The conversation in the study ended with Hefei’s resounding victory, as Plank swore he would never appear before Wayne again.
Upon closer examination, he was a highly respected elder in the circle. He admired Wayne’s talent and believed that there was a kind of love that meant letting go, which is why he was willing to depart.
Hefei didn’t believe it; the old man was very cunning, and his words couldn’t be trusted at all.
After Plank left, he gave Wayne a big hug before leaving, making gestures with his eyebrows, which infuriated Hefei even more.
Even so, there was nothing Hefei could do. Not to mention Plank’s identity as the Asylum Director of Red Leaf Forest Asylum, which was equivalent to the Mage Prison Warden plus the Grand Judge, but also his powerful strength as a Legendary Mage left her helpless.
Plank had too many advantages. He could casually toss out a few benefits, and young Wayne would be tempted.
Whenever Hefei thought about her beloved student being unable to resist the temptation and willingly falling from grace, her chest would throb with pain, aching to the point where she couldn’t breathe.
In the living room, Hefei clutched her chest and moaned.
After Wayne finished feeding the messenger bird, he got up and went down to the basement to practice.
Last night, two powerful beings fought to the very end of the void, wearing away even the space itself.
When immortals clash, mortals suffer, and who knows how many villagers were rendered homeless. Thinking of the villagers displaced, with not even a place to stay, living days worse than a dog’s, Wayne’s kind heart ached.
Don’t be afraid, villagers, you’ll get your dog days now!
Before he could take a few steps, Wayne was yanked back by the collar and pushed back onto the sofa.
Hefei looked at Wayne gloomily, "What’s going on? Why is the Void Lord persistently after you?"
"Teacher, that’s something you should ask the Void Lord. How would I know what a madman is thinking?" Wayne said, feeling wronged.
Hefei knew this reasoning well, but if Wayne felt wronged, she felt even more so. She had finally snagged a treasured student and didn’t even get to enjoy his company before he caught the attention of a Legendary Mage.
She wished she could go back in time to deliver a good punch to her useless husband. If it hadn’t been for him scaring their child into running away from Lundan, he wouldn’t have encountered the Earth Core Cult or the Void Lord, nor would he have attracted the mad Asylum Director.
All the mistakes are yours. I should never have married you in the first place!
On the other hand, if it hadn’t been for her husband’s inadvertent assist, she wouldn’t have met Wayne at the train station, nor would she have taken him on as a student out of curiosity.
Without a series of accidents, Wayne would ultimately have joined the Moonlight Church.
Hefei sighed. A gold talent will shine wherever it is, and despite her best efforts to hide it, she still drew Plank, that big fly, to them.
"Wayne, what do you think of the Liberty Mage Alliance?"
"No particular thoughts; loyalty that isn’t absolute is absolutely disloyal. They think they are taking advantage of the gods and will sooner or later be punished by them. It won’t last long," Wayne honestly replied.
There’s a saying in the workplace: Above others, don’t treat people like humans; below others, don’t treat yourself like a non-human.
The truth of success is just that simple and applies to any office.
This reasoning is even more applicable to gods and their followers.
The Liberty Mage Alliance grew powerful on the premise of freedom of belief, but they never thought about why the gods would turn a blind eye to them without benefits. There must be a reason.
The Liberty Mage Alliance sees gods as tools, but Wayne thinks they are the tools, harboring illusions of luck, bound to cause a huge mess eventually.
But the Liberty Mage Alliance did indeed point Wayne to a clear path, and at the end of that path was a door leading to a new world.
Wayne: I don’t have illusions of luck, and I’m not like them. I’m cheating!
"Goddess above, it’s great that you can think this way," Hefei was overjoyed and raised her hand to hug Wayne.
Wayne dodged to the side, avoiding the hug, but was pulled back by his collar.
Teacher, I know you’re panicked, but don’t panic just yet. Plank is right, your student is destined to become a public asset of the goddesses.
Hefei stroked Wayne’s head, finding Plank more despicable by the second, and said through gritted teeth, "The Magic Array didn’t protect you well enough, which is indeed my mistake; otherwise, the mad Asylum Director wouldn’t have exploited a loophole. Don’t worry, in a couple of days I will get you a better house."
"This place is already very good," Wayne moved to the side. The villagers couldn’t be without him.
"No, I considered a lot before but never thought a Golden Mage would come for you personally. It won’t happen again." Hefei thought of Sidney’s ancestral home, a Magic Fortress that had been well-managed for years.
In principle, Sidney’s ancestral home was private property, sacred and inviolable, and did not belong to the Naturalism Church, and even as the High Priest, she had no right to dispose of it.
But there’s another saying: Rules are dead, and so people can be too.
Sidney was thrown into Red Leaf Forest Asylum, shifting from researching others to being researched himself, unable to get out for thirty to fifty years. Such a fine ancestral home, left empty, seemed a waste of land resources; undoubtedly, corrupt officials would find various excuses, like tax evasion, to take it into their possession.
Since the outcome was to take possession, why not take it in the name of her student instead?
Reducing corruption cases and preserving the government’s reputation, the current cabinet would be thankful to her if they knew.
Hefei convinced herself successfully and immediately shed her guilt. She patted Wayne’s shoulder with a smile, intending to give him a property deed.
Wayne didn’t refuse, not because Hefei gave too much; it was just a mansion, after all. He wasn’t greedy for money. He felt that there was no need for such formalities between teacher and student.