Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Could it be the heat?

With this thought, Li Qingzhi involuntarily lifted his gaze to the window. Indeed, the sun was shining brightly outside the floor-to-ceiling glass, but the light that filtered in was warm and gentle, not intense enough to cause flushes of heat. Moreover, he, sitting right here, did not feel overheated.

Aware of this, Li Qingzhi felt even more puzzled. Without retracting the hand still engaged in teaching Ludwig how to play chess, he couldn't help but raise his eyes with concern toward the blond youth before him and inquire after his well-being with a few caring questions.

Li Qingzhi's words were not unexpected, but from Ludwig's perspective, who had misconstrued the eastern youth's affection for him and even imagined a kiss, the situation now held an entirely different sentiment.

As the young man with black hair gently placed his hand against him, he could feel the warmth and softness continuously. Meanwhile, the handsome young man raised his eyes and looked deeply into his, with a gaze that was inexplicably gentle and caring. His eyes, as bright as a deer's, seemed to convey an indescribable message.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

"It seems rather warm, doesn't it?"

Considering what he had read in that "Treatise on Eastern Etiquette," Ludwig could hardly refrain from interpreting Li Qingzhi's actions now as equivalent to whispering these somewhat intimate words while gently kissing him. The tenderness in Qingzhi's voice took on an altogether different nuance, amplifying the ambiguous undertones in his words.

And as a consequence, Ludwig's heartbeat began to accelerate rapidly upon hearing Li Qingzhi's words.

Yet, he didn't withdraw his hand.

In Ludwig's flustered moment, he could almost feel his heart pounding abnormally in his chest. He had no idea how to respond to Li Qingzhi's words, and the turmoil of emotions made him fall silent for several seconds. "..."

Fortunately, Ludwig, who was always composed, managed to regain control over his escalating heartbeat. Suppressing his inner turmoil, he maintained an outwardly calm and indifferent tone as usual. "I'm not hot."

Although it was difficult to say, Ludwig tried to appear serious. "Focus on your studies. Don't think about other things."

As expected, Li Qingzhi promptly withdrew his hand, but his expression wasn't as awkward as Ludwig had anticipated. Instead, he smiled slightly, a hint of embarrassment in his eyes. "Alright, then I'll put this away."

With that, Li Qingzhi reached out to start collecting the board game and pieces back to his side. In his mind, he realized: Ludwig doesn't like checkers. He must really think it's too childish.

On the other side, Ludwig was momentarily taken aback. He hadn't intended for Li Qingzhi to take the game away as well, but it seemed that his refusal had hurt the other. After being turned down, Li Qingzhi had even packed up the game he had initially been excited to play.

Noticing that Li Qingzhi might be feeling down, Ludwig's heart stirred, and he couldn't help but say,

"It doesn't matter. We can play for a bit first."

Li Qingzhi, whose mood was actually not low, was surprised by Ludwig's words. With the board still in his hands, his eyes lit up.

"Don't you find it tedious?"

The blond youth slightly lowered his eyes, and his gaze didn't reveal much emotion.

"Having learned it already, simple as it may be, there must be some interest in it, right?"

Ludwig lifted his gaze and suddenly looked at him. "Don’t you want to prove it to me?"

Caught off-guard by Ludwig's gaze, Li Qingzhi found his heart involuntarily tightening for a moment after their eyes met, blue upon black. In truth, he had always thought Ludwig's eyes were strikingly beautiful, like a vast expanse of azure seawater contained within, profound yet crystal clear.

"Hmm..." Li Qingzhi, unsure of the emotions stirred by their prolonged gaze, instinctively averted his eyes, no longer daring to lock stares with Ludwig's captivating eyes as he had before.

"Sure, if you don't find it dull, we can play a couple of rounds."

Twenty minutes later.

The two, who had been locked in a tense stalemate, finally reached a conclusion. Li Qingzhi, who had narrowly won, exhaled deeply in relief. "I almost lost there."

It was supposed to be a casual game of checkers, but Ludwig's earnestness in everything he did influenced Li Qingzhi. As they played, with Ludwig's focused expression, Li Qingzhi found himself involuntarily concentrating as well. With each cautious move, he had a surreal sensation of playing Go against his master, Ling Shen.

As the game finally drew to a close, Li Qingzhi lifted his head, redirecting his gaze from the Eight Trigrams board to Ludwig's face. Yet, to his surprise, he found the man still deeply engrossed in thought, his brow slightly furrowed as he pondered over the board, as if he were still reviewing the game!

Observing the rarely seen hint of resentment in the blond youth's demeanor, Li Qingzhi felt a mix of curiosity and the sense that Ludwig now appeared much more vibrant than before. Compared to the cold-faced senior who had directly issued him a warning letter at their first encounter, the blond teenager was visibly more at ease and natural in this moment.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Li Qingzhi's lips. "You were quite impressive for your first time! I've been playing with classmates for a while, so that's why I'm a bit more proficient."

