Chapter 517: Visitors in the Night (3)

"Mage Liu, I think you must have concluded that all the bad things were done by me." Luo Qi leaned back in the sofa, resting comfortably against the cushions, and flashed a grin at Liu Xiuyun. "I must say, such a clever feat really does sound like something I would do. A strategic genius like me, if I hadn't been sick all this time, should have thought of doing this long ago."

Liu Xiuyun gritted his teeth and glared at Luo Qi. He still couldn't stand up; he tried once more to seize control of his lower limb nerves, but failed again. He was a man of firm will who had never lost to anyone in terms of willpower, yet now he was losing to a chattering little bastard. He had used his full willpower to resist, while the other party was just rambling nonsense half-heartedly, suppressing him completely with less than a fraction of his energy.

He said, unable to bear it any longer, "During your upbringing, did no one ever remind you to shut up in moderation?"

Luo Qi smiled at him, "Du Zhengyi asks me to shut up once every six hours."

"You really are a child with self-awareness," Liu Xiuyun retorted angrily.

"Of course, my greatest self-awareness is not to use Mind Magic to interfere with members of the Investigation Committee." Luo Qi's gaze became meaningful, and his smile faded. "You all will certainly keep an eye on me, won't you?"

Liu Xiuyun stared at Luo Qi suspiciously. Luo Qi didn't really look like a child when he wasn't smiling. His suspicion gradually dissipated; Luo Qi was not a madman, he knew what he was doing. "Since that is the case, why did you come to find me?"

"Perhaps I want to persuade you? To make you believe I am an innocent child?" Luo Qi said.

"Then you should appear at the Hearing and state what you have to say in a public forum," Liu Xiuyun said.

Luo Qi gave a dry laugh. "Proving one's innocence is a foolish thing. At first, perhaps I only need to explain things clearly. Then, I might need to pledge loyalty and sing praises to the Qionglin. After that, perhaps even praises won't be enough, and I will need to spill my blood on the altar to sufficiently express my loyalty."

"Perhaps," Liu Xiuyun said. "Then you don't want to persuade me, and you cannot control my thoughts, so what exactly do you want?"

"I naturally want to intimidate you into shutting your mouth tomorrow and casting a vote in my favor."

Liu Xiuyun began to feel annoyed; this child might be crazy. "You cannot use Mind Magic, and my free will will not be threatened by anyone! Can you go back to your little bed, drink some milk, and go to sleep early? Maybe if you behave, I will actually believe you are an innocent child."

Luo Qi was amused, he raised two fingers and tapped his temple, "Let me tell you a secret: my body might still be a little short of being fully grown, but my soul has experienced too many trashy things. Those messy things have caused a small time difference between my soul and my body."

Liu Xiuyun's complexion turned horrified. His face went pale, his eyes stared straight at Luo Qi, and his mouth tightened.

"Relax," Luo Qi said with a smile. "It's not as long as you guessed. My soul is still that of a youth, which is why I can be so likable. Children like me all have to take charge of the household early."

Liu Xiuyun retorted gloomily, "You are truly terrifying, child."

"I am certainly very terrifying," Luo Qi said, as if he hadn't noticed the sarcasm.

"The extent of your ignorance is quite consistent with your apparent age. I don't think you are as old as you think you are. Children always think they have grown up; everyone is like that," Liu Xiuyun said slowly.

Luo Qi waved his hand dismissively, as if the matter wasn't worth mentioning. "Don't worry about me. You will yield. Everyone in this world can be threatened, as long as you find the right method."

"Then what would you like to talk about first?" Liu Xiuyun asked seriously.

"Let's talk about cooperation first. An extra friend is an extra path. You are a good person, and there aren't many good people these days. I'll make friends with as many as I can," Luo Qi said, reaching out to stroke his kitten, his fingers passing through the kitten's somewhat coarse fur, then affectionately rubbing the kitten's ears.

"Cooperate with you?"

Luo Qi raised his eyes to look at him and smiled, "Naturally, it's cooperating with justice. I knew the moment I saw you that you must have 'Swear to be a good partner of justice' embroidered on your pillow."

Liu Xiuyun practically swallowed a gasp of indignation. "Is this how you talk to your elders?"

"I remember that the Mage World speaks according to the size of one's fist. See this hand of mine, as big as a palm-leaf fan? With a fist this big, naturally, you can only listen to me roar," Luo Qi said nonchalantly, stretching out his hand, which was definitely not very large.

Liu Xiuyun really couldn't take it anymore. "If you must insist on expressing your meaning, could you please have your adults come and talk to me?"

"Who? You mean Du Zhengyi?" Luo Qi giggled. "That won't do, you all are too good at bullying honest people."

"Du Zhengyi is an honest person?" Liu Xiuyun puffed out a breath. "I really want to know how Doctor Luo educated you."

"My parents are relatively hands-off with me; I have always insisted on self-education."

"I can tell," Liu Xiuyun said.

"Don't be so strict with others; be a little more tolerant of a little genius like me," Luo Qi said shamelessly. "Mage Liu, you sit so primly. Looking so dignified and inviolable, you look a bit like an ancient warrior."

"Your nonsense is truly running wild."

"It's not nonsense; I have seen real warriors." Luo Qi tapped his temple with his finger. "In memories that others accidentally transmitted to me. I have seen many dead people, only at first I didn't know those were other people's memories; I thought they were just some of my own near-death experiences. You know, humans have always had legends that when people are about to die, their souls become chaotic and see many strange sights."

"Can you not talk so much nonsense?" Liu Xiuyun said angrily, gritting his teeth.

Luo Qi gave him a smile. For some reason, he felt a fear from the depths of his heart; perhaps this fear had nothing to do with Mind Magic. "Mage Liu, I am a normal person. Provided that I can protect myself, I would not want to see the Mage World in danger."

Liu Xiuyun looked at Luo Qi in silence; he believed this was an exceptionally simple and sincere statement.

"I respect you; you are a person who is basically impartial," Luo Qi said. "With my ability, I will receive more information than others. Some secrets I don't want to know, I will know anyway. I am unwilling to serve the Qionglin, that is true. But when I happen to know of some crises, I cannot sit idly by. This is not for the Qionglin; it is for my own conscience."

Liu Xiuyun was silent for a moment, then finally nodded.

"If you feel I have played you, you can refuse to cooperate with me at any time. But if you believe in the crisis I have pointed out, I believe you are also willing to work for the common interests of the Mage World," Luo Qi said calmly. "I need the true backbone of the Mage World. I believe you know where this strength lies, and at a critical moment, you can unite them to take the correct measures."

"What crisis are you referring to?" Liu Xiuyun admitted he was intrigued.

"First and foremost," Luo Qi said, his hands resting on his knees. "Naturally, the Lotus Burner."

(End of chapter)