Chapter 32.2 Luo Ruo Begs
Luo Rou’s facial expression changed slightly. With a soft sigh, she said, “I heard that you will soon be leaving to travel the continent. I need you to help me send a letter to the Profound Orchid Empire. However, this letter must not be intercepted by anyone from the Ice Moon Empire. If you help me, I might not have to marry the fifth prince.”
Nian Bing asked, “Who in the Profound Orchid Empire should I send it to?”
Luo Rou answered, “Send it to the youngest daughter of Marquis Lan Yu in the Profound Orchid Empire. Correction, Marquis Lan Yu became a duke last year. His daughter is called Lan Chen. Duke Lan Yu is very famous in the Profound Orchid Empire. You will definitely hear of him there. Anyway, since the Ice Moon Empire and the Profound Orchid Empire border each other, you can help me, right?”
Delivering a letter was not such a hard thing to do. After all, this related to Luo Rou’s lifelong happiness. Nian Bing nodded his head and said, “I hope that there won’t be any trouble.”
Luo Rou said happily, “If you say that, then you’ve promised.” While saying this, she pulled out a letter from her chest, along with a bead that gave off a soft, white light. She gave the items to Nian Bing and said, “This bead is a token. With the letter, Lan Chen will definitely believe you.”
Nian Bing took them and was surprised to discover that the glossy bead gave off a familiar feel. It was actually made of mutton fat jade. He didn’t examine the items very closely, putting the bead and the letter into his space ring with a wave of his hand..
The carriage stopped in front of the entrance to the Mage Association. Nian Bing said to Luo Rou, “I will do my best to deliver your letter. I must go now, goodbye.”
“Wait a moment.” Luo Rou suddenly came close to Nian Bing and kissed his cheek softly. The faint fragrance suddenly stunned Nian Bing for a moment. Luo Rou’s eyes showed that she was touched. “Nian Bing, thank you. If I gave you trouble before, please forgive me. You are actually a good person.”
Touching his face, Nian Bing’s heart swelled with a strange emotion. A good person? He was really a good person? It was not long ago when Xue Jing called him a heartless person.
Half a month had passed. On the fourth floor of the Ice and Moon Empire Mage Association library, Nian Bing was focused on learning a magic chant by heart. Long Zhi’s hopes for Nian Bing were really high. Twenty days before, after learning the information on the third floor, Long Zhi permitted him to enter the fourth floor to continue his studies. Compared to the third floor, the fourth floor had fewer books. There was barely a shelf full of books. However, the magic knowledge on this floor was extremely profound. Even though Nian Bing was considered smart, he could only memorize the information and then slowly understand it.
On the fourth floor, there was every kind of rank 11 forbidden spells. Although there were extremely few of them, these spells were the Associations’ most prized possession. Ordinary magic was divided into ten ranks. Upon reaching the eleventh rank, they were called forbidden spells. The highest spells of the twelfth rank were called descended god spells. They were known as the forbidden of the forbidden.
“Nian Bing.” Long Zhi lifted the restrictions on that floor, and came up from down below, interrupting Nian Bing’s memorization.
“Master, you said that right now, I only need to memorize these things. Is there no need to explain them?” Nian Bing looked at Long Zhi with a bit of surprise. Although he had acknowledged Long Zhi as his master before, his heart had remained guarded. But as Long Zhi selflessly taught him, he seemed to see Zha Ji’s figure, and his wariness gradually dissolved.
Long Zhi’s facial expression was a little ugly as he turned to Nian Bing. “Tomorrow, you need to leave. I have just received news that His Majesty, the king, has heard of you. He has shown great interest in your culinary skills and has already sent a magic wind pigeon to Marquis Nuo Ya. The magic wind pigeon is swift; it will arrive in Ice and Snow City in three days. You need to leave tomorrow.”
Nian Bing always knew that he had to eventually leave Ice and Snow City, but suddenly hearing the words from Long Zhi, he could not help but feel uncomfortable. Still, he nodded his head and said, “Master, I have almost finished memorizing all the stuff here; in fact, I should be done by tonight. I understand a bit of it. Anyways, I haven’t packed up all my stuff yet, so I will leave first thing tomorrow. I have not gone outside in all these days, so the Grand Pavilion people shouldn’t know that I’m still in the city.
Long Zhi snorted coldly and said, “If you think like that, you’re simply looking down on them too much. I discovered earlier that there are people observing the Association. It seems that they are afraid you will run away. Your existence has always been a threat to the Grand Pavilion.”
Nian Bing nodded his head and said, “I understand. Master, do you have anything else to teach me?”
Long Zhi did not say anything but walked to the front of the sole bookshelf, hesitated for a moment, then took out a magic book from the topmost shelf. Nian Bing had already read that book. It accounted the effects of a forbidden magic spell. When he was reading it, Nian Bing had been frightened by the mighty power of the spell.
Long Zhi held up the book in his hands, sighed lightly, and said, “I had originally not planned on teaching you this magic. I hope even more that you will never have to use it. But right now, I think that it would be better to teach you. Although the danger is extremely great, it could be the best way to save your life.”
Nian Bing looked at Long Zhi with suspicion. He asked, “Master, what is this spell that makes it hard for you to talk about it?”
Green light poured out of Long Zhi’s finger and the lively wind element danced through the air. The green light created by the finger traced a strange pattern on the surface of the magic book. A familiar magic array appeared and Nian Bing immediately knew that it was a simple magic array that revealed things that were hidden.
The light flashed and the magic book didn’t seem to change. Long Zhi flipped open the book. The original first page had disappeared and small golden words appeared in its place. He passed the book to Nian Bing and said with a heavy voice, “Memorize this spell, but please do NOT say it out loud. You must clearly remember every single word.”
The chant was very long. Nian Bing did not pay attention to the contents but did as Long Zhi had said. He imprinted the words deep in his mind. When he had finished memorizing it, he lifted his head to ask, “Master, what is this spell?”
A light in Long Zhi’s eyes flashed and he said, “This is an ancient curse spell. It is the greatest secret of our Association.”
Nian Bing’s whole body shuddered and he said, “Curse spell? Isn’t that a dark magic thing? According to the annals, dark magic was lost a long time ago.”
Long Zhi shook his head and said, “No, dark magic still exists. It’s just that because dark magicians are always hunted down by assassins of the continent, they have hidden themselves. Also, there are extremely few of them. Dark magic is an extremely mysterious magic. It can produce special effects that no other system of magic could replicate. But I can tell you that this spell does not belong in the category of dark magic. It is a special curse magic from ancient times. Only I knew of its existence, but now you are the second person.”
Nian Bing asked with curiosity, “What sort of effects does it have?”
Long Zhi replied, “Its effects are very simple. It curses yourself.”