Outside the brightly lit City Lord's Mansion, there were many luxuriously decorated carriages. At a glance, one could only see a bustling scene of endless traffic. The guests who alighted from these carriages were either luxuriously dressed or had an elegant temperament. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that they were all important people of status. This night had really exhausted the guards at the entrance of the City Lord's Mansion. From evening till now, they had not straightened their backs, and had been bowing and bowing from beginning to end.
The guests who came tonight were all very influential. Apart from the many influential figures in Roland City and celebrities from all walks of life, there were even a few nobles from the royal capital, Alanna, and the young castellan of Doland, Lasorick. In addition, even the legendary figure of Roland City, the publicly acknowledged chief collector and appraiser, and the owner of the Time Consignment Store, William, who had always been in seclusion, had come …
However, what puzzled the guards the most were the guests who had arrived in the evening. The four guests — three men and one woman — did not look very conspicuous, but when they arrived at the Castellan Mansion, Castellan Arathor personally came out to welcome them. This was the grandest reception in Roland City. Even when the castellan of Doland City had visited a few years ago, he had not received such a grand reception.
"Could it be a secret envoy sent by His Majesty?" The guests had already left for a long time, but the guards were still suspicious.
"Mage Felic, we have arrived." The carriage had just stopped outside the Castellan Mansion when Sienna's respectful voice could be heard from outside.
"Alright." Before Lin Li alighted from the carriage, he did not forget to straighten his robe. After the unpleasant experience at the Castellan Mansion of Jarrosus, he had specially put on a Rune Robe tailor-made for him by the Gilded Rose. It was exquisitely tailored, and Lin Li looked much taller in it. He really did look like a charlatan …
Behind Lin Li was Norfeller. The high-ranking Vampire was the only attendant at the banquet tonight. It couldn't be helped, as Ujfalusi really couldn't be brought out. Not only was Ujfalusi's entire body filled with a strong death aura, but his entire body was a bare skeleton. Usually, it wouldn't be obvious if he was wrapped in a black robe, but what if he gave himself away during the banquet? Wouldn't a few people be scared to death?
Under Norfeller's black cloak, the two Heaven's Wrath daggers were emitting a faint death aura. Lin Li had heard the name "Heaven's Wrath" from Ujfalusi. When they were in the carriage just now, Lin Li had let Norfeller test the power of the Heaven's Wrath daggers, and the results made Lin Li gasp. The power of the two Heaven's Wrath daggers was too terrifying. At that time, Norfeller did not even use any strength, and the daggers had easily broken through Lin Li's Water Shield. Lin Li could not help but be curious about how perverted the two Heaven's Wrath daggers would be after the two Gemstones of Curse were embedded …
Furthermore, Lin Li did not forget that the current Heaven's Wrath daggers were far from being in their complete form. In Ujfalusi's words, they had to be embedded with two Gemstones of Curse in order to unleash their true power. Lin Li could not help but be curious about how perverted the two Gemstones of Curse would be after they were embedded …
It seemed like he had to find a chance to talk to Andoine. The jeweler who had helped him cut the Crystal of Eternity seemed to be quite skilled. When the time came, he would ask Andoine to see if he could cut this Gemstone of Curse as well.
While Lin Li was secretly planning, Sienna had already handed the invitation to the guards.
The guards looked at the invitation in their hands, and then at the carriages. When they looked at Sienna, there was a hint of suspicion in their eyes. Were they really the castellan's guests? The guards did not think so no matter how they looked at it. It could not be helped — the carriages of these fellows were too shabby. The horses that were pulling the carriages were of a messy color, and there were no decorations on the carriages at all. They looked as if they had just rolled in the mud. Such carriages were definitely the cheapest goods on the market. Including the carriages and horses, they would definitely not cost more than 50 gold coins …
"Please wait a moment, I'll go in and inform them …" The guard at the door didn't dare to be careless. Those who came tonight were all important figures of high status. Any one of them was at least the boss of a certain Chamber of Commerce. If these fellows were here to fish in troubled waters and allowed them to go in and offend some important figure, it wasn't something that a small guard like him could take responsibility for …
Fortunately, the guards who went in to inform them did not make them wait too long. They only stood there for two to three minutes before someone came out …
"Haha, Captain Sienna, you're the star of the banquet tonight. Why are you so late? I'll punish you to drink a few more cups later! " The person who spoke was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties. His clothes were not very luxurious, but they gave off a simple and harmonious feeling. Every movement he made exuded the unique charm of a middle-aged man.
