Chapter Forty-Two: The Little House and the Big House

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Ye Bai boarded the Silver Wing and saw that Li Fei had already secured a seat, though Li Fei’s face looked somewhat grim. Only when Ye Bai sat down beside him did Li Fei manage to force a smile.

“Congratulations on taking eighth place in the joint examination,” Li Fei said, glancing at Ye Bai’s messy hair and shifting over to make more room.

“It’s not bad. What about you?” Ye Bai, still half asleep from just waking up, didn’t notice Li Fei’s expression when he first got on.

Li Fei’s smile faltered as he replied, “I was eliminated. I didn’t expect it. I killed so many mutant beasts in the latter half, but the points I earned were pitifully few. Before the end, I hadn’t managed to kill enough creatures, so I was eliminated.”

He repeated the words “eliminated” twice, then lowered his head.

In fact, Ye Bai hadn’t noticed that the mood in the carriage—and throughout the Silver Wing—was oppressive. Hardly anyone spoke; each person was lost in their own thoughts.

The so-called Three City Joint Examination claimed to offer a fair stage for all humanity’s youth, but in the end, it was always the candidates from the three major cities who stood out while those from other cities or outposts became mere foils.

The gap in educational quality between the main cities and other places was nothing short of vast. In the final battle, Ye Bai had personally witnessed the performances of Salon and Xing Qingning, who outshone the others by a tier or two.

If it hadn’t been for the overwhelming strength of the Dragon Armor Man and the King in this exam, those two would have swept the field. That was the difference. Still, this examination was a chance for them to leap over the dragon’s gate—there would always be one or two who exceeded all expectations.

The atmosphere on the Silver Wing was stifling. Ye Bai looked at Li Fei, unsure what to say, so he simply patted Li Fei on the shoulder and closed his eyes.

Outside, the Silver Wing sped through one primeval forest after another. Occasionally, a mutant beast would sense something amiss, but by the time it turned, the Silver Wing had already moved on.

...

Unlocking the door and stepping inside, that familiar scent greeted him as always, though the room was a bit messier than usual. It wasn’t Ye Mu’s fault—after all, it was early July and her own exams were approaching, leaving her little time to tidy up.

Passing through the living room, he opened the door to his bedroom. A wave of sunlight greeted him, just as it had when he left. The fruit pits on the desk were gone, proof that his sister tidied up his room every day.

On the bedside table, the photo of himself and his sister beneath the stone statue had been moved to a new spot. Picking it up, Ye Bai gently brushed his thumb over the girl’s face.

He could imagine that during his three-day absence, his sister would come in every night to look at his picture. In this large house, only Mu’er—still not yet an adult—ate, slept, and even spoke to herself. Though she always hid her loneliness well, Ye Bai could feel it keenly.

“Brother, yesterday during the broadcast at Central Square, Mu’er saw you—you were eighth. I don’t know when you’ll come home, but I’m happy for you.” That was what she wrote on the back of the photo.

Since yesterday, Ye Bai had been able to access Arya Space. Every student from the four great academies could choose a home in the center of their own city, and Ye Bai had picked a place next door to Fatty’s house. This way, his sister wouldn’t feel so alone, and Fatty could look after her as well.

Ye Bai lifted his wrist, and a holographic girl appeared, composed of blue lines, floating in the air—a figure that bore a striking resemblance to Ye Mu, but with small wings sprouting from her back.

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“Mu’er, open the Arya System. Connect to the Mu Yang City Commercial Center.” The little figure in the air reached out with her tiny hand, tapping several times in the void.

A display screen materialized before Ye Bai. In reality, Arya consisted of the Arya System and Arya Space. The system functioned like a phone or computer, enabling long-distance communication—its greatest advantage. Arya Space, on the other hand, required one’s consciousness to enter a virtual realm, just as during the joint exam. Each exam permit not only recorded personal information but also provided protection.

When Arya Space first appeared, only growth-level Star Core warriors could access it. But for reasons unknown, foundation-level and entry-level warriors gradually gained access as well.

Even now, entry-level Star Core warriors couldn’t remain in the space for long unless they had something like the Arya No. 1 combat suit.

Short-term visits to Arya Space were fine, protected by the exam permit fused into the body and Mu’er’s early warnings. No one would die from mental exhaustion after staying too long, as had happened in the past.

Most entry-level Star Core warriors simply used Arya as a long-range communication tool. Ye Bai was now using the virtual screen to order dinner and prepare supplies for moving into the new house.

