The Kingdom of Blue Rain was a powerful nation with a long history. Legends told us that the founder of the kingdom, its first king, had a close friend who was also a skilled warlock. This pair of brothers of different blood travelled through many wetlands and deserts, through countless villages and cities, crossing endless rivers and seas in the hopes of finding a piece of land where they could root down forever as their ancestral home. When they finally stepped onto the top of a mountain in an uninhabited mountain range, they were hopelessly struck under the spell of beauty, of the crystalline water flecked with sapphire and emerald in its streams which glinted like liquid jewels with a hint of gold from the warm sunlight, of the cloudless blue sky richer and more mesmerizing than the most exquisite of flowers, of the flowing green of grassland similar to the finest silk scarf worn by the goddess of the earth. It was then that they set up a mansion, which eventually was modified into castle, and attracted various people seeking a peaceful lifestyle, officially declaring this heavenly land as a country comparable to any.
Afterwards, due to the difficulties in ruling from afar, subsequent royal generations decided to move the capital from the top of a mountain down to a nearby delta, with layers of cities growing at a rapid pace surrounding it. However, respecting the original wishes of the founder, that mountain was named 'Blue Brook Mountain', signifying the magnificent web of water streams that had made the landscape so breath-taking. In addition, the residence was given to the top warlock in the kingdom, who had also been the highest-ranking advisor to the king for hundreds of years without fail. Needless to say, the core of Blue Rain's military force was an elite group of warlocks, whose sorcery had kept the land safe against innumerable hostile forces.
As such, the foot of Blue Brook Mountain was heavily fenced and guarded by soldiers in an effort to protect the top warlock, currently the mysterious individual who went by the name of 'Yu Wenzhou'. Despite having arrived at the capital for half a day, Wang Jiexi was still unable to approach the gate to the mountain for more than ten steps. He could, of course, knock down the guards and barge into his friend's mansion-slash-castle, but a true gentleman, as he was, could never bring himself to commit such an impolite act. As a result, after failing to contact the warlock for two times, he decided to wander around the streets instead, knowing that the deadline of ten days was drawing near and that the warlock would pass a message to him soon.
As he walked around without a definite destination in mind, his eyes were drawn to the rapid torrent of clothes and vehicles. Compared to the roads in the villages, the capital's streets were neater and more orderly yet still bustling with people. The shops here were also more expensive-looking, built with bricks and proper roofs, full of colourful goods originating from numerous places. Inside one of the larger accessory shops, Wang Jiexi glimpsed a few elaborate hats, including a brown one shaped like a hemisphere but with defined edges, an upright fluttering snowy feather at its front, as well as a black velvety pointed one with its top curving a sideways, extremely alike a warlock's hat. The atmosphere seemed cheerful and lively, and the majority of customers were smiling once they exited the shops.
When the witch caught a glance of an apothecary, his feet automatically brought him inside. A high quality store it was indeed, with sophisticated flasks of potion displayed on glass, glimmering under the lamp light. There were also rows upon rows of common herbs, even a few living medicinal plants and small stacks of boxes containing dried ones, arranged in eye-catching pyramid shape. Wang Jiexi shivered a little when he saw the outrageous prices of these boxes, which explained why there were not a lot of customers hanging around.
A smiling assistant asked if he needed something, but the witch declined in preference of looking around by himself. He wanted to see the current level of apothecary-related developments.
Basic health potions, extra strength potions… These potions remained popular regardless of the era. The most distinctive feature he noticed, however, was that most of the products revolved around medicine and healing, evident in the stacks upon stacks of medicinal herbs and potions aimed at curing specific diseases. There was virtually no powder sold, and the few packs present were pitifully low in effectiveness. Such a scene was truly contradictory to the apothecary stores thirty years ago, during which attack potions and powder, mostly meant for combative purposes, had been much more commonly seen.
How things have changed.
Witches were nearly extinct now, replaced by pharmacists and potion makers. War had ended a long time ago.
Do I regret leaving them?
Lightly sighing, Wang Jiexi purchased a few random herbs and prepared to leave. As he headed towards the exit, he placed his sight at one of the flasks displayed, within which swayed purplish, viscous liquid.
The current of citizens was fast and unending, so many people living with good health and in happiness. Why, then, should he still feel this aching mixture of nostalgia and guilt? He was no longer the Magician – the top witch in the continent. Wang Jiexi was his name, and Wang Jiexi the entirety of his identity.
Thus, he chose to walk away from his legacy.
Nonetheless, as previously mentioned, fate and fortune, this intertwined pair of living notions, were not be underestimated nor defied. In the beginning of the world, there had already existed the twin deities, the goddess of fate and the god of fortune, and in the end present would they be still. As such, on his way back to the inn, a shadow ran through him and his pocket was instantly emptied.
Fate favoured him. Fortune… depending on the situation.
At this point of time, a regular person would yell "Thief!" and nearby guards would definitely help him regain his possession – Blue Rain's society was famous for being orderly and harmonious.
However, asking this witch of few words to actually behave normally, ehem, to behave like an ordinary person, was simply impossible, because just one of him could beat up ten of the guards and not a single drop of sweat would fall – why would he bother asking for their help? Wasting no more than half a second, Wang Jiexi started running after the mugger. The mugger was fast but the witch more agile and disciplined in his use of stamina, so after a while the distance shortened at a noticeable pace.
