lcionline Chapter 123 Are You a Genius?
Chapter 123 Are You a Genius?
Chapter 124 Are You a Genius?
Snowflakes drifted down like a misty rain across the snow-covered ground.
The sky was a mix of purple and black, with a line on the horizon separating day and night, a line that seemed like an insurmountable chasm. Beneath the chaotic line, strange halos of light flickered, and a giant dragon seemed to be circling.
A person was standing in the middle of the snow.
Her silver hair was blown by the wind and fell behind her. She was wearing that dress, but it was torn, with a rip at the cuff and mud and bloodstains on the hem.
She stood there, motionless, her eyes fixed on something.
The broom beside her leaned affectionately against her, supporting her as she stood.
I don't know how long I stood there.
Then she started walking, the broom floating and swaying beside her.
Her footsteps stretched in one direction, one after another, leaving footprints in the snow. The wind tousled her hair, and the snow filled in her footprints.
She looked aimless, her eyes were vacant, and her body seemed to be suppressed by something, her legs began to tremble.
After walking for a while, she stopped.
Look down.
There was nothing on the ground except snow.
She crouched down and dug through the snow with her hands. She dug very deep, her fingers turning red from the cold, her fingernails filled with snow and mud. She dug for a long time, finally creating a hole.
There was nothing in the pit.
She stared at the empty pit, squatted there, and remained motionless.
Song Che watched her squatting there from behind.
He wanted to call her.
But he couldn't call out.
She squatted there for a long time, so long that the wind accumulated a thick layer of snow on her shoulders.
Then she stood up.
keep going.
After walking for a while, he stopped again, squatted down again, dug through the snow, dug out an empty pit, squatted there for a long time, stood up again, and walked on.
again and again.
Song Che lost count of how many times she stopped.
Ten times? Twenty times? One hundred times?
She kept walking, kept stopping, kept digging through the snow, and kept looking at the empty pits.
He couldn't see her face, but he could see her hands.
Those hands, red from the cold, with cracked nails and broken knuckles, blood seeping from the wounds, leaving little red spots in the snow. She could clearly use magic to escape the cold and clear this snowy field.
She stopped digging in the snow and looked up at the floating stones in the air, which were piled high with snow. Around them floated ruins, and a few pointed roofs rose and fell.
Song Che followed her gaze and fell silent.
The once magical castle was shattered because of her departure. It was then subjected to rampage and destruction by the forbidden kingdom, who had been oppressed by this woman. Unable to defeat her, they attacked her stronghold—she went on a trip and dismissed her servants, leaving her homeless.
She stood in the snow for a long time.
Where are you?
Four words drifted out from the snow.
Song Che stood there, watching her back.
The wind blew her silver hair, scattering it before it fell back down. Her shoulders twitched, as if trembling. Her heart felt empty, yet she didn't know what was missing. She had thought that embarking on a journey would help her find meaning in life, but after the journey—the meaning of existence seemed even less.
Song Che wanted to walk over, but he couldn't move.
He could only stand there, watching her stand in that boundless snowfield, watching her hair bend in the wind, watching her fingers drip blood, watching her ask the same question over and over again that no one could answer.
Where are you?
The image began to fade.
The snow blurred, and the silver figure melted into the cold, turning into a void of light.
Then the light dissipated.
Song Che blinked.
He was still standing in the courtyard of his old home. Green bricks and red walls, with only a sliver of orange-red remaining on the horizon. The aroma of roasted sweet potatoes wafted from the kitchen, mingled with the smoke from burning firewood.
Xia Li stood in front of him, her palm still pressed against his forehead.
That snowfield was the site of the magic castle, but it was now in ruins. As for the reason, Song Che guessed it was because of Hit's defeat.
Or perhaps Xia Li and Hite's contract has expired.
Xia Li spoke up just then, "The scene you see is a long time in the future. I couldn't protect everyone by myself. Hit didn't have you—so he lost. I extended the contract until Hit had no power to resist anymore before I went on my journey."
"————Hmm." Song Che's body suddenly regained its mobility. This time, he didn't go back inside to get the sweet potato. Instead, he squatted on the steps, leaning against Xia Li, listening to her speak.
When Xia Li takes the initiative to speak, it's usually about something very important.
Xia Li picked up the branch again. "I don't know why I'm suddenly telling you this. I didn't want to tell you, but after learning Tao Yao's illusion technique, I suddenly controlled you for a moment, and a trace of my suppressed magic power was restored—but it's so strange—"
"Strange?" Song Che still didn't understand Xia Li's meaning.
