Deduction Showdown

A kilometer east of the villa mansion. Though there were no emerald streams, verdant mountains rose in the distance. In an open clearing before the mountain forest, Xifei lay in a hammock reading a book. It was a romance novel set in the Middle Ages, spinning a tale of bitter feuds and entanglements among several women. Wayne was in the clearing practicing magic. None of the dozen or so spells were particularly offensive, making them ideal for a beginner like him. For instance, the spell he was currently practicing was formally known as "Slime." It utilized the earth element within his body to conjure a limp mass of mud, which he would then shape using his intent. It was very simple—at least, in Xifei's eyes, it was. Given Wayne's talent, diligent practice would soon allow him to cast it instantaneously. Wayne thought of himself as reasonably good at solving problems. In the end, he did manage instant-casting, but the Slime manifested in a form somewhat different from what he had imagined. He couldn't summon a conventional slime at all. No matter how many postures he tried, every attempt produced only an earthen wall. A damp earth wall. Once conjured, it hardened rapidly, sounding solid as a rock when tapped—completely lacking the prerequisite suppleness for shaping with his intent. Wayne assumed his technique was wrong, but Xifei disagreed. Incantations were fixed formulas, and the solutions they yielded were immutable. In other words, Slime could only ever be a lump of mud, no matter who cast it. Unless... Other formulas had been mixed in! Xifei believed Wayne lacked inner calm. In his rush for quick results, his mind was restless. She told him to stop obsessing over the charms of an older woman and focus on studying formulas instead. *Even if my mind wandered, one plus one still equals two!* Wayne felt utterly wronged. Heaven bore witness that he hadn't been daydreaming; when casting magic, his thoughts were clearer than anyone's. And yet... The incantation was correct, the mana was pure, and only the manifestation of the spell had gone wrong. *Teacher, is there any possibility that one plus one doesn't equal two?* Wayne had the good sense not to ask. Even if the entire world were wrong and he alone were right, he would still be considered wrong. He tried many more times until his mana was exhausted, then sat cross-legged to begin meditating. On the first day of meditation, he had captured nearly thirty elemental motes. On the second day, having grown proficient with his tentacles, he plundered a hundred motes. Today was the third day. Because meditation not only increased mana but also strengthened the mind in tandem, his tentacles had grown more numerous and longer, hauling in three hundred elemental motes in one go. Wayne had no idea whether his progress was impressive. Judging by his mature teacher's deep sighs, it probably wasn't. This filled him with deep anxiety. His talent was simply too ordinary. People always said diligence made up for clumsiness. He had an extraordinary teacher and the finest meditation method handed down by the Church of Nature, but Xifei had also mentioned that this method was open to many elite students. He was by no means unique. Starting from the same line, the geniuses drove sports cars while Wayne walked on foot. No matter how diligent he was, two legs could never outrun four wheels. How could he not worry? Confronted by her student's distress, the mature teacher could offer only silence. What could she say? *You're not walking on foot—you're flying a plane?* Out of the question. What if he got arrogant? All Xifei could do was offer tactful sympathy, encouraging Wayne to keep working hard. Once he made it past the initial hurdles, the road ahead would be smooth sailing. The path to success was paved with setbacks—or so the saying went. Since she had a magnificent bust, Wayne decided to take her word for it. Though, to be fair, he still harbored a bit of indignation. He didn't think his talent was poor at all. Originally, he could have captured far more elemental motes, but the Book of Greed kept meddling. For every ten motes he caught, the Book of Greed took seven for itself. In the end, he, Master Wayne, walked away with thirty percent—and had to watch the Book of Greed's mood while doing so. Preposterous. *Coach, can I trade for a different cheat?* "It's getting late. I should be going." Xifei checked her watch and rose from the hammock. Putting away her romance novel, she offered Wayne a few more words of encouragement. Then she added, "The theoretical texts I ordered for you will arrive this evening, or tomorrow morning at the latest. Read them thoroughly. Circle anything you don't understand, and I'll explain it all when the time comes. If you can't wait, feel free to call me." By theoretical knowledge, Xifei meant the fundamental magical studies not included in the hexagram grimoire. Chris had also mentioned she would tutor Wayne individually. These lessons were essential. Every mage had to memorize them by heart—and not just memorize them, but truly grasp and integrate them. Otherwise, they would struggle to comprehend advanced magical theory later on, losing any chance of further advancement. Wayne's expression soured. He was reminded of his university days following nine years of compulsory education, when the ghosts of advanced calculus ambushed him all over again. *Why bother with an ambush? I couldn't beat you in a fair fight anyway!