To think you actually remembered my name.
Ling Guo halted before Yan, a flicker of surprise in her eyes as she regarded the guild master, whom she had presumed to be rather aloof.
“Naturally. Your self-introduction was so remarkably charming that it instantly etched itself into my memory.”
Yan’s lips curved into a faint smile as he gazed at the female player before him, whose short, tea-colored hair framed a face now graced with a friendly expression.
“If memory serves, it was something along the lines of ‘Lian-jie’s (TL Note: ‘Jie’ is a Chinese honorific for an older sister or a respected older female peer.) Number One Fan, Ling Guo’…”
“Hehe, that’s right.”
Ling Guo offered a guileless smile, declaring this without a hint of bashfulness, a confession that brought a faint blush to Lian’s cheeks, standing beside Yan.
“And wasn’t it you who was interacting with Lian on the world channel earlier?”
Yan happened to recall the ID preceding those messages in the world channel; it had indeed been Ling Guo.
As if struck by the accuracy of Yan’s observation, Ling Guo merely smiled and nodded.
“Hmm~ Let me hazard a guess: you likely stopped us not to speak with me, but rather to converse with your idol, Lian, wouldn’t you say?”
Yan’s gaze lingered on Ling Guo, a hint of amusement playing on his lips.
“Hehe, well, you’re not entirely wrong…”
Ling Guo chuckled sheepishly, a hand rising to scratch her head in mild embarrassment.
“However, I do have something important I wished to discuss with you, Guild Master.”
“Oh?”
Yan expressed a touch of surprise.
“And what might that be?”
“Please, Guild Master, I implore you to preside over this matter and unite Lian-jie and me! Allow Lian-jie to become my master!”
‘Just as I suspected, it’s all about Lian.’
Ling Guo bowed slightly, her expression earnest as she spoke.
“Whoa, whoa, don’t make it sound as if you’re proposing marriage and I’m the bride’s father…”
Yan retorted with a wry, exasperated smile.
“For matters of this nature, you truly must seek the individual’s consent first. As I’ve mentioned before, the guild refrains from intervening in any social activities among its members. If both parties are amenable, forming a master-apprentice relationship is perfectly acceptable.”
Yan spread his hands in a gesture of surrender, then judiciously retreated a step, ceding the space to Ling Guo and Lian.
“Whether she’s willing to take you on as an apprentice, you’d best go ask her yourself, wouldn’t you?”
Yan smiled, gesturing towards Lian, whose face remained impassive, betraying no shift in expression despite having just heard herself discussed.
Hoo~
Ling Guo exhaled slowly, then, having composed herself, deliberately turned towards her idol, Lian.
“Lian-jie, as I’ve always declared, I am your most devoted fan; I’ve watched every single one of your matches, without fail.”
She turned slightly, a blush of bashfulness coloring her cheeks as she revealed the bow slung across her back.
“In truth, I’m an archer as well, but I’m simply too weak; I haven’t dared to step onto the arena stage for any of the competitions.”
“Yet, when I witnessed your matches, Lian-jie, I was utterly captivated by the way you instantly felled your opponents with a single arrow. I yearn for your valiant demeanor; I wish to become an archer as formidable as you…”
“Please, I beg you, accept me as your disciple!”
She bowed deeply towards Lian, her short, tea-colored hair cascading to the side of her face with the motion. Head bowed low, she waited with bated breath for Lian’s response.
“Archery, you know, can be quite monotonous.”
Lian’s cool, understated voice drifted into Ling Guo’s ears, and hearing those words, Ling Guo’s heart gave an involuntary flutter.
“It doesn’t matter! I can endure it!”
The simple truth that a minute of brilliance on stage is built upon a decade of toil off it holds true in every endeavor.
Without the relentless, repetitive practice of drawing and loosing arrows, Lian would never have achieved her current unerring accuracy, nor could she have become the formidable female archer, a Divine Eye Archer (TL Note: A title for an archer with exceptional aim, often able to hit targets from afar or with great precision.), capable of felling opponents with a single arrow.
In her heart, Ling Guo understood this perfectly.
It was precisely with this understanding that she still yearned for Lian’s breathtaking posture, standing alone in the arena after effortlessly dispatching an opponent with a single, decisive arrow.
Though uncertain of how far she could truly go, she nonetheless hoped to receive guidance from her idol, inching closer to the pinnacle achieved by the person she so admired.
At that moment, she bravely lifted her head, her gaze locking with Lian’s: eyes so clear, so bright, so pure that not a single speck of impurity could be discerned within them.
In Ling Guo’s limpid eyes, Lian, too, perceived a glimmer—a spark of ‘resolve.’ Having found her answer, Lian’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“Very well, then you may follow me.”
Ling Guo’s face blossomed with a joy so profound it bordered on disbelief; she stared at Lian, momentarily stunned.
“Lian-jie, you’re truly willing to accept me as your disciple?”
“Indeed.”
Lian tilted her head ever so slightly, a delicate smile gracing her refined features.
“This is wonderful!!!”
Ling Guo practically leapt into the air with excitement, then, with an entirely natural motion, linked her arm through Lian’s, as if they were sisters bound by a lifetime of intimacy.
“Lian-jie, you’re simply the best!”
Lian’s body, now linked with Ling Guo’s, gave a subtle tremor. She seemed unaccustomed to such intimate gestures, and a faint crease appeared between her elegant brows, yet she made no move to push Ling Guo away.
Instead, she merely offered a helpless, wry smile.
“We’re already master and disciple; are you still going to call me Lian-jie?”
