Chapter 332: Customized Curriculum

They arrived at a quieter area; although it was not an independent space, the partitions of the curtains gave a vague psychological suggestion of a confined space. Fortunately, the Highland Mages were all very quiet people, and the flickering candlelight made the shared space quite comfortable.

Mage Hashi did not appear old in his physique—a mage's age is consistently difficult to discern—but there remained a faint air of having experienced much in life about him, which allowed them to guess that while he was not exactly old, his age must be quite advanced.

"Venerable Pei hopes I can have the opportunity to study here," Luo Qi said cautiously, his posture also very polite.

"I already know; I received a message from Pei Shu after I returned." Mage Hashi did not show a smile, but his tranquil posture and demeanor truly displayed his friendliness. Luo Qi relaxed a lot without realizing it. He glanced at Du Zhengyi; Du Zhengyi was never nervous, only ever in one of two states: impatient or reluctantly giving some face. Right now, Du Zhengyi appeared quite patient. Luo Qi had a strange, bizarre feeling, as if he were seeing a socialite who was forced to lower his status, trying his best to squeeze his son into a good school. In other words, it was a forced, sincere modesty.

Bearing gratitude and a mix of shame and anger toward Du Zhengyi, Luo Qi soothingly sent a tentacle of consciousness toward him, stroking Du Zhengyi's Consciousness Barrier. "I don't know how to express my gratitude; my foundation is very poor."

"Luo Qi has great talent; Teacher Pei places high hopes on him," Du Zhengyi said from the side.

Mage Hashi nodded at him, "The shade where herbs grow thick, one will know it once they have walked through."

Luo Qi had been watching Du Zhengyi, and now he saw that his expression was truly spectacular. In his eyes, a flash of astonishment—as if he had seen an idiot—surged up, only to be forcibly twisted by himself into admiration. Luo Qi almost laughed out loud; he could hardly wait to start fantasizing about how, after studying here for a few years, he would also use such metaphorical ways to express himself circuitously. Every time before he opened his mouth, he would need to think of a metaphor first, which would slow down his speaking speed and make him seem particularly high-class. For instance, was Mage Hashi just trying to say now that he felt this little brat had some character?

He wondered how those human tribes on horseback in ancient times adapted to this way of speaking in their daily lives; over a long period, they might have had a vocabulary bank, which was the only way they could speak so readily. For example, "The eagle on the grassland can fly over the snow-capped mountains"—only Du Zhengyi could handle this, leave it to him. "When the wind blows, the leaves will rustle"—Majiang, don't think I don't know you're cursing me behind my back. If he were to conceive and memorize these when he was free, and chat with his little friends for an afternoon using this method, he could laugh out loud just thinking about it.

Just at this moment, Mage Hashi said, "Tomorrow, I will give you a lesson."

Luo Qi became serious all of a sudden. "You, personally?" He was a bit bewildered and rambled, "Isn't that too much? I'm just... a primary school student. You must be very busy, right? Administrative work and... anyway, just a lot of work."

"What difference is there between any one tree in the forest and the others? You just happened to grow in my shade, and my shade just happens to be suitable for your growth," Mage Hashi said tranquilly.

"Oh." Luo Qi suddenly felt that his behavior of mocking them in secret just now was not very good, and a bit of guilt arose in his heart.

"That is truly great. With a master's guidance, Luo Qi is very lucky." Du Zhengyi seized this opportunity and said immediately. Luo Qi looked at Du Zhengyi in surprise as he became so worldly for this one time.

Hashi looked at them calmly. "But I must first clarify one point: Luo Qi, do you intend to become a Highland Mage in the future?"

"Hmm?" Luo Qi said vaguely.

"There are different paths to take toward different goals," the Highland Mage said patiently.

Du Zhengyi did not answer for Luo Qi; he also looked at Luo Qi.

Luo Qi was looked at by these two expectant gazes together, feeling a bit anxious. "The goal is... the goal, but I have to know what the goal is first. That... Xiha, Teacher Hashi... Mage, sorry, I didn't mean it, I'm a bit nervous. I want to ask, what is it like to be a Highland Mage? Is it joining your community? Or is Highland Mage a profession?"

