Me, Avoid His Edge?

A vast sea of stars, shimmering with phantom light. Countless flickers of faint radiance drifted gracefully between the spiritus crystals like dancing fireflies. As if stirred by curiosity, they settled upon the outsiders' shoulders and hair in featherlight touches. Well before this, both Lou Feng and Lou Yanyue had instinctively reined in their own spiritus. In part, this was clan training to prevent abnormal spiritus fluctuations from damaging delicate instruments. On the other hand, these tiny sparks of spiritus were simply too fragile; the slightest touch might shatter them. Yet when countless fragments of light converged, the subtle currents of spiritus circulating among them faintly formed a breathtakingly magnificent complex. Unlike the lively dancing fragments, the complex itself seemed to rest in slumber and chaos, not yet fully manifest. The mere flicker of countless motes produced a vast, grand respiration and rhythm. The moment a hand reached out to gently touch it, illusory meows echoed in the ears. It was like stumbling inadvertently into an enormous cat's nest, teeming with blind kittens crawling all over the floor, clambering over shoes, trouser legs, shoulders, and heads. "Hey, these little things are pretty cute." Lou Yanyue’s face lit up. She soon sensed the humming of these faint intellects, like elemental spirits born naturally of thunder and flame. With practiced ease, she scattered a thin wisp of spiritus, immediately coaxing a swarm of meowing intellects to gather around her, dancing like fireflies. As for Lou Feng, he had already begun instinctively analyzing the phenomenon before him. *Looking isn't stealing, and studying isn't belittling—what's wrong with taking a peek! You’re the one who invited me over, Ji, and you even invited me with all that swagger to come have sweet soup!* The Lou clan's inherited spiritus shaping and related techniques, along with his own research into spiritus qualitative change and transformation, were more than enough for him to parse and comprehend what was happening. "Lord of the Flies" was merely a collective term. The aggregate formed by this vast multitude of tiny Spirits of Creation was a collective species—and within it, there were four distinct tiers, or classifications. The uppermost and grandest tier was unquestionably the Lord of the Flies itself, formed by the unified synthesis of all the intellects. Beneath the Lord of the Flies, the most fully developed core comprised the various "adult cats" that had already undergone a degree of metamorphosis and had certain functions implanted within them. They were like the security cats he had seen outside, capable of receiving orders and executing tasks. Although their intelligence was not high, as tools they were entirely sufficient—even far surpassing expectations. To draw an analogy, they were akin to worker bees and soldier bees in a hive, accounting for roughly twenty percent of the collective. Beneath the adult cats were the recently born kittens: weak in intellect, untamed, and uncultivated. Still lacking experience and skills, they required older cats to mentor them or directly impart instructions. They could be called the reserves, full of potential and promising futures, making up roughly thirty percent of the collective. The remaining fifty percent were tiny spiritual seeds still being nurtured, floating like spores in the spiritus, growing slowly and drifting with the current. No—they were being suppressed, held in a forced slumber. Under conditions of limited resources, rash development and increased demand would only result in total withering once everything was exhausted. But the question remained: if the main entity lacked consciousness and possessed only instinct, who was meticulously controlling all of this? The greatest flaw of the Lord of the Flies was its lack of self-awareness, but that was equally its greatest strength. Yet with internal chaos as the baseline, maximizing this power required decisive dominance and coordination, an overarching command of the entire situation, and multithreading processing capacity potent enough to melt any human brain. In other words, alongside the Lord of the Flies, there existed another critically vital entity! *That bastard Ji Jue is still holding back!* The moment the realization hit, Lou Feng could not help shooting a sideways glare at Ji Jue with a cold snort. "What is it, Brother Lou?" Ji Jue asked with a smile. "After such an open and honest demonstration, have you gained anything?" "Hah, it's just so-so." Lou Feng shoved his hands into his pockets, affecting nonchalance and mocking, "You raise a nest of cats and call someone all the way out here. I thought they'd know how to do backflips." He pulled his gaze away without lingering. "Nothing special." Ji Jue did not speak. He merely smiled, his gaze fixed on Lou Feng’s hand. The old fossil Tianlu was right after all: an artisan's mouth is an artisan's deceit. But an artisan's hands never lied. Isn't that right, Young Master Lou, who still had a tiny kitten secretly pinched between his fingers, rubbing it