* Xifei had initially planned to take Wayne as her student and bring him back to Londan to instruct him properly. However, his magical talent changed her mind. Working as an administrative assistant beside a High Priest would be an injustice to him; she intended to cultivate him into a God-favored. Moreover, the chaos in Londan far exceeded her expectations, leaving her unable to spare time to teach him in the near future. In that case, it was better to leave Wayne at the villa mansion, keeping him safe from unforeseen accidents so this genius wouldn't meet an early demise. There were things Xifei kept to herself. She was indeed a Londan native, but she did not belong to the inner power circle of the Windsor branch of the Church of Nature. Rekindling past connections was no easy feat, and taking up her post would almost certainly require drastic measures. Power struggles were the same everywhere, and religion was no exception. Faith was never immune to worldly ambition. For these reasons, Xifei had no intention of bringing Wayne back to Londan. She had even placed a spell on him. Centered on the villa mansion, Wayne's range of movement was restricted to a radius of fifty li. If he got bored, he could visit Enrold Town, but sneaking back to Londan to see his girlfriend was out of the question. Unless, of course, Wayne's mana grew by leaps and bounds, surpassing the threshold Xifei had set. *Is there any possibility that I don't actually have a girlfriend?* Wayne curled his lip. "Teacher, there's really no need to ground me. I won't go back to Londan. To be honest, I came out here to seek refuge." "Oh? Tell me about it." "I've been targeted by a big shot. That person holds immense sway in Londan, with both the law and the underworld clamoring to kiss his boots. I don't even know how I offended him, but he can't wait to stuff me into a cement barrel and throw me into the river." Wayne was utterly speechless; he still hadn't figured it out. Xifei was at a loss for words. That threat sounded suspiciously familiar. She felt as though she had heard it somewhere before. "And then? Did you ask anyone to intercede on your behalf? Your girlfriend, for instance—her family is so wealthy, surely they could help?" "It's useless. That big shot refuses to give anyone face. I'm still waiting for a phone call; I can only return to Londan once his anger cools down." Wayne looked at Xifei with pleading eyes. "It's already been three days. Teacher, why don't you ask around for me? At least let me know who he is." "Hmm, sounds interesting. I'll look into it for you once I get back to Londan. Just wait for my call." Xifei bit back a smile. She had roughly pieced together the whole picture. Barring any surprises, that old bastard's rage would probably never cool down for the rest of his life. *Shameless old bastard, bullying a kid like that?* *Leave him to me!* ... Xifei departed, leaving by car. The Landau family's hospitality made Wayne marvel at their spending power. For a woman they barely knew, the butler arranged a luxury car to take her all the way to Londan. To spare the lady any awkwardness during the trip, a maid was specially assigned as her chauffeur. Such hospitality would put anyone to shame. In the afternoon, Wayne meditated in the garden. Following the tip Xifei had shared, he practiced while maintaining as much contact with nature as possible. This time, his entire body glowed with multicolored light. The red light was especially vivid; the fire element radiated enthusiasm, practically drooling over him. Half an hour later, Wayne stopped meditating, feeling quite refreshed. His satisfaction lasted only a few seconds before he began shaking his head and sighing again. So what if he glowed? The academy geniuses not only possessed greater talent, but they also had years more meditation experience under their belts. A gap of three to five years—who knew when he would ever close it? Thinking of this, the prospect of managing his three ships seemed to drift farther away. Wayne knew this was the divide between a genius and an ordinary person; a thick barrier had formed between him and his vessels. "If one day isn't enough, I'll take two. If daytime isn't enough, I'll use the night. While they're sleeping, I'll still be cultivating..." "I refuse to believe a programmer like me can't out-grind them!" After meditating, Wayne felt a throbbing headache. It wasn't the time to keep grinding; he needed to unwind and rest. "I'm exhausted. Butler, call me a car. I want to head into town to clear my head." "Right away, Master Wayne." *Don't do that. It makes me sound like that guy from Crime Alley.* *** The sedan entered Enrold Town. Wayne stayed in the vehicle, resting his head against the rear window in a daze. The car came to a stop at an intersection. Noticing a traffic jam ahead, the driver got out to see what was happening, telling Wayne to rest in the car for a moment. A few minutes later, the driver returned with the reason for the delay. A murder had taken place, drawing two detectives into a deduction showdown. It was quite a spectacle, and the townsfolk had gathered in droves to watch. One was a local detective from Enrold Town, while the other was from Londan—supposedly quite renowned there. "Have they started throwing punches yet?" Wayne was instantly wide awake. He opened the car door and stepped out to join the crowd.