Although he was just here to enjoy the spectacle, seeing the burning fire of gossip in Asik's eyes, it would be genuinely impolite not to ask.
Asik looked left and right, making sure no one was paying attention to them, before covering his mouth with a hand, wearing an expression of having connections up top and saying:
I just heard from an inside source over at the mayor's estate that the representative from the Lucaria Magic Academy this time is an associate professor named Scarlett Stewart!
Scarlett? Lynch raised an eyebrow. A woman?
Not just a woman, but a super beauty!
Asik's eyes flashed with a strange light, a mix of worship for the strong and longing for the opposite sex:
It's said that Professor Scarlett is a famous social queen in the royal capital! Not only is her magical attainment profound, but she also possesses a charm that captivates everyone!
Rumor has it that during her studies and teaching in the royal capital, she never lacked suitors. From the sons of imperial earls to the young geniuses of the knight orders, and even certain professors from neighboring academies, all have bowed beneath her mage robes!
At this point, Asik swallowed hard, adjusted his collar, and said with a mix of shyness and anticipation:
I heard she is a... well, a very passionate woman. She shows special favor to talented young men.
Mr. Lynch, do you think... if I can show enough talent, would she...
Asik didn't continue, just giving Lynch a knowing look. The implication was obvious: if he got selected, not only would he be a student, but he might also have a passionate romance and reach the pinnacle of life!
Lynch found it a bit amusing.
This kid was dreaming big.
She was a Tier 6 Archmage; how could she possibly fancy a Tier 1 rookie who was still struggling with basic magic theory questions?
Of course, such things weren't entirely impossible, but the premise was that the weaker party had to have exceptionally outstanding looks.
Asik's looks... uh, could only be said to at least resemble a human.
It's good to have dreams. Lynch patted Asik on the shoulder and said earnestly, But let's pass the exam first.
Just as the two were chatting.
Felsy, who had been standing behind Lynch, seemingly spacing out but actually listening to the whole thing with perked ears, suddenly moved.
She slowly took a step forward and stood beside Lynch.
Those purple eyes narrowed slightly, carrying a chill that seemed casual but hid a murderous intent, landing lightly on Lynch.
A passionate woman?
Felsy's voice was very soft, yet like a gust of cold wind, it instantly blew away the heat around Asik.
A socialite of the royal capital, an Archmage, and likes to date young men...
She turned her head, staring dead into Lynch's eyes, the corners of her mouth curling into a half-smile:
So? Hearing this kind of news, does it make your heart flutter?
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With your talent, if you give it a try, maybe you can also win the favor of that female professor, rise meteorically from then on, and win the beauty too.
This was a lethal question.
And it was a super lethal question where, if answered incorrectly, it could directly lead to a broken home on a physical level.
Beside them, Kuma instantly held her breath, gripping the package in her hand tightly.
Here it comes! The soul interrogation of the Lady Witch!
Combined with the brothel suspicion from earlier, Lynch's answer now would directly determine whether he slept in a bed or a coffin tonight!
However, facing this lethal question, Lynch appeared exceptionally calm.
He didn't even take time to think. Almost subconsciously, he looked at Felsy with a strange expression:
Wife, what silly things are you talking about?
He reached out and naturally smoothed Felsy's wind-messed sideburns, his tone carrying a bit of amusement:
What female professor, what passionate or not, what does that have to do with me?
I am a married man.
Lynch pointed at himself, then at Felsy, his eyes clear and firm:
I have you.
Although our family isn't incredibly rich or noble, we live comfortably. No matter how fragrant the wild flowers outside are, can they be better than my own wife?
Besides, the kind of woman who hangs out with noble young masters all day looks like a lot of trouble. I still prefer you, quiet and occasionally having a little temper.
At the end, Lynch even gave a silly smile:
I have absolutely no interest in that kind of woman. I just want to finish watching the fun early and go home to cook for you.
This direct hit caught Felsy off guard.
The gloom, suspicion, and that trace of grievance arising from the secret stash of money that had accumulated in those purple eyes instantly melted away without a trace, like leftover snow illuminated by the midday sun.
...Hmph.
Felsy turned her head away, trying to hide the wildly rising curve of her mouth and the blush rapidly spreading across her cheeks.
Consider yourself... consider yourself smart.
Smooth talker... who knows if you really think that in your heart.
Although she was still acting aloof verbally, the unapproachable chill around her had completely disappeared.
Replaced by a gentle aura like the blooming of spring.
She even proactively reached out and hugged Lynch's arm, almost pressing her whole body against him.
Standing behind them, Kuma took all this in.
She rolled her eyes grandly, feeling that although she hadn't eaten much just now, she was already stuffed with dog food.
Tsk tsk tsk...
Just a moment ago she was swearing about hygiene issues and marriage of convenience.
In the end, with just one sentence of I have you, she immediately melted into a puddle of water.
Lady Witch, oh Lady Witch...
How is this a cover? You have clearly become a total love-struck fool! Hopeless, truly hopeless!
Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted in the crowd.
She's here! She's here!
The Archmage is here!
Under countless gazes of awe and curiosity, a luxurious carriage decorated with a star emblem slowly drove into the square.
The carriage stopped steadily. The door didn't open directly; instead, a brilliant starlight poured down from the top of the carriage, automatically laying out a faintly glowing starlight carpet on the snow-covered ground.
Immediately after, the door opened slightly, and a slender, beautiful leg wearing a high-heeled long boot stepped out first, stepping onto that illusory starlight.
Scarlett Stewart walked out slowly.
She wasn't wearing heavy winter clothes, but a thin yet radiant deep purple mage robe. The neckline was cut just right, revealing a slender swan neck and a dazzling touch of snow-white.
Her wine-red, large wavy hair was casually draped over her shoulders. Behind gold-rimmed glasses, those azure eyes seemed to contain the sea of stars. Just a casual glance carried an intellectual and charming allure that left everyone breathless.
The once-bustling square instantly fell dead silent.
Everyone held their breath, their minds wiped completely blank by the sheer impact of such peerless magnificence and beauty from the royal capital.
Before this professor, who seemed to radiate a soft and ethereal glow, the entirety of Broken Gold Town appeared to lose its luster. Even the biting wind in the air seemed to soften, as if terrified of disturbing such breathtaking beauty.

e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.

transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”

young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."

rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!