Chapter 363: The Soft Persimmon

People gathered near the temporary exit of the hall, unable to enter for the time being because of the existence of the Barrier. Whenever they came out, Highland Mages would temporarily open the door for them. Luo Qi and Guan Xinyue were the first to arrive, standing at the very front of the crowd, observing the inside of the hall as much as they could.

Du Zhengyi hurried over and impatiently pushed aside the people blocking his way. The people in front were noisily explaining the situation to one another, clarifying that there were currently no Highland Mages present, nor could they get in touch with any, so it was impossible to know the situation inside. Du Zhengyi turned a deaf ear to their words, strode forward, and slipped into the hall.

The crowd outside fell silent for a moment.

After a long while, someone asked hesitantly, "Uh... how did he get in?"

"Don't know," someone said in a low voice.

"There are several theories."

"Theoretically feasible, but have you ever actually seen anyone execute it?"

No one spoke again; continuing would be a bit like inviting humiliation. Several people turned their heads to size up Luo Qi, their expressions complex and their implications profound.

Luo Qi was looking up at the hall behind the Barrier, his face devoid of any expression. Some people always felt that Luo Qi was a breakthrough point—a breakthrough point into a territory they had always been afraid to infringe upon yet found unpleasant to look at. This was the subconscious of some Mages; in other words, everyone could see that Luo Qi and Du Zhengyi were a tight alliance, an inseparable iron plate, but Luo Qi always seemed less dangerous than Du Zhengyi. They never dared to do anything to Du Zhengyi, but punishing Luo Qi always seemed permissible. Perhaps it was that face of Luo Qi's, that short stature, and the innocent temperament that occasionally flickered across that face, which sometimes overshadowed the terrifying label of Mind Mage he carried.

Moreover, there was a legend that was gradually spreading; no one knew who first heard that Luo Qi was not actually a Mind Mage. Someone had dug up Luo Qi's resume, saying he was just a mediocre lower-year student, the kind of Mage who could never make waves in his entire life. Others said he was barely even a Mage to begin with, and this was indeed true—hardly anyone had ever seen Luo Qi use Magic. Sitting cross-legged there taking a nap couldn't count as Magic, could it?

Those who believed this could find plenty of evidence, such as Luo Qi always relying on his own legs to run around, using his own hands to pick things up, and even having a lighter. When some Mages were bored, they would toss Fireballs in their hands; playing with fire was the nature of all humans. But as for Luo Qi, someone once saw him mindlessly flicking that lighter over and over while he was zoning out.

As more and more Mages were sent to the Highland, the rumors became increasingly varied. Since some people believed Luo Qi was actually a girl and might be called a loli, others believed in the opposite extreme.

They believed Luo Qi was actually chosen to accompany Du Zhengyi because his ability was too low. Because Du Zhengyi's ability was too powerful and very easily discovered, when he acted together with another low-ability Mage, the average Magic power of this group that others could observe was pulled down.

In fact, the person who first told them this version was Guan Xinyue herself. They didn't know why they were more welcoming and accepting of this human girl; perhaps it was because she was a girl who could play the piano and dance, which made them feel curious and favorable. Or perhaps it was because she was a girl raised by a Great Mage, possessing an innate mixed-blood temperament that interested them. But none of them realized that when Guan Xinyue told them this, she was watching *Rick and Morty* using the last bit of her battery.

In short, there were some who felt that while they couldn't stand Du Zhengyi and couldn't do anything to him, beating up Luo Qi would make them feel great.

"Kid, why don't you follow him in? Aren't you always glued to Du Zhengyi's ass?" someone asked him.

Luo Qi slowly turned his head, looking at the person with weariness; it was a hotheaded youth. "Are you talking to me?" Luo Qi asked arrogantly.

"I am talking to you!" The tall, strong Mage spoke with completely unnecessary coarseness, each word sounding like spit being ejected. He didn't even need to say anything; his tone was filled with contempt and provocation.

Guan Xinyue was more sensitive to this than others. She felt very oppressed standing in the middle of a group of tall Mages, so she grabbed Luo Qi's arm. "Don't pay attention to him, it's not worth it."

Luo Qi was not angry; he looked at the male Mage coldly.

Guan Xinyue wanted to pull him away. "Luo Qi, let's go, let's go find Doctor Ma."

Luo Qi stood still and pushed Guan Xinyue's hand away. "If you say that, you'll confirm these idiots' guesses. If you turn and run, the mad dog will chase you down and bite you."

The male Mage laughed, the muscles on his face pulling slowly as if bestowing a smile upon him. Unlike many lean Mages, he was tall and strong, like a super-protein enthusiast.

Luo Qi looked into his eyes, his face indifferent. "Even if I wanted to dig something up in your brain, I wouldn't even find anything worth mentioning. You have many bad habits, but things like not washing your hands after using the toilet, spitting everywhere, and not flushing the urinal aren't even worth bringing up. You really are a boring piece of trash."

The tense atmosphere reached its peak in a second. Several Mages turned around in unison, and before they knew it, Luo Qi and that Mage were surrounded. Mages were indeed an unfathomable group. The part Guan Xinyue found most uncomfortable was that they were completely silent while watching the spectacle. A group of people who were clearly watching the show were each restrained in expression, their eyes deep and sharp; she could almost see countless threads of Calculation swirling here.

"That mystical, fear-mongering act," the male Mage said. "Mind Mages are all perverts. Do you think you can scare people by posturing as a pervert?"

Luo Qi looked at him, disdaining to argue and offering no answer. He just coldly spat out two words: "Kneel down."

It was just two words, the pronunciation coming from the throat, the sound waves traveling through the air, but almost everyone felt as if their nerves had been pierced by a sharp blade. It was a terrifying moment; everyone felt a fear of the separation of spirit and flesh, as if they were about to be snatched away, because everyone suddenly had the urge to kneel.

Including Guan Xinyue, who was human. She looked at Luo Qi tremblingly—the warm boy she had always been familiar with. She looked at that familiar face, but her knees were shaking, and she almost knelt down. For the first time, she felt terror; she hadn't even felt afraid when Luo Qi used her to call out to Ma Jiang in that forest.

With a "thump," the only one who actually knelt was that male Mage; he fell to his knees on the ground, his face full of horror.