back and forth? It wasn't until either the thickness of Lou Feng’s skin or his artisan curiosity ran out first that he reluctantly opened his fingers... In all fairness, such spiritus creatures were not uncommon. After all, the convergence of matter and spiritus was a natural law; surprises and miracles always emerged from the blending of Ascension and the Desolate Ruins. Similar collectives ranged from the stone worms dwelling deep in leylines, to the elemental spirits born in thunderclouds and volcanoes. There was even a spiritus species among the Calamities known as parasitic moths, which favored laying eggs in human souls. Once they hollowed a person out, they seized the host and underwent metamorphosis, ultimately emerging from the flesh and blood as the abnormal spiritus Calamity known as Mothman. Compared to those things, Ji Jue’s creations could not yet hold a candle. But was that the point? Lou Feng mouthed off, and Ji Jue took it as a joke; if either took it seriously, they would be an absolute idiot. Setting aside their potential for now, what was truly terrifying was the complete whole formed once the collective gathered—the Lord of the Flies, reverse-engineered by referencing the Worm. Not only could it breed and grow like other spiritus species, but it also functioned naturally as tool spirits compatible with the vast majority of alchemical creations, capable of interfacing with almost any equipment. One or two isolated tools were nothing to worry about. But when the entire collective was integrated under the unified oversight of the Lord of the Flies, it would form an independent, complete system. It built a bridge between inanimate objects and living beings, even giving rise to bona fide mechanical life. And all of this had been cultivated by Ji Jue using the souls of all the victims inside the fragment of the Huangliang Relic as mining rigs, using those consciousnesses as computing power to foster mechanical souls. Terrifying potential, promising future. Yet the investment and resources required were equally a horror story! Lou Feng finally understood what that bastard Ji Jue wanted by calling him here. The guy had developed an addiction to finding suckers to foot his bills! He gave a cold laugh, offering not an ounce of face. "Once a collective of this scale expands, the daily consumption of spiritus and resources—how much money is left in your accounts, Mr. Ji? Enough to burn for how many days? "No, you're already running at a deficit, aren't you? "Did you bring me here to beg for a loan, or are you looking to beg alms from the Lou family's spiritus crystal business?" "What kind of gibberish are you muttering?" Ji Jue rolled his eyes. "Go fry up two dishes for me, and while you're at it, bring me twenty tons of spiritus crystals. Money? What money? Don't have any!" Before he even finished, Lou Feng’s fists clenched tight. "Ji, you damn—" "Twenty percent." Ji Jue raised two fingers. "I want all supporting equipment, all products from the next two expansions of the spiritus array, and the Lou clan's spiritus crystals provided at half of production cost. "The products derived from the Lord of the Flies will be registered under an independent company. You get twenty percent equity." "Twenty percent?" Lou Feng was so furious he laughed, his face turning livid. "I provide the foundation, I provide the capital, I supply all the spiritus crystals, and all for what? For you to finish feasting and toss me some leftover broth as charity?" "Hey, don't put it so crudely." Ji Jue waved a hand with a smile. "I'm offering you a path here. Zero risk, such high returns, and you don't even have to risk your neck for fortune. Putting in a bit of investment for a guaranteed win—twenty percent is hardly stingy." "Ninety percent!" Lou Feng rejected him flatly. "You expect me to work for you for free just by painting a pie in the sky? Do you take me for a beggar? Don't overestimate yourself, Ji Jue. Anything less than ninety percent, and we'll do it ourselves without you!" "You can't do it." Ji Jue shook his head decisively and snapped his fingers. From the mercury flowing across the floor, a thick stack of patent certificates immediately rose, each stamped with the seal of the Ring of Taiyi and bearing the signature of President Gustav. Beside them lay a completed paper that had already been submitted: *A Brief Treatise on the Composition of Tool Spirit Clusters*, its cover bearing the Association's evaluation grade: [A-]! Following his previous *Purification through Blood Sacrifice*, this was his second paper to attain an A-grade achievement! *Damn it all! The bastard only just secured his first Golden Ribbon, and now what are you telling me? His second Golden Ribbon is practically already reserved?!* The only reason it was "practically reserved" was because it suffered from its classification—had the research direction not been so niche and obscure, with the applied engineering section completely omitted, it would have scored at least an [A+]! *Dog! What an absolute dog!!!* Lou Feng felt as if he had been savaged by a hound. He glared at Ji Jue in outrage: *You're still secretly out-grinding me!?!