You Won Me Over with Your Sincerity, Mister

Chen Xing took half a step back.

"It was me."

Mu Ye straightened up and looked him over several times, then turned to Zhen Hua.

"Come on, Zhen Hua. That's not very friendly of you."

"What isn't?"

"I waited for you in Heaven Dou City for two days." Mu Ye spread his hands. "You brought a treasure like this back from Aolai City and kept him hidden from me?"

Zhen Hua's expression shifted. "Who told you?"

"It's all over Heaven Dou City." Mu Ye grinned smugly. "Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua took in a six-year-old with Zero Soul Power in Aolai City, and the kid can create White-Class Mecha out of thin air. Did you really think you could keep that quiet?"

Zhen Hua's face darkened at once.

Mu Ye paid no attention. He turned to Chen Xing and introduced himself.

"Kid, I'm Mu Ye, a friend of your teacher's."

Chen Xing nodded.

"Hello, Uncle Mu Ye."

Mu Ye paused, then grinned even wider.

"Well, you've got manners. More than your teacher does."

Zhen Hua's face darkened further.

"Mu Ye, what are you here for?"

"To get the blueprints you brought back from Aolai City," Mu Ye said as though it were obvious. "Did you forget the Mecha design blueprints I asked you to buy?"

Zhen Hua snorted. "They're in my office. I'll give them to you later."

"Later?" Mu Ye raised an eyebrow. "I want them now."

Zhen Hua glared at him and headed inside. "Follow me."

Mu Ye didn't follow right away. He bent down beside Chen Xing's ear and murmured,

"Kid, I'll come find you tonight."

Chen Xing froze.

Whoa. A grown man saying that to a little boy like me? Doesn't that sound a bit wrong?

Mu Ye winked at him, then strode after Zhen Hua.

Chen Xing stood where he was, watching Mu Ye's retreating back. He had a hunch.

The man had probably taken an interest in his ability too.

But that was a good thing.

Perhaps Mu Ye could become one of his teachers as well.

Night had fallen.

Chen Xing sat in his room, still awake.

He was studying the copy of Fundamental Principles and Design of Mecha that Zhen Hua had given him to read on the way.

He had reached the chapter on "Optimizing Energy Circuit Layouts," but parts of it were hard to follow.

"Pam Pam, what's the principle behind optimizing an Energy Circuit layout?"

"The key to optimizing an Energy Circuit layout is reducing energy loss during transmission, Pom..."

AI Pom-Pom patiently explained it in his mind.

Chen Xing nodded along as he listened.

Just as he was concentrating on the explanation, a voice drifted in from the window.

"Shortening the distance between circuit nodes actually increases energy interference. The best solution is to leave a specific gap between them."

Chen Xing jumped and whipped around.

At some point, the window had been pushed open a crack. Mu Ye's head poked through it, smiling at him.

"Uncle Mu Ye?!"

Chen Xing nearly threw the book in his hands.

Mu Ye chuckled, pushed the window open, and flipped into the room. He landed without a sound.

"Shh. Don't shout. Your teacher's asleep."

Chen Xing stared at him, at a loss for words.

Mu Ye pulled over a chair as if he owned the place, sat across from Chen Xing, and crossed his legs.

"Well? Did you understand what I just said?"

Chen Xing paused, then nodded.

"Yes. The nodes need to be spaced just right. Too close is actually worse."

Mu Ye nodded approvingly.

"You're a quick one, kid."

He leaned forward and fixed his eyes on Chen Xing.

"But I came to ask you something tonight."

Chen Xing had a good idea what it was, but he put on a puzzled look anyway.

"What is it?"

"That ability of yours." Mu Ye's eyes lit up. "That's why Zhen Hua took you as his student, isn't it?"

Chen Xing fell silent for a moment.

"But my teacher told me not to tell people about it."

Mu Ye immediately cursed.

"That old bastard just wants to keep it all to himself!"

Then he put on a smile again and leaned closer to Chen Xing.

"Come on, kid. Tell me about it. I won't tell your teacher."

Looking at his shifty expression, Chen Xing nearly lost his composure.

Mu Ye, you're the leader of the Body Sect and a God-Class Mecha Engineer. Where's your dignity?

There goes your image as a master.

Chen Xing shook his head.

"I'm afraid I can't, Uncle Mu Ye."

Mu Ye narrowed his eyes. He suddenly pulled a card from his pocket and slapped it on the table.

"One million Federation Credits."

Chen Xing's heart gave a leap at the sight of the card.

But his expression didn't change.

"Uncle Mu Ye, it isn't about money."

Mu Ye produced another card.

"Three million."

Chen Xing could barely stop the corners of his mouth from rising.

He took a deep breath and spoke with righteous conviction.

"Uncle Mu Ye, my teacher really told me not to say..."

Mu Ye stared at him for two seconds, then laughed.

"You little schemer."

He reached into his pocket again and took out a palm-sized black Token with the words "Body Sect" engraved on its face.

He set the Token on the table.

"Six million Federation Credits, plus this Token belonging to the leader of the Body Sect."

"With it, you can enter any part of the Body Sect whenever you like."

Chen Xing stared at the Token and the six million credits.

Three seconds later.

He shot out a hand, stuffed everything into his clothes, cleared his throat, and said solemnly,

"In principle, Uncle Mu Ye, my teacher told me not to say anything."

"But... you did coerce me."

Mu Ye watched him and burst out laughing.

"That's the spirit, kid. Now let's hear it."

Chen Xing told him about his Illusory Creation ability from beginning to end.

He explained the World-Painting Brush, how Illusory Creation worked, and Wish Power.

Mu Ye listened more and more intently, his brow furrowing deeper.

"Wish Power... Not Soul Power, yet it can create things out of thin air..."

He murmured to himself, then suddenly looked up at Chen Xing.

"Can your ability create anything?"

Chen Xing thought for a moment.

"In theory, yes. As long as I understand its principles and structure well enough and have enough Wish Power."

Mu Ye fell silent for a moment. Then he pulled a roll of blueprints from his Storage Soul Tool and tossed it in front of Chen Xing.

"These are blueprints for a White-Class Ranged Mecha."

Chen Xing picked them up and unrolled them.

Whoa. I already have a close-combat Mecha and one for getting around. Now I'm getting a ranged one too?

He was delighted.

But he kept his expression calm.

Mu Ye stood and stretched.

"Take your time studying them. I'll come back tomorrow to see the result."

With that, he headed for the window.

Chen Xing stopped him.

"Uncle Mu Ye, you don't have to wait until tomorrow."

Mu Ye raised an eyebrow and glanced back at him.

"Oh?"

Chen Xing smiled confidently.

"I can make it right now."