Chapter 399: Shi Xiansheng

Shi Xiansheng gave Luo Qi a troubled smile.

This smile was unexpectedly soothing, more moving than any encouraging grin; the most comforting part was that, at least in a troubled world, Luo Qi was not alone.

"The biggest trouble in my life is that my curiosity is too heavy," Shi Xiansheng rambled with a troubled air, her deep eyes gazing sincerely at Luo Qi. "When I was young, I was a foolish girl who could be killed by curiosity. When I started to grow old, I was full of confidence, preparing to harvest the wisdom watered by time. But guess what happened? I did grow old, but the wisdom was nowhere to be found; I had merely turned into a curious old lady."

Luo Qi opened his mouth slightly in surprise, looking at the old woman with a touch of admiration. He was a curious baby now, but when he grew old, he hoped he could be just as free-spirited.

"So, you came from so far away just to see me?"

"Of course," the old lady answered with surprise, as if Luo Qi had asked a super-obvious question. "There are many people who want to see you with their own eyes, it's just that they don't have as good conditions as I do—I can come whenever I want."

"I see," Luo Qi said. "Then I'll consider letting Du Zhengyi collect admission tickets."

"Big grandson, you could definitely sell them for a good price. Young people like you, if you were among humans, would all be busy starting businesses right now," the old woman said.

Luo Qi was greatly astonished; there was actually an elderly Mage who would pick up on his banter. Even Du Zhengyi usually treated his nonsense with disdain. He glanced at Du Zhengyi, whose appearance was still that of a leisurely person, but in another visual field, Luo Qi sensed the orderly flow of Du Zhengyi's thoughts running beneath the surface.

He could sense Du Zhengyi's fondness for the old woman; he had a feeling that Du Zhengyi had no resistance to open-minded and mischievous people—he liked people like... them. Luo Qi himself felt a sense of kinship with the old woman, feeling they were on the same wavelength the moment they met, only the things the old woman said to him made him vaguely feel a sense of familiarity.

In truth, Luo Qi could not help but admire her; some people were born like magnets, or like brilliant light, making others feel fond of them the moment they saw them. He knew Du Zhengyi felt the same, only Du Zhengyi's professional habits made him wary of everyone. But beyond that, Luo Qi also knew a more critical point: the old woman had not yet stated her purpose, which was why Du Zhengyi was secretly pondering the meaning of her words, guessing her true intentions.

Once this thought crossed his mind, Luo Qi was suddenly surprised. He should have thought of this long ago, instead of barely realizing it after cycling through various irrelevant thoughts. Perhaps it was because there were two of them sitting here, and he was concerned about Du Zhengyi's thoughts, forcing himself to be more steady, which led him to the point.

Once this line of thought opened, it was like clearing a blockage in a bottleneck; his train of thought instantly fused and connected with a great deal of knowledge and experience. Today's Luo Qi was, after all, not what he used to be; he had experienced quite a lot, having gone through things many people might not experience in half a lifetime, and his way of thinking was much broader than before.

He realized where this familiar feeling came from and also scanned why he was feeling so lightheaded and happy. After the difficult state he had endured over the past few days, he might have been in a state of PTSD; according to human psychological research, he probably should have sought counseling. Instead, his current state was like being bathed in holy light, as if he had undergone a spiritual soothing.

In Luo Qi's impression, there was only one type of Mage who could achieve this.

Luo Qi widened his pitch-black deer-like eyes in shock, as if a herbivore had been struck by a storm; he subconsciously raised his little fork. "I... oh my god... I know what you are!"

"How rude," the old woman muttered with dissatisfaction, but her expression was not displeased.

"You are the Wushan Goddess!" Luo Qi shouted in horror. If his legs were nimble right now, he would have jumped up.

Shi Xiansheng shrugged and said indifferently, "Who could expect to hide anything from a Mind Archmage? By rights, you shouldn't expose a woman's secret."

Luo Qi was left speechless and turned to his big brother for help, his face full of a look of tattling.