Saleen nodded. He was very solemn, because the viscountess looked more pious than when she had gone to see her own teacher. Viscountess Lex was going to be promoted to Grade 6 very soon and yet she was in awe of the person they were going to meet, so Saleen needed to be respectful.
Passing the shaded area, they came before a small door. There was a simple magic array painted onto the door. Lex rubbed her hand against the door, and signaled for Saleen to wait patiently.
Not long after, footsteps could be heard and the door opened. A seven or eight year old child stood at the door, wearing a ridiculous robe. The robe was so long that it touched the ground. The child had an intelligent appearance to him and said cautiously, "Can I help you?"
Saleen was very embarrassed when he found out that the child was a high-level mage disciple.
"We are requesting an audience with Master Joey," Viscountess Lex said without beating around the bush, handing over a letter at the same time.
The child did not put away the letter and answered immediately, "Follow me."
Saleen doubtfully followed the child through the courtyard and around a small building. Even though the backyard was not very big, there were two trees in the backyard. These two tree were flourishing with leaves, their roots intertwined with one another, and their bark dark green in color. Saleen swallowed his saliva, having recognized them as the god’s mulberry tree and the ghost oak tree.
The best possible magic staff could be created by using alchemy to fuse these two types of rare wood together.
These trees must have been at least a thousand years old. Their values must have been astronomical. How could they be trees? They were more like two giant gold bars growing in the ground. Saleen had seen countless rare items in the palace, but they had all been dead. The two trees he had just seen were actual live magic materials.
A magic staff that was made from materials like these could store at least two spells. If three hundred to five hundred staffs were made, then any mage could use them to wipe out an entire army.
Saleen restrained himself from climbing up the tree and plucking two branches. No one in the entire capital would dare to create trouble in a backyard like this with these two extremely rare trees.
"Go in by yourself. I am busy with other matters." The child pointed to the two story building in front of them and ran off in the other direction, dragging the long robe along with him.
"Isn’t he afraid that we’re imposters?" Saleen was bewildered.
"If we came here and caused trouble, we would never be able to walk out from this place again." Viscountess Lex gave Saleen a warning stare. Saleen quickly nodded, signaling that he understood the viscountess’ words. It seemed like the person in this building was vicious. Be it getting lost or creating trouble, the outcome for anyone would the same.
The interior of the building was clean and simple. Before they could even go up the stairs, a young voice came from inside the building, "Is that Lex? I am downstairs. You don’t have to go up."
A door opened automatically. There was pure darkness inside, and Saleen could not feel the fluctuation of elements inside. The light stopped at the entrance and could not shine in anymore. Lex pulled on Saleen’s sleeve and led the way into the darkness.
Saleen was in awe when he saw that Dark Magic was being used to such an extent.
After crossing the barrier of darkness, Saleen had entered a magic laboratory. There were no metals in this laboratory, and only a stone table that was entirely carved out from a piece of nephrite was there. The table was very clean and tidy, and it resembled a restaurant table before any dishes were served. Aside from six pieces of carved magic arrays, there was nothing else on the table.
A young man appeared in front of Lex and Saleen looking like a ghost. He had a slender build, long green hair, green eyes, and very fair skin. The hairs on his skin were also white, like a layer of snow.
"Lex, you’re back. You sure are famous. Why did you only come to see me after three days?" In that moment, Saleen realized that even though this man appeared young, his real age must have already been immeasurable. When Saleen had taken a look at that pair of green eyes, it was as though he had fallen into an illusionary space. Inside this space, time passed at lighting speed, and Saleen felt that his body was gradually losing its strength as though he had become old in that instant.
"Master!" Lex was in shock.
"I remember that you used to call me Joey when you were a child."
"I was immature in the past," Lex said in embarassment. When she saw that Saleen had snapped out of that illusion, she heaved a sigh of relief.
"So now you are mature? Why did you bring a dying person to me?" the mysterious Joey asked Lex, as he pointed at Saleen.
"What?!" Lex and Saleen exclaimed at the same time.
"If he stops practicing magic now and finds a place to wait for death, he will be able to live another three to five years. But if he continues practicing, you might only be able to bring his corpse along with you when you return. Lex, are you going to ask me to make a puppet out of him? I am not very skilled in death magic."
Saleen’s body stiffened. He would not have believed those words if they had come out of the mouths of other people. However, these words had come from Joey. Joey had nearly killed Saleen just by meeting his eyes, without even casting any magic.
Saleen would always remember the line on the back of the bottle of the magic chord medicine – the magic chord medicine can change the body of a mage disciple and produce special magic chords, but this nature defying method will cause the mage disciple to pay an unknown price. I hereby remind whoever takes this medicine that the price you pay will exceed whatever gains you get.
