Chapter 1471

The Forgotten Bar is much livelier at night than during the day. The dim, flickering candlelight plates the copper wine cup in the magician's hand with a bright luster. Magicians wearing robes of different colors sit together in small groups, accustomed to whispering in hushed tones, while many half-demons with horns on their heads or elves from Maia gather together, shouting and drinking.

Jim, the Master of the Dark Night and owner of the Forgotten Bar, sits behind the counter wiping a wine cup. A female half-demon with horns on her head and goat hooves walks up to the bar, sits down, flicks her long, whip-like tail, taps the countertop, and speaks in a melodious tone.

"Master of the Dark Night, any fresh news lately? You know, the demon general I serve was recently finished off by his son, and I need to find some amusement to coax that greenhorn who just took the position."

Jim admiringly focuses on the spotlessly clean wine cup in his hand and, without even lifting his eyes, says to the half-demon woman, "I didn't expect you to really incite that quail-like young general to move against his father. Sariya, do you really think he can hold up the entire Shadow Scorpion Legion?"

"He is much stronger than his father." The half-demon called Sariya props her face up with her hand and says, "The era of Hell has changed. That old scorpion only knows how to throw punches; he's not as smart as his son. I just want to follow a wise master."

"There is some new news lately, but don't think about getting something for nothing from me."

"Oh? Regarding what aspect?"

Watching Jim's calm expression, Sariya reveals a smile and says, as if somewhat helpless, "Give me a glass of Soul-Brew, add plenty of sinner's blood. I'll pay the highest price."

Only then does Jim nod with satisfaction, turn around to take the ingredients from the cabinet behind him, and begin mixing the drink. As he adds the ingredients to the shaker, he says, "Some time ago, Dr. Schiller's apprentice summoned Beelzebub, but recently Beelzebub's power hasn't responded to anyone's summons. Perhaps they have signed an exclusive agent contract."

"That doesn't count as news." Sariya flicks her tail with some dissatisfaction and says, "That was all over half a month ago."

"Alright, have you heard about the matter at the London All-Souls Cemetery?"

"What happened at the All-Souls Cemetery?" Sariya leans her body forward, striking a curious pose, and stares fixedly at the Master of the Dark Night's face with her red, slit-pupil eyes.

"Many graves in the All-Souls Cemetery have been dug up. The gravedigger, Master Kazi, still hasn't found the culprit. I estimate he'll be here in a few days to post a bounty."

Sariya raises an eyebrow and says with some disdain, "Probably just that group of necromancers who play with bone frames again. What's so strange about that? Just check if the price of undead materials on the black market has dropped, and you'll know."

But the Master of the Dark Night, Jim, shakes his head and says, "The strange part is that this gravedigger just dug up every grave one by one, but didn't take away a single corpse."

Sariya's brows knit together. She thinks for a moment and says, "Could it be that the people buried in the All-Souls Cemetery have a grudge against him? But aren't most of them ordinary people there? Magicians don't need to dig up the graves of ordinary people to take revenge, right?"

"Who's to say?" Jim hands the mixed drink to Sariya and says, "We are more inclined to think he wants to find trouble for the gravedigger, Kazi. This necromancer with the eccentric temper has occupied the All-Souls Cemetery for so long that many people have long been annoyed by him."

Sariya holds the wine glass and sighs lightly, saying, "I don't think it's that simple. If he really wanted to find trouble for Kazi, he should take the corpses so Kazi has no spellcasting materials. Digging up the graves one by one serves no purpose other than enraging Kazi."

Just as they are speaking, the front door of the Forgotten Bar opens with a bang, and a gust of cold wind rushes in. A guest by the door curses toward that direction with dissatisfaction, "Which bastard is so impolite?... Gravedigger Kazi? How could you bear to leave the All-Souls Cemetery?"

"Because some damn scoundrel went to my place to cause trouble, and I'm here to post a bounty!"

The necromancer named Kazi is a thin, withered little old man wearing a tattered black robe, with a bunch of keys tucked into his waist. Human bones are vaguely visible in a rag bag stained with dirty mud and water.

"Long time no see, Master Kazi. We haven't seen each other since you became a Grand Mage, have we?" Jim greets him.

"Don't talk nonsense, Jim! Don't think I've forgotten that you stood on Bourbon's side back then. Hurry up and bring the bounty order. Once I catch that damn scoundrel, I'll definitely make him pay!"

Kazi taps the bar top very irritably. Jim doesn't mind his rude attitude but explains while turning to get the bounty order from the cabinet, "I just didn't want two Grand Mages fighting in my bar; that would turn this place into ruins."

"That coward Bourbon wouldn't dare move against me. Everyone knows he owes a debt to the Lava Lord and doesn't even dare leave his Mage Tower now. I said long ago that he wouldn't have a good end!"

Kazi snorts coldly but doesn't continue cursing. He lowers his head, picks up a pen, and begins filling out the bounty order. Sariya, sitting on the other side of the bar, puts down her glass, walks silently to Kazi's side, and says to him, "Master Kazi, I've long admired your name. I am Sariya. I heard that some bastard dug up the All-Souls Cemetery and angered you. Perhaps I can help with something."

Kazi lifts his head and looks Sariya up and down with a cold gaze until her back feels prickly. Only then does Kazi speak, "Succubus descendant? Get lost. I don't have time to play any flesh games with you people."

