Adam reached the guest quarter and immediately lay down on the bed.

He had wanted to find Elder Zhen Ren and tell him about his meeting with whom he suspected to be the Sect Leader. Unfortunately, he couldn't find the elderly man.

Truth be told, he hadn't even made an effort to look for him. He was physically exhausted after practicing the Phantom Dance for so long. He wanted nothing more than to sleep.

And so, as soon as he lay down on the bed, exhaustion engulfed him. The ravings of the Faceless Mask slowly faded away, and he drifted off to slumberland.

***

"…Brother Ao!"

Knock! Knock!

Adam's eyelids twitched, and he adjusted his body on the bed. He covered his head with the quilt, trying to lessen the noise.

"Brother Ao, are you awake?"

Knock! Knock!

The ravings of the Faceless Mask engulfed his mind. The Laughing God whispered, and he listened. Gritting his teeth, he removed the blanket and was about to yell out in frustration.

But right at that moment, the strangely familiar voice whispered:

"Don't forget the role you're playing, old sport."

Adam's enraged words died down in his throat. His feet touched the ground, and he sighed. He rubbed his eyes, trying to chase the drowsiness away.

"Brother Ao?"

Knock! Knock!

Adam's lips twitched. "Auhh!"

"Ah, you're finally awake! May I enter?"

Adam frowned.

Isn't that Elder Zhen Ren's voice? He wondered.

Why is he sounding so respectful all of a sudden?

He opened the door to his quarters and saw the Elder standing outside with a light smile on his face.

"Good morning, Brother Ao." He beamed.

"Auhh…" Adam scratched his neck.

He had slept with the strips of white cloth still wrapped around his body, so now his skin was itching all over.

Elder Zhen Ren stepped inside the room, then presented a space-type storage ring.

"I had a long chat with the Sect Leader yesterday," Elder Zhen Ren began.

Adam just nodded from time to time. He couldn't understand a word the man said, so he just said "auhh" every now and then.

"…Inside the ring, you will also find a crystal orb containing memories related to Yen-Lu's language. It is very comprehensive and should help you adjust here. We use two separate dialects in these lands. I noticed your confusion when we spoke yesterday, so…"

Elder Zhen Ren seemed oddly enthusiastic today. He continued to yap away, and Adam continued to nod in a daze.

"Auhh..." He yawned.

"….Anyway, I've said all that I wanted. I shall see you at the Petal Court in one hour."

With that said, Elder Zhen Ren cupped his fists, then left.

Adam scratched his stomach as he gazed at the Elder's peculiar gait.

What's the matter with him? He seems quite happy today, he thought.

He then gazed at the ring in his hand as he closed the door.

I wonder what's inside…

***

An hour later, Adam stepped out of his quarters.

He wore a clean set of white robes, this time bearing the insignia of the Baihua Sect. A pentagonal disc hung from the waist, marking his status within the sect as a Guest Instructor.

Naturally, his body was meticulously covered in strips of white cloth, and he was also wearing a mask.

When a group of disciples passed him by, they immediately cupped their fists and bowed upon seeing his pentagonal disc.

"Whoa! A Guest Instructor?"

"That's right. I've never seen one before."

"The last Guest Instructor to come to our Sect was from the Arcane Alliance, and he was crazy strong!"

"Is that true?! Then this man should also be very strong, right?"

"Very likely!"

The hushed conversations of the young disciples entered Adam's ears. But this time, he was clearly able to understand every word of it.

"Auhh," he murmured with a faint smile.

That crystal orb was truly a jackpot, he thought.

At least, now I can understand the local language. I didn't even know there were two distinct dialects. Hmm, so that's the reason why the names Tensei Arakuro and Bai Xu Zhen Ren sound so different.

Adam's eyebrows furrowed as he wondered:

But why did Elder Zhen Ren hand me the orb in the first place? I never gave any indication that I couldn't understand the local language.

How strange…

He continued to walk under the shade of the plum blossom trees, deep in thought.

Well, whatever.

He laughed out loud, scaring another group of disciples who passed by.

Did the Elder say to meet him at the Petal Court? I wonder where that is…

***

The Petal Court sat atop a gentle hill within the Baihua Sect, surrounded by blooming flowers that blanketed the air with fragrance.

Elegant pavilions and stone paths meandered through the blossoms, creating a calm and peaceful atmosphere where the elite disciples of the Sect came to meditate and train.

"He's late," Elder Zhen Ren grumbled. "Perhaps, I shouldn't have left him on his own. He might have gotten lost…"

Beside him, the Sword Phoenix, Bai Ge, sat on a boulder, meditating. She was a woman of few words, and external factors rarely affected her emotions. Seeing that the mysterious new Guest Instructor was late, she didn't mind. Instead, she sat down and practiced mindfulness.

The Sword Dragon, Bai Xun, on the other hand, couldn't help but get a little restless after waiting for nearly an hour.

He turned to Elder Zhen Ren, who was looking towards the trail that led to the Petal Court, and asked, "Elder, just who exactly is this person? Does he not respect our time? I had to rearrange my entire schedule just to be here."

"Hmm?" Elder Zhen Ren raised an eyebrow, amused. "Are you sure it's not because the Sect Leader ordered you to be here?"

Bai Xun's lips twitched, and he looked away in embarrassment. "That's besides the point!"

Elder Zhen Ren sighed. "This man… he's a bit eccentric, so cut him some slack. But…"

His words trailed off. He then deeply looked at the young man and solemnly said, "The Sect Leader himself acknowledged his strength. Sparring with him will be very beneficial to you and Bai Ge."

Bai Xun's pupils constricted. "The Sect Leader said what?!"

Right at that moment, a faint gust of wind blew across the hill. The leaves of the trees fluttered, and the violet flower petals danced in the wind.

A masked man dressed in white suddenly appeared in the middle of the Petal Court!

None of the three Magi had sensed his presence until he spoke.

"Auhh!"

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