16

The training field trip made the seven students learned the value of true friendship. No matter what happen, dead or alive, you still had responsibilities to take care when valuing the bonds that you had.

It made the Minds - the name of their group - united. It did not stopped the taunting of Han to Lerrent but now they would seated themselves as a whole, no dividing chairs in between. Oftentimes, Kai Sun and Terra would sit together during break time and gossip things. While Li Li would always bother Rye on his hacking sessions that made the top hacker who doesn't delay his hacking practice would not be occupied by his laptop but occupied on dealing with Li Li's gadget.

They're not only united during investigation matters but even in casual things, they would do it together.

After a week spent on investigating the suicide-slash-murder case which turned out to be a plot of another elite family in order to show their prowess on the poor people who rebelled on them, including the Witara family. The Gray Household abolished the oligarchic system of the school after the case was solved and allowed the student body to elect students who has a capability on managing the school, properly. In Luke's watch, the election was successful. The Council of Student Affairs was established, composed of 14 elected deserving students, 7 members for the scholars' side and 7 members for the elites' side, and Luke was the chairman.

His father was proud of him as this was the first step of his training as the heir. Even his dream as a famous superstar was exchanged for persuading his family but despite that he's happy what he'd been through and thanked Kit for it.

For making him realized that running away from his responsibility as an heir would not help him.

You can run away from it but you can't hide from the situation when it is your time, your time to decide.

'To choose between what is easy and what is right'

----

Chun and Master Quin arrived at the conference room, the room size was very wide as it contained around twenty instructors of the Harconia Institute.

As they went in, there were fellow instructors who was about the same age of Chun but the truth were, they were a hundred older than Chun, as it was known that martial practitioners who had enter the Late realm cultivation level had a opportunity to change their appearance as they wanted.

Some greeted Master Quin and the young man but mostly, they would acknowledge the former and ignore the latter. They don't like to bother their esteemed self on a worthless young man. Handling those deliquents were a joke to them, in their eyes, they more  valued students who had cultivations than useless mind freaks. In this strong suppresses the weak world, it's unavoidable to have thoughts like that.

Chun as usual, being herself was lazy to bother trivial matters as she was here for the meeting, not being someone pleasing to their eyes.

The more they looked at me, the more they would disliked me and that way, it would made their eyes stung and their eyeballs fell off. Good for them. Chun thought merrily.

Headmaster Spinther was on the platform infront. He settled the instructors when Quin arrived with Chun. The silver haired youth seated herself to an unoccupied seat near on the front by the second row. Quin went up on the platform as he seated himself with the other high officials of the school and Rin was one of them.

Rin acknowledged Chun with a stare and the youth nodded in respond.

"Good Morning, fellow educators of Harconia Institute! I called all of you here to discuss about the upcoming 205th World Winter Tournament that would be held in our continent, it is our turn now to host this grandest event and the most awaited tournament by martial practitioners worlwide," Headmaster Spinther opened.

Many instructors were all excited about this event as it was the 205th World Winter Tournament. An event that could make martial practitioners show off their prowess and be recruited by revered sects. The tournament happened once in three years, individuals that were martial practitioners could participate in it. Nonetheless, there were mini tournaments during that time, like mind games, forging artifacts, concocting pills and inscribing runes or diagrams.

"This year's theme is School Victory which means that every representing school in each continents would be participating. It's not like the last tournament that even solo cultivators can participate, this is a tournament between schools."

Hearing this, they were all enthusiastic as their mentored students would be showing their talents infront revered sects and would put their name on the limelight.

"Wait, there's a new category here. Not like the other winter tournament that only students could participate in school theme but there was a newly added category, it's handler's category. Were instructors would face an elimination round and the one who attains victory would have a chance having a divine artifact and five-hundred thousand lucrist stones," Headmaster Spinther said in an invigorating tone, encouraging every instructors to join.

Lucrist stones were good aid for martial practitioners on the Late realm cultivation level as they would be suffering a bottleneck during the Middle stage.

"Before I continue, do you have any questions about the new category?" The headmaster asked.

None perched up as they had understood the explaination very well but the silver haired young man suddenly went up from her seat, garnering her the sneers of the crowd.