"Should we play more often in the future, I might not always be able to triumph over you."

Ludwig's tone appeared exceptionally calm, as if he was discussing an ordinary matter.

"I am not concerned about that."

Yet, Li Qingzhi stole a subtle glance and noticed that the blond youth was evidently still engrossed, his gaze not diverting from the chess layout on the gossip board. A game of Checkers lost seemed to hold Ludwig's attention in post-game analysis for a considerable duration.

Amused, Li Qingzhi couldn't help but recall the tales of Ludwig's prodigious feats that Bruce had shared when they first entered the academy. The formidable number one student seemed to have encountered no obstacles and rarely experienced defeat in any endeavor.

Considering this, Li Qingzhi couldn't help but empathize with Ludwig's subtle sense of dissatisfaction.

But Ludwig was playing for the first time; it was only natural that he couldn't beat someone who played frequently.

This prompted Li Qingzhi to speak up again, unable to contain his excitement. "If you found it enjoyable, we can play this together anytime in the future."

Ludwig hesitated for a moment but, after a few seconds, he nodded gently. Somehow, he seemed much happier. "Yes, it was quite nice."

Li Qingzhi didn't forget the purpose of his visit and was also concerned that they might delay Ludwig's "teaching" schedule if they played for too long. Thus, he obediently packed away the checkers and the I Ching board.

"I'm rested now. Should we continue reading?"

Ludwig indeed had a plan in mind. Glancing down at the book Li Qingzhi held, he said, "You must have reviewed the history of the Demon Realm that we studied previously, right?"

Li Qingzhi nodded, and then he heard Ludwig quickly say, "Alright, let's practice the content of other subjects now."

"Follow me."

As it seemed that the next part of the lesson was not going to involve reading, Li Qingzhi packed up his things with a touch of curiosity and followed Ludwig outside. Before long, the blond youth led him out of Leo's Castle and into a spacious backyard garden.

"Let's settle right here."

Ludwig paused in his stride and then turned to look at Li Qingzhi. "Summoning is also heavily weighted in the midterms. Although you've only learned some basic magic pertaining to magical beasts, it's essential to solidify your understanding."

As Ludwig spoke, he nonchalantly raised a hand, and soon a cluster of flames that burned incessantly appeared in the palm of his hand.

Upon hearing Ludwig's words, Li Qingzhi realized that although the professor had reluctantly agreed to tutor him at night due to Principal Augusta's request, he was genuinely intent on teaching him magic seriously.

Li Qingzhi nodded promptly. His usual playful demeanor subsided involuntarily. Somehow, Ludwig's focused and earnest attitude was contagious, stirring his own emotions.

In no time, the crimson flame in Ludwig's palm soared upward, gradually forming the shape of the familiar magical beast summoning array that Li Qingzhi knew. However, Ludwig's array was encircled by blazing flames, making it appear entirely distinct from the arrays they used in their lower years.

As Li Qingzhi watched Ludwig's array with rapt attention, a figure that instantly stirred a flood of memories rapidly emerged from the array.

Three seconds later, Li Qingzhi, standing rooted to the spot, found himself locked in a staring contest with the flame undead beast that had been summoned.

"Roar!"

In an instant, upon recognizing the figure before it, the undead beast let out a distorted roar at Li Qingzhi. However, whether it was due to Ludwig not giving any orders or some other reason, it didn't launch an attack on Li Qingzhi. Instead, it fixated on him with a somewhat resentful gaze.

After all, it had been quite some time since the incident where Li Qingzhi inadvertently exorcised Ludwig's magical beast. So much so that even Li Qingzhi had gradually let go of that major mishap. Similarly, Ludwig himself had forgotten about it until the moment he summoned his undead creature, finally recalling the astonishment when his magical beast was momentarily dominated by Li Qingzhi's talisman.

As a third-tier undead beast, the moment it was summoned, it merged with Ludwig's flame elements, engulfed in scorching Hellfire while its colossal form radiated an awe-inspiring terror. Yet, who would have thought that it would be felled into unconsciousness by a mere piece of paper that day!

Staring at his clearly displeased Spirit Beast, Ludwig momentarily found himself at a loss for words.

A subtle awkwardness began to spread between the three beings:

"..."

After a few seconds, Ludwig cleared his throat first, "You should summon your Magic Beast too."

Li Qingzhi nodded promptly, simultaneously casting the spell and swishing the whisk he carried with him.

Soon, a golden array unfolded before him, and in no time, Xiao Zuo and Xiao You landed steadily on the ground.

However, the Flame Spirit Beast, evidently still upset with Li Qingzhi, regarded the stone lions with a wary gaze.

Aware of the Spirit Beast's lingering resentment, Li Qingzhi, who had indeed unintentionally harmed it that day, scratched his head sheepishly, "I'm sorry, I accidentally hurt you that day."

