Chapter 515: This World Is Too Dangerous
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As Ye Chong considered the issue, he saw Ban Mang toying his dagger with great interest. He said calmly, "The dagger, you can have it."
"Really?" Ban Meng was overjoyed.
"Yes." Ye Chong still wore an emotionless expression, but Ban Meng felt like kissing the man. Ye Chong's daggers were not top of the line, but were in fact only extras. Guardian's daggers were first class, but since he had given Guardian to Rui Bing, he could not possibly keep the daggers for himself.
"Then what do you use for cutting here?"
"Laser blades." Ban Meng now had a different impression of Ye Chong. The latter looked like a careless man, but was in fact quite observant. Since he gifted him such a precious item, the man must not mean harm to him, else he would not have offered this unnecessary gesture. After all, their different in strength was too great. Ban Meng now paid more attention to Ye Chong's questions, but he could not help but wonder - did this man know nothing at all?
"Laser blades? Let me see one."
Ban Meng fished out a block that was about two fingers wide.
Ye Chong took it and studied the thing. His fingers wrapped comfortably around the block, which was probably made of some kind of unknown type of wood. The block was about 10 centimeters long, and a centimeter thick. It was in a light green color, with a hook on one end and a green colored rock near it. On the other end was a red button.
This was a laser sword!
Ye Chong recognized it instantly. The green rock must be the energy source, while the red button would activate the sword. Ye Chong pressed the red button. As expected, a white colored laser shot out from the other end, long and thin like a sword.
The white laser sword looked solid. The edges of the laser were well defined.
Ye Chong crouched down and traced the laser blade lightly on the ground. He did not feel any resistance in his hand, but the ground already had a deep mark in it.
What a powerful laser sword! Ye Chong's face betrayed nothing, but he was shocked inside.
Laser swords were not exactly high tech stuff. Ye Chong had used them before. Nevertheless, there were technical difficulties with making them, such as controlling the energy channelled into the weapon and the focusing of this energy. The more focused the laser energy was, the clearer the edges of the laser sword. This would result in better and cleaner cutting results.
These technical difficulties had long plagued the improvement of laser swords. Based on what Ye Chong knew, no laser sword could be focused so accurately. This was why most advanced mechs preferred ally swords instead of their laser counterparts.
Besides, when laser swords were used in battle, the materialized laser blade itself could be unstable. However, when Ye Chong tried to cut the ground with the laser blade he had, the blade did not waver at all.
This was a highly advanced laser blade!
"Hey, you two, you're destroying public property. That's a penalty of 30 ao!" An old woman in a red shirt approached them menacingly.
Ye Chong turned and looked at the old lady.
Ban Meng could feel his head explode. Heavens! How could he be so careless? This old lady's going to die! If the man was offended, then …
Ban Meng could see the bloody aftermath in his head. Blood would color the streets today.
"Whatcha looking at? What? You gonna argue? Lemme tell ya, this grandma's been here on the streets since 30 years ago, hehe, and I've never seen anyone make trouble here! You're too young to mess with me, little boys," the old woman glared at them as she pulled up her sleeves, showing the tattoo of a green dragon on the wrinkled skin of her arms.
F*ck! They're truly f*cked now! Ban Meng lost all hope he had. He knew that the stranger from the woods was not open for negotiations. The tribos was killed like it cost him nothing. How would he stand being scolded like this? The legendary characters of great strength had always killed whenever it pleased them. They treated life like it was worth nothing at all.
If this man started a massacre, his life was over! Heavens, whichever deity was listening, please save him!
"Money, get your money."
Ban Meng kept his eyes shut. He dared not watch. It would turn bloody, for sure.
"Get your money!"
Huh, wasn't that the voice of that cold hearted man? Ban Meng realized, and opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was Ye Chong tilting his head at him and calmly signalling for him to pay up.
The old woman was still glaring at them. Ban Meng quickly said, "Alright alright alright! Money! Money!" Ban Meng quickly took them out of his wallet.
It was unexpected, really, that the man was actually not as bad as he thought. Ban Meng had heard of how famous experts usually a bad temper and would intimidate the weak.
"Hmph, that's more like it," the old woman snatched the money off Ban Meng's hands and stuffed a penalty ticket into them.
Ye Chong did not seem to be perturbed by the incident. He turned to Ban Meng and said, "Let's go."
Ban Meng stole glances at Ye Chong as they made their way to the former's house. He could not figure out the cold stranger.
The two of them travelled the rest of journey in silence.
"Well, here we are," Ban Meng said in a whisper. It was a three-storey building, with a courtyard about 200 square meters wide.
Ban Meng pushed through the door and announced, "I'm back."
"Meng Meng is back! Why're you back so late today?" A woman's voice asked from inside the house. She came to the door, and turned out ot be a beautiful middle aged woman. She wore an apron, with her hair tied up into a high bun. She was surprised to see Ban Meng's sorry state. "What happened? Weren't you flying with your Wood Kite today? How'd you end up like this? Did something go wrong while you're flying?"
