Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 300 Standoff! The Legendary Wizard's Hatred!

It was a light brown robe in an oriental style, but Hibiscus was certain that its original color wasn't like this; judging from the faded cuffs and collar, it had been washed too many times, turning from bluish-brown to brown.

Even a pair of cotton shoes often showed signs of mending.

Then look at Dumbledore, arm in arm with the old man, his robes neat but his head covered by a nightcap—

Do legendary wizards all have slovenly quirks?

Hibiscus is a bit disillusioned.

Just then, she noticed the old man smile at her, and as she hesitated whether she should respond politely, Dumbledore turned around and waved to them.

Ms. Maxim led her over.

"Dear Orim, come, let me introduce you. This is Li Tianshi, the former principal of the Central Qi Refining Academy. Oh, Tianshi is not his name, but his title. This is the rule for practitioners."

So, this is one of the four Celestial Masters that the Muggle girl was talking about?

Maxim greeted the other person with a mixture of curiosity and reserve.

This Master Li looked very gentle and seemed to have a close relationship with Dumbledore. He also spoke fluent French: "Welcome to China, Ms. Maxim. Seventy years ago, I studied in Beauxbatons for a period of time. In Paris, I met CM and a group of like-minded friends. Those were wonderful times that I will always remember."

Maxim didn't know what CM was, let alone what like-minded partners meant.

She suddenly felt that the legendary wizard she had just met had dark, bright eyes that were as clear and shallow as an autumn lake, yet seemed to contain a kind of captivating passion and power.

The feeling of clarity and coolness mingling with fiery heat is both contradictory and harmonious.

Even though she was the taller one, under that gaze, she unconsciously abandoned her reserve and lowered her head slightly: "It is an honor for Beauxbatons."

"How is Nicolas Flamel? The last time I saw him was 50 years ago. He was hiding in a safe house in Paris, spending his days spying around with a crystal ball."

Before Maxim could answer, Dumbledore chimed in cheerfully, "My dear Lee, Nico is currently living in seclusion in Devon. If you wish to see him, I can arrange it."

Maxim clenched her teeth; at that moment, she felt that Dumbledore was utterly despicable!

But in front of Master Li, she dared not say anything and could only watch as Dumbledore drew his attention back to her.

After exchanging a few words, Master Li invited the group into his residence: "—This is where I cultivate, just for a peaceful place, so the conditions are inevitably a bit harsh. Please bear with me."

Li Tianshi behaved with great humility and kindness. Only after personally picking up the teapot and brewing a cup of tea for everyone did he look at Dumbledore with a gentle smile, without any pretense or beating around the bush: "I have already heard about your purpose. I would like to know, who has discerned our intentions?"

Across from him, Dumbledore held a teacup, clumsily stirring the tea leaves, looking bewildered: "What who? What insight? I have no idea what you're talking about."

Master Li shook his head: "Don't pretend to be crazy in front of me, Abusi. We've known each other for many years, even if we're 50..."

Even though we haven't met for years, it's not like I haven't had ways to know you—you are the proudest wizard I've ever met, pride ingrained in your very bones. Although you sympathize with Muggles, your eyes never truly see them. Without someone to guide you, you would subconsciously continue to ignore them.

"Tell me, who convinced you, this stubborn old man, to face Muggles and realize that they are the key to our negotiations?"

When he said these words, Master Li was still as kind and humble as ever, but in Maxim and Furong's perception, the surrounding air became thick and heavy due to some sudden pressure.

They were like moths that had suddenly fallen into glue.

But that feeling wasn't that the air had actually changed; it seemed to be just a kind of mental illusion.

Furong is alright; perhaps her skill level isn't high enough, or perhaps the person trying to exert pressure wasn't actually targeting her.

Maxim's performance was far less impressive. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her broad forehead, and the muscles on her face were taut. In her perception, it was as if every breath of air around her had come alive, watching her every move with an almost tangible gaze.

Then, Dumbledore smiled and stood in front of her.

The pressure suddenly disappeared, and Maxim, who had been stiff all over, staggered, panting. Fleur quickly supported her, looking at Dumbledore with suspicion, and then at Li Tianshi.

The two legendary wizards faced off, but there was no hint of hostility between them. The only thing that could be heard in their calm and measured words was the tension between them.

"Li, is it really necessary to involve the children?"

"There's no need, but I need answers, Albus. We've been away from the world for too long. For decades, many children have thought this country was the whole world. Suddenly being opened up, they're confused and vulnerable. I didn't care at first, after all, the world has been away from us for too long. We feel unfamiliar and curious about you, and so do you—until I discovered that someone on your side knows us very well!"

"Just because of this?"

"Ha, no need to play innocent. For the sake of our old friendship, I need to know who's behind this!"

resentment?

Hate?

Maxim and Furong didn't quite understand.

They only saw Dumbledore remain silent for a moment, then sigh: "Decades have passed, and you still hold a grudge?"

"Holding a grudge?"

