Spellcasting Gods

"And what about the other books on the bookshelf?" Zhang Cheng pointed to the pile of old books on the table.

“I’ve read them all! I’ve read all the books here!” the girl replied quickly.

“Very good! Then tell me, where do you think the meteorite that caused the Valyrian catastrophe is buried? If possible, could you point it out on a map?”

After just two questions, Zhang Cheng finally revealed his true intentions...

Chapter 0153 Alcatraz

According to the description in the A Song of Ice and Fire story, Stannis's only daughter, Shireen Baratheon, lived in the castle on Dragonstone from birth. Given her quiet and solitary nature, and her only pleasure being reading, it is very likely that she had already read all the books stored there by the Targaryen family.

If there is anyone in the world who can deduce the location of a meteorite's fall from a jumble of clues, it must be her.

Many people, because of her age, overlook the knowledge contained in the mind of this girl with a bumpy fate, and do not realize that she may be the last person to understand the history of the Targaryen family and the huge secrets hidden behind the history.

In fact, Zhang Cheng did not initially realize the little guy's potential value, but when he noticed the half of his face ravaged by gray scale disease, he suddenly remembered it.

If Celine Baratheon can find the meteorite, he wouldn't mind changing its tragic fate.

It's important to know that the story of A Song of Ice and Fire has two versions: a novel and a TV series. He wasn't quite sure which direction his world would take.

If it is the latter, then this lovable little princess will eventually be burned alive by the ruthless Stannis.

Although Zhang Cheng's heart had long since become extremely cold, and he didn't really care about the life or death of a little girl, he wouldn't mind giving something in return if she could bring him enough benefits.

Celine Baratheon was clearly unaware that her fate was about to change. She picked up a map of the Summer Sea from the shelf and found the peninsula where the Valyrian capital was located in the southern part of the Long Summer Land on the continent of Essos.

Perhaps it was the news that greyscale could be cured soon, or perhaps it was the first time she had felt noticed and valued; in any case, she was unusually excited, constantly flipping through the books left behind by the Targaryen family, copying down important sentences for comparison and reference.

About ten minutes later, the focused girl drew a circle on the small island at the bottom of the map with her pen, looked up and shouted excitedly, "This is it!"

"Oh? Can you tell me why?" Zhang Cheng suppressed the urge to immediately mount the dragon and explore the area, and asked eagerly.

“It’s very simple! First, according to the ‘Glorious Valyria,’ the Valyrians would hold all their important ceremonies on this island. Second, Aegon the Conqueror mentioned many times that a terrible demon was sealed within the ruins of Valyria, and privately referred to the island as Demon Island. Finally, and most importantly, if the terrible impact described in the book is true, then all the surrounding islands sank from this island.” Celine Baratheon stood on tiptoe, leaning on the table, and explained with great interest.

“Devil’s Island…” Zhang Cheng’s eyes flashed with a terrifying light. Without saying a word, he pulled out the stopper and poured the entire bottle of blessed water onto the girl’s face.

As golden holy light flashed throughout the hall, Celine Baratheon's remaining gray dead skin quickly peeled off, leaving behind a large patch of red, translucent new skin.

Although it still looks a bit creepy, anyone with a little common sense will understand that in a few months, these new skins will gradually become no different from normal skin.

Just as the girl was happily touching her smooth face, the outer door of the hall was suddenly pushed open, and a man with a thick beard, brown hair, and brown eyes walked in.

Moreover, apart from his thumb, the first joint of all four fingers on his left hand was severed by a sharp weapon.

Zhang Cheng, who always liked to strike first, didn't give his opponent a chance to react. He immediately drew his demonic sword, Soul-Binding Messenger, and held it against the vulnerable throat, while issuing a warning: "No matter who you are! If you don't want to die, you'd better not make any sound or send out any distress signals, or I guarantee this sword will pierce your neck immediately."

"Sir Davos?!" Celine Baratheon was clearly taken aback, then quickly pleaded, "No! Please don't hurt him!"

“Davos? Davos Seaworth? You’re the famous Onion Knight?” Zhang Cheng’s face also showed a surprised expression.

He never expected that on his first visit to Dragonstone, he would encounter this guy who was so loyal to Stannis.

Feeling the slight coolness on his skin, Davos Seaworth immediately understood his current predicament. He obediently raised his hands to indicate that he had no intention of resisting and began to observe the situation in the hall by the dim candlelight.

It would have been better if I hadn't looked; once I did, I was almost scared out of my wits.

As a criminal who had been involved in smuggling, he had seen all sorts of dangerous people, some treacherous and cunning, some greedy and cruel, and some utterly inhuman, but none of them could compare to Zhang Cheng.

Especially the ice spikes that filled the sky during the Battle of Blackwater River were something that seemed impossible for a human to do.

That scene changed his attitude toward the Red Priestess Melisandre; at least he didn't act as impatiently as he did in the original storyline, wanting to kill her immediately.

