Black Hearted Mage

Chapter 294 The Old Cripple 2

The old cripple stumbled toward the edge of the square, scurrying like a frightened hare. He dove into the carriage he'd stopped and vanished around the corner in a flash. His frantic flight knocked over several stalls, sending the market into a state of chaos. Caesars narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the receding dust, a sneer of confidence playing on his lips.

"He ran pretty fast!"

Kaisus stroked the small leather pouch at his waist. Inside was a soul gem, glowing white. A faint stream of soul energy swirled within the gem. Soul gems remove impurities from the soul. Although the Black Crow's soul was incomplete, tracking the Night Crow's lair shouldn't be too difficult.

"That damn old cripple! He's clearly a Paladin-level warrior, yet he was frightened out of his wits and fled like a coward!"

Caesars suddenly punched the recliner, causing the teacups beside it to clink.

The fat puppy lying beside raised its head when it heard the words, opened its mouth wide to reveal its sharp canine teeth, and made a wheezing sound, as if mocking the old man who was fleeing in panic.

"Brother, is that old man who ran away really that powerful?"

Emily tilted her head and asked, her slender fingers twirling through her hair. She couldn't believe that someone with the strength of a paladin would run away so recklessly.

"Absolutely true!"

Caesar sighed, a cluster of black magical energy pulsing from his fingertips. "But it only takes one or two small spells to take him down!"

Just then, two ornately decorated carriages slowly pulled into Redstone Square. The striking emblems of the Northland Tower glittered in the sunlight, drawing the attention of passersby. The doors opened, and two familiar figures slowly descended.

"Kaisas, I guessed you were setting up a stall here!"

Grand Alchemist Kandel's voice boomed like a bell. He looked particularly energetic today, his snow-white hair meticulously combed, his fiery red robes rustling in the wind. Joanna, clad in an elegant purple robe, followed him. In her hand, she toyed with the dragon-bloodwood staff gifted by Caesars. The gemstone inlaid on the staff's head shimmered mysteriously with her movements.

"Master Kandel, Ms. Joanna, are you also coming to participate in the Magician Challenge?"

Caesars raised his eyebrows. Considering the status of these two in the magic world, a mere top-grade magic crystal stone should not be enough for them to take action personally.

"We were invited to be referees."

Kandel stroked his beard, his eyes constantly glancing at the stalls. "Kaisas, if you're going to participate, shouldn't you bribe us first? If there's any controversy during the competition, Joanna and I can handle it appropriately."

Joanna chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her hands. "This old guy heard you had salamander leather, so he insisted on coming along. It just so happens I need a piece for a protective suit. There's a flaming cave west of the tower, and I need one for a protective suit, too!"

"Ma'am, even the Great Fire Mage is afraid of flames?"

"There are highly corrosive gases in the flames!"

Caesar understood immediately. Salamander leather was corrosion-resistant, but alchemical experiments often involved dangers, and even high-end magic robes were inevitably burned by corrosive solvents. He generously spread his hands, "In that case, please take your pick. However..." He winked meaningfully, "We might discuss that cave with the smoke and fire in it in more detail."

"Kaissa, I knew you would be interested. There is no rush about the cave. It is not close to the tower, and there is not even a decent road now!" Kandel explained.

"Master Kandel, mark the location on the map for me!"

Kaisas' voice was slightly low as he pulled a yellowed animal hide map from his interspatial ring and slowly unfolded it on the nearby oak coffee table. The edges of this map of the northern region were frayed and fuzzy, covered in ink and scorch marks from generations of users. Master Kandel adjusted his glasses and, taking the map, twirled the alchemy pen in a nimble circle before striking a blood-red cross across the western region.

"The cliffs of the Precipice Mountains?" Caesars frowned as he took the map, his fingertips tracing the glaring mark. That was the westernmost border of the Frost Territory. The words "Frost Ruins" on the map had been crossed out, replaced by "Broken Lands" written in the Common Language. He recalled the faded handwriting in his ancestor's notes: "In the autumn of the 437th year of the Roland calendar, we fought against the Lord of the Abyss here for three days, and the mountains collapsed..."

