Chapter 433: 50. Margaret
At this moment, outside the Phoenix Dwelling, not far from the opposite direction of where Fisher and Tang Zeming Asuka had landed earlier, a path had been artificially cleared among the dense thickets. This was because most of the elves in the Tree Continent did not require roads; those who truly needed roads were the nobles and slaves under their governance.
Many beings among them had low ranks, especially humans, who relied mainly on rudimentary carriages for walking and transporting goods.
The wheel tracks of various nations differed; for instance, the tracks within the Wutong Kingdom were generally about eight feet wide, making them quite spacious, whereas the Peach Kingdom further west had tracks of only six feet, which were relatively narrower.
At this moment, a rather simple eight-foot road was bustling with numerous people divided into two groups. One subgroup was smaller, comprising about ten individuals, all clad in heavy black and red armor. Aside from the leader who had reached the Fourteenth Rank, the others were around the Thirteenth Rank and were divided into two types of subhuman races.
One type exhibited beast heads, with a pair of short, sharp horns on their heads, surrounded by a thick, white mane and covered in bluish scales, giving them a peculiar appearance; the other type had a human upper body, while their lower body was composed of a thick, coiling black serpent, mostly female, with only their upper half armored.
If Lord Shiran were present, he would certainly favor these two types of subhuman races, but at the same time, the armor they wore indicated that their identities were not simple.
The black and red armor was ceremonial armor that only the ceremonial officials within the Royal Capital were qualified to wear; they were envoys sent from the Royal Capital on a mission.
Aside from these ten high-ranking envoys, the other densely packed crowd behind them was composed of low-ranking individuals, including humans and other subhuman races, dressed in tattered and dirty burlap clothing, clearly indicating that they were all slaves.
“You from which nation? Wutong Kingdom?”
The beast-headed envoy of the Fourteenth Rank sat on horseback, casting a disdainful glance at Gouwen and Mikhail, who were surrounded in the middle of the road, his gaze lingering for a moment on Gouwen’s body before he satisfactorily withdrew his gaze and asked.
Gouwen and Mikhail had been teleported by Hela not far outside the Phoenix Dwelling, and they shared Fisher’s thoughts, planning to first reach the home of the Phoenix race before regrouping. Unexpectedly, they encountered the envoys leading a large group of slaves halfway, forcing them to stop.
Mikhail sensed the other’s disdainful gaze; the bright light of his mechanical arm flared for a moment, and he moved closer to Gouwen, quietly asking, “What are these oddly shaped subhuman races?”
Gouwen glanced at the circle of armored subhuman races in front and then at the dense crowd of slaves behind, likewise responding in a low voice, “The Qilin Race and the Black Snake Race. Their ranks are quite high, being ceremonial officials in the Royal Capital. They should have come here with a royal decree for work. Those slaves were sent by the elven lords along the way; now that news from the Royal Capital is shrouded in mystery, they’re probably hoping to gain some information from these envoys.”
Mikhail narrowed his eyes at the chain-bound skinny slaves, falling silent. Gouwen cleared his throat and stepped forward with a gentle smile, addressing the envoys, “Indeed, may I ask what the envoys want?”
“Currently, the king urgently requires all those near mythical rank from the continent to head to the Royal Capital. Your rank is suitable; you have been conscripted. Get ready to leave with us after you pack your things. Is that human next to you your slave?”
The Qilin envoy retrieved a bundle of scrolls emanating a faint golden divine light from within his armor, and the surrounding space slightly distorted, revealing the unique aura of the World Tree’s fate.
Upon hearing this, Gouwen’s expression shifted momentarily as Mikhail’s face became ice-cold. As his right arm grew increasingly hot, Gouwen patted his shoulder, addressing the envoy, “Esteemed envoys, this is my partner, not a slave. My name is Gouwen; I am a doctor. I previously visited the Royal Capital secretly to treat your king, which I suspect you may not be aware of. I am curious about the purpose of your summons; even if I must leave, I must first inform my wife about the details.”
“We do not know the details; you will learn once you arrive. No more nonsense; we must inform the Phoenix elder and leave with them; Lord Wutong and Lord Tong said that their leader is only one step away from the mythical rank.”
