Chapter 142: At the Mercy of Others

(Here is to our number-one administrator, Comrade Old Smoke, on his birthday! To Old Smoke, who “does not know how to read the situation,” and Comrade Old Smoke, who is always “left holding the bag”—may his youth remain forever and his vitality never fade! May he remain “unable to read the situation” forever. Enough said. The value of friendship lies in knowing one another’s hearts. Old Yang, you understand. ^_^)

(A long chapter, combining two parts)

Xia Ya walked along the broad street, feeling relaxed and cheerful for once. Everything that had brought him to the imperial capital had been settled. His title and reward had been arranged as well; all that remained was to go through the formalities. As Ruhl had put it, “His Majesty the Emperor has made it perfectly clear that he is backing you. Just sit back and wait to become a noble lord.”

The only thing that still rankled was the trip he had made with General Adrick to the Senate. Watching the general suffer humiliation there had left Xia Ya indignant and furious.

Yet after leaving the Senate, General Adrick showed little anger. If anything, there was more disappointment in his eyes.

Unable to contain himself, Xia Ya voiced his sense of injustice. General Adrick merely laughed it off. But before they parted, he studied Xia Ya for a moment and said quietly, “Xia Ya, you are still young. There are things you may not understand even if I explain them now. But remember this: once a person has faith in his heart, he must not change it lightly. If it can be changed so easily, then it is not faith.”

The words left Xia Ya stunned. He seemed to understand, yet not quite. General Adrick said nothing more. He only patted Xia Ya on the shoulder, smiled warmly, mounted his horse, and rode away.

Xia Ya returned to his lodgings alone. With something weighing on his mind, he had no desire to ride, and instead led his horse slowly through the streets. As he took in the splendor of the imperial capital, that magnificent city of miracles, the gloom pressing on his heart gradually dispersed.

As he passed a street corner, his heart suddenly stirred for no apparent reason. The keen instincts he had developed over years in the wilderness seemed to be aroused by something foreign. His senses sharpened.

Was someone watching him from the shadows?

Xia Ya’s gaze tightened. He immediately looked around, and then caught sight of a restaurant beside the street. At a second-floor window sat a lean, dignified old man with a smile on his face, watching him.

Though they were far apart, Xia Ya could clearly feel the clarity and depth in the old man’s eyes.

Those eyes shone like cold stars.

Their gazes met. The old man smiled and inclined his head, giving the faintest signal with his eyes. Xia Ya frowned and pondered for a moment before striding into the restaurant.

He climbed the stairs to the second floor. The old man was seated by the window, a book held loosely in his left hand, one boot propped lazily on a chair as he leaned against the wall. He smiled at Xia Ya.

Xia Ya walked over without a word and sat down opposite him.

Cavyhill looked at Xia Ya. His clear gaze gave Xia Ya the uncanny sensation that he had been seen through completely. He instinctively turned his face slightly aside.

“Hungry?”

Cavyhill’s voice was calm. “If you are, have something to eat. The sauerkraut with mashed potatoes here is quite good.”

He pointed to a plate on the table. The mashed potatoes mixed with sauerkraut were golden brown and fragrant. They certainly looked appetizing.

Xia Ya did not seem to care about formalities. He picked up the spoon and took a bite. The moment the food entered his mouth, his eyes lit up. He set down the spoon and smiled.

“It really is delicious.”

“Indeed.” Cavyhill nodded, looking entirely at ease. “I have a small habit. I like to search out little shops that appear ordinary and unremarkable. True delicacies are often hidden in such places. As for those grand and splendid establishments, they are usually selling nothing more than appearances and prestige.”

Xia Ya nodded. “You are right. Good food has nothing to do with where it is served. What matters is the taste.”

Cavyhill narrowed his eyes slightly. Then he reached into his robe and rummaged around before producing a small silver bottle, which he placed on the table.

“This is a seasoning I prepare myself. The recipe is a secret, naturally. But it goes especially well with mashed potatoes. Try it.”

Xia Ya made up his mind and did not refuse. He picked up the bottle, twisted off the cap, and sprinkled a little of the fine silver-white powder over the potatoes. After taking another spoonful, his face broke into a delighted grin.

“Excellent! There really is a trick to it! This mashed potato actually tastes like meat! Ha ha ha!”

Cavyhill glanced at the bottle. “Since you like it, I will give it to you.”

Then the old man seemed to sigh faintly.

“As for the taste of meat, that is a long story. Before I made anything of myself, I was a poor bookworm who depended on friends for all three meals. Mashed potatoes were cheap, so they became my staple food. But after eating them for long enough, one inevitably began to miss the taste of meat. I studied countless books, and nearly became a master chef in the process. Eventually I developed this seasoning. Added to mashed potatoes, it creates the taste of meat. I could not afford actual meat, but this at least offered some comfort.”