* "My apologies, but the nature of the Lord of the Flies is one of a kind under heaven. Furthermore, from the theoretical framework to the practical application of related products, the patents have all been registered by me." Ji Jue shrugged innocently and gave a whistle. "If you want to do it yourselves, by all means. I can even give you the spirit seeds for free. But... shouldn't we discuss licensing fees?" *You dog!!!!* Lou Feng instinctively raised his hands to point at Ji Jue, on the verge of launching into a full tirade of expletives—if his aunt hadn't already pulled out her phone and started recording him from behind. But would cursing do any good? Besides, how could he not know that although the Association possessed a vast accumulation of spiritus refinement techniques, the leading authority in that field was sitting right behind Ji Jue! Who else could it be but his teacher, Ye Xian? All those patents this bastard had secured were merely peripheral skirmishes, because the core patents and monopolized technologies were all in Ye Xian’s hands! That was Ji Jue’s greatest backing and umbrella. Between master and apprentice, the teacher had locked down most of the academic patents and proprietary arts in spiritus refinement, while the student used Fluid Alchemy to choke off the most convenient applications and development routes. The two of them had completely monopolized the entire category! Over the years, despite the Lou clan's considerable progress in Entropy and Ascension, their foundation in Embers could only be described as modest. Their focus lay primarily on qualitative phase shifts of spiritus and its utilization as energy. Without Master Ji, forget about meat on the bone—they wouldn't even catch a glimpse of the pig. Even knowing full well how massive Ji Jue’s funding gap was and how desperately he needed investment, Lou Feng possessed virtually no bargaining power before him. If nothing else, did he really need a reminder of how his artisan ranking came to be? He simply could not act tough. Fortunately, looking across the entire Federation, the Lou clan's spiritus industry was among the very top. Only the Xu clan of Spirit Controllers could rival them, but the Xu clan was far away in Dongcheng and had never interacted with Ji Jue. Furthermore, their reputation was far from stellar—at best, they were despised everywhere they went, notorious for wiping out competition and hoarding everything for themselves. Given Ji Jue’s brains, there was no need to worry about him running off to hook up with them anytime soon. At least the meat was still in the pot. It was merely a question of how expensive a bowl would be required to hold it. Lou Feng waved his hand and sighed. "I can't make decisions for the Lou clan. You've got the wrong person, Ji Jue. "The spiritus industry is managed by Second Uncle. You should talk to him." Yet how long had it been? A year and a half? In just a year and a half, the novice Embers apprentice of yesterday had become a figure capable of sitting at the table and negotiating as an equal with the entire Lou clan. In contrast, apart from modest progress, he had accomplished virtually nothing. Lou Feng could not help an inward sigh. Then he heard Ji Jue’s voice. "If I wanted to negotiate with the Lou clan, why would I have called you here?" Ji Jue leaned against a crystal pillar, looking at him with a faint smile. Lou Feng froze, a spark lighting in his chest, yet he found it hard to believe. Then he heard Ji Jue speak again. "—Are you interested in starting your own business and being your own boss, 'President Lou'?" Lou Feng’s pupils contracted for a fraction of a second before turning increasingly guarded and irritated. He was even incensed enough to laugh—*so you're not just after my money, you won't even spare my person!* "If we want the Lord of the Flies to be fully developed, expecting me to handle it alone is impossible. You understand the required deficit as well as I do." Ji Jue laid his cards on the table without concealment. "I don't wish to surrender my leadership, and the best way forward is to develop it together in the form of a joint workshop. "You are the most suitable partner. "If you join now, you won't just get patent licenses for the Lord of the Flies. The theory of Fluid Alchemy isn't off the table either, and all modernized adaptations of techniques can be made available to you. "Aside from a portion of heritage that I have no authority to grant, most of what I have learned can be shared with you. I will hold nothing back." "Sounds nice! Isn't it still working for you?!" How could Lou Feng not see right through whatever scheme Ji Jue had brewing? It was clear as day. "Not only do you want me to bring my own rations to labor for you and take the fall when trouble hits, you also want me to play your lackey and wave flags for you in the Association, don't you?" Was the Lord of the Flies good? Its prospects were unquestionably vast. But did Lou Feng lack that bit of money? Was Fluid Alchemy good? It was undeniably exceptional, but backed