Chapter 89
Chapter 89
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 89: Lan Qi’s Principal Functions Unlocked
May 22, 2024 — Author: Poor Xixi
The shadows of green trees swayed gently in the breeze, and shafts of morning sunlight slipped through the glass and curtains, filling the living room with a calm, serene warmth.
At this moment, Lan Qi had already brewed two cups of tea. Carrying them on a tray from the sink, he set them down in the living room and handed one to Vice Dean Ron.
Lan Qi didn’t speak first. He simply sat upright, waiting for Ron to open the conversation.
After a moment of thoughtful silence, Vice Dean Ron held the cup in both hands and finally said:
“Lan Qi, the main reason I came today is to ask—on behalf of the Sage College—about the origin of the spell card you used in the third round of the exam, [Friendly Exchange].”
Perhaps fearing he might put pressure on the boy, Ron spoke slowly and deliberately:
“Of course, if it’s inconvenient to disclose, you don’t have to answer. I simply wish to understand. I mean no harm.”
Though Lan Qi’s performance during the Shadow World exam two days ago had been remarkable, Ron—as a human—felt unfit to make hasty judgments about that realm. The Sage College’s research committee would need to carefully deliberate before deciding which parts of that Shadow World to seal away as forbidden material, and which to preserve—perhaps modified—for teaching.
But as for [Friendly Exchange], that silencing spell, it might have a profound impact on the academy’s future teaching methods.
For that reason—as well as to protect Lan Qi—Ron, in agreement with Dean Loren, felt he had to speak with the boy directly.
“…”
The room fell into a quiet stillness after his words.
The truth was, Lan Qi had indeed created the card.
But the crucial toxic magic principle behind it had come from Talia. Since [Friendly Exchange] incorporated demonfolk toxin-magic, tracing it back might bring her unnecessary trouble.
So far, Lan Qi had only ever planned to make two copies of [Friendly Exchange]—one for himself and one for Talia. After all, his apprenticeship contract with her included a clause: any practical card he crafted, he had to share with her. And whether a card could be sold commercially was subject to her approval.
Their fates, therefore, were tightly bound together. Talia could teach him without reservation, helping him get rich faster—so he could pay off his debts sooner.
“…I obtained it on the southern border of Mantina, from an old refugee woman. She claimed it was a secret passed down in her family. After some time, she disappeared, and I couldn’t find her again.”
Lan Qi gave this calm reply from the sofa.
After spending time with Talia, he had gradually developed the habit of honesty.
“I see…”
Ron nodded slightly at the explanation.
So [Friendly Exchange] was unlikely to be the work of some up-and-coming card maker, but rather an old card that had been passed down—and Lan Qi had simply chanced upon it.
Though his answer carried a faint hesitation, Lan Qi had looked him straight in the eyes without wavering. His mana flow remained stable, showing none of the fluctuations typical of lying.
High-ranked spellcasters could often detect truths through mana disturbances.And the higher one climbed, the more one trained in suppressing one’s own mana—to deceive opponents.
Lan Qi clearly hadn’t yet mastered that art.
Ron hadn’t meant to test him, but the thought worried him: if Lan Qi was ever questioned by someone with ill intentions, he might reveal information too easily.
“So then… this card is likely a natural Shadow World card, not an artificially crafted one?”
Ron stroked his beard, pondering aloud.
Natural spell cards could only be found in the Shadow World. Even at purple rarity, they were often unique.
And truly, [Friendly Exchange] did feel more like a Shadow World artifact than something crafted by human hands.
“I personally think it’s closer to a natural card,” Lan Qi admitted.
Ron finally exhaled in relief.
That meant they likely didn’t have to worry about the worst-case scenario—that this card was already spreading in the market.
The vice dean rose from the sofa, satisfied.
“Lan Qi, Dean Loren has sealed away the record of your third exam. He also warned all faculty present not to reveal any details.”
Ron’s expression turned grave as he spoke.
Lan Qi bowed his head slightly.
So that was why even Princess Vivian hadn’t known the specifics of his third trial.
