After their conversation, the Traveler obtained limited information from Haypasia: aside from learning that adults in Sumeru do not dream, she only learned about the stages of Sumeru cultivation.
"Forest Dwelling Mad Speech Period," "Silent Perfection Period"—those who didn't know might think it was immortal cultivation.
Haypasia is currently in the "Forest Dwelling Mad Speech Period." Many scholars in Sumeru have gone mad at this stage.
Exploring the Irminsul is like surfing the internet; going mad is like accidentally stumbling onto adult sites while searching, receiving "power" one cannot bear, gradually descending into madness and becoming obsessed.
Now everyone understood why children in Sumeru were not allowed to wear the Akasha—it was to prevent minors from accessing the internet, so to speak, a teen mode.
Speaking of minors, Haypasia also felt a touch of nostalgia. The wondrous creatures had given her wondrous dreams, as if returning her to a wondrous childhood.
[Haypasia: "The child I once was—so ignorant, yet so fearless… Perhaps dreams are not as bad as we imagine."]
Wow, look at this person calling herself a cute girl.
In any case, after speaking with Haypasia, the Traveler returned to Gandharva Ville, where some scholars were just then giving Tighnari "trouble."
The leading scholar was a sage from the Vahumana school, studying linguistics and semiotics.
Having just mentioned cute girls, our sweet girl, the heavenly child-granny of Vahumana, the renowned senior Faruzan, also belongs to this school.
Lucian drew an illustration for this sage—quite distinctive, with lightning-shaped upper mustache paired with a goatee below, truly unique styling.
The most absurd part was that his glasses had green lenses, making it look as though he'd placed cucumber slices over them. Was this a secondary use after a facial mask because he felt it a waste to throw them away?
Isn't the symbol of Vahumana black? Why not wear sunglasses?
Seriously, wouldn't looking through those cause color imbalance? Wouldn't everything appear slightly green?
Faruzan became interested and remarked, "This fellow usually likes to look at people through 'colored glasses.'"
Though it was an impromptu pun from Faruzan, it was also her true feeling.
Because these old fogeys in Vahumana often found excuses to cut Faruzan's funding—exactly "colored glasses."
So the pun was a double entendre.
But now things were better—this guy had been arrested along with the Grand Sage.
Faruzan glanced at Lucian, thinking: So this is how you tell cold jokes? This must be the trend among young people.
Although to a linguistics expert like Faruzan, a mere homophone pun was rather lowbrow, even the renowned prognosticator liked to speak this way, so it had to be taken seriously.
Moreover, he studies prophecy, I study language—we have something in common.
Back during the "World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament," she had heard Lucian tell cold jokes, and even earlier she had heard Cyno tell them.
At that time, her invention that could generate strong winds had been named "Great Wind Mechanism" by Cyno, but Faruzan rejected it.
Back then she hadn't yet grasped the cold joke and even kindly referenced Cyno's naming, eventually calling the device "Vourukasha Heavy Mechanism."
See? Linguists are different—the names they give are always high-class.
Now Faruzan fully understood cold jokes. I'm a linguist; a mere homophone pun is child's play!
Lucian and Cyno applauded together at Faruzan's cold joke. "Good!"
Nahida nodded with a smile: "Mm, abandoning prejudice toward 'knowledge,' breaking the 'colored glasses.'"
She meant that Faruzan had cast aside a linguist's "colored glasses" toward homophone puns.
One could only say: AUV, are your upper and lower segments even connected?
Lucian and Cyno applauded again. "This one's even better!"
Faruzan suddenly felt the urge to both laugh and cry—she had never felt this speechless even when trapped by ruin machines.
But how should one put it… this could be considered acknowledgment from the God of Wisdom…
The reason she wanted to laugh and cry was precisely this: acknowledged by the God of Wisdom, but apparently not for her "wisdom"!
Seeing that they had finished fooling around, Tighnari finally released his hands from Collei's ears.
Cyno's cold jokes were a virus, now showing signs of spreading. He absolutely could not let Collei get infected.
Only Alhaitham showed no reaction—he had been reading the whole time and was nearly finished.
In fact, this was already his second read; this time he was organizing all the known information in the story.
Back to the story: the sage named Kavaja had come to invite Tighnari to return to the Akademiya to complete a "major project."
Tighnari's master had written him a letter, but Tighnari had declined. This time a sage had come in person—one could see Tighnari's status far surpassed Kaveh's.
But strangely, why was it not Tighnari's master who came? Tighnari's master was also a sage; whether by status or by relationship, he would obviously be more reliable than Kavaja.
In the story, Tighnari had the same doubt. Given his master's hot-tempered personality, he should have come himself. So he asked Kavaja about it.
[Kavaja did not explain, saying: "Tighnari, your mentor is also participating in this project. He needs your strength right now."]
This immediately aroused suspicion in the sharper readers—wasn't this answering a different question? Evading and even starting a new topic—this was usually the tactic of someone in the wrong.
Kavaja was a linguistics sage; he couldn't possibly be inarticulate or misunderstanding, could he?
[Kavaja: "You'll understand once you reach Sumeru City."]
The readers smelled conspiracy. Was this trying to lure Tighnari to Sumeru City?
His master hadn't come in person—could he already be under control?
Then that letter might not have been written by Tighnari's master at all.
Tighnari was clever… a clever fox. He also sensed something wrong, probing with every sentence.
[Tighnari: "…Are you saying that although you personally came to Gandharva Ville, you still cannot answer any of the questions I asked my teacher in my letter?"]
["If that is the case, I'm afraid I cannot give you a positive reply."]
Tighnari calmly refused, which angered the attendant beside the sage.
[Gulam: "Tighnari, you—"]
He was furious, but Kavaja stopped his impulsive subordinate.
[Kavaja: "Sigh, very well. Let us go."]
Why did Kavaja give up so easily?
Because Gandharva Ville was Tighnari's territory! The forest rangers here might not listen to a sage, but they absolutely obeyed Tighnari.
If he fell out with Tighnari here, it wouldn't be bringing Tighnari back under control—it would be Tighnari controlling him instead.
That was the weight of the Gandharva Ville commander, even if he himself hadn't realized it.