Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1414 - 1407: Stupid and Pedantic

Chapter 1414: Chapter 1407: Stupid and Pedantic

"This is..." The moment she saw the light orb, Yichuan Ying let out an astonished gasp, trembling with excitement. But just as she halted her spell, the light orb instantly vanished without a trace, leaving only an indelible mark on her retinas.

"I didn’t tell you to stop," Cheng Ziang said somewhat speechlessly as he looked at her.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please let me try again," Yichuan Ying apologized repeatedly, no longer exhibiting the demeanor of a young lady.

Cheng Ziang shrugged his shoulders with an indifferent attitude. Yichuan Ying carefully watched him, then slowly began to chant the spell again, feeling the strange sensation wash over her body as she concentrated, and once more a light orb condensed at the tip of her magic wand.

This time, the effect was even better than before. Yichuan Ying successfully formed a light orb the size of a fist, emitting a soft yet bright light.

This kind of magic formula was primarily used to test beginners and didn’t have much practical use. Despite having some lighting capability, the light orb would disappear as soon as the spell was interrupted, which made it inconvenient. In the Western Continent, mages mainly relied on inscribing magic crystals to make them glow for illumination.

Although his magical aptitude was poor, it didn’t mean Cheng Ziang couldn’t use magic. Such a simple entry-level detection spell was naturally within his knowledge. Not only him, but even the least talented Hu Daoke knew how to use it.

Seeing the light orb again, and larger than before, Yichuan Ying was overjoyed, so much so that she began to cry with excitement. However, being just a beginner, she didn’t know that under no circumstances should she stop chanting. As soon as she became excited, the light orb disappeared again.

"That’s enough, the experience is over," Cheng Ziang said as he pulled the magic wand from her hand and tossed it back to Feng.

"Please let me try again," Yichuan Ying pleaded with tears in her eyes, her voice quivering.

"Are you misunderstanding something? I was only letting you have a taste, I never intended to actually teach you," Cheng Ziang said, spreading his hands.

Upon hearing this, Yichuan Ying’s face changed immediately. She bowed her head and after a moment of silence, she began to chant the spell to herself, trying to recreate the miracle she had just witnessed.

"Save your breath. Without a medium, chanting the spell until your lips crack will do you no good," Cheng Ziang said unhurriedly.

"What do you really want, first you give me hope, then plunge me into despair, do you find that amusing?" Yichuan Ying glared at him, her face full of sadness.

"When did I make you despair," Cheng Ziang asked, spreading his hands, his face the picture of innocence, "What I want to tell you is that a person’s value is not only measured by their cultivation. As you can see, we are not cultivators, yet we can perform such simple tricks. You think that because you can’t cultivate, you’re the family’s waste and have given up on yourself. I really find such thoughts foolhardy."

"The world is governed by many forces, it’s not that cultivation is the only path, nor are cultivators the only powerful beings," Cheng Ziang continued.

"Is that not the case? How will you convince me?" Yichuan Ying asked skeptically, wiping away tears from her face.

"It seems you have a very superficial understanding of the essence of this world," Cheng Ziang said with a shrug.

"I don’t understand what essence is," Yichuan Ying admitted.

"Hmm, let me think," Cheng Ziang nodded, pondered for a while, then asked, "Who do you think is the ultimate beneficiary of this war?"

"What do you mean?" Yichuan Ying asked alertly.

"It means nothing, just making conversation," Cheng Ziang said, squinting his eyes.

"As long as we defeat you, our Yichuan Clan will be the biggest beneficiary," Yichuan Ying answered matter-of-factly.

"Don’t defeat us, we’re not from the Demon Clan," Cheng Ziang said innocently.

He paused, then tilted his head and continued, "What if you fail, if you cannot overcome the Demon Clan, what then?"

"The Demon Clan can never defeat us," Yichuan Ying said defiantly.

"Suppose, just suppose," Cheng Ziang didn’t want to argue with her on this matter, so he placated her.

"It would be nothing more than death at worst," Yichuan Ying replied without hesitation.

"You always talk about death, but actually you’re not so brave about sacrificing yourself," Cheng Ziang said, "especially when you learn that even if you can’t become a cultivator, you can still stand out from the crowd."

Cheng Ziang’s words seemed to have pierced Yichuan Ying’s psychological defense. She lowered her head, falling into a long silence. Eventually, she took a deep breath, and then muttered, "It’s just living under someone else’s roof."

What she referred to as living under someone else’s roof probably meant seeking refuge with the main Yichuan Clan in Yin State. After all, as Yin State’s premier aristocratic family and arguably the top among Kyushu aristocratic families, they couldn’t ignore their own kin.

"So, you’re saying, if the war fails, the three major aristocratic families would lose everything, Dongsheng’s troops would be utterly defeated, scampering back home, and the Demon Clan’s people would be left with a shattered livelihood. Then here comes the question, why was this war started in the first place, and who stands to gain from it?" Cheng Ziang asked.

"Why are you so sure the Demon Clan will definitely win?" Yichuan Ying asked, frowning.

"Can’t you see?" Cheng Ziang shrugged and spread his hands, "Looking back at history, when have the people of Kyushu ever gained a foothold in West Outer Heaven without being driven back by the Demon Clan? From the day your family set foot on the land of West Outer Heaven, your fate was destined. So I’m really curious, why don’t you ever learn from the past, and keep charging into West Outer Heaven?"

"In history..." Yichuan Ying fell silent, seeming troubled.

"You haven’t studied your own family’s history, have you? Even I know this," Cheng Ziang probed.

"That sort of thing is only done by those literate idiots, we are too proud to learn such things," Yichuan Ying replied expressionlessly.

"Wait, literate idiots, is this how you view scholars?" Cheng Ziang was taken aback and asked in surprise.

"Isn’t it the case? Even in danger, all they do is spout high and mighty principles, which is just laughable. If they were cultivators, they would have taken care of the enemies long ago. What’s the use of all that talk? No one gets hurt because of their words," Yichuan Ying said.

"I think I understand your traditions now," Cheng Ziang looked at Hu Daoke and couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Then he turned back and asked a question, "You, you can’t read, can you?"

"I can write my own name," Yichuan Ying answered.

"What about the rest?" Cheng Ziang asked.

Yichuan Ying fell silent, no longer speaking.

"My god, this privileged young miss is actually illiterate..." Cheng Ziang couldn’t help but cover his face, muttering in Chinese.

It was no wonder the people of Kyushu who revered martial prowess didn’t learn anything else, which also explained why Dongsheng’s generals were constantly outmaneuvered by those commanders.

However, it’s not quite realistic to say that because of cultivation no one reads at all, since many cultivation techniques are written down. So certainly these people can read, but indeed, their cultural learning is truly lacking.

No wonder Yichuan Ying might only know how to write her name, because she couldn’t cultivate, so she even skipped the step of learning to read the cultivation techniques. Describing this privileged young miss as illiterate was not an exaggeration at all.

"Are you looking down on me?" Yichuan Ying noticed Cheng Ziang’s peculiar expression and indignantly questioned him.

"I’m very sorry, I would like to show you respect, but our traditions do not allow me to show respect towards those who are ignorant and uneducated," Cheng Ziang shrugged and replied indifferently.

"You..." Yichuan Ying was so angry she was gasping for air but didn’t know what to say.

"There’s a saying that goes, ’A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ It’s never too late to start learning. I think you should consider whether to start studying again, at the very least learn how to read," Cheng Ziang earnestly advised.

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