It was Loren—the High Priest—who had deliberately hidden the truth to protect him.
“For now, [Friendly Exchange] hasn’t been made public. And though you used it briefly during the Shadow World test, the effect wasn’t obvious. No one realized how it differed from a normal Silence spell.”
Ron continued:
“We can shield you for now. But when you use [Friendly Exchange] again under public eyes, you must be cautious. Greedy men—and crazed cultists—may stop at nothing to seize such a valuable card, or to attempt reproducing it.”
Though Ron knew Lan Qi had an unrivaled gift for torment, those fanatical cultists—who played by no rules, who failed countless times without care—were still rooted across both continents like a cancer.
And Lan Qi, still young, had but one precious life. He could not gamble it recklessly against them.
“I understand. Thank you, Professor Ron.”
Lan Qi bowed respectfully in gratitude.
“I’ll take my leave now. If you ever need help, come to the Sage College office.”
Ron still had many duties waiting. Even this visit had been carved out of his schedule with difficulty.
“Also, as our most outstanding freshman, you may have the chance to travel with the academy’s delegation this semester—visiting other prestigious schools in the southern kingdoms’ parliamentary states. When you meet their leaders, don’t be as stiff as you are with me. Show a little youthful spirit—but always remain respectful.”
Ron smiled with satisfaction at him.
When this boy was on their side, he truly became more pleasing the longer one looked.
“Yes, I understand,” Lan Qi said with a nod, hurrying ahead to open the dormitory door for him.
After this short exchange, Ron’s impression of Lan Qi had improved greatly—far better than he had imagined before arriving.
At first, he had worried that the boy’s true nature might be arrogant, that his talents might make him proud and unrestrained—causing disasters even in the real world.
But now it seemed there was little need for concern. Lan Qi was a student who knew his limits, who could separate the Shadow World from reality.
…
After closing the door, Lan Qi leaned back against it and let out a long sigh.
“Whew… that was close. I almost slipped into ‘principal mode’ again.”
When he had first heard Ron was the vice dean, he’d nearly reflexively begun instructing him as if giving administrative guidance.
Throughout the conversation, he’d had to suppress that instinct—forcing himself to act the part of a student, not the aura of a school’s highest leader.
Still, based on what Ron said about academic exchanges, perhaps he wouldn’t need to restrain himself as much then.
After all, youthful vitality—that, Lan Qi was confident he could show.
vChapter 90: Lan Qi Was Just a Step Away from Heaven
May 22, 2024 — Author: Poor Xixi
Morning in the royal capital of Ikerite.The sky carried a faint shade of blue, and in this cool autumn season, the entire city’s air felt unusually crisp and fresh.
On the east side of Ikerite Academy, just two streets over, the roads were lined with shops.
From a small restaurant drifted the smell of breakfast—oats and cheese mingled with the warmth of smoke from the kitchen.
Lan Qi stood outside its door, wearing a faintly puzzled expression as he looked up at the building: a two-story wooden house of typical design, with a signboard at the entrance reading “Cat Boss Restaurant.”
Though the structure was built from rustic, tea-colored timber, the style and ornamentation were brimming with old Victorian charm. The wide sloping roof curved elegantly, its eaves stretching far beyond the walls to create a sense of spaciousness. Beneath them, a balcony offered room to relax, chat, or even dine. A set of wind chimes hung from the deep eaves, chiming softly whenever the breeze passed.
This was the new address Talia had given him.
It seemed that although the place was primarily a restaurant, the second floor doubled as a small inn for rent.
If one stayed here long-term, the rent likely wouldn’t be expensive. More importantly, Lan Qi trusted Talia’s gourmet radar—if she had chosen this place, the food must truly be unique and delicious.
The moment he pushed the door open, the sound of “ding-ling, ding-ling” chimed above him, and the restaurant’s quaint interior came into view.
Simple partitions divided the tables into sections. Aside from the front counter, there was only a stairwell leading to the kitchen or the second floor.
