Spellcasting Gods

According to the original storyline, Arya should have been following the Night's Watch recruiter, Yoren, on the road back to Winterfell.

But now, because of his intervention, a serious deviation has occurred, and this deviation is precisely what he least wanted to see...

Chapter 0120 The Hidden Masterminds

Half an hour later, in the backyard living room, Arya, who had just taken a bath, was wolfing down a steaming hot kebab and bread. Her hands and mouth were covered in soup, and she had none of the temperament and manners that a noblewoman should have. She looked more like a starving beggar.

Clearly, the short period of homelessness had a huge impact on her physical and mental health, especially after witnessing the bloody scene of her biological father being beheaded, which made her exude an aura of hatred.

Zhang Cheng sat in the chair, his arms crossed in front of his chest, silently observing the girl in front of him.

He was now a little unsure whether he should send it back to its original fate, give it to the Lannisters as a gift, or use its special status to do something.

Without a doubt, Arya Stark was no ordinary person. Especially after Robb Stark's death, she possessed immeasurable value, almost like her sister Sansa. Whoever obtained her would gain the support and recognition of many nobles in the North, and could even use her as an excuse to wage war and establish themselves as the new King in the North.

Unfortunately, Zhang Cheng had absolutely no interest in this poor, backward, and sparsely populated land.

Most importantly, the North is on the front lines of the fight against the White Walkers, and it's hardly a good place.

His goal was clear from the beginning: Tyrell of Highgarden.

On the one hand, due to the plot, this family will anger Cersei at some point in the future, ultimately leading to the demise of almost all of their heirs;

Another reason is that the Reach region has always been the most important agricultural production area on the continent of Westeros.

Anyone with a modicum of common sense would understand that in the era of cold weapons, developed agriculture meant a large population base, and a large population base meant war potential.

Therefore, theoretically speaking, whoever occupies the river bend region will become the most powerful warlord.

As for the scenario depicted in the TV series, where Jaime Lannister leads his army to conquer Highgarden overnight and uproots the Tyrell family, it's almost impossible, unless a key character suddenly turns against him at a crucial moment.

Just as Zhang Cheng was hesitating about how to deal with Arya, the butler, Deli, rushed in and reported in a low voice, "Sir, I think you'd better hide this young lady right now. His Majesty the King is here."

"The King? You mean Joffrey? He's really in a hurry..." Zhang Cheng curled up his lips with a playful expression.

Clearly, this newly enthroned king is 100% here to learn so-called "magic".

He was completely unaware that he had unknowingly become a fish that had taken the bait.

“Yes! I’ve blocked them in the front yard. You’d better hurry.” Delhi nodded vigorously and urged.

You could tell he was extremely nervous, afraid that something might break in and discover the girl who was wanted by the police.

Zhang Cheng raised his arm and gestured for people to calm down, then smiled at Arya: "I'm sorry, Miss Stark, you'll have to excuse yourself for a moment. We'll discuss your future later."

"Wait! Can you help me kill Joffrey?" Arya suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with undisguised hatred.

“No, I can’t. I only promised to help you, but that doesn’t mean I’ll take the huge risk of killing someone for you. Besides, believe me, it’s better to take revenge yourself.” With that, Zhang Cheng ignored the girl and stood up to follow the butler to the front yard.

As soon as he stepped through the porch, the first thing he noticed was not Joffrey wearing a crown, but Sandor Clegane, who was fully armed and clad in armor.

There was no way to miss it; the burns on "Hound's" face were so obvious that it was hard not to notice them.

"Ah! My dear Ser Mason, you've finally come out. What, didn't you go to see Eddard Stark's execution today?" Joffrey boasted smugly.

"Heh, quite the opposite. Not only did I go, but I also witnessed you ordering the execution of the Duke of Stark. But I'm a little curious, what made you break your promise? After all, sending him to guard the Wall in black would undoubtedly have prevented the outbreak of war." Zhang Cheng stroked his chin, feigning curiosity as he asked.

Joffrey, completely oblivious to the deeper meaning behind those words, replied with an air of pride, "It's simple! I hate the Starks! I hate even more anyone questioning the legitimacy of my throne! If traitors like this aren't severely punished, who will respect the king in the future? Who will obey the king's orders?"

"Oh? Did you come up with all of this yourself? Or did some loyal minister offer you advice?" Zhang Cheng narrowed his eyes and continued to probe.

“It’s Earl Petyr Baelish. He thinks I should do something to demonstrate the new king’s authority and deter those restless bastards.”

Joffrey, severely lacking in vigilance, quickly revealed the crucial role "Littlefinger" played in the affair.

