Chapter 167: Resuming Old Business

Lei En scanned the surroundings swiftly, confirming that the red‑haired witch had already left.

He looked at the spot where he had just been; the Disintegrate beam struck the streetlamp, shattering a large section of the iron post into fine powder like dust that fell to the ground.

"Damn, that was close!"

Lei En felt a lingering dread, and cold sweat broke out on his back without his noticing.

Disintegrate is a Shadow‑type spell of six rings, and together with the seven‑ring "Death Finger" it is one of the most renowned instant‑death spells.

Being hit by such an instant‑death spell, if one lacks sufficient protection and a strong body to endure it, will die on the spot.

Lei En could not be sure whether his steel body could withstand Disintegrate.

Disintegrate, being six‑ring, requires at least a tenth‑level Legendary Wizard to master.

Yet that eighth‑level red‑haired witch could cast it almost instantly; she not only instant‑cast Disintegrate, but also the first Truth‑Word Immobilization the same way, and the final escape spell was the five‑ring "Teleportation", the three spell‑jewels firing in succession like a chain, executed in one breath.

Obviously, this is not something a high‑stage Wizard could achieve.

The key to the casting was the book in her hand; the book was merely a carrier, likely an extremely expensive spell scroll crafted by a Wizard above Legendary rank, pre‑loading the three spells, while the red‑haired witch merely activated the scroll.

"A scroll capable of instant‑casting a six‑ring Disintegrate would cost two to three wan gold just for the materials, not counting the labor cost of a Legendary Wizard making the scroll."

"The three spells are a four‑ring Mind spell, a six‑ring Shadow spell and a five‑ring Arcane spell—control, attack, escape—each linked to the other. A scroll this powerful would be more than sufficient even for assassinating a legendary transcendent."

"The maker of this scroll must be at least a Mid-stage Legendary Wizard!"

Lei En felt a chill in his heart, witnessing the ferocious methods of Mo Du aristocracy.

He had just arrived in Mo Du today; first he dispatched a ninth‑level gunner for a long‑range shot, which failed, then immediately sent an eighth‑level Wizard to assassinate on the streets of Fu Kong Cheng, even willing to sacrifice such a precious spell scroll—truly sparing no expense.

This was no longer a mere warning, but a life‑or‑death struggle.

What chilled Lei En the most was the witch's method of escape.

The five‑ring Teleportation can send a person to a designated spot within one hundred li, but Ouxiliya had said that the space of the Weizelan Fu Kong Cheng is locked; only high‑stage members of the city who bear the Weizelan badge can use spatial spells within the city.

The red‑haired witch successfully cast Teleportation, indicating that the spells on the scroll originated from a Legendary Wizard of Fu Kong Cheng!

"Damn, Fu Kong Cheng isn't safe either."

Lei En's complexion turned sour.

At that moment, he sensed a surge of magic; a few meters away a portal sprang up, and a male Wizard stepped out.

His head was full of white hair, even his eyebrows were white, yet his face looked very young, making it hard to gauge his true age.

The Wizard was of medium build, with handsome, gentle features; his pale‑blue eyes shone with wisdom. He wielded a simple staff, a bare wooden shaft carved from a single piece, its tip shaped like a crouching raven with folded wings, a red silk ribbon tied around its foot, fluttering in the wind.

He emerged from the portal, instantly drawing gasps from nearby people: "Master Kaidejia has arrived!"

Lei En saw the white hair and recognized the person's identity.

He was a member of the Weizelan Six‑Person Council, also its youngest, and in recent years the most talked‑about Legendary Wizard of Fu Kong Cheng, Councilor Kaidejia.

Even throughout the Empire, Master Kaidejia's reputation was far‑reaching.

Through the Soul Eye, he saw a seventeen‑level Legendary Arcane‑master; judging by the soul's hue, the counterpart was calm and bore no malice.

"You came quickly!" Lei En thought.

The red‑haired witch's front foot just teleported away, and Master's rear foot arrived, with less than ten seconds between.

Kaidejia's gaze was extremely sharp, as if it could pierce all illusion; it swept over Lei En and finally settled on the half‑broken lamp post.

He frowned, "Disintegrate? Who cast it inside Fu Kong Cheng?"

"Master Kaidejia," Lei En hurried forward, first stating his affiliation, then recounting the earlier events.

"Earl of Glamorgan, I have heard your name," Kaidejia mused a few times, then his face turned angry as he said in a deep voice, "A scroll that instant‑casts three Mid-stage spells and even teleports out of Fu Kong Cheng—what nerve!"

Obviously, he also realized the underlying issue.

Kaidejia looked at Lei En, examined him a few times, and said with deep meaning, "Your Lordship the Earl, your strength is impressive, to have survived this assault."

Lei En felt completely uneasy under his stare.

Fortunately, Kaidejia did not press further, instead saying, "This month I am on duty, overseeing Fu Kong Cheng's security. I will continue to investigate the witch's whereabouts, but I cannot guarantee I will find her; please accept my apologies, Your Lordship the Earl."

Lei En could not speak, for this Legendary Arcane‑master's attitude was unexpectedly gentle, he did not lie, remained neutral, and at least was not allied with the Mo Du aristocracy.

As for whether he could track down the witch, he held no hope.

