by Zhuang Bifan
Lin Li knew very well that since Kevin said so, something had to have happened…
"Just now… Just now, there was news from the Demon Fall Valley that Shadow's Nest had launched a sneak attack, killing a dozen mages and even injuring Uncle Gerian." Kevin gasped for breath, finally making things clear.
"Shadow's Nest?" Lin Li knitted his brows and asked Kevin in a low voice, "Who else in the guild knows about this?"
"Only you and me."
"Return immediately!" Lin Li pushed his chair aside and said to Old Grimm apologetically, "I'm sorry, Mage Grimm. Something has cropped up in the guild, I have to return immediately. If you're still interested in studying potions together, you can find me at the Guild of Magic. I believe President Gerian will be very happy if he knows you're coming."
"Then I shall not hold you up anymore. In case…" Old Grimm hesitated slightly, then continued, "In case there's anything you need help with, you can send someone to look for me at the Castellan Mansion. I will be here these few days. Although I'm getting on in years and not as useful as compared to a few years ago, I should still be able to help you with trivial matters."
"Then I'll thank you in advance, Mage Grimm."
As this involved the lifeblood of the Guild of Magic, Lin Li dared not tarry further. After informing Isaac, he set off for the Guild of Magic with Kevin.
Looking at Lin Li's receding figure, Rowling bit her lips lightly. Her eyes revealed a complicated emotion.
"Why, little Rowling?" A hint of smile appeared on Old Grimm's face. With his experience, how could he not see what was on Rowling's mind?
Rowling bit her lips, and asked hesitantly after some time, "Grandpa Grimm, are all potion masters unwilling to impart their knowledge to others?"
"How could it be? There are only two things that a true potion master is proud of in his whole life. One is concocting a new potion, and the other is finding a disciple who can inherit his knowledge. Just like Grandpa Grimm. I am over a hundred years old but I'm still busying myself every day with trying to find a good apprentice…"
"Then you've come today…"
"Isn't it all because of Andoine, that old fellow's instigation. I was planning to take that young mage as my disciple. But who knew I'd arrive here to see that he was at the level high enough to be my teacher…" At the mention of this, Old Grimm's beard curled with anger.
"Heh heh…" Though Rowling was upset, she could not help giggling when she heard Old Grimm put it in such an interesting way. But after the giggle, there was a look of bashfulness on her face. "Then, Grandpa Grimm, do you think I have the gift to become the disciple of a potion master?"
"Little Rowling is thinking of taking someone as your teacher?" Old Grimm laughed slyly. "I wonder who's the lucky one, getting to teach little Rowling. Let me guess… Anyway, it sure isn't me. Oh right, is it Mage Felic who has just left?"
"Grandpa Grimm…" Rowling's pretty face was beaming red, but her voice was somewhat bitter. "But he doesn't want to teach me…"
"Why? You have the gift and possess medicinal knowledge. Where can he find such a decent disciple like you? Why is that kid unwilling to teach you? Tell Grandpa Grimm, I'll go look for him at the Guild of Magic tomorrow."
Pressed by Old Grimm, Rowling had no choice but to recount what had happened that day. Old Grimm's brows furrowed as he listened on, and when Rowling finished her story, Old Grimm let out a long sigh. "No wonder I felt you two kids were behaving awkwardly just now, so that's what happened… But little Rowling, it was really you in the wrong. As a doctor, you can't be wilful, especially in a situation concerning the life and death of a patient."
"I know that I was wrong, Grandpa Grimm." Rowling's expression was aggrieved. "But I've apologized after that…"
"Why won't Grandpa Grimm give you an idea?"
"You have an idea?" Rowling beautiful eyes lit up at those words.
Chapter 62 - Mole
Lin Li had totally no idea what Old Grimm had in mind. He was in a hurry now.
After returning to the Emerald Tower, both of them had been trying to contact Gerian. But on the crystal ball, there was not a single tree or stone of the Demon Fall Valley. The crystal ball in the Emerald Tower was placed by Gerian personally; it was connected to the Demon Fall Valley through a hundred Warlock's Eyes spells. Such situation would not be happening as long as there was even one Warlock's Eyes.
