Chapter 404: Three Hundred Years Older, Embracing the Golden Mountain

Lei En felt both amused and helpless inside, yet he dared not show it.

If it had been at the beginning of his transmigration, the Silver Star Duke extending that long white leg, he would have leapt onto it without hesitation, losing not even half a minute.

But now it's not possible.

First, his current strength and status differ from two years ago; he is no longer a common man to be toyed with, he has confidence, a teacher behind him, no need to sell his body, and his standards for women have risen. Second, the Silver Star Duke's identity—she is Viola's great‑grandmother and was once Luo Jue's lover—both are people crucial to him, and he does not wish to damage his ties with them.

Although Viola gave him the rainbow flag permit, getting involved with her great‑grandmother would inevitably cause trouble, and Lei En could not accept it mentally.

In fact, he is still quite tolerant of age gaps.

A woman three years older is perfectly normal; it was a common occurrence in his previous life.

A woman thirty years older isn't rare in a world where extraordinary power grants long life; Ao Xi Li Ya is far older than him, already over a hundred, yet by a dragon's lifespan she is still a minor, equivalent to a fourteen‑year‑old human girl.

A woman three hundred years older far exceeds his tolerance!

Perhaps when Lei En himself lives for several hundred years, he will still be devoted to women in their twenties; a gap of over three hundred years would then be acceptable.

But he simply can't handle the Silver Star Duke.

Longhaired Lady was an exception; Lei En felt forced, and the body he touched was Viola's, which felt entirely different.

In this regard, Lei En discovered he has a touch of cleanliness obsession.

He had already heard many of the Silver Star Duke's romantic exploits when he was still an ordinary person—numerous lovers, over a dozen children; otherwise how would the Xi Er Wei Rui clan have produced so many people?

Moreover, the Silver Star Duke's style is domineering, while maintaining multiple lovers.

Her chief guard Fulin Ke is the most devoted sycophant, perhaps there are others, but outsiders cannot know.

Back then Luo Jue could not accept it and fled overnight with a bucket, precisely because he didn't want to become one of her toys; Lei En, of course, could not agree either.

He does not want to share a lover with anyone, even for a bit of fun.

A man must not be controlled by his lower half!

Lei En steadied himself; though he had already refused inside, he showed no sign, pretended not to grasp the Silver Star Duke's hint, walked over, sat at the far end of the sofa, and formally said, "Duke, may I ask what business you have in calling me?"

"Can't you come to me without a reason?" the Silver Star Duke said softly, gently running a hand through the black hair at her ears, then corrected, "From now on, call me Lady."

Her voice was soothing, her posture alluring, every gesture exuding the charm of a mature woman.

For any other man, it would be hard to resist such temptation; her status further ignites men's desire to conquer.

Lei En noticed a flickering light in her soul, a sign of covert casting, evidently a spell that bewitched the mind.

Back then Luo Jue must have fallen for it.

But it had no effect on him; he remained unmoved and said, "Lady, I saw Master Luo Jue in Hohawen last year."

The Silver Star Duke's expression flickered, she sat up a little, and stared at Lei En with mild displeasure:

"Why bring up Luo Jue?"

Facing the anger of a Holy Soul Wizard up close made Lei En a bit nervous, but he forced himself to say, "I came to know you thanks to Master Luo Jue's recommendation; seeing you now reminds me of him. Master Luo Jue has always thought of you, so I'm asked to convey his greetings."

"Hum…" the Silver Star Duke replied, utterly distrustful, "That Luo Jue fellow isn't that kind‑hearted."

A trace of resentment colored her expression, as if she had been abandoned by an unfaithful man.

Lei En let out a silent chuckle inside.

Clearly, the Silver Star Duke still harbored a grudge over Luo Jue's overnight flight, though it was unclear whether her feelings were sincere or simply bitterness at being the one dumped.

Nevertheless, Master Luo Jue was not a faithful man; he found a new lover as soon as he arrived in Hohawen.

A jerk paired with a wild woman actually fits quite well.

Thinking of this, Lei En felt a pang of shame; he wasn't any better in this regard.