Xia Ya stuffed the bottle into his robe and raised a hand.

“Since you are giving it to me, I will accept it. Thank you, sir!”

“There is no need to thank me. It was merely a pitiful little struggle made by a man driven to desperation. Nothing of importance.”

Cavyhill shook his head and smiled faintly. “I was once rather full of myself, believing that my wisdom was unmatched. But when your stomach is empty, what room is there for grand ambitions? I ended up using my intelligence on such a petty trick. Laughable, is it not?”

Xia Ya’s eyes brightened. He stared at the old man, narrowing his own eyes.

“Hey, old man. You seem to be hinting at something.”

Cavyhill pressed his lips into a smile.

“Hinting? No, no. If I were merely hinting, your mind as it is now would not be able to understand. This is already as plain as I can make it.”

Xia Ya lowered his head and thought for a moment. Then he looked up with a smile.

“I understand! Thank you for enlightening me. When a person’s stomach is empty, there is no need to talk about lofty ideals. If you are starving and still insist on discussing other things, it all becomes a joke. Old man, thank you for your guidance. I was furious about what happened today, but after hearing you, I am no longer angry.”

He rose and prepared to leave.

Cavyhill smiled. “What is this? Are you afraid to exchange a few more words with me?”

Xia Ya froze, then laughed openly.

“Afraid? Of course I am! Someone told me that everyone who gets involved with you ends up lying in a grave on Glory Mountain sooner or later. I am still young. I have no intention of spending eternity in that cursed place just yet.”

Cavyhill sighed.

“So you know who I am.”

Xia Ya glared at him. “Naturally! If I could not even guess that much, would you take me for an idiot?”

A trace of interest appeared in Cavyhill’s eyes.

“Oh? Then are you not curious about why I sought you out?”

The muscles on Xia Ya’s face twitched. He hesitated for a long while before sighing and shaking his head.

“I am curious. But I do not dare ask.”

“You do not dare?” Cavyhill was genuinely curious now.

“I do not.”

Xia Ya nodded honestly.

“That is right. I do not dare. I have heard too many terrifying things about you. Who am I? A country bumpkin who crawled out of the mountains. These past few days, coincidence has followed coincidence, and I have barely fought my way into staying alive. Now I have a little money and have even become a minor noble. What more could I possibly complain about?

“Let us put it this way: I have enough. Truly, I have enough. I am completely satisfied.”

He paused and looked at Cavyhill.

“So, yes, I am curious. I am curious about what connection you had with the old man who raised me. I am curious about what that huge stone you gave me really is. I am even more curious about why, the moment I arrived in the imperial capital, you sent someone to find me and said you wanted to ‘meet’ me.

“What could a nobody like me, a little weed by the roadside, possibly have that would make you value me?

“That is why I am afraid. I cannot afford to provoke something like this. But I can hide from it. I was planning to settle everything here, return north, take that damned post as military supply officer, and become a little emperor in my own territory. I would throw my weight around, skim a little money, and live a mildly glorious life, even if I behaved like a complete scoundrel.

“Damn it, getting this far in life is already hundreds of times better than anything I imagined when I first crawled out of the mountains. What reason do I have to be dissatisfied?

“So you are too deep, too frightening, and too troublesome. I dare not provoke you. I have countless questions in my heart, but I would rather stay as far from you as possible.

“As for whatever existed between you and the old man who raised me, whether it was gratitude or resentment, he is already dead and buried. His bones could be used as drumsticks by now. Whatever business you had with him, leave me out of it. I neither care nor want to know. I cannot afford to care, and I cannot afford to know.”

Xia Ya spoke with utter seriousness. Every word was measured, and his gaze was frank.

Cavyhill, however, looked increasingly strange as he listened. When Xia Ya finished, the wise old gentleman opened and closed his mouth several times as though he wanted to say something, then merely shook his head. His smile had taken on an odd quality.

“Well, well. I never expected you to possess such detachment.”

Cavyhill frowned. “That was beyond my expectations. It seems my old friend truly did a fine job educating you. Knowing contentment is something ordinary people may never learn in an entire lifetime. For you to understand it is quite remarkable.”

He narrowed his eyes and seemed to ponder.

“Wait a little longer. There is a scene I arranged for you. Watch it before you leave.”

Xia Ya was unwilling, but he did not know why. Whenever that old man’s calm, clear eyes swept over him, an inexplicable unease rose in his heart. Before he knew it, he had sat back down.

Sure enough, not long afterward, footsteps sounded on the stairs. Two burly giants hurried up, their faces anxious.

