Aimless Ascension

"Apart from that, there are a few small things," Gale said. "If I knew better, I would have made a list."

Han Shitian and the rest of the Han family were glaring at Gale even before he could finish, their aura boring malevolence.

"Unacceptable," Han Shitian screamed before his brother-in-law could mitigate the situation. "You think I'll agree to everything just because you stole my Fate lock? Do you think I can't pull enough weight just because I was banished here? No, I would rather fight you to death than bow my head again."

"I guess we'll have a go at it then," Gale said with a flat expression as another aura and qi clash occurred between them.

A few of the practitioners got down after they couldn't endure the pressure anymore. Most of them were from the enforcers and Han family. Gale protected his people properly with Guardian Emblem. Of course, he had it easier, doing it for only three people.

"Husband," Han Shitian's wife tried to stop him, but to no avail.

"Shitian!" the mayor was in the same position.

"Don't try to stop me, Luo Shan," Han Shitian bellowed. "I won't relent on this. The Han clan isn't something every cracked practitioner can make fun of."

Luo Shan narrowed his eyes. His mind whirled in the calculation.

Gale was about to say something, but pursed his lips, protecting his three people. He didn't know how much of this was just a play, only a show, but he had known the scion of the old clans being arrogant and prideful like this. Even if their pride was misplaced.

Han clan, for what it was worth, was a first-rate clan of Tianhui. Of course, they can't hold a candle to the great Sun clan, an extremely few people could. However, the Han clan had been there for a couple of thousand years. They have over a dozen gemheart experts, led by the illustrious Grandmaster of their clan.

Well, as far as Gale's information went, the grandmaster had one of his feet in the grave for several decades, but that changed nothing in the short term. And higher ranked practitioners' short term could last for several years.

"Chen'er, please take Shitian to get some fresh air," the mayor demanded at last.

However, Han Shitian wasn't ready to relent. "I won't accept, no matter what you say, Luo Shan."

"I'm not asking you to accept, Shitian. Listen to me," the mayor reminded him sternly. "Please get out and get some fresh air, while I'll negotiate with Mr Carpenter here."

After some thinking, Han Shitian relented to the mayor's persuasion and moved out with his wife and son, leaving the rest of the Han family entourage in the room. A few sighs of relief could be sensed in the room as the pressure of the gold rank was lifted off their back after the departure of Han Shitian.

"Let's take a break for half an hour," the Mayor said as he got out of the room as well. Slowly, the other practitioner from the Han family moved out as well.

Sun Ziang came and exchanged a few words of pleasantries with Gale and the rest. Being new to local politics, he couldn't provide any insight into the play, though he indicated he was on their side, even though enforcers were supposed to be the neutral force.

Gale grunted and manipulated Qi to form a sound-eliminating bubble, enveloping the five of them.

"I guess this will provide enough privacy," Gale said, "but if you have something sensitive to point out, please do it by hiding your lips with your palm."

Of course, lip-reading couldn't provide a hundred percent certainty. It was still a thing and quite easy to read.

Grandma Wang was the first one to ask the question. "Are you going hard on the demand so that they would cancel the duel, or do you just want to know their depth?"

"The latter," Gale said with a sigh. "I guess the prideful clansmen would swallow anything, but not anything that would stain their reputation. And it seemed they got mad when asked to bow their heads. I can't really understand that. Your culture is wrong. You are supposed to do it when you're wrong."

The old woman blinked her eyes together with Sun Ziang, but decided against going deeper into that topic.

"So you really want Linlin to duel that entitled boy?"

Gale nodded. "This could be called the first real adversary in Linlin's path."

"How sure are you about it, though?" Wang Yushen continued. "Not to pry, but Linlin still hadn't managed to break through to copper, nor made much progress in that direction."

"Well, she made some progress, her resistance and immunity are growing," Gale discussed. "She finally has the strength of a normal male, and it hasn't been a month yet. We got enough time for me to prepare her."

"A year," Wang Yushen nodded. "The Han family can easily help Han Xiao reach Iron by that point."

