Spellcasting Gods

He was even willing to trade his own dragon for the meteorite.

He didn't care about the lives of the people around the peninsula; only endless knowledge and power were the ultimate goals worth pursuing.

"So... should I organize the magical knowledge I just acquired first, or should I study the mysteries of this meteorite?" Zhang Cheng muttered to himself with a smirk as he took off his cloak to wrap the meteorite, pushed open the door, and walked out of the dark basement.

They hadn't gone far when they were suddenly attacked by the maid, Diana, who was on her way to get some flour.

The seventeen-year-old girl was startled and quickly bowed, asking incoherently, "Sir...sir! How did you get into the cellar? No, wait, when did you come back?"

"Relax, don't be nervous. I just got back not long ago. Tell me what happened in King's Landing while I was away?" Zhang Cheng was clearly in a good mood, a friendly smile on his face.

“Well… the biggest event is undoubtedly the wedding of King Joffrey and Lady Margaery! Since the marriage was arranged, the Tyrell family of Highgarden has been continuously sending much-needed grain, vegetables, and meat into the city, and now food prices have basically returned to normal. Oh, and Lord Tyrion came by yesterday afternoon and asked me to give you a letter.” As she spoke, Dina hurriedly rummaged through her clothes for a while, finally pulling out a letter sealed with mud.

Zhang Cheng took it and glanced at it briefly, then immediately smiled and exclaimed, "It seems my friend isn't very satisfied with his marriage and family."

"Not satisfied? Miss Sansa is so beautiful and comes from a noble family, there's no reason for Lord Tyrion to be dissatisfied, is there?" the maid muttered under her breath, looking puzzled.

"Hehe, you're too young to understand the mysteries. Alright, go about your business. I need to visit the newlyweds. Don't bother preparing lunch or dinner for me." Zhang Cheng didn't intend to waste too much breath on a maid who knew nothing. After hiding the meteorite, he immediately left the mansion and headed towards Tyrion's residence.

However, he did not realize that as soon as he stepped out of the gate, several children who had been lingering nearby immediately disappeared into the alley.

In less than half an hour, Varys, the chief intelligence officer hiding deep within the Red Keep, received the news.

He stared intently at the small print on the note for a full five minutes before muttering expressionlessly, "Finally back? Looks like it's time to get them to make their move..."

Meanwhile, in the largest brothel on Silk Street, Petyr Baelish, "Littlefinger," also received the news and muttered to himself with a cold laugh, "I don't care who you are! I don't care what kind of magic you possess! This time you're dead!"

Zhang Cheng probably never imagined that he would be targeted by two of the most brilliant schemers in Westeros so soon after returning to King's Landing.

He was currently considering whether to accelerate the plot's development so that he could return sooner.

After obtaining the meteorite, this world held little value for him anymore. Rather than wasting time staying, it was better to complete the mission and leave as soon as possible.

The dragon, now back to its senses, lay far below the ruined island of Valyria, sprinkling a drop of scalding dragon blood onto the dying Eric, while chanting an unknown incantation.

In the blink of an eye!

Eric, who was barely clinging to life, suddenly jumped up, his whole body trembling uncontrollably. Then, his damaged muscles, blood vessels, internal organs, and skin began to regenerate and reorganize at an extremely fast pace.

Once everything was repaired, he transformed from a mature, robust, and hairy middle-aged man into a handsome young man with long, silver-gold hair, fair skin, and a tall stature. In particular, his captivating pale purple eyes would drive any woman crazy.

"Go! Servant! Go and retrieve the meteorite for me! And bring that damned thief back with you!" Kronada roared at the reborn Eric.

“As you wish, my great master.” Eric knelt on one knee and bowed with utmost humility…

Chapter 0173 A Couple in Name Only

"Welcome! Welcome back to King's Landing, my dear friend."

The moment they met, the little devil opened his arms and gave Zhang Cheng a warm hug.

Perhaps because he had experienced a brutal war, he seemed to have matured a lot, especially the very obvious scar on his face, which added a unique charm to him.

"Thank you! It's so good to see you safe and sound. You know, when I left last time, you were lying in bed unconscious, your face as pale as a corpse. But look at you now, not only have you recovered, but you've also married a young and beautiful wife. Congratulations, Tyrion. Also, I regret to say I missed your wedding." Zhang Cheng bent down and patted the other man on the back with a smile.

As someone who knows the plot quite well, he clearly understands that this marriage in name only won't last long.

Moreover, Sansa Stark is a typical shallow and vain girl who is only interested in men of noble birth who are young and handsome.

As for the soul hidden beneath the surface, she doesn't yet have enough experience or insight to appreciate it.

In Zhang Cheng's eyes, Tyrion was far superior to Loras Tyrell and Joffrey, both in terms of personality and ability.