The price you pay will exceed whatever gains you get! Could it be that death would be the price for obtaining his magic chords?
"Master, my teacher has also realized this problem in him. Please save him." Lex quickly regained her composure. Before she had come here, she had already knwon about the problem with Saleen, but she did not think that the disease was already killing him. If Joey was willing to help, then Saleen could be saved, even if his soul had gone to another dimension.
"Your teacher is too kind. Why should I save him?"
When Joey saw that Lex was speechless, he continued, "This man is neither your friend nor your subordinate. If I exhaust my powers to save him, he will not even thank me. How about I just leave him to die?"
Saleen calmed down. While thinking, he said, "Master Joey, what price must I pay for you to help me?"
"Price?"
Joey looked at Saleen curiously and said, "When you chose to consume the magic chord medicine, did you think of the price you would pay?"
Saleen grew dizzy, as though his heart had just been struck by a war hammer. Magic chord medicine! Joey knew about the secret of the magic chord medicine! The last bit of the illusion had also disappeared. Joey was not bluffing.
"Master, I am from Sikeqinya. People from Sikeqinya believe that there is a price to pay for everything." Saleen ignored the look Lex was giving him. Saleen had many things with him that would be extremely tempting to a mage. He did not believe that Master Joey would not be tempted.
"I don’t care for that. Lex, chase him away. If he still doesn’t go, I will do so myself," Joey said coldly.
Saleen ignored Joey’s words. He simply took a magic pen from the rack beside the table and started drawing a magic array on the table. The magic array was drawn messily because Saleen had never systematically learned how to draw magic arrays before. Saleen had learned this magic array when he had been in the temple of the goddess. There were twenty-five magic arrays in total. Based on his memory, he could only draw it to this extent.
Joey did not stop Saleen. Joey only stood there and watched as Saleen finished drawing the magic array. Then, he said, "You may leave."
"You must be thinking that once I am dead, you will be able to take everything, right? There are twenty-five magic arrays altogether. If you save me, then I will give you the original picture. But if you leave me to die, I will burn all twenty-five magic arrays. Of course, you can snatch them from me. I have them with me right now."
"Snatch them from you?" Joey laughed, and continued, "This is the most precious magic array I have ever seen in my life, but I will not save you. I am not saving you because it is unfair to your teacher. You must have consumed the magic chord medicine behind his back. It is a pity for your teacher to have a student like yourself."
Saleen frowned all the way to his eyebrows, and his expression became very bad. Jason was like a parent in Saleen’s heart. Saleen had never revealed how he had felt out of fear that he would lose it. Joey’s words had hurt his innermost hidden feelings. Saleen’s face turned glum, and he said, "I know you won’t even bother to kill me, but please take your words back. You are insulting a great mage master."
"In front of me, no one can be considered great and noble," Joey disagreed. His youthful face looked so despicable. Saleen badly wanted to punch him and break his nose.
"I will remember your words until the day I die." Saleen bowed respectfully, turned around, and left. There was despair in his heart. The sorcerer had discovered the hidden disease in him and had been unable to help, so he had Lex bring him to Joey. But it turned out that Joey could see through everything and was able to resist all sorts of temptations.
In this world, there really were some things that could not be bought.
From the beginning, Saleen had made mistakes. Producing the magic chord medicine behind his teacher’s back, dealing with bandits, accepting the bribe from the viscountess, and killing Earl Sufonso’s son. His teacher had kept forgiving him, but he had chosen to escape.
The price you will pay will exceed whatever gains you get. Saleen finally understood the meaning of this sentence. Many things could not be reversed. He had always been so selfish and had never spared a thought for others before. Had Sika’s hometown managed to survive the last winter? Saleen had thought about this question many times, but he had never offered to help even once.
Then it would be good for him to die, so that Sika would not have to follow him around and live a life on tenterhooks. However, he had still done his teacher wrong.
Saleen was in tears as he walked towards the door. It was not because he was afraid of dying, but because he realized that he was so weak and cowardly.
In front of the door was the barrier of darkness. Saleen took a step in to cross it, but he entered a room with no directions instead. This room had no light, and the intensity of the darkness was at its maximum.
"Master!" Lex saw Saleen suddenly freeze, and knew that Joey had cast a spell on him.
"I don’t like him," Joey said as he smiled. His green eyes no longer looked unfeeling.
"Everyone makes mistakes. I have investigated his past…"
"Is he very important?" Joey asked Lex as he waited for Lex’s answer with the curiosity of a mage.
Lex glanced at the magic array drawn on the table and said, "I am afraid so."