"Obviously," Gale said, turning towards Xiaolin. "At the speed, we are moving, Linlin had a high chance of breaking into Copper in six months. Hopefully, that will change some requirements of her constitution. Cycling will be easier for her. Honestly, if not for the issue of Qi leakage, attempting to reach gold in a year would just be challenging for Linlin, but I'm satisfied with iron for now."

Sun Ziang perked his brows hearing about Xiaolin advancing to Gold in one year. He couldn't help but give the girl a look.

Gale continued. "With a couple of compatible fate locks and spirit arts, she would be ready to fight scions of most clans, much less an entitled little shit like Han Xiao."

"All will be well if all goes according to your planning," the older woman said with a sigh. "However, the old age only made me more pessimistic."

Gale perked an eyebrow. "You can be rest assured," he said seriously, patting his disciple on the head, "since I take her as my disciple, she's my responsibility."

Wang Yushen nodded.

"Anyway," Gale turned to Sun Ziang, "do you have any insight to provide?"

Sun Ziang thought for a second and nodded. "The old captain and I were talking before this meeting began. He told me, the mayor will go hard on getting a win here. I think the mayor will probably try everything to make you agree to the duel. Of course, Han Shitian wouldn't agree to anything that's too humiliating for him, even though his side is reassured with the win."

"Hmm, interesting," Gale said. "So you're telling me to make the most of the situation?"

Sun Ziang blinked in confusion, unsure how Gale got that idea.

"Sadly, I didn't lack spirit marks," Gale said. "What can the Han family or the mayor provide that I already don't have?"

Sun Ziang didn't know the answer to that, and he didn't need to provide the answer. Gang Rui, the former Han family man, did it for him.

"Universal Law Platform," the commoner silver ranker said, startling both Sun Ziang and Gale.

"They had something like that?"

Gang Rui nodded. "Of course, they weren't the sole owners of the platform," she said. "But they do have access to it."

"However, the question is," Gale said, "will they even give up single access to the platform for a banished son like that?"

Gang Rui wasn't too involved with politics to give a certain answer. "Before the banishment, Han Shitian had a high spot in the clan," he said. "The elders had high hopes for him, but now I'm not so sure how much connection he still had with the Han Clan."

"Master," Xiaolin asked, curious, "What's a Universal Law Platform?"

"Something that helps gold rankers' breakthrough to Gemheart experts," Gale said straightly. "Of course, the breakthrough isn't guaranteed. The platform makes it ten times easier, however, the chance of one breaking into Gemheart is screwed to begin with, barely 0.1 to 1 per cent for most practitioners."

Xiaolin's eyes went wide hearing him. "Master, then. . ." Linlin didn't have to finish for Gale to know what she was going to ask. "Will this help to advance to Gemheart as well?"

"Me, more than most people," Gale said with a rueful smile. "I'm closer to that 1% than most practitioners. Even if it didn't help me become a gemheart level expert in one go, I think I'll get what I need to become a master in orthodox spirit arts, which in retrospect makes it easier to breakthrough into gemheart."

A win-win situation, even when he failed, though there were complications with the taint.

Sun Ziang whistled. "I still don't know why you're doing farming here."

Gale laughed self mockingly. "Trust me, I don't know myself."

"Master, you need it absolutely," Xiaolin said, more intensely than anything she ever said in her life.

Gale was amused by her words. "Didn't I say it gives no guarantee of the breakthrough?" he asked. "Most practitioners need to get access to such a platform over a dozen times to get the insight before they can even attempt Gemheart."

"But they are most practitioners," Xiaolin said, "you're not most practitioners."

Gale smiled warily. That's some dangerous level of trust Linlin had in him. Not to mention when he hadn't been completely truthful about his situation with her.

"I guess I'm not the most practitioner," Gale said. "Summoned from a different world… bearing three ancient and unique fate locks, companion of a Guardian spirit beast, and a few other interesting things."

_ _ _

These chapters are growing more and more. Some of the things weren't even bourne of my plan. Still, I'm satisfied with them.