Spellcasting Gods

……

Suddenly, many homeless refugees pushed out their children—whether they were trafficked or their own flesh and blood—in an attempt to exchange them for some food.

Some of them were farmers from the surrounding countryside who fled to the city for refuge upon hearing the news of the impending war, while others were residents from the Riverlands who had suffered greatly from the war. The only thing they had in common was that they had little property and could only struggle to survive by selling their children.

Unfortunately, Zhang Cheng's heart had long since turned cold, and he had no interest in these pale and thin little girls. He simply pushed aside the middle-aged woman who was blocking his way.

Just as he was about to leave this dangerous place quickly, one of the girls suddenly sprang up and pulled out a gleaming dagger from her bosom.

In addition, three or four other people nearby tore off their disguises and drew swords of varying lengths to launch an attack.

It must be said that their choice of location was very clever. It was a narrow alley, and a distance from where the guards patrolled. In addition, the chaotic crowd blocked traffic, so there was enough time to carry out a deadly assassination.

"Hahaha! Interesting, someone actually wants to assassinate me?"

Seeing several sharp blades aimed at him, Zhang Cheng showed no sign of panic; instead, he burst into laughter.

He casually drew his demonic sword—the Soul-Binder—and with a light swing, deflected the attack from the side. He then unleashed a fiery shockwave at the girl charging towards him.

boom!

With a loud bang, before the poor little one could even figure out what was happening, she was thrown into the air, her clothes engulfed in a blinding flame, and then she crashed to the ground with a thud, her fate unknown.

Having eliminated the most dangerous enemy first, Zhang Cheng showed no sign of stopping and immediately turned to attack the other assassins.

With the Soul Reaper's sharp blade, he killed the other unfortunate souls with almost no effort. Two of their souls were imprisoned, and it wouldn't be long before they were transformed into undead in endless pain and torment.

Feeling the intense evil power emanating from the Soul-Binding Messenger, he couldn't help but laugh and exclaim, "The more souls it devours, the stronger it becomes? You truly are a demonic sword..."

"Sir! Are you alright?" A patrolling guard who happened to be passing by ran over and asked loudly.

"Do I look like something's wrong?" Zhang Cheng wiped the blood off the sword on the corpse and asked without turning his head.

"Uh—I'm so sorry, I forgot you are the champion of the tournament, the invincible Sir Mason. A few mere assassins are no match for you." The guard flattered him with an embarrassed expression.

"Alright, enough of this nonsense. Examine the body carefully and see if you can find any useful clues. I want to know who's behind this." Zhang Cheng instructed as he bent down to examine the girl who had been hit by the flames.

But just as he bent down, before he could even reach out his hand, the girl suddenly threw a green-glowing throwing knife, then turned and ran without saying a word.

Taking advantage of her familiarity with the terrain and her petite stature, she disappeared from everyone's sight in just two or three seconds...

Chapter 0130 Freedom

"Cough cough cough..."

Accompanied by violent coughing, a raggedly dressed girl hurriedly slipped into a secret passage.

As the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, King's Landing has long been the site of a vast and intricate labyrinth beneath its walls. Only a very few people know which path leads to the outside world and which leads to the interior of the castle.

After walking for about several dozen meters through the pitch-black tunnel, she suddenly stopped warily and tentatively called out, "Sir, is that you?"

"Of course it was me! So, Yana, did you succeed?"

The words had barely left his mouth!

A person emerged from the darkness.

He was none other than the infamous schemer and ambitious Petyr Baelish, nicknamed "Littlefinger".

The girl shook her head with a wry smile: "No! Sir Mason's power far exceeds our imagination. Look, this is a spell he released during the battle. If I hadn't been prepared, I would probably be dead by now."

To prove her point, she quickly removed her tattered disguise, revealing a steel breastplate hidden underneath—or rather, a sturdy armor with a steel plate on the outside and a double layer of leather on the inside.

Normally, a breastplate like this wouldn't be able to be pierced by arrows, let alone a spear thrust from the front.

But now, the outermost steel plate has shown signs of melting, and the inner double-layered leather is emitting a pungent burnt smell.

Upon witnessing this, Baelish's pupils contracted sharply, and he asked uncertainly, "How many times can he unleash such power in battle? Ten times? Twenty times? Or a hundred times?"

"I'm sorry, sir, we were too incompetent. He only used it on me once, and the rest were dealt with by simply using the sword in his hand. In addition, that scorching and violent impact not only destroyed my armor, but also severely injured my internal organs. I'm afraid I won't live for more than a few days." As she spoke, Yana once again spat out a large amount of dark red blood from her mouth, and her eyes dimmed.

"It's alright. At least I can confirm that he does possess some kind of magical power, and that's enough for now. As for you, don't worry, I won't let you die." A sinister smile appeared on Baelish's face.