"That d*mned store keeper, he sold me a spoiled one, it disassembled while I was in the air!
Ban Meng explained through gritted teeth. He did no know that his Wood Kite was destroyed by the cold man behind him.
"Long as you're okay!" Ban Meng's mother got a small towel to clean his face.
When she was done, she noticed Ye Chong. "This is …"
"He's a classmate. His parents are outstation, so I asked him to stay with us in the meantime." Ban Meng lied easily with his eyes open. Ye Chong was surprised.
"Aunty," Ye Chong greeted her politely.
"Come in, come in! We'll gladly have you, make yourself at home, don't be shy!" Ban Meng's mother had never seen his strange outfit before, but she greeted Ye Chong warmly. Ye Chong's expression had changed by then. The lines on his face no longer looked so cold and hard. Instead, his face had softened, and his lanky figure gave the impression of a bookish young man.
Ban Meng stared a Ye Chong in disbelief. He could not understand how the cold stranger could conjure up this image of a meek young man, like he was simply harmless.
Ye Chong ignored the stare he was getting from Ban Meng and followed the latter's mother into the house.
It was hard to discern if the furnishings in the house were of what quality or style, and Ye Chong could only ignore all the unfamiliar things lying around. Now was not the time to investigate them.
He sat quietly like a well behaved young man.
Dinner was sumptuous. Ban Meng's father was always busy with work, so he ate with some haste.
They gave Ye Chong a room of his own.
When it was only him and Ban Meng together upstairs, Ye Chong quickly pulled Ban Meng into his room. It was only then that Ban Meng saw traces of the man who could kill a man, no, kill a tribos, without blinking.
"What do you want?" Ban Meng tried to stay calm.
"I have a question," the meek young man now looked like the cold stranger he first came to know.
"What is it?"
Well, where should he even begin? Ye Chong was troubled. Everything here was unfamiliar to him. He remembered Ban Meng's Wood Kit then, and thought - safety first!
First, he needed to know who or what could pose a threat to him.
"Who's the strongest person here?"
"Strongest? You mean Yedda. Well, let me think, it should be Duo Ka. He's a Level 6 shooter!" Ban Meng said uncertainly after some thought.
"Shooter? What's a shooter?" Ye Chong continued with his questions.
"Heavens, boss, are you from outer space? Don't you know what a shooter is?" Ban Meng shouted unnecessarily loudly. He quickly quieted down at Ye chong's raised eyebrow.
"Err, how do I explain a shooter? Shooters, they have the strongest parapsychic control. They shoot without missing, the strongest warriors in the world," Ban Meng explained the best he could.
Ye Chong had an inkling now. They were long range fighters. It should not be surprising, given how advanced they were in laser tech. Ye Chong frowned at the thought, however. If their laser tech was so advanced, their laser guns must be very powerful. Close range mech pilots dreaded the threat posed by long range mechs and their weapons.
What was parapsychic control, though?
"What is a parapsychic, hmm, how should I put it? If you have parapsychic abilities, you can use it to control aircrafts and even weapons." Ban Meng waved around as he explained, but did not quite explain the concept.
"Demonstrate it for me," Ye Chong said.
Ban Meng blushed at his own incompetence in parapsychic control, and said with difficulty, "My - my parapsychic sense is too weak."
"I see," Ye Chong switched topics, "Do you have weapons here?"
"Weapons?" Ban Meng jolted in surprised. "What are you planning?"
"I want to see them." Ye Chong thought Ban Meng's overreaction was weird.
"I don't even have the lowest level flying license, how can I have any weapons? To own a weapon, you have to obtain at least an intermediate level flying license. Your parapsychic control must also be above Level 4. More powerful weapons will have stricter requirements," Ban Meng explained.
"Where can we get the weapons?" Ye Chong asked.
Ban Meng shook his head. "You don't have a license, people won't even sell them to you."
"I can steal," Ye Chong said easily. He was surprised that weaponry was controlled strictly here. Where he came from, mechs could be bought anywhere and by anyone.
Poor Ban Meng looked pale. He swallowed heavily and said, "You really shouldn't. Every weapons store has a judiciary police station right beside them. The officers are all very strong. Criminals are shot to shreds the moment they come close."
"If that's the case, we'll need to plan accordingly," Ye Chong seemed to consider the possibility.
A madman! Definitely a madman! If this man really went to rob the weapons store, they will be in big trouble! Ban Meng quickly said, "No need to rush! I have a friend with single barrel heatgun, I'll show you tomorrow."
Ye Chong thought about that for a moment, then nodded, "Alright."
"What level is the Wood Kite that you flew today?" Ye Chong thought of something else.
Ban Meng blushed again "The lowest."
Ye Chong nodded, thinking through the facts. The local technology was indeed unique. Even the lowest level aircraft could only be disassembled by his shuriken attack, and not be blown to bits. Ye Chong did not underestimate the Wood Kite or the laser blade he saw. On the contrary, he treated them cautiously. He did not know what else in this unfamiliar place could threaten him.
