Esmeria

In a vast chamber adorned with exquisite furniture, an ailing old man lay on a bed with attendants nearby, attending to his needs. He was King Wu of Luo Yang.

An attendant stationed outside the room spotted a figure approaching and called out,

“The grand court wizard has arrived!”

Upon receiving a subtle gesture from the king, an attendant beside him opened the door to usher Peng Xian inside.

Peng Xian was renowned for his expertise in magic, medicine, and poison. He served not only as the kingdom’s grand court wizard but also as the king’s personal physician.

As Peng Xian took the king’s arm to check his pulse, he noted a concerning sign: the king’s fingernails had turned black.

“Fingernails turning black, weak unstable pulse, difficulty in speaking and breathing… all indicative of severe poisoning. It even blocks out healing magic. I must investigate immediately to identify the culprit, though I suspect who might be responsible,” Peng Xian remarked with a furrowed brow.

“How much time do I have left?” The king strained to ask.

“Your Majesty, at most two months,” Peng Xian replied gravely.

“I see… regrettable. I wanted to see Wu Zhao grow into a fine lady,” the king mused weakly.

“Your Majesty, isn’t the princess already a fine lady?” Peng Xian inquired gently.

The king chuckled softly amidst a fit of coughing that left him breathless.

“Perhaps you are right. I wish to see her mature, marry, and bless me with grandchildren.”

Realizing the strain on the king, Peng Xian advised,

“Your Majesty, please conserve your strength. I will leave now to prepare medicine for you.”

King Wu nodded faintly, granting Peng Xian permission to depart.

After exiting the chamber, Peng Xian made his way swiftly to the royal kitchen, intent on gathering evidence firsthand to unravel the mystery of the king’s poisoning.

“Greetings, Grand Court Wizard, do you need anything here?” The head chef halted his work and bowed respectfully to Peng Xian.

Peng Xian nodded in acknowledgment.

“Oh my, nothing much, I am just here on a whim, don’t mind me.” With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the head chef and proceeded to meticulously inspect all the ingredients in the royal kitchen.

“Hmm… nothing out of the ordinary, these are all normal ingredients…” Peng Xian muttered to himself, deep in thought about the possible source of the king’s poisoning.

Turning to the head chef, he inquired,

“Have there been any suspicious people around here lately?”

The head chef shook his head.

“There’s no suspicious person here, although we have someone who has gone missing. She probably couldn’t take the stress and returned home, I guess.”

“Missing at such a crucial time?” Peng Xian raised an eyebrow.

“Well, she always seemed fidgety and timid. A shame, since she’s quite the looker,” The head chef remarked casually.

“Very well. This old man shall be off now, stay vigilant,” Peng Xian concluded with a nod.

“Yes, Grand Court Wizard.” The head chef replied, bowing once more as Peng Xian left the kitchen, his mind racing with suspicions and plans to uncover the truth behind the king’s ailment.

In the tower where Peng Xian's two disciples trained, Chen Yang, the younger disciple, successfully cast a spell, conjuring fire that formed into spears and shot toward a target dummy, engulfing it in flames.

“Ming Yu, look, look! I can cast [Fire Spear]!” Chen Yang declared proudly.

Chen Yang, an orphaned twelve-year-old boy, possessed a unique talent for magic, able to perceive the intricate elementals around him—an ability coveted by all magic users.

“Haa…don’t be so proud of it. Spear-type magic is just second-tier, and you only managed one fire spear,” replied Ming Yu, the elder disciple of Peng Xian, in her mid-twenties. Both wore flowing white robes befitting their status as wizards.

Ming Yu effortlessly conjured three [Water Spears], extinguishing the flames engulfing the dummy with precision.

“Just wait. Today, I managed spear-type magic. Next week, I’ll master third-tier crusher-type magic!” Chen Yang exclaimed eagerly.

“Yeah, yeah…ahhhnn~~” Ming Yu stretched languidly, clearly bored.

“Hey, Chen Yang, do you still remember all the types of magic?” Ming Yu quizzed him, testing his diligence.

