One-Eyed Monster

Master Lao sat upright at this moment, his expression calm as he watched Igor and the others enter.

”Master!” Igor’s expression showed some urgency. He couldn’t help it; Kadi’s words had provoked him, and he wanted to resolve the misunderstanding immediately.

”You’ve arrived!” Master Lao looked at Igor calmly, ”Are you ready to depart? I have everything prepared.”

Igor was a bit taken aback; he had come here to talk with the master, but his unexpected words left Igor at a loss for what to say.

”We haven’t left yet; we’re still waiting for someone to arrive!” Kadi spoke up from behind, providing relief in an otherwise awkward situation.

”Someone else is coming here!” The master seemed a bit confused by this.

”Yes, a friend of ours, and someone from the City Administrative Office. They’ll handle everything.”

”Oh, is that so? In any case, I’m ready. Take whatever you need from me; I won’t say no to you. You’re after me too, but you’re not the same as that puppet master. I choose to believe you.” Master Lao’s tone had a sense of resolution.

This time, it was Kadi’s turn to be a bit puzzled. He looked at Igor: ”What does he mean?”

”Everything’s getting more and more confusing!” Igor was a bit anxious, his thoughts a bit chaotic.

”Ahahahaha, don’t be like that. I feel you’re good-hearted people, so I’m willing to offer up my spirit core to you. No need to beat around the bush.” Master Lao said.

”What spirit core? We don’t want any spirit core!” Igor said angrily.

”Spirit core? Do we want that thing?” Kadi stared at Igor, as if he were looking at a stranger.

”We don’t need it. You misunderstood us, Master; you shouldn’t see us as the same as that puppet monster!” Igor exclaimed loudly, feeling repressed for quite a while.

”But…” Master Lao was also stunned by Igor’s behavior, unsure whether his own judgment was right or wrong.

”I know Master believes we’re like that puppet monster. After all, I’m the one who brought this monster here!” Igor opened up and started talking without reservation.

”In what way are we like that puppet monster?” Kadi asked, baffled by Igor’s remark.

”Shut up and listen to me. This is a misunderstanding between us and Master; it must be cleared up!” Igor rudely interrupted Kadi’s questioning.

”Oh.” Kadi sensibly complied and sat next to Master, leaving Lao looking even more perplexed.

”The misunderstanding Master has about us might be due to the moment I used the Inner World. Master may not understand this himself; I can’t explain it clearly right now because the story is too long. I can only briefly tell you that we’re not bad people.”

”You don’t need to say this; I admit it anyway, so there’s no need to explain so much. I’ll give you whatever you want!” Master Lao was puzzled about why Igor was so upset if he wasn’t against cooperating with them.

”I don’t need it! The puppet monster wants the spirit core, but we don’t need it!” Igor almost roared.

”Umm…” Master Lao didn’t know what to say.

”Sorry, I lost my temper!” Igor apologized.

”Emotional people are prone to losing control; Goodley said so, so don’t worry about it too much.” Kadi said something irrelevant.

”Now that you say this, I somewhat understand you don’t want the spirit core from me. But I still don’t understand why you came back to find me. Isn’t it because of what I have?” Master Lao questioned.

”You’re right about that part. I can see you have something different from others, the very thing the puppet monsters need. I came to find you because I feared you’d be hurt.” Igor replied.

”You came to protect me?” Master Lao asked.

”Isn’t that obvious?” Kadi interjected.

”Why would you protect me? What’s worth protecting? Aren’t you really just protecting the spirit core from being taken by others?” Master Lao queried.

”Your logic isn’t exactly wrong.” Igor scratched his head, ”But I don’t know what a spirit core is. I only know that Master possesses the Craftsman Spirit. Once it leaves Master, it loses its significance. So what I’m protecting isn’t the spirit core; I’m protecting you who has the Craftsman Spirit.”

”Even if you didn’t have the Craftsman Spirit, we’d still protect you.” Kadi lazily spun the Butterfly dual knives in his hand.

”Exactly, even without the Craftsman Spirit, we’d protect you.” Igor echoed.

Master Lao furrowed his brows, contemplating slightly.

”Master may not know what the Craftsman Spirit is, but that doesn’t matter. Just by being yourself, you can pass on this spirit. I believe soon A Rang will also display this Craftsman Spirit.”

”Sounds like we indeed have a deep misunderstanding!” Master Lao reflected.

”It’s more than a deep misunderstanding; it nearly drove that guy to despair!” Kadi added from the side.

”It’s my fault for not explaining clearly to Master…” Igor said.

”How did you discern the Craftsman Spirit in me? I’m still curious about this.” Master Lao remained inquisitive.

”Master, you don’t realize your entire being radiates powerful Spirit Power when you forge iron!” Igor responded.

Master looked to Kadi, seeking a different answer.

”Though I don’t know what Igor means, Master, you really are exceptional when forging weapons, unlike ordinary people.” Kadi answered honestly.

”Regarding what the Craftsman Spirit is, perhaps Master has experienced it; you can see through puppet masters at a glance, while we cannot.” Igor added.

”Let me think it over.” Master held his forehead, evidently this exchange with Igor and the others connected him with something at another level.

”Master, our misunderstanding is because we haven’t communicated on this topic. Now that it’s cleared up, I feel it’s rather good.” Igor concluded.