The Qilin envoy shook his head upon hearing this. Gouwen carefully scanned his expression and, confirming he wasn’t lying, the gentle smile on his face grew a little warmer.
However, the nearby Black Snake female looked at Gouwen’s handsome face, smiling like jade, and licked her lips. Their long, forked tongues flicked in and out, and she spoke in a charming tone, “Oh, you’re a doctor. That’s fine, come back with us. Why care about your wife? Home flowers are not as fragrant as wildflowers. In the Royal Capital, we have many sisters who are ill and need your treatment. By the way, I forgot to ask, can you perform acupuncture?”
“I am already married, miss; please do not jest like this.” Feeling the tangible gaze on him, Gouwen quickly straightened his expression and emphasized, as if failing to do so would result in serious repercussions.
“Snake Xuan! Enough!” The Qilin envoy barked, interrupting her improper teasing, causing the flirtatious Black Snake to hesitate, pouting as she stepped back and fell silent.
Then, the Qilin envoy said to Gouwen, “This matter is urgent and cannot be refused. Think carefully before making a decision; you should know that if I return to the Royal Capital and speak to the king about it, not only you, but even Lords Wutong and Tong could not bear the consequences.”
Gouwen ceased to joke, his eyes reflecting some contemplation. His smile remained warm, but a heavy shadow fell at the corner of his mouth as he deliberately taunted, “So, you mean to report even the slaves you privately received from the elven lords to your king? It is against protocol for ceremonial officials to privately keep slaves; your king will not tolerate this.”
“.What do you understand? These are to be delivered to Lord Huai; how could we keep them for ourselves?”
“Oh, I’m still a bit confused. Why would the Royal Capital’s ceremonial officials abandon their duties to serve Lord Huai like dogs?”
“Are you seeking death?”
“Guess?”
Watching Gouwen’s smile, which seemed to come from Hela’s teachings, the Qilin envoy’s pupils shrank at his words, and in an instant, blood rushed to his head. He suddenly kicked off the ground, leaping off his horse, a heavy weapon in his hand swinging down towards Gouwen.
Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a distinctly layered iron mace, which the Qilin swung in mid-air towards Gouwen and Mikhail.
“Boom!”
Gouwen’s smile did not fade; he suddenly reached out, grasping Mikhail’s nape, and pushed himself back considerably, feeling the ground shake violently. To avoid affecting Mikhail, who had an ordinary human constitution, he casually pushed him away while he himself steadily landed on the dense cracks in the earth.
His right hand subtly reached out, and a golden liquid quickly stretched upwards, transforming into an extremely thin, curved blade. At the same time, the whale tail behind him began to tremble slightly, indicating the activation of some ability.
Whale Folk Curse: Gaze of the Heart
Effect: Enhances Gouwen’s observational abilities regarding the details of living beings.
Well, aside from that, there was nothing more.
As the curse activated, Gouwen’s eyes suddenly became deep and obscure; within his vision, the moving body of the opponent slowly became invisible, layered as if presented before him.
First skin and flesh, then tendons, and finally, some unseeable flow of energy.
Just as Gouwen had said to Fisher earlier, the blessings and curses of Whale Folk were closely tied to the characteristics of that particular Whale Folk. Gouwen’s obsession with medicine indicated he had a heart to heal, so whether in blessings or curses, he had little direct killing capability.
However, this was not entirely a drawback. Gouwen’s curse was the lightest burden among all Whale Folk; he did not require a symbiotic sea beast to help digest the curse, allowing him to traverse freely between land and sea, becoming a relatively well-known wandering doctor in the ocean.
He smiled at the Qilin raising the iron mace, his golden surgical knife oscillating eerily. Upon approaching, he saw the tip of the knife trembling and extending a very thin golden thread. As the opponent raised the iron mace, that thread silently pierced through their flesh just as he flicked his finger.
“Release.”
With a slight tremor of that thread, the Qilin’s legs weakened and clamped together, as if all the energy in his body was suddenly released. The iron mace in his hand became so heavy that his wrist ached, and he could hardly lift it.