Unfortunately, Sansa failed to recognize the merits of her nominal husband, only noticing his dwarf height and somewhat ugly appearance, and even recently dreamed of marrying Loras.

She had no idea that she had long since become a powerful tool in the struggle for control of the North.

What men want from her isn't some bullshit love, but her young and beautiful body, and her womb that can bear healthy offspring.

"Hahaha! Buddy, stop joking. I'm sure you know very well that this marriage is not what I wanted at all. Besides, I haven't even kissed my bride's lips yet, so how can we be considered husband and wife?" Tyrion laughed self-deprecatingly, his laughter tinged with bitterness and helplessness.

To this day, he still harbors resentment towards his father Tywin for ignoring his great achievements and for taking away the power of prime minister from him.

After all, as the saying goes, power is a deadly poison. Most people, once they get hooked on it, will do anything to keep it and will pay any price for it.

Imp is a dwarf, a disabled person who is subject to much criticism and discrimination. Only when he holds great power can he feel respect and fear from the attitudes of others.

Without a doubt, he didn't want to lose power, and even less did he want to lose the respect he had worked so hard to gain.

Most importantly, it was only during his time as Hand of the King that he felt he was truly living like a human being, a man named Tyrion Lannister.

People respect his outstanding personal abilities, not the prestigious family behind his name.

Zhang Cheng was once an ordinary person, and he knows what it feels like when he starts to become different.

If he were given two choices now—one to return to his original world and live as an insignificant ordinary person, and the other to continue this dangerous game where he could lose his life at any moment—he would absolutely choose the latter without hesitation.

The reason is simple: he has tasted the power and would rather face all kinds of challenges than return to the ordinary.

Perhaps it was this restlessness hidden in the subconscious that led the parchment's owner to choose it, thus beginning a series of incredible adventures.

Thinking of this, Zhang Cheng suddenly felt that Tyrion was somewhat pathetic. He had always tried his best to show his best qualities and longed to gain people's recognition, especially his father Tywin Lannister's.

Unfortunately, Tywin never considered Tyrion his son; in his eyes, only Jaime was the sole heir to the Lannister family.

Tyrion, Tyrion was merely a disgrace to the family, a deformed being who should never have been born...

Of course, Zhang Cheng wasn't stupid enough to reveal the truth.

He chuckled and shrugged, teasingly saying, "Heh, looks like you're holding a grudge. Come on, let's go inside and talk it over. I'd also like to meet your beautiful wife while I'm at it."

"Then what are we waiting for! I just got a few bottles of fine Dorne red wine the day before yesterday, I'm sure you'll like them." The little devil raised his arm in a gesture of invitation, and then took the initiative to lead the way.

After a few minutes, the two arrived at a place that looked like a living room.

Sansa noticed someone entering and quickly stood up to greet them, but when she saw the person's face clearly, she froze, and even a hint of fear appeared in her eyes.

“Long time no see, Miss Stark. Oh, excuse me, I should address you as Madam now. Is there something on my face? Why are you staring at me like that?” Zhang Cheng, clearly sensing the other party’s emotions, asked tentatively with a smile.

He felt that Sansa's reaction was likely influenced by "Littlefinger," who might have said something bad behind her back to prevent him from getting too close to the girl.

"No! It's nothing! I... I was just a little surprised. When did you return to King's Landing?" Sansa immediately tried to change the subject in a flustered manner.

"Not long ago. That's why I came back—to visit you newlyweds and offer my blessings," Zhang Cheng replied, feigning friendliness and not delving into the matter.

"Thank you very much. Now that you're here, I must quickly tell the kitchen to prepare a more substantial lunch. Excuse me for a moment." With that, Sansa lifted her skirt, curtsied, and quickly disappeared around the corner outside the room.

After watching her figure disappear completely, Zhang Cheng turned around and asked the little devil who was pouring wine, "My friend, your wife seems a little afraid of me?"

Tyrion raised his glass and downed it in one gulp, then curled his lip indifferently: "Who knows! Anyway, she's never smiled since she married me. She's always like a frightened little bird. I can't exactly question a poor girl whose father and brother were both murdered, can I?"

Zhang Cheng curled his lips into a slightly playful smile and teased, "I didn't realize you were such a gentle and affectionate man. Can you tell me, is your willingness to marry her out of pity and protection, or do you genuinely hope to live with her? If it's the latter, I suggest you hurry up and let her fulfill her responsibilities and obligations as a wife. Believe me, it'll be better for both of you. Often, leaving behind a hope that will never come true isn't a good thing. You don't actually think that after we're married, no one will be interested in Sansa anymore, do you…?"

Chapter 0174 Poisoning (Part 1)

"Ha! When did you start caring about my marriage?"

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure why I didn't refuse the marriage proposal back then.

Perhaps, as you said, I feel some sympathy for Sansa's plight and a desire to protect her.