"Headmaster, is it compulsary to join the tournament?" He asked.

Headmaster Spinther was a bit surprised by this sudden question but nevertheless, he answered.

"Your students can join the mini tournament which is good for them."

"I mean me, can I not join on this tournament?" Chun clarified, making the headmaster choked on his words while Quin had an amusement expression on his face.

"Well, it's optional but I prefer you to join," Headmaster Spinther adviced.

"I prefer not." The silver haired youth retorted.

"I prefer you must."

"No."

"Headmaster, don't insist your magnanimous self on this squirt. He might cry on the tournament," Kiso, an instructor from the star department butted in, looking at Chun from top to bottom while giving a malevolent sneer at the young man.

Kiso was a known instructor in star department as he produced many top martial practitioners within his time and he disdained those students who doesn't have any talent in cultivation which was a waste of resources, if not for their family backgrounds and brains, Kiso would already filed a removal report on them.

And he don't like this newbie who had this carefree aura with an unknown upbringing. Chun was anonymous to them as the silver haired young man hidden her true identity because of her father's enemy in the business and her father would not risk her location to the King of Phoenix continent, a letter was sent to Chun by her grandmother from the Phoenix continent before she registered as an instructor here. It said that her uncle who was the current King suddenly heard of his third nephew from his two idiot brothers' mouth.

The King was aware of the existence of the two brothers but did not know that she existed 'cause her father was careful of it. Less interaction, less involvement, and less being found out on her true gender.

Her two brothers did not stated to their father that they were going to Phoenix continent for outdoor training so they unexpectedly met for the first time their uncle from their mother's side. As the information repeated, they were unaware to their mother's family so coincidentally they went to that continent and met the King who was their uncle.

After Shenin knew this, he cursed those two sons of him. So disobedient and unfilial that made his head ache.

He then commanded Lucil his right hand to retrieve those two idiots from Phoenix continent in this instance. Making the secretary-slash-right hand to get an once in a blue moon rest from those hardwork that made him sometimes thought that he was the one running the business instead his master.

Things happened in the Shuho household that was unknown to Chun and coming back to their household would bring her trouble.

"Hey, squirt! Are you listening?" Kiso glared.

Chun blankly stared at Kiso in respond, making the other instructors to snicker at Kiso's stunt.

"Alright, stop it! I am here, give a little respect. This fight of the two of you could be resume on the tournament," Headmaster Spinther reprimanded them while insinuating something.

"Art, did he said something while I was on trance?" Chun asked her butler on the mind link.

"Yes. He challenged you to a fight because you were ignoring him for a moment there," Art replied, nonchalantly.

"Can I not accept it?"

"It's your choice, young lord."

The mind link ended as Chun turned her attention to the glaring Kiso.

"Umm, who are you?" The silver haired youth, cluelessly stated. Making the others choked on their own saliva.

Kiso with seething rage stopped himself from punching that innocent face of Chun.

"I am Kiso Star, the star instructor of star department," he introduced himself with gritted teeth.

"Oh so many stars," Chun unintentionally mumbled her thoughts, making the other instructors who were restraining themselves, let out their laugh.

The star instructor with red face glared at Chun as he seated himself back. He was supposed to ignore that hateful youth when Chun replied to his previous instigation, "I accept your challenge, let's fight on the winter tournament."

Headmaster Spinther suddenly laughed off as he looked towards the odd young man, he stated earlier that he would not participate yet he suddenly change his mind? What made him change mind easily? The headmaster thought.

"Then we shall continue, the tournament would be held five months after. Prepare yourselves and good luck."

The meeting ended and Chun went with the flow of going out instructors, Kiso halted him on the way.

"Be prepared, squirt. I won't hold back," he then left.

Chun was a bit stunned by the threat but she ignored it, there's no fun with quiet days though.

"Are you looking again for trouble, young lord? " the butler asked his young master as she enjoyed herself on the couch while watching a soap opera.

The young master turned around and cheekily smiled, "This is what you called enjoying yourself, Art. Sometimes, I would ask myself if you're really a demon? Demons in their nature loves entertainment and why aren't you, Art?"

"I am protecting you, young lord," the butler simply stated as he handed a letter to Chun.