Chapter 25: Don’t turn around, I’m her sister

Dean Bruce chuckled and said, "Why would I need to deceive you?"

Hearing this, Joan Michelle realized her mistake and quickly showed a look of fear, exclaiming, "Teacher, please don't be angry. I didn't mean to distrust you..."

Dean Bruce interrupted her apology with a calm tone, "I'm not that petty. Alright, I'll now pass on the incantation to you. Whether or not you can grasp it, and how long it takes, depends entirely on you."

Pausing for a moment, Dean Bruce put on an air of seriousness and began reciting, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life, blood for blood."

In truth, the original saying was longer, but Dean Bruce decided to distill it into these four concise phrases, feeling that they captured the essence well enough.

As for how to interpret it?

That was Joan Michelle's problem!

With the success of The Compassion of Heaven and Earth as an example, if Joan Michelle couldn't comprehend this new spell, she would likely blame herself rather than question the validity of the incantation.

"This incantation... it doesn't seem too hard to understand." Joan Michelle repeated the phrases, nodding thoughtfully before asking, "Teacher, what is this spell called?"

Dean Bruce replied nonchalantly, "Blood for Blood."

Joan Michelle nodded and thought for a moment before suddenly standing up, allowing the water to cascade down her smooth, fair skin as she started heading out.

"Where are you going?" Dean Bruce asked with a puzzled expression.

Surely, she wasn't planning to start practicing right now?

As expected, Joan Michelle's wide, bright eyes looked at him as she answered, "I'm going to practice, of course! The assessment is about to begin, and I need to master this spell as quickly as possible!"

"..."

Dean Bruce's mouth twitched slightly as he sighed, "You already trained this afternoon, and now you want to train again? Overworking yourself like this won't necessarily help you grasp the spell."

"But if I don't practice, I'll never master it," Joan Michelle pouted.

Dean Bruce finally understood—this woman might not just have high talent, but an extraordinary level of determination.

However, human energy is limited. If she kept pushing herself like this, Dean Bruce feared she might collapse.

It wasn't that Dean Bruce had grown fond of her, but he didn't want to lose such a talented and hardworking student, who was, after all, a valuable asset in his plans.

Taking a deep breath, Dean Bruce gently grasped Joan Michelle's hand and spoke with a serious tone, "I'm going to teach you a valuable lesson, and I hope you'll listen carefully."

Hearing this, Joan Michelle looked at him with curiosity.

"Do not seek speed, nor be tempted by small gains. Hastiness leads to failure, and the pursuit of small benefits will prevent you from achieving great things."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Joan Michelle furrowed her brow, puzzled. "That phrase... it sounds a bit strange."

Dean Bruce couldn't help but silently chuckle to himself: [Of course it sounds strange! This is something I learned from the mysterious East in my previous life. It might seem odd, but many sayings from there are profound and mystical. Wait... I could start using Eastern literature to impress people here—it's even more enigmatic, and they won't understand it, which will only make them respect me more!]

While he mused internally, Dean Bruce maintained his composed exterior and said firmly, "The wisdom is within those words. Take your time to understand it. For today, there's no need to train any further. By the way, how's the preparation for the evening banquet coming along?"

Upon hearing this, Joan Michelle, thinking that Dean Bruce must be hungry, dropped the idea of further training. After they returned to the area where they had been earlier and got dressed, they headed outside together.

Boom---

With a rumbling sound, the stone door shifted open, and as Dean Bruce and Joan Michelle stepped out, they found the sky already dark, with a silver moon hanging high.

"Sis, Dean, you're finally out!"

From a distance, Lucy Michelle quickly approached them and respectfully announced, "The banquet is ready. We were just waiting for you two to finish your training!"

Dean Bruce nodded slightly. His stomach was indeed growling, so he followed without saying much.

Though it was called a banquet, in reality, only Dean Bruce was eating. The Michelle sisters seemed distracted and barely touched their food.

Thanks to the power and insight Dean Bruce had received from the system, his physical body now required more energy, so the meal wasn't wasted.

After dinner, just as Joan Michelle was about to head back to training, Dean Bruce suddenly asked, "Joan, does your family's library have any books on magical theory?"

"Hmm..." Joan Michelle thought for a moment before replying, "There should be some, but those kinds of books are rare. You might need to search deeper into the collection."

"Teacher, are you interested in those types of books?" she asked.

Both Joan and Lucy Michelle looked at Dean Bruce with puzzled expressions.

In their minds, Dean Bruce was already a master of magic, so why would he need to study such books?

Dean Bruce smiled and explained, "Books are the ladder to progress for a mage. The more books I read and the more magical theories I encounter, the better my understanding of magic will become!"

"The path of magic has no end. We must always keep learning!"

Joan Michelle and Lucy Michelle were completely stunned. Their minds were captivated by Dean Bruce's words—it was the first time they'd heard such an idea.

Books are the ladder to progress for a mage?

The path of magic has no end; one must always keep learning?

Did that mean they should also read more books?

After a long pause, Joan Michelle nodded seriously and said, "Teacher, I understand what you mean. I won't train tonight. Instead, I'll take some time to read and adjust my mindset, and also learn from how the ancients understood magic."

"I'm joining too!" Lucy Michelle exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.

Hearing this, Joan Michelle didn't respond immediately. Instead, she looked toward Dean Bruce.

Since they were in someone else's home, there was no way Dean Bruce would refuse.

Besides, having more people searching the training room's extensive library would make finding the right books faster.

With the servants handling the cleanup, Dean Bruce and the Michelle sisters headed straight for the training room.

As they passed by the cushions, Lucy Michelle discreetly sniffed the air, glanced down, and noticed something, causing a slight blush to creep across her cheeks.

Dean Bruce, engaged in conversation with Joan Michelle, didn't notice this.

Once they entered the secret passage and reached the room filled with bookshelves, Joan Michelle spoke up, "Teacher, the collection here is vast and quite ancient. Could you help us search? I feel bad for asking, but with so many books, it would be quicker if we all searched together."

"Not a problem," Dean Bruce replied, unfazed. For him, finding the right books was the real benefit.

Seeing that Dean Bruce wasn't upset, Joan Michelle exhaled in relief and then began organizing the search with her sister.

The Michelle family's inherited library was indeed rich, containing everything from strange tales and historical accounts of Meze, to records of various principalities and long-lost empires.

There were also endless accounts of temples and churches! 

Here even novels recounting the adventures of heroes battling dragons and rescuing princesses.

Even Dean Bruce, who had lived through the era of short videos and new media, found himself engrossed as he browsed through these old books.

Suddenly, as Dean Bruce was flipping through a book, he felt a warm sensation on his back, followed by a unique feeling.

Before he could react, a pair of soft hands wrapped around his waist, holding his abdomen.

A delicate fragrance filled the air, and Dean Bruce sighed, "Stop messing around, Joan. Your sister is still here."

But there was no response from behind him. Instead, those soft hands gently caressed his abdomen, gradually moving toward his trousers, like a pair of mischievous little snakes. Before he knew it, one of the hands slipped inside and grasped him intimately.

A cool sensation jolted him, and Dean Bruce immediately realized something was off.

Joan's hands were usually warmer, and after their two passionate encounters, her touch was much more familiar and confident than this one.

"Dean, don't turn around... I'm not Joan… I'm her sister…"