Close Combat Mage
Close Combat Mage - Chapter 335: Various Remarkable Abilities Pt. 2

鈥淓h!鈥?Roger couldn鈥檛 help but start at Suo Jia鈥檚 words. He then lowered his head while pondering what Suo Jia had said. That鈥檚 right鈥?a true expert would be able to maintain their mental state like water at any point in time. How could they allow waves to easily billow up? Although that guy鈥檚 words were annoying, it wasn鈥檛 enough to induce great waves in a person that had cultivated their state of mind to a high enough level. Besides, on what basis could that guy judge if Roger was a coward or not?

鈥淏ang!鈥?Just as Roger was thinking this, a fierce slam rang out. A tall and straight figure proudly appeared there, and after a few glances around, walked over to Suo Jia and Roger with large strides. A wide cloak fluttered in the air behind him as he approached them, rustling in the wind.

Seeing the quickly approaching figure, Suo Jia and Roger stood up excitedly. That鈥檚 right鈥he person that had arrived was none other than their companion that they hadn鈥檛 seen in half a year: Xiang Yun!

At the sight of Xiang Yun, who was now even more elegant than before, Suo Jia and Roger couldn鈥檛 help but each punch Xiang Yun in the chest with a fist. Xiang Yun didn鈥檛 purposely dodge, and instead faced their strikes head-on with a large smile on his face. 鈥淏oth of you guys came so early, I鈥檇 thought that I鈥檇 be the first to arrive.鈥?/p>

After they all sat back down, Suo Jia smiled and sighed in admiration as he looked at Xiang Yun and said, 鈥淵ou rascal, you didn鈥檛 even look at what time it is, and you still thought you鈥檇 be the first to arrive. I鈥檝e already been here for over an hour!鈥?/p>

As soon as Suo Jia finished speaking, that thick and sturdy warrior at the table next to them spat at them in disdain, 鈥淗mph! You鈥檙e even wearing such a large cloak鈥*cking hell鈥ou must really think of yourself as some chivalrous hero! I think it鈥檇 be more accurate to call you a shrimp instead.鈥?(TL: This is a pun. Chivalrous hero = 澶т緺 (da xia), which shares the same phonetics as 澶ц櫨 = shrimp)

鈥淗ahahaha鈥?鈥?In coordination, the warrior鈥檚 five companions all laughed heartily, their laughter filled with contempt and derision.

Even idiots would know who these guys were talking to. After all鈥n the entire inn, it seemed as if only Xiang Yun was wearing such a large cloak. Moreover, he was the closest one to these guys, and he鈥檇 also just entered.

In response to the ridicule, Xiang Yun smoothly picked up a cup and poured himself plenty of wine as if he hadn鈥檛 heard them at all. After lifting his head to finish it, he lazily looked at Roger and said, 鈥淵ou scoundrel, you鈥檙e not bad. If I hadn鈥檛 trained with my life, you might鈥檝e really caught up with me.鈥?/p>

In the past, Roger definitely would鈥檝e jumped up at these words and begun arguing without restraint. However鈥iang Yun鈥檚 performance just now already completely proved that, at the very least, in terms of training one鈥檚 mental state, Roger was inferior to Xiang Yun!

Roger tightly clenched his teeth and ground out in a low voice, 鈥淛ust wait and watch. There will definitely come a day when I鈥檒l catch up to you, and even surpass you!鈥?/p>

鈥淗m?鈥?Xiang Yun couldn鈥檛 help but furrow his brows at this, and tentatively stretched his hand out to touch Roger鈥檚 forehead. He then asked in confusion, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not hot? It doesn鈥檛 seem like a fever, unless鈥ou overtrained to the point where you broke your mind?鈥?/p>

鈥淪crew you鈥︹€?Seeing Xiang Yun鈥檚 serious act, Roger grumpily pushed away Xiang Yun鈥檚 hand and moodily mumbled, 鈥淔*ck, in these past years, I鈥檝e only been focusing on hammering battle skills into myself, and forgot to train my mental state. That鈥檚 why鈥 have to admit now that I鈥檝e already fallen behind you. However, you should watch out; I鈥檒l soon catch up.鈥?/p>

鈥淢mm鈥︹€?Seeing how earnest Roger was, Xiang Yun nodded and replied, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 right. Actually, I noticed as soon as I met you that, although your aura has become much sharper, you鈥檙e still too exposed. Look at Captain, do you see any aura to speak of around any part of his body?鈥?/p>

Roger couldn鈥檛 help but turn to look at Suo Jia, and watch as Suo Jia serenely sipped some tea. He then smiled at Roger and said, 鈥淎lthough one鈥檚 mental state seems worthless and unuseful in any way, there is a point that is for certain: People with more skilled mindsets will always defeat people with weaker mindsets. As for the reasons behind it, they can be felt intuitively, but cannot be conveyed with words!鈥?/p>

鈥淗aha鈥︹€?Xiang Yun laughed and replied with a nod, 鈥淎ctually, it can be vaguely described. Those with stronger mental states are always extremely calm; they can always make the most correct choice at the most appropriate moment. In front of those with weaker mental states, they would never make any mistakes. However, in the reverse situation, those with weaker mental states will always expose openings, vulnerable points that lead to their defeat!鈥?/p>

Suo Jia nodded as well, and he gently placed his cup down on the table. Then鈥e turned around and looked at the only seat empty on his right side. 鈥淚n terms of cultivating one鈥檚 mindset, I鈥檓 sure Nicole has a greater right of speech, right, beloved young Miss Nicole?鈥?/p>

鈥淗aha鈥︹€?A chime-like laugh rang out in response as Nicole鈥檚 body faded into appearance on the empty seat. At the moment鈥he was lazily resting her upper body on the table while looking at everyone with a happy expression.

