Chapter 241

Lancelot, however, remained expressionless, completely ignoring Qi Xing's mockery.

This knight was not a "historical figure" in the true sense; in history and early King Arthur legends, there never actually was a real "Lancelot."

Perhaps his character had long been worn into a bizarre shape through centuries of repetition and mixing in countless legends.

But regardless, with the Truth silver coin as proof, these guys were definitely not spies attempting to invade the Lunar Sanctuary.

Finally, the interviews reached the last two remaining candidates.

Vike McKenzie sat in her seat, her face pale, waiting for Rep-Man to speak and ask his questions.

However, Qi Xing did not have much interest in chatting with her again.

"Why do you want to enter the Inner Ring for advanced studies—we seem to have already discussed this last time."

Flipping the Truth silver coin, Qi Xing sat behind the large table and asked, his tone calm.

"Do you have any new thoughts in the past two days?"

Vike did not make a sound, just kept her head lowered, the expression on her face extremely awkward, her lips pressed tight. With this silent demeanor, the answer seemed already very obvious.

"It seems not."

Qi Xing shook his head, his tone devoid of mockery, just somewhat regretful,

"Miss Vike, even if I wasn't the one disrupting things today, even if I had never stepped foot into Oxford, you would still need to learn how to persuade those in charge. Otherwise, how do you expect to climb up within a system?"

Clearly, even before this war of spirits, Vike was not the type of person good with words. Qi Xing's words stabbed her painfully.

"I don't need to persuade superiors," she replied through gritted teeth. "The battlefield is humanity's oldest and fairest path for class advancement, the fastest way for those at the bottom to move upward."

"Nine out of ten people who think that way die on the battlefield."

Qi Xing calmly reminded her,

"If I hadn't come to Oxford on that first night, you would have been fucked and saidonara by Achilles' group back then. Where would your path of class advancement be?"

At this point, Qi Xing glanced at the "observing" Academy Deans to the side and said very bluntly, "Do you think you Deans don't know which of your candidates can win?"

"I'm not saying this is an exam with a predetermined result… but it's not far from being predetermined."

"If you throw seven mortals into an arena, give six of them knives, and give one of them an assault rifle, do you think that counts as fair competition or is it predetermined?"

No matter how foolish or slow Vike was, she couldn't be so stupid as to say stubborn things like "the person with the assault rifle won't necessarily win," so she could only purse her lips, unable to say anything.

A general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand, and that's even in a situation where no one steals your credit and it's fair competition. If you can't even be number one in school, how can you be sure you aren't one of the ten thousand bones?

…Alright, Qi Xing's words might have stabbed too hard.

Actually, Qi Xing's current plan was to have a candidate of Vike's type enter the Lunar Sanctuary in his place to look up information.

Why choose her, who looked not very clever? Ultimately, it was because her background was relatively clean. This person might be a bit foolish, perhaps not smart enough, but at least she still retained some spirit, and she truly treated the spirit she summoned as a "person."

When Boudica encountered a crisis, Vike at least had the courage to stand out, protect her, and fight side by side with her.

A clean person with spirit and self-esteem, even if a bit foolish, is better to use than a smart person who only has brains… probably. At least that's what Qi Xing thought.

So, in some places, he still had to be a bit softer.

"If you really crave strength, want to improve through battle, then you might as well learn from me and go out into the world to venture on your own."

After pondering for a moment, Qi Xing looked at her again and said:

"If you are interested, after this matter is over, I can recommend you to work at the Exorcism Association."

As soon as these words were spoken, Vike's eyes widened, her face full of astonishment.

"You, you want me to be your mercenary?"

"What mercenary?" Qi Xing raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? It's being a hero, little girl."

"No matter who you were originally, whether you are good at socializing, none of that is important. As long as you stand on the right battlefield and become a hero, everyone will recognize you."

"If you want to use the battlefield as a path for class advancement, you at least have to pick the right battlefield, right? At the very least, on this point, Rep-Man can help you arrange it."

Vike clearly hadn't expected Qi Xing to say such things, and for a moment, she stared blankly at Qi Xing, unable to say a word.

Actually, there were many things Qi Xing didn't say in full.

What constitutes a hero? What is the correct battlefield? That's too hard to say.