by Master Kong of the Lou clan, did Lou Feng truly lack the heritage to survive? Securing Fluid Alchemy in the past had been meant to enrich his clan's foundation and accumulation. But if he took the bait now, he would be led by the nose by Ji Jue. Within the Association, "joint workshops" were indeed common. They usually took the form of limited alliances and communication between multiple workshops, maintaining independence while cooperating closely. In other words, the term was practically synonymous with a faction! If Lou Feng accepted a joint workshop led by Ji Jue, everyone would view him as a member of Ji Jue’s faction. Put pleasantly, they would advance and retreat together, sharing glory; put bluntly, they would be grasshoppers tied to the same string, sharing ruin! If this jinx of a man stirred up trouble and caused a disaster in the future, Lou Feng would be swept up in the reckoning without any chance of escape! "Aside from me, do you have a better choice?" Ji Jue countered calmly. "Aside from the Lord of the Flies, is there any project more suited to the two of us? "Or do you truly have no intention of taking another step forward?" Lou Feng fell silent at once. Every aspirant harbored a desire for Ascension; as an artisan, who did not dream of becoming a grandmaster? True, Ji Jue had initiated the invitation and had a request of Lou Feng. But an invitation was a two-way street. Young Master Lou could refuse it; he could sneer at it. In that case, Ji Jue could simply grit his teeth and do it on his own. Even if one person could not finish all the meat, it would merely spoil in his own pot. If that happened, Ji Jue would still be Ji Jue. While Young Master Lou would likely remain nothing more than 'Young Master Lou'! "Lou Feng, I used to envy you a great deal." Beneath the reflection of countless phantom lights, Ji Jue gazed at the silent artisan and told him frankly, "Before I even met you for the first time, when I saw your car, I started envying you." Lou Feng startled. He looked up, yet saw no mockery in Ji Jue’s eyes. Only composure. "Back then, looking at your Photon parked outside my teacher's workshop, my very first reaction was to get down on the ground, peer at its chassis, and study its structure... I didn't even dare to dream that one day I might own one. "To me at the time, even paying off my student loans felt unimaginably distant." Ji Jue gave a soft sigh. "A supporting family behind you, an affluent and comfortable life, a calm and effortless generosity, a soaring confidence that made it seem as if you held everything in your grasp—the things I wanted, you were born with, completely as a matter of course. Why wouldn't I envy you?" "What's all this about?" Lou Feng’s expression gradually turned impassive, masking his feelings. "Mr. Ji, now that your prestige spreads across the four seas, are you reminiscing about past struggles with a second-generation rich kid who's stuck in place?" He knew that wasn't it, of course. He knew Ji Jue wasn't that bored. He just... Suddenly didn't want to hear any more! "No, I just wanted to tell you when I stopped envying you," Ji Jue told him slowly. "It was even before I beat you for the first time. It was right after I met you." "Ji Jue—" Lou Feng’s face darkened. He gritted his teeth, unable to endure such humiliation. Just as he prepared to turn away, he heard Ji Jue sigh softly. "Because it was only when I shook your hand that I realized we were the same. We both have two eyes and a nose, we were both apprentices, both of the Embers, walking the same road—there was no difference between us. "The gap between us was never insurmountable, was it?" Ji Jue finally smiled—neither mockingly nor contemptuously, but speaking with grave sincerity. "To this day, I still think so." The starting line was always beneath one's feet. Belonging equally to the Embers, how was his drive to climb higher any different? *The difference is that I've already run a leg of the race. Are you going to catch up now, Lou Feng?* Lou Feng did not speak. "I don't believe that just because I make a proposal, someone has to accept it. But I do believe this is good for both of us. "Whether to form a joint workshop is a major decision; forcing an answer out of you in haste serves no purpose. The specific agreement and the development outlook for the upcoming project are all here. I hope you'll consider it before giving me an answer. Everything is open to negotiation." Ji Jue handed over a thick stack of documents prepared in advance. Lou Feng hesitated, his hands still. He wavered between accepting the invitation or knocking it aside, laughing cold and proud to the heavens: *Thirty years east of the Nandu River, thirty years west—we shall see what we shall see.