Plundering in Order (4k)
Leaving Xie Yu in an unattended house was no different from leaving a wolf among sheep.
His gaze swept over the furnishings of Kaiming's study and consulting room. Besides the desk, there were chairs and a tea table for visitors, a tall grandfather clock standing to one side, a bookcase covering an entire wall, an unlit fireplace, and a window facing the sun, complete with curtains.
He could conquer all of them. The abundance was almost dazzling, and he didn't know which one to pick.
[A book-loving three-story wooden house (Affection: 35):] [Are you going to read with me, or tidy up your bedroom first? Usually, very few patients visit in the afternoon. Mental illnesses rarely have sudden acute episodes, and people always prefer visiting in the morning. That's also why Kaiming chose the afternoon to make house calls and follow-up visits to his major clients.] [Even if a patient does come, I'll tell you in advance, see them with you, and offer you advice.]
"Can you recommend any good books?" Xie Yu's gaze had settled on the enormous bookcase too.
The room was five meters deep, and the bookcase ran the same five-meter length as the wall. Many of the books came in sets. For instance, the Complete Collection of Low-Level Mental Magic Spells, Spell Runes, and Materials consisted of about twenty volumes, neatly arranged at the visual center of the bookcase and filling an entire row.
These books didn't seem to be available for public sale... Xie Yu had visited shops selling magic-related books before, but he had never seen any weighty magic tomes.
There were many books, but their Affection was all zero.
In Xie Yu's mind, a good book had to be one he could understand, with useful content, preferably one that could answer his questions about magic. Secondly, it had to be easy to conquer. A personality like the cloak's would be ideal...
But perhaps because these books had gathered dust for years and had little contact with people, all he saw at a glance were descriptions like [silent], [stern], and [keep strangers away].
Xie Yu trailed his fingertips over the spines, hesitating.
If I succeed in conquering a book I can't understand, can I still gain the knowledge in it? Like with that test paper? Should I prioritize exploring my own ability? Or should I first learn about magic and find out the details behind "mental magic requires killing"?
[A book-loving three-story wooden house (Affection increased to 40):] [Are you getting ready to read already? I think we'll get along wonderfully!] [I'm already looking forward to the long nights when we light a lamp and snuggle up together to read.] [Kaiming used to pore over those books in his early years, but lately he's been reading less and less. He's practically turned them into decorations, ornaments to uphold his noble status and learning as a two-star mage. How infuriating...]
After complaining about Kaiming for a while, the wooden house finally got to the point.
[I gave it some thought. At your age, with no foundation in magic yet, you might try Everything You Need to Know About Mental and Soul Magic, From Apprentice to Sage. It's in the lower left corner of the bookcase. Kaiming used to look through it often in his early years. Every mage wants to become a Sage, and I suppose Kaiming was no exception...]
This wooden house really understood people!
From apprentice to Sage-the title immediately piqued Xie Yu's curiosity. Compared with those dense, specialized tomes, a general overview like this was clearly better suited to his needs.
[You pulled a germaphobic old book (Affection: 0) out of the bookcase, waking it from its slumber. It asked:] [Did you wash your hands?]
"I did, and I used soap too," Xie Yu said sincerely.
[Not bad. I think I can probably allow you to leaf through me. (Affection increased to 10)]
It was a good start, and things were progressing smoothly. As Xie Yu read, he also chatted with the wooden house and the book.
"Come to think of it, you must have read this book already. I thought you'd rather I turned the pages of a book you hadn't read for you," Xie Yu said to the wooden house.
During the conquest process, caring about the feelings, experiences, and wishes of the one being conquered could often yield twice the result for half the effort.
[A book-loving three-story wooden house (Affection increased to 45):] [I can't very well make you turn pages just for me. Besides, I forget what I read. A book can be interesting the first, second, and third time through. You read, and I'll read too.]
The book was thin, more like a pamphlet. Its subject was:
"What must a magic apprentice of ordinary birth do to become a Sage in the field of mental magic before the age of one hundred?"
The print in the pamphlet was small. Xie Yu read it carefully.