The Silver Star Duke muttered a few words, apparently cursing someone.

She was sidetracked by Lei En using Luo Jue's name, sensed that he wasn't buying her act, instantly lost interest, adjusted her clothing, regained a rational yet mysterious demeanor, and said, "I sent people to Gra Morgan last week; you weren't there, so it's convenient you're back in Longshande, saving another trip."

"So there is indeed business."

Lei En was surprised; he had just returned to the castle, stayed a few hours, then left, and the steward Fabian hadn't even had time to inform him.

He sat upright and said, "Lady, please speak."

"Within half a month, I plan to launch a long‑range operation against the followers of the Fraudsters and need you to take part," the Silver Star Duke stated her purpose.

"Followers of the Fraudsters…" Lei En's heart leapt—Luo Xi, the evil god?

That powerful evil god is not to be trifled with.

He had previously been marked by the Conflict Seal, which took nearly a year to fully erase, and he still felt lingering dread.

Luo Xi is the God of Magic's mortal enemy; his followers can only operate covertly within the Empire. The Silver Star Duke's plan for a long‑range strike clearly targets outside the Empire.

Lei En immediately thought of "Dark Sun" and "Shadow Blade," the two major groups under Luo Xi. "Dark Sun," also called the "Hand of the Fraudsters," is primarily composed of spellcasters and serves as Luo Xi's church. Their main area of activity is the "Shabukongtina" subcontinent, on the southern side of the Shi Jie Shan Mai, a region of chaos and conflict where many openly worship Luo Xi as a righteous deity.

"Lady, are you targeting 'Dark Sun' or 'Shadow Blade'?" Lei En asked.

The Silver Star Duke gave him an approving glance and replied, "Both. They both took part in last year's conspiracy and attack in Longshande; if I don't respond, they'll think I'm afraid of them."

"The damage these evil‑god followers inflicted on Longshande must be repaid to me."

"The goddess's sanctuary cannot tolerate heretics running amok!"

As she spoke, the Silver Star Duke's tone grew increasingly solemn, her expression more devout; she rose and gestured a prayer toward a God of Magic statue at the center of the room.

A fierce blaze of faith fire erupted from her soul, resonating like a deity.

Lei En sensed a vast, sacred, inviolable aura—the power of the God of Magic. As one of the goddess's followers, he quickly bowed his head in worship.

He muttered to himself that the Silver Star Duke truly lived up to being a Divine Chosen; a few words drew the goddess's attention.

Fortunately, the goddess merely glanced over, without lingering.

The Silver Star Duke sat down again and continued, "I've sent people to investigate for over a year; in Shabukongtina's 'Matuos City' we uncovered a Fraudsters' temple. They control this port city; Dark Sun and Shadow Blade have many members there. Matuos is a crucial stronghold for them—if we can uproot it and purge the followers, it will deliver a heavy blow to the Fraudsters."

Lei En nodded; he knew Matuos.

The subcontinent's area is about one‑quarter of the Empire, bounded to the north by the Shi Jie Shan Mai, to the south by the Storm Sea; the land forms a triangle with eastern and western coastlines.

Matuos lies on the southern part of the central eastern coast; the golden shipping route from the Empire passes many vessels that stop there, gradually turning it into a port city of over a million inhabitants.

Although Mazhuosi is far less wealthy than Mo Du and Thus: Thus: Shengangcheng, it can still rank among the top five, even the top three, on the secondary continent.

According to the Silver Star Duke, she not only intends to destroy the temple of Luoxi, but also to sack Mazhuosi.

Lei En couldn't help but doubt her true purpose.

Subduing heretics and weakening the goddess's mortal enemy's divine power is a legitimate reason, but he feels the Silver Star Duke is more after plunder.

The Dark Sun controls Mazhuosi, and therefore also holds the city's economy, having amassed a great amount of wealth.

Eliminating the evil god's followers and conveniently taking their gold is quite reasonable!

"A vindictive woman is not to be trifled with, especially one who wields great power; if anyone blows up her tower, she will sack the entire city in retaliation," Lei En muttered inwardly.