It seemed the restaurant wasn’t focused on breakfast service, so there weren’t many customers at this hour. Even the clerk behind the counter had to double as a waitress, shuffling back and forth with trays.
“Hello, I’m looking for a Miss Talia who’s staying here.”
Lan Qi waited patiently until the young waitress returned from delivering food, then asked politely.
“Miss Talia…? Sorry, I’ve only just started working here, so I don’t really know the guests staying upstairs.”
The waitress looked slightly apologetic as she explained.
She was young, about his age—likely a student working part-time.
“But if you can describe her, I can’t tell you which room she’s in, but I can go upstairs and help you find her.”
Her tone was friendly. She felt instinctively that Lan Qi wasn’t dangerous—just a warm, gentle boy.
“Well, she’s very beautiful. About 168 centimeters tall, looks around 20 to 25 years old. Long gray hair, golden eyes. Her figure’s the ideal healthy type, never had children. Hardly ever talks, never smiles.”
Lan Qi described her with absolute seriousness.
Back in his hometown of South Mantina, he’d once failed to describe Talia clearly to the butler. Ever since then, he’d been carefully refining the perfect way to depict her through words.
But before he even finished, a sudden chill crawled up his back.
A cold hand landed on his shoulder.
And from behind him radiated a pair of golden eyes—merciless, superior, brimming with crushing magical pressure.
The waitress herself shivered, rubbing her arms as if the whole restaurant’s temperature had dropped several degrees.
“You mean… the lady standing behind you?” she asked timidly, pointing toward his side.
“…Probably.”
Lan Qi kept the same fixed smile as he slowly turned his head.
His neck was the only part that would move—his body felt as if it had a mountain pressing down upon it.
Talia was standing directly behind him.
Her slender fingers looked as though they could snap his shoulder at any moment. In her other hand, she carried a paper box of Ikerite sea-salt cheese biscuits—a treat that always sold out early in the morning, forcing people to queue at dawn.
“Good morning, Teacher Talia.”
Seeing her appetite still intact, Lan Qi relaxed a little.
It seemed she’d been living happily enough these past two days without him.
…Though he did worry she might gain weight.
At her age, with her temperament, if she got fat on top of that… she’d be even harder to marry off.
“Come with me.”
Talia released his shoulder. Her voice carried no emotion, but every word was sharp with killing intent.
After thanking the waitress, Lan Qi obediently followed her up the creaking wooden stairs to the second floor.
They walked all the way to the end of the hallway. Talia drew a key from her pocket and unlocked the door to her new lodgings.
“Get in.”
Her tone was ice-cold.
Lan Qi didn’t dare hesitate—he hurried inside.
“Talia, you’ve got good taste…”
His eyes swept across the little apartment in genuine admiration.
The ceiling was a lattice of wooden planks and beams, with skylights angled to give the sense of a rooftop terrace where one could stargaze at night.
The walls were painted in warm tones of cream, pale orange, and beige, while the carefully polished wooden furniture shone with natural grain.
Talia ignored him, walking past to sit in the lone wooden armchair in the living room.
Beside it stood a small tea table stacked with newspapers and magazines—an image of her quiet, reclusive life here was easy to imagine.
When Lan Qi glanced at her, her gaze snapped back to him.
Though she had no proof, her instincts were stronger than ever: this boy was always thinking thoughts that deserved death.
Her innate magic was sharpening with time. Even if it wasn’t quite telepathy yet, she could sense how abnormally active his mind became whenever he was near her.
Other than restoring her kingdom, her only goal now was to break through her innate magic—from lie detection to full mind-reading. Only then could she uncover exactly what this human was plotting in his head.
“…Why did you come to me?”
Her tone was as cold as ever.
She had long intended to ask Lan Qi about the Shadow World incident from two days ago.
But whenever she imagined him smiling on the surface while secretly entertaining some vile thought inside, she burned with rage.
So she hadn’t reached out to him at all—just waited for him to come find her.
And sure enough, he had.
Which only proved this human was even more dependent on her than she’d imagined.
Yet, as expected—
The instant she saw his face, her mood soured again.