Chapter 303: Highland Mage (2)

"My name is Kawa," the man said. "I am here to wait for you as agreed, to guide you in settling down in the Highland."

"So you are..." Luo Qi said, "the front desk receptionist? The lobby manager?"

"You may interpret it however you like," the man said calmly, looking neither amused nor angered by Luo Qi.

Pei Shu glanced at them a few times, presumably feeling that the small talk had gone on long enough. "When will we be able to see your elders?"

"In about three days," Kawa replied. "In three days, the elders will return from the snow-capped mountains. You may settle in here first and rest for a few days."

"I am afraid I do not have the time to wait that long here; I must return in a little while," Pei Shu said.

"Then stating your requests to me is the same," Kawa said immediately.

Luo Qi felt a secret thrill; he never expected that even the boss of the Qionglin would have a door slammed in his face.

Pei Shu did not seem displeased; he was even quite compliant, with almost no hesitation. He pondered for only a few seconds before accepting the proposal, saying without any polite formalities, "My two students are both injured and need to rest here for a while. And this young girl, she needs protection."

"That is no problem," Kawa nodded in agreement. "As long as they can accept our way of life."

"I think they will have no problem with that," Pei Shu said.

Kawa glanced at Guan Xinyue and offered a brief explanation of their way of life: "There is no internet here, nor is there mobile phone signal."

Guan Xinyue politely said nothing, but Luo Qi could not help but say to Du Zhengyi, "Great, now if a nuclear war happens outside, we won't even know. By the time we go back out, the world might not even exist anymore."

"I am afraid they will just have to endure it, whether they like it or not," Pei Shu revealed a faint smile.

Kawa nodded.

Pei Shu then got straight to the point, "Du Zhengyi's health has never been very good. While he is here, please have your elders keep an eye on him and take extra care."

"Very well," Kawa promised. Although Luo Qi had an intuition that he did not like Du Zhengyi much, his expression when answering carried the sincerity of a promise worth a thousand gold.

Pei Shu bowed his head slightly to express his gratitude, then said straightforwardly, "You have already sensed that Luo Qi is a Mind Mage."

"High Energy Level," Kawa nodded. "Very rare. The elders might accept him staying here to become one of us."

What? Luo Qi's eyes widened, and he stared at Kawa in astonishment. Could he pick a stage name now? Could he call himself Tashi Delek?

"Yes," Pei Shu said, sounding impatient for some reason. "High Energy Level, the level of a Great Mage, but those are all superficial. He is only at an infant level in this regard; all he has now are instinctual reactions."

Luo Qi did not know if he should be blushing now, but he was mostly just dumbfounded.

"I see," Kawa looked Luo Qi over again. "I wonder what reason keeps him at this level; it is very dangerous for him and for others."

Luo Qi knew he had indeed been flammable and explosive, but he was much better now.

"My two students have likely taught him some methods of self-control, but that is far from enough," Pei Shu said. Kawa nodded in understanding. "I would like to ask the teachers here to systematically teach him how to become a Mind Mage."

"I don't quite understand; studying at school would be the same," Kawa said. "Unless he has already decided to join us?"

Luo Qi suddenly interjected, "Do you have any precepts? Are there requirements like not being allowed to eat meat or not being allowed to marry?"

Kawa looked at him, confused. "I don't quite understand..."

"Please ignore what he says sometimes," Pei Shu said. "In our group, some boys are not very easy to raise."

Luo Qi pouted.

"Then what the Venerable truly means is..." Kawa asked.

"I don't have the time to tutor him, and it is not necessarily safe at school right now. His situation is a bit complicated, and he cannot return to school for the time being, but I do not want to delay his studies any further," Pei Shu said.

"I understand," Kawa replied. "Then that is also no problem."

Luo Qi was a bit surprised. Could this Kawa make so many decisions? This front desk manager had a lot of authority.

Kawa looked at the few of them and asked humbly, "Guests, may I ask if there is anything else you need help with?"

"We are already very grateful," Pei Shu said sincerely. "To make a request in the middle of the night and have the Elder Mage accept us so generously—I will not forget this favor." "Water flows down from the snow-capped mountains into three great rivers. When the moon waxes and wanes, the tides rise and fall," Kawa replied with a bow.

What?

Luo Qi raised an eyebrow and looked at Du Zhengyi inquiringly. His good buddy and caretaker did not answer him. Du Zhengyi raised his eyes slightly, accompanied by a heavy exhale; Luo Qi figured he had almost rolled his eyes. Oh my, to think someone could earn Du Zhengyi's disgust so obviously—one had to know that at most, he usually just didn't treat people as people; he had always just looked down on everyone equally.

Pei Shu smiled slightly. "The Master likely means that all of this is just going with the flow, simply providing help as naturally as it comes. If the elders think this way, it is because of their virtue; if we were to think the same, it would be a bit ungracious."

Kawa smiled and remained silent for a few seconds, not continuing this strange exchange of pleasantries.

"Now they probably need to eat something and get some sleep," Pei Shu looked around.

"And you, Venerable?" Kawa asked.

Du Zhengyi said to Pei Shu in a low voice, "I am not that tired; I would like to give you the briefing on this mission immediately." Pei Shu pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the few young faces. "Ma Jiang and Guan Xinyue should go eat something and then rest."

Luo Qi knew this was reasonable. Ma Jiang was a Doctor and had always been on the periphery, so he did not know the details of many things. Guan Xinyue's human mind was open to all Mind Mages; regardless of what she heard, it was not safe, and it was not suitable for her to know too many secrets.

Pei Shu continued, "Luo Qi has had direct contact with the Lotus Burners."

"Yes," Du Zhengyi said somewhat reluctantly.

"Master, please prepare something refreshing for them to eat; I need to talk to them. Once we finish talking, I will take my leave and return to the plains," Pei Shu said to Kawa.

"I will arrange a place for them to stay first, and then you may talk in the small parlor."

Pei Shu expressed his gratitude once again. Given Pei Shu's transcendent status in the Qionglin, and given the Qionglin's transcendent status among mages, this was all a bit strange. Luo Qi realized once again the status of the Highland Mages. They were practically the Highland Mage Corps, a force in the Mage World that was always overlooked but was actually quite formidable.