Moreover, the Warlock's Eyes was a level-ten magic. With Gerian's level-fifteen strength, he could easily restore one with no effort.
The fact that the crystal ball was completely silent only meant that the battle in the Demon Fall Valley was far more intense than in the news Kevin had received.
"What do we do now?" Kevin's face was already strained after waiting for an hour in the guild's hall.
"We'll wait and see." Lin Li hesitated slightly. "If there is still no news by tomorrow morning, we'll have to make a trip down to Demon Fall Valley."
"Alright!"
The two of them waited by the crystal ball till the wee hours. Just as the two of them were in a state of extreme anxiety, the crystal ball, which had been silent, lit up finally!
"Felic, look, there's news!"
"I see it!"
Both of them rushed forward almost at the same time, only to see Gerian's chubby face.
Gerian looked exceptionally haggard in the image within the crystal ball. His usually rosy face was now frighteningly pale and he looked short of breath. This was the result of an overexertion of the mental strength. The old fellow took some grass off his hair and forced a smile at the two of them. Only then did he say in a weak voice, "Good morning…"
"…"
"What exactly happened?" Lin Li was worried sick; he was not in the mood for any greetings.
"What else can it be…" Gerian rolled his eyes. "It's all because of that rascal from the Shadow's Nest, looking for trouble in the Demon Fall Valley of all places."
"What about now?"
"Now? I just brought a bunch of people with me to fight back. I guess things will quiet down for the next ten or more days. Eiserhol, that jerk, really doesn't know how the word death is spelled. Just watch, I'll flip the Shadow's Nest over sooner or later…"
Seeing how Gerian still had the energy for big talk, the two of them who had been waiting in the hall for half the night were relieved at last.
"All's well as long as nothing happened to you. Other matters can wait till you come back. I'm deadbeat now after waiting for you for so long. You can restore the Warlock's Eyes slowly, I'll go sleep first…"
"Uncle, I'll go to sleep too…"
"Hey! Hey! I've not finished… You two little rascals, this is too much!"
…
Gerian returned to the Emerald Tower at noon the next day.
Gerian walked into the guild's hall with a murderous look on his face, asking people to find out where Kevin was. Unfortunately, Kevin knew he'd return today, so he had hidden away from the Guild of Magic early in the morning. Gerian couldn't find him anywhere in the Emerald Tower, and at last he had no choice but to knock on Lin Li's door.
"So early?" Lin Li had waited almost the whole night for news the day before and didn't wake up until noon today. He opened the door for Gerian with a sleepy face.
"I hurried back after I've restored the Warlock's Eyes. I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open on the road…" Gerian walked into the room and lay down on Lin Li's bed regardless of his protests. "It's so comfortable lying down…"
"Forget it, take a nap first. I'll let you have the bed…"
"No, I can't sleep yet." Gerian lay for a while, then sat up from the bed. "The more I think about what happened in the Demon Fall Valley, the more it feels wrong. I won't sleep today if I don't get to the bottom of it!"
"What's wrong?"
"Warlock's Eyes." Perhaps it was due to him being over-exhausted, but Gerian's voice sounded slightly hoarse. "Damn it, there were so many Warlock's Eyes; even I can't remember clearly
where they were. How did the people from the Shadow's Nest know?
"Anyhow, something must be wrong. 125 Warlock's Eyes were destroyed almost at the same time and the Shadow's Nest arrived soon after, killing a dozen of our mages in the blink of an eye. If it hadn't been for my timely action, who knows how long the situation would have dragged on…"
"Could it be… They, too, have mages helping them?"
"That's possible. The Shadow's Nest has been expanding ferociously these few years, and could have recruited a few sc.u.ms…" Gerian pondered, then shook his head and dismissed the speculation. "But it still isn't right. There were 125 Warlock's Eyes. Even I myself couldn't have possibly destroyed them all at the same time. If the Shadow's Nest really has such a formidable character, why would they still do a sneak attack? They could just kill me directly.