* Yet Ji Jue’s posture remained unmoving as he waited quietly. Not until Lou Feng reached out and gripped the papers firmly did Ji Jue slowly let go. Ji Jue smiled. "Artisan business is settled." He asked, "Now, as old friends, can we go have some tea?" Lou Feng sighed. He nodded. And then, he regretted it. Because the tea was an absolute disaster! The tea leaves were genuinely premium, but no matter how fine the leaves, if stored improperly in Haizhou’s dreadful climate, they would inevitably spoil! What did a guy who brewed everything in an oversized enamel mug know about tea?! It tasted bitter and astringent, coating the throat with a foul aftertaste that lingered all the way into the night. Lying in the guest room provided by Haian, Lou Feng tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Remembering Ji Jue’s pretentious tea-brewing antics, he felt an urge to jump out of bed and swear at his mother. Then—*bang!* The door was kicked open. The good news was that it wasn't Ji Jue taking a desperate gamble, attempting to strike while his guard was down and carve him into fine jade. The bad news was that the person kicking down the door was his aunt. She carried a bottle of liquor bought from who-knew-where, chugging it down in hearty gulps. Her face beamed with delight. "Hey, not gonna lie, this little stuff packs quite a punch!" "You've been drinking?" Lou Feng’s expression changed drastically, sheer terror creeping in. "Relax, it's just local home-brewed rice wine, barely any alcohol. A bit of fresh air and I'll be fine." *The way you look is definitely not something a bit of fresh air can fix!* Yet Lou Yanyue flopped casually onto his chair, crossed her legs, and clicked her tongue in wonder. "You're still agonizing over this, kid? Isn't it a great deal? "Whether it works out or not, you're not getting shortchanged." "It's not a matter of whether it works out or not." Lou Feng sighed, shaking his head, hesitating before falling silent. What was there left to say? It was nothing more than petty jealousy, indignation, and wounded pride—narrow-minded resentment that would only invite ridicule if spoken aloud. "You Embers folks are such a pain in the ass, I just don't get it! White Stag is so much more straightforward: one 'What're you lookin' at?' and fists start flying." Sparks crackled and sputtered between Lou Yanyue’s fingers as she contemplated giving the lad some electrotherapy. But after a hiccup, she suddenly burst into laughter. "Then again, is there really that much difference?" She leaned in, her eyes shining bright. "The strong prey on the weak, and the capable rise to the top. If you're pissed off, just go pick a fight with him! Whoever wins calls the shots—isn't that simple?" "Easy for you to say!" Lou Feng rolled his eyes. This muscle-brained display of his aunt's would make even a dog shake its head, let alone Ji Jue. Yet when Lou Yanyue looked at him, her drunkenly hazy eyes were unmistakably sharp. As if piercing straight to his marrow, clear as day. "Can't beat him?" She grinned, her tone bordering on mockery. "Or do you simply not dare to fight?" "Don't dare? Me, not dare?!" Lou Feng blew his top instantly. "We're both artisans, what's there not to dare? How many Golden Ribbons does he even have? Me, afraid of him?! I'm afraid I'll kill him, alright!" "That's my boy!" Lou Yanyue laughed aloud and slapped Lou Feng across the forehead, thoroughly ruffling his hair. "Your aunt didn't misjudge you. You might be a bit prissy, but at least you've got backbone!" With that, she bounded up from the chair. "Let's go!" Lou Feng let out a miserable shriek. Because Lou Yanyue hadn't let go—she was still gripping his hair! Nearly dragged clean off the bed to come face-to-face with a "twin-tailed" local cockroach lurking under it, he was too flustered to care about disgust or resistance and asked blankly, "Go where?" "To issue the challenge!" Grinning, Lou Yanyue pulled out her necklace, breathed onto the stamp-like pendant, wiped it, and infused it with spiritus. Instantly, it transformed into a crystalline seal. This was her credential as a core pillar of the Lou clan, empowered to act on the family's behalf! It was rare for her nephew to show some spine—how could she just stand by and watch? With the leadership of both sides on the line, they would challenge Ji Jue to a duel! "Open and aboveboard, may the best man win!" Lou Yanyue roared with laughter, hauling the stupefied Lou Feng as she kicked the door open once more. For once, her blood was boiling! And then... Then, things seemed to accidentally blow up into something massive! Two hours later, in the dead of night, Second Uncle Lou Xian was jolted awake by a phone call from his little sister. Before dawn, Third Uncle Lou Guan arrived via airship. At six o'clock, Master Kong’s car pulled up outside the gates of Haian Industries. At seven o'clock, Ye Xian was already sitting in the chair of Ji Jue’s office, dumping the "fine tea" Ji Jue had respectfully offered with both hands straight into the trash can. At seven-thirty, an Ether Celestial Chosen who happened to be "passing through" Xinquan—Tong Ting—arrived with his own dried fruit, eager for front-row drama! Amidst an uproar as bustling as New Year's festivities, only a dumbfounded Ji Jue and a completely bewildered Lou Feng stared at each other, words catching in their throats. *Uh... can we settle this peacefully?* Yet as things stood, it seemed they had no choice but to fight!