Chapter 310: Chapter 309: Defeating You, It’s… Being Directionally Challenged Chapter 310: Chapter 309: Defeating You, It’s… Being Directionally Challenged “Why?” Richard raised his eyebrows upon seeing Angel stop and asked, “Don’t want to go back, fancy staying here?” The statement was clearly ambiguous.

Angel shook her head frantically, “No…no, that’s not it.”

“Then why don’t you leave?”

“I…” Angel stammered shyly, “I’ve never been to this graveyard before, so… so I don’t know how to get back to the White Stone Tower Academy. Could… could you take me back? I promise, after you take me back, I won’t bother you anymore.”

Richard: “…” Suddenly, he felt that if innocence had defeated naivety, now, being directionally challenged had beaten everything.

Seeing Richard remain silent for a long while, Angel might have felt her request a bit too much and said weakly, “Then if you won’t take me back, just pointing the way will do.”

Richard took a deep breath to calm his inner turbulence and pointed ahead. “Follow this road straight, turn left at the first intersection, left again at the second, right at the third, and right again at the fourth.

Keep walking straight. After passing a pub called ‘Salt and Fire,’ turn left, then right at the second intersection, and go straight to the end. That’s the main entrance of White Stone Tower Academy. Got it?”

Angel’s eyes twinkled.

Richard, feeling helpless, repeated the direction and asked again, “Got it this time?”

“I… I’ve got it…” Angel murmured in a voice smaller than a mosquito’s.

“That’s good.” Richard waved his hand, “Off you go.”

“Erm…” Angel looked back three times with each step and walked out of the graveyard, disappearing into the distance.

…

Watching Angel leave, Richard stepped forward, planning to return to the laboratory as well, since the Space Iron Ring held several newly acquired books from the Black Spirit Empire that awaited his study.

He had just taken a few steps when he suddenly heard faint voices near a tombstone.

“Hmm?”

Richard raised an eyebrow and walked over.

Approaching, Richard saw a man who resembled a short, fat winter melon, squatting in front of a tombstone, his fat quivering as he muttered quietly.

Who could it be if not Alex?

This…

Richard wondered, “What is he doing here?”

Pondering this question, Richard timed a light cough perfectly, “Ahem!”

“Ah!”

Alex, facing the tombstone, got startled by Richard’s cough, leaping up with a somewhat pale face slowly turning to meet Richard’s gaze, his eyes flickering once, twice, thrice, as he struggled to utter, “It’s you!”

“It’s me,” Richard said.

“Why are you here?”

“I might ask you the same question–you, why are you here?” Richard said, “A businessman like you, instead of doing business properly, what are you doing in a graveyard? Surely the business hasn’t been bad lately, prompting you to dig up graves to sell the deceased’s funeral objects? Or are you planning to take the skeletons for some evil wizards on the black market as casting materials for their evil magic? As far as I know, those two actions are strictly prohibited by the White Stone Tower, right?”

“I!” Alex’s eyes widened, his face jiggling as he protested, “Where are you thinking of going! I’m just… just here to worship my family’s ancient ancestors, okay?!”

“Worship ancestors? In the dead of night?”

“…” Alex fell silent and after a while, stammered, “I’m not well accomplished; I don’t want others to know I’m a descendant of my ancestors, ashamed to bring disgrace upon them, which is why I’m doing it at midnight.”

“Is your ancestor a big shot?” Richard asked.

At that question, as though provoked, Alex shouted, “My ancestor was indeed a big shot. No, not just a big shot, but a very, very big shot, a legendary figure!”

“Really?” Richard asked, somewhat curious, “So who was he? A king? A general? The leader of the Wizard Organization? Or the power behind a mighty conglomerate?”

“…” Alex fell silent again, “He was a captain.”

“A captain? Uh, a captain…”

“You shouldn’t underestimate a captain! My ancestor, though a captain, was a great one, and achieved many great things. On his last voyage, he faced various disasters and brought all the crew home safely. It was only he himself who died from exhaustion.”

“Now, my ancestor’s fame isn’t as great anymore. Long ago, I heard from my parents, from my grandfather, that there were poems everywhere that praised his deeds, and that was the pride of my entire Alex’s family!”

“Uh, okay,” Richard said dubiously, turning to look at Alex, “But even so, worshiping your ancestor now is still a bit strange, isn’t it? This isn’t some special day dedicated to the deceased. Could it be that you’ve done something wrong and are feeling guilty, so you’re seeking solace from your ancestor?”

It was as if Alex had been caught out. His eyes bulged, but he staunchly denied, “No way! How could it be! There’s nothing like that; don’t talk nonsense! I just suddenly missed my deceased parents, so…”

“So… what does this have to do with worshiping the grave of your ancestor?”

“I…” Alex suddenly choked up and after a long time managed, “I’m just too heartbroken. Can’t I make a mistake in the place? Besides, missing my parents and worshiping their forefathers… isn’t it reasonable?”

“Is it reasonable?”

“Is it not reasonable?!”

“Uh, whatever, you continue your worship, I’m leaving.” Richard waved his hand, not wanting to waste time on this matter with Alex. He casually glanced at the tombstone Alex was worshiping and then turned to walk away, Alex muttering softly behind him…

…

“Dada dada…”

Walking to the edge of the cemetery, Richard was about to head toward the lab when he suddenly saw the figure of a girl feeling her way, hesitating, and tentatively walking toward the cemetery.

Who could it be if not Angel!

This!

The direction Angel had previously left the cemetery was not this one at all; she had somehow made a big circle and come back. Was this getting lost, or getting lost, or perhaps getting lost?

Richard frowned deeply and strode over to stop Angel.

Angel was startled, looking at Richard with wide eyes as if seeing a stalker.

Richard asked, “Did you realize, by any chance, that you took the wrong way?”

“Ah?!” Angel exclaimed puzzledly, “How could that be? I followed exactly what you told me earlier.”

“Repeat to me what I told you earlier.”

“This…” Angel’s voice meekly sounded, “It seems, should, maybe, probably… just keep going straight, and at the first intersection turn left, at the second intersection turn left, at the third intersection turn left, and at the fourth intersection turn right…”

Upon hearing this, Richard already knew there was no need to listen further; even with just this first phrase, mistakes were made that ensured she wouldn’t find the right path.