Chapter 233

"As everyone knows, our academy is always short on budget, and that is an indisputable fact."

"Which academy has enough budget?! But can you really just kneel down like that right away?!"

There's no helping it.

So-called Alchemy is the magic of minerals and chemistry. Every day, the entire academy acts like a bottomless pit, burning through countless national-level budgets, watching helplessly as endless amounts of money go up in smoke. Just thinking about money makes these alchemists' eyes turn green!

He wanted to make progress too much!

People who want to make progress will naturally crush those who stand in their way.

Volume 6: Rep-Man · Lunar Expedition: 213: Fishing

Just like that, the communication from [Master Leipu] ended.

The seven deans argued amongst themselves for a while, their emotions intense and their language crude, but in the end, they couldn't come up with any real countermeasures.

It's not like anyone would actually slam the table and get tough, wanting to go head-to-head with Rep-Man, right?

Fight the Demon King over this? That's too brave!

—Moreover, the money-grubbing Dean of the Alchemy Academy actually argued with [Master Leipu] and ended up successfully negotiating an "advance payment": Qi Xing readily paid out a full ten tons of silver as a "prize deposit."

This made the Alchemy Dean beam with joy on the spot, his eyes practically glowing.

Ten tons of silver, in terms of market price, is actually less than a "small goal" (one hundred million) — but if it were truly poured into the market in physical form, it would be enough to disrupt local market prices, or at least influence an entire country.

Although the Hermes Society is a super-organization and it's not unusual for them to use national-level funds, being able to get ten tons of "physical" silver in one go, or even expecting hundreds of tons of silver bricks — even for the Alchemy Academy, such opportunities are rare.

With such a shiny, silver step down, the other deans ultimately had no choice but to follow the slope and agree, half-reluctantly defaulting to Rep-Man's [Great Escape-Pa] event.

Anyway, just treat it as humoring the [Silver Coin Messenger]'s madness and stroking their fur. It's not like it hasn't happened in history. Everyone's ancestors have done this sort of thing; it's nothing shameful.

However, even after they ended the call, the pressure left behind by the Demon King remained lingering.

"Although [Master Leipu] said he wouldn't fight seriously and was just playing around… but what if the seven spirits can't beat him even when working together? How do we wrap this up?"

The Dean of the Secret History Academy, who came to the meeting wearing a bathrobe, furrowed his brows and asked worriedly.

"We can't actually send him into the Lunar Sanctuary."

—The existence of the Lunar Sanctuary was supposed to be a major secret of the Hermes Society; they couldn't even "admit" its existence to the outside world, let alone promise it lightly.

However, Rep-Man came here to stir up trouble, saying he wanted the seven spirits to go to the moon. Everyone was caught off guard by his sudden attack and responded hastily, actually foggily agreeing to it during the holographic communication.

But what should they do now that they've agreed?

They couldn't actually send [Master Leipu] to the Lunar Sanctuary, because even they themselves couldn't get up there right now.

…They didn't even mention this point in the conversation just now.

Why is this year the first time in ten years that The Society has restarted the advanced study examination for the Lunar Sanctuary?

Why is the screening process this time so strict, and the method so strange?

Everything has a reason.

"The Lunar Sanctuary has been under remote spell invasion for ten consecutive years. Even though we're certain the intruder is from the surface, we haven't been able to find any clues. The higher-ups have been scolding us constantly."

The Dean of the Original Essence Academy held his head and sighed,

"Now that [Master Leipu] is stirring up trouble again, do you really think the higher-ups won't be even angrier?!"

In fact, since ten years ago, the Hermes Lunar Sanctuary has been continuously suffering from remote spell invasions.

The frequency of these invasions has been increasing year by year, and the forms have become increasingly complex. Most troublesome of all, the spell resonance of the invasions all originated from Earth.

They were able to confirm that the intruder was not on the moon itself, but from some unknown force on the "surface," using advanced methods to interfere with the magic of the Lunar Sanctuary. However, over the past ten years, the Hermes Society has secretly dispatched many personnel on the ground and used various tracking methods, yet they still haven't been able to find a single clue.