The book said:
[The field of mental and soul magic is essentially similar to the field of natural elemental magic. A mage must draw in, absorb, and become proficient in using the corresponding power.] [There will be three key milestones in your magical career:] [First, the moment you become a one-star mage, you decide to enter the field of mental and soul magic;] [Second, the moment you become a one-star magister, you possess a body and soul fully adapted to mental and soul magic;] [Third, the moment you become a Saint, your accomplishments in the field of magic have become part of your life, and you exist alongside mental and soul magic.] [As for becoming a Sage, after you have become a Saint, you must be recognized by the other mages and ordinary people of the world. The magic you create must be widely used, and your name must have become part of incantations. You become a monument and a towering pillar in the field of mental magic. Specifically, after becoming a Saint, if the low-level spells you create are used more than one billion times, or your mid-level spells more than one million times, or your high-level spells more than one thousand times, you will roughly meet the standard for advancing to Sage. The three can be combined and added together. The exact number depends on a spell's complexity and the cost of casting it.] [Generally speaking, the process of advancing from Saint to Sage cannot easily be forced. If you are a genius and invent more than a hundred widely used spells, the process will take approximately twenty years. If you are mediocre, that time will stretch out indefinitely.] [Now, let us look at the simplest first milestone: becoming a one-star mage.] [You must first become a magic apprentice.] [Before the age of eighteen, you must take the Kingdom Unified Magic Apprentice Entrance Examination, score at least sixty points, enroll in any magic academy, and obtain a magic apprentice certificate within one year.] [Then, within three years-that is, before graduating from the magic academy-you must master any ten low-level techniques (spell construction), spells (casting), and spell runes (magic arrays) in the field of mental magic. This will help you pass the kingdom's certification examination.] [Perhaps you will also learn spells from other fields of magic. For those with talent, studying several fields of magic before becoming a magister is not difficult. But please remember that magic is not merely a wondrous power for you to use. It also changes you: it changes how you interact with the world, changes your mind and soul, and changes your physical body.] [The following sentence applies to all magic users below the rank of Saint. Please remember it.] [In learning magic, what matters is not how much magic you master, but how much you feel magic has changed you.] [Only when you clearly understand the changes in yourself can you undergo a transformation and become a magister.] [Only when you clearly understand the changes in yourself can you absorb the true knowledge within magic and become a Saint.] [You must pay attention to this question before becoming a one-star mage, starting from the first spell you cast.] [At the low levels of magic-that is, at ranks below magister-studying multiple fields of magic is encouraged, because it can greatly enhance a mage's combat and productive abilities. But if you cannot find your own true spirit amid the sensations of multiple kinds of magic (studying multiple kinds of magic together will affect your perception of how magic has changed you and create the illusion that you yourself are the master of magic), and instead immerse yourself in the pleasure of using magic as though it were a tool, then five-star mage will be the end of your journey.] [After becoming a one-star mage, if you still harbor greater ambitions, you should try to practice magic from the same or closely related fields. If you have already mixed different fields, there is no need for undue concern. Spend one or two years focusing on a single field, and you can return to the right path.]
Xie Yu recalled advanced question two on the upper layer of the test paper. It seemed to have mentioned mages who practiced multiple fields together. He also remembered the claims in the daily newspapers that someone who could practice two fields was talented, while someone who could practice three was a genius.
The kingdom's messaging didn't quite match what this book said.
Xie Yu instinctively turned to the title page at the front, intending to check the author and publisher and establish its credibility.
The title page was tucked inside the cover and seemed never to have been opened. The book's publication details were written on it.
The author was listed as "Expert Group, Kingdom's Century-Long Plan to Cultivate Top Mages Series."
The publisher was the Kingdom New Policy Publishing House.
It was first published in January of the year 1700, nearly forty years ago.
[The book-loving wooden house (Affection: 45) said excitedly:] [Oh, I haven't seen this title page yet! Open it wider. I want to read it too!] [Wow, what an old book!] [The germaphobic old book (Affection: 10) was stretching its body. Having its title page opened made it feel very comfortable.]
It looked like a highly authoritative book... But why did it contradict current magical practice in the kingdom? Was the book outdated?
Xie Yu was a little puzzled, but he continued reading.
The earlier contents of the book were quite novel to him. He had never seen them anywhere before, and they were exactly what he needed.
Magic could be divided into fields such as magic arrays, potions, and sealed objects according to its medium, application, and so on. This was the classification currently in vogue.