Whether or not it comprehended the apology, the Flame Spirit Beast swiftly turned its head after Li Qingzhi finished speaking, adopting an arrogantly indifferent demeanor strikingly similar to a certain blond First Seat.

Ludwig extended his hand toward his undead beast with a touch of helplessness. "Moritz, your Flame Crystal."

The Flame Undead Beast, obedient to its master Ludwig, promptly produced its magic crystal from its chest. The crimson crystal shimmered in the sunlight with the unique, fiery luster characteristic of flame magic.

As Li Qingzhi watched this scene unfold before him, he found it both intriguing and novel. Soon, he heard Ludwig's voice:

"Moritz is its name, you can address it as such too. Naming your summoned beast is an important step in fostering emotional bonds and battle synchronization between a mage and their magical beast. Your teachers should have mentioned this."

Pausing briefly, Ludwig then turned his gaze towards Li Qingzhi and instinctively asked:

"What is the name of your magical beast?"

Knowing the names of Li Qingzhi's two magical beasts will facilitate future lessons.

Yet in the next instant, Ludwig was taken aback by the cheerful voice of the black-haired youth.

Upon hearing this, Li Qingzhi revealed a smile. "Ah, the one on the left is called Xiaozuo, and the one on the right is Xiaoyou. Aren't they easy to tell apart?"

Observing the black-haired youth's customary, carefree cheerfulness, Ludwig was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure where to begin his critique. After two seconds of silence, he ultimately decided against saying anything.

"{Ludwig} should have started teaching you about nurturing the magic cores of your summoned creatures in your summoning classes."

Displaying the flaming crystal nucleus hovering in his palm, Ludwig said, "This is Moritz's magic core. If nurtured properly, it will enhance the magical beast's level and abilities in all aspects. Moritz is at the Third Rank, with both its form and combat power significantly improved from the First Rank. Therefore, strengthening the magic core is one of the key aspects of nurturing a summoned beast."

After hearing Ludwig's explanation, Li Qingzhi pondered for two seconds before quickly nodding. "Mm-hm, we've started that too."

As they spoke, Li Qingzhi, drawing on what he had learned in his summoning class, waved his wand and chanted an incantation. In response, two small, glowing green vines emerged from within the stone lions.

"Ludwig nodded gently. "That's right. Now, follow the steps you've learned to strengthen the magic core. I'll be here to correct you if needed."

Li Qingzhi replied, "Okay."

Promptly, Li Qingzhi began to carefully apply the magic he had learned in class to reinforce the cores, while Ludwig guided him on how to improve. Under their combined efforts, the initially tiny, shimmering green vine grew increasingly lush and robust.

As the evening sun descended, casting a dusky hue over the backyard, Ludwig signaled to the servant lighting lamps that Li Qingzhi could take a break for the day.

Relieved after expending considerable magic, Li Qingzhi felt exhausted but couldn't help feeling exceptionally delighted when he saw the visible growth of Xiao Zuo and Xiao You's magic cores.

However, as Li Qingzhi turned to return the green vine to the stone lions, he was startled by a startling sight.

Zuo Xiaolei and Zuo Xiaoyou, who were usually laid-back and carefree, didn't recline on the ground for their usual nap today. Instead, they followed Ludwig's Flame Phantom Beast with great interest, seemingly fascinated by this fiery magical beast.

Gazing at the pair of spirited stone lions, Li Qingzhi felt a bit dumbfounded and hurriedly thought of retrieving them. After all, Moritz didn't like him; if Little Left and Little Right were to constantly follow Moritz, this fire elemental might become enraged.

To Li Qingzhi's surprise, Moritz, who had previously been haughty and seemingly displeased with him, now appeared unusually tolerant of his two stone lions. Despite being ogled from all angles, he didn't get angry; instead, he shifted around somewhat awkwardly, as if unaccustomed to the sudden intimacy from these unfamiliar magical beasts.

Before long, Ludwig also evidently noticed the situation here, and Li Qingzhi couldn't help but smile at the blond youth, saying, "Their relationship seems to be rather good."

Ludwig: "Moritz's temper isn't as bad as it seems." However, as Ludwig spoke, he noticed the twins, Xiao Zuo and Xiao You, gazing at Moritz with curiosity. This promptly reminded him of something, causing his cheeks to warm up inexplicably.

Unaware of Ludwig's current sentiment, Li Qingzhi lifted his gaze, ready to engage in conversation, when he suddenly caught sight of a figure darting by nearby.

Feeling a sense of curiosity, Li Qingzhi couldn't help but take a closer look and discovered it was a little girl with golden locks.

The girl, charming and adorable in appearance, was evidently startled upon being noticed. With a timid gaze, she motioned for him to be quiet, seemingly desiring him not to acknowledge her presence.

Yet, in the next moment, Ludwig’s voice echoed in the cool backyard, "Beryl?"

"Why are you here?"