with this. Despite receiving lessons from gliphers and gliphists from the Chan Clan, he still placed third. 

Chui Yim and Lam Ming were just like mountains he couldn’t pass and were suffocating him. Maybe because of this, Chan Ngou Tin became increasingly arrogant to release his stress. 

As usual, Chui Yim didn’t even spare chan Ngou Tin a glance while Lam Ming hid behind him and returned to his seat carefully. 

Chor Shing Chit entered the class, expressionless. “Today’s a special day.” 

Yes, Chor Shing Chit was still as straightforward and simple. He still didn’t use any honorifics, just like it was four years ago. 

“The past four years was basically a warm-up for you guys,” he said, going straight into the topic immediately. “Now that four years have passed, can someone tell me what you have learnt?” 

A student raised his hands. It was, as expected, Chan Ngou Tin. 

“Chan Ngou Tin, your answer.” 

“Fitness, and basic gliphism,” Chan Ngou Tin said. 

“Yeah.” Chor Shing Chit nodded and got him to sit back down. “Gliphism is a wide-ranging and profound study. Even after four years, the gliphs you have learnt are just the basics.

“So don’t think that these basics are enough.

“No matter how confusing or powerful a gliph is, it’s all built upon the basics you’ve learnt. During a battle, it’s important to predict the gliphs tattooed on your opponent using the knowledge you’ve learnt, as that will determine the fight’s results. That is the reason why we use four years to teach you all the basics. 

“Fitness is much simpler than gliphism, but other than Chui Yim and Lam Ming, who could choose to become gliphists, it’s an important lesson for the rest of you. Your bodily strength is essential because a glipher’s body determines his quality. The stronger a glipher’s body, the more powerful he is. Simply relying on skills is not enough. Moreover, the stronger your body is, the better it will be when you start cultivating energliph.” 

Chor Shing Chit turned towards the board and wrote the words “Body” and “Gliphism” on it. He then drew a line extending from the words towards the same direction.