Chapter 178 Chapter 179 Witch Hunter
A few days later, in Singy’s alchemy workshop, two apprentices left the workshop together.
“Did you draw lots today?”
“No, I don’t have any money. How about you?”
“I’m going to do a ten consecutive draws.”
“Wow! That’s over six hundred silver coins. Did you find an aunt?”
“Come on, I’ve been signing in for a week, and every time I’ve managed to get something. It’s not easy to get an opportunity for a ten consecutive draw.”
“Is it that great? You might as well go sell it.”
“You can only draw from ‘Black Iron Cans’, with a maximum of blue quality potions, five tools for one can,” the signer said, shaking a cloth bag that rattled with the sound of glass balls colliding.
Every time you sign in, you can get a glass ball, and seven glass balls can be exchanged for one opportunity for a ten consecutive draw. Naturally, in the artisan-rich city of Marlin, anything can be replicated. Many people hold a bag of glass balls to trade for ten consecutive draws.
But they all failed the lie detection test by Jenna. Even so, the crowd heading toward Jenna remained unending, as many wanted to catch a glimpse of her countenance.
“What can you possibly draw from a ten consecutive pull?”
“Tsk, the official said that among the dozens of Black Iron Cans, there might be one SSSR. If I draw the ‘Wealth Potion’, at least you have to call me dad.” After saying this, he put a bag of glass balls into his pocket.
“Dad, can you pass down your inheritance to me?”
“Sure thing, son—ah!”
A tall man with a sinister aura abruptly collided with the signer. If his companion hadn’t pulled him back, he would have fallen to the ground.
The signer instinctively reached for his long sword at his waist, turned his head, and shouted angrily, “Are you blind?”
His companion, another apprentice, tugged at his clothing corner.
The tall man also stopped in his tracks. He wore a leather trench coat and a wide-brimmed leather hat, on which sat a gray pure silver skull.
He was clad in a well-weathered breastplate, with a claw mark that testified to a perilous battle, and wore an armed belt slung diagonally with an emergency red magical potion, along with silver-plated long nails blessed three times, and a token of the Sigma Church hung below.
He was undoubtedly an experienced Witch Hunter, one who sought to destroy enemies with the coldest and cruelest methods.
The Witch Hunter turned his cold, square face, with unkempt stubble after several days of neglect, and scanned the two apprentices with lifeless black eyes.
The signer felt a chill run down his spine and immediately lowered his head and turned to leave.
The Witch Hunter ignored the two apprentices and strode into Singy’s alchemy workshop.
There was nobody at the counter, only the sound of a married woman’s shouting coming from upstairs.
“You scoundrel! You must be interested in someone else; even your eldest disciple, you won’t let him see the book! Now look what’s happened, after he finishes his studies, no one will come here to buy potions!”
“What are we supposed to do now?!”
“How did I end up marrying you, you scoundrel?”
Amid the penetrating voice of the woman, a middle-aged man’s voice could be heard defending himself: “Lord Isa gave me one thousand gold coins…”
“Do you still think you’re in the right?”
“I was wrong.”
“Where did you go wrong?”
The Witch Hunter took out a war hammer, with a pure skull emblem on its side, and slammed it forcefully onto the table.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
The potions on the counter almost fell to the ground.
After a while, the loud noise subsided. A middle-aged man rushed downstairs, covering his face; his chin was clean-shaven, his upper lip thick with hair, and his head was covered in thick, dark hair, tilting to one side, revealing a shiny bald head—it was Singy.
The square-faced Witch Hunter halted his actions, having already made a hole in the counter with his hammer.
Seeing this, Singy felt a surge of anger, lifted his gaze to meet the Witch Hunter’s cold face, and then quickly lowered his head, replacing it with a flattering expression, “Witch Hunter sir, what would you like to buy?”
The square-faced Witch Hunter raised his hand, pointing at Singy’s head. “Your wig.”
Singy hurriedly adjusted his wig to cover his bald head and said, “Thanks for the reminder. Business is tough these days; my wife at home isn’t happy. Please take care of the business here; I—”
“I just heard you received one thousand gold coins,” the square-faced Witch Hunter kept his hand extended, pointing at Singy’s nose, and asked, “Seeing you so flustered, I suspect this money is largely from heretics.”
“No, no…” Singy quickly waved his hands in denial, “This was given to me by Young Master Isa, to compensate for breaking the contract.”