Perhaps, as long as a person is strong, as long as this strength can allow them to win, they can gain the support of the majority of people, the majority of the weak.

Because this is human nature. Ultimately, most people just go with the flow. Going against the current and rising with the current both require talent and perseverance.

Only a very small number of people will resist the strong. However, the basis for their resistance also has to be "strength."

…But there was no need to say such complicated things to a young girl like Vike. Seeing her flattered expression, it would be much easier for Qi Xing to persuade her to help look up information in the Lunar Sanctuary.

What? This isn't deceiving a little girl. It doesn't count, it doesn't count.

After finishing Vike's interview, Qi Xing turned his gaze to her spirit—the queen who once led the Britons in an uprising against the Roman Empire, Boudica. Qi Xing actually held greater respect for her.

"Is your only wish to protect Vike? Before answering the summons, you must have had other desires, right?"

"What do you want? To change history, restore your reputation, want to be changed into just a defeated heroine, rather than a victim raped by the Romans?"

Half out of curiosity, Qi Xing asked her.

However, after hesitating for a moment, Boudica replied: "If I rewrite the history of me being humiliated by the Romans, it would conversely be impossible to demonstrate their cruelty and evil. This is not what I wish."

"Honestly, even if the history of you being raped by the Romans is preserved, I don't think the spirit of the Romans, who worship the strong, will decrease by even half because of that." Qi Xing frowned. "Very few people care about what the losers in history have suffered, very few people mourn your fate. Most people only care about whether you won."

"Indeed." Boudica sighed. "So my wish is to let the world pay more attention to me as a heroine who resisted aggression and failed, rather than a tragic victim who was raped."

"That's quite difficult, after all, most people's brains easily turn toward the gutter." Qi Xing mused. "But I understand your thoughts. I will try my best to arrange it."

Just like that, the interview segment seemed to be able to come to an end.

Anyway, Qi Xing's true goal was simple: just push Vike forward and let her enter the Lunar Sanctuary in his place to look up information. As for the other five candidates, Qi Xing felt they were all unreliable. In Qi Xing's view, their wishes weren't worth a scoff.

However, there was one person left who hadn't talked to him.

That particularly charming young girl, the representative candidate from the Secret History Academy, Devika Sharma.

Qi Xing hadn't really planned on talking to her. Besides, Qi Xing's goal for this trip was just to find someone to help him go to the moon to look up information, not to seriously scout for the most outstanding disciples for the Hermes Society.

But then again, even if he didn't take it seriously, he still had to do the superficial work. At least go through the motions.

"Why do you want to enter the Inner Ring for advanced studies?"

He asked, just acting like it was official business, chatting a few sentences with the last candidate.

However, the first sentence spoken by this young girl, who always seemed to carry a hint of charm, made Qi Xing slightly stunned.

"I want to change my destiny."

She replied with a smile.

As soon as these words were spoken, Qi Xing couldn't help but raise his eyebrows: "This topic of yours just got very big. How do you plan to change destiny? By studying?"

While speaking, Qi Xing also flipped the Truth silver coin to ensure the authenticity of this conversation.

Devika smiled, raised her slender fingers, and gestured to her face toward Qi Xing: "Master Leipu, where do you think I look like I'm from?"

Good question.

Devika Sharma, this name certainly didn't sound like an English name.

Although her skin was fair, that head of black, smooth long hair and a face with Eastern curves didn't look like a typical European/American race in any way.

Of course, Qi Xing didn't have much interest in this. The disciples of the Hermes Society were already spread all over the world; were nationality and race that important?

"It sounds like a name from South Asia or Southeast Asia."

So Qi Xing just said indifferently,

"However, in modern supernatural society, they don't care that much about nationality and race, right?"

"I am Chinese, but the Vatican still respects me as their strongest trump card. Although things have been a bit unpleasant lately, that has nothing to do with my identity."

As long as you have power, as long as you are strong enough, no one will care about your nationality, race, or even gender, right?

"That's right, Master Leipu, the premise is that one must have power."

The smile on Devika's face grew broader,

"I want to enter the Inner Ring for advanced studies to gain more power… Only then can I not have to do those things I don't want to do."

"Interesting."

Qi Xing mused,

"Then what are the things you don't want to do?"