"I hadn't felt anything before, but after this wisp of magic was released, I felt that the one suppressing me was from the same source as me."
"Really?" Song Che leaned closer to look at Xia Li's expression. He suspected Xia Li was making things up. "So you mean—there's another witch in this place?"
"I can't rule that out. You said this is the Witch's Death Star, which is why I thought of this."
Song Che shook his head. "This planet is indeed blue, but it may not be the witch's death star you mentioned. And if there really is another witch who knows of your existence—and is stronger than you, this is very dangerous."
"I know, that's why I find it strange," Xia Li said seriously. "No one is better than me."
Song Che paused for a moment. Xia Li's words made sense. Putting aside her actual mental strength, she was terrifyingly powerful.
So what kind of being could suppress Xia Li?
Song Che ruled out the possibility.
First, there's that silly cat.
That idiot Tao Yao, so arrogant and weak, I kicked her away with one kick.
Secondly, there's that wicked woman—her strength is unknown, but she withstood seven or eight of Xia Li's super-tier spells in the dream—
Song Che thought for a moment.
What happens in dreams—shouldn't count, as it doesn't reveal the difference in strength.
The bad woman didn't seem to make a move; she just angered Xia Li.
Xia Li continued, "I used to feel like there was nothing I didn't know, until I came here and found that there was so much more to learn, so I kept learning. I thought I had learned enough, but after I started to understand emotions, I had more questions. I always felt that there was some connection between these things, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what the problem was."
Song Che nodded.
He understood the literal meaning of what he heard, but he wasn't Xia Li and didn't know the connection between her doubts and emotions. He could only continue listening.
Xia Li didn't understand emotions before, so she didn't experience happiness, but she also didn't have many worries. Until now—she has a lot more worries.
Xia Li paused, wanting to continue, but got stuck—she thought for a while and decided not to speak. Seeing her expression, Song Che went to get another sweet potato.
"Try it, it's sweet."
She took the sweet potato and stopped trying to control Song Che.
I finally held the sweet potato securely in my hand, my fingers covered in dust.
Song Che sat down next to her. "Xia Li, tell me before you use this ability on me in the future, otherwise it will scare Mom and Dad—and it will easily expose your identity."
"Okay." Xia Li no longer had that thought and took a bite of the sweet potato.
She had another thought in mind: since she knew illusion magic and could use it multiple times, did that mean she could make money from it?
Xia Li stopped eating sweet potato. "Song Che, is there a place here called a bank? There's a lot of money in there."
"Yes, banks are places to deposit money."
"About how much is enough for us?"
"Wait, what did you say?"
"Is it enough for us?"
"What the hell are you trying to do?!"
"Robbery of a bank."
Song Che stood up.
You just blurted that out?
He looked at Xia Li, "How are you going to steal it?"
"I have illusion magic. First, control the guards. You take a bag and put the money in it. Once you've filled it up, we'll leave," Xia Li explained logically.
"You're so smart."
"I've always been this smart."
"Idiot, there are security cameras here—do you even know what security cameras are?"
"—Surveillance." Xia Li recalled for a moment, "There is such a thing as this, which can monitor people—then, then let's smash the surveillance cameras and rob the bank."
Xia Li hasn't given up on this idea yet.
"You can't do that."
"Not enough manpower?"
"That's not what I meant—wait, you're not thinking of getting my parents involved in stealing it, are you?"
"I have that idea."
"Your idea is dangerous."
Song Che sat back down on the steps.
When he sat down, he deliberately kept half a foot away from Xia Li, turning his body to look at her as if she were a child who had just learned to walk and wanted to rob a bank.
Xia Li held the sweet potato, took a bite, and her cheek puffed out. She chewed the sweet potato, looking at Song Che with an innocent expression, as if asking, "What did I say wrong?"
"Xia Li," Song Che said.
"Um?
'
Do you know what crime robbing a bank is?
Xia Li thought for a moment.
"have no idea."
"Do you know where people who rob banks end up?"
Xia Li thought about it again.
"bank?"
Song Che almost believed it.
"Which bank?"
"After robbing the bank, take the money," Xia Li said, "then go to the next bank."
She paused, then added, "Grab a few more."
Song Che looked at her.
She chewed the sweet potato very carefully, one bite at a time, until a little bit of burnt sweet potato skin got on the corner of her mouth, making it look black.
She looked like a high school student seriously planning a spring outing.
However, her plan was to rob a bank.
"Xia Li," Song Che said calmly, "listen to me."
"Um."
"Robbing a bank is illegal."
"Is it illegal?"
"If you do it, you'll be arrested, locked in a very small room, and won't be able to get out for a very long time."
