Chapter 198: Drinking Contest

"When we last met, you asked me if Pei Shu was reliable. Why did you have such a suspicion?" The old man downed a glass of wine, as if intending to end his career as a security guard right there and then.

But Luo Qi knew this was an interview question, and the result of this question would determine whether he still had a chance to continue the conversation today.

He smiled slightly, "There is no why. A Mage as great as Pei Shu, who has no selfish thoughts and is devoted entirely to the public, would only make anyone who suspects him look like a petty person. I am a mortal, so I am a petty person."

The one-eyed old man's remaining good eye turned toward him. The shadows of the willow trees outside the window swayed in the wind that was there and yet not there. The firelight on the lamp on the table flickered, casting a mottled patch of light that fell into the eyes of the man who was none other than Du Zhengyi, yet also not Du Zhengyi. The pain in those eyes was greater than Du Zhengyi's, although the joy was also often greater than Du Zhengyi's.

The old man seemed to be consoling him, "Let's speak a simple truth, kid. Grumbling is useless, and being a smart-aleck is useless too."

Luo Qi looked at him for a while, "Because Du Zhengyi trusts him wholeheartedly, putting all his eggs in the basket named Pei Shu. Things shouldn't be like this, and human hearts shouldn't be like this either."

"There are many little boys in Qionglin who yearn for the chance to be a lackey for Du Zhengyi." The old man's glass automatically filled up once more, and he took a satisfied sip, "They worship him, envy him, and yearn to experience a little wind and rain alongside him."

"I have no interest in the wind and rain of Qionglin," Luo Qi said. "I guess if they stick with Du Zhengyi, as long as they can ensure they don't die, they probably have a great chance of promotion, right? Following Du Zhengyi is like joining the Bounty Club."

"You don't want that?" The old man looked at him.

"I don't want a promotion, nor do I want to join the Du Zhengyi Support Club, and I'm actually not even interested in the secrets of Qionglin. I just feel that things shouldn't be this way; it's unfair, unfair to Du Zhengyi," Luo Qi said. Coffee and alcohol were bouncing around in his bloodstream, stimulating his nervous system. He hadn't slept for a long time; in the real world, his eyes were bloodshot, his hair was disheveled, and only hysteria could describe his current state.

"Fair?" the old man said.

"I went to a wretched place with Du Zhengyi, and I caused a bit of trouble," Luo Qi said. "However, right now, I am not feeling guilty; I don't think I was wrong. Du Zhengyi insisted on solving the problem because he believed he had an obligation to eliminate dangerous situations so that the ordinary Mages who followed wouldn't encounter danger."

"Du Zhengyi is a problem-solver; he is accustomed to handling problems that others cannot solve," the old man said, appearing not at all surprised.

"That's a superhero, but he is just a person," Luo Qi said. His throat was dry now, and he looked at the glass in his hand, then simply drank it dry.

His head was a little dizzy, but his tension had been relieved quite a bit. The old man glanced at him, had his glass filled with wine, and clinked glasses with him nonchalantly.

"Why did you come to work at the Black Market after leaving Qionglin?" Luo Qi asked suddenly.

"Because I don't think Qionglin is right, but I also don't know what the correct solution is. When I was young, I, like Du Zhengyi, firmly believed that I was walking the right path." He frowned, a touch of self-loathing on his face, "But then, I actually grew old... The result is, the older I get, the more I doubt whether my judgment is correct. I thought that when people reached old age, they would all become a bit wiser? Isn't it said that at forty one is free from doubt, and at fifty one knows the mandate of heaven?"

Luo Qi nodded understandingly, "Old man, do you feel like you were a complete idiot when you were young?"

The old warrior clinked his glass with him, watched him drink it in one go, and stopped caring about the nonsense coming out of his mouth. "Are you starting to feel like you were an idiot in the past now?"

"Someone said that if you don't feel like you were an idiot a year ago, it means you haven't made any progress this year." Luo Qi picked up the refilled wine; the bottle was already empty now, "Cheers to growth!"

Wan Pei picked up his glass and clinked it heavily against his, "That's a good theme."

"So I am trying to save Du Zhengyi. I'm worried that when he grows old, he will feel he was too much of an idiot in the past and won't be able to face reality," Luo Qi said.

Wan Pei had drunk a bit too much; he grinned, then stayed silent for a while, as if chewing on the bitterness in his mouth. "But that would only count if Du Zhengyi can live to be old."

"Can't Du Zhengyi live to be old?" Luo Qi asked.

Wan Pei didn't speak. He downed a glass of wine, using the alcohol to choke back all the anger that was about to burst forth. "Pei Shu refuses to save him."

"I heard that some Telepaths are classified as Class A during evaluation; this type of Mind Mage is good at attacking but not good at healing," Luo Qi said dryly.

"It has nothing to do with being a Telepath master," Wan Pei said. He put down his glass, gripping it tightly in his hand, "I know Du Zhengyi has a way to survive. I left Qionglin and refused to work for them anymore because I know Pei Shu doesn't care about anyone, not a single person. Even for a child like Du Zhengyi, whom he raised with his own hands, his heart only holds common interests and a great cause."

"Why?" Luo Qi heard himself ask hollowly. "Why are you so certain that Pei Shu can help Du Zhengyi? Isn't it that you have deified Pei Shu's power? Can he bring the dead back to life?"

"I just know," Wan Pei said, looking at Luo Qi.

Luo Qi watched him numbly. Many complex trajectories flashed through his mind, and he pondered numbly. Looming over all of this was the fact that Du Zhengyi wouldn't live to be old. He didn't know how he had compartmentalized his emotions, or perhaps he hadn't done anything at all, and it was just human instinct that made him unable to react to this matter at all. A large part of his self refused to believe this was true.

Perhaps Wan Pei was just mistaken; after all, he was only an old warrior who looked full of vigor but didn't look like someone capable of carefully detecting any truth.

But a large part of Luo Qi was thinking rapidly. He had several selves quickly comparing all the events and analyzing all the possibilities, while the old man continued to ramble on, complaining about Qionglin and complaining about Pei Shu.

"He won't care about Du Zhengyi, just as he didn't care about Guan Yushan, because he thinks they are all not qualified enough."

Luo Qi took a long breath, "You mean, Pei Shu can choose who is qualified for eternal life, right? Why does he have such power?"