"Can...can I still survive?" The girl's previously dim eyes rekindled with hope.

Petyr Baelish nodded without hesitation: "Of course! My dear Yana! Now, go to Ser Mason's house immediately and tell him that the Queen was the one who secretly planned this assassination, and that you were just a poor pawn. Trust me, he will spare your life."

The girl seemed to understand something and cautiously asked, "You mean, I should frame Cersei Lannister and then stay by his side as a spy?"

“Heh, clever. But you’re half right. Your task is simply to deepen his resentment and hatred towards Cersei Lannister. You don’t need to be a spy, and you must have no further contact with me. To put it simply, from now on, you are free. Whether you remain loyal in the future or choose to betray me at some point, it has nothing to do with me. Do you understand?” Petyr Baelish replied meaningfully.

"Wh...what?! I...I'm free?!?" Yana's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief.

You should know that she was sold to "Littlefinger" by slave traders when she was ten years old. She has been secretly engaged in various intelligence gathering and assassination operations. Her hands are already stained with the blood of innocent people. She never thought that one day she could escape and live a normal life.

"Yes, you are free. Do you remember what I once said? Anyone who owes me a life can be free once they repay that life. You have repaid the life you owed me today. Now go and save yourself. I hope that when we meet again, we won't be enemies."

After saying this, Petyr Baelish took out a handkerchief, gently wiped the sweat from the girl's face, and then disappeared silently at the end of the secret passage.

"I'm free...I'm free...I'm free!!!"

Overwhelmed with an indescribable ecstasy, Yana struggled to her feet and ran toward Zhang Cheng's residence.

She was well aware of her injuries; ordinary scholars were powerless to help her, and her only recourse was her magical power.

Meanwhile, Zhang Cheng, who had just survived an assassination attempt, was sitting in his room, casually tossing a piece of bloody, fresh beef to the young dragon behind him, and asking with interest, "Blanco, who do you think orchestrated this assassination?"

"It's a bit hard to say. I personally lean towards it being someone within King's Landing. After all, the assassins predicted the time and route with remarkable accuracy. If they hadn't misjudged your strength, they probably would have succeeded by now." The old mercenary's back was pressed against the door, his voice trembling slightly.

I couldn't help but tremble!

Not far from him, there was a dragon over 1.5 meters long with sturdy scales and sharp claws, its mouth full of sharp teeth, frantically tearing at bloody chunks of flesh, and occasionally spewing out a ball of scorching flame from its throat.

Anyone who has heard the story of the Targaryen family will inevitably feel awe and fear towards these unparalleled, primordial behemoths.

He couldn't believe in his wildest dreams that the master he had pledged allegiance to could actually hatch the dragon egg!

And it has grown so big in such a short time!

In another six months or a year, they might be able to emulate Aegon the Conqueror and conquer the entire continent of Westeros with the help of dragons!

Zhang Cheng keenly sensed the fear in his subordinate's heart and immediately joked with a smile, "Blanco, are you scared? Don't worry, it won't hurt anyone without my order."

"Ow!"

The young dragon also let out a low roar, its two violet-colored eyes revealing a hint of disdain.

In this little guy's eyes, an old and dirty creature like the old mercenary wouldn't eat it even if it were placed on the very edge.

“My lord, you can’t assume a lion is harmless just because it’s eaten its fill. Admittedly, this dragon may be nothing to you, but to me, it’s a monster straight out of a nightmare. Finally, I must remind you that you’d better find a way to get it out into the wild, or this room will soon be too small to fit it,” Blanco replied with a helpless expression.

"Hahaha! I've reached an agreement with Duke Tywin regarding the territory..."

Before Zhang Cheng could finish speaking, the butler Deli's voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Sir, a girl claims to have something very important to discuss and needs to see you immediately."

Chapter 0131 Framing

In the living room in the front yard, Yana, who was seriously injured, was carefully observing her surroundings while covering her mouth with a handkerchief to prevent her violent coughing from bringing up too much blood.

She knew very well that the upcoming meeting would determine whether she deserved to live, so she was extremely uneasy, even more nervous than when she killed for the first time.

However, this hesitation didn't last long. Zhang Cheng pushed open the door and entered the room, scrutinizing the girl from head to toe with a critical look. After a full minute, he asked in a somewhat uncertain tone, "We've met before, haven't we?"

“Yes, sir. To be precise, just over an hour ago, I participated in the assassination attempt against you.” Yana knew that lying would do her no good, so she readily admitted it.

To show her sincerity, she even took off her outer clothes, revealing her close-fitting tank top and shorts. The dark purple bruises on her abdomen and the burns on her skin caused by the high temperature were definitely not something that could be done by ordinary methods or weapons.

