The more they oppose, the more it shows that I am doing the right thing

The bright spring light warmly passed through the mercury glass, filling the appraisal hall with its glow.

With the onset of early spring, riverbeds cracked, and all living things became enamored.

Hearing the confused murmurs from within, along with the soft moans of women one after another,

Priestess Ai Xueli's cheeks flushed with a deep crimson, and her shoulders trembled gently.

She had heard about certain scholars having peculiar hobbies; at first, she'd dismissed them as rumors, just slanders from idlers,

but she hadn't expected the rumors to be true.

And these old men were so bold.

To satisfy their perverted, dark desires, they dared to proclaim their lewdness in broad daylight at the Magic Association!

If this were to get out, it would be a huge scandal.

Moreover, these old men's fetishes were so bizarre,

including a Copper Alchemy Addiction to licking young girls' feet, those with a penchant for being whipped – the letter faction,

even perverted acts. Two officials with a more knightly spirit did not engage in 'friendly exchanges,' but openly grappled together.

Priestess Ai Xueli leaned against the alchemic giant door of the appraisal hall, her embarrassment growing as she listened.

"What's happening...mmh."

An Su noticed Ai Xueli's unusual state and, leading Lister and Arthur, walked over. Before he could ask, his mouth was covered by the flushed-faced Miss Ai Xueli.

What a vulgar woman.

An Su slightly squinted his eyes, tilted his head, and observed the young lady in front of him, panting and sweating.

"Shh." Ai Xueli placed her snow-white, delicate index finger upon her lips, signaling silence, and pointed at the door, "Listen to the inside, and remember, don't let it slip."

As soon as An Su pressed his ear to the door, his expression became complicated.

He somewhat understood what was happening inside.

"Let's pretend we don't know about this," Ai Xueli said to An Su.

An Su studied Ai Xueli, the talented witch whose ear tips were as red as the pink evening sky, her long eyelashes trembling lightly, her forehead sweating finely. She rested half her face against the door, eavesdropping on the activity inside.

An Su knew that ever since that examination, the level of peculiarity of Priestess Ai Xueli had been increasing daily. Continue your journey with empire

As if some door had been flung open.

"Did you hear that? It absolutely must not get out," she warned.

Ai Xueli, noticing the strange look in An Su's eyes, thinking he was conjuring up odd thoughts again, furrowed her brows.

The rest area was filled with magicians from the seven major Churches, all too anxious and nervously awaiting their appraisal results to notice the peculiar commotion here.

"Alright," An Su obediently nodded, his cyan-colored eyes brimming with sincerity, "I promise not to tell."

Seeing An Su's guaranteed assurance, Ai Xueli was somewhat relieved but still cautioned him with some concern,

"You must understand, if this scandal is exposed by you, it would also affect you negatively."

An Su concurred, the youth blinked his clear eyes innocently, saying, "By the way, what are the adults inside doing? Are they fighting?"

"...." Ai Xueli's face lined with frustration, "Don't pretend you don't understand."

"I'm not pretending; aren't they fighting? Shouldn't we go and break it up?"

The boy tilted his head again, all his words coming from the heart, free of any lies, "I'm only fifteen, there are many things I don't understand."

This naïve child is still pretending.

"They are doing that kind of thing," Ai Xueli confronted him directly, her ears reddening further as she spoke.

"What kind of thing?" An Su found it amusing.

"It's... just that sort of thing..." Ai Xueli stuttered, not wanting to engage with An Su any longer.

"In any case, you mustn't let it out. If people find out it was you who spread it, the impact would be very bad."

"Right, when exactly can our appraisal come to an end?"

An Su asked.

"...That depends on how long the experts can hold out," Priestess Ai Xueli continued to spout strange terms under guidance.

"Any specific time?"

"I don't know, how should I know... Logically speaking, these old experts are all not young anymore."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

An Su furrowed his brows, staring at the massive alchemic door that could only be opened from the inside. So, An Su could do nothing but wait passively.

Indeed, he was growing a bit impatient.

He had already been waiting for a full hour and a half. For a speedrunner, any meaningless waiting represented a profanation of life, especially when it was as boring as this.

Meaningless and boring waiting between scenes was simply torture.

And these experts were making him wait this long.

"As long as no one finds out... that it was us who spread the word," An Su suddenly said.

Arthur nodded, his face breaking into a radiant smile, "Got it."

Lister calmly pushed up his glasses, "Got it."

Priestess Ai Xueli had yet to grasp what An Su meant, "What are you three up to?"

But then, she saw the three of them exchange a glance and begin chanting magic, guiding magic power. Pure white Holy Light slowly gathered, eventually covering their cheeks.

This was Arthur's modified Holy Light Magic, "Above Board."

Priestess Ai Xueli's pupils shrank; she realized what was about to happen.

These rascals actually used "Above Board" to pixelate their own faces!

They were about to launch a terror attack!

"Oh, what's that strange noise coming from appraisal room 301?"

Arthur professionally modified his voice to that of an energetic girl's tone, as fresh as the break of dawn, deliberately raising his pitch and calling out.

"Such an unseemly, disgraceful conduct certainly tarnishes elegance."

Lister spoke with a tone of distaste, that of a cool, aloof young woman, cold as the moon.

"How much longer do the experts need to hold out?" An Su's tone was more neutral, cold and clean, with a hint of detachment, like the stars in the night sky.

No sooner had they spoken than the magicians waiting in the lounge turned their inquisitive gazes their way.

Feeling the stare of hundreds of pairs of eyes, Priestess Ai Xueli's cheeks turned even redder, more flustered.

In fact, the delayed outcome of the appraisal from room 301 had already aroused the curiosity of a group of magicians.

'Strange noise' coming from inside?

How strange could it be?

A chaste Church official, skeptical, made his way over.

Under Priestess Ai Xueli's almost desperate gaze, the official pressed his ear against the door...

His expression froze.

"It's over," Priestess Ai Xueli held her forehead and mourned inwardly, regretting her trust in these frontier neophytes!

She had been certain that An Su would lose to that Holy Maiden from the imperial capital in a month's time,

Now, it seemed uncertain whose game it was to lose...

Other Church officials, seeing his expression, grew even more curious,

Humans always have a penchant for joining the crowd, and they too made their way over.

More and more magicians gathered at the door, straining their ears to listen...

Their expressions froze too.