Chapter 70: How Could Lanchi Have Ulterior Motives?
Chapter 70: How Could Lanchi Have Ulterior Motives?
Doubt crept into the art room like vines, engulfing every corner and transforming the once lively space into an instant hush. All eyes turned towards a single target - Lanchi.
As if seeking an explanation from his naturally innocent expression.
However...
His face was like a painting, even more enigmatic than the one held by Professor Mogut, leaving everyone perplexed.
Four consecutive correct answers, each one a lightning-fast strike at the right option.
It was hard to dismiss as mere coincidence, and no demon doubted that Lanchi was simply lucky.
Though they racked their brains, they couldn't fathom what sort of bizarre magic this Luminescent Demon had employed to arrive at such precise and swift answers...
"..."
Hawk-eye Demon sat there, his thoughts swirling due to Lanchi's hint. His expression was a mix of annoyance and confusion.
He knew that it was only natural for Lanchi to seek retaliation.
So, Lanchi might have deliberately given a few correct answers before, only to feed him a wrong answer now, intending to mislead him!
But...
It was also possible that Lanchi had anticipated he would see through this trap, so he gave the correct answer anyway, luring the Hawk-eye Demon to intentionally choose the opposite.
The more he analyzed, the deeper Hawk-eye Demon sank into this puzzle, struggling to determine Lanchi's true intentions. Gradually, he began to suspect that Lanchi was merely toying with his psyche!
Finally, after much contemplation, Hawk-eye Demon's mouth curved up slowly, as if he had discovered a clue.
It seemed like he had figured out his next move.
"You're clever, but you overlooked one thing..."
Hawk-eye Demon fixed his gaze on Lanchi, akin to a police officer who had uncovered incriminating evidence against a criminal.
As a specialist in mental magic, he could clearly discern the mental fluctuations of other demons.
When Lanchi had told him the answer, his mental state remained almost devoid of complexity.
His words were too calm, and his eyes too pure.
In the Demon Realm, there would never be a demon capable of such sincerity when dealing with an adversary, of offering the correct answer without a hint of ulterior motive!
This was the only flaw in the trap set by the Luminescent Demon! He must have harbored the most innate malice of their kind and deliberately spoken the wrong answer.
"It was painted by a student."
Hawk-eye Demon disregarded Lanchi's suggestion, his voice resounding with unwavering certainty in the spacious classroom.
Then, he sneered at Lanchi, as if mocking his futile scheme, which had not only failed to harm him but had also ended up benefiting him!
"..."
Professor Mogut remained silent for a moment before shaking his head slowly.
"Wrong. I painted it."
There was a hint of displeasure in the professor's tone.
Lanchi wore an expression of regret, looking at the Hawk-eye Demon as one would look at a simpleton.
"I told you the correct answer, and you still don't trust me..."
He seemed utterly devoid of any malicious intent, genuinely wanting to help his classmate to the best of his ability.
"..."
Standing beside them, Hyberian stared at Lanchi's face, certain that he was speaking the truth. It was a pity that the Hawk-eye Demon refused to believe him.
After much thought, she felt that once again, a demon had fallen prey to Lanchi's whims.
Regardless of whether the Hawk-eye Demon believed him or not, Lanchi's act of revealing the answer had muddled his thoughts. For even the Hawk-eye Demon himself hadn't realized that his focus had shifted entirely from the painting to Lanchi without him noticing.
"What's wrong?"
Lanchi, sensing Hyberian's gaze, turned his head and smiled at her, his voice as clear as a mountain spring.
"It's nothing," Hyberian murmured, not wanting to engage Lanchi in further conversation.
She knew that even if she asked him, he would probably just give her that innocent look and feed her some line about how he was unaware, or how he was being misunderstood, or that he would never harm a classmate.
This guy's natural innocence and mischievousness had become so intertwined that she couldn't tell if he was doing good or wreaking havoc, and he even seemed to possess a dual nature...
...
The entire right side of the classroom fell into a profound silence.
"Ah..."
Hawk-eye Demon's face was contorted with fear, his eyes reflecting the flickering shadows cast by Lanchi's figure, as if his demon-twisted face were mirrored in the darkness.
His features twisted further, his expression one of resentment and helplessness.
As the approaching professor loomed, the once sharp hawk-like eyes now reflected only bottomless despair.
Even at this moment, he couldn't comprehend how the Luminescent Demon could manifest "kindness," something so foreign to the demon race, with such pure sincerity!
Professor Mogut's footsteps were steady and powerful, each one sounding like a death knell in Hawk-eye Demon's heart, reverberating his final fear.
Soon, Professor Mogut's hand gently rested on Hawk-eye Demon's head, causing his skin to wither, his blood to evaporate, his muscles to waste away, and finally reducing him to a shriveled corpse, the light in his eyes gradually fading.
The expressions of fear and despair were forever frozen on Hawk-eye Demon's face.
"Wait while I put away his body. Next, we'll have a free-for-all question segment."
Before bringing out the next painting, Professor Mogut held up the corpse in his hand and gave Lanchi a deep look.
He felt that the nature of this class might have changed.
For most students, this class was probably a level 3 difficulty.
But for this Luminescent Demon, it was like a negative 3.
...
Over an hour later.
The melodious bell rang once more, like an invisible tension piercing through the walls and permeating every corner of the classroom.
Professor Mogut stood at one end of the round table, his brow furrowed, his eyes filled with suspicion.
He had gone through several paintings, attempting to increase the difficulty and challenge Lanchi's appreciation abilities.
But to no avail, not once did Lanchi show even the slightest sign of struggle.
Now, Professor Mogut found himself reflecting on how the situation had somehow turned into him being challenged by his student. He was certain that during Lanchi's appraisal of the paintings, not a wisp of magic had stirred within him; he had relied solely on his keen eyes to scrutinize every detail.
It was unimaginable that there could be such a terrifyingly gifted student in the field of art appreciation within the school, as if a god of art had possessed him!
"Just who are you..."
Professor Mogut stared at Lanchi, deeply shaken by him.
In that moment, Lanchi appeared to be an enigmatic art master in the eyes of the advanced-level professor.
Professor Mogut couldn't help but wonder what level of masterpiece this Luminescent Demon could create if given a paintbrush...
"So, Professor, could you tell me what the reward is for 263 points?"
Lanchi casually propped his chin on his hand, leaning back in his chair with a smile.
(End of Chapter)
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