This Abyssal Lord was not humanoid, possessing the body of a beast. It was called the Abyssal Clefthoof. Caesars had seen it mentioned in the "Illustrated Guide to Abyssal Creatures." These monsters couldn't communicate with elemental energy, but they could devour various elements. The Clefthoof was enormous, its hoof prints the size of washbasins. The Abyssal Clefthoof was immune to elemental spells and shared a faint connection with the Lava Hound.

"Master Kandel, the place you marked is the Broken Land, where the poisonous insects are extremely powerful. We can only go there during the winter. High-level antidotes are basically useless. We can only use the poison sacs of poisonous insects as the main ingredient to refine the antidote again!"

Caesars took back the animal skin map and then said a few words.

"Poisonous insects? Didn't the northern hunter say he encountered any poisonous insects?" The old alchemist took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead, saying with some confusion.

"Because they arrived at the Broken Lands during the Frost Moon and left before the snow fell, they didn't encounter the dangerous Shadow Blade Bugs. These bugs would burrow into the cracks in the ground before the frost appeared and wrap themselves in cocoons to hibernate!"

Kandel suddenly grabbed Kaisas' wrist: "Wait! If they are afraid of the cold, why don't they migrate to the Endless Forest?" The old man's voice stopped abruptly because he saw a dark golden light flash in Kaisas' eyes.

"The Zerg always follows their queen!" Caesars gently withdrew his arm. As the map automatically rolled up in his palm, the phantom of a giant creature bound by chains flashed through his mind.

The two great magicians left the square, taking away a piece of salamander leather, the red scales on the leather shimmering in the sun. They had just arrived in Red Stone City and still had a lot to do.

While Caesars was talking to the two great magicians, the puppy had already devoured a pot of barbecue like a whirlwind. At this moment, it was lying on the animal skin with its belly turned over comfortably, its legs spread out, and it looked very satisfied.

Seeing this, Kaisas frowned slightly and scolded the puppy, "You damn dog, you can eat the Shadow Blade Bugs, but you must not kill the Insect King! Your eldest brother's body is still buried underground, and only the Insect King's poison can cause its flesh to rot!"

Hearing this, the puppy with a chubby belly suddenly raised its head, its round little eyes full of confusion, as if it was a little puzzled by what Caesars said.

Seeing this, Kaisas continued to explain: "Dead dog, the Abyssal Clefthoof Ox is a semi-elemental demon creature. It seems that it has some blood relationship with you!"

Upon hearing this, the puppy's already small eyes widened in shock. It began desperately searching its inherited memories for information about the Abyssal Clefthoof. When it finally caught sight of the massive bull, emitting green flames, its saliva flowed uncontrollably from its mouth like a flood.

The puppy howled excitedly twice, revealing its sharp fangs and claws, showing Caesars its strength and its love for the cleft-hoofed beef. The puppy's love was simple and direct; delicious cleft-hoofed beef was its favorite food.

"You stupid dog! That split-hoofed bull has been dead for over 10,000 years. Do you still want to eat it?" Caesars asked tentatively.

The puppy whined and bared its snow-white fangs to show that it could eat anything. Caesars did not believe that the puppy could defeat the clefthoof bull, at least not at the moment.

Just as Caesars swallowed the last bite of his lunch, the sky suddenly darkened. Thick, dark clouds spread like spilled ink, swallowing up the blazing sunlight in an instant. A dull rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, and the scent of rain could already be smelled in the damp air.

He grabbed the dozing puppy at his feet—the chubby creature, its belly exposed, stretched out on its back. The puppy whimpered in discontent at being suddenly lifted up, its short legs futilely kicking in midair. Caesars tossed it aside and deftly rolled up the animal hides covering the stall. Bottles, jars, and other miscellaneous goods moved in smooth arcs in his hands, and in a flash, they were all stuffed into the shimmering spatial ring.

"Emily, let's go back, it's going to rain soon!" His voice was particularly clear in the rising wind.

Emily slowly stood up, her long, light-blonde hair fluttering slightly in the wind. Her gaze fell on the puppy, and she wrinkled her delicate nose unconsciously. The creature was sticking out its tongue, sticky saliva dripping from the corners of its mouth, and its bulging belly trembled with every breath.

