Chapter 384: The Monk Lin Zhao

After giving Arthur its seal of approval, the cat jumped into the sea. Arthur rushed to catch it but realized that it disappeared again. He was left dumbstruck, left with puzzlement on whether the cat heard his thoughts or not. 

'Is it telling me to help the girl?' Arthur wondered to himself. He tried to peer into the ocean for the cat, but there was nothing, not even a shadow that resembled it. Finally, feeling as if the water looked back at him, Arthur retreated.

Arthur looked around the narrow and empty pathway between the railing and the inner core room. For some reason, he could feel untold stories from all over the worlds hiding beneath the spotless and ashen surface. 

'The cat with golden eyes wants me to help the kid,' Arthur pondered. 'Does that mean it would reveal itself again if I did?' 

Golden eyes, ones as golden as his, were so rare that Arthur never met someone with that eye color. So, to find a golden-eyes-cat was more than a coincidence, or so he wanted to believe. 

'Either way, it aligns with what I desire,' 

Arthur has changed, but he was still the same. His personality was to help others if he could because he knew how it felt to be left helpless, digging relentlessly for a good night's sleep. 

The sky was turning dark, and Arthur retreated to his room. As he was walking back, he found another seeker sitting on the ship's railing, gazing silently at the rising waves. 

"Hey there, new guy," the seeker asked as he turned. Arthur stopped walking and looked at him silently. "Don't worry. I'm not looking for a fight. Not that any seeker, sane ones at least, want to fight you," 

"What do you mean?" 

"I guess the stone features of the captain helped him to hide his true thoughts," the featureless seeker said with a grin, his mouth turning into half a circle. "That overflowing spirituality, are you an empyrean-ranker?" 

"Maybe, and maybe not," Arthur shrugged. "What does it have to do with you?"

"Well, if you were, then I would fawn over you. But, on the other hand, if you are just someone with abnormal spiritual energy, then I would take you in as my disciple." 

"Your disciple?" Arthur was amused. "To teach me what, exactly?" 

"Spiritual arts," the man said as he rose to stand on the railing, walking on them toward Arthur. "I can tell that you haven't contracted a spirit yet, so you are an Uncontracted Seeker." 

"Let's say I am an Empyrean-ranker," Arthur probed. "You wouldn't want me as your disciple?" 

"What would I teach someone who became one with heaven and earth?" The man jumped to land in front of him. "The Spirits Realm is a place for the strong to grow stronger. I believe that you aren't an Empyrean-rank because it's unlikely to evolve from the Astra-rank without contracting a spirit." 

Arthur looked at the man silently, not wishing to say anything that reveals his lacking knowledge about higher realms. It wasn't that he didn't want to learn them, but they were strictly confidential information in the Yalveran Union. 

"Tell me who you are," he tried to change the topic, and the man seemed to be okay with it. Clapping his hands together, the seeker introduced himself. 

"I am the wandering monk, Lin Zhao." 

"You are from The Theocracy of Shon?" Arthur tried to mask his surprise, but he couldn't help it. The man spoke fluent Yalveran Language, so he was surprised that such a person was from the Theocracy of Shon. 

"Now you know what means we use to contend against the Seven Families." Lin Zhao said with amusement. Arthur was silent, as this was the first time someone mentioned the Seven Families so casually. 

"I know," Arthur feigned knowledge. However, the monk didn't seem convinced and simply chuckled as he walked away. 

"I will be here if you change your mind. If you learn to use the Force of Self, then you will be omnipotent against the other families." 

"Where is the girl with the animals?" Arthur asked, and the monk pointed toward the mast without answering. Then, raising his head, Arthur found a small cabin on top of the mast. The girl was peeking at him from above. 

After turning to look at the monk, Arthur found out that he has walked away. He wondered what he meant by the Force of Self and if it was the same as spiritual energy. Either case, he was hesitant about the offer the monk made.

***

The waves slammed themselves against the hull of the vessel traveling across the ocean. As the cold wind traveled past him, Arthur closed his eyes and enjoyed the peacefulness. 

"Yah!" The girl shouted from behind him as if trying to startle him. Arthur turned with a smile, and the girl looked at him with frustration.  "I thought you would fall into the ocean, annoying mister." 

She stomped away angrily. Arthur looked at her, skipping steps around the corner of the ship and disappearing. He didn't want to be too eager to help her, as that would startle her away. Cases of abuse were difficult to handle, as the victims would shut themselves away the moment you try to help them. 

Arthur stood up from his spot as he tried to think of new ways to make her trust him. At that moment, a presence appeared above him as an eagle spirit flew past. The wind arrived, reminding Arthur of the spirit contracted by the President of The Yalveran Awakeners. 

"Hello?" 

Arthur called out to the spirit as he raised his arm. The spirit looked down before descending, landing on his limb. It was a giant spirit, its talons taking up the entirety of Arthur's arm.

"Such an amicable soul you are," Arthur smiled as the eagle made himself comfortable. "Can you help with something?"

As soon as he said that, Arthur felt the eagle try to make a contract with him. However, he shook his head in refusal. Arthur couldn't contract a spirit just yet, as he would leave the Spirits Realm. 

Arthur felt someone's gaze on his body, and he turned to see the girl peeking from behind the corner. She gazed at the eagle with such fondness, but she turned to look at Arthur with wariness. 

'Does she think I would take her back to her parents?' Arthur wondered for himself as he ignored her. The best way to make someone trust you is to prove they have nothing to use you for. 

"Let's play, little spirit." Arthur grinned, and the spirit nodded, flapping its wings to fly up. It made circles in the air around Arthur, creating miniature whirlwinds. 

They danced around Arthur, who moved his hand to command them. The eagle played its part, and the girl was soon floating. She gave a slight gasp as the animal spirit flew next to it, rubbing its head to the girl's body. 

"Woah," 

The girl giggled as she began flying around the ship. With the spirit's help, the girl had the time of her life as the girl kept cheering and laughing. 

The whole ship looked upward, noticing the change to a friendlier atmosphere. Then, after the spirit was tired, the girl landed in front of Arthur. The eagle landed on his arm again, and Arthur fed it with his spiritual energy. 

"Thank you, good friend." 

The eagle nodded with a smile before it flapped its wing and soared through the skies. Arthur could see that its tail turned golden after it fed on his power and hoped the payment was enough for the trouble. 

"Mister, mister!" The girl raced toward him, almost falling in the process. "How did you do that?" 

"Well, animals love me," Arthur said with a smile before walking away. "Let's play again tomorrow. Maybe you can ride the waves? Or a giant dolphin?" 

"Yes! I'll wait for you here!" 

The girl shouted from behind him as Arthur walked back to his room. He found the monk leaning on the walls of the chambers, seeming to have witnessed the whole event. 

"Careful, golden soul," the monk warned. "It is not so easy to fix broken things, and sometimes you would break them further." 

"Are you suggesting that I leave her alone?" 

"No, just a warning," the monk said before he walked away. "I know that if anyone can help that shortie, it would be you." 

He left Arthur with those words. Arthur stared at his departure silently, and a meow arrived from beside him. The black cat stood on top of the railing. 

This time, the cat didn't disappear right away. Instead, it rubbed its head on his arm but disappeared the moment that Arthur tried to touch it with his other hand.

"Such an introverted cat," Arthur sighed before he walked back toward his room. They should reach the snowy mountains tomorrow or the day after. He needs to finish his business here before that.