When he finished, Ye Bai searched up the Five Element Formation and was surprised to find it existed. The description read: The Five Element Formation consists of two types—the basic Five Element Formation and the Five Element Eight Trigram Formation.

The basic formation is made up of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. If wood is the leader, it gives rise to fire—wood engenders fire; fire burns wood to ash, which sinks to become earth—fire engenders earth; earth condenses into metal—earth engenders metal; when metal is pressed, water emerges—metal engenders water; water is the source of all things and gives rise to wood—water engenders wood.

All things in the world fall within the five elements, generating and overcoming each other in endless cycles.

The Five Element Eight Trigram Formation has eight positions: Heaven, Wind, Water, Mountain, Earth, Thunder, Fire, and Lake—but notably lacks a metal position.

Ye Bai quickly scrolled through, realizing much of it was new to him. At the bottom, a comment made him laugh wryly: “The above is just my personal understanding. If any mistakes occur in practice, I bear no responsibility.”

Just then, the meal he’d ordered from the commercial center arrived, and it was nearly time for his sister to come home.

Over dinner, Ye Bai told Mu’er that they’d be moving next to Fatty’s house tomorrow. She was delighted, but nothing made her happier than Ye Bai’s return.

During the meal, Ye Mu kept saying he was now a celebrity in Mu Yang City. Once classmates learned she was Ye Bai’s sister, boys and girls alike followed her around, asking for his autograph or trying to befriend the sister of such a “big shot.” Some even asked if Ye Bai had a girlfriend. Several times, overwhelmed by their pestering, Ye Mu had to flee, but secretly she was pleased.

“Because she has a remarkable older brother.”

After dinner, Ye Mu went to the study to do her homework, and Ye Bai didn’t disturb her. At her age, most girls had already reached the intermediate stage of body refining, but their mother had never allowed Ye Mu to enter martial school. As a result, she’d only just surpassed ordinary physical limits and barely reached the initial stage.

That she’d managed this much through natural growth alone spoke volumes about Ye Mu’s talent, but perhaps their mother simply wanted her daughter to lead an ordinary girl’s life.

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Outside, strange birds cried, and the newborn morning sun shone on Ye Bai’s body. Yet, in the height of summer, the sun’s heat came earlier than usual, and within minutes, Ye Bai could already feel the warmth on his arms.

He woke Mu’er, still sleeping, and together they hurried to the large house in the city center.

Ye Bai hadn’t told Li Fei about moving—and that he’d be living right next door. He knew how much pain Li Fei was in now: over a decade of hard work, all for a place in the four great academies, gone in an instant.

But Ye Bai’s time was tight—he had only this one day off. Tomorrow, he’d have to report to Purple Star Academy. He didn’t dare tell his sister he was leaving so soon, afraid to make her sad.

Ye Bai had recorded a video message for Li Fei, set to be sent in a week. He didn’t say much to comfort him, perhaps just one line: “I hope there’s someone to accompany me on the road ahead.” Then he asked Li Fei to look after Mu’er.

Standing with Ye Mu beneath the large house, surrounded by decorations delivered the day before, Ye Bai raised his wrist. Under Mu’er’s watchful eyes, a little holographic figure appeared, almost identical to her.

“Mu’er, give a name to the place where we’ll live from now on.”

“Wow, what’s this? She looks a lot like me,” Ye Mu exclaimed, covering her mouth and turning to Ye Bai.

“She’s just like you—her name is Mu’er too. She’s the embodiment of an intelligent brain.” As he spoke, a plaque the size of a sheet of paper materialized before Ye Mu.

Pouting, Ye Mu propped her chin with her left hand and wrote on the plaque with her right—writing, erasing, then writing again. At last, she nodded with satisfaction at the name she’d come up with.

“Mu Bai Pavilion.” The handwriting wasn’t sweeping or sharp as a calligrapher’s might be, but the plaque displayed a delicate, graceful beauty unique to girls—slightly immature, yet with a hint of hidden edge.

The room was nearly ready. Ye Bai only brought over a few memorable items. After spending the day with Mu’er, the next morning at dawn, he boarded the Silver Wing, heading toward the main city of Green Forest.

The happiness in that little house had become a memory, forever dwelling in Ye Bai’s heart. He knew Mu’er would be sad when she woke and found him gone, but he couldn’t bear to see her tears again. Call it cowardice, call it avoidance—regardless, Ye Bai left, having arranged everything. In the end, everything is determined by strength.

He could only hope the joy from the small house would carry over to the new one, and that their mother would soon return to keep Mu’er company.