“That amount is enough to order a whole suit of Rick Guards’ armor, and hire a pretty girl as an attendant!” A short sword had somehow found its way to Singy’s throat. “It’s also enough for ten live sacrifices.”
“Sir, sir, spare my life, I’ll tell you everything! Young Master Isa instructed me not to supply a certain big merchant.”
“What were you arguing about just now? Was it a dispute over spoils?”
“No, no! It was a talented apprentice named Xiao Qiao. I love talent and have passed on all my knowledge to her.”
“How does she look?”
“Slender figure, silky black hair, a pure and lovely face, smooth and delicate skin, and a quirky, spirited personality.”
“Do you like her?”
“Like? Everyone likes her.”
The Witch Hunter retracted his short sword: “Oh, I see. So it’s infidelity.”
A woman’s voice erupted from upstairs, like a furious dragon roaring: “You scoundrel! I can’t take it anymore!”
Singy quickly attempted to leave, saying as he walked, “Dear, dear, let me explain.”
“Thud!”
The square-faced Witch Hunter hammered a large hole into the table.
Singy flinched and stopped.
“I suspect that the Xiao Qiao you mentioned is a succubus. Where is she now?”
“I’m not sure. The goods she made are sold at the Golden Rolling Alchemy Shop. You can just ask anyone, and they’ll tell you where it is.”
“You are also highly suspicious. Many are willing to be succubi’s accomplices. There’s a traditional method of detection I particularly enjoy. Tie a person to a stone and throw them into the blessed water; sinking means they are a demon, floating means they are under the demons’ protection, and only if they fly will it prove they are pure and innocent. I am quite traditional.”
Singy’s heart raced faster, nervously watching the square-faced Witch Hunter.
“While I adhere to tradition, I also enjoy making small reforms,” the square-faced Witch Hunter pointed to the one remaining vial of red potion on his armed belt. “To assist in purification is to atone for sins, and I am a good believer of Sigma. Harboring demons leads to the fire torture.”
Five minutes later.
The square-faced Witch Hunter exited Singy’s potion store, his armed belt filled with healing potions, and his waistbelt stocked with various expensive alchemical potions. His money pouch was also heavier with donations for purifying demons.
His expression remained unchanged as he walked toward the Golden Rolling Alchemy Shop, swinging a cloth bag in his hand, inside which the glass balls clinked against one another.
“Let’s see what I can get with a ten consecutive draw.”
The entire shop fell silent upon his arrival.
“Nothing? Another ten consecutive draws, here’s the money…”
A round of ten consecutive draws, then another.
As his face grew darker, customers nearby quietly left. By the time he noticed his money pouch was empty, he was the only one left in the shop.
“Damn it, I didn’t pull anything. Where’s your shop owner? I mean the one who makes potions; I suspect she’s colluding with demons. This lottery method is something only demons would think of.” The square-faced Witch Hunter pointed to the golden, shining SSR on the box. “This is clearly a symbol of heresy, meant to draw out the greed within people’s hearts.”
“What? She’s not here; she’s at Young Master Caslan’s mansion. Give me the address. Good. I can tell you are a devout believer of Sigma, your skull must be perfectly shaped and free of corruption.”
The square-faced Witch Hunter glanced at the address and spoke to Li Anxi.
Finally, the cold square-faced Witch Hunter left the shop.
On the road, he witnessed the fourth car accident of the day and muttered, “Why are there so many car accidents in Marlin City?”
Having said that, he took out a purple quality potion from beneath his leather coat, obtained from a few unlucky individuals with great luck. He patted his empty money pouch, steeled his resolve, drank the potion, and tossed away the vial.
He looked again at the address Li Anxi gave him, asked a passerby, and headed in the direction of Young Master Isa’s mansion, playing with a gold coin in his left hand, rolling it from his thumb to his little finger.
Behind him, four fine horses pulled a black carriage steadily down the street, the lavishly decorated carriage had several fresh dents. The driver’s face was flushed, his eyes glaring ahead, and his hands trembled in anger.
One horse suddenly limped, prompting the driver to quickly pull on the reins, causing the carriage to sway. A furious male voice came from inside the carriage: “Do you still want to do this job? A monkey could do a better job than you!”
In a fit of anger, the driver wielded his whip and struck the horse hard on the backside.
Startled, the horse caused the carriage to lose control, heading straight toward the square-faced Witch Hunter on the sidewalk.
