"It is not easy for an old man to get a good sleep. Can you not let me sleep a little longer?"
Hojo Toten grumbled as he opened the door. Seeing the bright-eyed Shiratori Riku outside, he asked, "Brat, what unreliable idea is rattling around in your head now?"
"This time I am absolutely right. Master, why must we guide True Qi through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians?"
"Why is it that once those meridians are sealed, we cannot circulate qi or use our abilities?"
"In the end I found our guiding method is wrong. I studied for a long time and developed a new way to guide qi."
"We do not need to run qi through the Eight Meridians but rely on... wait, Master, do not hit me. This is not theory. I have mastered it."
Riku tilted his head to dodge the shoe Hojo Toten flung. He glanced back at the crater the shoe punched into the floor.
"You hit that hard, old man."
"And you claim you have mastered it. Are you not afraid of going berserk and crippling yourself?"
"But I did not go berserk. I succeeded."
Riku pressed points along his arm to seal the channels, then extended his hand. His body began to tremble, energy rippling with the vibrations until qi gathered between his fingers.
"Look, Master. No need to use the meridians for transport. All it takes is a special vibration..."
"Silence. I am not listening, and you are not to tell anyone. Swear to me you will never pass this method to another soul."
The moment Hojo Toten saw it work, he panicked. He glanced around, relieved to find no one nearby, then dragged Riku into the room in a hurry.
Once inside, he shut doors and windows and checked again to make sure no one was around, then finally exhaled.
"Brat, promise me you will never teach this to anyone. Not even within our own sect. You must not speak of it."
"This ends with me. No one can know."
Hojo Toten looked at Riku with grave seriousness. He was not worried about being surpassed.
He was worried that if this method spread it would cause massive upheaval and rebound on his disciple.
Right now everyone in the world of the gifted believes qi must run through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Seal them and an ability user cannot act.
If this method leaked, it would overturn the entire world overnight. Who knew what would follow?
He had seen the business with the Eight Miraculous Skills all too clearly.
"All right, Master, I promise. Do not be so stern. I may ignore you, but I always keep my word."
Riku shook out his arm, releasing the acupoint seals. Using qi to emulate the Quake-Quake Fruit's power, he had developed a new technique through vibration.
"Phew, good. That is good."
"Wait. What about that fully automatic thing, and the dan spirit? Did you make those too?"
Hojo had just relaxed when he remembered and tensed right back up. If those worked, that would be trouble as well.
"Those, no. The approach had issues, so I gave up. I will not be researching them for now."
Riku answered.
"Good. That is good."
At last the old priest let out a real breath. Sometimes a disciple too clever is not a blessing. He worried every day that the boy would cause a disaster.
At his age, he only wanted a quiet end. Yet this disciple would not let him rest easy.
He probably would not rest even after death.
Footsteps approached outside. Both men fell silent.
After a moment, someone knocked.
"Uncle, Grandmaster Uncle, are you there?"
The voice outside was Rokudo Rinko's, lively and adorable, clear and just a bit foolish.
"Coming."
Riku opened the door to the pink-haired girl. "So early, why aren't you eating? What are you doing here?"
"Master asked me to deliver a letter."
"A letter? In this day and age we still deliver letters?"
Riku watched her pull out a phone and open the mailbox. "An electronic letter."
"Eh-heh. Master says even if it is electronic, there should still be a little ceremony."
Rinko forwarded the message to Riku's phone. Hojo Toten did not use phones. He could not handle that high-tech.
"Like master, like disciple. Does Baiyun Temple even have a future?"
Riku shook his head helplessly, then read the message aloud for Hojo Toten. It was news from Longhu Mountain about the Luo Tian Da Jiao.
"Luo Tian Da Jiao. That old fox Cho Shi'i, what is he up to?"
Hojo narrowed his eyes. This was not simple. He knew full well big trouble was coming, yet they still wanted to hold it.
What was the goal? Stir up chaos on purpose?
"Who cares why. We just do it. I will personally go down the mountain and join the Luo Tian Da Jiao. Whoever comes, I will crush them."
"The Celestial Master's seat and first place will belong to Quanzhen."
Riku spoke with absolute confidence. He was already turning to pack, ready to charge Longhu Mountain alone.