"Greetings, Castellan." Sienna hurried forward, and knelt on one knee to greet the middle-aged man.
"Captain Sienna, you're too polite. You don't have to be so polite. You're our family's benefactor. Not only did you save Sin 'dorei from the Syer Bandits, you even brought that lass Yvonne back. I haven't had the chance to thank you yet …" The middle-aged man helped Sienna up with a friendly expression. At the same time, he looked at the people behind him. "Come, Captain Sienna, introduce me to these warriors under you."
Although the invitation was for all the members of the mercenary corps, there were dozens of them. How could Sienna bring all of them here? Apart from Sienna, there were only three people from Jason's side and two from Lin Li's side who had come to the Castellan Mansion for the banquet. Of course, none of them were Sienna's subordinates …
"Castellan, they're not my subordinates …" Sienna hurriedly denied in fear. What kind of joke was this? What if he was found out? Sienna pointed at the people behind him with a panicked expression, and introduced them one by one. "This is Mr Jason from Doland …"
"Jason?" Arathor was shocked. "You mean Jason from Doland? The Jason who went deep into the Wild Plains in his twenties and brought back the head of the leader of the Bloody Bandits? What a rare guest, Mr Jason. I've admired you for a long time. I've long heard that there's an incredible Adventurer in Doland who has never failed a single one of his 10 missions. I've always wanted to meet him, but never had the chance. I didn't expect Captain Sienna to bring you here today. Haha, I'll have to have a few drinks with Mr Jason later! "
"Hehe, Castellan, you're too kind." Jason had already made a name for himself in his twenties. He had seen many similar situations. Faced with Arathor's enthusiasm, Jason's face did not show the slightest bit of flattery. He only smiled faintly and turned around to introduce his two companions.
"Oh, yes, Captain Sienna. And these two are?"
"This is Mage Felic, and this is Mage Felic's follower, Mr Norfeller."
"He's already a mage at such a young age? I didn't expect Mage Felic to be so promising at such a young age … "
"Hehe, Castellan, you're too kind."
"Speaking of which, my two little fellas have been very interested in magic since they were young. They've been asking me to find a magic teacher for them, but I've been busy all day, so I've delayed this matter. I wonder if Mage Felic has the time to give them some guidance?"
"It would be my honor, Castellan," Lin Li smiled. He did not take Arathor's words seriously. Even a fool could tell that although the castellan was polite when he greeted him, he was not as enthusiastic as he was with Jason. In his heart, Lin Li's value was far less than Jason's. As for giving guidance to his children, it was even more casual. Regardless of whether it was the speaker or the listener, whoever took it seriously would really be a fool. They were the successors of Roland City, so how could they be taught by an unknown mage?
Under the castellan's deliberate enthusiasm, the atmosphere of the conversation was unusually harmonious. Unknowingly, everyone followed him into the banquet hall. After entering the banquet hall, Arathor politely arranged seats for everyone. Then, he apologetically excused himself and went to entertain the other guests.
"I didn't expect today's banquet to be so grand …" After everyone had taken their seats, Sienna looked around excitedly. He couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes as he looked at the guests coming and going. "Oh my god, even Mr. William is here!"
"Mr William?" Lin Li immediately felt that the name sounded familiar. Just as he was about to ask Sienna who William was, he suddenly felt that there was something wrong with Norfeller.
"What's wrong, Norfeller?" Norfeller had been by Lin Li's side ever since they came out of the Demon Fall Valley. The two of them could be said to be extremely familiar with each other. How could Norfeller's change escape Lin Li's eyes? Furthermore, Norfeller was indeed not normal. Although he was still sitting there motionlessly, Lin Li could clearly feel that his aura had become unusually dangerous. His body was also a little stiff, as though he had been bewitched.
Faced with Lin Li's question, Norfeller acted as though he did not hear it. He only reached out and grabbed the Heaven's Wrath dagger tightly under his black cloak. His bloodshot eyes were staring straight ahead.