"Emily, this dead dog may be a little disgusting, but it's still very useful." Caesars said without turning his head, his hands still cleaning up. "It ate up a lot of the poisonous fog in the yard that day!"

He knew his sister too well. Just by listening to the slight changes in her breathing, he knew that she was disgusted by the puppy's messy appearance again.

"The dead dog bit three assassins to death!" he added, with a hint of appreciation in his tone.

Emily's pupils shrank slightly. She recalled the ferocious appearance of this seemingly clumsy puppy when it suddenly leaped into action on that dark, windy night. Its chubby body shot out like a cannonball, its sharp canines gleaming coldly in the moonlight as it precisely bit through the throats of the three assassins. Blood splattered on its snow-white fur, and it simply licked the corner of its mouth with unsatisfied satisfaction.

At that moment, the plump puppy suddenly turned. Its stubby tail stood erect, like a flagpole. With a slightly grin on its face, it slowly strolled past the siblings with exaggerated strides. Its round eyes gleamed with pride, and its flesh jiggled rhythmically with its steps.

"This damn dog is so shameless!" Emily stamped her feet in anger, her slender fingers trembling as she pointed at the puppy. "He just bit three assassins to death, and he dared to show off in front of us!"

The puppy turned around and winked at her, even winking in a very human way, then continued to walk forward with its head held high, its short tail wagging like a little windmill.

"Emily, don't underestimate this dead dog. Even the great magician can't do anything to it. A small portion of the salamander leather we sell was killed by it!"

Thunder rumbled in the sky, dark clouds rolled, and lightning flashed through the clouds like silver snakes. Caesars and Emily exchanged a glance and, in tacit agreement, quickened their pace, hurrying down the narrow, dark alley behind the Executive Hall. Emily's skirt rustled in the strong wind, and Caesars clutched his sister's wrist tightly, fearing she would stumble on the slippery cobblestones.

Less than five minutes later, the two finally reached the secluded courtyard. As Caesars bolted the mottled wooden door, bean-sized raindrops clattered against the tiles, and in an instant, it became a torrential downpour. The fire maple tree in the courtyard swayed violently in the wind and rain, its branches slapping against the window frames, making an unsettling sound.

Meanwhile, in a deep valley dozens of miles from the Redstone Kingdom, a figure shrouded in black robes galloped at full speed. The torrential rain soaked his cloak, clinging to his emaciated frame. Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating his pale face and tightly pursed lips. Just as his mount was about to collide with the abrupt black rock ahead, he suddenly pulled on the reins. The horse neighed and reared, its hooves sparking on the slippery rock.

As the horse's hooves pounded back to the ground, an incredible scene unfolded—the black rock on the once seamless mountain wall suddenly split, transforming into a slowly opening stone gate. Without hesitation, the black-robed man urged his horse forward into the darkness. Behind him, the stone gate quietly closed, like a living thing, shutting out the torrential rain and thunder.

The cave echoed with the sound of hurried horse hooves. The black-robed figure crouched low, letting his mount gallop through the winding passage. When a faint light finally appeared in the distance, the black-clad figure suddenly dismounted. He stumbled a few steps due to his limp before steadying himself by grasping the rock face. The exhausted horse, however, did not stop, continuing its gallop toward the light, quickly disappearing at the end of the cave.

The lame man in black, panting, turned toward the cave wall, his bony fingers tapping precisely on a protruding rock. With the muffled thud of a mechanism, another secret door slowly swung open, revealing a narrow passage barely wide enough for one person. In the darkness, only the sound of his heavy breathing and the reverberation of his cane on the stone slabs echoed. This deep, secret passage seemed endless.

Ten minutes later, the man in black finally stopped in front of a rusty bronze bell. The surface of the bell was engraved with strange magic patterns, and it glowed dully in the light of the torch.

The lame old man raised his cane and struck the bronze bell vigorously, the clear and melodious sound echoing in the cave. From some hidden caves, men in black gradually emerged. They did not stop and walked quickly towards the meeting room.