Chapter 11 The Equal Life Contract (Part 1)_1

Ye Zhong looked deeply at his son and said seriously, "You must rely on your own strength to retrieve what you have lost. I can only tell you that the person who stole your ring is also in Milan. Son, remember that to become a strong person, you must first learn to observe and perceive everything around you."

"Also in Milan?" Yin Zhu looked at his father, thought for a moment, and then said firmly, "Dad, I will definitely retrieve the ring by my own strength."

Ye Zhong turned to Zi and said, "Zi, I would like to speak with Yin Zhu alone for a moment."

Zi did not respond to Ye Zhong, but his gaze lingered on Yin Zhu for a moment before he turned and walked toward the direction of the woods.

"Yin Zhu. I've seen everything that you've encountered along the way. But whether it was your killing those mages in Luna City or later losing the Space Ring that Grandpa Qin gave you, I did not intervene. Do you know why?"

Ye Yinzhu shook his head somewhat blankly.

Ye Zhong said solemnly, "Because I hope that you can grow from your own experiences, rather than under my protection. Perhaps, I could help you retrieve the Space Ring this time, but what if I'm not by your side next time? You are sixteen this year and, according to the customs of Ryuzakinus, you are already an adult. From now on, you must learn to be strong, to face all difficulties on your own. That's why I've never intervened. Maybe you are no longer following the arrangements of your Grandpa Qin, but I think that's a good thing. You must walk your own path. Always remember the teachings of both your grandfathers."

As he locked eyes with his father's somewhat stern gaze, Ye Yinzhu suddenly realized that the sense of aimlessness that had existed inside him since he left the blue sky and sea had vanished. The words "be strong" had taken root and begun to grow in the depths of his heart.

"Dad, I will," he said.

From 'dad' to 'pa', although it was only a difference of one word, Ye Zhong could clearly feel that his son was truly about to grow up.

"Yin Zhu, I don't object to you killing people. But I must tell you that not all enemies necessarily need to be killed. Some whose crimes do not merit death need to be dealt with in other ways. Also, there is a price to pay for killing. Like the incident at the Arcadia Mages Guild where you killed someone, the price was not borne by you but by the entire Arcadia Mages Guild, and perhaps even the entire kingdom. Fortunately, that was the outcome we had hoped for. Although Zi bears no malice towards you, he can be somewhat fanatical in some respects. Not everything he says is right, and you must have your own judgment. During the time you were apart, I tracked him. Later, worried that something might happen to you without the zither, I almost turned back to stay by your side. Zi certainly has a very mysterious background; he seems to have some special relationship with the Beastmen of the Northernmost Wilderness."

After hearing his father's words, Ye Yinzhu frowned and said resolutely, "Dad, Zi would definitely not harm me. We are brothers. What kind of price did Arcadia bear for me?"

Ye Zhong smiled faintly and said, "You don't need to know about the affairs of Arcadia yet. Your two grandfathers will take care of it. I'm just giving you a reminder, not making decisions for you. I heard the suggestion that Zi made just now. Although I do not know the true significance of a same-life contract, I am certain that once you complete this contract with him, you will never be able to have a magical beast in the future. Such contracts have exclusivity. For a mage, having one's own magical beast is extremely important. Your Grandpa Qin, because he was too weak during his early cultivation of Zither Magic, had no choice but to sign a contract with a low-rank magical beast, which later prevented him from having a powerful magical beast."

"Grandpa Qin had a magical beast? I didn't know that," said Yin Zhu.

Ye Zhong sighed and said, "Your Grandpa Qin's magical beast died in battle early on to protect him. In memory of it, and due to the influence of the contract, Grandpa Qin never acquired another magical beast. As for how you handle your relationship with Zi, it's up to you. I must leave now. My leaving the blue sky and sea was both to escort you to Milan and to handle some matters in the Ascoli Kingdom. You should stay at the academy, and when the semester is over, there's no need to go home; we will contact you. You've grown up, and it's time for the Zhu Sect and Zither Sect to take action."

Having said that, Ye Zhong embraced his son, and without waiting for Ye Yinzhu to say anything else, he rose into the air, flying away in leaps like a Star Jump, quickly disappearing from sight.

"I must be strong," Ye Yinzhu struggled against the feeling of loss as his father left and his clear eyes gained a few additional aspects. This lesson from Ye Zhong, compounded with his recent experiences, was extremely important. Ye Yinzhu was gradually moving away from his past simple life by the blue sky and sea where he only had to focus on cultivation, understanding now that he could only rely on himself from here on out.

Looking at the tall figure returning to his side, Ye Yinzhu smiled faintly, nodded at him, and said, "Let's start."

Zi Yi was startled, "Start? Start what?"

Ye Yinzhu said, "The Equals Life Contract, of course!"

Gazing intently at Ye Yinzhu's handsome face, Zi Shen spoke in a deep voice, "Have you really decided? I think, during the conversation with your father just now, he must have told you about the drawbacks of the contract and its impact on your future. I hope you think it over carefully and have no regrets later on."

"There's nothing left to consider, I have thought it through very clearly. In fact, right after dad explained how the contract would affect summoning Magical Beasts in the future, I only asked myself one question. I asked myself which was more important: having a powerful Magical Beast or having the ability to bring you to my side at any moment. The answer doesn't need to be stated, does it?" Ye Yinzhu's never considered rejecting the Equals Life Contract because of the Magical Beasts issue. His thinking might be simple, but he always managed to grasp the crux of the matter when contemplating. The contract was a restriction not only on him but on Zi as well. If Zi wasn't worried, what was there for him to worry about? Can't one become a strong individual without Magical Beasts? His father had just told him that to become powerful, he could only rely on himself.

Seeing the warm smile on Ye Yinzhu's face, Zi's brilliant eyes suddenly erupted with deep emotion, "Good brother. I will never forget your trust."

"We are brothers," Ye Yinzhu simply said five words. Indeed! If they were brothers, what else needed to be said?

This was a gaze between the Zither Emperor and Emperor Zi, and from that moment on, for the rest of their lives, the bond of brotherhood between them never changed, only growing stronger with time.

"Zi, let's begin," Ye Yinzhu could see that Zi was very excited, and he felt the same excitement. Once this contract was completed, he would be able to see Zi any time, even while at the academy.

"Alright, follow my lead," Zi was never one to hesitate, "Beneath the eternal heavens of sun, moon, and stars, I, Zi."

"Beneath the eternal heavens of sun, moon, and stars, I, Ye Yinzhu."

Zi struggled to bite his right index finger, and his blood was a light purple color, appearing very mysterious.

Ye Yinzhu did the same, and as their bleeding fingers touched in the air, the bright red and light purple bloods instantly mixed. A burst of strong Magic Element fluctuations erupted, enveloping their bodies like a storm. It seemed as if, from the heavens, a river of stars descended, isolating them from everything around.