novelraw Chapter 114: And Then, The Jade State League Arrives!
Chapter 114: And Then, The Jade State League Arrives!
"You're close with Grandmaster Muse?" Fly was rather surprised.
Back at the art exhibition, he already knew that Genevieve and Cynthia were old acquaintances, but he had only assumed they were casually acquainted; he never expected her to actually know Grandmaster Muse as well.
Given such a connection, why didn't Grandmaster Muse just take her in as his disciple directly?
Why go through all the trouble of setting up that trial with The Scroll of Martial Heart-Tempering?
Moreover, Grandmaster Muse had known that Genevieve was attending the exhibition at the time.
Yet, in the end, he had only requested to see Fly alone.
Could there be something fishy going on here?
"Naturally," Muse nodded upon hearing this. "Her grandfather and I..."
But halfway through his sentence, Muse suddenly stopped. He cast a glance at Genevieve. "Forget it, it's all ancient history."
Fly raised an eyebrow.
If it were an ordinary high schooler, they probably wouldn't pay much mind to Muse's reaction, but Fly's mental maturity was far beyond that of a typical teenager.
I have a feeling things aren't as simple as they seem this time around...
Genevieve's grandfather...
But from the looks of it, getting anything out of Muse was a lost cause. The old man was sharp as a tack; trying to coax intel out of him was basically mission impossible.
After pondering for a moment, Fly decided to start with Genevieve.
Even though he didn't have any concrete evidence, Fly's intuition told him that this matter was nowhere near as simple as it appeared on the surface. It might even be tied to Muse's direct motive for taking on an apprentice this time.
If that were truly the case, it would also involve his own interests.
For all these reasons, Fly couldn't help but want to get to the bottom of it.
After the greetings, Fly and the others dispersed across the training grounds to begin their respective cultivation, while Muse observed from the sidelines, occasionally offering a few pointers.
Among the group, aside from Fly, who had a clear goal of developing his newly acquired Skill, the cultivation focus for the rest of them was entirely on elevating their practical combat capabilities.
And Cynthia, naturally, became everyone's sparring partner.
Whenever they needed a spar, Cynthia would be invited onto the training grounds to oblige them. She was, in fact, an excellent teacher. She applied just the right amount of pressure during their bouts, patiently pointed out their shortcomings, and offered appropriate guidance.
Soon, it was time for a break. The group headed to the edge of the training grounds to wipe their sweat, hydrate, and take a breather.
"Speaking of which, were your grandfather and Grandmaster Muse on really good terms?"
Sitting on the ground alongside Genevieve, Fly casually brought up the topic.
"They were... probably pretty close, I guess." Genevieve's answer was rather ambiguous.
It wasn't that she considered it some sort of secret; rather, her grandfather had passed away when she was very young. Since then, her family had essentially cut all ties with the Muse household. Come to think of it, she had only met Grandmaster Muse a handful of times when she was little.
"My family never really liked bringing up those matters either."
"In my memories, Grandpa was always a bit erratic. One moment he'd be incredibly agitated, and the next, he'd be crying tears of sorrow, as if he couldn't control the floodgates of his own emotions."
PTSD? Fly's eyes flickered. "Judging by that, could your grandfather have fought on the battlefield alongside Grandmaster Muse?"
As a renowned Grandmaster Realm Beast Warrior, many of Muse's past experiences could be easily found with a quick web search.
Furthermore, he had heard from Leo before that in his youth, Grandmaster Muse had participated in The First Martial War. He had achieved numerous remarkable feats on the battlefield, which was why he managed to smoothly transition into the upper management of the Helios Warrior Corp after retiring from the military.
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As for the so-called First Martial War, it was a human civil war triggered by various factions fighting over the massive resource reserves right after the entrance to The Martial Sanctum first appeared.
Genevieve's Beast Totem might not look like much at first glance, but it was an exceedingly rare Mythical Species. Besides, her aunt and Cynthia were childhood friends and classmates.
Mr. Carter had also mentioned to him more than once that Genevieve's family had incredibly vast connections.
It was highly likely that the York family's influence was built from the ground up during her grandfather's generation.
Under what kind of social climate was it easiest to secure development and achieve a leap in social class?
Times of chaos.
The more chaotic society became, the more avenues and opportunities there were for upward mobility.
As the saying goes, fortune favors the bold.
Take Grandmaster Muse, for example. Didn't he build his fortune during that exact era?
Based on these clues, Fly formulated a few hypotheses regarding the identity of Genevieve's grandfather.
At the same time, Fly's curiosity about the situation within The Martial Sanctum only deepened.
What exactly did Genevieve's grandfather experience back then?
Aside from participating in The First Martial War, had he ever ventured into The Martial Sanctum? Did he ever cross paths with those terrifying creatures Grandmaster Muse had spoken of?
