Chapter 00029: Good Materials and Craftsmen (Thanks to Hejian and Slim Tiger)
# Good Materials and Craftsmen (Thanks to Hejian and Slim Tiger)
Chapter 29
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 29: Good Materials and Craftsmen (Thanks to Hejian and Slim Tiger)
Half an hour later.
In a corner of the commercial street of Tianmen University, Ji Jue watched as the ice in his cup melted away, while across the table, Wen Wen looked as though she might ascend to the heavens at any moment like a ghost.
Since leaving the office, she had been in a state of utter exhaustion, drifting along as if her spirit was about to fly away to some distant land.
In the brevity of her life, she had endured far too many burdens of embarrassment that were simply too much to bear.
"Sister? Wen Jie? Are you alright?"
Ji Jue mustered his courage and waved his hand in front of her eyes.
"Don't scare me like that."
His concern wasn’t really for her health; even if Tianmen University exploded, she would still be fine.
What truly worried him was the thought that if she were in despair, she might take him along with her.
"…I really want to die," Wen Wen said as she slumped over the table.
It seemed as if she had finally come to her senses.
Her voice was filled with sorrow, resembling a mournful spirit lamenting its fate.
"Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you say anything? Ahhh, I really want to die! Just let me die…"
"I didn’t know either!" Ji Jue protested innocently, feeling his head buzz.
"You suddenly pointed at my professor and told me she was a master alchemist. I was just as confused! She’s been teaching me for two years, and I’ve never seen her wave her hand to change the skies or make the sun and moon dim. If I had known, I wouldn’t have kept it a secret!”
What's more, you didn’t even give me a chance to stop you!
Of course, he didn’t dare to say that last part out loud.
What if Wen Wen got angry and accidentally squeezed him to death?
Although she definitely wouldn’t do that, how could he risk upsetting her when she had treated him so kindly?
She didn’t punch Ji Jue clear into the sky to obliterate that dark history, which he would regret for the rest of his life.
After downing two liters of craft beer, Wen Wen finally regained her composure.
She crossed her arms and examined Ji Jue, confirming that he truly wasn’t laughing at her.
Yet, she still refrained from erasing his memories.
Why is it that every time I run into this good-for-nothing, something always goes wrong?
Is there something wrong with you?
Damn it, I’m so mad! I just want to hit him a couple of times!
I’d knock your head off!
Letting out a sigh, she remarked, "I'm so glad I didn’t drag you into the Bureau of Safety. Otherwise, we would’ve ended up with a bigger mess. All your luck in this life must have been used up here, right?"
Ji Jue remained perplexed.
"Huh?"
"Ye Xian! That’s Ye Xian! The youngest master in the Federation for the past several decades! She received the Scarlet Rating of the Taichi Ring when she was just twenty-four years old. They say she’s only one step away from becoming a grandmaster now. What do you think?"
She cast a side-eye at him, annoyance evident in her tone.
"In any case, just enjoy being able to hold onto this big thigh."
"Even with you saying that, I don’t really get it," Ji Jue replied, bitterly smiling.
"Lawrence, you remember, right?"
Wen Wen pulled out an old friend that everyone knew.
"If you were to equate Lawrence's medical prowess to alchemy... well, maybe after another seventy or eighty years, he might just barely be able to follow in the footsteps that Professor Ye left behind at twenty-four."
"Is it that amazing?!" Ji Jue blurted out in disbelief.
To think, Professor Ye was usually quiet, but behind the scenes, she was actually on the same level as Wen Wen, a super powerful being surpassing even Lawrence!
That’s truly terrifying!
Wen Wen rolled her eyes, as if she could read his thoughts.
"Destructiveness is a different matter. While the Path of Embers may lack killing power, someone like Professor Ye will earn respect wherever she goes compared to someone like me, who just does rough work."
"I respect you too, Wen Jie, truly!" Ji Jue exclaimed, his voice shaking.
He didn’t think twice and almost wanted to tie a cloth around his head with the words 'Loyal! Faithful!' written on it.
"Alright, stop flattering me. I really embarrassed myself this time. If you really respect me, just don’t go telling everyone about it. Otherwise, I might just have to kill you and run off to the Empire to make a living."
Wen Wen sighed and glanced at him.
"Master Ye is reliable. Don’t worry."
Ji Jue nodded.
Such matters were indeed proper.
He had spent far longer beside Professor Ye than he had with Wen Wen.
To be fair, Professor Ye was not the sort of person who cherished even the smallest life, nor was she a saint who adored even the most fragile moth.
Quite the opposite; on the first day he interacted with her, he sensed an unfettered indifference, harshness, arrogance, and a complete lack of empathy.
In her world, there was no air for fools to breathe.
More regrettably, she viewed the vast majority of people as fools.
And as for Ji Jue?
He was just one of those many fools striving to become a little less foolish.
As the only one in her elective class who stubbornly endured to achieve a passing grade, he truly understood this harshness.
However, for Ji Jue, all of the above were almost merits.
A teacher who would meticulously correct all the junk you wrote, provide comments, reference books, and guidance, regardless of how strict, ill-tempered, or demanding they were, was still a good teacher worthy of being worshiped.
As long as you could keep up with the pace, she would share all her knowledge generously, sparing no detail.
If you had talent, she would not hesitate to utilize it, regardless of significance or scale.
Otherwise, with so few spots available for the secondary engineer examination every year, how could Ji Jue compete with those highborn kids who came from powerful families and were ridiculously wealthy?
To put it bluntly, without Professor Ye’s recommendation letter, he wouldn’t even have a chance!
And as a price for this, being called a "struggling hard worker" and facing isolation, mockery, and ridicule from so-called classmates, Ji Jue truly felt nothing and didn’t care; he was basking in the ocean of knowledge! Go ahead and sulk!
