Physical mage, challenge me to a solo duel!

Thursday, late at night.

puff.

A sound like a heavy object falling to the ground came from behind.

Startled, Bai Jingting put on an overcoat and opened the living room door.

The quiet courtyard was pitch black, but the light from the living room shone through the crack in the door, illuminating a pair of legs on the ground.

Looking at the hemp rope covered in black mud binding his legs, Bai Jingting narrowed his eyes slightly.

Even without lights, Bai Jingting could clearly "see" the situation in front of the door.

A figure lay face down on the ground, facing the door, with his hands behind his back, his wrists and ankles tied with rope, and a rag stuffed in his mouth.

Bai Jingting was slightly surprised when he saw the person's appearance clearly.

"Tong Xin?"

Bai Jingting and Tong Xin originally didn't have much interaction; they were just both in the education system of Lanling City, so they had met before.

Tong Xin was still conscious, and his eyes were filled with fear as he looked at Bai Jingting.

Even though he was trembling with fear, Tong Xin dared not make a sound.

Bai Jingting raised his gaze and looked at the pavilion in the courtyard, where there was an unfamiliar figure.

Tall and upright.

The person sitting in the pavilion at this moment seemed to have his back turned to Bai Jingting without any precautions.

"You are..." Bai Jingting had barely uttered two words when he was immediately interrupted by this person:

"Don't use hypnosis or mantras on me, it's very impolite."

Bai Jingting's expression immediately turned serious.

The fact that someone can instantly detect the mental magic you're casting means that the other person is at least a high-level mage proficient in mental magic, or even... an equally extraordinary being.

A high-level mage would not dare to be so fearless in front of me; the latter is clearly more likely.

Judging from the other person's voice, Bai Jingting could tell that the other person was about the same age as him.

If no falsetto was used.

But is the other party friend or foe? And what is their relationship with Tong Xin?

Thoughts kept surging through Bai Jingting's mind.

No, someone as insignificant as Tong Xin wouldn't have any connection with the extraordinary, and this person specifically brought Tong Xin here, clearly targeting him.

Thinking about it this way, considering his recent involvement with Tong Xin...

So, is the other party related to Wu Jie or Chi Jiayan?

Capturing Tong Xin would only benefit Wu Jie, so it seems that the other party is either on Wu Jie's side or has a grudge against Chi Jiayan.

Bai Jingting did not doubt Wu Jie's abilities; Wu Jie had plenty of ways to obtain the help of extraordinary mages.

It's just that asking a transcendent mage to capture an insignificant pawn is clearly a case of the investment being disproportionate to the return.

Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? Wu Jie wouldn't do a losing business.

Moreover, Chi Chia-yen has already retired due to illness, and Wu Jie has already won this battle, so there is really no need to push things to the extreme.

Fighting without breaking apart is the unspoken rule among this group.

As for having a grudge against Chi Jiayan, that's even more impossible.

If Chi Jiayan had offended a transcendent mage long ago, she would never have been able to sit in this position so peacefully for so many years.

So, the conflict with Chi Jiayan was recent, and it was related to Tong Xin...

Within a few seconds, Bai Jingting had almost figured out his thoughts.

After eliminating all the impossibilities, an amazing idea jumped into Bai Jingting's mind.

"What's your relationship with Wang Yi?" Bai Jingting asked tentatively. "Are you a surviving soldier of the Tianfu Army?"

Looking at all of Wang Yi's information, the only thing that can be linked to a transcendent mage is her parents' status as soldiers of the Heavenly Cover Army.

After the Battle of Liyuan, eighteen surviving soldiers of the Tianfu Army either retired in despair, changed careers and went into hiding, applied for transfers, or committed suicide due to excessive pressure.

The details are no longer available on the list.

Perhaps this person is one of them?

This person must have had a particularly good relationship with Wang Yi's parents; otherwise, with tens of thousands of children of martyrs of the Tianfu Army, why would they stand up for Wang Yi alone?

"The Heavenly Extinction Army?" The person in the pavilion spoke with a somewhat desolate tone: "A good guess, but unfortunately wrong."

Bai Jingting narrowed his eyes slightly: "So, you are indeed related to Wang Yi."

The man chuckled, only then realizing the trap Bai Jingting had laid in his previous remark: "Are all you officials so scheming?"

Bai Jingting did not refute, accepting the sarcasm in the other party's words without question, and simply said: "Who told you to hide in the middle of the night? At least I need to know whether you are friend or foe."

"Hiding your head and showing your tail, huh? Even after all these years of retirement, you still haven't shaken off this habit." The man shook his head self-deprecatingly, then asked, "So, do you consider us friend or foe?"

"Retire?" Bai Jingting's heart skipped a beat. What kind of team was so arrogant as to allow a transcendent mage to retire?

But he answered without changing his expression, "Wang Yi is my student, so we are naturally friends, not enemies."

"Oh? Your student?" The man seemed to chuckle lightly. "Your student was attacked by a hired assassin, and this is how you handle it?"

Bai Jingting stared at Tong Xin lying in the courtyard, speechless for a moment.

He didn't say anything like "there was insufficient evidence because Tong Xin wasn't caught."

This reason might appease many people, but it won't appease a serious, extraordinary mage.

After a long silence, Bai Jingting finally spoke, "I have made Chi Jiayan pay the price."

"The price you're talking about is letting Chi Jiayan step down from that position in a grand and dignified manner? In that case, the position of the second-in-command in the city's education system is not insignificant."

The man turned his head, and Bai Jingting saw a pair of calm, unfazed eyes, a slight chill rising around him.

Bai Jingting instantly understood that the owner of those eyes had killed people, and probably quite a few.

"What do you want?" Bai Jingting felt no fear. He had enough confidence to face such an extraordinary person, both in terms of his status and strength.

"I just want this matter to have a proper ending." The man seemed to be mocking himself: "After all, I once arrogantly told this boy that the darkness of the world would not shroud him."

I said that someone would stand up to protect them from the wind and rain, and wait for them to grow up before taking over the responsibility.

I call this a tradition.

He didn't seem to believe it at first, but I just thought he was young.

Looking back now, it seems like I'm the one who's young.

At this point, the man raised his aged face and looked at Bai Jingting with a gaze as cold as frost: "And what was the result? Chi Jiayan made me break my promise first, and you, Bai Jingting, you disappointed me right away."

People like Chi Jiayan are not scary, because there are always some foolish and self-righteous people in this world. Just as there is light, there is also darkness. They can never be completely eradicated.

But what about you, Bai Jingting? How did you handle this matter?

The man stood up from the stone bench in the pavilion and approached Bai Jingting step by step:

"Do you also think that making Chi Jiayan lose her position is enough of a price to pay?"

Let me ask you, what is the law about the mastermind who hired a sorcerer to harm people?

If an official knowingly breaks the law, should their crime be punished more severely?

Bai Jingting felt short of breath and couldn't help but take a step back.

The man exuded a chilling murderous aura, like a dark cloud looming over Bai Jingting.

It's hard to imagine that in a society that has been at peace for so long, there would still be someone carrying such murderous intent.

Every cell in Bai Jingting's body trembled, a warning emanating from him.

This was something that had never happened since he ascended to the extraordinary realm.

Bai Jingting understood that even if they were both extraordinary beings, killing him would be an easy task for the other party.

However, this also allowed Bai Jingting to vaguely guess the identity of the person in front of him: "You are a member of the Night Watch!"

"I used to be." Having his identity revealed, the man showed no surprise, only stopping in his tracks, standing forlornly in the night.

"To keep watch for you is a disgrace to me."