"Maybe," Genevieve said, tilting her head. "But why are you asking about this?"
"Just curious, that's all." Fly offered a faint smile.
"I don't buy that for a second," Genevieve retorted with a huff. If anyone else had said that, she might have believed them. But who was Fly? A certified martial arts fanatic!
In her mind, Fly didn't give a hoot about anything unless it was related to martial arts.
Otherwise, how could he lack even the most basic common sense about society?
It wasn't like he had amnesia or something, right?
Coupled with Genevieve's inherently sharp intuition, she grew increasingly convinced that Fly was acting strangely today. She leaned in close, staring directly into Fly's eyes. "Spill."
A faint, pleasant fragrance wafted from Genevieve's neck, causing Fly to subconsciously avert his gaze.
"How should I put this..."
Fly quickly deliberated. Since he wanted to glean clues from Genevieve, bringing her into the fold wouldn't be a bad idea.
Just in case Muse was truly plotting something in the shadows, he would be able to make preparations and counter it in advance.
It never hurts to keep your guard up.
"I just find it a bit weird, that's all."
"Weird? What's weird?" Genevieve frowned slightly.
She grew increasingly convinced that Fly was acting off today.
"You and Grandmaster Muse have known each other for a long time. You were also at the art exhibition, and you even took part in the trial for The Scroll of Martial Heart-Tempering."
"Since he was looking to groom a disciple, why didn't he choose you?"
"It's not like your talent is lacking by any means."
"Couple that with that bizarre Apprenticeship Contract, and my gut is just telling me something's off. Maybe I'm just overthinking it."
Having said his piece, Fly feigned nonchalance and shrugged.
"Oh, so that's what this is about," Genevieve chuckled. "Perhaps Grandmaster Muse simply has his own considerations."
Even so, Genevieve couldn't help but feel a seed of doubt taking root in her mind.
Why didn't Grandmaster Muse just take her on as his disciple?
She had held the title of Star City's number one middle schooler for three years straight. And after entering Star City High and beginning her Martial Studies cultivation, her performance had been nothing to scoff at either.
Her Beast Totem was a Mythical Species, and the cultivation path she walked was the exceptionally rare route of The Resonant Sect.
During the Freshman Invitational, if Gareth hadn't resorted to underhanded cheating, she could have fought all the way until Gideon King showed up. Hell, she might have even steamrolled Gideon too!
Speaking of which, what exactly was the relationship between her grandfather and Grandmaster Muse back in the day?
Prompted by this thought, Genevieve whipped out her phone and called home.
But, the moment Genevieve asked about her grandfather's past, her father immediately changed the subject. He urged her to focus on her cultivation and strive for an outstanding performance in The Jade State League.
Right after, using the excuse that he had other matters to attend to, he abruptly hung up.
Putting her phone away, Genevieve locked eyes with Fly.
"Something is definitely fishy!"
Genevieve was the first to speak up.
There was absolutely something going on behind the scenes!
Still, her father was right about one thing: The Jade State League was fast approaching.
If Fly failed to secure the championship, Muse would not only terminate the Apprenticeship Contract, but he would also demand Fly pay a hefty penalty fee for breach of contract.
The most pressing matter at hand was to seize the time and boost their respective strengths.
"Let's get back to training."
Genevieve stood up from the ground, having fully recovered her energy after the short break.
As for her grandfather's history with Muse, she decided to properly investigate the matter alongside Fly once they returned from The Jade State League.
True... Fly thought to himself. Even if they were going to investigate, rushing it over the next few days wouldn't help.
Everything had to be prioritized.
He was better off focusing on rapidly developing and mastering his new Skill.
...
Time flew by, and seven or eight days passed in a flash.
Today was the day of the midterm exams for Star City High's freshman class.
There naturally wasn't much to say about the Martial Trials.
The combined strength of Fly and the other three was already top-tier among the freshmen.
After a week of Grandmaster Muse's guidance and grueling sessions in the Gravity Chamber, their abilities had advanced by leaps and bounds.
As for the theory courses, the school had specifically arranged for the instructors to give them an intensive crash course right before the exams.
They navigated these midterms with absolute ease.
Fly, 'Emperor' Valerius, Genevieve, and Jett swept the top four spots in the entire grade.
The moment Mr. Carter got his hands on their report cards, he practically danced with joy.
Even the other homeroom teachers couldn't help but shoot him incredibly salty, envious looks.
How on earth did he manage to snatch the position of the Rocket Class's homeroom teacher?
Another week passed.
On this day, Mr. Carter called Fly, Valerius, Genevieve, and Jett into his office together.
The four of them exchanged glances, knowing exactly what this was about.
The Jade State League had finally arrived!