Stop Fighting, You Two!

[I watched the Zenless Zone Zero preview. This episode was incredible.]

"Now? You only just got the blueprints..."

"Twenty minutes." Chen Xing held up two fingers. "Give me twenty minutes."

Mu Ye watched him, the light in his eyes growing brighter.

He sat back down. "All right. I'll wait."

Chen Xing said no more. He summoned the World-Painting Brush and got to work.

Mu Ye sat across from him and watched without rushing him.

Twenty minutes later, Chen Xing set down the brush and channeled his Wish Power. Golden light rose from the paper.

Thud! A White Rank Ranged Mecha over three meters tall landed in the middle of the room.

Mu Ye stood before it, silent for a full five seconds.

Then he slowly turned toward Chen Xing, looking at him as though he had found a mountain of gold.

"That old bastard Zhen Hua... He struck gold."

Chen Xing felt his Wish Power rise and relaxed with satisfaction.

But Mu Ye suddenly leaned closer, curiosity in his eyes.

"Kid, let me ask you something."

Chen Xing looked up. "What?"

"You learned mecha design and made all these mechas." Mu Ye rubbed his chin. "But your Imagenesis can make anything. Why did you choose mechas?"

Chen Xing paused.

He had never really thought about that.

But he hesitated for only half a second before answering. "Because they're cool."

Mu Ye raised an eyebrow. "Cool?"

Chen Xing nodded. The image of a steady man in glasses, leaning on a cane, suddenly came to mind.

He remembered something Uncle Yang had said.

"An uncle of mine once told me that giant robots are the way to go."

Mu Ye froze for a moment.

Then he slapped his thigh, his eyes lighting up like bulbs.

"That's the spirit, kid! He was absolutely right!"

The slap startled Chen Xing.

Mu Ye paid him no mind. He was so excited he paced back and forth across the room.

"Giant robots are the way to go! That's what got me hooked on mechas in the first place!"

He stopped and looked at Chen Xing, his face bright with the joy of finding a kindred spirit.

"You know, I spent so much time researching and piloting mechas that my cultivation suffered. I still haven't broken through to Super Douluo. Everyone calls me a fool, but I just can't give them up."

"But hearing you say that today, I know I wasn't wrong!"

Chen Xing watched Mu Ye's excitement and couldn't help grinning.

It seemed the leader of the Body Sect was a mecha fanatic to his core.

Mu Ye patted Chen Xing on the shoulder, his voice full of approval.

"Kid, you've got much better taste than your teacher!"

Chen Xing smiled but said nothing.

Mu Ye abruptly changed the subject and leaned in closer.

"By the way, what terms did Zhen Hua offer when he took you on as his student?"

Chen Xing was delighted.

Here we go.

He immediately put on a long-suffering face.

"Uncle Mu Ye, my teacher... His terms are pretty harsh."

"How harsh?"

Chen Xing sighed.

"He made me come to Heaven Dou City with him and work to cover my living expenses. I can only go home once a month, and he said he'd stop being my teacher if I caused trouble..."

The more he talked, the more aggrieved he sounded, and the more he exaggerated.

Mu Ye's expression grew darker and darker.

"That's it?" Mu Ye slapped the table. "That's all he offered to lure you here?"

Chen Xing nodded with a helpless look.

Mu Ye paced around the room twice, then stopped and faced Chen Xing.

"Kid, come with me."

"Huh?"

"Come back to the Body Sect with me," Mu Ye said firmly. "I'll throw in another five million Federation Credits and give you the treatment of a core disciple. Anything Zhen Hua can give you, I can give you. And I can give you what he can't."

Chen Xing had no chance to answer.

Bang! Someone kicked the door open from outside.

Zhen Hua stood in the doorway, his face dark. "Mu Ye!"

Mu Ye turned, refusing to back down.

"Zhen Hua, perfect timing! What kind of terms did you offer this kid? One trip home a month? Work to earn his living expenses? Is that how you treat a genius?"

Zhen Hua's face went green with anger.

"Have you no shame, Mu Ye? Climbing through a window in the middle of the night to steal my student?!"