She feigned a stern expression, casting a pointed glance at Ling Guo beside her.
“What’s wrong with it? Lian-jie is such a young and beautiful maiden; calling you ‘master’ would make you sound far too old!”
‘Whoa, whoa, don’t imply that everyone bearing the title ‘master’ is necessarily ancient, alright…’
Yan grumbled internally, a helpless sigh escaping his thoughts. ‘I am Xiao Qing’s ‘master,’ after all; by that logic, wouldn’t I also be considered ‘old’?’
“Ah, well… forget it. There’s truly no reasoning with you. Call me whatever you wish.”
Lian raised her free right hand, lightly tapping Ling Guo’s forehead, who was still clinging to her left arm.
“Hehe.”
Ling Guo lifted her left hand to rub her lightly tapped forehead, a smug, mischievous grin spreading across her face. ‘How on earth can this girl be so delighted, even after being playfully admonished by her master?’ Yan thought, shaking his head.
“Now then, let us proceed to the guild’s arena. I’ll begin by imparting some fundamental techniques for the archer profession.”
Lian informed Ling Guo.
“Mhm!”
Ling Guo responded with eager enthusiasm. Then, Lian offered a subtle nod to Yan before gracefully excusing herself and Ling Guo.
‘Lian, that one, is certainly playing the part of a master quite convincingly.’
Yan smiled and nodded, his gaze inadvertently drifting to Xiao Qing, who stood nearby, a wistful, envious expression adorning her face.
‘Come to think of it… I haven’t actually done anything befitting a ‘master’ yet…’
‘Can I truly be called a ‘master’ in this state?’
Yan scratched the back of his head, a self-deprecating smile curving his lips. He glanced at the time displayed on the system interface, then turned, walking towards Xiao Qing.
“Let’s go, Xiao Qing. Now that the guild’s affairs are settled, it’s high time I began teaching you a few things.”
Yan smiled warmly at Xiao Qing.
“We should open a guild arena as well.”
At his words, Xiao Qing’s face lit up with delight. Her bright eyes fixed on Yan, she nodded vigorously.
“Yes, Master!”
“The rest of you may attend to your own tasks for now; the establishment of the guild has reached a temporary conclusion.”
Yan smiled as he addressed An Dong and Nan Shi.
“Should anything arise, feel free to call out to me in the guild channel, or simply come directly to the guild hall.”
“Understood.”
An Dong replied with a cheerful affirmative, while Nan Shi offered a subtle nod before turning to depart.
“I’ll go guide my disciple for now. You, perhaps, could take Tian Jiu to gain some levels.”
Yan turned to Qing Bai, a smile playing on his lips as he spoke.
“Hmph, you needn’t tell this young lady what to do; I would have done so regardless.”
Qing Bai averted her gaze, letting out a soft huff, then turned to Tian Jiu.
“Come on, let’s ignore this ‘game-addicted recluse.’ We sisters are off to have some fun!”
“Oh… oh, alright.”
Tian Jiu responded with a blank stare, then found herself being pulled away by Qing Bai.
Yan offered a helpless smile, then gave a slight wave to the departing duo.
He then turned, leading Xiao Qing deeper into the pristine Snow-White Castle.
****
“Before I impart any techniques concerning the Spearmaster profession and the art of spear combat, I must first gain a comprehensive understanding of your current circumstances.”
Yan stood on the open ground within the guild arena’s coliseum-like structure, his gaze fixed upon Xiao Qing before him.
“I’ll ask directly: what is your innate skill?”
“My disciple’s innate skill is somewhat… peculiar…”
Upon hearing Yan’s query, Xiao Qing’s expression shifted to one of awkward embarrassment, as if she were ashamed to utter the name of her seemingly weak innate skill.
“It’s not as agile and powerful as Master’s [Agile Control]…”
As a player who had closely followed Yan’s arena matches, Xiao Qing naturally understood the profound efficacy of her master’s innate skill, even to the point of intense envy.
“No, Xiao Qing, there’s something else I must impress upon you.”
Yan seemed somewhat displeased by Xiao Qing’s words. He furrowed his brow slightly, his gaze earnest as he looked at her.
“Listen closely: in the game ‘Companion God Realm,’ not a single innate skill is inherently weak or useless.”
“Weakness stems only from players who fail to wield their innate skills with dexterity.”
“And it is my duty to ensure you do not become one of those ‘weak’ players…”
Observing Xiao Qing, whose head was bowed as if in recognition of her error, Yan’s brows slowly unfurrowed, replaced by a resigned smile.
“Do you understand now?”
“This disciple understands!”
Xiao Qing nodded, her voice firm with conviction.
“Good. Now, tell me about your innate skill.”
Yan’s lips curved into a gentle smile as he inquired softly.
“My disciple’s innate skill is [Chain Control].”
Xiao Qing, resting her hand on the long spear at her back, meticulously described her innate skill.
“When attacking a target already afflicted with an abnormal status, every four consecutive hits will automatically apply the current crowd control effect, though this effect is weakened against bosses.”
‘Damn it!’
Yan barely managed to suppress his profound astonishment.
“Is this not an incredibly potent innate skill?!”
‘What on earth are you so ashamed of?!’
Yan frowned, gazing at Xiao Qing, who now wore an expression of utter surprise. ‘What on earth are you so ashamed of?!’ he grumbled internally, a helpless exasperation washing over him.
“Eh?”
Xiao Qing exclaimed in surprise, her delicate face etched with bewilderment.
“Really?”