Chapter 9: Birthday

July 23, 2223.

Today is Ji Xinghuo’s 22nd birthday. As Lu Yunhai said, it might be the most important birthday of his life.

Because today, Ji Xinghuo will meet his biological parents.

If they are still alive.

In the afternoon, after practicing his cultivation until his physical and stellar energy were nearly restored, Ji Xinghuo left home as usual to practice archery at the Qishan Wutong Archery Range.

He had registered for the “Leaf Shooting Cup,” with the competition set for three days later.

These past few days, following a training schedule set by Lu Yunhai, Ji Xinghuo practiced shooting at moving and random targets. His progress was rapid, improving his accuracy significantly.

At the end of the training, Lu Yunhai came over and said, “Happy Birthday!”

“Thank you.” While packing up his bow, Ji Xinghuo asked, “Aren’t you coming to the birthday dinner tonight?”

Lu Yunhai shook his head, “No, after all, it’s a family affair. I shouldn’t intrude.”

“Alright. I’ll treat you to dinner separately tomorrow.”

Ji Xinghuo didn’t insist and left the archery range after packing up.

Back home, he freshened up, changed into new clothes looking clean and dapper.

However, he didn’t leave right away but walked over to the wall, opened a glass window, and quietly gazed at the bustling cityscape outside, his expression complex.

As dusk fell, Ji Xinghuo’s silhouette was elongated by the setting sun, casting a shadow against the wall behind him.

Neon lights lit up the exteriors of skyscrapers, and the headlights of maglev cars on the superconducting highways formed a ceaseless stream of brilliant light trails.

Snapping back to reality, Ji Xinghuo glanced at the time and headed out.

Seven o’clock in the evening.

Ji Xinghuo arrived at “Mi Yong Building” in the center of Chang’an. This skyscraper, one of the tallest in the capital at 1800 meters, was designed like a magnificent palace reaching into the clouds, often described as a palace in the sky.

He took the elevator to the 228th floor, where there was a high-end restaurant named “Gu Feast,” which he had booked the previous week.

“Welcome back to Gu Feast!”

Ji Xinghuo followed a slender waitress through the opulent corridor, passing by well-dressed guests.

He seldom visited such upscale places, but his mind was not on the surroundings now.

Entered the private room.

One wall of the room was completely made of clear glass, offering a panoramic view over much of Chang’an, capturing the hustle and bustle of the capital of the Asia-Pacific Community.

Standing there felt like standing above the clouds, overseeing all below.

However, Ji Xinghuo didn’t look around much, sat down, ordered a table of dishes, and then quietly waited.

A moment later.

“Xinghuo.” A tall young man entered.

He was handsome, with a sunny smile and a confident stride. As he approached, you could feel a warmth different from ordinary people, making one comfortable.

“Second brother.”

Ji Xinghuo got up to greet him.

They hugged, and after Zhong Ming strongly patted his back, he handed over a gift box, “This is your birthday present, a pair of the latest ‘Electric Pursuer’ power shoes, great for everyday use. I think you’ll like them.”

“Thanks, second brother,” Ji Xinghuo accepted them without hesitation.

Zhong Ming earned well, and a pair of shoes worth ten thousand was just a few days’ salary for him.

He was the most successful of the siblings. At nineteen, he became an Eldritch, and his professional template was “Flame Madness.”

Last year, at twenty-two, Zhong Ming advanced to a mid-level Eldritch and signed a contract with a club. He now competes in the Beta League.

His team believed he had the potential to enter the Super League and had already made quite a name for himself.

“Hm?”

About to sit, Zhong Ming suddenly paused, looked at Ji Xinghuo intently and couldn’t help but ask, “Xinghuo, have you become an Eldritch?”

Before Ji Xinghuo could answer, a startled cry came from outside.

“Third brother! Are you an Eldritch now?”

A young man and woman hurried in, both in their early twenties. The speaker was a pretty young girl.