It must be said that, as a schemer and ambitious man, Petyr Baelish was extremely adept at exploiting the flaws in everyone's character.

Whether it's Eddard Stark, Cersei, or Joffrey, they all inadvertently became pawns manipulated by him. Sometimes, just a few words could stir up suspicion between people, and then let that suspicion gradually evolve into hatred, chaos, and war.

Having confirmed the true culprit behind Eddard Stark's death, Zhang Cheng couldn't help but smile and exclaim, "Well, it seems Lord Baelish is indeed a loyal subject. One last question: why did you kill me in the first place? Was it perhaps on Lord Baelish's advice?"

Joffrey shook his head. "No, it wasn't him, it was Varys. He implied to me that you used underhanded methods to win the tournament, and given how badly you injured the Mountain, I couldn't help but want to teach you a lesson. Are you still holding a grudge about that?"

"No, no, no, you misunderstand, Your Majesty. I just want to clarify one thing," Zhang Cheng explained with a smile, his eyes flashing with coldness.

He really hadn't expected that the "dead eunuch" would discover his use of magical powers so early on, and at the same time, quietly pull off a scheme to kill someone with a borrowed knife.

If Joffrey hadn't been drawn to the wonders of magic and ultimately chosen to reconcile, he would surely have harbored resentment towards this deformed offspring of incest and constantly caused him trouble.

If he couldn't resist killing Joffrey, he would immediately become the Lannister family's mortal enemy.

"Varys the Eight-Clawed Spider, truly a master of intrigue on par with Littlefinger. He's already presented me with a grand gift before we've even met. But don't worry, I'll soon show you how dangerous it is to provoke a mage for no reason," Zhang Cheng muttered to himself with a cold laugh.

Chapter 0121 Utilization

"Sir Mason! What are you muttering about? You know I am now the king, capable of keeping my promises. Shouldn't you also keep yours?" Joffrey urged impatiently.

He has always been short-tempered and impatient, and will burst into fierce anger at the slightest dissatisfaction, eager to find a scapegoat to vent his anger. The fact that he has been able to endure until now is enough to prove that he has great awe for the incredible power of magic.

In fact, most people exhibit a mixture of fear and curiosity when faced with things they don't understand.

Although Zhang Cheng had not studied psychology, it was not difficult for him to see through a restless teenager going through puberty.

He calmly gave a wink, signaling the steward to leave with the servants, before lowering his voice to reply, "Your Majesty, I suggest you have the guards leave first, and then we can discuss the specific terms."

Joffrey instantly understood, turned around and shouted at "The Hound": "Sandor! Take everyone outside and wait. I want to be alone with Sir Mason for a while."

The latter glared at Zhang Cheng with a warning look, then stood silently with four guards in the open space outside the two gates. One of his hands was always gripping the hilt of his sword, ready to react immediately in case of any unexpected situation.

It must be said that "Hound" is indeed a very qualified bodyguard. Apart from being afraid of fire due to childhood trauma, he has no other obvious flaws.

In particular, his excellent obedience far surpasses that of knights anointed with holy oil, if only he hadn't always followed the wrong person...

Well, just thinking about Sandor Clegane's incredibly unfortunate life made Zhang Cheng want to sigh.

However, he had no immediate plans to do anything. Instead, he pulled out a pre-prepared slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to Joffrey: "Please take a look. This is what I want. If you can deliver it to me within three days, I can begin to teach you magical arts."

"Two warships and their crews, one hundred canisters of wildfire, six hundred sets of armor and weapons, three hundred longbows, fifty thousand arrows..." Joffrey read the list from the slip of paper, his brow furrowing unconsciously. "Sir Mason, who are you preparing to fight?"

“Heh, that’s right. Haven’t you realized it yet? From the moment King Robert died, war has already begun. King’s Landing will face the Starks in the North, Renly of Storm’s End, Stannis of Dragonstone, and even their supporters. And you? Your Majesty! Apart from a few thousand weak city guards, you probably only have the support of House Lannister, right?” Zhang Cheng said with a smile, stating the almost cruel reality.

Upon hearing these words, Joffrey's face instantly turned extremely gloomy.

He may have fatal character flaws, but he's not stupid at all. He quickly realized how precarious the Iron Throne beneath him was, and asked through gritted teeth, "Which side are you going to stand on? Me? Or those shameless traitors?"

"Hahaha! Is there even a question? Of course I'm on your side," Zhang Cheng laughed as he gave his answer.

But he didn't say the rest of his thought aloud: this alliance would only last a few months, and once he got what he wanted, he would choose a different side.

