Chapter 247 A Proper Conversation - Part 2
"I am not the only one…" Jin did not know how to react. He has been given a chance to prove himself again and again, but he defied the System at every turn ever since the incident. Looking back at it, a cold shiver ran down Jin's spine at the realisation, that he could have lost everything, at any moment. Yun was considerate enough to give Jin some time to reflect before continuing her explanation.
"What happened to Grandpa Ming? You said that there were other Panda Clan remnants around. Why did Grandpa Ming still have access to the inheritance of the System even though the System denied him? Should it not have transferred over to someone else?"
"Simple answer. There were no worthy ones to be transferred over during his generation. All were equally useless. Even Zeru's Master was a failure in the end. It seemed that his work would go down the drain." Yun answered.
"Wait, what do you mean? Zeru's Master Tou Ma was a Panda Clan Remnant?" Jin was shocked at the discovery of the new fact. Did Zeru know all along that Jin was a Panda Clan Descendent? Was that the real reason why Zeru called him Master and not the System's enforced blind loyalty to Jin?"
"Yes, but Tou Ma did some senseless stuff when he realised he was able to utilise the powers of the Sub System in his hands. He nearly caused an economic crash in the shadows before the Royal Zodiac Snake Clan managed to find Tou Ma and stopped him from doing so." Yun described.
"Initially, he did it for the good of the people, but after Zeru's retirement, Tou Ma's ethics and morals went spiralling down. Eventually, the System withdrew its Sub System from Tou Ma before the Royal Zodiac Snake Clan interrogated him. Confidential reports that were secretly obtained at a later time by other Panda Clan Remnants have shown that the Royal Zodiac Snake Clan could not get any information from him even after continuous torture. However, it was also reported that Tou Ma was silently removed and it was announced to the public that he had died due to cardiac arrest. Most people still don't know the real truth, which is why he was still hailed as a public hero." Yun explained and Jin could not believe what he heard.
"All this manipulation of seemingly public information…" Jin knew that these kind of practices were a common thing in the country politics but hearing it first-hand made him realise how lucky he was, protected in his own bubble of comfort.
"The way the inheritance of the Main System has usually been handled, was for someone close to you, most often your relatives or guardians, to be summoned as your mentor. However, in your situation, this was not possible. Ming himself has been excommunicated, and I have been killed before I got the chance to learn about these things. My soul was damaged so badly that I do not even remember your existence or even giving birth to you. The System recreated me after that incident. To me, your existence has been as if I was introduced to a previously unknown relative. As if one day I was simply told, that the person in front of me has blood relations with me and that I should treat him like family. Hence, I am not too sorry for mistreating you. Because I really do not see you as my kid even if I have tried to act that way. You were not wrong to call me 'a figment, a property of the System'. In the end, I am just a facilitator to oversee you." Yun finally admitted it in all honesty, the cruel truth.
"But I do not deny that I do feel that guiding you have awoken my maternal instincts at times. It's just that…I simply do not know how to help you since I did not go through any of this System thing. Everything was bombarded onto me, and even I am just learning the ropes." Yun used this chance to stand up and stepped aside from the bar stool.
"I am sorry, let us restart this relationship between you, me and the System. I shall not pretend to be your mother. Please treat me as your elder sister of some sort. If you feel uncomfortable, maybe senior will be fine." Yun sincerely bowed right in front of Jin.
Jin looked at Yun who was still bowing and waiting for Jin's response. He stood up and bowed down too. "I am sorry for making so much trouble, Yun. I will reflect on my attitude and will earnestly try to work with the System from now on." Jin promised with his head down.
Yun quietly stood upright and looked at Jin before she opened her mouth. "I erm.. I am sorry that I did not inform you about this earlier too. The System was too wary after Ming's failure, and I was instructed not to say anything until now." Yun sat down again and drank her remaining coffee.
"What exactly did Ming do?" Jin asked, but Yun shook her head.
"I am not permitted to go into the details. You might learn about that in the future when the System trusts you more." Yun replied as she went into the bar island and refilled her coffee. She also took out a box of cheesecake and opened it to share with Jin. That was when Jin remembered about Qiu Yue when he saw the picture of a Red Panda playing in the snow printed on the cheesecake box.