She wore a belly-revealing tight top and a colorful pleated mini skirt with over-the-knee socks. Her face bore light makeup, and her intricately styled hair was dyed sea blue, exuding a youthful and attractive vibe.

By contrast, the young man next to her looked quite ordinary—skinny and unkempt with hands in his pockets, maintaining a laid-back stance but deliberately keeping his distance from the girl.

: Actually, he was keeping distance from a floating camera beside her.

“Feifei, turn off the live stream,” Zhong Ming reminded.

“Big brother, I’m not streaming. I’m just recording my life. If I become famous, this will all be documentary material!” Liang Qiu Feiyan entered with a bright smile, controlling the camera to fly around the room, focusing on Zhong Ming and Ji Xinghuo.

Zhong Ming glanced at it, confirmed it was only recording, and reluctantly shook his head.

“Third brother, you don’t mind, do you?” Liang Qiu Feiyan asked again.

“It’s fine.”

Ji Xinghuo didn’t really care, having gotten used to it.

Liang Qiu Feiyan, just turned eighteen and, set her sights on becoming a globally famous live-streamer. She sang, danced, and played games, proficient but not outstanding in any. With her relatively good looks, after three years of streaming, she had a few hundred regular viewers.

Other than sleeping and using the bathroom, she was almost always live-streaming.

People like her, broadcasting their private lives, number in the tens of millions across the country. One can run into seven or eight such streamers within hundred meters on the streets of Chang’an.

Ji Xinghuo never wanted to appear on camera.

In his “Personal Network Privacy Security” settings, he had “Image Protection” mode activated.

Thus, any public video, live stream, or photo with him in it, if published online by anyone, would automatically process his image, replacing it with a random generic face unless he authorized otherwise.

Of course, this was only for public image protection.

If it involved legal matters or cases, government departments could retrieve data and access real information.

Liang Qiu Feiyan, cozily leaning next to Ji Xinghuo, always close to her third brother, asked excitedly, “Third brother, you haven’t answered me yet! Have you become an Eldritch?”

“Yes,” Ji Xinghuo nodded.

“When did it happen?” Liang Qiu Feiyan found out it was almost three weeks ago, suddenly raised her eyebrows, and huffed, “You’ve known since the beginning of the month and didn’t tell me!”

Before Ji Xinghuo could explain, she giggled and pressed, “Third brother, what professional template did you choose?”

Zhong Ming also asked with interest.

“Ranger.”

Ji Xinghuo smiled, looked towards the young man who hadn’t spoken since entering and was now sitting down, “Zizhen, what have you been busy with this summer?”

“Come on, third brother, that’s a silly question…” Liang Qiu Feiyan interrupted, “What else could he be doing but gaming?”

She complained, “He and I live together, and I see him maybe two or three times a week. He even forgot about your birthday today. If I hadn’t dragged him out, he’d probably still be lying in his gaming pod, completely molded over!”

Liang Qiu Feiyan and Wang Zizhen attended the same university, so they shared an apartment.

Both were a year younger than Ji Xinghuo and wouldn’t graduate until next year.

Their personalities, however, were polar opposites.

Liang Qiu Feiyan was vivacious and optimistic, very likable; while the youngest, Wang Zizhen, was introverted and had totally given up on life. Deciding at fifteen to never work or become an Eldritch, he was hopelessly addicted to virtual games.

“I didn’t forget; just that this boss in the game was tough, so I got delayed a bit,” Wang Zizhen defended himself, taking out a gift box.

“Third brother, this is my gift to you.”

“Thank you!”

Ji Xinghuo took the gift. Although Wang Zizhen didn’t say what it was, his expression revealed that he had prepared it much earlier, full of thoughtfulness.

“Third brother, I also got you a birthday present,” Liang Qiu Feiyan quickly presented her gift, smiling, “Your phone has been used for several years now, so I bought you a new one—the latest ‘Magic Star’ phone in black and gold, your favorite color.”

