Chapter 101: Criticism and Instruction

On the other side.

Bide Laiangneier and Suolun Luqiya saw off the temporary guests invited to attend and cheer, and also noticed the public opinion storm on the 'Ruowosuolun LunTan' forum.

Although both were well-informed, they were also shocked to find themselves divided into opposing sides in the debate.

"Can you still consider the problem this way?"

Bide Laiangneier looked at Suolun Luqiya and asked doubtfully.

"Hmm..."

Suolun Luqiya, who had devoted herself to study, cultivation, research, and warfare since the age of twelve, could not answer.

He really doesn't understand women at all.

Even if he satisfied his physical desires, it was only with those witches who clicked at first glance and were equally players, engaging in a thundering artillery battle.

He had never deeply understood women's inner selves, and had no idea what women's nature or aesthetics were.

At this moment, Suolun Luqiya noticed Sophie Luqiya in the corner, her head drooping, spirits low, like a quail.

Her internal family ranking had dropped another two places.

This was the second time this year she had dropped in ranking, and both times were related to that hateful country bumpkin.

Two more drops and she would be removed from the family's cultivation list.

"Sophie, come over."

Suolun Luqiya waved her hand.

"Cousin, Peter Wizard, you called me— is there something you need me to do?"

Sophie Luqiya forced herself up, walked over, and asked.

"What do you think of this matter?"

Suolun Luqiya handed over the smartbrain and posed the question.

After receiving the smartbrain and scanning the fierce debate on the forum, Sophie Luqiya understood what her cousin was asking.

After a moment's thought, she gathered her courage and spoke her mind: "Cousin, Peter Wizard, I actually also feel that it's hard to find anything on the market that catches my eye and that I truly like."

Pausing, Sophie Luqiya gave an example: "Take my 'Defender 3202' suit, for instance. It has a built-in appearance-changing function, but no matter how I adjust it, it looks dull and plain on the outside. Since it already has the appearance-changing function, why can't it be made to look more beautiful? If it weren't for safety, I wouldn't wear this suit. It's so ugly!"

"So it turns out you women really do have this kind of mindset."

Bide Laiangneier let out a sigh, then asked, "Why hasn't anyone put forward opinions? Only today has it caused such a big uproar. If you had advocated for yourselves earlier, you wouldn't have so few choices now."

Sophie Luqiya said somewhat unconvinced, "How could no one have raised opinions? Many people do so every year. It's just that no one listens, and even many famous witch pharmacists and alchemists lack the awareness to design products from a female perspective."

"Then why is that?"

Suolun Luqiya asked doubtfully.

Sophie Luqiya muttered a few words with her lips, but still couldn't answer the question.

"Yeah, why is that?"

Sophie Luqiya racked her brains but couldn't figure out the answer to that question.

"What's going on between you and Linke Grand?"

Suolun Luqiya suddenly shifted tone and fired off the question, truly catching Sophie Luqiya off guard.

"No... nothing much, just a small disagreement."

Sophie Luqiya answered hesitantly, feeling a bit guilty inside.

"A small disagreement? What disagreement? Explain in detail."

Suolun Luqiya assumed a posture of getting to the bottom of things, her tone stern, her expressionless face quite intimidating.

"Well..."

Sophie Luqiya, who had always revered her cousin, called the most outstanding person of the Luqiya family in nearly fifty years, trembled as she briefly recounted the two "paper" incidents.

After speaking, she felt a bit resentful and gritted her teeth: "That country bumpkin is especially narrow-minded; just after I released my paper on the influence of germination rates, he promptly came out with a paper on hybrid breeding, causing my paper's rating to drop!"

A flicker of disappointment appeared in Suolun Luqiya's eyes.

I never expected that at this point, Sophie Luqiya would still be concerned about the rating of that "paper".

She really can't tell what's important.

"I'm very disappointed!"

He said indifferently, "You still haven't realized the importance of the issue!"

"Ah?"

Sophie Luqiya sensed the odd tone in her cousin's voice, cautiously glanced up, then quickly lowered her head: "Please, cousin, give me your instruction."

"Even a lion fighting a rabbit knows to give it its all."

Suolun Luqiya, feeling somewhat frustrated at not being able to make him into steel, endured her disappointment and offered advice,

"Since doing things is bound to offend people, you should consider the consequences and how to deal with them."

"If you can resolve the grudge, do your best to do so; if not, you must guard against the other's retaliation and also consider how to kill them."

Pointing at Sophie Luqiya's eyes, Suolun Luqiya continued to advise,

"Your vision is too short-sighted! Your attitude is too arrogant!"