The method of invasion is highly secretive, with very few traces. The high-level officials have been furious about this several times and have ordered the ground departments to step up their investigation for clues.

—And this is the fundamental reason why the Hermes Society has completely frozen "advanced study quotas" for the past ten years.

No one can be easily sent to the moon; let alone candidates, even instructors are restricted from entering and leaving, and even the deans of the various academies need to apply for approval.

Under these circumstances, how could they possibly let a crazy, mysterious [Master Leipu] step into the Lunar Sanctuary?

"Don't be so pessimistic, it might not be a bad thing."

The Dean of the Astrology Academy, who had been silent, finally spoke up to express his opinion,

"For the first time in ten years, there are finally study quotas allowing students to go to the Lunar Sanctuary. The person attempting to invade the Sanctuary — if they truly exist — might just be unable to hold back and reveal their flaws in this batch."

"Perhaps among the seven candidates this time, there is already a spy invading the Sanctuary."

"We originally intended to test their backgrounds and purposes through battles between the candidates… Since that's the case, perhaps the suddenly intruding [Master Leipu] can just happen to force out their true reactions."

"A blunder turning into a success, a lucky strike — the more outrageously he acts,"

The Dean of the Astrology Academy said softly,

"The easier it will be to stir up the things hidden under the water."

The Astrology Academy, although not the most powerful academy in the Hermes Society, is one of the three oldest academies. They are not only good at astrology, but in fact, also include all forms of divination within the scope of the Hermes school.

Everyone still takes the Astrology Dean's judgment of the future to heart, at least to some extent.

For a moment, the several deans around the round table looked at each other, their expressions varied, but no one argued back anymore.

——————————————

Back to Qi Xing.

Just after finishing the call, he stretched and turned his head to look at the rustic girl Vike, who was sitting restlessly and looking nervous.

"What are you still standing there for? You and Boudica can go."

"Huh?"

Now it was Vike's turn to look confused,

"Wh-what do you mean go?"

Qi Xing finally frowned: "You don't think I'm going to guarantee your admission, do you?"

"Eh?!"

Vike was immediately shocked. It seems this girl really did think that. How shameful.

"Even if I really did guarantee your admission and eliminated the other six candidates," Qi Xing had to explain indifferently, "would The Society therefore seriously evaluate you and the Unification Academy you belong to?"

"They won't. They will only say you got it by fawning over me, by sleeping your way to the top."

Vike was speechless.

"A-actually, I don't mind sleeping with [Master Leipu]…"

Although she was stunned for a moment, she added in a small, fidgety voice.

But Qi Xing immediately interrupted Vike: "I do mind."

Her devastated expression was actually quite interesting. So Qi Xing simply gave her further guidance:

"Think carefully, Vike. What is it that you want? Figuring this out is very important."

"Don't be tripped up by things you don't truly desire, and conversely, don't confuse what you truly want."

"'Seeing one's nature and realizing one's true self' — although this is an Eastern saying, the Truth is universal. No matter which path of cultivation, this is the most basic lesson.

Especially in a universe like Sasa where desires can bring power, clarifying one's desires and looking directly at one's true heart are the only ways to advance further. Figuring this out early makes it less likely to go astray.

(That's right, desire and craving are not the same.)

Of course, disciples of orthodox sects are basically taught this principle as soon as they join. It's just a pity that having learned this principle doesn't mean one truly understands it in their heart; understanding it is one thing, and truly seeing one's self is another — otherwise, the world would already be full of saints and enlightened beings.

Although Vike understood intellectually that Qi Xing was right, she couldn't help but talk back: "But if sleeping with the strongest person can exchange for better cultivation resources and greater opportunities for advancement, what's wrong with that? Almost everyone would be willing to do it, and they wouldn't even have the chance if they wanted to!"

"If you are willing, then you need to be even clearer about what you actually want."

Qi Xing answered indifferently,

"Enduring humiliation for the sake of progress, that's no problem, right? But have you figured out what you are moving forward for? If you don't even understand your goal, then wouldn't you have eaten shit for nothing?"

This sentence finally made Vike shut up.

She tried hard to control her expression, doing her best not to show any emotion on her face, but she still braced herself, bowed to Qi Xing, and turned away, puffed up with anger.