Crack!
Their brief conversation came to an end with a crisp sound.
The beer glass on Wen Wen's side shimmered with sparkling crystalline flowers, quickly dissipating.
"Alright, I'm off."
Wen Wen stood, waved goodbye.
"Since you've latched onto a big thigh, hold on tight. When you become a grand master in the future, remember to take care of me."
"In such a hurry?" Ji Jue was bewildered.
"Where are you going?"
"The weather has been humid lately. I'm feeling a bit hot-headed," Wen Wen said, turning her head to hide her emotion.
She tried to maintain her composure and dignity.
"I’m going to find a few ignorant wanted criminals and chat with them about life and dreams."
Tell them their great-grandma misses them down below and send them off to talk to her!
Leaving with that, she went forth, turning her awkwardness into determination, adding one more brick to the pile of nameless graves just outside Yai City.
Half an hour later, Ji Jue, who had lingered in the tea shop until every last drop was gone, finally gathered his courage and shuffled back to the office.
He braced himself, opened the door, and squeezed out a cheerful and innocent smile, looking like an overly friendly Samoyed.
"Professor, I’m back!"
"Mm."
Behind the table, Professor Ye, who was brewing a second cup of strong tea, glanced at him.
She pointed to a chair, indicating he should sit down.
Before he could organize his thoughts, she suddenly asked, "Was the chosen one who was summoned last month you?"
"... Huh?"
Ji Jue stiffened for a moment, instinctively wanting to cover it up.
However, after a moment of hesitation, he ultimately nodded.
"If there weren’t any others."
Now, it was Professor Ye's turn to fall into silence.
She lowered her head, staring at the tea leaves rising and falling in the boiling water as if lost in thought, or perhaps just absent-minded.
After a long pause, she let out a deep sigh.
“You really have given me quite the surprise.”
“Huh?” Ji Jue was puzzled.
"I was planning to have you work hard for another two years, wait until you pursued graduate studies, and see the situation then before considering whether to bring you into the Path of Embers. But now, it seems there's no need for such hassle…”
Professor Ye adjusted her glasses and said sternly, “However, before we proceed, I must tell you that being able to attract nine Shang-Shan officials means wherever you go, people will be fighting to recruit you. There’s no need to pin all your hopes on me. I know Miss Wen has probably told you how capable and famous I am, but in truth, I am merely an edge researcher compared to true giants. I have nothing to offer you other than teaching you to be a craftsman; you don’t even meet the right standards for my projects. However, if you are willing, those old-timers in the Bureau of Safety, masters of the Taichi Ring, and the heads of the Wild Assembly, even the Zhongguang Church, Universe Heavy Industries, and Hope Hospital would throw tempting offers at you. In four or five years, you might find yourself another Su Biluo or another Wen Wen…”
"Please don’t, professor!" Ji Jue shook his head in fear.
"I haven’t even taken the level two exam yet! Where would you have me go?"
It wasn’t that Ji Jue was in a rush to pledge his loyalty or latch onto a figure of power.
It was simply that, upon realizing Professor Ye’s identity, he had never seriously considered any other options.
Not to mention, the Bureau of Safety was a place that even Wen Jie described as a muddy pit.
Other places might indeed be impressive, but to what end?
When he was all alone and in desperate need, had any of them ever glanced at him?
Wasn’t the one willing to lend a hand to a penniless student who couldn't do anything but struggle, precisely the professor sitting in front of him?
"I think it’s great here with you."
Ji Jue scratched his head, feeling a bit shy.
"At least, if I had to call someone else my teacher, I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to do it."
"…"
Professor Ye didn’t reply.
She simply drank her tea, showing no signs of being moved or viewing him any differently.
However, when she exhaled, it seemed as if she sighed.
"That’s what’s troublesome."
"Huh?" Ji Jue was bewildered.
"A cheap wrench breaking doesn’t cause pain, Ji Jue. Sometimes, it's easier to deal with scraps."
The somewhat aged alchemist rubbed his brow, speaking slowly, “I initially thought you were just an average talent who could try hard. Arranging you wouldn’t be a burden; even if it were bad, it would still be better than before. But when I discovered I had misjudged my judgment, I began to regret…I haven’t encountered a fine material in years.”
Like an old craftsman examining raw materials.
If it were something like a stubborn stone, then it wouldn’t matter how it was carved or chipped; a few mistakes wouldn’t make a difference.
You could just toss it aside.
Even if it turned out alright, it would only be a decorative piece—nothing remarkable or worth lamenting.
But what if someone wrapped a precious stone in red silk and entrusted it to you, saying, "Within this stone lies a gem of extraordinary beauty, please carve it"?
Which craftsman wouldn’t feel apprehensive?
“Don’t worry, I’m just reflecting on myself. I haven’t fallen to the point of handing my project off to someone else.”
As Ji Jue felt increasingly anxious, Ye Xian set down her teacup and stood up, saying, “The Twelve Shang-Shan each have their flaws. The Path of Embers is especially troublesome. Whether stepping into this path is good or bad is anyone's guess. But since fate has placed you right under my nose from the beginning, let’s see—can this piece of material become a fine work of art?”
For a moment, Ji Jue felt stiff.
Subconsciously, he shivered all over.
He had always believed he had become accustomed to Professor Ye's harshness and criticisms.
Even the most troublesome tasks could be resolved step by step.
Brave Ji Jue wasn’t someone who feared difficulty.
It was only just now that he realized the powerful gaze behind those heavy glasses directed at him held a sharper chill than any axe or chisel.
It told him that the real forging had yet to begin!
(End of Chapter)