"If you hadn't started off with an arrogant attitude and had set a reasonable price, none of the later troubles would have occurred, and the new sprouting method you liked would have been yours exclusively."

"Afterward, since you already moved to seize it from someone else, you should see it through to the end, even going so far as to kill him to eliminate future trouble!"

"Look at what you've done!"

"Ah?"

"You used your authority to leave evidence, got reported, and lost your position."

"At this point, you actually thought of giving Linke Grand a clue, but you went ahead and did the experiment that had no results yet, and rushed to publish the 'paper'."

"Do you have nothing but the 'paper' in your eyes?"

The "country bumpkin" you speak of, the Storm Sea Newblood, a first-year, when the semester hadn't even passed halfway, already knew how to do research, conduct experiments, publish 'papers', and even knew to report!

What does that mean? What does that represent? Don't you know?

If you would just ask your clansmen more, instead of treating your brothers and sisters as competitors, and refer to their opinions, you wouldn't be completely clueless!

Such a person is a genius, a top-notch talent!

As long as they don't die, no matter where they are, they can rise to prominence—a top-notch talent!

You've provoked such a person; don't you have any idea how to deal with them?

If you can't reconcile or win them over, then you must definitely kill him!

The sooner you kill him, the better!

Sophie Lukia felt her head spin.

Has the situation become this serious?

Soron Lukia's eyesight is very keen; he immediately saw Sophie Lukia's condition.

Think about it—the other party is only 13, raised in pampered luxury from childhood, sheltered like in a honey pot, never experienced hardship, lacks this awareness; knowing that saying more now would be useless.

He let out a deep sigh.

Who made me owe her parents two lives? I can only make up for the oversight myself.

Soron Lukia turned to look at his older brother Peter Lionel and asked, "If I now find someone to kill Linke Grand, will it affect your plan?"

Peter Lionel considered it carefully, then shook his head regretfully and said, "I'm afraid not."

The bet has already been made; that Linke Grand is clearly a participant. If he is killed before the Two Districts Grand Comparison, Paro that guy will surely seize the opportunity to cause trouble.

You know, those old fogies at the academy are now watching me and Paro closely, afraid we'll start fighting.

If Paro starts trouble then, we'll be in the wrong first, and those old fogies at the academy will likely take sides.

Is that so?

Soron Lukia heard that and fell into thought.

This possibility indeed exists, and it's not small.

If, over a minor matter, the academy's old fogies directly award the Percy Sage's Diamond to Paro, that would be a loss.

Those old fogies at the academy are quite sinister; they like to support rootless Newbloods and suppress the development of native great families—they would definitely do something like this.

After thinking, Soron Lukia said, "Sophie, from now on, you must not take any action against Linke Grand, like what you did in the arena last time."

Oh.

Sophie Lukia drooped her head and replied glumly.

Raise your head!

Soron Lukia gave a soft shout, "Drooping your head, listless—what kind of look is that! Go back and reflect properly; don't waste your thoughts on miscellaneous matters, focus on study and cultivation, and early promotion to a full wizard—that's the real business!"

Okay, cousin.

Sophie Lukia took a deep breath, answered loudly, then left.

She knew her cousin was doing it for her good, hence the sharp criticism.

If it were other peers in the clan, many would wish to receive a scolding from the cousin.

Sigh.

Watching Sophie Lukia's disappearing back around the corner, the rarely emotionally moved Soron Lukia let out another deep sigh.

You've worried enough about this cousin.

Peter Lionel, seeing this, offered advice: "She's still young, doesn't understand things, and doesn't know how treacherous people's hearts are; more knocks will bring progress."

Soron Lukia didn't respond directly, but instead pulled up a report from his smartbrain.

This was a file he obtained from the family intelligence agency after finally finding a free moment while Peter Lionel was personally escorting Wizard Henry Percy.

It detailed most of Linke Grand's actions since entering the Rivwosith Academy half a year ago.

Peter Lionel quickly skimmed it and exclaimed, "Another Sigma Paro?"

He finally understood why that Paro guy valued Linke Grand—he saw his own reflection.

Not just that!

Soron Lukia then pulled up three case files, the deceased being Enrico Bernalis, Harold Andrews, and Lifusi Fulansi.

All three case files mentioned the name "Linke Grand," but none identified him as the killer.

The strike was pretty ruthless.

Peter Lionel let out a sigh, "From this angle, he's also quite like Cody that guy—decisive in killing. This person must not be kept; during the Two Districts Grand Comparison, have someone kill him!"

That's exactly the promise Soron Lukia wanted.

But before that, he will still arrange some cruder means.

To test, to test.

Just in case.

(End of chapter)