Episode 142
He rushed inside, breathless.
“How did it go?”
“See for yourself.”
The old sage checked on the child lying on the bed. The parasitic entity had vanished without a trace. Overwhelmed, he sank to his knees and grasped his disciple’s hand.
Zeke looked at the old sage and spoke. “Now it’s your turn to keep your promise.”
The old sage stared at Zeke for a moment before speaking slowly. “Let’s discuss the deal tomorrow.”
Zeke nodded in agreement.
As Zeke stepped outside, Boris let out a sigh of relief. “Did you really manage to do it?”
“Yes, though it wasn’t easy.”
Boris was once again amazed by Zeke’s seemingly limitless abilities. “But do you think the old sage will keep his word?”
“Love is a force stronger than anything else.”
Boris tilted his head, puzzled. “What do you mean by that?”
“The old sage and his youngest disciple—they’re lovers.”
Boris was at a loss for words, completely taken aback by the unexpected revelation. Zeke gave Boris a light pat on the chest. “Get a grip, Boris.”
“S-sorry.”
“Coming from a former outlaw, you shouldn’t be so easily surprised.”
“It’s just that… never mind. Following you, boss, I see all sorts of things.”
As they exchanged quiet words, a guide approached Zeke and Boris.
“The elder has instructed me to ensure you have a comfortable rest.”
The guide’s voice suggested she was a woman. She led Zeke and Boris to a room reserved for honored guests.
Boris’s jaw dropped as he took in the opulent surroundings. “Wow…”
The room was lavishly decorated, rivaling even the emperor’s quarters. It was filled with precious Eastern Empire porcelain, silk, and furniture adorned with gold and jewels. Beautiful women, dressed in sheer garments and adorned with ornate jewelry, knelt gracefully in the room.
The guide bowed to Zeke and asked, “If you require more attendants, please let us know. We can provide others of different genders or races if you wish…”
“No need. Dismiss them and just prepare a meal for us,” Zeke replied.
The guide gestured to the women, who exited the room with elegant, synchronized movements, as if they were one entity. Watching them leave, Boris realized they were highly trained assassins.
“This place is crawling with assassins,” he thought, feeling uneasy as he inspected the room for hidden threats.
Zeke, seated on a sofa, addressed Boris. “Relax, Boris. If they wanted us dead, they would’ve acted by now.”
“I know, but it’s hard to calm down. You’re the one with nerves of steel, boss.”
Soon, the guide returned with a sumptuous feast. The dishes included fresh seafood and vegetables, rare in the desert, and high-quality meat prepared by a skilled chef. Despite the tempting spread, Boris hesitated to eat.
Zeke, immune to poison, sampled the food to ensure it was safe. “No poison. Go ahead and eat. Did you know that assassins make excellent chefs?”
“That’s news to me.”
“Assassins have keen senses and patience. Maybe that’s why most of the ones I know are great cooks.”
“I see…”
While Zeke savored the meal, Boris picked at a few dishes, barely tasting them.
After the meal, the guide personally brewed tea. “I heard you enjoy tea, so I brought some rare Eastern Empire tea.”
“Thank you.”
Though not as exquisite as Ishtar’s tea, the brew was still quite good. Watching Zeke drink the tea without hesitation, Boris shook his head in disbelief.
The next day, Zeke met with the old sage again.
“Did you rest well?”
The old sage’s demeanor had softened since their first meeting. “Is this how he treats someone who saved his lover?” Zeke wondered, nodding in response.
“Thanks to you. Now, shall we discuss the deal?”
Zeke wasted no time, prompting a smile from the old sage. Zeke pulled out a file and handed it to him.
“What’s this?”
“Take a look.”
The old sage chuckled as he read the file. “A request for deployment?”
“Not for assassination, but for protection against it. I want to hire your assassins to defend against assassins.”
Assassination was the leading cause of death among knights. In his past life, Zeke, as McCain’s hitman, had killed hundreds of knights. Assassins, specialized in killing, were the natural enemies of knights. While knights of a certain rank could fend off attacks, poison was a different story.
Though Zeke himself was not at risk, he wanted to protect his comrades by hiring the best assassins.
The old sage finished reading the contract and looked at Zeke. “There’s no fee listed.”
“A disciple’s life is priceless, wouldn’t you agree?”
The old sage smiled wryly. “Did you think I’d agree to this contract?”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
Zeke’s confident reply left the old sage momentarily speechless. He snapped his fingers, and someone emerged from the shadows.
Dressed in black from head to toe, Zeke recognized the guide from the previous day by her aura.
“This is my first disciple,” the old sage said.
Zeke had suspected she was no ordinary assassin, but he hadn’t realized she was the old sage’s direct disciple.
The old sage grinned at Zeke. “If you pass my disciple’s test, we’ll make a deal.”
“Your disciple sets the test, not you?”
“Correct.”