Mage Hashi did not feel offended in the slightest; he listened quite seriously to the meaning in Luo Qi's words and then said, "How about I answer it this way: becoming a Highland Mage means that you will identify with our pursuits."

"Everyone has their own pursuits," Luo Qi said cautiously.

To his surprise, his answer actually earned a smile from the Highland Mage. "That is a very clever answer. However, above all pursuits, there should be a general direction. For example, what is your highest pursuit?"

Luo Qi thought for a moment; although he was unwilling to answer, he couldn't help but say, "Our highest pursuit is that, whether we are willing or not, we should let our species continue. On this basis, what we need to do is be loyal to the Qionglin, seek welfare for the whole, oh, and there is an obligation to have children."

"That is stated quite bluntly," Du Zhengyi said in a low voice from the side.

"For the benefit of the collective, the benefit of the species," the Highland Mage summarized. "Needing to go against personal will, make choices one is not willing to make, and fulfill one's obligations."

"Is it the same for Highland Mages?" Luo Qi asked, taking a risk. He felt that having a group of badass mages wanting to take him in must be a good thing, but on the basis of it being a good thing, he had better figure out the risks too; there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

"What we pursue is, of course, also the continuation of the species," the Highland Mage said with a smile. "There is no creature that does not pursue this."

"Wait, you are the same species as us, right?" Luo Qi asked hurriedly.

"Trees in the same forest, even if they look slightly different, are ultimately all trees," the Highland Mage said.

"Oh," Luo Qi replied, trying his best to believe he understood. He secretly thought that Highland Mages really couldn't do business; if contracts were written like this, there would be too many loopholes to exploit in the interpretation.

"What we pursue is the eternal existence of the soul," Mage Hashi said. "To cast off the shackles of the body and become a higher form of existence, like water in a bottle returning to the ocean."

Luo Qi remembered what Du Zhengyi had said: they do not worship gods; they want to become gods themselves. "Then..."

Just as he opened his mouth, he felt someone gently tug at him in his mental world. It was Du Zhengyi; his anxiety had touched one of the tentacles he had extended, fearing that Luo Qi's next sentence would be a joke that would annoy the other party.

"Then how many of you have attained the fruit of your cultivation?"

"As of now," Mage Hashi said, "none."

Luo Qi nodded; he did not bring out his usual attitude of mocking others as brain-dead to be annoying. The sincerity of the Highland Mage made him completely convinced.

"We hope to continue the path of the Progenitor Mage. When the Progenitor Mage arrived in this world in the past, he always hoped to reach a brand-new form of existence."

"Has no one among the Progenitor Mages reached the goal either?" Luo Qi asked with some curiosity.

"From the documentary records, we speculate that there might have been those among the Progenitor Mages who attained the Great Dao," Mage Hashi looked into Luo Qi's eyes. "But of course, even if you exhausted your whole life, you might not necessarily reach the goal. I am not preaching to you; if one day your journey leads here, you will come. If your path leads to the Otherworld, the Otherworld is also a land of happiness."

Luo Qi opened his mouth in surprise. He stared at the Highland Mage for a long while, then suddenly realized and said, "Then... thank you for being so tolerant."

"When you have decided on your future, you can tell me," Mage Hashi said.

"Wait, I can't decide my future, can I?" Luo Qi said, feeling that what he said was a bit impolite, and hurriedly explained, "I mean, I am just an individual; what virtue or ability do I have to decide my own future?"

Mage Hashi was not angered by his eager and impolite tone; instead, he laughed. Beneath his calm exterior, he revealed some interest in Luo Qi. "I can see that you are a clever person. But don't be anxious; when the time comes, you will perceive it. You will know that the time has arrived, the direction of the future will naturally be before your eyes, and you will naturally step onto a path."

"Then..." Luo Qi licked his lips nervously. "Then I understand. I think the time has arrived. I have made a decision; I want to choose our own way of life. I will serve the Qionglin."

Mage Hashi looked at him as if he hadn't made himself clear; his body posture was one of listening. Since Luo Qi didn't speak, he waited with great patience.

Luo Qi exhaled and continued stiffly, "I want to be a Battle Mage." As he spoke, he glanced at Du Zhengyi again. "Just like my brother, together with my brother."