Given the Silver Star Duke's strength, launching a full‑scale surprise attack on Mazhuosi has a high chance of success; it's just unclear why she wants to take part herself.

After some deliberation, Lei En asked, "Madam, is there any place where I can be of service?"

"Of course there is."

The Silver Star Duke gave a faint smile and said, "Mazhuosi is, after all, a metropolis of a million inhabitants; its administration is chaotic, with many non‑human races cohabiting—goblins, ratfolk, pigfolk, serpents, Evil Beastmen, Blade‑tooth tigerfolk—numerous indeed. This is a common ailment of all cities on the secondary continent, so I require high‑end combat power, preferably a means to swiftly eliminate lower‑tier foes, a quick and decisive war."

Lei En immediately understood; she was referring to the Extreme Warrior.

The Extreme Warrior became famous in the battle at Weizelan Fu Kong Cheng, where a dozen of them held back the onslaught of tens of thousands of Undead Army. Although the Silver Star Duke did not see it with his own eyes, he must have heard of it afterward, perhaps even secretly investigated the Lambo Spear.

As expected, she continued, "I've heard that under your command there is a group of Extreme Warriors, which perfectly fits my needs; if I could borrow them for a while, that would be ideal."

Lei En showed a hint of difficulty.

He hadn't spoken yet when the Silver Star Duke raised an eyebrow and said, "What's this? As my vassal, you once swore allegiance to me, and now you won't even send a few men?"

Lei En felt the fury of a Holy Soul Wizard.

"Please, madam, do not doubt my loyalty," he hurriedly explained. "I have been in Gra Morgan for less than two years, and have already sent tax shipments twice, each time 700,000 Gold Shields, which is 200,000 more than before. Is that not loyal enough?"

The Silver Star Duke's expression softened slightly; regarding the taxes, Lei En's performance was indeed impeccable.

Seizing the chance, Lei En continued, "Training Extreme Warriors is no easy task; their gear and weapons are huge expenses, daily training drains money like water, and they must be supplied with magical elixirs and various facilities. These barbarians are also voracious—one meal can satisfy ten humans. Their strength is almost forged from Gold Shields. The consumption in battle is terrifyingly high; even I find it hard to sustain…"

"During the campaign, I will cover all the Extreme Warriors' expenses," the Silver Star Duke interrupted Lei En's lament.

Lei En fell silent and stopped, but also said nothing.

"Speak, what other conditions do you have?"

The Silver Star Duke was rather helpless; Lei En's wings were truly hardened now. He is a student of Anxiwodasi, the chairman of Weizelan, and the Duke really dared not do anything to him. Moreover, faintly she sensed Lei En's power was exceedingly strong, surpassing all the legends under her command, so she was full of confidence.

"Hehe…" Lei En rubbed his hands and said, "Madam, I want twenty percent of all the spoils."

"What an enormous appetite, aren't you afraid of bursting?" the Silver Star Duke sneered, but Lei En remained unmoved, calmly replying, "Please trust the Extreme Warrior's strength; once you see them, madam, you'll find them worth every coin. Not a single Gold Shield of that twenty percent will be wasted."

The Silver Star Duke, seeing his confidence, was silent for a moment, then finally nodded, "You'd better not disappoint me."

This meant agreement.

She waved a hand to dismiss him, "You may return; we'll act within half a month at the latest. Be ready when I give notice."

"Yes, madam." Lei En rose and took his leave.

He stepped onto the teleport array, returned to the base of the tower, and let out a gentle breath.

The Silver Star Duke's plan does not conflict with Emillise's; over at Kangjiatuo, it will be at least another month before it begins, possibly longer—dragged into autumn or before winter—depending on when Kangjiatuo's civil war ends.

And a raid on Mazhuosi would be settled within half a day if nothing unexpected occurs.

This quick money would be wasted if not taken.

Lei En thought to himself, having left the Silver Star Academy alone, he did not return to his home villa, but went straight to the public teleport array in the Silver Star District and returned to Mo Du.

(End of chapter.)