Sariya's expression stiffens, but she still says, "If you post a public bounty, then I can also take the mission. Why don't you explain the situation in detail so everyone can have an understanding?"

Kazi hesitates slightly. He tugs at his beard and still speaks, "There is no detailed situation. It's just that there's a bastard I can't catch who comes to turn over my cemetery every night. It would be one thing if he just turned them over, but he even takes the corpses out of the coffins and puts them on the ground, forcing me to clean up every day."

"It's only been a few nights, and the entire All-Souls Cemetery has been plowed through by him. Almost all the corpses have been dug out, but he didn't take away a single one. He's simply a lunatic!"

After a while, Kazi's bounty order is finished. Jim nails it to the bounty bulletin board, but almost everyone just takes a glance and loses interest.

Kazi is habitually stingy, and the price he offered is very low, yet the person to deal with is a grave robber who can deceive the eyes of a Grand Mage. No one likes to do this kind of thankless work, so this matter becomes fodder for tavern guests to chat about after meals, and they laugh it off.

Until after three in the morning, most of the guests have dispersed, leaving only a few drunks who drank too much to be moved by the waiter to the corner of the bar. Once the last waiter finishes his work, the Master of the Dark Night leans against the bar, somewhat sleepy, waiting for dawn.

But just then, the back door of the tavern is knocked on. Jim is startled. He first turns on the desk lamp on the counter, then reaches under the cabinet to find a lantern and lights it. With the lantern in one hand and his other hand pressing the hilt of the sword at his waist, he walks toward the back door.

With a "creak," the door is opened. The light from the lantern shines on a stubbly face. A chill rushes in, and Jim's exclamation echoes at the doorway: "John Constantine?"

"It's me." Constantine appears somewhat exhausted, his voice still hoarse. He supports the door frame with one hand and drags a pitch-black object with the other. Jim's heart trembles. He steps back two paces, frowns, and says, "What's wrong with you? Are you hurt? Were you hunted down by some demon again?"

Constantine sighs and shakes his head, saying, "Didn't I tell you? I've already washed my hands of it. There is no magician Constantine; I'm just an ordinary person now."

"Ordinary people don't knock on my door in the middle of the night. Come in quickly." Jim moves aside, illuminates the room with the lantern, and watches Constantine use his hands and feet to drag the pitch-black object behind him inside with some difficulty.

As soon as that thing appears in the light, Jim gasps. It is a coffin, still stained with soil, a black coffin that looks like it was just dug up.

Constantine kneels halfway on the ground, supporting the lid of the coffin to catch his breath for a while, then stands up and says not without complaint, "Although I don't like using magic to solve everything, it's really inconvenient without it. Do you have a toolbox here? I need to pry it open."

Jim widens his eyes slowly. In the dim room, he looks at Constantine and says, "Could it be that you are the grave robber Kazi is offering a bounty for?"

"What grave robber? The All-Souls Cemetery was originally my territory. 'Death' handed it to me to look after. That Kazi is just a cuckoo in the nest, and he even considers himself the master there."

Constantine curls his lip, but Jim is still somewhat puzzled and says, "Even so, you don't need to dig graves, right? Wouldn't it be enough to just drive Kazi away?"

"That has nothing to do with it." Constantine shakes his head and begins searching the room for tools to pry open the coffin nails. After a while, he brings over a crowbar, beckons to Jim, and says, "Come over, you help me light it. I need to open it."

Jim stands in front of the coffin, watching Constantine insert the crowbar into the gap of the coffin. He frowns and asks, "Who is in the coffin?"

"Andrew Bennett."

Jim gasps, a look of recollection flashing across his face, and then he asks, "That vampire from the sixteenth century?"

Constantine nods. After securing the crowbar, he stands up and steps on the edge of the crowbar. A piercing screeching sound rings out, and the coffin is pried open a gap.

"Why did you dig him up?"

"I have something to find him for." Constantine says solemnly, "Or rather, it's not that I have something to find him for... forget it, let's wake him up first."

With a "bang," the coffin lid is finally flipped open by Constantine. The man lying inside has short black hair, a streak of white hair on the left side of his forehead, a melancholic, classical handsome face, and a very pale complexion without a trace of blood. Two fangs are vaguely visible between his lips and teeth.

"Help me recite the spell to awaken the vampire." Constantine turns his head to look at Jim and says, "I can't use magic now. If I make a noise and wake him up, your bar might not be able to open tomorrow."

Jim sighs. Clearly, he has a deep friendship with Constantine and cannot refuse his request, so he draws the Night Blade at his waist, holds the hilt with both hands, and whispers a few spells.

A ray of light opens on the forehead of the man in the coffin, then spreads over his entire body, making his whole body emit a glowing white light.

The man's eyelids move slightly. Accompanied by the trembling of his eyelashes, he slowly opens his eyes. Constantine bends down and looks at him with concern.

And that vampire called Bennett, the moment he sees Constantine's face, hurriedly grabs the coffin lid. With a "bang," the coffin is closed again.

Jim turns his head with a "whoosh" to stare at Constantine. Constantine puffs out his cheeks and makes a strange sound with his lips, one hand tucked in his pocket, the other pinching two fingers together, and says.

"Back then, when we were investigating a cult together, there was a little... small accident."