"A Telepath is not suited to be a warrior."

"I am a mage first, right?" Luo Qi said. "I am a mage first. From the day I realized I was a Mind Mage, I unlocked other Magic Abilities. I can be trained to be a warrior."

"I understand," Mage Hashi said. "Starting tomorrow, you will learn to become a Mind Mage, but I will also open a set of Battle Mage courses for you."

"That's amazing, you even have specialized courses, one-on-one teaching?" Luo Qi's spirit relaxed and he started talking nonsense again.

"If your path leads in other directions, you can return here at any time," Mage Hashi said.

"Thank you, really," Luo Qi said in a low voice. "Majiang... Doctor Majiang said your medical capabilities exceed ours. Can I make a request of you?"

"Luo Qi," Du Zhengyi called out to him.

But Luo Qi did not want to give up any opportunity. If there was a simpler way, perhaps there was a doctor even better than his father, then they would all be relieved. He wouldn't care about being thick-skinned and asking once.

"We just have more Medical Mages, that is all," Mage Hashi said. He looked at Du Zhengyi with pity. "I know what your friend wants to ask. Your teacher also came here to ask for help, but unfortunately, we were powerless. You must be an exceptionally resolute person to have been able to preserve your free will before they could save you; in the same situation, you are already a lucky person."

Luo Qi felt sour in his heart. He was grateful for Mage Hashi's kindness and his consistent sincerity, but the pity in his eyes when he looked at Du Zhengyi was unbearable to him. His meaning was like a forensic doctor announcing a death, which also made his heart ache like it was being twisted by a knife. Du Zhengyi seemed to have lost hope long ago and didn't care about others stating the facts again, even nodding in response to his praise.

"Alright, it's okay. My brother is definitely lucky because my Luck value is particularly high; my Luck can radiate to him," Luo Qi changed the subject and grinned. "Mage Hashi, can I ask you something else? Is there... here..."

Luo Qi hesitated for a moment.

"Do you feel your Telepathy ability has strengthened?" Mage Hashi asked.

"Is there anything here that makes people feel particularly at ease?" Luo Qi asked.

Du Zhengyi looked at him with some surprise; no one had expected this to be what Luo Qi would ask. He was just that extraordinary.

"Yes," Mage Hashi smiled slightly.

"It's not the plants," Luo Qi said, "not the floral scent, not the incense, not the light. Although the environment created by these things helps with peace of mind, I don't think they are the main factor. I have carefully ruled them out."

"It is the sound," Mage Hashi said.

"So it really is sound," Luo Qi muttered, "but I truly cannot hear it, can I?"

"Your ears cannot hear it, but your body can feel it. Therefore, this place is also very suitable for your friend to recuperate."

"Right, to put it plainly, it's high-frequency sound; humans can also produce it and apply it," Luo Qi said with some excitement.

"Luo Qi," Du Zhengyi called his name in a low, warning tone, reminding him that many Mages would not tolerate him speaking this way.

Unexpectedly, Mage Hashi only smiled and said, "The Dao is in all things, and all paths lead to the same destination; what is there to be surprised about?"

Luo Qi was taken aback instead, looking at the Highland Mage with some awe, "We are disturbing you here and still learning so much precious knowledge; I don't know how we should pay for it. Also, I don't know if there are any rules we need to follow?"

"We are also in the sequence of the Mage World, having our own meaning for existence and our own obligations. We also believe that the reward will be delivered to us by the Great Dao in the natural cycle."

"So, does that mean we don't have to pay tuition and can just eat and drink for free here?" Luo Qi said it directly; he discovered that although Highland Mages were accustomed to speaking in euphemisms, their actions and true meanings never needed to be hidden.

"That is exactly so," Mage Hashi said, "it doesn't count as having rules, it's just that the plants here are very precious, so please take good care of them, especially do not let the animal in your room into the garden."

"You know?" Luo Qi said curiously.

"A portion of the Yajian of Highland Mages is connected to one another; I know, I can feel it."

"Oh," Luo Qi said, "then do you know of a race that shares their entire Yajian?"

Du Zhengyi looked at Luo Qi in confusion.

"I know," Mage Hashi said calmly, "that is a very inspiring way of existence."

Luo Qi nodded in awe once again.