The banquet in front of Chang Heng was, to put it simply, the biggest he had ever seen: from small pastries, to fruits, to juices and milks- he was almost scared by the amount of types there were-, to bigger ones, cakes, cuts of different meats, bread, various cheeses and jams. And those were only the things he could name.

  The servant who accompanied them had him sit at the side of the table, and Old Man Ling at one of the heads. He looked at all the food, salivating. Growing, he had never been known for eating much, if anything, the opposite, as his frail body was much too prone for nausea, but in his month as a Cultivator, his stomach had gotten much sturdier and, especially, hungrier.

  He still hadn’t fully given in to his new desires, but it was only a matter of breaking the habit and time.

  His belly growled, but he didn’t dare touch anything. The City Lord… he was a powerful man, for him just as much as Elder Rong, and she didn’t even need to move to make the head of someone much stronger than him vanish.

  He spent the next few minutes of waiting in a daze, his thoughts being dragged in far too many different directions at the same time.

  When the door opened and Liu Peng, the City Lord, entered the room, his spike of anxiety was almost a reprieve from all that chaos.

  It was the first time seeing him up close. The man's height was somewhat above average, but his size was way above that. His belly was basically a circle, his neck not visible, arms and legs huge but not in muscles. The curated hair tied in a bun or the high quality clothes went unnoticed, the eyes drawn to the layers upon layers of fat.

  He smiled at Chang Heng, and his attention was captured once again, the kindness behind it evident.

  What surprised the boy was the lack of pressure coming from him. The other powerful men and women he had seen in the last month, even when they didn't actively want to, could be felt before they would be seen. A room, a palace, a block, a Cultivator like that would be noticed from far away even from the weakest men and women.

  Not Liu Peng. When he entered the room, he could have been any other servant.

  It took him a few seconds to notice Old Man Ling had risen from his seat and bowed, and he did the same in a panic.

  Did I take too long? Did I stare at him? Am I bowing the right way, the right depth? Is he going to…

  “Good. It took you a second, but that's the right way to behave. Wait a couple more seconds, and you can straighten your back and keep your head down.”

  He did as the man said.

  “Thank you for your guidance, City Lord.”

  “Good, good. You can sit, I wouldn't let such a nice meal spoil just for formalities.”

  They sat, the huge man on the free table head, by the side of Chang Heng.

  He looked in front of himself, to Old Man Ling. Then to the boy. He seemed to find something odd, there.

  “Why are you here, Ling? And why did you take the kid's place?”

  “I am here because I had projects to work on with him, and only sat where I was told to.”

  “Bah… The kid here earned his good share of this meal, and he's being sidelined! I don't know who told the servants that Ling was the main guest, but go to the head of the table, kid. You can share the side with him.”

  He was confused by the brashness of the man, and how caring he sounded at the same time, almost like an aunt. He didn't voice the thoughts, as he was gently shoved him in the direction of his ancestor.

  The hand was as big as his head, if not more.

  He grabbed hit ornate chair, and moved it until he reached the newly assigned side of the table. His foot touched that of Old Man Ling, and he made some extra distance.

  Looking up, the City Lord had started eating, so he did the same.

  Now that he was actually looking at his food, he couldn't stop his stomach from grumbling loudly. He hadn't eaten since the morning before, and he'd been filled with so much anxiety that he barely touched food anyway.

  “Bahaha!” The huge man thundered. “Eat your fill, kid!”

  “Y- yes, City Lord…”

  “Hum, until you're old enough to pay taxes, call me Uncle Peng!”

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “Of course… Uncle Peng.”

  What an absurd situation! Why am I sharing a meal with the most powerful man in Green Leaves City?! In fact, why am I here at all! Cousin Jian never spoke of a private banquet, especially not in the middle of a tournament!

  More questions kept arising inside of him, but any and all doubts were shoved away the moment the first pastry touched his tongue. It was heavenly. A soft, sweet exterior, filled with a cream that filled his mouth, of a rare taste he had never tried before.

  Bits of it spilled from his bite, and he didn't hesitate to lick them off his cheeks.

  After that, a glass of juice. Sweet! So sweet! But also, sour!

  He gave a look at the City L- Uncle Peng, who was devouring some sort of soft bread covered in honey. He did the same, and it was ecstasy.

  No wonder the man was so fat, with such delicacies around!

