Chapter 403: The Mage Who Takes Drugs

Luo Qi's mind tightened. He gradually realized that he was facing a complete stranger, and one who was deeply inscrutable; he simply could not see her clearly. In fact, there was no need to see her clearly; her dazzling resume was enough to explain everything.

The belated sense of tension also made him realize that the various friendly and relaxed influences exerted by Shi Xiansheng were gradually fading, and his mind had regained a neutral balance point.

Luo Qi could not help but tap his fingers lightly on the table. Perhaps because he had been separated from his body for too long, his head had been aching, not to mention the stiffness of his body; his movements were mechanical, almost neurotic.

Shi Xiansheng glanced at him keenly. Luo Qi did not know what she saw, but he could guarantee that his Mental Barrier was impenetrable. He could sense that the old woman was also a Telepath; she had been a Goddess in the past, so of course she was a Telepath. However, her level of Telepathy was not high, and the profession of Goddess did not require high telepathic ability; their customers usually opened their hearts to them voluntarily. A thought flashed through his mind, and Luo Qi suddenly guessed how she had jumped from the profession of Wushan Goddess to become the boss of the Black Market.

"Drinking some wine will make you feel better," the old woman said, pushing the half-glass of wine Du Zhengyi had poured for him toward his hand. "The last thing you should do right now is focus your attention too much; in a mortal body, you can only lower your mental sensitivity."

Luo Qi looked at the old woman in surprise. He did not know how many people could guess this experience of his directly. Being removed from a brain and then transferred back, having one's soul leave the body and then reattach—how many people throughout history could have encountered such a thing?

"Your situation is like having engaged in a forbidden act," the old woman said calmly. "In human terms, you're high. But Mages don't use hallucinogens. In the past, Wushan had some strictly forbidden ways of entertaining guests: extracting a portion of a guest's soul and releasing it into a container. Some Mages believed this was the highest realm of Meditation, while others believed it was the pleasure of being high out of one's mind, breaking through physical limitations to freely experience sensations that could not be experienced within a physical body."

Luo Qi did not speak. He could imagine that scene; it must have been the craziest theme park in the world, where one could experience anything forbidden in the human world due to morality or safety. To put it nicely, one could fight dragons and experience life and death, or it was equivalent to playing with drugs while detached from the limitations of the flesh. To put it in the most bizarre way, one could toast with a dead companion or exercise with a first love who had dumped them.

But for Luo Qi, this was an endless hell filled with fear and bewilderment.

"With a righteous person like Du Zhengyi around, I don't think any Wushan practitioner would let you try this kind of Forbidden Magic," the old woman said. "The Progenitor Mages did indeed disappear, but they left behind quite a few things after all. These things have appeared continuously for thousands of years; no one dares to say they can grasp everything, and no one dares to say they have encountered the last one. Since that is the case, we can always wait for a big surprise. I have always believed that as long as something is possible, it will happen. So no matter what happened, I wouldn't be surprised. For example, if there were such a fragmented soul that seized your mind..."

Luo Qi swallowed. He felt the old woman's flickering soul, but in an instant, he suddenly perceived the information hidden within her intent; the process was like decoding a puzzle. "I understand. You are here to help Du Zhengyi. You think I... I have been corrupted, and am a threat to him."

Du Zhengyi's expression was somewhat startled. He looked at the old woman in confusion, unable to see any denial on her face. He thought for a moment, reached out an arm to wrap around Luo Qi's shoulder, and shrugged at the old woman.

The old woman pondered for a while, as if cautiously inferring the result she had reached. "My purpose is indeed more complicated," she said slowly. This was a frank statement, and Luo Qi nodded trustingly. "Regardless, this is a major event. I am already at this age, and there isn't much left for me to see, so of course I had to come and take a look. My actions also had to be fast, to come and take a look before the Qionglin covered everything up."

Luo Qi hesitated, but Du Zhengyi held his shoulder steadily, as if standing firmly behind him. He overcame his obstacle and asked the old woman directly, "Nainai, may I ask directly what it is you are seeking? Whether I can give it to you or not, I want to hear it."

The old woman smiled. Luo Qi saw warmth in her smile; no matter how paranoid a skeptic he was now, he still had to admit that he saw warmth on that aged face. The boss of the Black Market was a person complex to the extreme, but when she was nearing the end of her life, her mental strength allowed her to be simple to the extreme. "What do I seek? I am very wealthy, I have power, child; I even have a Ship Ticket to avoid death. So child, do you think I still need anything?"

Luo Qi could not answer. "I have no way of understanding the life of a big shot."

"You will understand in the future," the old woman laughed out loud. The laughter was comforting, and the musicians behind her continued to pluck at the soft, flowing music on their own. Her elbows rested on the table, her fingers supporting her head, and she sat sideways in front of them comfortably. "All I want to know are a few pieces of information, child. Exchanging information with me will yield generous rewards. Zhengyi is my best client and upstream seller; we have had a good foundation of mutual trust in the past. As for today, I came at a time when I am most easily suspected, only hoping that you two will tell an old person like me the truth. I want to know, child, have you completely and thoroughly swapped souls with someone?"

Luo Qi did not speak. Du Zhengyi was playing with a lock of hair at the back of his head, completely unconcerned about how to deal with this. It was as if he had handed everything over to Luo Qi; Luo Qi really wanted to curse, as he always felt like he had entered an examination hall once again.

Regarding his hesitation, the old woman added, "I only want to know yes or no. As for how your friend helped you out of your predicament, or what you experienced in the process, I will not ask further."

Luo Qi took a deep breath, choked on a noseful of barbecue smoke, and forced himself to spit out one word through his cough: "Yes."

Then he began to cough. He was busy coughing and did not dare to say whether he had judged correctly, but Shi Xiansheng's face relaxed in that instant, as if she had reached a great realization, or one could say it was as if some mystery that had long troubled her had finally been solved. For that brief moment, she looked truly old. Luo Qi could not help but worry for her; if she really delayed the time to board the ship, she might truly be too late. Death would come knocking at her door at any time, and death would be her only destination.

Then she smiled, still looking spirited, just like a much younger woman, full of power and confidence, and full of charm.

She turned to Du Zhengyi. "How did you distinguish between Sun Wukong and Liuer Mihou?"

Du Zhengyi had already been asked this question many times. He really did not want to talk about it anymore and wished he could forget the nightmare of the past few days. He just said dismissively, "If it isn't him, then it isn't him. Different souls, from beginning to end, different in every way."

The old woman smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yes, that is indeed a question that didn't need to be asked. I really am a senile old fool."