Chapter 644: A Person Like You Is Bound to Miss a Chance at Great Success

Within the game, events such as flying-sword races and sparring matches among the disciples of the Qionghua Faction could be held, to name but a few.

On the other hand, the intricate details of forging and soul-infusion from the original Legend of Sword and Fairy 4 had been perfectly replicated.

In other words, players would no longer need to spend vast amounts of time inquiring about the minutiae of crafting items as they did in Diablo, nor would they have to anxiously search far and wide for news and materials just to begin their research; even less would they have to rely entirely on blind luck, tossing equipment into a mechanical device as in Dungeon & Fighter. This time, they would be able to experience the entire process firsthand.

This was a craft where cultivators forged and refined Dharma artifacts, an art that could only be experienced once Murong Ziying joined the party in the course of the story—and naturally so, for in the entire group, only Murong Ziying possessed such knowledge.

…

Inside the castle perched at the highest point of the city.

A middle-aged man, dressed in elegant aristocratic attire resembling a tailcoat, sat silently before a long office desk. His black clothes were tailored impeccably, and though his square-jawed face already bore a few wrinkles, they could not obscure his past heroic valor. A pair of greying, down-turned moustaches lent him an air of gentle refinement, which blended seamlessly and perfectly with that heroic aura.

At that moment, a figure slammed the door and stormed off in a rage.

He, however, seemed utterly indifferent. Instead, he stood up and tended to the flowerpots upon the windowsill, treating those plants as though they were his most cherished possessions.

They were no rare or precious flora, but rather closely resembled those pale yellow, blooming wild flowers that could be seen everywhere in the city.

Of course, it was also entirely possible that the city was filled with them precisely because he favored them so.

Moments later, a woman with her blonde hair tied in a ponytail and clad in knightly armor walked inside.

"Oh…? I do not recall that lower-ranking knights are permitted to enter the magistrate’s office at will," the middle-aged man remarked without turning his head.

"Nor do I recall that promises made before a mother could be forgotten by a certain man in the blink of an eye," Helen countered, showing not a shred of timidity.

"Uh…" The middle-aged man’s previously calm expression instantly froze upon his face before he said in a deep voice, "You should address me as Father."

Helen turned her head away, her lovely face bearing that same heroic trace, accompanied at this moment by a touch of awkwardness and stubbornness.

After a long silence, it was the middle-aged man who succumbed first. He spoke softly, "Just now, the envoy of that esteemed personage from the Judgement Shrine came to see me."

"For what purpose?" Helen asked, apparently quite concerned about this, as she finally turned her head back.

"To seal it up," the middle-aged man said. "He wanted me to deploy official forces to shut down that shop."

Seeing Helen staring intently at him, he shook his head. "I refused."

Sensing that she still harbored a trace of displeasure, he added, "I am not doing this to help you, but rather… our Dawn Empire is a nation built on public trust. By its very nature, the Judgement Shrine should not be allowed to stand alone as the supreme power."

"This is not the Radiance Godnation; it is no place for them to act willfully."

"That is your own saying; do not expect me to feel indebted to you," Helen said as she opened the door, one foot already stepping out, before adding, "That wretched shopkeeper seems rather formidable anyway; he does not actually need anyone's help."

"Mm." The middle-aged man watched her departing figure and shook his head with a faint smile.

…

"Dammit! That wretched interloper who married into the family, a mere foolish commoner! Stripping away the Himiya Family, what else is he?! What right does he have to dare refuse me?!" Inside the shrine, a voice roared with fierce rage; it was none other than Geasla.

"We have other methods," right at that moment, the red-robed high priest walked over. "In any case, we shall deal with those assassins first. Without the assassins, what meaning does that shop's assassin cultivation realm hold?"

"Please believe me, that shop is merely an ignorant alchemist bringing about his own destruction. Before the power bestowed by the Great God, everything is an illusion. Just like that alchemist from the Kingdom of Stan… the one named Merlin."

At the mention of those entities, his words carried a profound, reverent awe.

Geasla inquired, "Those assassins… when will they be executed?"

"In a little over half a month."

"Such a long time?" Geasla asked in surprise.

"There is no need to rush," the red-robed high priest replied. "Under the guidance of Lord Saint Duran, an inescapable dragnet has been cast this time. We are simply waiting for those assassins to come and rescue them, so naturally, we must give them a little more time."

"Of course, the assassins from Grey Eagle City will be dealt with first."

"Naturally, all to wipe out those dammit assassins in one fell swoop!" Geasla sneered. "They probably do not know yet that when it comes to things leaked to the outside world, one must always hold a card up their sleeve."

For instance, those anti-assassination cultivation realms naturally possessed certain reservations.

The red-robed high priest said coldly, "If they truly believe that those are our only means, then when the time comes, let them pray that their great pioneer, Altaïr, blesses them from the underworld, hahahaha!"

"Of course! This is a real battle, not an exercise."

A burst of laughter instantly echoed through the hall.

…

On this morning, Owner Fang arose exceptionally early, perhaps because The Legend of Sword and Fairy 4 was finally launching today, or perhaps because the weather was quite pleasant; at any rate, before the opening hour had even arrived, Owner Fang had already come downstairs.

The customers, accustomed to Owner Fang opening precisely on time, naturally would not come to waste their time here at this hour.

The shop was very quiet. After opening the door, Owner Fang sat placidly on the sofa by himself, preparing a cup of instant noodles with an added sausage, which constituted his breakfast.

Aside from heading out for lunch and dinner, this was how he settled his breakfast most of the time.

Right at this moment, a handsome young man of about twenty or thirty, clad in a blue-trimmed, moon-white mage robe and wearing a mage hood, appeared outside the shop door.

Looking somewhat travel-worn, he paused for a moment, and then, as if confirming something, walked inside.

At first glance, he indeed appeared quite young, yet his eyes were as deep as the night sky filled with stars, and his demeanor exuded a maturity and sophistication that did not belong to youth.

"Owner, you… you operate a cultivation realm here as well?" He surveyed the shop's environment with a hint of surprise.

While waiting for his instant noodles to steep, Owner Fang took a sip of Sprite and nodded casually.

"Your shop… doesn't have much business, does it…" He smiled, seemingly organizing his words, and after a good while, he spoke, "I believe you need a bit of help, do you not? A tiny bit of… guidance, the kind that can show you a clear path ahead."

"Show me… a clear path?" Owner Fang looked at the man in surprise.

"Mm!" The "young mage" before him, who appeared no older than twenty or thirty, spoke up, "I believe you are in luck, young man. With me here, your shop will become booming in no time."

Fang Qi froze for a moment, scrutinizing the customer before him with great care.

"??" After a moment of bewilderment, he saw this "young fellow" pull a wand from his breast pocket, apparently intending to demonstrate something to bolster his credibility.

Next, the man looked left and right, then glanced outside the door, and upon ensuring no one was paying attention to this spot, he produced a stone, waving the wand in his hand as he said, "See this stone? I shall transform it into a magic crystal stone."

"…"

Stunned for another brief moment, Owner Fang seemed to finally understand and spoke up, "I see, you are…"

"Of course I am!" Know that I am a great alchemist now?

"You're a con artist, aren't you?" Owner Fang remarked, his face entirely wearing an expression that said 'this trick of yours is far too old-fashioned.'

"Pfft—!" The "young fellow" nearly stumbled and crashed onto the floor.

What?! I, the magnificent Ninth-Tier Mage Merlin, a transcendent existence, and you, this petty shopkeeper, actually call me a con artist?! Do I look like a con artist to you?!

A person like you is bound to miss out on a golden opportunity to rise to greatness!