"Other than the Warlock's Eyes, there was something else that's abnormal too… These few years, because of the Shadow's Nest, I've spent a great deal of effort on the Demon Fall Valley. Apart from the 125 Warlock's Eyes, about 20 additional sentry posts were set up as well. But last night, these 20 sentry posts were as if nonexistent. The people of the Shadow's Nest had sneaked in all the way, but I didn't even receive any news…"
At this point, Lin Li sort of understood what Gerian was trying to say. The Warlock's Eyes were destroyed all of a sudden and the people from the Shadow's Nest had gotten ahold of the way to bypass the sentry posts. Almost all the signs were pointing to within the Guild of Magic.
"Mole!" Gerian made his judgment with clenched teeth. "There's definitely a mole!"
"No wonder you rushed back early in the morning…"
"Can't be helped. I'm worried there will be a greater disaster if I don't get rid of these guys."
"You have a clue?"
"Not currently. But it's not hard to look into. Apart from me, you, and Kevin, anyone that has access to the secret of the Warlock's Eyes has to be at least a Magic Shooter. And then, think again, among the Magic Shooters, who is the most likely to betray the guild?"
"Or, who are the people unhappy with you?" Lin Li had understood at this point.
"That's right!"
In that instant, both of them were invigorated. Gerian did not sleep; the old and the young conspired in the room to catch the mole. The discussion between the two men lasted until the evening. When Gerian was unable to hold out, Lin Li helped him pull up the blanket and quietly walked out of the bedroom.
Chapter 63 - Extortion of Confession
Gerian was truly furious this time. At dawn the next day, he went out with all the Magic Shooters from the guild.
Such a terrifying force emerging from the Emerald Tower had shaken up Jarrosus City in an instant. The leaders of the various forces were trying desperately to get information about the situation, afraid that they would draw Gerian's fury to themselves. The Castellan Mansion was in a state of panic, thinking that Gerian had come because of what had happened at the banquet and was leading a troop of men looking for revenge. Isaac asked for protection from Old Grimm while loading Bathrilor onto the carriage, sending him back to Alanna on the same day.
… Until, around noon, all the forces suddenly realized that it was a false alarm.
It was as if Gerian was out for a stroll. After turning a round in Jarrosus City, he quietly brought the men back again. He was simply toying with them. The leaders of the dozens of forces broke out in curses: that old bastard Gerian had nothing to do, bringing so many people with him out for a stroll… could he be any more ostentatious?
Of course, no one dared to say it in front of Gerian. Every one of them was scrambling to hide from the fat pestilence when they saw him come out; who still had the guts to provoke him in his face?
Hence, no one had noticed that there was an unfamiliar face among the group of Magic Shooters he led…
"Now you can speak, who made you do it?" In the bas.e.m.e.nt of the Guild of Magic, Gerian's chubby face was livid.
He was interrogating a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his forties. His eyes were swollen, but the mages present who had good memory mostly recognized this middle-aged man.
When Lin Li had first arrived at the Guild of Magic, Gerian had caused a lot of dissatisfaction within the guild in order to open up the highest privileges for him. Among them, the most vehement opposition came from several Magic Shooters, who even threatened to withdraw from the guild in order to pressure Gerian.
Who knew they would go for wool and come back shorn. Gerian's obstinacy acted up and he drove them out of the guild instead.
And the middle-aged man turned out to be one of the few Magic Shooters who were driven out by him. His name was something like Luke.
"I don't know what you are talking about…"
"You don't know?" Gerian's face was gloomy and his eyes looked as if they were about to be ablaze. "Then I guess you'd surely not know of the Shadow's Nest, or even the positions of those 125 Warlock's Eyes? As for the route that bypasses the sentry posts, it was surely not you who'd sold it to the Shadow's Nest?"
"Gerian, I don't belong to the Guild of Magic anymore. What right do you have to keep me in captivity?"
"Who the f*ck cares whether you belong to the Guild of Magic?" Gerian's expression was ferocious, and his angry roar echoed in the bas.e.m.e.nt for a long while. "I am seeking revenge now. Seeking revenge, you understand? Go out and scream that the Guild of Magic has kept you captive, see whether anyone dares to speak up for you. Still talking about what damn right… do I need them?