Surprised, Lin Li followed Norfeller's gaze, and saw four people sitting not far away. Three of them were wearing long white robes, and exuding a gentle yet powerful holy aura. Lin Li had only felt the same aura from Archbishop Englos. With just one look, Lin Li could tell that the three of them were definitely believers of the Brilliance Shrine. Furthermore, they seemed to be far more powerful than ordinary priests. They might even be on par with bishops …
As for the last one, Lin Li could not figure it out.
It was a young lady in her twenties. She had a head of long blonde hair. Even in the resplendent banquet hall, she was still like the sun.
She was as dazzling as the light, and her beautiful jade-like face was set off by the silver knight armor. She was as dazzling as the legendary Seraphim. Even someone as inhuman as Lin Li couldn't help but be dazed at the sight of her …
What Lin Li found most strange was that although she also exuded a powerful holy aura, it was completely different when compared to her companions. When she stood up from the chair, she was like a sharp sword that was unsheathed. That invasive holy aura was like a heavy shackle that made it hard for people to breathe.
"Damn it, this is bad …" Lin Li immediately knew that things were not going well when he looked over.
This was no laughing matter. When Lin Li was in Alanna, he had interacted with Archbishop Englos of the Brilliance Shrine for a period of time. He knew better than anyone else how much these fanatics from the Brilliance Shrine hated Undead creatures. Their attitude towards Undead creatures was always to get rid of them as soon as possible. There was not even one in 10,000 believers of the Brilliance Shrine like Englos who was willing to make friends with a Necromancer.
This was going to be big trouble …
At that moment, Lin Li felt a headache coming on. He could clearly see that the three men and one woman had already stood up from their seats. Their gazes landed on Norfeller almost at the same time. Lin Li dared to bet with his head that the expression of hatred and disgust on their faces was definitely not a special form of social etiquette …
At the same time, Norfeller's bloodshot eyes were fixed on the other party. Lin Li had never seen such a murderous and destructive gaze from Norfeller. His heavy breathing was mixed with a low growl. At this moment, Norfeller looked like a beast in despair.
"Norfeller, be quiet …" Lin Li had to pat Norfeller's shoulder in order to not cause panic in the banquet.
Under Lin Li's soft reassurance, the murderous look in Norfeller's eyes finally subsided a little. However, his posture was still abnormally stiff, and his hands were still tightly holding onto the Heaven's Wrath dagger.
At this moment, the four clergymen had already pushed their chairs away and walked over.
"Damn it, they really came …"
Lin Li's heart skipped a beat. He stood up from his chair with a smile and shielded Norfeller behind him. At the same time, he completed the spell for a Pyroblast. Once a conflict broke out, this Pyroblast would be blasted out. As for who it would hit, or how the banquet would turn out after it was blasted out, Lin Li did not care so much …
As soon as the spell for the Pyroblast was completed, the four clergymen walked in front of the crowd.
"Damned Undead creature, how dare you appear at Castellan Arathor's banquet. Do you think you can escape the purification of the Holy Light?" A cold voice came from the female knight's red lips. This was supposed to be a beautiful scene, but Lin Li was not in the mood to appreciate it. The only thing he felt was that his head hurt, it really hurt …
Damn it, these fanatics are really annoying …
Lin Li cursed in his heart, but he still greeted them with a face full of smiles. "Guys, is there a misunderstanding?"
"Disgusting!" Who knew that this warm smile would be met with a cold expression. When she looked at Lin Li, the beautiful face of the female knight was filled with disgust. It was as if she was not looking at a living person, but a pile of dirty things that had been dug out from the sewers. "As a human, how could you degrade yourself to the point of being in cahoots with Undead creatures? Don't you feel ashamed?"
Lin Li was not angry at being scolded. He only touched his chin and smiled helplessly. "What's wrong with that …"
The surroundings fell silent. The female knight stood there in a daze, as if she did not know what to do. As the most devout Paladin of the Brilliance Shrine, she had killed countless Undead creatures and seen countless Necromancers who had given up on themselves. However, she had never seen a Necromancer who had given up on himself so confidently. Listening to this fellow's tone, and looking at his expression, it was as if all this was only natural …
This, this, this … How could there be such a person in this world?