  When he tried the fruits and the various cuts of meat, he found himself in another world entirely. They were of a quality he had no idea even existed, some even carried traces of Qi.

  Fruits on pastries, meats with jam, fruits and meat, meat on bread, he tried all sorts of combinations, ate more than he ever had, almost in a daze.

  He reached for a piece of sweet bread with nuts inside, but a huge hand stood in between. He looked up, and saw a smiling Cit- Uncle Peng.

  “Slow down, kid. Let's enjoy the rest of our meal as we speak, alright?”

  He speaks like that, but he emptied half of the table…

  He nodded.

  “I suppose you have many questions, but I'll start by apologising. What happened to you… what I let happen to you was wrong, and I'm sorry.” The man seemed honest, the same honesty he showed in the public speeches. “Needless to say, you'll be compensated for it. We can discuss the details after the matter of the tournament is settled.”

  It wasn't hard to guess what he was referring to. Xie Shun's attack was not supposed to happen.

  “If I may ask… why did you let him do it? If you knew it was wrong…”

  “Because I, up to a certain point, knew how things would unfold. And I only saw the best possible outcome. I knew Chang Jian would intervene, and showcase his skills. With Elder Rong, it was an opportunity I couldn't let pass.”

  “Opportunity? How?!”

  Chang Heng tried to hide his resentment. He had been attacked because of his inaction; Xie Mo had been in danger; a boy his age had… died.

  The City Lord clearly noticed it, but didn't address it.

  “We showed what kind of talents our city could make. She has yet to make it official, but we'll be protected by the Sacred Wave Sect a lot more. And that's not even speaking of all the advantages your cousin will get from them.”

  He looked like he was going to add something, so the boy waited.

  “You also gained something important from this.”

  The redhead blinked.

  “Uh? Like what, C- Uncle Peng?”

  “That last Technique you pulled out. It was not something one usually sees, not this early at least.”

  “What do you mean? Was it… particularly good?”

  The man ate a small treat before answering.

  “Yes, it was good for a Mortal level Technique, but not that much. It was not supposed to work, but it did. That's what made this experience so valuable for you.”

  “It wasn't? And why would it help me? And how did it even end up working then?”

  “It's important for you, and it worked, because you cheated. Before you add more questions, let me explain.”

  Seeing how serious the man had gotten, Chang Heng put down the sandwich he was sneaking to his plate.

  “From what I know, all Techniques are based on the pattern their energy takes the shape of, their elements, and from the Second Awakening Stage what path they take in your meridians. For Mortal level ones, only the pattern and element are a thing, and more than one can be combined, of both.”

  He threw a tart in his mouth and kept speaking.

  “The element side was fine. All three of them worked together in harmony, they had the same intent. But the patterns didn't, at all. Some increased your weight, others imitated the way a Cultivator's aura presses on their surroundings, clearly made up on the fly, by the way, one that was supposed to work with Vitality, not Stamina, and another that I think I inspired. Plus some more traditional ones.

  Point is, those were not supposed to be able to stay together and form one, cohesive Technique. In fact, using them as is would, at best, damage your muscles, at worst, destroy some of your organs. It was reckless, and I was going to stop you, until I saw you… stitch it together forcefully, we could say, by making another small, small thing. A fragment of a Core, or Dao, Technique.”

  From the way Uncle Peng said it, it was meant to be a grand revelation. Problem was, Chang Heng had no idea what that meant.

  “I'm sorry, Uncle Peng… I don't think I get it. What is a Dao Technique, and what's so special about it?”

  “Ugh, I expected your patriarch to have told you more about them already. Basically, they are different in the fact that they are based on one's comprehension of the Dao, thus unique, and inscribed in the Core of those who reach the Dao Communion realm. It's not unheard of for people in earlier points of their journey to somewhat tap in their Dao, but the fact that you were able to do it this early is still fairly impressive. You, in particular, used a small piece of one to act as a bridge and connect parts that couldn't fit together on their own.”

  He tried not to show it, but the boy could feel his pride swell at the praise.

  “I don't know if it says good or bad things about your upbringing that the feeling of, or desire for, protection came to you so deeply, but I won’t inquire about your private life.”

  Chang Heng, despite the fear he was living in for the last couple of days, knew his life was not one where care and protection lacked. The events of that night, and the countless times his family had been there for him were an obvious answer for him.

  He had simply wished to do the same for that little Xie Mo.