Because he understood that the only way to deal with someone who possessed terrifying magical power was to use the same method; otherwise, they would be like the cavalry that charged towards the city gate, with no chance of resistance whatsoever.

“Good evening, Ser Mason. I am Davos the Onion Knight. May I ask what brings you to Dragonstone fortress so late at night? Do you also intend to follow the wicked Lannisters and take a child hostage?” Davos probed, feigning composure.

"What I do is none of your business. Just shut your mouth and stay where you are. Remember, my patience is limited, so please don't provoke it." With that, Zhang Cheng used his other hand to draw the other man's sword and threw it aside, then forced him into the far right corner.

After he finished all this, he turned to the tense Celine and said, "Relax, my dear princess, let's continue our previous conversation. If I take you to Valyria, can you help me find Devil's Island and that mysterious meteorite?"

"Yes!" The girl hesitated for a moment, but finally gave an affirmative answer.

Because she was afraid that if she said no, the poor Onion Knight would die on the spot.

“Great! I’m sure a kind girl like you wouldn’t refuse to come with me, right?” Zhang Cheng said, snapping his fingers as he stretched his left hand out the window.

moment!

A bright flame shot out from his fingertips, illuminating the black night sky.

In the blink of an eye, a strong gust of air blew in through the window, and then a ferocious and terrifying behemoth appeared in Davos Seaworth and Celine Baratheon's sight...

Chapter 0154 Kidnapping

A massive body, sturdy scales, sharp teeth and claws, and two beast-like vertical pupils...

Seeing the monster so close yet constantly flapping its wings to stay airborne, Davos Seaworth fell to the ground with a thud, exclaiming in shock, "A dragon...a dragon?!?"

“That’s right, please allow me to introduce my dragon to you—Kuro Kerba. Remember the warship that inexplicably burst into flames on the Blackwater River? That was its doing. Oh, by the way, just a heads-up, it has a bad temper, so you’d better not make any rash moves, or I can’t guarantee that its dragon fire won’t spray onto your face the next second.” With that, Zhang Cheng reached out and patted the dragon’s huge, ferocious head.

Kuro Kerba opened his blood-red maw with perfect cooperation, and a faint flame flickered deep in his throat, as if a terrifying inferno was about to erupt from within.

"My God..." Davos clutched the amulet hanging around his neck tightly, his eyes filled with utter horror.

He could hardly believe that he had actually narrowly escaped a dragon. If it weren't for his good luck, he would probably be at the bottom of the sea feeding the fish along with those unlucky guys.

Ever since the Targaryen family conquered the entire continent of Westeros with their three dragons, everyone realized that dragons were a more terrifying and destructive tool of war than armies. That's why there are so many people in the A Song of Ice and Fire stories who are obsessed with dragons.

The slave owners of Astapor were even willing to trade a well-trained and well-equipped army of Unsullied for a mere young dragon.

It wasn't that they were foolish, but that they understood that once a dragon grew up, no number of Unsullied could stand against a dragon soaring through the sky. This had been proven many times in actual combat during the time of Aegon the Conqueror. Only Dorne had managed to kill a dragon with his famous poison.

Besides traditional battles between two armies, or castle sieges, for dragons it's a fun barbecue party. For example, in the Battle of the Wildfire, Lord Lannister of Casterly Rock and Lord Monk Gardener of the Reach joined forces and gathered an army of over 50,000, instantly crushing Aegon's pitifully small human army.

However, Aegon then summoned three dragons to join the battle, instantly burning thousands of unfortunate souls to death, and the remaining soldiers quickly collapsed in fear and despair.

What should have been a battle won by overwhelming odds was completely rewritten by the three dragons...

Seeing the "Onion Knight's" intense reaction, Zhang Cheng smiled knowingly, turned around, and extended his right hand to the trembling girl: "Come on, lovely princess. Don't be afraid, I promise it won't hurt you."

“Really?” Celine Baratheon’s voice was a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"Of course! Don't you want to experience riding a dragon and flying through the sky?" Zhang Cheng continued to tempt him.

Rather than taking forceful measures to take the girl away, he preferred a gentler approach.

After hesitating for a few seconds with her head down, little Celine's curiosity finally overcame her fear. She took Zhang Cheng's right hand, stepped on Kuro Kerba's head, and sat steadily on the dragon saddle.

Seeing that the abduction was successful, Zhang Cheng leaped onto the dragon's back, took off his cloak and draped it over the girl, then said to the "Onion Knight" in the corner, "Tell Stannis for me that I've taken his daughter. As for when she'll be returned, that depends on his performance. If he can rise again and become the master of the Iron Throne, I will immediately send little Celine back to him. But if he fails, then I'm sorry, it's safer for this little one to stay with me."

"Damn it! You can't do this! This is kidnapping!" Davos shouted, mustering his courage.