“Of course! The first tier is Bolt-type, the easiest! If you can’t cast this, you can’t cast any magic,” Chen Yang replied confidently.

“Second-tier magic includes spear-type for penetration power, Cage-type for creating elemental barriers like earth or ice,” he continued, recalling his studies.

“What is the last type of second-tier magic?” Ming Yu asked.

“Umm…Ah yes! It’s the shield type! It creates a shield that can block attacks from a specific direction! The third tier of magic is crusher-type, focusing on impact damage rather than penetration. It uses up more mana compared to spear-type, hence it's considered a higher-tier magic!”

“And what about fourth-tier magic?” Ming Yu queried.

“Umm…I only remember they are considered to be in the domain of the divine beings.”

“Sigh…you should focus more on your magic theory instead of just practical exercises,” Ming Yu sighed.

“Studying books makes me sleepy!” Chen Yang pouted.

“Indeed, that’s why you still have much to learn,” Ming Yu said, shaking her head with a mix of fondness and exasperation.

“With Xiao Jie gone, now is the perfect opportunity to eliminate Peng Xian. We should start by taking out his disciples, despite how insignificant they may seem. Can you handle this?” Gilles asked Annie, his tone laced with determination.

“Father, magic users may be formidable in combat, but they are vulnerable to ambush and stealth attacks. Hashshashins are experts at exploiting these weaknesses,” Annie replied confidently, a hint of a grin on her face.

“Harun and Yasmin will keep Peng Xian occupied when he's alone. Azraq and Banu will assist me in dealing with his disciples,” she outlined their strategy.

“Do not underestimate Peng Xian. He didn’t become the grand court wizard for nothing,” Gilles cautioned Annie once more.

Azraq effortlessly bent the steel sword hanging on the wall of Gilles’s room, crushing it into a compact metal ball with ease.

“Magic is just deception to deceive others; it can't compare to true strength,” Azraq declared confidently, proving his point before tossing the metal ball aside.

Gilles was astonished at Azraq’s display of strength. Not only had he effortlessly bent the sword, but his hands showed no sign of injury despite handling the sharp edges.

“Incredible... Perhaps your strength could rival Xiao Jie’s,” Gilles muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.

“The only difference is they were born earlier and haven't faced their match yet,” Harun boasted proudly, emphasizing their readiness for the upcoming mission.

“Let's go. See you later, Father,” Annie said as she and her companions melted into the shadows.

Alone now, Gilles prayed fervently, his thoughts consumed with the impending events.

"Peng Xian, for the greater good of Luo Yang, please let this be the end."

Peng Xian walked through the silent streets at night, sensing a subtle but strong killing intent directed at him.

"Oh my, such a subtle yet potent killing intent. These individuals must be skilled to mask most of their intent. Whoever hired them must truly desire my demise," Peng Xian mused aloud, his voice calm and composed.

"Enough with the games. Show yourselves," he called out casually, stroking his beard as he waited.

An arrow flew towards him but was swiftly incinerated mid-air near Peng Xian.

"You thought a simple arrow would suffice?" he remarked calmly, showing no hint of fear.

Harun descended from a rooftop, landing gracefully in front of Peng Xian.

"A greeting, old man," Harun replied cryptically.

Peng Xian remained unfazed.

"What have I done to deserve such a warm welcome?"

"A soon-to-be-dead man doesn't need to know," Harun retorted, launching another arrow towards Peng Xian before disappearing into the darkness.

Peng Xian deflected the arrows with his [lightning shield], demonstrating his preparedness.

"Do you think I wouldn't know there are two of you?" Peng Xian remarked, tapping his staff lightly on the ground, the earth beside him rose to deflect a dagger thrown from the side, crumbling away after its task.

More daggers came from different directions, all blocked by Peng Xian's defensive spells.

"Simple attacks won't work on me, young ones. How about reconsidering your path?" he suggested calmly.

His [Earth Shield] deflected two more daggers thrown toward him from behind.

