Li Luo scampered over to his mentor's tower.

The refreshing scent of pine and cypress filled the garden, and in their cooling shade, Li Luo spotted Chi Chan in a pavilion, enjoying a cup of hot tea as the wind tickled the chimes into a soothing jingle.

Li Luo walked up and bowed deeply to his mentor before planting his ass down with a cheeky grin.

Chi Chan was in a loose-fitting black dress, her hair still wet from the bath that she had clearly just taken. Her veil was still in place, and her eyes turned lazily to regard him.

"Yeees...?" she said.

"I wanted to ask Mentor to let me in through the back door. I was wondering if you could let the Suncreek Villa take part in the upcoming Resonance Artificers Hall recruitment," Li Luo said, getting straight to the point.

Chi Chan snorted with amusement. "Usually," she said, "people try to sneak their way through the back door with some prudence. Discreetly. Not kick down the door, hinges and all, on the way in."

Li Luo grinned. "Mentor, please."

Chi Chan reached into a sleeve and took out a golden leaf, which she tossed to him. On it was carved the mark of Resonance Artificers Hall.

"There, the invitation," Chi Chan said casually.

Li Luo was speechless. So easy? Sure, he had guessed that she would eventually cooperate, but not so easily.

"When the participants were being decided, I reserved an invitation for the Suncreek Villa, but I didn't tell you. If you hadn't come to ask me for it, I wouldn't have handed it to you."

She took a long sip of tea and smacked her lips. "Do you understand why?" she asked, cocking an eye at him.

Li Luo hesitated. "Because you think there's not much point in the Suncreek Villa joining this meet?"

"You’re very self-aware." She smiled.

"Then why give it to me now?"

"Because you are a smart boy. You don't do useless things. If you understand the immensity of the task and still take it on, then you must have something planned.

"I have no idea what it will take for you to do well there, but since you have the ambition and confidence, I will do my part as your mentor to support you."

Li Luo felt like crying. "Mentor, you love me best."

She was unfazed by his acting, curling her fingers around her cup again. "I hear you asked the school for a reward of 100,000 points."

Li Luo started. Had Yu Lang worked that fast? The kid was really a master of fanning flames. His wind resonance had to have something to do with it. He was truly a master of people skills.

There was no way he was about to admit anything though. He shook his head stoutly. "No such thing. I might have saved countless lives and did the school a great and amazing favor, but that's something any student of the school would have done. Even if the school doesn't give me a single point, I will have no complaints!"

Her veil fluttered as she snorted particularly loudly.

"You'll probably hear about a reward within the next few days. If Vice Principal Su Xin asks for an opinion, I'll speak on your behalf.

"You don't have to be too shy about it either. You saved maybe a hundred lives back at the purified spot. The school has to reward that accordingly, for accountability."

Li Luo was moved beyond words.

"Erm, Mentor Chi Chan, do you know my father?"

"Eh?" She stared at him suspiciously, confused by the question from left field.

"I guess not. I thought my dad was too charming, and that that's the reason why you dote on me so much, Mentor." Crickets chirped merrily on the cypress boughs for a few moments.

"Shoo."

Hot tea suddenly rose from the cup, forming a smoking arrow that hurtled towards Li Luo.

"Mentor, I regret everything!" Li Luo wailed.

He emerged cautiously from the pillar he had taken refuge behind, and ventured another cheeky smile as he set the teacup in front of her with exaggerated politeness. "Mentor," he suddenly asked, "do you think there's anything fishy about the Heavenly Disaster Class Other’s appearance?"

"What are you thinking?" Chi Chan said with a frown.

"Not thinking, just instinct... thinking. Insthincking." He grinned impudently at her.

"I wonder, could it have been lured over on purpose?"

"Are you suspecting Shen Jinxiao?" Chi Chan asked. "Suspicion is no use though. The school would not investigate a Violet Vibrance mentor on the basis of your suspicion. More importantly, I don't see how an investigation would yield anything.

"Keep those suspicions to yourself. When you're strong enough to face him as an equal, then you can voice those thoughts."

Li Luo nodded. It was true enough.

One day, when he was stronger, he could talk all the smack he wanted about Shen Jinxiao. He could even say things like "your face offends me" and other such crap.

Li Luo stood up, sort of cheered by the thought. With an enthusiastic wave for his mentor and benefactor, he took his leave.

Chi Chan watched him go, setting down her teacup.

“Shen Jinxiao, was it really you?”

...

Li Luo headed straight for his dormitory after leaving his mentor's place.

In five days' time, the best villas would be gathered. It would be no easy task to win hearts over those eminent villas.

Even if he completed his predicted evolution, an eighth-grade secret watersource wouldn’t be enough to entice people.

He needed a strong formula for it as well.

Currently, the Suncreek Villa didn't have a single four-star formula.

As for the top villas, they would have at least one, if not several. Combined with their secret watersources and lightsources, the spirit liquids and purifying lights they produced would leave him in the dust.

He needed to bring more if he wanted to dazzle his audience at the meet.

The answer... a four-star formula, of course.

"I guess I'll go poke Mengmeng a little. Hopefully, she understands where I'm coming from,"

 Li Luo thought to himself. After circling their tower, however, he found no sign of her. Instead, he found Xin Fu in the shadowy crook of the staircase, honing his dagger intently.

"Hey, friend. Seen Mengmeng around?" Li Luo asked.

Xin Fu looked up, surprised. "You found me?"

He had used a camouflage art to blend in with the shadows. How had Li Luo seen him so easily? Was his skill that weak?

"Mengmeng's in the refining workshop. She went there immediately after returning," he replied.

"Right... practice hard. I guess your arts aren't as strong as you thought." With a sanctimonious nod, he headed for the basement, smirking to himself.

His illuminating eye skill had broken the shadow wall!

“That will teach you to compose gravestone quotes for me! I better keep you busy. That's why I'm the leader!”

Xin Fu looked back down at his reflection on his shining blade, lost in self-doubt.

Li Luo hummed a tune as he headed down the stairs. Through the transparent crystal wall, he could see a small figure hunched up over the refining workshop. The board behind her was teeming with notes.

Li Luo paused for a moment outside, then he decided he wouldn't break her concentration after all.

He turned to leave. He thought that he should spend some time working on his taste-restoring spirit liquid too.

Otherwise, if she brought him a four-star formula and he didn't have the goods to exchange for it, that would be extremely embarrassing.