Stuck in a Chinese novel

***

"I guess you understand what's happening here, don't you?" Melissa asked in English. Lin Ruan had left them alone to meet with other guests because she also understood what Sun Ruan wanted.

"And? Should I fret over it needlessly?" Wei Jun asked, not really interested in what was going on. Of course, he knew what Sun Ruan wanted but his wants weren't Wei Jun's. Wei Jun had always done what he wanted, he was taught to do so. First by his father, and then by his brother. All he was taught was to sit at the top and he did.

At the top, his wants were his and his alone, no one else's wants were ever his priority.

'Nothing had changed. My situation is just a little weak at the moment.' Wei Jun's plans, nature, desire, nothing had changed. All that changed was that he was powerless at the moment.

'But, not for long.' Wei Jun thought with determination. He had taken his first steps. Now all he needed to do was learn how to properly walk and then run and in no time, he would be at the finish line, faster than anyone else. Even those who began decades before him. He just needed some time and stick to his goals.

"Enjoy your evening, Dame Melissa. May we meet again under better circumstances." Wei Jun said before retiring to the balcony to have a good conversation with the system.

Melissa was stunned by how Wei Jun completely dismissed her. She wasn't someone to dismiss so easily. Still, she decided not to take any offense, after all, she had also been rude earlier when she tried to gauge the strength of the man whose child she might have to sire.

Wei Jun arrived on the balcony and the first thing he asked was, "What the hell is mana?"

[Mana is another cosmic power of this world, this universe, this reality]

'What? I thought Qi was the only cosmic power of this world.' Wei Jun asked incredulously.

[And who told you that?]

The system retorted. But Wei Jun replied, 'Isn't it so because you are the overseer of this world? If you were a Qi cultivator, then wasn't Qi the power of this world?'

[…]

[Host, have you never heard of a predecessor?]

'What?' Wei Jun asked, a little flabbergasted by the question that had nothing to do with the conversation.

[The position of the overseer didn't just create itself and I was lucky enough to have it]

[The position of the overseer was made by someone to watch over this world and I just happened to be the latest overseer for the last 103,512 years]

[There have been many before me]

[The powers of this world aren't just Mana and Qi, there is also spiritual energy, soul power, and the most dangerous one that evil people often turn to, the power of darkness]

It was a lot to take in. First, the system wasn't the only overseer in history, there had been many before him, and from his explanation, it looked like not all of them had Qi as their power.

Second was the duration of the system's tenure to the position of overseer. And last but not least, the existence of many other powers.

[If you're wondering whether or not you can practice the other powers as well, then the answer is no]

[The core in your abdomen will fight off any other power]

[Except for the power of darkness of course, because that is the only power more violent than Qi]

[However, then the power of darkness would fight off Qi and reject it from your system]

Wei Jun admitted he had a small thought about that but he didn't entertain it fully. However, now that the system had explained the risks, and if he was just guessing, then rejection meant his death, Wei Jun wasn't going to attempt anything like that.

Besides, he could tell that his role was designed to be a cultivator since the beginning given the items in the system's shop.

'Is mana dangerous? Are all of them dangerous?' Wei Jun asked about his next points of concern.

[Everything is accompanied by advantages and disadvantages]

[No power is all powerful and without any drawbacks]

[When it comes to combat, think of it like an archer facing a swordsman]

[If the distance between them is greater, then the archer wins]

[If not, then the swordsman wins]

[In this scenario, mages, mana users, are archers and swordsmen are Qi cultivators]

[Like I said, every power comes with advantages and disadvantages]

[Qi makes the body of the cultivator strong, granting them power and endurance beyond normal humans to levels you wouldn't even imagine]

[As for mages, their attacks and skills become stronger with mana, but their bodies remain weak]

[Of course, there is an extension of mana, known as aura that works almost similar to Qi, but isn't as destructive and powerful as Qi]

[The same goes for other powers as well]

Even after a very long and precise explanation, Wei Jun still had a ton of questions left but before he could ask them, he felt someone stepping onto the balcony, "Grandfather wishes to see you." A familiar female voice informed him.

Wei Jun knew he couldn't avoid this at the moment so he turned to Lin Ruan and simply nodded, making his way back to the hall where the gathering was held.

"Ah, my grandson, come and meet Elder Zhiang. He is a very respectable figure in our sect." Sun Ruan introduced Wei Jun to another white-haired old man.

Although Wei Jun didn't want to go far with this farce, he still had enough patience to see Sun Ruan's efforts to the end. Besides, the more he knew about him, the better his cards would be.

Of course, at the current moment, Wei Jun had no cards and even if he did, he knew he wouldn't be able to use them because of his low power.

"A pleasure to meet you, elder." Wei Jun knew that in ancient China, an elder was a title given to respectable and powerful figures. It was a tradition used in the Mongolian race though Wei Jun didn't know if the Mongolian lineage was also in this world or not.

So he treated the old man with respect, bowed slightly, closed his eyes, and called him by his appropriate title. The old man, Elder Zhiang was taken aback by the courteous bow of Wei Jun and couldn't help but let out a pleasant laugh, "Haha! What a marvelous young man! Young people nowadays don't even know how to properly greet their elders."

Wei Jun nodded inwardly as his guess hit the spot. From his earlier guesses, this world hadn't gone through some major changes. The nation of England, the ruler of Britain was still in the old ways.

Mongolian China wasn't also divided into China, Corea, later known as Korea, Japan, and so on. It was still one untied nation.

He had a strong hunch that the same must be true for the other old nations that split up after industrialization and the modern age. However, this world had achieved modernization but still, the old nations were the same, and the traditions also seemed to be the same. Like English noble houses bow, kiss on the back of the hand, and mostly Melissa's fashion sense.

And now, greeting an elder like they used to be greeted in old China was also the same.

Wei Jun remained quiet to that remark. It wasn't meant for him anyway. Elder Zhiang was loud enough for everyone to listen. One because he wanted them to know that that was how they should greet their elders, and the second because of their earlier ploy of elevating Wei Jun's worth.

It was simple for Wei Jun to see even if many in the hall didn't understand. Just like that, the introductions to various old men, old women, middle-aged men, middle-aged women, young men, and especially young beautiful women.

Sun Ruan paid extra attention to the last category. Wei Jun on the other hand couldn't help but feel annoyed every time he would do that. It wasn't the playful type of annoyance, but someone trying to control your life annoyance. And that was what Sun Ruan was doing.

Finally, the gathering came to an end. The guests began to leave one by one by midnight. Wei Jun stood in a corner, watching everyone leave one by one, after greeting the patriarch of the house.

Once everyone was gone, it was time for the wrap-up. Of course, that was the task of the staff. The last to leave was Melissa who winked at Wei Jun before she left. That wink was nothing but trouble for Wei Jun because Sun Ruan was watching. And not only that, Melissa meant nothing romantic by it.

Finally, the family was also excused by Sun Ruan but before Wei Jun could even leave, Sun Ruan's voice entered his ears, "Meet me in the study room, Xiao Wei. Join me for some tea."

Wei Jun sighed. He had thought that this matter wouldn't come up since it was almost one in the morning, but it seemed like what he suspected was about to some. The talk of his marriage, or the lack of it.