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墨書 Inktalez
Cui Ming pulled at the wooden chair, and it sat down, seemingly lost in thought, without making a sound. Beiyue and Feng took their seats, while the witch placed her hand on the metal kettle and heated it up. "In Antarctica, there is plenty of fresh water, but what is lacking is vegetation. Compared to the Three Continents, it feels rather ridiculous... I haven't been out for over twenty years. How is the Force Alliance doing now?"
Cui Ming replied, "It's at its peak." Having not stepped outside for over twenty years, this statement was likely a lie. Although the living room was quite empty, some items could be seen in the three rooms. One room was piled with food, mainly dried fish and similar items, serving as a storage area. Another room contained a musical instrument. The last room was a bedroom, filled with a mirror, a vanity, and a bed—this was the room with the most belongings. When Cui Ming entered the living room, he noticed the witch's shoes; they were soft factory-made ones, and the laces were of a style that had been popular for five years and still remained so. Perhaps she wasn't lying; she might only have visitors who brought her things.
Feng had already grasped the situation and cooperatively said to Cui Ming, "I don't quite understand how someone could stay indoors for over twenty years. Our leader has never restricted witches from leaving Witch Island; they just require that Witch Island does not harbor wanted criminals from the alliance."
The witch sighed lightly. "My heart is dead; this place is my final resting ground. The splendor of the mainland holds no allure for me."
The water boiled, and the witch brewed tea. The tea leaves were unlikely to be from twenty years ago; she seemed unconcerned about that detail and said, "Since you are from the Force Alliance, you must have heard of Master Bei?"
Beiyue's pupils constricted slightly, while Cui Ming gently patted his hand on Beiyue's arm, feeling somewhat puzzled. From what he had gathered through his father's friends' words, the witch was a very indifferent person; they had even conducted experiments proving that she completely disregarded other people's lives and only cared about Beiyue's father. However, that was just one perspective; it was hard to say who was telling the truth.
Cui Ming nodded seriously. "Of course."
The witch looked somewhat surprised. "What’s with that expression?"
Cui Ming was quite astonished; it seemed that the witch truly did not know about Master Bei. He said, "Over ten years ago, Master Bei went missing; it has been an unresolved case investigated by us hunters."
"Missing?" The witch's shocked expression did not seem feigned. She continued, "Master Bei was an old acquaintance of mine. As far as I know, he was exiled to Dawn City due to certain matters and married an ordinary woman, even having a daughter with her, correct?"
Cui Ming nodded. "Yes. However, seventeen years ago, not only did Master Bei go missing on that day but also his house caught fire, resulting in his wife's tragic death in the blaze."
The witch suddenly stood up, her gaze icy as she looked at Cui Ming. "Seventeen years ago? Is that true?"
"Absolutely."
The witch asked, "What about the child?"
"The child survived by chance and is a prospective practitioner, but with average talent. She was taken in by Wandering as a member of the Alliance Academy. Her name is Beiyue, and she is currently working for the Alliance."
The witch's mood fluctuated, and after a long pause, she asked, "Is Master Bei dead?"
"I don't know; all I know is that he is missing," Cui Ming replied. "Witch, since Master Bei was an acquaintance of yours, our Alliance has been investigating this matter. I wonder if you have any clues."
The witch shook her head and answered, "No."
Lying, Cui Ming said, "If the witch has any clues to share, our Alliance would be very grateful. I can also help the boss terminate the contract; Witch Island will no longer be restricted."
Unexpectedly, the witch issued an eviction order: "You should leave; you are not welcome here."
How could a good conversation turn so sour? Cui Ming speculated that the witch's friendliness was merely to ascertain Master Bei's current situation. Perhaps that was her only concern. With this assumption, it seemed the witch truly did not know about Master Bei's disappearance. However, Cui Ming was sure the witch had some clues.
Cui Ming felt a gust of wind at his feet. The wind slowly brushed against the hilt of his knife as he said, "Witch, we respect you. It's clear that you..."
"Leave, immediately," the witch's voice turned icy.
Cui Ming replied, "If the witch does not welcome us, that's fine, but we still have official business..."
"Hmph, Wandering? I don't regard him at all on Witch Island; don’t use him to pressure me. Leave now before I change my mind."
Beiyue was clever and understood some of the situation; she spoke with a pleading tone: "Witch, if..."
"There is no 'if,'" the witch's voice shifted from icy to indifferent.
Cui Ming placed his right hand on Beiyue's arm to signal her not to rush and said, "What if we don't leave? Are you going to resort to violence here? Then build another Ice House?"
The witch silently stepped out of the Ice House and walked towards the crack. The three from Beiyue were puzzled; what did this mean? They stood up to follow her, thinking that if they did, she wouldn't be cautious. But if they stayed put, it felt foolish.
Feng and Beiyue looked at Cui Ming, who also seemed a bit lost. Was this a delaying tactic? No, that wouldn't work. Once they left and returned to the island, the welcome would not be words but a magic circle instead. According to Wandering, the central area of Six Ice Mountain was precisely where the magic circle could not attack.