"Let me tell you, don't think that you can muddle through this by playing dead. You're still waiting for the people of the Shadow's Nest to save you, right? Dream the hell on. You're merely a tool, a tool that can only be used once! After they've used it once, they'll never be able to use it again. Do you think they will come and save something that is worthless?"
"You can't malign me… Gerian… You have no proof…"
"You want proof?" Gerian pondered for a while, and admitted, "Alright. I really don't have any proof. But it's okay. I am seeking revenge, and seeking revenge does not need any proof…"
"…" Lin Li was sweating cold sweat while listening at a side. "Is an extortion of confession like how you do it…?"
"I can't help it. He won't talk," Gerian answered boldly. "It's alright if he won't talk. Anyway, this could only be done by the few of them. Other than them, who else in the guild would do that?"
Gerian's words might sound crude, but his reasoning was sound.
Right now, the Guild of Magic dominated Jarrosus City, and even the Castellan had to offer his friendship. Wherever the guild's mages went, they'd receive the most generous treatment; even in the Gilded Rose, the equipment they bought would be given at least a 30 percent discount.
Since the auction, the benefits had never ceased.
First, there were the 100 sets of magical equipment gifted by the Mannes Family. They were excellent equipment worth 20,000 to 30,000 gold coins each. With a wave of his hands, Gerian sent it all to the mages in the guild. As long as they'd reached the level of a Magic Shooter, they'd be qualified to apply for a set.
And not long after, it was another 100 bottles of Sobriety Potion.
On the day the news was announced, a group of elderly mages was thrilled to tears on the spot. They could not remember how many years it had been since they had had a whiff of the Sobriety Potion. When they returned with a bottle of Sobriety Potion in their hands, they felt as if they were living in heaven.
It was no exaggeration to say that as long as Lin Li was in the Guild of Magic, no mage would be willing to leave.
What could the Shadow's Nest give them? It was nothing but money and equipment. The Guild of Magic had no lack of these. Every year, millions of gold coins were collected from the Demon Fall Valley; and now, 100 sets of equipment were provided at once, and various kinds of potions were distributed continuously. Bathed in such great happiness, who'd be willing to leave?
Perhaps only the f
ew Magic Shooters kicked out of the guild would be that down-and-out to the point of betraying the secrets of the Guild of Magic.
Granted, strictly speaking, this would indeed not be considered a betrayal. After being kicked out by Gerian, they had no more connections with the Guild of Magic. Selling the secrets to the Shadow's Nest would only count as revenge on the Guild of Magic at most.
However, Gerian would not care about these. Whether it was betrayal or revenge, it had dealt damage to the interests of the Guild of Magic. Damaging the interests of the Guild of Magic would be equivalent to damaging his own interests, and the one who damaged his interests had to be destroyed—such was Gerian's logic…
"Forget it, let me handle this matter." Lin Li knew Gerian's character too well. He was afraid this unlucky Magic Shooter wouldn't say things right, getting Gerian all riled up to the point of blasting a fireball at him, and then they'd have nothing left at all.
Gerian was surprised. "You know how to extort a confession?"
"I don't know." Lin Li shook his head. He fumbled about in his pockets and pulled out a glass bottle. "But it knows."
"…"
"I'll make a trip to the potion lab for a while, don't touch him for now," Lin Li reminded Gerian before he left the bas.e.m.e.nt.
"Mm, I'll listen to you this time." Gerian watched Lin Li leave, and threatened the unlucky Magic Shooter in a gloating manner, "Retard, you were given a chance just now but didn't know how to grasp it. Now, you've roused that kid. He may look gentle, but his strikes are more savage than mine. You've forced him to take action in person; who knows what kind of sick potion he'll concoct this time. Maybe it's the kind that itches and festers all over and takes a year of pain before dying…"
"…" The middle-aged man felt chill in his body as he listened to Gerian's horrifying description. But he was still holding out.
Because there was one thing that even Gerian would not have guessed. He did not sell the defense arrangement of the Demon Fall Valley to Shadow's Nest; instead, he sold it to someone else, and that someone else had promised he could worry not about the guild's revenge, because the Guild of Magic would be uprooted by him soon.
