Chapter 1172
Honest Afshien
Eiv reached out to touch the petrified Lord of Good Tendencies, his fingertips emitting a purifying aura against curses.
His face was filled with pity, but this emotion did not stem from the petrified Lord of Good Tendencies.
As Eiv touched the stone statue, scaly fragments fell away, revealing patches of flesh and blood.
The originally grayish-white stone statue gradually regained its color.
—But at this very moment, Eiv suddenly stopped healing. It was as if the surgery was halted halfway through.
Just then, the Lord of Good Tendencies of Rock Cell City had partially recovered his senses.
His face contorted with a horrifying expression, like a person moving at a speed slowed down many times, desperately trying to dodge a venomous snake approaching him. The result was not only that he failed to dodge, but the snake also crawled onto his limbs. When he gazed at the snake coiled around his limbs and gradually approaching his heart, his expression was roughly the same.
He struggled to move his limbs, trying to break free from the petrification’s binding. But he could not do so at all.
Some of the Lord of Good Tendencies’ joints were unable to bend due to petrification. Subconsciously, the straining limbs made creaking noises, and the joints emitted bone-chilling cracking sounds. His still partially petrified larynx involuntarily let out a non-human roar: “Save… me…”
Unlike the solidification brought by Eagle Cape Village.
The petrification curse brought by the Lord of Good Tendencies of Heaven City did not signify the freezing of time. The petrified person could still clearly perceive that they were petrified, but they could not move. They could only maintain this posture and fall into a hazy slumber… until the end of time.
—Rather than “suspended,” it was more like “slumber.”
And a slumber in a nightmare from which one could not wake…
For some reason, Eiv suddenly thought of Amber at that moment.
Due to the excruciating pain of bones bending and muscles tearing, the obese Lord of Good Tendencies quickly woke up.
Although the Lords of Good Tendencies were cruel and bloodthirsty, they were by no means foolish. In fact, they could be considered intelligent—they might be tyrants, but they could not be incompetent rulers.
After all, the power of these Lords of Good Tendencies was inherited from Forbidden Mages, which was also a branch from the Sky-Piercing Tower. Forbidden spells were once a type of spell. Being able to master these forbidden arts was enough to prove that their brains were very capable.
Furthermore, many Lords of Good Tendencies also worked as Ritual Mages. Ritual magic also required long-term study, wisdom to adapt to changing circumstances, and rich associations and imagination—this naturally included Afshien, the Lord of Good Tendencies of Rock Cell City.
The ritual painting in the palace was made by his own hands.
That was why he placed it in a place where everyone could see it… on one hand, to flaunt his authority to kill at will; on the other hand, to display his wisdom and artistic cultivation.
At this moment, as soon as he recovered his senses, he instantly understood everything—why he was in this state, where this curse came from, what kind of power the person who appeared before him possessed… and why he stopped healing him halfway.
—This was blackmail. It could also be called kidnapping.
“Save me… Your Excellency, noble and great priest! Please save me! I will pay any price!”
The Lord of Good Tendencies immediately begged for mercy with a humble and respectful attitude: “Whether it’s gold or jewelry, spices or fish sauce… or slaves, power, or lost knowledge, I will give you whatever you want! I will give you any wealth! Even this palace, you can take it all away if you want!
“I am Afshien, ‘Honest Afshien’! Everyone knows that I am an honest person… If you don’t believe me, you can arbitrarily remove the seal of one person outside and ask him if I keep my promises! I beg you, please be magnanimous and save me!”
The words of the Lord of Good Tendencies, Afshien, were quite well-organized.
First, he displayed a submissive attitude. Then, he pointed out that the price he could afford was everything. After that, he highlighted his good reputation for “keeping his word”… To be able to react and perform at this level in just two or three seconds was enough to prove that he was indeed a talented person.
Eiv merely gazed at him, revealing a gentle smile: “Okay.”
The Lord of Good Tendencies Afshien showed a joyful expression on his face.
However, Eiv then added, “In that case, I will ask for a piece of knowledge.”
“Please speak, benefactor!”
The Lord of Good Tendencies Afshien showed a naive and honest expression on his face, his jet-black bright eyes shining like stars, but his voice was rough and hoarse: “Whatever knowledge it is, as long as I have it, as long as I can get it, I am willing to give it to you!”
“You definitely have it, Mr. Afshien.”
Eiv smiled, “I want the knowledge of becoming a Lord of Good Tendencies.”
Hearing this, the smile on Afshien’s face instantly froze.
But it was only for an instant—after a forced laugh, he immediately showed a more enthusiastic smile, his hoarse voice cracking as he spoke flatteringly, “Of course—no problem! I will not only personally teach you all the knowledge about becoming a Lord of Good Tendencies, but I will also do my best to help you establish or occupy a city-state! You just need to save me…”
“That’s not urgent, sir. Please tell me the related knowledge first.”
The friendly smile on Eiv’s face did not change at all, “And please believe me—I am Eiv, Eivass Moriarty. If you don’t know this name… then if I mention ‘the only person in humanity who has ever become an Eternal Pope,’ would that be more familiar to you?
“I think the credibility of my name is high enough. Even if some time is delayed… I can heal all the physical problems and hidden ailments you may have.
“—Just as I can disperse the curse cast by Adler of the Sixth Tier.”
Eiv’s words were almost the same as what the Lord of Good Tendencies Afshien had said before.
However, upon hearing this, Afshien’s face showed a fearful and complex expression.
He let out a monstrous wail with his partially petrified throat, pleading incessantly, “Only this, only this… Please, change your request! I will do anything!”
“Why not?”
Eiv merely asked calmly, “Is it because you have made an oath not to teach it to others? Or do you not know how to teach it to others? Or is it for other reasons?”
“It’s not an oath, it’s not an oath, my lord—”
Afshien wailed, “It’s really not that I… it’s really not that I’m unwilling to teach you, you will never be able to learn it! If this technique were that simple, wouldn’t the desert be full of oases by now!”
“Although it sounds reasonable, your fear cannot be contained.”
Eiv gazed into Afshien’s eyes and continued to ask gently, “Why is that? Are you afraid that I won’t be able to learn it and will get angry and cause trouble for you? Or are you worried that my learning this skill will shake your authority? Or are you worried that other Lords of Good Tendencies will settle accounts with you if you leak the knowledge? Or, is it disadvantageous to you if I learn this skill myself?”
When he asked this question, Eiv clearly noticed Afshien’s pupils widen for a moment.
Fear flowed out of them—
“Oh, it seems so.”
Without needing the other party to respond, Eiv smiled and continued to ask, “Then why would it be disadvantageous to you if I learned this skill? The contracts of the Abyss Heavenly Envoys are limited, and each contract can only inherit one at a time? Or, does someone have to die for the knowledge to be passed on to the next person?
“…It seems so. Then how is this done? Is your knowledge engraved in your soul? In your flesh and blood? What on your body is needed as an introduction to learn this knowledge or sign a contract? It’s really… then what specifically is needed? The heart? The head?”
Afshien’s pupils contracted to the size of needlepoints in the dim light, trembling incessantly. Sweat beaded on his skin that was not yet petrified, giving it an oily sheen.
Eiv could sense the other party’s thoughts just from Afshien’s instinctive responses.
He could obtain the answers he wanted by asking a series of “yes or no” questions.
—There was no need to distinguish lies, nor to pry open his mouth to get his reply.
As he could not escape, Eiv took away his thoughts.