“Ugh!”
In an instant, sensations of urgency and pain overwhelmed him, making his entire abdomen ache as if he had overexerted himself in bed for days and nights.
Gouwen’s gaze turned cold as he watched the Qi concealed by the thread within the Qilin’s body. This thread could not directly release them, but it could block their flow, tricking the body into feeling empty and uncomfortable.
“There’s a trick, Snake Xuan!”
The Qilin’s complexion paled as he painfully clutched his groin, enduring a suffering that was beyond normal human limits. His voice trembled as he turned back to plead with his companions behind him.
The other Qilin and Black Snake races also changed their expressions, raising their weapons to surround Gouwen. After all, the rank difference between Gouwen and them was not great, and if a real fight ensued, they would undoubtedly not be able to match him.
Gouwen’s expression grew serious. The delicate thread pulling on the lead Qilin’s essence did not waver as he faced their ferocious onslaught, shaking his robes and awkwardly dodging their attacks.
“Buzz!”
This was not good; there were too many people; he needed to retreat.
With a flick of his finger, Gouwen prepared to release the thread completely, but behind him were individuals of comparable rank, and even if he fully retreated, it would clearly be too late.
“My dear, why are you running?”
Beneath him, the damp and slimy thick tail of the Black Snake wrapped around his waist, freezing him in place. Gouwen felt a chill run down his back, unsure if it was due to her entanglement or her joking “my dear.”
“I am already married.”
Gouwen smiled wryly; the three Black Snakes behind him had coiled around his waist and arms, rendering him immobile. He gritted his teeth and emphasized once more.
“Oh dear, so loyal to your husband? That’s fine, trained sisters also like it.”
“Hiss, hiss, hiss!”
The several Black Snakes coiled around Gouwen were preparing to lick his face when, at that crucial moment, they suddenly heard a sound that was extremely dangerous. The side cheek of the Black Snake female grew warm; she turned to look and saw a scorching blue beam rushing towards them.
“Ah!”
They screamed, retreating away from Gouwen. One raised her weapon to block, but the raised weapon melted effortlessly before the blue beam. The terrifying power caused the Black Snake females to scatter in fright, nervously looking into the distance.
There, Mikhail coldly raised his right hand. At this moment, his mechanical arm was gradually unfolding at the joints, revealing a dangerous dark blue glow within, though it was still not the mechanism glow he had witnessed from Fisher.
“Thank you, Mr. Mikhail. I didn’t expect you to be this fierce; I hadn’t noticed it before.”
Gouwen gasped and quickly ran to Mikhail’s side, wiping off the slime left on him by the Black Snakes with some disgust. Mikhail glanced at the distant Qilin, who was covering his groin and had wet himself, and replied,
“You’re not bad either.”
“I really am not skilled in combat, Mr. Mikhail. Can you deal with them?”
“…”
Mikhail did not respond, but the mental threshold represented by the phantom subtitles in front of him was steadily rising, and soon, with the use of his right-hand weapon, it rose to about 52%.
He remained cold-faced, decisively shaking his head, saying, “No.”
“That’s fine; I’m also good at running away. Ahead is the Phoenix race’s dwelling. I don’t know if Hela and the angels have arrived there, but we shouldn’t lead these people in that direction.”
“Why?”
Compared to Mikhail, Gouwen clearly understood more about the critical points. He explained, “Currently, the Tree Continent is sealed. If the outsider angels from the Holy Realm are discovered by the elven Royal Capital, things will certainly not end well. We should run in the opposite direction.”
“Mm.”
Mikhail nodded, agreeing with Gouwen’s words. He glanced at the distant Qilin, clutching his stomach and glaring at them, realizing that the opponent would not easily let the two of them go.
The creatures of this world were all formidable. Even these beings of Thirteenth and Fourteenth Rank far exceeded the weapon limits designed by the Siberian Wind Company, making one suspect whether the creatures in this world were carbon-based at all, let alone mythical beings like Michael.
Mikhail rubbed the eye he held, seemingly contemplating whether to embed that object into his empty eye socket.
