(MC POV)
I pushed open the doors to the room meant for new students, finding all the people in my class already inside prepared for bed.
The room was big enough to fit in six beds with their headboards against the wall, though your personal space is limited to your bed and a small trunk for your personal belongings. There is a common area in the centre of the room where a table and six chairs sat, a very simple room basically.
"Had a good bath sire?" Sylphy asked from her own bed, somehow conveniently located across from mine.
Brendan had taken the bed next to mine with Tekiteh beside him while the twins had chosen to stay on the same side of the room as Sylphy.
Brendan looked up from the book that he had been reading, his glasses glinting in the light, "Sire?"
Sylphy tilted her head at him, "Yes. I just found out today that Mark is actually from a noble family that mine has been serving. I should, of course, show him the proper respect. Isn't that right, sire?"
Brendan turned to me, "Is that true?"
Again, I made use of my best skill in deceiving these people for this case.
I ignored the question and instead pointed at him, "I never knew you wore glasses."
He glanced down like he had just noticed them, "Oh… Er… I wear them when I'm reading. A little shortsighted, you see."
"You didn't seem to need one yesterday?" I pointed out.
"Ah, I can still see without them but not as good, they didn't let me take my glasses that day so I had to make do. But yeah, I'd prefer to have my glasses on when I'm reading."
"Cool," I nodded, moving to my bed.
I settled down on top of it, slowly relaxing into it.
I'm pretty sure the question already got deflected and forgotten, right?
"So you're a noble huh?" Brendan asked.
God damnit.
I was totally not prepared for this. I thought Sylphy would keep it hush hush and not actually advertise something like this to everyone. I suppose gods have their own variation of common sense than us normal people.
Now I'm at a loss.
They will eventually know that I am actually Master Lin, so do I continue my ruse of pretending I'm both a god and new student to Sylphy?
Now I also need to think if I should add in 'noble' to my list of fake identities to these little group of students…
Alright, alright. Engage quick thinking protocols!
First option! Agree with Sylphy!
Consequences? The other students will see me as a noble, it will explain Sylphy's possible future respectful attitude towards me and it will also be a big slap to Tekiteh's face for calling me poor six chapters ago.
I guess the cons would be… Wll, it's going to be rather hard to explain things once they know that I am actually Master Lin. I can already feel the concept of a simple life slipping further and further away if Sylphy makes the connection between Mark and me.
Well there exists the option of just having Mark disappear for some reason or another right before I reveal myself so there's still that. But something tells me Sylphy would still be able to know that it's me so that might not be as feasible of an idea as it looks.
Second option! Deny it!
Everybody would think I'm a normal person and wouldn't treat me differently!
But they will think Sylphy is lying or might not even believe me and become even more suspicious of me. Sylphy might even resent me for this. Clearly the worst option right now.
After going through all the possible scenarios in my head, I have decided to go with…
Option three!
I shrugged my shoulders before tilting my head at Brendan, "What business is your family involved in?"
He looked rather surprised by my question, "That… Well, we do mostly trades in various commodities though I'm not exactly sure to what extent. I haven't really been involved much in the family business ever since I started on my road to Cultivation."
"Interesting, do you think I could get a discount from your family's stores?"
He chuckled, "That would be a little difficult, considering even I do not get a discount at my family's stores. 'Play no favourites', my father would say."
I laughed with him before turning my attention to the rest of the room's occupants, "How are you guys finding Heaven Sect so far?"
'Chris with a K' grinned at me, "Nice teachers, nice people, nice air. What more could we ask for?"
Chris gave the exact same grin, "Yeah! We're already learning a lot! I'm sure we'll pass the test to be formally admitted as students in a week's time!"
Brendan also nodded along, "Yes. I have already learned so much in just a short time too. Elder Gong has shown his knowledge in this field quite splendidly."
Sylphy gave me a guts pose, "I'm sure you can enter the Sect without any problems too, sire! The Sect will be lucky to have you!"
I was just about to cringe at how the plan backfired because of Sylphy when Tekiteh started laughing in a mocking way.
"Hahaha! You guys are hilarious! You think just after one day of lessons like that is already guaranteeing you entry to the Sect?! You guys are stupider than I thought!"
Everyone in the room just turned to look at the guy.
"How's the wrist, Tek?" Brendan asked.
That turned his smile into a scowl real quick, "Healing nicely, no thanks to you, peeping tom."
"Funny you should say that. Is your other hand working well?"
Tekiteh looked down at his other hand, "Yeah, why?"
"Because I can help you break that too if it helps. I think you're much more bearable when your mouth is shut."
Tekiteh rose up from his bed, staring down at Brendan, "You wanna go huh? You piece of shit? You think you're some big shit or something? Just because of that one time you got me you think you're some big shit now? What a damn joke. Bet you that I've laid ten times more girls than you."
Brendan stared back, "Ten times zero is still zero. You never learned to count? Sorry, could your little brain even understand the concept of counting?"
Tekiteh raised his fist but Brendan was faster. The bespectacled boy's fist had already buried itself into the wannabe bully's abdomen and left him gasping for air.
Brendan was just about to continue hammering him but I grabbed his hand before he could continue.
"Alright, that's enough, how about we step outside for a bit eh?"
Without waiting for him to respond, I was already dragging him out through the door.
I turned back to the twins just before I stepped out, "Take care of the idiot won't you? Maybe something that will shut him up?"
Both of them gave me a thumbs up.
I walked Brendan a distance away, stopping near one of the pavilions.
"Yeah, sorry." Brendan apologised. "That guy just… Rubs me the wrong way. You know when you really don't like someone you just really get pissed by whatever they say?"
"Yeah, I know that feel. But I didn't bring you out here for that. I just wanted to ask what your problem was with the Bei Family without any witnesses."
"Oh… Well… Err… That's unexpected but ok. Remember what I said about my family suddenly becoming prosperous overnight?"
I nodded, wondering what he was getting at.
"Yeah. My brother was drafted into their knight corps and I've never seen him since. I have a feeling they were using him for some kind of experiment gone wrong so they did this as a sort of compensation for my brother's disappearance."
I raised an eyebrow, "Not to be an ass or anything but… Don't you think the Bei Family will just give some excuse like he died in a battle or something? Seems awfully convoluted to appease a family of failing merchants just because their eldest son died."
He nodded, "I thought so too… But I overheard my parents talking about 'giving them another offering' one day…"
I sucked in a breath, "You don't mean?"
"Yeah… I think they want my parents to give up their other children to the Bei Family too. Since I have already stepped on the Cultivator's path, it is difficult for them to pull me back since I might put up a fight. My younger siblings however… That's why I need to grow stronger, before they reach of age and get taken too!"
Well that was an unexpected turn. I guess he might not be the villain after all, but a man on the path for vengeance.
I clasped him on the shoulder, "Fear not, just continue on your path. I guarantee you will definitely be able to save your siblings from their fate."
Well, I'm just saying this as lip service for now. He seems like a good enough man so I'll need to do my own investigation of the Bei Family.
I've yet to forget about the world ending calamity that is supposed to happen in the future. Ain't gonna take any chances especially since they are the ruling family.
I guess I'll just keep a close eye on Brendan for now too, just in case he does anything stupid.