"Why did you want me to recruit Qiu Yue? Did the System know about her? Or was it merely because she had the cultivation of the Red Panda?" Jin thanked Yun for the cheesecake and used a fork to cut the edge of the cheesecake to eat.
"To put it bluntly, you cannot hide anything from the System. She is a talented woman who has the potential capability to help out in the Dungeon City Fortress. The System thinks that if it cannot reign or revive the Panda Bloodline in this country, or perhaps this world, the Dungeon City Fortress can be used as a backup plan. It is considering to bestow her a Sub-System to help you out. Therefore, she will be a Bellator at your service." Yun munched on the cheesecake as she explained to Jin.
"Speaking of that, what exactly is a Tier 2 Bellator Network…?" Jin asked when she mentioned Bellator.
"The ability for you to govern- *cough* I mean manage people bestowed with Sub Systems. We still call them 'bellator' because they are considered warriors fighting for you, only on another front aside from the battlefield. Also, that chef you brought in? Zhen Qing. The System has also been highly considering to bestow upon her a Sub System related to cooking."
"Why her?" Jin was curious. He initially wanted to help her because of her excellent food and some personal interest in her before Qiu Yue came back into his life.
"Her emotional cooking. The System tried hard to replicate that, but it was unable to do so. True, her cooking could not match with the System's knowledge of food, but as a commoner, she was still able to portray the emotion in her cooking. The System has a Sub System that could help her further that ability into something more effective." Yun was now talking properly with Jin, cooperating with him and discussing how they could work things out together. Perhaps, the concept of being an emotionless overseer limited to survey Jin's progress did not suit her after all.
"That is why I need you to take the initiative to push her more. I believe she is at the edge of creating something good, but it seems that she has encountered something like a chef's block? If there is such a term. In any case, the System and I shall issue another mission to you." Yun prodded Jin to look into his phone.
"Get Zhen Qing to create the first main dish for the Dungeons and Panda's restaurant. Reward: 'Perfectible Penguin Ruling the Kitchen Hell' Cultivation Style." The System notified Jin via his phone once more, and Jin nodded his head at Yun.
"Penguin? Not Panda?" Jin was surprised, although Zhen Qing did say that she wanted a penguin cultivation, but for a System that based itself on a Panda Bloodline to hand out manuals for other cultivation styles, he did not understand the rationale.
"Yes, Penguin. Remember how I said the Panda Clan was a conglomerate of stores and businesses? That was because people with various cultivations came together, united by a common cause and decided to serve the Panda Clan instead. Their influence was one of the largest and if not for the Jade Emperor's rise in power and quick subduing of the Panda Clan's higher echelons, we might have been the ones to control the economy of this country." Yun replied.
"Therefore, the System had accumulated sufficient knowledge to create top notch cultivation manuals suitable for anybody. Not only that, the System rewards sub Systems based on meritocracy and as a potential candidate to carry out 'the will of the heavens' if the direct descendent fails. All in all, they do not care about short term goals. If the System needs to wait for 100 years or even 1000 years for a person suited for the revival of the Panda Clan should their direct descendent fails, then so be it."
"But right now, you are still around, and the Dantian Core Resurrection made the job easier for the System to resurrect if necessary. Well, unless you are killed by the Banned Emperor retainers like what had happened to me, that will be entirely a different issue. I will explain to you more once you get to increase your cultivation. And I really need you to get stronger. Do not slack off in your training or cultivation. For the moment, do not think much and not anger the System unnecessarily." Yun took a breather from explaining and finished the last piece of the cheesecake. It looked like Yun did not want to talk about her death yet and Jin also needed time to reflect on what was said that night.
"Looks like I really need to plan my schedule properly. Many things are piling up." Jin noted the mission in his notes and promised himself to try and complete as soon as possible, as he brought the cups and plate into the dishwasher before he locked the shop for the day.
"But first…I need to cultivate." Jin decided not to think about it at this moment as he entered the Hot Spring Instance for his medical herbal bath. "Oh yeah, I also need to remember to recreate this hot spring instance for my cultivation purpose."