“They’re coming, Mr. Mikhail!”
But the moment of contemplation appeared superfluous, as in the next second, Gouwen’s expression suddenly changed, seemingly realizing something, but Mikhail’s reaction was still a beat slow.
The enraged Qilin’s eyes narrowed sharply, raising the iron mace with a tremendous force as he turned into a blur, swiftly appearing before Gouwen and Mikhail.
There was no time to dodge; Gouwen’s expression darkened, seemingly ready to be struck by the iron mace.
Just then, a rotating leaf suddenly came spinning down from above the Qilin, and he initially thought it was some sort of projectile. His motion to swing the mace halted abruptly, but it was already too late to notice that the object had drifted into his clothing.
Hmm?
Drifted?
The Qilin paused slightly, feeling around his armor but only touching a leaf within the gap.
A leaf?
“Fisher?! You’re here!”
Gouwen’s face lit up with joy, watching as several Phoenixes with outstretched wings flew towards them, with his companion Fisher among them, perched on one of the Phoenix’s shoulders.
But before joy could linger even a second, a shocking scene unfolded for everyone present.
Perhaps even Neceria wondered why that human had tossed a leaf into the other’s clothing. Was it merely to draw attention?
Quickly, she was mistaken.
Fisher, cold-faced, snapped his fingers in mid-air, and with a peculiar wave that no one had witnessed before, the Qilin, who had been standing in place, suddenly erupted with dozens of fierce gales, shredding its clothing, armor, and undergarments, exposing its fluffy, soft belly and paws.
The world echo of the magic frequently used after thousands of years seemed terrifying at this moment; on that night, due to the violent fluctuations of the rules of death, the magic inscribed by Tang Zeming Asuka was lost amidst it all. Now, before everyone’s eyes, they all felt the rules being stirred and twisted by the world’s echoes.
“Magic! Sorcery! This is sorcery!”
The half-naked Qilin was so frightened by Fisher’s snap that he squatted on the ground, holding its head, while behind him, its white long tail, like a deer tail, swept anxiously across the ground. He screamed back at the Black Snakes behind him, only to find they too were retreating, not daring to approach.
Neceria, floating in the air, also shot a surprised glance at Fisher, making even him feel a bit unnatural.
Wasn’t this just a low-tier magic?
The corresponding rank wasn’t even up to the extraordinary tier; why were they so scared?
Fisher just didn’t understand that the beings of the Tree Continent, influenced by the World Tree, were generally highly sensitive to fate. Outside of elves, the Phoenix race excelled in this regard.
Thus, they vaguely sensed the terror of the magic’s operation principles, using the power from the Spirit Realm, which was not under the watch of the gods, to pry open the world echoes to change the rules, causing them to feel shocked.
“Stop dawdling; their inaction is best. Let’s descend and talk.”
“…Mm.”
Neceria’s cold face, previously cracked with suspicion, gradually restored as the magical aura subdued, and she quieted down, responding.
Fisher was carried down by the Phoenix, gradually moving away from the scene, and soon appeared at a certain exceptionally deep surface of a water abyss on the continent enveloped in darkness.
By the poolside stood a vague silhouette, watching the scene where Fisher landed projected in the water below. After seeing that only he and a group of beings below mythical rank were present, the silhouette revealed a slight smile.
“Oh, l’ange qui dérangeaitétait enfin absent.”
As the silhouette slowly reached out towards the water surface projecting Fisher’s image, beneath the abyss, something radiating an extremely bright pale golden aura began to thicken, causing the entire earth to tremble slightly. Under the guidance of that fate aura, the unchanging rules of death experienced their first subjective change in millennia, surging forth like a flood towards the unfortunate being being pursued by death.
Fisher!
Soon, with her remote action, the ground of the Tree Continent violently quaked, and amidst this heavenly disaster-like shaking, the death rules shifted once more, yet the silhouette remained unconcerned, fixedly gazing at the image of Fisher in the water.
After a second or two, she imploringly whispered to a certain person on the distant shore, “Et le tuer.”
After a pause, a male voice replied from beyond, “…Mm, Margaret.”
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*(End of chapter)*