Maxim and Furong noticed that Li Tianshi's kind expression had disappeared, and the room, which was originally not spacious but had excellent lighting, suddenly seemed to be shrouded in dark clouds.

Dark shadows flooded in through the windows and doors like a tide, dimming the light. In the gloom, Li Tianshi's dark eyes were deep and unfathomable: "You didn't use that word well, Albus."

He spoke softly.

The sound was unpredictable.

At that moment, Maxim suddenly noticed that it wasn't just the light that had dimmed, but also—the sound and color!

To her astonishment, the colors of the entire room seemed to be peeling away: the vermilion door, the bluish-gray stone floor, the yellowish-brown pearwood table and chairs—

There was also the sound of the wind outside the window, the chirping of birds, and the faint roar of a distant waterfall.

All of this environment, projected onto the concrete form of the senses, is rapidly receding.

Soon, the world before my eyes turned black and white, deathly silent!

In the deathly silence, a crisp clinking sound came. The two turned around and saw the teacup in Li Tianshi's hand. He held the lid of the teacup and gently wiped it along the rim.

Porcelain rubbing and colliding.

Ripples slowly spread out, accompanied by a long "ding" sound, like the trembling of metal, brushing past their ears, across their bodies, and spreading in all directions.

The next second, Maxim saw that the lid of the teacup he had placed beside him had silently shattered.

Porcelain utensils, like burnt firewood, collapsed into a mass of black ash!

Maxim felt a pang of fear and instinctively pulled Furong into her arms, but in reality, she had no clue how to deal with this bizarre situation.

Fortunately, Dumbledore was there for the two of them.

Old Deng slowly extended his hand from his wide robe sleeves and gently placed it on the table. The air flickered faintly, and in a daze, Maxim seemed to see the fleeting shadow of a net.

Then, as if an invisible paintbrush had been applied, the black and white table regained its color, and even the broken teacup lid was restored to its original state.

"You're taking your anger out on others again—okay, I apologize, I shouldn't have—"

Li Tianshi's aged, hoarse voice interrupted Dumbledore: "More than 50 years ago, you wrote to me asking why I was pushing our wizarding world to break away from the international order. Do you remember what I said in my reply back then?"

Dumbledore's expression froze for a moment.

"It seems you remember. Yes, I replied to you with five letters: two exposing the multiple Muggle massacres that have occurred here, and three accusing the International Federation's special operations team of blatantly favoring the Institute of Magic."

Having not experienced that era and having little knowledge of the Far East, Maxim and Furong were baffled by the information revealed in Li Tianshi's words.

All they could see was that the old man, who had been smiling not long ago, seemed to be encased in ice, radiating a chilling aura.

They also saw the complex expression on Dumbledore's face, who was usually calm and collected.

Shock, confusion, pain, guilt.

All that complexity ultimately culminated in a single, labored explanation as he slightly opened his mouth: "I replied to your letter later, and I told you that at the time, I, and all of Europe, were dealing with the troubles caused by Gellert Grindelwald and his saints, and had no energy left to concern myself with matters in the Far East!"

I don't care about those things.

""

Master Li, expressionless, flicked the teacup lid repeatedly, skimming away the tea foam. The ripples disappeared without a trace, leaving only the colorless black and white contrast in the room.

Further away, outside the house, from the perspective of those inside, the black and white Qi cultivators silently watched the four people inside.

"The dead will not come back to life, nor will the lives of our compatriots who perished in the war. The Magic Institute is the executioner, and so are you."

"Unfortunately, we realized it too late—we were too late for many things. We were not vigilant about the wars between secular warlords, which led to the deaths of many Muggles. There was a shortage of young Qi cultivators. When foreign enemies invaded, we were bound by the Secrecy Law and watched helplessly as our country was destroyed. My motherland declined little by little because of our hesitation and indecisiveness."

As he spoke, Master Li's voice lowered, as if he were lost in memories.

As he lost focus, the eeriness of the room vanished, and colors and sounds returned.

Li Tianshi's sons, who had been waiting outside the door, came in and helped their father up, whispering something in his ear.

Dumbledore, Maxim, and Fleur could not understand Chinese and could only deduce that the other party was generally trying to comfort them.

Their own thoughts were also in turmoil, so they remained silent and watched quietly as Master Li, comforted by his son, regained his composure.

He put down his teacup and looked at Dumbledore: "I'm old. The humiliation I experienced decades ago has made me very stubborn. An old friend criticized me, saying I was a narrow-minded nationalist. He was a Muggle, but in my eyes, he was the greatest man in this country."

"So I have always used his words to remind myself not to act according to my own temper and go my own way, which is why you have today's itinerary. The breakthrough point you chose this time was very precise. The Refining Committee advocates re-integration with international standards. All you need to do is agree to some conditions. The reason they didn't mention it before was because I was obstructing it, because I didn't trust you."