One appeared to be around forty. He wore silver armor and looked like a military officer, his face taut with worry. Beside him was a younger giant whom Xia Ya recognized as Nigu尔, one of the famed Four Young Lords of the Royal City. Both men had square faces and sharply defined features. Apart from their ages, they looked vaguely alike.

The middle-aged officer came before Cavyhill and let out a long breath of relief.

“Sir, I have finally found you!”

He dragged Nigu尔 forward, then kicked him behind the knee and barked angrily, “You idiot! Get down on your knees!”

Nigu尔 was clearly unwilling, but the kick had been forceful. With a cry of pain, he dropped heavily to his knees before Cavyhill.

The middle-aged officer raised a hand and spoke in a low voice.

“Sir, my nephew has behaved like a complete fool and caused this mess. By the time I learned of it, it was already too late. I have beaten the boy severely, but I still beg you to help resolve the trouble he has caused.”

He glanced at Xia Ya and hesitated.

“General Spann,” Cavyhill said calmly from his chair, “you command the Royal City Guard. I am hardly worthy of receiving your respects.”

General Spann flushed. After hesitating, he viciously kicked Nigu尔 several more times, beating cries from him until he finally stopped. Then he simply stared at Cavyhill in silence.

Xia Ya was dumbfounded.

What was this old man trying to do?

“You still do not understand?”

Cavyhill looked at Xia Ya and spoke softly.

“That title of yours… The one concerning your wounding of Hasting on the battlefield. Those exact words were written in black and white in the military report. It is a title, a halo placed upon your head.

“But its bestowal was His Majesty’s decision, and my intention as well. It was given to you, and only you. Even you are not permitted to hand it over casually to someone else. Do you understand? As for this boy, he has no right to accept it.”

Xia Ya opened his mouth.

The reason his days had been so peaceful lately was largely because he had deliberately lost to Nigu尔 that day, allowing the fool to take the glory while he himself sought a quiet life.

“Nigu尔. That is your name, is it not?”

Cavyhill looked down at the man on the floor.

Nigu尔 had been seething with resentment. He was a fool by nature and had no intention of yielding. Though he had endured his uncle’s beating because he dared not resist the man’s authority, he remained deeply unwilling.

But when Cavyhill’s cold, indifferent gaze fell upon him, Nigu尔 suddenly shuddered. There was no trace of malice in that gaze, yet it filled him with an indescribable terror. The last trace of resentment vanished at once.

“You have learned your lesson this time. Speaking to a boy like you is already an exception for me. From now on, listen to your uncle. General Spann, His Majesty trusts you. Since the Royal City Guard has been entrusted to your command, you should attend to your duties and relieve His Majesty of his burdens.”

“Yes! I understand!”

General Spann bowed hastily.

He glanced at Cavyhill and saw that the old man had already closed his eyes, apparently finished speaking. Relieved, he reached down and seized Nigu尔 by the back of his clothing.

“What are you waiting for? We are going home!”

“Wait.”

Cavyhill opened his eyes, a faint frown gathering between his brows.

“Everything that begins must also end. He obtained that title in a certain way. Now he must return it in the same way.”

General Spann’s face changed. His eyes flickered. After a moment’s hesitation, he gritted his teeth and murmured, “Nigu尔, do not blame your uncle for being ruthless.”

The general abruptly drew his sword. With a ringing slash, he cut through the windowsill beside him. Then he seized Nigu尔 and kicked him hard in the thigh.

The unfortunate man let out a terrible cry. His body flew straight through the window and plunged from the second floor onto the street below with a heavy crash. A wave of startled shouts rose from the street.

General Spann stood beside the shattered window and bellowed at the top of his lungs, “Nigu尔, one of the Four Young Lords of the Royal City, is inferior in martial skill and far beneath Mister Xia Ya Thunderclap! He has lost today and accepts the result wholeheartedly! His ambush that day was despicable and contemptible, and he deserves the punishment Mister Xia Ya has given him!”

He shouted those two sentences three times with all his strength. Then he turned, bowed to Cavyhill, and hurried down the stairs.

Outside on the street, Nigu尔 had fallen so badly that he could no longer stand. He was clearly seriously injured.

Xia Ya was utterly stunned.

Cavyhill, however, seemed quite satisfied. He withdrew his gaze and looked at Xia Ya with the same unearthly calm.

“You… you…”

Xia Ya’s lips moved several times before his anger finally burst forth.

“What are you doing? I deliberately lost to him that day! He was not the one who provoked me! If anyone is at fault, it is me for causing this trouble for him!”

Cavyhill’s eyes gradually turned colder.

“It was necessary to make you understand that some things may be done, while others may not.”

He paused, then spoke more forcefully.

“Some things are given to you, and you may refuse them. Other things are given to you, and you may not refuse them. Nor may you hand them to someone else. Do you understand?”

Xia Ya’s face went pale. Not from fear, but from rage.

