Chapter 404: Fate

You don't have anything you want to say?

After waiting another hour or so, Mo Li had already rushed back to the Rui Wo Si Si Academy war zone garrison, and Lin Ke finally waited until Luo Te Si Nuo walked out of his reverie.

As soon as they met, Lin Ke ignored everything else and asked directly.

What's there to say?

Luo Te Si Nuo shrugged, his tone indifferent, replying, "Things are already like this; saying more would be pointless."

Better than not saying anything.

Lin Ke took a big step forward, his upper body slightly leaning forward, his demeanor extremely solemn.

What do you want me to say? Sorry? I was wrong?

Luo Te Si Nuo's brows furrowed slightly, his expression a mix of displeasure and impatience.

Lin Ke ignored him, merely locking his gaze onto Luo Te Si Nuo's eyes, silently waiting for a direct answer.

What exactly do you want me to say?

Seemingly annoyed by Lin Ke's stare, Luo Te Si Nuo raised his voice: "You need to understand, even if you're my lifelong cheap older brother, I don't owe you anything!"

You've lost your composure.

Upon hearing that, Lin Ke's eyes flashed with a hint of mockery: "It seems your plan didn't succeed, suffering interference or even a blow."

Don't wildly guess about things you don't know.

Luo Te Si Nuo rolled his eyes, impatiently saying, "I'll emphasize this one last time: I have nothing I want to say to you. Also, I want to ask, where did my Starry Sky Vessel go?"

The Rui Wo Si Si Academy vanguard was utterly crushed, the four-house allied legion suffered over forty percent casualties, and Mo Li rushed back to mop up the aftermath.

Regarding this issue, Lin Ke didn't beat around the bush, truthfully reporting the situation as he understood it.

Afterward, Lin Ke continued pressing: "Are you sure you have nothing you want to tell me?"

Lin Ke's wording shifted from 'want' to 'need,' carrying a different meaning.

This also reflected a change in Lin Ke's state of mind.

Luo Te Si Nuo noticed this very subtle but important change.

Just as he was about to take out another identical Starry Sky Vessel to head somewhere, Luo Te Si Nuo froze for a moment, then stopped his action, slightly tilted his head, and met Lin Ke's firm gaze.

In that gaze, Luo Te Si Nuo saw a flame—a flame hidden in Lin Ke's heart, burning fiercely, on the verge of losing control.

Evidently, something had made Lin Ke Grand, who was usually adept at endurance and restraint, unwilling to endure or restrain any further.

If today, Luo Te Si Nuo truly had nothing he wanted to say and nothing he needed to say, then Lin Ke Grand and Luo Te Si Nuo Grand would no longer even be able to maintain their cheap brotherly relationship from now on.

Logically, as a Saint reincarnation, Luo Te Si Nuo had no need to value this cheap brotherly relationship.

However, due to certain unspeakable reasons, Luo Te Si Nuo must maintain a relatively close distance with Lin Ke Grand.

To regain the Saint's position, Luo Te Si Nuo has many things he must accomplish.

Some of these things Luo Te Si Nuo can accomplish on his own.

Some things, however, cannot be done without certain external assistance.

Rui Wo Diomande, Si Si Diomande, all members of the Diomande family, and even the entirety of the Rui Wo Si Si Academy lack the qualification to provide Luo Te Si Nuo with external assistance.

Only Lin Ke Grand can play a role in some matters.

And most of the matters that require Lin Ke Grand's help to complete remain unfinished.

Therefore, Luo Te Si Nuo really cannot afford to fall out with Lin Ke now.

Sigh.

He let out a soft sigh, Luo Te Si Nuo decided to step back and say something.

After slightly composing his helpless emotions, Luo Te Si Nuo asked, "What do you want to know?"

"What you want to say, what you can say, what you need to say—that's what I want to know."

Upon hearing that, Lin Ke outlined a somewhat vague but still directional scope for Luo Te Si Nuo.

This is a rhetorical technique.

Perhaps it could allow Lin Ke to learn more matters and secrets.

Luo Te Si Nuo was well aware of this.

"Come in and talk."

Luo Te Si Nuo gave Lin Ke an annoyed glance, pulled out a miniaturized Starry Sky Vessel, and restored it to normal size.

He stepped into the open hatch first, Luo Te Si Nuo granted Lin Ke boarding permission.

As a Saint reincarnation, Luo Te Si Nuo lacks no wealth.