"Steal him? I'm standing up for the kid!"

"He's my student!"

"You call him your student after offering him those lousy terms?"

Their argument grew fiercer, and ripples of Soul Power began spilling from them.

But neither actually used it.

Zhen Hua lunged forward and grabbed Mu Ye by the collar.

Mu Ye grabbed Zhen Hua's collar in return.

Like children brawling in the street, they spun in place, each tugging at the other's collar.

Zhen Hua kicked Mu Ye in the shin.

Mu Ye winced and kicked him back.

They traded kicks and shoved each other around the room, neither letting go of the other's collar.

Chen Xing stood nearby and watched two men whose ages added up to almost two hundred grapple like children fighting over candy. He had no idea what to make of it.

What is going on?

Zhen Hua drove an elbow into Mu Ye's chest. Mu Ye answered with a punch to Zhen Hua's shoulder. The scuffle grew fiercer, and they knocked the table askew.

Chen Xing finally couldn't take it anymore.

He rushed forward and spread his arms between them.

"Please stop fighting!"

Both men stopped at his shout.

Zhen Hua and Mu Ye turned toward him at the same time, still gripping each other's collars.

Chen Xing took a deep breath.

"Teachers, let's talk this out."

Zhen Hua snorted and let go first.

Mu Ye pursed his lips and released Zhen Hua's collar, then smoothed his own lapels.

The two glared at each other for a long moment.

Mu Ye suddenly spoke.

"Zhen Hua, don't you think it's a waste for you to teach him alone?"

Zhen Hua frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You've seen what he can do." Mu Ye pointed at the White Rank Ranged Mecha on the table. "Zero Soul Power, yet he can use Imagenesis to make anything. Anyone would treasure a talent like that. How much can you teach him on your own? You're skilled at Forging and mecha design, but you can't teach him how to fight."

Zhen Hua fell silent for a moment.

Mu Ye continued.

"The Body Sect's cultivation methods, its ways of tempering the body, its combat techniques—they're one of a kind. You teach him what you know, and I'll teach him what I know. There's no conflict."

Zhen Hua studied Mu Ye for a long moment.

"You mean we teach him together?"

Mu Ye nodded.

"Yes. We teach him everything we know, with nothing held back. You teach him all your skills, and I'll teach him all of mine."

Zhen Hua went quiet.

Chen Xing stood beside them, holding his breath.

Were these two big shots actually working it out themselves?

He had been wondering how to suggest it. Apparently, he didn't have to worry.

About ten seconds passed before Zhen Hua finally spoke.

"Fine. But I have one condition."

Mu Ye raised an eyebrow. "Let's hear it."

"He belongs to neither side. He's a student of both of us," Zhen Hua said, enunciating every word. "You can't drag him back to the Body Sect."

Mu Ye pursed his lips. "Deal."

Zhen Hua turned to Chen Xing.

"Kid, starting today, Mu Ye and I will both teach you. He'll teach his skills, and I'll teach mine. How much you learn is up to you."

Chen Xing froze for two seconds, then nodded hard. "Thank you, teachers!"

The weight on his chest finally lifted.

It worked.

From today on, he had two teachers.

One was the continent's only Divine Craftsman, a Level Nine Blacksmith capable of Forging Four-Word Battle Armor.

The other was the leader of the Body Sect, a level ninety-four Titled Douluo, a Four-Word Battle Armor master, and a Red-Class Mecha Engineer.

And both had agreed to teach him everything they knew.

That meant he could learn not just mecha design and Forging, but the Body Sect's secret methods of tempering the body, combat techniques, and every other skill they possessed.

This was a huge win.

Zhen Hua glared at Mu Ye. "Now get out."

Mu Ye chuckled and vaulted out the window.

Before leaving, he winked at Chen Xing. "See you tomorrow, kid."

The window shut.

Quiet returned to the room.

Chen Xing looked at the White Rank Ranged Mecha still standing on the table, then felt the Body Sect Token tucked inside his clothes. He could no longer hold back his grin.

Starting tomorrow, I'm going to be busy.