The three of them wandered for a bit before ending up at a newly opened restaurant for a late-night meal.
Li Siying wasn’t old enough to drink, so she grilled Li Chang’an with questions. "Brother Chang’an, do you have a territory now? Where is it?"
Li Chang’an had left in a hurry last time.
He hadn’t even said goodbye to them.
As a result, neither Li Siying nor Li Jianfei knew about Li Chang’an’s current situation.
Li Jianfei had tried asking their homeroom teacher, but the teacher was under a gag order. All they said was that Li Chang’an had made it big, without giving any specific details.
Now that they finally had the chance to see Li Chang’an again, they were naturally curious.
Li Chang’an didn’t hide anything. "Of course," he said. "My territory is in Cangxuan City. It’s in a pretty good location. If you’re curious, I can take you to see it tomorrow!"
Hearing this, Li Siying’s face lit up with excitement. "Really? Can you? I’ve never even left the slums! Please take me, Brother Chang’an!"
The laws of the Main World were extremely strict for ordinary people.
Normally, there were only three ways for an ordinary person to leave the city of their birth. The first was to become a Reincarnator. The second was to be recruited for a job and receive permission from another city. The third was if their city was overrun by an Exotic Beast Tide, allowing them to flee for their lives.
Aside from those three scenarios, ordinary people were confined to their designated areas for their entire lives. Forget about visiting other cities; it was hard enough just to leave their own.
Li Jianfei, afraid of putting Li Chang’an in a difficult position, cut in. "You have school tomorrow. All you do is cause trouble for Brother Chang’an!"
Li Siying stuck out her tongue playfully. "School, school, always school. Missing one day won’t kill me. Brother Chang’an is a Reincarnator now. If he says he’ll take me, that means he’s got my back. You’d better show some respect, Mr. Barbecue Stall Owner!"
Li Jianfei was left speechless.
Li Chang’an couldn’t help but chuckle.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Li Jianfei was a little tipsy. Li Chang’an, who was still sober, spoke up. "Jianfei, I got you a temporary reincarnation authority. Do you have the confidence to try again?"
Upon hearing the words "temporary reincarnation authority"...
...both Li Jianfei and Li Siying froze.
Although neither of them were Official Reincarnators, they had both received systematic training at a Reincarnator School. Thus, they were all too familiar with what a temporary reincarnation authority was.
Normally, a person only got one chance at a temporary reincarnation authority, in their eighteenth year. For the vast majority, failing that one attempt meant their life was essentially over.
Only the core disciples of a few first-class Reincarnation Families might get a second chance.
’But now, Li Chang’an was saying he’d managed to get a temporary reincarnation authority?’
The shock sobered Li Jianfei up instantly. Thinking he must have misheard, he shook his head, trying his best to clear it. His voice trembled as he asked, "Chang’an, what did you just say?"
Li Chang’an smiled. "I said I got you an extra temporary reincarnation authority. Do you still have the guts to go to a Rebirth World and fight for your chance?"
Once he confirmed he hadn’t misheard, Li Jianfei began to tremble all over.
Li Siying was just as stunned, her eyes wide. "Brother Chang’an, I heard that extra temporary reincarnation authorities are incredibly rare. They don’t just cost a lot of money; you need to have enough power, too. Isn’t this... isn’t this too valuable?"
Li Siying had always acted carefree and nonchalant.
But that didn’t mean she wasn’t smart. On the contrary, she was even sharper and quicker-witted than Li Jianfei. And it was precisely because she was so smart that she was all the more shocked now.
The value of a temporary Rebirth Mark...
For an ordinary person who had already failed their reincarnation, it was tantamount to a second life!
Li Chang’an laughed. "Don’t forget, I was the top scorer in Lijiang’s last reincarnation assessment. Getting a temporary reincarnation authority is nothing. I just made a request to Chairman Su of the Lijiang Rebirth Association, and she got it for me!"
He said it so casually.
But neither Li Jianfei nor Li Siying felt it was a casual matter at all.
They knew Li Chang’an could have asked for anything else; he didn’t need to use such a huge favor to get an item that was completely useless to him.
Li Jianfei sniffled, his eyes starting to burn.
He stood up, looked at Li Chang’an, and bowed deeply. "Brother Chang’an, thank you for your kindness, but this is just too valuable. I really can’t accept it..."
If he could guarantee success, Li Jianfei wouldn’t mind owing Li Chang’an a favor, because he’d be able to find a way to repay it.
But Li Jianfei knew he would most likely fail again. If that happened, he would have wasted such a precious opportunity from Li Chang’an, a debt he feared he could never repay in his lifetime.
At that point, he probably wouldn’t even be able to face Li Chang’an, and their friendship would be over.
Li Chang’an had expected this reaction and chuckled. "It doesn’t matter if you fail this time. I’ll just get you another one..."
He paused for a moment before adding with a grin, "Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten? We promised we’d become Reincarnators together. I’ve even got a spot for you all picked out. If you chicken out now, I’ll have to laugh at you!"
Li Siying glanced at Li Chang’an, then back at Li Jianfei.
She flashed a fierce grin and scolded him too. "Jianfei, what’s wrong with you? You used to go on and on to me about your dream, and now that Brother Chang’an has put it right in front of you, you’re scared? What’s with being so wishy-washy? A coward like you isn’t fit to be my brother!"
Li Jianfei’s eyes reddened as he fought with all his might to hold back tears.
But in the end, he couldn’t stop himself. He wiped at his runny nose and said, "Since you both put it that way... I guess I really shouldn’t be so dramatic."
Li Siying winked at Li Chang’an.
Li Chang’an couldn’t resist teasing him as well. "A crybaby isn’t fit to be my brother. What kind of look is that, all crying and sniveling!"
Li Jianfei wiped his face, which was a mess of tears and snot. Hearing their teasing, he retorted, both angry and embarrassed, "I’m not crying! I’m really not! It’s just... the wind! It’s really strong!"
...