The Immortal-Deity civilization's top-tier Starry Sky Vessels—even buying two is trivial; purchasing dozens or hundreds is easily affordable.

But the highest-end things are always the scarcest; it's not as if Luo Te Si Nuo can simply buy however many he wants.

Relying on his status as a Saint reincarnation, after arriving in the parallel universe, through the connection of the Celestial Master's Mansion and the Celestial Master Xu Jing, he spent a great sum to finally acquire three vessels.

One was taken by Mo Li, another has just been taken out, leaving only one left in his possession.

Many? Not really.

Losing one or damaging one makes it hard to replace.

Therefore, unlike before, Luo Te Si Nuo did not grant Lin Ke operational control permission.

Lin Ke had waited over three hours; a little more or less didn't matter, so he followed Luo Te Si Nuo into the Starry Sky Vessel.

The two entered the cockpit one after another.

Luo Te Si Nuo didn't rush to chat with Lin Ke; first he set the Starry Sky Vessel's navigation coordinates, entered intelligent navigation mode, then summoned Lin Ke to the leisure cabin.

Arriving at the bar, Luo Te Si Nuo poured two glasses of strong liquor: "Sit down, let's have a good talk."

Lin Ke sat beside Luo Te Si Nuo, but did not take the liquor.

Luo Te Si Nuo didn't insist either; he took a sip himself, then said, "Since you're so eager to know, I'll lay things out and talk with you properly. Just one thing: if you hear something that makes your mood worse, don't blame me."

Hmm, I'm listening. Don't worry, it won't happen.

Lin Ke immediately expressed his stance, giving a promise.

Again he raised his head and took a sip of wine, Lotessno said: "You know, I actually don't want to face that old brat Michelle, nor do I want to go looking for whatever stars or light. All of this is beyond my control. Perhaps saying this, you'll think I'm being pretentious. A reincarnated Saint in full glory, and able at any moment to briefly restore the Saint's status and power, how could I still be not free? Hehe..."

He laughed scornfully a few times, Lotessno then continued:

"Not to mention being a reincarnated Saint, even those five guys in the Supreme Council now— which of them can truly be free, truly do as they please?

The Heavenly Immortals and Heavenly Venerables of the celestial court of the immortal-god civilization are the same.

Even the Ancestral Celestial Master, so venerable, isn't he just scheming like flies and dogs for the benefit of the Celestial Master's Manor and his descendants and juniors?

People living in this world, no matter how high their status and power, cannot escape a net.

The only difference is that some people's net is small and thin, while others' net is large and thick.

But no matter what, there is always such a net enveloping you, which you cannot break free from or escape.

Saying this, Lotessno looked at Lin Ke with deep meaning: "From the moment your true spirit crossed the universe and became an 'outsider' of the wizard civilization, you have been tightly enveloped by a large and thick net, wrapped around. You want to break free, you want to escape, but the more you struggle, the more you try to get away, the tighter that net binds you."

"Could it be that we're just supposed to accept fate?"

Lin Ke, calm yet with a hint of emotion, voiced a counter-question.

"Accept fate?"

Lotessno snorted, "Sometimes, accepting fate isn't as bad as you think."

"This is only sometimes; what about the other times?"

A glint flashed in Lin Ke's eyes as if he had thought of something, and he immediately followed up.

"The other times, then."

Lotessno drew out his tone a bit, let out a sigh, "Then we have to give it a go, fight for it, try it out. What if we succeed?"

"Give an example?"

Lin Ke pushed further, making a demand.

"Michelle can barely be counted as having succeeded in the attempt."

He tipped his head back and drained the cup of strong wine, Lotessno let out a long sigh, his tone and demeanor both revealing deep desolation and sorrow.

Wizards mainly cultivate mental power and magical power.

Mental power is the superficial manifestation of will.

Emotion is another superficial manifestation of will.

As a reincarnated Saint, the quality and quantity of Lotessno's mental power can be imagined.

Consequently, Lotessno's desolation and sorrow directly drove changes in the pressure and aura within the leisure cabin.

The entire leisure cabin instantly entered an ultra-low-pressure environment.

That is, Lin Ke is a fourth-rank Sage wizard who can at any time advance to fifth-rank Sage; otherwise, Lin Ke couldn't stay in the leisure cabin for long.

Even so, after a while, Lin Ke also felt some pressure.

His innate construct suit instantly covered his whole body, entering extreme survival mode to resist the ever-decreasing pressure and aura changes.