"Playing the roles that others try to make me play."

The bewitching young girl answered, answering crisply and neatly,

"From the moment I was born—perhaps even from before I was born—someone has always been setting the script for my life."

"They want me to become some kind of 'role' in their ideals, but that is not the me I want to become."

"What kind of people?" Qi Xing was actually a bit curious now, after all, this young girl wasn't really that weak, and she clearly had extraordinary talent. "Your parents? Mentors?"

Interestingly, in an instant, Devika's tone became somewhat helpless, revealing an awkward smile: "You could say parents. Very complicated family problems."

"Family problems are indeed quite troublesome." Qi Xing nodded with some sympathy. "Moreover, this isn't a problem that can be solved just by having power."

Even if you gain the power to blow up the Earth with one punch, you can't just beat your parents to death because of a bad relationship, right?

Perhaps some might say you can, but this is ultimately a very complicated problem that needs to be considered—it's not purely a problem of "power," but a problem of "choice."

Qi Xing didn't intend to delve deep into the family problems of this bewitching young girl. After all, he and Devika weren't close. But for the sake of insurance, he still used the Truth silver coin to ask one more question:

"Recently, people have often tried to invade the Lunar Sanctuary, causing quite a commotion. Was it you?"

The young girl Devika shook her head: "It wasn't me."

This seemed sufficient as evidence.

After the young girl left the room, Qi Xing said to the other Academy Deans present who were observing: "I think both of these young girls are suitable to go for advanced studies."

As soon as these words came out, the group of old mages were almost choked—two young girls, twenty years old or even less, were going to enter the Lunar Sanctuary? Just casually giving the qualification for Inner Ring advanced studies to these two young students?!

They had originally predetermined that a vice-instructor in their thirties would go for advanced studies, which was not completely without reason.

…But once they thought about what kind of chaos might ensue if Master Leipu ran in there to cause trouble himself, this seemed… acceptable.

"Master Leipu, regarding the matter of Vice-Instructor Playfair's consciousness being invaded, we still haven't found the source of the magic."

The Dean of the Astrology Academy cautiously advised,

"Deciding so hastily on who to send to the Inner Ring for advanced studies now, isn't it… a bit rushed?"

"Then what do you want?" Qi Xing frowned. "You've been investigating this matter for ten years and haven't had a clue, do you want me to keep sitting here and wait for your next ten years? That's enough."

At this point, he thought for a moment and turned his head to look at the Dean of the Secret History Academy: "Do you have Devika's file?"

These Academy Deans naturally had the complete information of the candidates on hand. The reticent Dean of the Secret History Academy immediately took out Devika Sharma's scroll—however, the content was damn Latin again, so Qi Xing had to pass it to Xue Ning.

The great alchemist took it with a wry smile, while reading and translating for him: "Hmm… Devika Sharma, born into a high-caste family in Uttar Pradesh, India, is a mortal, with no supernatural bloodline."

She paused for a moment and sighed thoughtfully:

"So that's it. Struggling out of such a family, crossing the ocean to England to learn magic… it really wasn't easy."

Qi Xing tilted his head, not quite understanding.

Xue Ning had to shrug and explain: "The cultural differences between North and South India are huge. The South is more economically developed, to a greater extent resembling a modern country, and the influence of caste is relatively not that big; while North India, to put it nicely… can only be said to be still a bit too feudal."

"However, speaking of race, people from the North of India are actually better looking."

She blinked and said with a happy smile.

—It is well known that people in Northern India mostly belong to the Aryan race, closer to Iranians, with fair skin; while the South belongs to the indigenous Black race, so the North and South are almost not the same race.

India's annual beauty pageant winners are so beautiful that they have a bit of a Latin beauty flavor; thinking about it this way, that "charismatic" vibe of Devika Sharma really does have a bit of an Aryan mixed-race flavor.

Xue Ning, the alchemist who previously infiltrated the Nazis to conduct racial optimization experiments, certainly knew a lot about this.

Moreover, because of the British in modern times, the economic development of South India is much better than that of North India, and the ports, industry, and commerce are all much stronger than in North India. But when it comes to history and tradition, North India is the center of Indian politics and religion. It is more feudal, and the "mysterious" inheritance is also more far-reaching.