Boudica, who was on the side, hurriedly bowed solemnly to [the strongest man on earth], apologized sincerely, and then quickly followed Vike to leave.

Qi Xing watched their backs as they left and shook his head: "She has courage, loyalty, and drive, but lacks brains and ambition."

"People always have shortcomings."

Xue Ning, who came over to help Qi Xing refine silver, smiled quite tolerantly.

"Young people, when they are just twenty years old, how many have already had a great ambition sufficient to drive themselves?"

When I was twenty in this life, I was almost an immortal… That said, Qi Xing benefited from living two lives, so it can't be calculated that way directly.

Besides, Qi Xing didn't have any ambition when he first became an immortal either; it was only two months ago that he clarified his goal and decided to change the world.

"Besides, [Master Leipu], you actually overlooked one thing."

Speaking of this, Xue Ning smiled bitterly, somewhat melancholy,

"…Sexual predation and sexual bribery are actually very common in the magical world, especially within sects and academies."

This sentence finally shut Qi Xing up, making him frown again: "The Society is at least an orthodox sect."

"Orthodox sects have these things too; it's just that they are cleaner on the surface."

Xue Ning shook her head,

"Although I am not a member of the Hermes Society, I count as half a member of the Hermes school,"

"If the inside of evil sects is often about heterosexual promiscuity, then within orthodox sects, it is often same-sex, where elders abuse younger ones."

"In some academies and sects, the competition is too intense, the internal involution is serious, and it can even develop into a situation where beautiful boys proactively sell themselves to superiors in exchange for opportunities to rise… But I guess no matter which kind, whether active or forced, these are not things you, [Master Leipu], would approve of."

Qi Xing didn't speak, his brows furrowing even tighter.

As everyone knows, taboos, such as the reversal of normal yin-yang relationships, can bring mysterious power.

Just like the energy contained in "sex" itself, perverse acts also have a long and obscure magical origin.

The eleventh-level ritual of a certain famous occult society involves homosexual acts among male members.

And that famous Uncle Crowley even used poetic brushstrokes to praise the "churning semen" and the revelations brought by the "Eye of Horus," these kinds of secret rituals that are inconvenient to detail.

Similarly, in the distant East, there is also a joke about an old monk packing the feces of a young novice.

In the scripture "Origin of the Child Guanyin," there is a plot where Guanyin transforms into a young boy, so some sects believe that having sex with young boys can lead to enlightenment.

—"Come, green youth, and join the master in the great secret ritual"—this kind of rhetoric can often cloak the most terrible atrocities in gorgeous clothing.

So, what is the difference between the orthodox and the evil paths?

Perhaps it lies in the fact that the orthodox path at least knows shame, and doing such things must be done secretly. And once caught, you're finished, and even your companions will cut ties with you.

While the evil path… they don't even have a sense of shame.

Whether one knows shame — this is the biggest difference between different organizations.

"I think that Miss Vike is definitely still an inexperienced girl. But this doesn't mean she hasn't witnessed similar situations in The Society."

As if mocking herself, Xue Ning smiled,

"Perhaps she has thought about questions like 'Why can't I even sell myself?', or she might have seen friends and classmates sell themselves for a good price to exchange for resources and opportunities for advancement… [Master Leipu], didn't you say that too? Morality can be shaped by the environment."

"Understanding what you truly desire means dissecting your own heart and facing your own darkness and ugliness; this is very difficult."

Qi Xing, of course, knows this principle.

Sighing, he pulled out seven paper dolls cut from yellow paper from his storage gourd and blew a beam of immortal energy into them.

The palm-sized paper dolls immediately jumped up. The seven living paper dolls ran out the door happily, scattering in different directions.

"Next, let's see just how much backbone these candidates really have."

After speaking, Qi Xing turned around and looked at the "borrowed" church, musing: "Xue Ning, do you think we should renovate this place to look more like a Demon King's castle?"

——————————

It was almost dawn.

Dragging her exhausted body, Vike returned to the student apartment she rented in Oxford.

Boudica followed her behind, very worried, but Vike still asked Boudica to conceal her figure first.