Mention of the principal.

Also mention of Zheng Qing.

Su Shijun finally stopped feigning compliance with the Elder Wizard in front of her and directly uncovered the heavy veil cloaking this secret incident.

This is something many powerful wizards strive to avoid.

Beings like them leave traces in time and space with every word and action, so if they don’t deliberately interfere, the names they mention may become points of reference and focus for some powerful diviners.

Almost at the moment the witch mentioned the word ’principal,’ Elder Ruoyu’s hand moved to his silver wolf head cane, gently rubbing it twice.

Invisible magic power waves spread out in all directions, slightly delaying the witch’s voice for a few seconds.

Then the elder shook his head with a bitter smile.

He did not directly respond to Su Shijun’s sharp questioning but, like every professor at First University when giving a lecture, habitually expressed his thoughts through examples.

"Drink tea, have some tea first, calm down."

The elder rotated the wolf head cane again, and the teacup that Su Shijun had moved aside earlier floated steadily in front of her, with the tea inside gently swaying and creating light ripples.

The witch frowned, but she did not refuse the Legendary Wizard’s second gesture of kindness, and took the cup, sipping a small mouthful.

The tea was warm and soothing, calming her nerves somewhat.

Elder Ruoyu picked up the teacup in front of him, took a small sip, and clicked his tongue, gently sighing: "---When brewing tea, you should take your time. Tea leaves enter the water, and after a minute, the tea becomes a tempting light green, like fresh buds pinched in spring, making your fingers tingle... For most people, the tea is considered brewed at this stage. But if you want a richer, more unique taste, you need to add ingredients, simmer on a low flame, and wait for an hour... Of course, the tea I make uses more ingredients and brews a bit longer. Remember, the longer the tea, the richer the flavor, and the more charming the character."

Su Shijun lowered her eyelids, pondering the meaning behind the old man’s words.

She wouldn’t be foolish enough to believe that a Legendary Great Wizard was genuinely discussing tea leaves with her here.

Fortunately, Elder Ruoyu did not leave her much room for excessive speculation. After pausing briefly and taking another sip of tea, he very directly expressed what he wanted to convey: "Patience is a very rare quality... unfortunately, it is becoming less valued in this age. Especially among the young."

Su Shijun looked calmly at the Elder Wizard behind the desk.

"It’s not that I lack patience, but that I can’t tolerate being completely in the dark." She believed Elder Ruoyu knew this, and being a wizard from a prestigious clan herself, she also understood the characteristics of destiny — firm and fragile, delicate yet coarse — knowing that a nail casually dropped by a blacksmith could affect hundreds or even thousands of years of world history.

That’s why she didn’t react impulsively like she did the previous two times by smashing Wandering Bar, but instead came to the office of the vice-principal of First University.

This time, the Elder Wizard did not look at her.

Instead, he turned his gaze toward the corner of the office, his expression deep.

"—I’ve served as vice-principal at First University for hundreds of years. Students and teachers come and go, buildings rise and fall, campuses change over time, many things are always changing, but one thing remains unchanged: cockroaches."

As he spoke, he gently rotated the wolf head cane he held, pulling a strand of blue silk with a small insect clinging to it from the darkness, dropping it onto the table before him: "...Before I came there were cockroaches, there are cockroaches now, after my death, there will still be cockroaches in the school; cockroaches in the academy, cockroaches in Alpha Fortress, cockroaches in the Starry Magic Cube; cockroaches in the teaching buildings, the Pet Garden, and still in the Hundred Herb Gardens.

They are ugly, spread disease, steal food, worst of all, they’re infectious, it’s beyond remedy.

Some wizards require cockroach powder when making a magic potion, they may buy a few laboratory-bred cockroaches from outside, but these enduring little creatures are quite adept at escaping. If just one escapes, if not dealt with promptly, soon a large cluster will emerge over the whole area, lurking in dark corners, quietly waiting for nightfall.

They’re too hard to eradicate, you know? A cockroach’s body is only a few millimeters thick, whether it’s door gaps or wall cracks, they can become their dwelling places, their diet is broad, their fertility strong... too hard to eradicate.

So we can only allow them to survive within reasonable limits.

Life is like this, everyone needs to learn to compromise with it."

Just as tea isn’t simply tea, cockroaches aren’t merely cockroaches.

But compared to the tea, the cockroaches Elder Ruoyu mentioned are somewhat easier to understand — too easy, indeed, for she dislikes these creatures as much as those stealthy black wizards.

"If that’s the case, why doesn’t the school legalize those illegal laboratories?"

Su Shijun’s tone carried a hint of sarcasm: "Those cultists, black magic rituals, sacrifices, the fallen... just legalize them all, give them what they want, and let them atone by contributing through pioneering achievements. The school could easily garner a batch of clean, unburdened new worlds, wouldn’t it be beneficial in many ways?"

At this moment, the Elder Wizard deeply recalled the troublesome nature of the Qingqiu foxes.

"No, thank you."

He seriously corrected the witch’s slightly intense wording: "...Separating good people from bad ones is not merely a moral or interest-based choice but also a choice in magic. Choosing black magic is opting for slowly unraveling order, choosing chaos. This contradicts our pursuits, and keeping black magic reminds us to never cross that line.

From this perspective, you could try to understand the thoughts of those wizards who have veered off course.

If you walk the same path day after day, it’s easy to start wanting a different one. Most wizards try to restrain this thought – many call it ’evil thoughts,’ I prefer calling it ’distraction’ – and continue along their pre-chosen paths, but there’s always a small fraction with divided attention, veering onto new paths.

Back to that child.

Do you think we’re controlling that child’s destiny? No, quite the contrary, because outsiders dare not meddle with his destiny randomly, he faces one catastrophe after another. It’s the backlash from the magic blessings he received.

As the old saying goes, every gift from destiny comes with a price marked in secret.

Every hurdle he’s experiencing now is reducing the catastrophe that would have directly befallen him. Let the river of destiny flow naturally... we hold our positions, watching where destiny takes that child. Don’t let momentary impulse replace your thoughts. Meanwhile, we must prepare for every possible scenario. I’m just a bit old-fashioned, it doesn’t mean I’m lifeless."