As the earth shield crumbled, Harun seized the opportunity to charge at Peng Xian and stabbed him in the stomach.

"I relish killing arrogant fools like you. This dagger is coated with a demonic plant poison. You won't heal from this," Harun taunted, driving the dagger deeper, savoring the sensation of inflicting pain.

“Harun, back off!” Yasmin's urgent shout pierced through the tense atmosphere, prompting Harun to swiftly retract his dagger and leap back, trusting Yasmin’s caution over his own reckless impulses.

“So you were hiding over there!” Peng Xian's calm voice resonated as he tapped his staff on the ground. Instantly, the tree branch Yasmin stood on sprouted and transformed into a cage, trapping her within its wooden confines.

“Eek!” Yasmin attempted to hack at the branches with her dagger, but her efforts were in vain as the branches rapidly regenerated, thwarting her attempts to escape.

Meanwhile, Harun, turning back to face Peng Xian, realized his dagger had pierced an earth doll created by Peng Xian. With a sinking feeling, he understood that Peng Xian had evaded the attack and was now preparing a countermove.

A sudden tapping sound echoed behind him, and before Harun could react, the ground surged upward, encasing him in an [earth cage].

“Oh my, oh my, this is how you execute a sneak attack, young one,” Peng Xian remarked with a calm demeanor, as if amused by the unfolding events, his voice carrying a paternal yet ominous tone.

“Damn you, dirty old geezer, release us right now!” Harun shouted furiously, slashing at the [earth cage] with his dagger in a futile attempt to break free.

Peng Xian inspected the poison-coated dagger with a grave expression, realizing its potential link to King Wu’s condition. Determination etched on his face, he resolved to create an antidote, hoping it could save the king.

As guards approached in response to the commotion, Peng Xian departed for his tower, dagger in hand, leaving Harun and Yasmin trapped in their respective cages to ponder their predicament.

Yasmin sighed heavily, frustration evident in her voice as she spoke to Harun,

“How could you fall for such a cheap trick?”

“Shut your trap! You could have warned me sooner!” Harun retorted defensively, regretting his impulsive actions.

Yasmin shook her head in disbelief.

“Yeah, now we’re both stuck here thanks to your idiocy.”

“I will break out of this shitty cage and free us.”

“Yeah yeah, sure hope you do, before the guards put us in jail.” With Yasmin conserving her energy and Harun persistently slashing at the earth cage, they awaited their fate, hoping to break free before the guards arrived.

“Ming Yu, look! Look at this!” Chen Yang exclaimed excitedly, gesturing towards the burning target dummy as he managed to cast three [fire bolts] simultaneously.

“Ahnn~ what time is it now?” Ming Yu groaned, stretching her arms as she woke up from her nap on a bench in the courtyard.

“Did you see that?!” Chen Yang persisted, pointing proudly at the smoldering target.

“See what?” Ming Yu rubbed her eyes, still half-asleep.

“Aww come on! I just managed to cast three [fire bolts] at once!” Chen Yang protested with enthusiasm.

“You really woke me up just for this…?” Ming Yu sighed, clearly unimpressed.

Ming Yu then summoned three [water bolts] in quick succession, directing them at the target dummy to extinguish the flames.

“Is Master Peng Xian not back yet?” she asked, shifting her attention back to their teacher’s absence.

“Nope!” Chen Yang replied eagerly.

“Ahnn~ It’s really late now, I’m heading back to my room to sleep,” Ming Yu decided, preparing to leave.

“Aww Ming Yu, don’t go!” Chen Yang pleaded, his disappointment evident.

Ming Yu suddenly stopped.

“You planning to stay here with me? I always knew you had a soft heart~!” Chen Yang perked up hopefully.

“Chen Yang, when I say run, you better do it quickly, don’t look back, and find Master Peng Xian,” Ming Yu said suddenly, her tone serious and urgent.

Chen Yang’s expression turned serious as he nodded in understanding, sensing the gravity of Ming Yu’s warning.