Teleportation's range is one hundred li; before acting, the opponent must have taken every precaution against tracking, and even a Legendary High‑rank Kaidejia would find it hard to trace any useful clues.

Nevertheless, Lei En recorded the red‑haired witch's soul signature.

Her appearance had been disguised, but a soul cannot be faked; later, upon meeting her face‑to‑face, he would certainly recognize her.

Kaidejia exchanged a few brief words with Lei En, opened a portal, and sent him back to the Magic Hotel.

Just as he returned to his own room, Ouxiliya also stepped out of a portal.

"Your Lordship the Earl…" she said, a hint of apology on her face; she had been delayed by matters in the academy for a moment and hadn't expected an accident.

Because Master Kaidejia was present, she could not appear openly.

Lei En raised his hand to stop Ouxiliya's apology; this time he had also been careless, giving the enemy an opening and underestimating Mo Du aristocracy's methods and resolve.

Rather than rely on others' apologies and protection, he resolved to improve his own strength.

Lei En didn't want to argue over whose responsibility this was; after a moment he asked, "Lady, could I borrow your Shape‑changing Ring? Or have you purchase one from a shop outside; price is no issue."

Shape‑changing is a three‑ring spell that can be enchanted onto a ring, typically worth around a thousand gold; if he intended to go out to execute his plan, he would need a layer of disguise.

Ouxiliya was slightly startled, considered for a few seconds, and took a ring from her hand.

In an instant, a breathtakingly beautiful face was revealed.

Lei En had seen it before but pretended to be amazed, smoothly taking the ring. The Shape‑changing ring's design was simple, forged from mithril, its runes hidden inside; once worn, the ring merged with flesh and vanished completely.

The ring had only one enchantment, Shape‑changing, usable three times per day.

Shape‑changing's duration was long, up to eight hours; by re‑casting as the spell waned, the effect could be maintained continuously.

Lei En activated Shape‑changing; his facial muscles twitched, and within seconds he bore a stranger's face.

Then he changed into a loose overcoat, covering the Song of Azure Sky and the Premium Rune Book to prevent anyone from identifying him through them.

Ao Xiliya kept watching from the side.

Lei En, after packing up, said, "Please take me to the Mechanical Workshop in Fu Kong Cheng." He knew that the floating city of Weizelan had a Mechanical Workshop, an important branch of the Mechanical Guild in Mo Du.

In fact, the headquarters of the Mechanical Guild lay within Mo Du's ground‑level district; Mo Du was the world's most advanced city in mechanical technology.

Ao Xiliya first cast an invisibility spell on herself, then opened a portal.

Stepping out of the portal, Lei En found himself in a slightly dim alley, the underground of the Weizelan floating city.

Every floating city makes full use of its subterranean space, building various magical laboratories, alchemy chambers, and Mechanical Workshops; the passages criss‑cross like a massive maze.

When he emerged from the alley, the Mechanical Workshop was not far ahead.

The workshop's main hall resembled a spacious production floor, filled with all manner of machines and mechanical goods; the roar of steam rang continuously, piles of metal lay everywhere, and artisans operated the equipment. Among them were not only humans but also dwarves and even goblins—a bustling scene.

When Lei En stepped inside, the sight felt both familiar and welcoming.

What surprised him even more was that the person in charge of the workshop was a green‑skinned goblin.

The goblin's diminutive frame wore a fitted canvas work uniform, a soul gun strapped to its waist, a faint scent of machine oil on its body, and its tiny eyes showed a rational gaze—nothing like the foul‑smelling, blind, mindless goblins of legend.

"Goblin‑made, must be a masterpiece!"

The goblin bowed and saluted with a perfectly practiced motion, and in a sharp voice said, "Honored guest, I am Jia Weizi, owner of 'Goblin Treasure.' How may I assist you?"

Lei En looked down at the green‑skinned creature, feeling very intrigued.

A goblin so courteous, and also running a Mechanical Workshop, was truly rare. For a moment he was stunned, unsure how to reply.

"Time is money, my friend," the goblin urged, a hint of impatience in his tone.

Lei En finally responded, "I need to purchase a batch of metal raw material, and also rent your workshop space and machine tools."

Jia Weizi's small eyes lit up, his expression turning eager.

After a round of haggling, Lei En learned the goblin's prowess; he could not secure any advantage and finally rented a workshop space for three Gold Shields per day. The workshop was fully equipped: four steam‑powered machine tools of various functions, plus dozens of tools for smelting, forging, and grinding.

Lei En, using his metal sense, selected a batch of raw material and many already‑crafted semi‑finished parts from the workshop's storage.

From the materials, Jia Weizi guessed that Lei En intended to forge firearms, though he was not especially surprised.

Many gunmen rent workshop spaces to forge soul guns.

When Jia Weizi left the workshop, Lei En shut the door, his gaze inadvertently sweeping a corner where Ao Xiliya, still invisible, had been following him.

He pretended not to see and buried himself in work.

In his view, he opened his phone interface, launched the gun‑assembly game, and more than twenty weapon schematics appeared: pistols, shotguns, submachine rifles, sniper rifles, heavy machine guns, self‑propelled artillery…

"Only half a year has passed, and I'm back to my old trade."

Lei En quickly discarded the underpowered weapons, and after repeated evaluation and selection, settled on a target, muttering, "Let this world witness the true power of firearms!"

(End of Chapter)