"I know I can't stop it for long. Those who experienced it back then are dying one by one. Hatred—no matter how unwilling we are, it will eventually be taken to our graves. The new era needs development, but as long as I live, you will have to get past me."

"For the sake of our old friendship, I'll be frank. I still don't trust you. But because of that old friend who criticized me for being narrow-minded, I'll control my temper. I also hope that, for the sake of our past relationship, you'll tell me who's been giving you advice behind the scenes? What are their motives?"

'

Dumbledore paused for a moment, then, without beating around the bush, slowly replied, "The one who came up with the idea was a second-year student at Hogwarts, Vaughn Weasley!"

Ok?

Furong raised her head and exchanged a glance with Maxim, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.

"A second-year student?"

On the other side, Master Li showed a similar reaction, looking at Dumbledore as if trying to see if the other was joking.

At this moment, the Muggle translator girl who had been in charge of the explanation came in and whispered to Master Li, seemingly introducing Vaughn.

After the young translator finished speaking, when Master Li looked up again, his eyes were full of curiosity: "He solved the werewolf problem?"

Dumbledore nodded: "Yes, Vaughn is a genius Potions Master. He's the one who told me about your ideas and potential inclinations."

Upon hearing this, Master Li and the impeccably dressed committee members guarding the door exchanged glances: "Including your suggestion to use the magical world's smuggling channels to help us smuggle Muggle equipment?"

"That's right, and it's not just England. As long as the Central Qi Refining Academy is willing to join the potion exchange program and make positive contributions, Ms. Maxime can also help you mediate in France, and Principal Silva from Castelbusch can help in the Americas."

In fact, Maxim had not previously agreed to this so-called "mediation".

After all, in her eyes at that time, the Far East was a backward and impoverished backwater.

Even after arriving in China, despite the excellent hospitality she received, it couldn't shake her prejudice.

Of course, she no longer had those thoughts. After Li Tianshi's "outburst of temper," her mind was now filled with the numbers the little girl had "inadvertently" revealed:

This remote, unremarkable mountain is home to four legendary wizards.

In other words, there are three more guys as terrifying as Master Li in front of us in this broken mountain — then how many more are there outside the mountain?

Just thinking about it made Maxim feel a pang of anxiety, followed by joy.

Compared to his initial reluctance, Maxim now feels that agreeing to come to China with Dumbledore might actually be an unexpectedly good thing.

The world situation is changing; Silva can cling to powerful figures, and so can Beauspatton and even France.

While lost in her own thoughts, Ms. Maxim smiled demurely and gracefully as she greeted Master Li and the Muggle translator opposite her.

Master Li pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

The gloomy, deathly atmosphere that had been hanging over the house instantly dissipated, and a kind and gentle smile returned to his face: "I understand the situation—Ayan, take Mr. Dumbledore, Ms. Maxim and Ms. Delacour to the guest rooms to rest. Oh, Albus, Ayan is my granddaughter, she will take care of you for now. We'll catch up after I've finished my business."

For Furong, what happened today was a bit beyond her expectations.

Whether it was personally experiencing the magical wonders and terrifying power of a legendary wizard, or hearing the legendary wizard recount the feud between the West and the East, these were experiences she had never had before.

After all, her world has only consisted of France.

Of course, what surprised and upset her even more was that even after arriving in the Far East, she could still hear Vaughn Weasley's name, and once again, she was outdone by him.

As she walked out of the building called "oiemple" (Taoist temple) and headed to the guest rooms on the other side, Fleur was still pondering why Vaughn Weasley knew so much.

Also, how did the Squirrel girl named Aryan introduce Vaughn Weasley to her grandfather, to the point that the originally aggressive legendary wizard became amiable again?

Ah Yan led the way, and Fu Rong couldn't resist her curiosity and asked directly.

"You can call me Yan Lee, Ms. Delacour," Yan replied with a gentle smile. "Because in Grandpa's eyes, what Mr. Weasley did was what he always wanted to do—"

what?

Furong was stunned.

This answer was completely beyond her comprehension.

However, after arriving in the Far East, there were too many things beyond her comprehension, and she couldn't understand any of them.

Therefore, after the group arrived at their guest room, Furong pulled Yan Li along to explore the mountain and learn more about it.

In fact, Maxim was also very curious, but because of her status, she couldn't ask a young girl too many questions.

Fortunately, Dumbledore was still in the group.

After being repeatedly questioned by Li Tianshi, Dumbledore was not in a good mood. Maxim specially instructed his students to bring French pastries and white wine to Dumbledore's room.

"Thank you, Orim, I feel much better now."

He cast a spell to summon water, creating ice to chill the white wine. Dumbledore, his face flushed, downed half a glass and thanked Maxim, saying, "Tell me, my dear, what do you want to know?"

Maxim wanted to know too much, but compared to that, she was more interested in knowing Vaughn.

Dumbledore did not hide anything from this: "Yes, just as I told Lee, Vaughn understands this country, their history and their tragedies, and their thoughts and needs."