Cui Ming stood up, and the four walked outside, only to see a man emerge from the crack a hundred meters away. The man was incredibly burly, but his face was twisted as if he had suffered a stroke. His rotten teeth were exposed, and he licked them with his tongue while sizing up the four and whispering to the witch.
Damn it, they hit the jackpot—Mundo, that bastard Mundo was actually on Witch Island. The three broke out in a cold sweat; if they were on the Three Continents, they wouldn't fear him. But here on Witch Island, in this freezing place, their combat power was less than twenty percent. Cui Ming decisively said, "Since the witch isn't stopping us, let's leave."
"Hahaha." Mundo laughed heartily as he approached the four, while the witch turned around and looked on indifferently. Mundo drooled as he said, "Why doesn't the bald guy come to catch me himself? Sending some minions to Witch Island is just asking for death."
Cui Ming ignored Mundo; he didn't understand him. He turned to the witch and said, "Witch, have you thought this through? If Mundo kills us, the alliance will surely flatten Witch Island. Your home and your efforts will all be in vain."
The witch replied coldly, "I know very well how many Alliance Hunters there are. Do you think the aristocracy would come here to take a few lives for revenge on your behalf? For hundreds of years, the alliance has been fragmented; I believe it will be no different in these past twenty years. You are Alliance Hunters? Then your Alliance Hunter Level must have dropped significantly. I see that this girl is a hunter."
Cui Ming was startled again. "How do you know?" Damn it, she was sharper than he thought.
The witch answered, "Only she has a hint of a hunter's demeanor."
"She is surnamed Ye—Ye Shi."
The witch shook her head. "Your lies are too crude; don't you know that aristocrats don't apply to become hunters?"
Is there such a rule? Cui Ming felt frantic; he had been too careless. He had thought capturing the witch would be easy but realized she was incredibly astute. This was what arrogance led to—underestimating one's opponent. Cui Ming had always reminded himself to take any opponent seriously strategically, but after helping North Moon Group win the championship, he had become overly confident. He had assumed the witch was a closed-off expert with no experience when in fact she was shrewd and well-versed in alliance rules. What frustrated him most was being tricked by her into revealing that Beiyue was a hunter.
Mundo prepared to act when Beiyue asked, "Do you know who I am?"
The witch looked at Beiyue for a moment; her expression shifted slightly from indifference: "Are you that little girl?"
It was a mistake; the witch, who was originally indifferent, now exuded a hint of murderous intent. "Cui Ming, you fool, what are you doing?" During negotiations, he didn't even know the other party's bottom line. Blindly arrogant, he had revealed all his cards while still unaware of the opponent's situation. It was a complete disaster... This was going to be a big problem today.
Cui Ming snorted coldly, picking up his backpack with his left hand and pulling out a scroll from inside, tossing it over. "First, I admit that on Witch Island, we are no match for you, especially since you have an accomplice. But I consider myself a smart person; if we are going into dangerous territory, we must be prepared. This is a petition signed by over two hundred members of the alliance. If we do not return, they will raze Witch Island to the ground in revenge for us. Although it is Mundo who is killing, you will bear the blame for this, witch."
"You?" The witch seemed skeptical as she opened the scroll. Indeed, there were signatures on it—many unfamiliar to her, but names like Bufon and Wandering were those of powerful practitioners from her youth. She looked at Beiyue; if Beiyue had not exposed her identity, she would not have made things difficult for them and would have simply let them go. Regardless of whether the scroll was real or fake, she had no intention of causing such great trouble in a place where she had lived since childhood and where her master resided. However, with Beiyue involved, everything changed. The witch pointed at Beiyue and said, "She stays; you may leave."
Feng questioned softly, "Is this all you prepared?"
Cui Ming forced a smile. "This is all I have." Understanding the witch's background and the uniqueness of Witch Island, along with its magical formations, Cui Ming realized how important Witch Island was to her. Thus, he obtained a petition to demonstrate their significance. Given the witch's selfish nature, she would surely not take actions that could lead to the destruction of Witch Island just to kill a few people.
Feng calmly drew his katana. "Fortunately, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Cui Ming, let's immobilize her first and kill the witch."
Cui Ming nodded and pulled out a yellow poker card. "Witch, don't blame us for being too straightforward; we four can take you down."
The witch shrugged indifferently. "Death is the beginning of life."
Cui Ming said, "Beiyue, once we start fighting, smash the Ice House first and then deal with the ice pillars. Even if we die, we must make her feel sad for a moment."
The witch sighed. "Go die." With that, she teleported next to Cui Ming; an explosion of ice erupted within a hundred-meter radius. Cui Ming and his companions were instantly frozen into ice pillars as an extreme chill invaded their bodies, rendering them stiff.
At that moment, Cui Ming's mind flooded with idioms: unaware of danger yet acting recklessly; pride leads to downfall; today was going to be his end... Regret washed over him as he realized he had confidently come to the island based solely on hearsay about someone he barely understood. He felt so young and naive. Though it was merely a verbal clash of a few sentences, it marked the difference between life and death.
Now Cui Ming felt like someone who had just lost an argument—he couldn't shake off the feeling that he hadn't performed at his best during this confrontation. (To be continued.)
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