Xia Li stopped chewing her sweet potato.
"how long?"
"Ten years, twenty years, or even a lifetime for some."
Xia Li thought for a moment.
"After robbing the bank, hide the money so no one knows it was us who robbed it."
Song Che looked at her.
"There are surveillance cameras."
"Abort it."
"It's more obvious after hitting it."
"Then—" Xia Li frowned and thought for a moment, "Let's take control of the person monitoring the situation and make him turn it off."
"That was an inside man," Song Che said. "An inside man is also an accomplice, and he should be arrested just like everyone else."
Xia Li remained silent for a while.
She looked down at the sweet potato in her hand, as if she was seriously considering the question.
After a few seconds, she looked up.
"Then I'll just rob one time," she said. "Just enough to get by, and then I won't rob anymore."
Song Che opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
He suddenly understood the parents who faced unruly children.
It's not that the child is disobedient; it's that the child's logic is self-contained. When you try to reason with them within your own framework, they can't understand it within their own.
"Xia Li," he changed his approach, "do you know where the money comes from?"
"Earned money."
"Yes, how do we make money?"
Xia Li thought for a moment.
"You make money writing screenplays," she said. "I can make money playing video games too."
"That's the proper way."
"Isn't robbing a bank a legitimate way to commit crimes?"
Song Che looked at her.
She genuinely didn't know; she wasn't pretending.
In Hit, she could probably get whatever she wanted. The mistress of the magic castle, the witch, the most powerful person in all of Hit. She didn't need to steal or rob; she just had to ask, and people would deliver it to her. If all else failed, she could conjure it up with magic.
For her, robbing a bank was probably just another form of magically conjuring money.
But her magic is currently suppressed.
So she thought of illusion.
Very reasonable, extremely reasonable.
In her logical system, this is practically the optimal solution.
"Xia Li," Song Che said, "come with me."
He stood up and dusted off his bottom.
Xia Li stood up, holding the sweet potato.
Song Che pulled her to a corner of the yard, squatted down, and drew on the ground with his finger.
He drew a rectangle.
"This is a bank."
Then I drew a few small circles next to the rectangle.
"These are police officers."
Xia Li squatted down next to him, looking down at the circles.
"The police are there to catch bad guys," Song Che said. "Robbing a bank makes you a bad guy."
He drew a little person running out of a rectangle and running towards a bunch of circles.
"This person robbed a bank and ran away. The police will chase after him."
He drew several lines behind the little figure to indicate that he was chasing it.
Xia Li nodded.
"What about using illusions to control the police?"
Song Che thought for a moment.
That's the worst-case scenario.
Why?
"Because the police are good people," Song Che said. "You're using illusions to control good people and make them do bad things for you, which is even more serious than robbing a bank."
Xia Li was stunned for a moment.
Why?
"Because they are innocent," Song Che said. "They did nothing wrong. You robbed money for yourself and made them help you commit crimes. They will also be arrested and locked up."
He looked into Xia Li's eyes.
"Are you willing?"
Xia Li didn't say anything.
She looked down at the circles on the ground, the little man, and the chasing lines.
"I don't want to."
Song Che nodded.
"That's right."
He stood up and patted the dirt off his hands.
Xia Li was still squatting, staring at the painting on the ground.
"Song Che".
"Um?"
"Then how do you make money?"
Song Che thought for a moment.
"Earn it slowly."
"How slow is 'slowly'?"
"It's like this—" He paused, "earn a little at a time, save it up. Spend it when you've saved enough, and then earn more when you've spent it all."
Xia Li looked up at him.
"How long will it take to save up?"
"How much do you want to save?"
Xia Li thought for a moment.
"Enough for skiing."
""
Song Che was stunned for a moment.
"ski?"
"Hmm," Xia Li said, "You said you'd take me skiing. It costs money."
Song Che looked at her.
She squatted there, still holding the sweet potato in her hands. The sweet potato had gone cold, but she didn't eat it anymore. There was only one question in her eyes.
When will I be able to save enough money for skiing?
He thought she wanted to rob a bank for some important reason. To buy a house, a car, or any of those things modern people didn't yet understand that they had to have.
The result was for skiing.
Because of that casual remark he made.
"Xia Li." He squatted down to look her in the eye.
"Um?"
"I've almost saved enough money for skiing."
Xia Li blinked.
"real?"
"Really," he said. "The script payment will arrive next week, and combined with what I've saved up, it'll be about right."
Xia Li looked at him, her eyes lighting up.
"Then can we go?"
""
"Yes," Song Che said. "After the New Year, I'll take you there on a weekend."
""