Besides, he still did not quite the whole parapsychic thing that Ban Meng talked about.
"Get some rest." Ye Chong's words sounded like a grant of mercy to Ban Meng.
(The next day.)
School, to Ye Chong, was a place that was much easier to understand.
They looked about the same no matter where he went. This particular school was not too big, but Ye Chong could see all kinds of aircrafts here. He could tell from Ban Meng talked about it that this school was only an average one, neither at the top nor at the bottom in ranking.
He also noticed the way many students were giving Ban Meng mocking or condescending looks.
"Do they not like you?" Ye Chong asked.
"Probably," Ban Meng answered with affected casualness.
"Why?"
"No reason, other than the fact that I want to be a pilot despite being weak in parapsychic control." Ban Meng was used to his situation already, but Ye Chong could still make out the disappointment he felt in his voice.
"Why not switch careers? You're more suitable for combat," Ye Chong suggested.
"Combat? What use is there for combat? It's a useless skill," Ban Meng said disapprovingly.
Useless? Ye Chong thought that was a strange assessment. Combat was not useless. Even in the Five Galaxies where the profession was slowly disappearing, combat experts were still recognized as a treat for mech pilots. He Yue's Ye Family and the Sang Tribe were even famous because of their combat expertise. In the free space zone, combat and alchemy were the two most mainstream professions. This was the first time he had heard of combat being described as useless.
"Who told you that?"
"Everyone in the world knows it. Parapsychic control is the only measure of one's true strength. People without parapsychic control are useless," Ban Meng shook his head and said with confidence, "The weakest student club we have in school is the combat association. Hehe, it has only three members. Anyone from the shooting club can win against all three of them single-handedly."
Ye Chong did not bother to argue for the advantages of combat.
Ye Chong followed Ban Meng into his class, and Ban Meng could only go with the flow. The cold man would not follow his advice just yet. Ban Meng's classmates saw him bring a stranger into class, and threw him looks of bafflement. Ban Meng could only brace himself and ignored them.
"Hey, lil' Ban Ban, you brought a friend?" A guy with a weird hairstyle approached them. On his scalp was a strip of hair running in the center from the front to back. The look he gave Ban Meng was not friendly.
The guy turned to Ye Chong looked him over. "I say, brother, why're you with this piece of sh*t? You a piece of sh*t too?"
The class roared with laughter at that, and Ban Meng's face flushed.
Ye Chong looked like a bookish, meek student by all means. No one would have guessed the strength he had in him.
"Watch your words, Duo Fei! Don't think you're so great just because your dad's a Level 6 shooter, you're just relying on your old man's reputation!" Ban Meng talked back with a red face.
Duo Fei's father was Duo Ka, the only Level 6 shooter in Yedda city. Duo Fei had always been proud since he was young, and did not like people suggesting how he was only relying on his father. Duo Fei smiled coldly, "Okay, Ban Meng, I see that you've forgotten your place in the short time since we've last met. Hehe."
He walked away with a cold smile after that.
The other students in class watched Ban Meng in surprise. They never imagined that Ban Meng would actually talk back, given his usual submissive behaviour. Little did they know that Ban Meng was actually afraid that the ignorant people around him would offend the ruthless stranger, so he went out of his way to prevent that from happening.
Ye Chong and Ban Meng sat in the last row. Ye Chong was not interested in such childish confrontations, much less be offended by them. The way he saw it, if you had a problem with someone, you should just take him out, simple as that. A battle with words had no practical value.
"Why didn't you just fight him?" Ye Chong asked Ban Meng, and added, "You don't have to look out for me."
"Of course I wasn't looking out for you!" Ban Meng cursed inside. Not even everyone in the class combined was enough to bring down this man. Ban Meng was afraid that Ye Chong would kill everyone in school. He would be in so much trouble if that happened.
"He'll lose if he fights you," Ye Chong deduced from the two student's physical outlook.
"What's the use of fighting? He has a license, and weapons. It'll be easy for him to kill me," Ban Meng said, disagreeing with Ye Chong.
"Then you should kill him first." Ye Chong's words were a chilling reminder to Ban Meng that his decision to interfere earlier was the right one. This man had probably killed people, repeatedly.
The teacher entered the class right then. He was looked like an average joe, middle-aged.
The teacher did not so much as glanced at Ban Meng and his new friend before starting the class.
Today's class was on some techniques in parapsychic control.
Ye Chong listened in for a while before realizing what parapsychic control actually was. Parapsychic control was very similar to the mental skills that mentalists had. Parapsychic control focused on concentration, but mentalist training emphasized more on a diffused way of mental control. Nevertheless, the two operated on the same principles.
Knowing this, Ye Chong felt that he should be even more careful now. It was hard to predict the powers of skillful mentalists. He knew this from experience. How difficult would it be to fight against a professionally trained combatant with mental abilities like these? Ye Chong could not be sure.
This was a very dangerous world. He should lay low and stay inconspicuous - that was Ye Chong's first conclusion.