Ji Xinghuo was touched, “Thank you, Feifei. You shouldn’t have spent so much.”

“Last week, a ‘small capitalist’ came to my streaming room. He was very generous, gifting me tens of thousands. I used that money to buy you the phone, haha…” Liang Qiu Feiyan beamed proudly.

Ji Xinghuo and Zhong Ming exchanged glances, a hint of concern flashing in their eyes.

Zhong Ming earnestly advised, “Feifei, be careful with your information when you stream. Let us know if anything happens.”

“I know!” Liang Qiu Feiyan’s face showed a hint of cunning, “I’m not a child anymore. I know exactly what those rich guys in my streaming room are after. I’m going to be a big star, so proper dating is off the table, let alone messing around for some money.”

Ji Xinghuo felt somewhat relieved, nodding, “As long as you’re confident, that’s good.”

The four of them sat around chatting casually.

Today was Ji Xinghuo’s birthday, and he was naturally the center of attention.

Zhong Ming curiously asked, “Xinghuo, wasn’t your goal always to be a ‘Titanium Cobalt Dragon’? Why did you choose Ranger?”

Liang Qiu Feiyan and Wang Zizhen were also curious.

“The competition for Titanium Cobalt Dragon is too fierce. I’d need at least another two years to stand a fifty percent chance, and I just can’t wait any longer,” Ji Xinghuo had thought about his answer in advance. “Also, I recently practiced archery with a classmate and found I have a real talent for it, perfectly suiting the Ranger.”

His statement was seventy percent true, but the causality was reversed.

The siblings didn’t suspect anything.

“Such a pity!”

Zhong Ming shook his head, regretfully saying, “Your talent is even higher than mine. If you became a Titanium Cobalt Dragon, you would literally skyrocket.”

He and Ji Xinghuo grew up together, shared aspirations and trained together, knowing each other very well.

Ji Xinghuo’s talent was definitely the highest in the family!

Among the five siblings, only Ji Xinghuo could truly be called a prodigy.

Although Zhong Ming was currently the most accomplished and strongest, he was well aware that Ji Xinghuo’s delayed entry as an Eldritch was for accumulating experiences to make a stronger impact later. He just didn’t expect that Ji Xinghuo would falter in the last two years.

The difference between Ranger and Titanium Cobalt Dragon was simply too great!

Zhong Ming felt only regret for Ji Xinghuo, sad for him, but didn’t show it on his face since it was Ji Xinghuo’s own choice.

“Yes…”

Liang Qiu Feiyan and Wang Zizhen also showed regret.

Both had ordinary talent and willpower, couldn’t bear the hardships of training, had average physical fitness, and low chances of passing the tests of the Star Realm Department to become Eldritchs.

The room fell silent for a moment.

“Why hasn’t big sister arrived yet?” Ji Xinghuo changed the topic, glancing at the time; it was already half-past seven.

Among the siblings, the eldest, Ye Dongyun, was their big sister.

She graduated two years ago. After failing to fuse with an alien species, she gave up on becoming an Eldritch and passed the government exams to become a civil servant. Now, she was so busy she barely had time to stand, rarely spoke in family chats, appearing occasionally just to forward some government news.

“Big sister recently got involved in some major project. They say if she does well, she might get promoted.”

Liang Qiu Feiyan had always been closest to her big sister and kept in touch privately.

“Here she comes!”

Before they saw her, her voice arrived first.

As soon as those words fell, a woman, dressed neatly and elegantly, pushed the door open.

She carried a briefcase and a gift box, and the moment she entered, her solemn expression turned into a warm smile.

“Sorry to keep everyone waiting, my dear brothers and sisters.”

“I had some last-minute business in Tianfu City this afternoon. I rushed back as soon as it was over, so I was half an hour late.” Ye Dongyun explained with a smile, presenting the gift, “Happy Birthday, third brother!”