"Kidnapping? No, no, no, I think it's a form of protection. You have no idea how ruthless people obsessed with power can be. Alright, I don't want to waste any more words with you. Just remember to pass on my message. Goodbye."

As the last word escaped his lips, Zhang Cheng gently kicked the dragon's neck.

Upon receiving the order, Kuro Kerba immediately flapped its wings and began to climb into the sky. In the blink of an eye, it had left the castle far behind. Several archers who heard Davos's shouts tried to shoot arrows at the dragon, but the arrows lost momentum before they could catch up and fell from mid-air.

Crossing Blackwater Bay in the southern part of Westeros, the dragon flew westward along the border of Dorne.

As the two humans and one dragon were about to reach Brightwater City, the sun finally rose slowly from the horizon, dispelling the last darkness before dawn and bringing light and heat to the whole world.

Little Celine strained her eyes to admire the magnificent, rare sight before her, and her whole body began to tremble with excitement.

The hours-long flight at high altitude left her face pale with cold, and her hands and feet were as cold as ice, but this did not diminish her joy in the slightest.

After all, she longed to go out and see the world rather than stay in the dark and gloomy castle all day, especially now that she was riding a ferocious and terrifying dragon soaring through the blue sky.

Zhang Cheng didn't disturb the girl in his arms and quickly signaled Kuro Kerba to fly towards the cave in the back mountain.

Before long, he appeared inside the castle with the little girl he had lured there.

"My lord! What... what is this?!"

Maester Enigma, who had just gotten up and was having breakfast, recognized Stannis's only daughter without hesitation and was so surprised that he dropped his soup spoon on the table.

"Relax. From now on, she is my adopted daughter, understand?" Zhang Cheng whispered, hinting.

The latter seemed to realize something and quickly nodded: "I understand! She is your adopted daughter!"

“Very good! Let’s continue eating. Have Deli come find me; I have some things I need him to do. Don’t forget to also have the kitchen make some hot soup and fried eggs and send them to my room.” After giving the instructions, Zhang Cheng took the girl’s hand and led her back to his bedroom.

As a fairly cautious person, he knew that searching for the meteorite buried deep underground would definitely not be an easy task, so he had to be fully prepared instead of impulsively riding a dragon to Valyria.

His plan required at least one expedition ship, about 150 sailors and soldiers, and a range of tools that might be needed, including ropes, shovels, food, water, oil lamps, and so on.

In addition, given that Valyria is a standard magical civilization, even at the height of the Targaryen family's power, they dared not easily return to excavate valuable treasures in the ruins, so he also had to be prepared to deal with supernatural forces.

Anyway, Zhang Cheng had a premonition that something terrible was waiting for him near that meteorite...

Chapter 0155 Preparation

Half an hour later, in Zhang Cheng's bedroom, Deli was standing respectfully in place, waiting for his master's instructions.

In fact, when he accepted the job, he never thought that he would one day become such a high-ranking official as the steward, let alone that the young man in front of him could rise from an unknown minor nobleman to a big shot whose every move attracts the attention of countless people in such a short period of time.

Most importantly, with the orders issued by the Iron Throne and the ruthless purge, Zhang Cheng has eliminated almost all the stubborn forces in his territory. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, in two or three generations, they will take root in this land and gradually become a prominent noble family.

If he doesn't make any major mistakes, he can also use the important position of castle steward to build his own family.

Don't think that those who do daily chores are low-status servants. On the contrary, usually only those who have the lord's trust are qualified to become stewards.

Especially cities like Brightwater, which are not just castles but also have large residential areas, workshops, and markets, are rare in the entire continent of Westeros, and their daily trade tax revenue is a considerable sum.

Delhi had only been in power for less than two months, but he had already secretly amassed more than one hundred gold dragons.

Of course, this does not mean that he embezzled or lined his own pockets, but rather that in the past, businessmen would voluntarily pay extra "protection fees" to avoid trouble.

To prevent being overtaken by competitors, he worked diligently during this period, getting up before sunrise every day and going to bed late at night, managing to restore trade, which had been affected by the previous war, to a level of prosperity that was even greater than before.

"Delhi, how long have you been with me?" Zhang Cheng suddenly asked abruptly after a long silence.

“It will be half a year in a while, my lord,” Derry quickly bowed and replied.

"Hehe, half a year already? Time really flies!" Zhang Cheng chuckled and sighed. "Tell me, can I trust you?"

Derry nodded without hesitation: "Yes, sir, I am willing to give my life for you if you need it."

"Very good! I have a list here. Prepare everything on it for me. Remember, keep it as confidential as possible. I don't want too many people to know, understand?" With that, Zhang Cheng handed over the list he had just prepared.

Delhi dared not delay, quickly glancing at the package before a look of surprise crossed his face. He then replied with a serious expression, "Please rest assured! I can have these things ready in a week at most, and I guarantee no one will discover them. But if I may be so bold as to ask, are you planning to go on an expedition?"