"You … You …" For a moment, the female knight's gaze was filled with panic.
"What about me …" Lin Li rubbed his nose, and took another step forward to get closer to the beautiful female knight. Then, he lowered his voice and asked with a smile, "Oh, yes, I heard this beautiful lady say that you want to purify us?"
"That's … That's right!" Being suddenly approached by a strange man, even the most devout Paladin of the Brilliance Shrine could not help but be taken aback. The female knight almost subconsciously took a step back before replying with a slightly panicked voice.
"Is that so? That's great, but there's one thing I don't quite understand …" The smile on Lin Li's face grew wider. As he spoke, he took another step forward, and once again closed the distance between them. "I wonder if this beautiful lady can tell me if the theurgy of the Brilliance Shrine is really so powerful that it can purify a high-level Undead creature without a sound?"
After saying that, this fella added in a bored manner, "I'm really curious. I really want to know how many innocent passersby the righteous and sacred theurgy will be killed when it purifies me and my companions. One or two? I think it's far more than that. There are at least a hundred people in this banquet hall. Under the purification of the righteous and sacred theurgy, it would be good if half of them could survive. I wonder how lucky Castellan Arathor is. If he's unlucky, it would be troublesome … "
As Lin Li's voice fell, the three priests in long robes looked around at the same time. In the resplendent banquet hall, the guests were chatting happily, and none of them noticed that in this inconspicuous corner, light and darkness were fighting …
When they turned back to look at Lin Li, there was some hesitation in their eyes. Finally, it was the oldest priest who whispered something into the female knight's ear …
"You won't be smug for long," the female knight said to Lin Li before leaving.
"Phew …" Lin Li let out a long sigh of relief after watching the four of them return to their seats …
The Empty City Stratagem was indeed not something to be done casually.
Damn it, that was too dangerous.
Any of the three priests just now had the strength of a bishop. In a real battle, they would definitely not be weaker than three level-17 or 18 Archmages. Together with a Paladin whose abilities were unknown, even if Lin Li had reached the peak of level-17, he might not be their match. Furthermore, this was Roland City, the outpost of the Brilliance Shrine in the Felan Kingdom. There were countless devout believers in Roland City. If they found out that Lin Li had an affair with the Undead creatures, it would be a small matter if they drowned him with their spit, but the loss of a million gold coins' worth of food would be a huge problem …
Hence, Lin Li could only take a gamble. He remembered that when he was in Alanna, Englos had once told him that the believers of the Holy Light would not leave anyone in the lurch, nor would they hurt the innocent. In that situation, Lin Li could only bet that their faith was strong enough. Luckily, he had made the right bet, or else the banquet hall would be in a mess.
However, even if there was no trouble now, it did not mean that there would be no trouble in the future. In fact, Lin Li even dared to bet his head that once the banquet ended, those fellas would come looking for trouble with him. Hence, when he sat down, Lin Li was already thinking about how to set up a trap for these fellas to walk into …
Three level-17 or 18 Priests and a Paladin. He did not stand a chance, but if he could set up a trap and sneak attack one of them, the rest would not be so scary. Norfeller now had the Heaven's Wrath dagger, and was much stronger than when he first entered the ruins of Syer Town.
In Lin Li's opinion, the most suitable target for a sneak attack was undoubtedly the beautiful female Paladin. Compared to the other three sly Priests, this lady was the most innocent and easy to trick. He could easily make her fall into a trap. As for whether it was immoral to sneak an attack on a woman, or whether it would be inconsiderate of the fairer sex, Lin Li had never cared. What chivalry, justice, compassion, humility, and integrity? Could they be eaten?
But, what kind of trap should he set up? It was too obvious to lure the tiger away from the mountain. If they did not fall for it, wouldn't he expose himself? Should he just poison them? Anyway, there was still half a Manticore's tail in the Ring of Endless Storm …
Time passed quickly. Just as this fella was thinking about dirty thoughts, the banquet had officially begun. The first to raise his glass and give a speech was the host of the banquet, Castellan Arathor of Roland City.
"Thank you, distinguished guests, for coming!"
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