Fortunately, Lotessno's outward emotion didn't last long; he soon came to his senses, having gathered up his resurgent desolation and sorrow.

"Sorry, I was truly out of line."

He took the cup of strong wine that Lin Ke hadn't touched, tipped his head back and drained it, apologetically saying.

Lin Ke put away his innate construct suit, his face grave: "Your condition seems off; are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm sure I have trouble; I've gotten into big trouble."

Setting down the cup, Lotessno poured two more cups of strong wine while calmly speaking.

His tone was extremely nonchalant, as if the person he said had gotten into big trouble wasn't himself.

Lin Ke frowned slightly, then after a moment gave up empathizing with Lotessno and turned to focus on what he should concern himself with: "Let's get back to the topic we were chatting about."

Lotessno glanced sideways at Lin Ke, seeing Lin Ke's will firm and showing no concern for him, he couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.

Well, a cheap brother is just a cheap brother, with no emotional foundation at all.

I had thought I could play the victim to avoid some topics I didn't want to talk about.

Since the plan fell through, we can only lay it all out.

Thinking this, Lotessno no longer beat around the bush, and continued:

"All that happened today stems from Michelle's refusal to accept fate; he doesn't want to perish after his lifespan is exhausted, and wants to extend his life by advancing to Saint.

For this, Michelle has done many, many things.

No matter how the gains and returns of that thing turn out, no matter how great the cost, if there is even the slightest chance it could help his advancement, Michelle will definitely do it.

Sending people to besiege you is for this reason, and sending people to attack the advance team of the Ruiwo Sixtus Academy is also for this reason.

"Wait, Michelle the Grand Sage sent people to attack the advance team to advance, not for revenge or venting?"

Lin Ke timely noticed the blind spot, interjected to interrupt Lotessno's narration, and asked doubtfully.

"Revenge? Venting? That old brat Michelle is just bored out of his mind, that's why he'd think of such revenge or venting. If he really wanted revenge or venting, he'd definitely go after that dog couple Ruiwo and Sixtus."

He snorted, and Lotessno bluntly refuted Lin Ke's statement.

"But how could attacking the advance team help Michelle advance?"

Regarding Lotessno's statement, Lin Ke still had a question.

"Of course it's to seek a smooth heart."

Lotessno naturally said, "Although I said those few guys in the Supreme Council are also not free, that's only relatively unfree. From the perspective of ordinary wizards, even up to Sage and Grand Sage wizards, Wizard Saints are surely utterly free, able to do as they please. The question is, what does it mean to do as one pleases?"

Lin Ke, upon hearing this, fell into thought.

What does it mean to do as one pleases?

According to Lotessno's implication, as long as one's intention remains smooth at all times, that can be called doing as one pleases.

From this perspective, at the most critical moment of changing cultivation and advancing, Michel Grand Sage sent people to attack the advance team of Ruiwosuosi Academy, which could indeed make intentions flow smoothly.

So why send people to blockade Lin Ke and Mo Li?

Is it also to seek smooth intentions?

Lin Ke didn't think so, and he asked directly.

After hearing Lin Ke's question, Luotesinuo gave Lin Ke another deep look and said: "Old bastard Michel told me he never said he wanted to possess Linke Grand's words."

Pausing, Luotesinuo emphasized: "Between saints, lying is impossible."

Lin Ke's expression turned solemn.

Since Michel never said he wanted to possess Linke Grand's words, how should we interpret the several actions of Michel Grand Sage's Tower?

Is it a smoke bomb deliberately released by Michel to conceal some true purpose or direction, or must Michel, for some benefit, adopt a posture of being determined to obtain Linke Grand?

Both are possible, and there may be even more possibilities.

Lin Ke did not expand his thoughts to make further deep speculation.

The topic went around in circles, but Luotesinuo still didn't get to the point, which was somewhat unsatisfying.

With that thought, Lin Ke's gaze toward Luotesinuo felt somewhat off.

Luotesinuo keenly noticed Lin Ke's gaze and asked in surprise: "What are you looking at me for?"

Lin Ke didn't answer, just continued looking that way.

Seeing Lin Ke silent and unresponsive, not restraining or changing, Luotesinuo simply stopped bothering with it and leisurely enjoyed the strong liquor in his cup.

What he wanted to say, could say, and should say, he has already said.

As for whether the content he spoke could meet Lin Ke's demands, Luotesinuo didn't care.

That's it now.