As a mage, Zhang Cheng was naturally aware of the wounds inflicted by the flames, and immediately nodded with a smile: "Hehe, so you're the little guy who managed to escape by luck. It seems you're quite clever and cautious, wearing decent protective gear. Tell me, what brings you here? Perhaps your master realized how foolish a mistake he made, and thus sent you to sue for peace?"

“Sir, I think you’d better be careful. She might be coming for a second assassination attempt.” Blanco’s eyes showed strong vigilance.

"Relax. Do you really think this girl could be hiding any weapons? Besides, given the extent of her internal organ damage, she can't do any strenuous exercise right now, or she'll die from internal bleeding immediately." Zhang Cheng comforted the old mercenary without turning his head, while silently taking out his alluring pocket watch.

Given the chance, he would not hesitate to use it on the girl standing in front of him in order to obtain information about the mastermind behind the scenes.

Yana wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, knelt on one knee, and said sincerely, "My lord, first of all, please allow me to apologize for my rash behavior just now. After all, I am just an insignificant pawn and have no right to question my master's orders. Secondly, the reason I came to you is not for any other reason than that I do not want to die. Finally, if you agree to save my life, I am willing to tell you the truth of the whole matter."

"Interesting! What makes you think I can save you?" Zhang Cheng calmly sat down in the chair and asked with interest.

"I don't know, maybe it's a woman's intuition, or maybe it's the magical power you've exerted, but I feel like you're my only hope for survival." Yana shrugged helplessly.

"A woman's sixth sense? Hahahaha!" Zhang Cheng couldn't help but burst out laughing, teasing as he did so, "Sorry, in my eyes, you can only be called a girl at most; you're missing the most crucial part of being a woman. But I can tell you definitively, yes, I can save you, but the question is whether you're worth it."

"I can kill for you! Gather intelligence for you! I can even satisfy all your desires! Because that's what I was trained to do since childhood. Besides, don't you want to know who wants your life? Cough cough cough cough..."

As the last word escaped her lips, Yana coughed violently once more, staining her white handkerchief red in just a few seconds. The shocking blood and spittle indicated that her life was nearing its end.

Maybe in a day or two, maybe in three to five days, but if she doesn't receive treatment, her body will likely appear in some dark corner of the city about a week later.

If you're unlucky enough, you might be eaten by homeless people before you die, and your body might even be sent to a flea den to be cooked into something called brown soup to feed hungry poor people.

Zhang Cheng stroked his chin, pretending to think for a few minutes before taking out a small bottle of healing potion that shimmered with a mysterious aura from his waist pouch. He gently waved it in front of the girl: "See this? This bottle contains a magical liquid that can heal your damaged internal organs. As long as you drink it, you can survive."

"Give it to me...!"

Driven by an intense desire to survive, Yana reached out to snatch it without hesitation.

Unfortunately, due to severe internal injuries and burns, her flexibility was greatly affected, and she missed her target.

"Wait, I haven't finished speaking yet." Zhang Cheng quickly pulled his arm back, a mocking expression on his face. "You gave me a lot of reasons, but to be honest, I don't believe a single word of them. Now, I'm giving you one more chance, a chance to tell the truth, and more importantly, a chance to live. If you miss this chance, then a painful death awaits you."

“I didn’t lie! I can swear if you don’t believe me.” Yana clenched her fists excitedly.

In a way, she wasn't lying, at least not yet, which is perhaps what makes "Littlefinger" so clever.

Zhang Cheng looked into the girl's eyes to make sure she wasn't lying, then waved his hand dismissively, "No need for oaths. Tell me, who wants my life? Just tell me, and the contents of this little bottle are yours."

“Cersei! Cersei Lannister! She ordered me to assassinate you.” Yana announced the queen’s name with unwavering certainty.

“Cersei? Why does she want to kill me?” Zhang Cheng frowned and asked.

After all, although the relationship between the two was not exactly friendly, they were still allies. At least before dealing with Stannis, this self-righteous and vicious woman should not have done such an outrageous thing.

Yana shook her head, feigning a pitiful expression: "I'm sorry, sir. I'm just an assassin following orders, and I don't know the reason. Perhaps it's because you've been getting too close to the king lately."

“Oh? It’s Joffrey? No, that’s not right…” Zhang Cheng quickly dismissed his guess, then casually handed the bottle in his hand to the girl.

Just as Yana was filled with joy and was about to take the bottle, the pocket watch in her other hand suddenly emitted a strange red light without warning.

Caught completely off guard, the girl suddenly fell into a state of confusion.

Seeing that his opponent had fallen for his trick, Zhang Cheng immediately lowered his voice and whispered in Yana's ear, "Tell me, my little darling, who exactly ordered you to kill me?"

“It’s…it’s…it’s Petyr Baelish…”