At the old sage’s signal, the disciple stepped forward and removed her mask, revealing her stunning beauty. Her brown skin, deep-set eyes, long lashes, and full lips were captivating, far surpassing the beauty of the women from the previous day.
She placed two glass bottles in front of Zeke. Each contained a clear liquid. She opened the bottles and spoke to Zeke.
“One contains a deadly poison I crafted, the other is just water. Choose one and drink it.”
She added, “There’s no time limit. Take your time.”
Zeke studied the bottles and then looked at her. “This is the test?”
“Yes.”
The disciple watched Zeke intently, curious about his choice. Her test was filled with traps. She gave it to those with much to lose, making the decision even harder.
Most people would focus on identifying the non-poisonous bottle, but her poison was colorless, odorless, and tasteless. The liquids were indistinguishable, leaving many unable to choose, sitting for days in indecision.
The fear of the poison grew over time. Imagining a painful death from the poison paralyzed them with fear. No one had ever passed her test; they all gave up before choosing.
“A young knight with a bright future like him would never make a choice,” she thought.
For an assassin, patience was a crucial weapon. She could stand there smiling for days, waiting for him to decide.
Watching Zeke scrutinize the bottles, she anticipated the moment when the young knight would crumble.
But then, Zeke picked up the bottles and sniffed them. “Hmm.”
He looked up at the disciple. “The poison is supposed to be colorless, odorless, and tasteless, right?”
She nodded.
After a brief pause, Zeke grabbed one of the bottles and drank it without hesitation.
Both the old sage and his disciple were taken aback.
“What?”
They had expected him to agonize over the decision, trapped in his own doubts. But Zeke had chosen so easily and drank the contents.
Zeke set the empty bottle down and looked at the disciple. “Is that really it for the test? Nothing else?”
The disciple, struggling to hide her surprise, nodded. “That’s it.”
Zeke, unimpressed, turned to the old sage. The old sage, too, was astonished by how effortlessly Zeke had passed the test.
“I’m not one to believe in gods, but Zeke Draker, you seem to have divine favor.”
“I don’t believe in gods either, so let’s skip the divine talk and get to the contract.”
The old sage nodded. “Alright. Whether it’s divine favor or not, making a deal with you seems beneficial. That’s how we’ve always operated.”
He gestured to his disciple.
“I’ll send ten of our people along with my first disciple. During the contract period, they’ll follow your orders within the scope of protection. However, any assassination requests will be separate. Those will require additional payment.”
Zeke gazed thoughtfully at the disciple of the Mountain Elder.
“The first disciple of the Silent Death.”
In his past life, the one who had harbored the most hatred for the Mountain Elder during the attack was none other than this first disciple.
“If he holds a grudge against his master, he might be even more useful.”
After accepting the Mountain Elder’s terms, Zeke signed the contract.
Once the signatures were complete, Zeke asked the Mountain Elder, “One more thing. Did Abel Draker spread my information to the Silent Death, the Holy Kingdom, and the Scorpion Clan?”
“I can’t speak for the others, but he did commission us to track Zeke Draker and report on your movements. There was also an order to kill you and seize whatever you find in the desert.”
“I didn’t realize the Silent Death ran errands.”
“The payment was substantial enough to make it hard to refuse.”
The Mountain Elder asked Zeke, “So, when do you want them dispatched?”
“Tomorrow. We’re heading to Death Valley.”
“Death Valley? What business do you have in that cursed place?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
Zeke turned to the Mountain Elder’s disciple. “Hey, what should I call you?”
“Please call me Shadia.”
“Alright, Shadia. Be ready to leave for Death Valley tomorrow.”
With that, Zeke stood up and left the Mountain Elder’s chamber.
The Mountain Elder stroked his beard, staring at the spot where Zeke had been sitting. He spoke to Shadia, “They say the desert is a land forsaken by the gods. Surviving in a place even the gods have abandoned requires a bit of luck. Shadia, keep a close watch on that man.”
Shadia nodded, picking up the remaining bottle from the table where Zeke had sat and tucking it into her robe.
“Luck, huh.”
Her expression shifted subtly.
What Zeke had drunk wasn’t just water; it was a tasteless, odorless poison. But that wasn’t the most surprising part.
“He deliberately chose the poison.”
Shadia usually provided a hint to those undergoing this test. The water, unlike the poison, was the same as what was used in the food served to the test subjects.
Her concoction was colorless, odorless, and tasteless, but the water was not. If someone had noticed the hint, they would have chosen the water instead of the poison.
No one had ever caught on to the hint before, but Zeke Draker seemed to have noticed it. Yet, he chose the bottle with the poison.
“Is it a warning that this level of poison can’t kill him, so I shouldn’t get any ideas?”
Back in her room, Shadia realized her palms were damp with cold sweat. She looked in the mirror and ran a hand over her face.
A completely different visage emerged—a cold beauty with sharp eyes.
“Zeke Draker. I’ll uncover every detail about you.”