At least after marrying me, Joffrey can no longer openly insult and hurt her.

As for fulfilling the responsibilities and obligations of a wife, forget it. I'd rather spend some money to find a woman outside than force a girl to do something she doesn't want to do.

Besides, given the current situation, who do you think would dare to risk offending the Lannister family and take Sansa away from me?

There may be many restless individuals secretly plotting to exploit the prestige built up by the Stark family's centuries-long rule over the North for their own gain, but I don't think anyone dares to actually take any action.

After saying that, Tyrion poured himself another full glass of wine and gulped it down.

Like many people who experience a severe psychological letdown, he began to vent and indulge in alcoholism after discovering that he had lost his precious power, spending most of his days in a semi-drunken state.

“No, you’re wrong, my friend.” Zhang Cheng shook his head with a smile. “It’s undeniable that after eliminating the Baratheon brothers and Robb Stark, no one in the entire Seven Kingdoms, except for Dorne in the south, has enough power to directly challenge the Lannisters. But don’t forget, this world is never short of schemers and ambitious people. Think about it, if someone told Sansa they could send her home, would she still stay by your side, facing the enemies who killed her father and brother every day?”

Imp was never a political idiot; on the contrary, he was intelligent and well-read, and immediately understood the strong implications in the words.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he quickly probed, "Can you tell me who exactly you mean by schemer and ambitious person? The Bolton family?"

"Bolton? No, no, no. Roose Bolton might be a master of political maneuvering, knowing how to preserve his strength and position himself on the side of the victor at crucial moments, but he certainly isn't a schemer. True schemers are adept at concealing themselves; just investigate who Sansa associates with, and you'll quickly come to a conclusion. But I must warn you, you'd better act quickly, otherwise…"

Before Zhang Cheng could finish speaking, a young and pretty maid walked in carrying a plate.

She didn't even say a word or bow. She simply placed the food on the table, exchanged a very subtle glance with the little devil, and then turned and disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Zhang Cheng observed everything, and only after the maid had walked away did he say with a meaningful tone, "So that's why you don't care about your new wife at all. It turns out you already have someone else in your heart. Please be careful, my friend, I'm not sure how your father, Lord Tywin, will react when he finds out."

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about! Please, she’s just a lowly maid.” Tyrion feigned indifference.

"Don't try to act in front of me. You should know very well that this won't fool me. I'm afraid you haven't realized it yet, but the way you looked at that maid the moment she appeared was almost melting. There's a saying that goes, 'The eyes are the windows to the soul.' No matter how good a person is at lying and deceiving, their eyes can never lie. Besides, you're not exactly good at deceiving, and I'm not your enemy." Zhang Cheng slightly curled the corners of his mouth, exposing the other party's clumsy acting.

"Damn it! I'm starting to hate dealing with you," Tyrion muttered through gritted teeth, then nervously pressed, "Was my gaze really as obvious as you say?"

“Yes! Very obvious! I think you'd better not meet her in front of outsiders, otherwise it's only a matter of time before you get caught. Okay, that's enough about your colorful love life for now, it's time to take out what you promised me.” Zhang Cheng said, extending his right hand.

Without any preamble, Tyrion opened a hidden compartment on the shelf on the right wall, took out a slightly yellowed scroll covered with black spots, and carefully unfolded it: "Be careful, this thing is very old, it will break if you apply too much force."

"Relax, I'll just take a look and give it back to you." Zhang Cheng squinted and quickly scanned the already blurry handwriting on the paper.

The scroll contained nothing but the materials and incantations for making wildfire, which the Alchemists' Guild had preserved for many years.

As a collector of knowledge, he would not give up anything that might be useful or inspiring to him.

The little devil stood aside, silently observing Zhang Cheng's focused expression, a wry smile appearing on his face.

Before the Battle of Blackwater River, he made many promises in order to gain as much strength as possible, but stealing the recipe for making Wildfire was undoubtedly the most special one.

Even now, he still can't figure out what the man standing in front of him really desires.

wealth?

Although Zhang Cheng made a fortune during the siege, he quickly spent most of it.

right?

After capturing Liangshui City, Zhang Cheng delegated power to a small bureaucratic system he had personally built, while he himself spent his days hiding in his room, seemingly tinkering with something.

Beauty?

According to the information obtained by the little devil, Zhang Cheng has not slept with any woman or man so far, and his abstinence is almost comparable to that of the most devout monks.

The only thing Tyrion was certain of was that Zhang Cheng seemed to have an unusually strong craving for supernatural powers...

Just as the living room fell silent, Sansa, hiding in the kitchen, quietly pulled a small bottle of liquid surrounded by pale purple smoke from her belt, uncorked it, and poured it into a soup bowl. While the cook wasn't looking, she quickly stirred it with a spoon until all the purple smoke disappeared completely.