“You must be furious,” Cavyhill said calmly. “You believe I am overbearing and unreasonable. That is precisely what I want you to understand. If I am willing, I can do many things without reason or justification. That is power.”

Xia Ya bit his lip.

“You are content with what you have. You wish to yield, to hide, to retreat. Unfortunately, it is not up to you.”

Cavyhill gave a cold laugh. His gaze grew sharper, like a needle piercing Xia Ya’s heart.

“Unless you had never left those mountains in the first place. If you had spent your entire life there as a hunter, naturally no one would trouble you. But you did leave. Once you stepped out, everything ceased to be your choice.

“You must understand that once certain things begin, they cannot be stopped. What is more, this began many years ago. Whether you wish it or not, you are part of this fate.

“Unless one day you become powerful—more powerful than I am, more powerful than anyone else. But until then… if I want you to walk a certain road…”

Cavyhill stared into Xia Ya’s eyes.

“…you cannot resist me.”

Xia Ya truly wanted to draw his fire fork and strike the old man down. Yet in Cavyhill’s presence, despite the old man’s mild and harmless appearance, that strange unease gave him an absolute certainty:

He was no match for this old bastard. Not by the slightest margin.

“I… I… damn it!”

After hesitating again and again, Xia Ya did not draw his weapon. Instead, he spat heavily and glared at Cavyhill.

“What exactly do you want me to do?”

Cavyhill smiled faintly.

“It is very simple. I will tell you one step at a time. If I told you too much all at once, you might not understand. For now, reclaim the title of ‘Victor over Hasting’ and go be your little emperor of a minor noble in peace.

“Oh, and before you leave the imperial capital, send a ceremonial gift to my home. Consider it your apprenticeship gift.”

“Apprenticeship?”

Xia Ya’s eyes went round.

He remembered Ruhl once telling him that one of Cavyhill’s disciples was none other than the imperial heir.

Clearly, anyone accepted as this man’s disciple was no ordinary person.

“Yes. Is that so strange?”

Cavyhill seemed somewhat tired. He had spoken too much that day, and it had evidently taxed him. He rubbed his brow and sighed.

“I met you far earlier than I had expected, and the timing is not ideal. You have surprised me in more ways than one. Yet the more you surprise me, the more interested I become.

“Your adoptive father educated you well. It is a pity that he died before he could finish. Very well. I shall complete the rest in his place.”

Xia Ya laughed in exasperation.

“Ha! I have heard of forcing oneself on someone. I have never heard of forcing someone to become a disciple! What if I refuse?”

Cavyhill was not offended. He merely smiled with tranquil certainty.

“You will agree.”

“I…”

Xia Ya was left speechless. He snorted several times, then rolled his eyes.

“The imperial heir is also your disciple. He hates me to death, does he not? Unless…”

“That is not a problem.”

Cavyhill did not hesitate for even a moment.

“Garcia will not trouble you. Since I am protecting you, that matter is no longer a matter.”

“I do not believe you. He is the imperial heir.”

“If he dares…”

Cavyhill smiled and pointed toward the stairs.

“Then he will no longer be the imperial heir. Very well. You may leave now.”

* * *

When Xia Ya descended the stairs and reached the street, his mind was still in a daze. His meeting and conversation with Cavyhill upstairs had felt almost like a dream.

The old man had seemed utterly without presence—calm, mild, and detached—yet somehow he was…

Damn it.

He was terrifying!

Become his disciple?

Xia Ya wanted to throw back his head and laugh three times.

As if he would become that old man’s disciple!

Yet he could not stop feeling uneasy. Cavyhill’s words had sounded so mild, but they had been filled with absolute certainty:

You will agree.

Damn it. If he fell out with the old man, could Cavyhill really force his head down and make him bow?

Xia Ya thought fiercely to himself, though he was also trying to encourage his own courage.

His mood had been ruined, and he no longer felt like wandering around. He mounted his horse and hurried back to his lodgings.

The moment he entered the courtyard, he saw a thin figure standing there. The man wore an oversized, ridiculous suit of leather armor and carried two or three bulging packs on his back.

Xia Ya stared.

“Dodoro, what are you doing? Are you trying to steal something and run away?”

When the mage saw Xia Ya return, he immediately shuddered. The bundle in his hands fell to the ground. His expression twisted with struggle before he finally gritted his teeth.

“My lord, I am leaving! I have made up my mind. I am going to undergo the trial after all!”

“What?”

Xia Ya frowned.

“Have you gone mad? You know I have been granted a noble title. If you continue to follow me, you will have a perfectly good future. Why run off to the elves’ territory and get yourself killed?”

Yet in Dodoro’s ugly, furtive face, his eyes now shone with a resolute light.

“My lord… I am a mage!”