After all, in the game of power, it is wise to change one's stance according to the situation. Those who are stubborn and cling to loyalty and honor usually do not have a good ending. Eddard is a living example of this.

"Oh? Really!" Joffrey's eyes revealed undisguised surprise, and he paced back and forth as if considering something.

After about three to five minutes, he suddenly stopped and proposed in a very sincere tone: "Sir Mason, how about this, I will give you a sum of money, as well as a title and position, and you will recruit an army for me, an army that will only obey my orders. In return, after all the traitors are eliminated, I will take away their territories and give them to you as a reward."

Faced with such a windfall, Zhang Cheng didn't hesitate for a second. He immediately placed one hand on his chest and bowed deeply, saying, "What else can I say but gratitude and obedience, Your Majesty..."

Clearly, this brat only thought about how to strengthen his own power in the shortest amount of time, thus ignoring the issue of military control.

Is there anything cheaper and better in the world than spending other people's money to build your own army and eventually gain vast territories?

As for the mentally disabled child Joffrey, who is brutal and kills for fun at the drop of a hat, that has nothing to do with him.

Anyway, once the Battle of Blackwater is over, "Queen of Thorns" Olenna Redwyn will naturally be there to clean up the mess.

“Fantastic! Sir Mason! I knew a smart man like you would make the right choice.” Joffrey was completely unaware of the enormous mistake he had made, his face beaming with excitement and joy.

“Your Majesty, I think you’re eager to learn about magic now, aren’t you?” Zhang Cheng’s lips curled into a playful smile as he raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

moment!

A burst of crimson flame spontaneously shot from his fingertips, illuminating the slightly dark foyer.

"This!! This is!!!!" Joffrey's eyes widened suddenly as he stared intently at the flame, which was the size of an infant's fist.

Zhang Cheng calmly transformed the flames into various shapes, then mysteriously explained, "That's right, this is magic. It allows humans, with mortal bodies, to wield power comparable to that of gods. Fire, ice, lightning—magic can create everything most destructive in nature. But acquiring this power is extremely difficult, so difficult that perhaps only one in ten thousand people will succeed."

"What about me? Can I succeed?!" Joffrey asked impatiently.

"I'm sorry, I can't give you an answer right now. I need to observe and learn for a while before I can draw a conclusion. Before that, I hope you can take me to see Lord Varys. There's a small misunderstanding between us that needs to be resolved."

As he spoke the last few words, a chilling glint flashed in Zhang Cheng's eyes.

Having had a similar experience, Joffrey shuddered and silently mourned for Varys for a second before replying, "Let me make it clear, I don't mind if you cause trouble for Varys, but please don't kill him. My mother relies heavily on the information he provides."

"Hmph! Don't worry, Your Majesty, I won't kill him, I'll just teach him a little lesson. Let's go, it's getting late, I want to get back before dark."

"Aha! As long as we don't kill him, there won't be any problems!"

……

Chapter 0122 Eight-Clawed Spider

In the dimly lit castle cellar, a bald, fat man dressed in a magnificent silk robe sat at a desk, rapidly flipping through one slip of paper after another filled with tiny writing, before throwing the slips into the brazier beside him to burn them.

He was none other than Varys, known as the "Eight-Clawed Spider".

As someone who makes a living by collecting and selling intelligence, he has an exceptionally keen sense of danger. He often senses danger before it even arrives and then takes appropriate countermeasures.

It was precisely because of this that he survived countless court struggles.

No matter who becomes king or prime minister, he remains the undisputed chief intelligence officer in the Royal Council.

But today, Varys was feeling uneasy for some reason, as if he had overlooked something important. So he hid alone in the cellar, trying to find some clues from the latest intelligence gathered by the "little bird".

Just as he finished reading the last note and was about to throw it into the brazier, a series of noisy footsteps suddenly came from the corridor outside.

Before he could even react to what was happening, the tightly closed door was violently slammed shut.

boom! boom! boom!

Boom!

The wooden bolt held for only three strikes before snapping in two, and the door flew off, smashing cabinets, tables, and other furnishings to pieces.

"Good afternoon, Lord Varys."

Accompanied by a mocking greeting, Zhang Cheng stepped into the room, glancing at the wary bald fat man not far away while gesturing to the guards behind him.

Without saying a word, the latter repaired the door at lightning speed and then disappeared at the end of the narrow, dark corridor.

After watching these irrelevant people leave, Zhang Cheng leisurely walked to the table, snatched the note from the other person's hand, glanced at it, and said with a sarcastic smile, "If I'm not mistaken, this is the intelligence your proud little birds have gathered, right? Tsk tsk, using underage children to do such dangerous things, your heart is really vicious."