As the mugger led him to a less crowded part of the city, numerous alleys and small roads crossing each other like a maze, his guards went up and he became more careful in tracing the criminal's path. He completely understood that this area was a chaotic place harbouring activities under the lamplight of the law, which meant that the thief was probably leading him to fellow criminals. The mugging had been planned and organized, and the mugger a master in his profession, which caused him to wonder about the power behind these activities.
A cautious person he was indeed, but he was not so easy-going as to offer the last of his cash freely. There was also a faint feeling of adrenaline, of excitement, an addictive one that made his blood, which had long been cooled down for decades, started rising in temperature – not that he had successfully recognized this feeling or consciously wanted it.
As he mused over the scenery, stopping at the head of the alley, shadows jumped out from behind piles of broken trash and joined the thief. Their expressions were murderous with a hint of arrogance, a typical case of using number to bully the weak. Wang Jiexi recognized the one standing ahead of the group, a muscled man grinning madly showing his broken teeth, as the leader of this ragtag group.
"Friends, today's our lucky day! The fish went into our net willingly. The god of fortune himself is blessing us!"
Crackling laughter laced with malice spread through the group. These hooligans, quite similar in temperament to the ones who had been attacking that strange swordsman, gazed at him like predators gazing at their food.
The leader sauntered forward. "How about this," he mocked. "Don't resist. We wouldn't want to destroy that pretty face of yours, would we? It'll sure fetch a lot of money."
Another burst of laughter.
Wang Jiexi merely smiled in response. "Sir, if you're willing to return me my wallet, I'll leave this place immediately. There's no need for enmity."
The man blinked in confusion. Shouldn't he have screamed or backed away or something?
Looking more closely at the green-clothed man before him, the leader noticed that he was entirely unafraid and even had a small, indifferent smile on his face. His black eye patch, which should have been imposing or at least disfiguring, somehow fit in with the rest of his features, which were fine and even leaning towards delicate, especially with his long hair. The witch possessed a gentle yet faintly solemn aura.
Also, that annoying smile with a hint of confidence, to the leader, was definitely asking for a beating.
The following scene was strictly an R18 one, with the result being a bunch of badly beaten gangsters lying messily on the ground and groaning heavily. The fighting was so one-sided that it did not deserve any description. The leader's initial imposing figure had long disappeared, replaced by quite a few colourful bruises decorating his skin like a twisted rainbow. Standing proudly without a drop of sweat was Wang Jiexi, whose smile had deepened considerably.
A calm man with a mild personality he might be (far above the clouds a certain goddess coughed), but his thirst for fighting had already been embroiled in his blood.
The witch approached the miserable-looking leader, who had curled into a ball and was trying to roll away as far as possible.
"Which organization do you belong to?"
The leader immediately replied humbly. "Great sir, we are in the Crimson Tigress organization. Our organization is one of the biggest in this city."
Mentally, the leader was furiously cursing. If not for the fact that they had underestimated Wang Jiexi and did not bother to bring along any signal charm, would he be so utterly humiliated such as this? His only hope now was that this person would let them go due to the big name of his organization.
Meanwhile, Wang Jiexi was in a dilemma. Should he really let them go, they would definitely try to take revenge in the future. However, he did not want to kill them either, firstly because of his dislike for killing in general and secondly because he did not desire to push their entire organization into taking action against him.
I'm only meeting Yu Wenzhou and I'll leave the city immediately, though. I'll be out of their reach before they even recovered.
At this point, he decided to spare his attackers and left this dangerous (to the attackers) place.
Goddess of fate, please let the rest of my journey be free of trouble.
-0-0-
In another place, there seated two people on a luxurious couch. One was youthful-looking, with a radiant, almost innocent smile and sparkling eyes, while the other had young and unblemished features yet calm and ageless eyes. Holding a gold-veined cup of tea in an elegant manner, he slowly sipped the fine aromatic liquid while putting on a respectful expression.
"Your Highness, is there anything I can help with?"
The youngster pouted. "We've known each other since my birth and yet you are always being so polite! There's nobody here. Can't you relax a little?"
Facing the pair of big eyes shrouded in disappointment, Yu Wenzhou could not help but chuckle. "Alright, my prince."
"Your Highness this, my prince that, just call me Hanwen, will you?" said Lu Hanwen.
"Alright," answered the warlock in amusement. "Hanwen, did you find anything during your trip?"
At these words, the childish look on the prince's face was wiped away, replaced by a seriousness that did not quite fit with his undeveloped features.
"Yes. From what I've seen in the Shadow Forest, the news about the increasing number of demonic beasts is real. The surge in energy is not limited to animals as well; some demonic plants have been sighted by adventurers, though we did not encounter any. The Shadow Trove…" Lu Hanwen hesitated.
Yu Wenzhou recalled his expedition in the Shadow Forest decades ago, and the deadly Shadow Trove in its centre, with silky petals darker than ink waving around seductively when there had been no wind, black tree trunks shrouded in eerie mist, and the freezing cold that had seemed to seep into one's bones. And at last, those perfectly round fruits with skin smoother a cut diamond hanging from scattered vines, within which lied a different form of darkness. Fruits which signalled the birth of the Demon King.
The prince took a deep breath, a faint layer of fear covering his face. "It has indeed borne fruit."
They both knew what it meant.
War was coming.