But according to the essential attributes of magic, it could also be divided along another axis into various elements: natural elements, such as the tangible substances of water, fire, lightning, and earth; and illusory elements, such as fate, knowledge, dreams, the void, and emotions.
One described how magic was used; the other described the essential nature of the elements on which magic relied.
Apparently, the Kingdom's Century-Long Plan to Cultivate Top Mages Series was structured according to the elemental classification.
Xie Yu turned to a new page.
[As stated at the beginning of this book, the field of mental and soul magic is essentially similar to the field of natural elemental magic. In the field of magic, mind and soul are a substance. To meet the demands of this substance, mages in this field must obtain it from external sources until they reach the rank of Saint.] [Before reaching the rank of magister, the total quantity of mental and soul power determines your star rank. That total is the only measure you need to concern yourself with.] [According to statistical surveys conducted by the kingdom, there are three main external sources from which mages obtain mental and soul substance, listed in descending order by total quantity:] [First, the living minds of ordinary humans; second, the minds of other mages in the field of mental and soul magic; third, human corpses within seven days of death (with intact brains).] [Other sources are also listed here: certain sealed objects; living animals; animal corpses within seven days of death (with intact brains).] [Note that mental and soul substance is a non-consumable element. The total amount of mental and soul substance possessed by an ordinary person is fixed. After an ordinary person's mental and soul substance is plundered, their corresponding total is permanently reduced. Therefore, plundering too much from the same person's brain is not recommended. It may cause mental illness and, in severe cases, death.] [The experience of fatigue after expending energy comes from mental and soul elements entering a state of "depletion." Mental and soul elements do not disappear because of fatigue, and therefore cannot be restored through simple rest.] [You may pursue a profession that brings you into contact with many different people, such as teacher, physician, stage actor, or singer. Respect the laws of the kingdom and accumulate mental and soul power in an orderly fashion.] [In the process of advancing from a one-star mage to a five-star mage, you must continuously obtain...]
Xie Yu gently closed the book.
His heart was beating a little fast. The few words on this page had answered many of the questions he'd had that day. The book had even addressed some things that had originally seemed unobjectionable.
The scope of Mr. Kaiming's practice...
Why Kaiming's teacher was a teacher...
These truths would not have surprised him too much. After all, the bashful cloak had already told him plenty, and he had been prepared to see the word "plunder" in the book.
What he hadn't been prepared for was the way the book stated it so matter-of-factly, as if this plunder were only natural, as if the ordinary people of this world were wheat and ears of grain growing in a field.
Even the sole phrase "respect the laws of the kingdom" was only touched upon in passing. Read a little too quickly, and one might miss those words altogether.
Mages did as they pleased, respectable on the surface but doing whatever they wanted underneath... That had been Xie Yu's earlier guess.
It was frightening, at least a little frightening to Xie Yu, a visitor from a once-civilized world. But amid that frightening prospect, there had at least been the appearance of respectability.
Yet the book was even more explicit.
Plunder could be orderly, robbery could be lawful... advice from the kingdom.
Holding the book, Xie Yu walked slowly back to the desk and high-backed chair. He needed to sit down to read this book; even standing while reading it felt a little unsafe.
[The book-loving three-story wooden house (Affection: 45) warned him:] [It looks like there's a visitor outside. He's coming over.]
Xie Yu put down the book, and sure enough, a few seconds later, the door knocker sounded.
The knocks were loud and forceful, not polite in the least.
"What kind of visitor?" He got up to answer the door. Although the wooden house had said there were usually no visitors in the afternoon, an occasional one or two would be normal.
[I don't know him. Maybe he's a new visitor?] [An old man wearing gold-rimmed glasses. His white hair is very thin, almost like he's bald. He's wearing a black robe. He looks... he looks a little like a mage.]
As he listened to the wooden house's description, Xie Yu stopped in the hallway. He had been on his way to answer the door, but a face surfaced in his mind.
It was a face he had seen that morning in the forest ranger's house: the old man who had spoken rudely to Kaiming.
Kaiming's teacher, the murderer mentioned by the cloak, and also a veteran mage in the field of mental and soul magic.
"I can see you. What are you afraid of?"
The old man spoke from outside the door.
There was no peephole, opening, or anything of the sort in the door.
But it was as if the thick, copper-bound wooden door did not exist, leaving the astonishment on Xie Yu's face plainly visible to the uninvited visitor.