Chapter 298: Where to Go

The century-old Ancient Town was set ablaze; diesel fuel combined with a bit of Magic Energy served as an accelerant, and the flames soared into the sky. Before the nearest human firefighters could arrive, the Ancient Town would be reduced to nothing.

Luo Qi and several others watched the fire quietly, saying nothing for a long while. Such a sky-filling conflagration was bound to be somewhat shocking, and for the sixteen-year-old girl Guan Xinyue, it meant that the life she had grown accustomed to had once again ceased to exist. She had already started to adapt to this place; she had just learned to ride a motorcycle, and she had become familiar with the routes to all the breakfast stalls outside the town.

However, the person who felt the worst was Majiang, who stared blankly as the property of the Society was reduced to nothing. "Countless knowledge has vanished, just like the Library of Alexandria disappearing in a great fire."

Du Zhengyi glanced at him; his face was full of sorrow. "You should know that the best way to store knowledge is not by writing it in books."

Majiang's sadness was not so easily smoothed over. "As a captain of the Cleaver Squad, the number one Barbarian of Qionglin, how could you understand the profundity of Mind Magic? The greatest loss here today is the Mind Magic energy that the Society has accumulated over hundreds of years; it has all been destroyed, and the high temperatures will affect these Crystals. Not to mention the intangible historical value of this place—I really want to strangle those bastards fighting for power and profit."

"Fan Shi?" Luo Qi said, his hands tucked into his trouser pockets, idly fiddling with a few High-energy Crystal beads in his pocket. "After the fire here consumes the Society's crystals, he will definitely track our trail. What will we do then? I bet he still has a bunch of Battle Mages or Execution Mages acting as his hatchet men."

"Luo Qi is right; survival is our primary need right now," Du Zhengyi said calmly.

Majiang nodded and reached out to pat Guan Xinyue on the shoulder.

Du Zhengyi continued, "First, let's clarify our destination; where are we headed?"

Luo Qi said immediately, "Wushan."

Du Zhengyi and Majiang both glared at him. He shouted, "Why are you glaring at me? What time do you think it is? Even if I were in the mood, I wouldn't have the time to talk nonsense. As far as I know, Wushan is an independent guild, and even the Great Mages of Qionglin wouldn't dare trespass on Wushan's territory."

"Let's talk about something serious," Du Zhengyi interrupted him. "We already notified Gushan before we came back. Since things have reached this point, we have no choice but to disturb Pei Lao."

Upon hearing this, Majiang seemed to heave a sigh of relief; he had been suggesting they go find Pei Shu all along. "This trouble is no longer something we can handle; the sooner we hand it back to Pei Shu, the sooner we can have peace of mind. Besides, this also involves Xinyue; the dying wish of Great Mage Guan Yushan was to entrust his granddaughter to Pei Lao. Firstly, we should respect the wishes of Guan Fashi, and secondly, this is inherently safer and better for Xinyue."

"Me?" Guan Xinyue had almost forgotten that her grandfather's intention was for her to go to Qionglin, but she had already been there, and her impression was not very good. Although Pei Shu sounded like a figure akin to Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings, she had never met him; he was just a Mage with no relation to her, and she had no connection to him whatsoever. After experiencing so much, her wariness had grown, and she was not very comfortable with strangers. Just as she was wondering how to speak up, she happened to catch a glimpse of Luo Qi's expression, which seemed rather uncomfortable, so she hurriedly asked, "Luo Qi, what do you think?"

Luo Qi shrugged. "I don't know how to say it; no matter how I put it, it makes me seem a bit selfish."

"No time left, say what you have to say," Majiang said bluntly.

"If we go to see the leader of the Mages, you all have to confess my problem to him, right?" Luo Qi asked.

Majiang frowned. "I won't hide anything from Pei Shu, and besides, this matter can't be hidden at all. I think as soon as Pei Shu sees you, he will probably be able to see right through you." Majiang gestured toward his own temple, and they all understood what he meant: Pei Shu himself was a Mind Archmage, the First Archmage of the Mage World.

"Then everything my dad did will be exposed as well," Luo Qi said. "I'm just wondering, will he be locked inside the Cube beneath Qionglin?"

Majiang felt uneasy; he had almost forgotten about this. He couldn't help but exchange a glance with Du Zhengyi, and a trace of hesitation flashed across both of their expressions.