Chapter 102: Going Home

"What kind of work did my dad help Pei Shu with?" Luo Qi asked, reaching out a claw to tug at his hair in front, trying his best to act as if he didn't care at all.

"I don't know," Du Zhengyi said sincerely. "I really am not clear on the technical details of Mind Mages, and besides, those experimental projects were confidential to begin with. But I think it was likely to refine the techniques of Mind Mages, to ensure that the latest Telepathy technology remained firmly in the grasp of the Qionglin."

"So that's how my parents were able to cripple my cultivation, with such high-level methods that no one could discover it," Luo Qi couldn't help but say gloomily, and after finishing, he bit his lip hard, as if wanting to swallow those words back into his stomach.

"You have the right to be unhappy," Du Zhengyi suddenly said beside him.

Luo Qi looked up at Du Zhengyi in surprise, not understanding for a moment what Du Zhengyi was talking about.

Du Zhengyi said slowly, "I mean, you are just very unlucky, and you have every reason to be unhappy. You aren't even an adult yet; even if you complain a bit or take your anger out on others, it's nothing. No one will really blame you. So you don't have to swallow everything back and keep pretending that nothing is wrong."

Luo Qi was like a cat that had suddenly been slapped; he first stared stiffly at Du Zhengyi for a moment, then gradually softened and slumped against the railing.

Du Zhengyi didn't speak again, looking up at a child flying a kite on the other side of the river. The kite never flew high, and the clumsy child ran back and forth, panting with exhaustion.

Luo Qi suddenly spat viciously into the river.

Du Zhengyi came back to his senses and stared at the river water for a while. "Oh, is this your way of getting back at society? It's really not very harmful."

"I remembered that when I was little and lived by the river, my dad always wouldn't let me spit into the river."

"Then why did you want to spit?" Du Zhengyi asked.

"Don't remember," Luo Qi said.

Du Zhengyi could only nod understandingly. "Well, at least you can spit now; that's a victory, right?" Sometimes, symbolic resistance is the deepest form of resistance.

Luo Qi turned around to face the only person who hadn't abandoned him when he was at his wit's end. He didn't know how to express what he meant, so he finally said vaguely, "You really are a good person."

Du Zhengyi didn't see Luo Qi's eyes; expressing emotions between men was always difficult, and Luo Qi kept his gaze lowered. After a while, he was able to reply, with a hint of self-deprecation, "Thanks for that assessment, though perhaps in a short while, most of the magic world won't think so anymore."

Luo Qi suddenly became annoyed. "Even if Fan Shi is a Venerable, he can't just accuse you of being a bad person, can he? The things you've done for so many years are there for all to see. I imagine being a Gushan Guard must be a very high honor and also a very heavy responsibility, right? Your points must be quite high; without evidence, they can't just wipe your system clean."

Du Zhengyi felt annoyed just thinking about those malicious actions; he shook his head, unwilling to think about these things anymore.

"Besides, so what if he's a Venerable?" Luo Qi kicked the pillar under the railing with his foot. "What's so great about them? A bunch of trash!"

Du Zhengyi was still a bit unaccustomed to hearing Luo Qi say that. He hadn't heard anyone in his world speak of Venerables with such disdain, even if he himself could no longer fully trust them today. But then he thought that Luo Qi was likely venting his anger at the whole world because of his own family situation. He had probably trusted and admired his father in the past, but with the way things had developed today, he would likely feel unhappy with any form of authority.

He didn't want to talk about these things anymore and decided to change the subject. "Why was the result of your Mental Induction a hare-lipped freak?"

"Ha," Luo Qi was optimistic by nature, after all, and couldn't help but laugh when this topic was brought up. "I just wanted to imitate the Joker from 'Batman'."

"Is there some hidden meaning?" Du Zhengyi asked studiously.

Luo Qi said with a smile, "It's super cool, but you wouldn't understand; there's a cultural gap."

"Hearing you say that makes me feel like I'm three hundred years older than you, like there's a light-year-wide generation gap," Du Zhengyi said. "It's about time to go back. Majiang has been trying to contact me; he probably knows something."

"Do you have an Entanglement with Majiang?" Luo Qi asked hurriedly, his eyes looking toward the position of the Crystal pendant Du Zhengyi wore inside his clothes. "Do you also share a small piece of Yajian between you?"

"Doctor-patient relationship," Du Zhengyi said. He knew what Luo Qi was planning and blocked his path in passing. "I won't establish a connection with you."

"Why?" Luo Qi said in disbelief. "That would be much more convenient! When I warn you there's danger, I wouldn't have to rely on a cat!"

"Relying on a cat isn't bad, and you can also make phone calls. Didn't you all already force me to carry a mobile phone?" Du Zhengyi said.

"But... who else do you have an Entanglement with?" Luo Qi asked. "How many Entanglements do you have?"

"Gushan Guards share Entanglements among themselves," Du Zhengyi said. This was another group of people who made him unhappy; he was afraid he would still have to deal with the Gushan Guards' investigation.

"I don't know this high-level technique yet," Luo Qi said, his tone somewhat resentful. "Boss, can you teach me?"

"No. I've already said, I won't establish a connection with you."

"Think about it again, don't be so unsociable."

"Don't make me want to beat you up."

When they returned to the Ancient Town, Majiang had almost worn the bricks in the courtyard thin from pacing. Guan Xinyue didn't know how serious the situation was, so she was also waiting in a state of distraction.

As soon as Du Zhengyi and Luo Qi reached the entrance, Majiang greeted them from the inner courtyard. "Damn it, you two little heroes, it's almost dark. You were nowhere to be found, dead or alive, and I was stuck with a girl, not knowing where to go to find you."

"Haha," Luo Qi said, "It's not appropriate for a lady to show her face in public, but didn't we return just a moment later?"

"Shut up," Majiang said impatiently, bypassing Luo Qi to interrogate Du Zhengyi directly. "What exactly is going on with you two? I suddenly received a notice that you were wanted, and I immediately tried to find a way to contact Mage Liu Li. It turned out Liu Li said she hadn't received any notice to meet you at all, and she was very worried, not knowing what had happened to you. Since you're both fine, why didn't you come back immediately?"

Du Zhengyi hesitated for a moment. Majiang was so angry he was about to pull out his doctor's authority, and only then did Du Zhengyi say, "Went to get Luo Qi's stray cat vaccinated, dewormed, and bathed."

Majiang was stunned. He didn't believe Du Zhengyi's words at all and asked casually, "Why?"

"Because I saved its life!" Luo Qi immediately boasted. "And then he paid for my cat. A fair, just, and reasonable transaction."

"Boasting, don't listen to him," Guan Xinyue said from behind. "Luo Qi! You ate the nuts I prepared to soak in yogurt; when are you going to pay me back for the nuts?"

"No, wait a minute," Majiang said. "Regardless of that, why didn't you contact me when you were fine?"

Du Zhengyi kept his mouth shut, and Luo Qi said, "Isn't it because you talk too much?"

Majiang was so angry he was helpless, and he threw out a resounding final remark: "You won't know what information I managed to decrypt today until your next life."