鈥淵ou!鈥?Roger stared at Nicole in shock and said almost fearfully, 鈥淢y God! When did you get here? Why didn鈥檛 I sense it at all?鈥?/p>

鈥淗aha鈥︹€?Suo Jia chuckled and calmly said to Roger, 鈥淭his is where the usefulness of one鈥檚 mental state lies. A skilled mindset is like water, like a mirror, that can at any point reflect everything around it. On the other hand, you鈥ave always been too impatient. That鈥檚 why, even if Nicole purposely exposed any of her vulnerable spots, you still wouldn鈥檛 notice them.鈥?/p>

鈥淵ea鈥︹€?Xiang Yun continued, 鈥淚n reality, you should鈥檝e been able to sense Nicole when she was sprawled across the table. I only discovered that Nicole because I鈥檇 sensed the energy coming off of the table.鈥?/p>

With a gleeful smirk, Nicole proudly stated, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 right. If I didn鈥檛 purposely reveal any openings, there鈥檇 no way anyone could break through my stealth!鈥?/p>

In response to Nicole鈥檚 bragging, Suo Jia indifferently picked up his cup, took a light sip, and intoned back, 鈥淣icole, the next time you go under stealth, you must make sure to control your emotions. When you circled around me from the back earlier, I could hear your heartbeat!鈥?/p>

Nicole couldn鈥檛 help but flush in embarrassment and mutter, 鈥淲hat, it鈥檚 been ages since we have seen each other. Being able to suddenly meet again just makes me excited. If it were anyone else, my heart rate definitely wouldn鈥檛 have sped up.鈥?/p>

Suo Jia chuckled and chided, 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 just your heart beat. You also need to make sure that, aside from when you want to launch an attack, you must not get within 10 meters radius of a target. Take me for example, from the flow of the water elements around your body alone, I can already break through your stealth!鈥?/p>

鈥淲hat?!鈥?Nicole stared at Suo Jia in disbelief and cried, 鈥淲hat did you say? You mean that once I enter the 10 meter radius from your body, you can sense me?鈥?/p>

Suo Jia glanced at Nicole and nodded. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 right, the instant you approached the 10 meter radius around me, the water elements around me had already sketched out your figure. Although I couldn鈥檛 see you, I could sense you!鈥?/p>

鈥淗eavens!鈥?Nicole exclaimed in astonishment, 鈥淭hat means no thief can ever dream of assassinating you. After all鈥tealth can鈥檛 actually make someone disappear. And once they reach your side, they鈥檒l automatically be sketched out by the water elements everywhere.鈥?/p>

Suo Jia was just about to provide an explanation in response to Nicole鈥檚 praise before that thick and sturdy warrior at the next table finally spoke up again. 鈥淔*ck, although those cowards aren鈥檛 any good, that girl鈥檚 body is pretty nice. If I get to drag her up to sleep with me for a night and properly enjoy her, I鈥檇 willingly take ten years off my life!鈥?/p>

鈥淗uk!鈥?At the warrior鈥檚 unbridled words, Suo Jia, Nicole, and Xiang Yun simultaneously stood up in a burst of fury. Only Roger remained seated at his spot, staring at the three people in confusion. He internally wondered: hadn鈥檛 they just talked about how one鈥檚 mental state must be like water from beginning to end? How come these guys were so riled up?

鈥淔*ck it!鈥?Seeing Roger remain seated there like a large statue, Nicole shouted out in anger at Roger before she鈥檇 even gotten the chance to yell at the thick and sturdy warrior, 鈥淲hat are you doing?! Someone else humiliated your companion, yet you鈥檙e still just sitting there. Are you still a man or not?鈥?/p>

Roger couldn鈥檛 help but stand up in response with a bitter smile. Mother of鈥hat did this count as? When he鈥檇 wanted to get angry earlier, Suo Jia had said he was wrong, but now, sitting there was wrong again? Exactly what actions were the most correct?

Seeing Roger鈥檚 confused expression, Suo Jia sinisterly stated, 鈥淩oger, we don鈥檛 want you to blindly just endure everything. If the other party鈥檚 words and actions aren鈥檛 punishable by death, then there鈥檚 no need to pay them any mind. But if their words and actions cannot be forgiven, we don鈥檛 need to blindly excuse them. If they want to die but worry about there not being any ghosts to drag them to their deaths, then we can just do it for them!鈥?/p>