Basil picked up his warhammer, walked over, and said sternly, "Mage Nolan, this is a serious matter. Dudley must prove his innocence! Otherwise, I won't mind using force!"
At that moment, Harold waved a hand, and all the royal guards gathered around to ensure Dudley could not seize the chance to escape.
"You, all of you! Sigh!" Mage Nolan knew there was nothing he could do. He could not fight Basil, Harold, and so many royal guards at once, especially at close range.
Once an enemy closed in, a mage was far more vulnerable than most other professionals!
"Dudley, take out whatever you're holding and let them see what it is! Don't worry. If you've been falsely accused, I'll make Nicholas apologize to you!" Mage Nolan said helplessly.
"No!"
Dudley suddenly shouted, "No! All of you, get away from me! Let me go! Otherwise, you'll all die!"
He raised his hand, holding the vial of Scourge Plague, and stared venomously at Jiang Jie. "Nicholas! You lowborn scum! How dare you do this to me! All of you, get lost! If any of you dare come closer, I'll smash this vial of Scourge Plague! Then you'll all catch the plague! You'll become Undead!"
"Dudley!" Mage Nolan's expression instantly turned utterly grim, because he recognized the vial of sickly green liquid in Dudley's hand. It really was the Scourge Plague!
"Dudley! You, you... sigh!" In an instant, Mage Nolan seemed to age ten years.
He was already very old. Having devoted himself entirely to magic for decades without taking proper care of his body, he had grown increasingly frail with age and had only a few years left to live. That was why he had been so eager to take an apprentice and pass down his knowledge and spells.
He had never made a mistake in his life and had been respected by others. He had never expected to lose his good name in his final years, his lifelong reputation ruined by Dudley. All his remaining energy seemed to drain away at once, leaving him haggard and dispirited.
"Is that so?"
Suddenly, Jiang Jie vanished.
The next moment, he moved behind Dudley in Stealth and instantly unleashed Pegasus Meteor Finger, striking one of Dudley's acupoints. Dudley froze in place, and the crystal vial fell from his hand!
As everyone watched in agonized suspense, a hand reached out and caught the crystal vial steadily. It was Jiang Jie!
A rogue's hands were always the steadiest among all professionals, and Jiang Jie's hands were far steadier than those of other rogues!
"Lord Basil, you should hold on to this vial of Scourge Plague." Jiang Jie handed the crystal vial to Basil, then looked at Harold. "Lord Harold, we'll have to rely on you for the interrogation!"
Late at night, on the shore of Lordamere Lake.
The high-ranking assassin who had escaped was now speaking with a mage.
This was a necromancer dressed in gray-black robes and a gray-black hood, holding a staff wreathed in gray light. His entire body was hidden in gray mist, making his features impossible to discern!
"The mission failed," the high-ranking assassin said flatly. "The information you provided was inaccurate. That rogue named Nicholas Jiang killed your mid-ranking mage, mid-ranking hunter, and mid-ranking rogue, and captured a low-ranking rogue! Under our agreement, you must pay in full!"
The necromancer's hoarse voice rang out. "Through the Eye of the Undead, I witnessed everything! The Assassins' League's reputation is trustworthy. Here is the remaining half of your payment."
He tossed over a money pouch.
The high-ranking assassin hefted it and nodded in satisfaction. "Need any follow-up services? If you and I join forces, we can definitely kill them all! After all, you're a high-ranking mage! Or should I help you finish off that low-ranking rogue and eliminate future trouble? This time, I can charge just half price!"
The necromancer slowly shook his head. "No need!"
A trace of disappointment appeared on the high-ranking assassin's face, and he soon disappeared into the wilderness.
A gust of wind blew past, lifting the hood to reveal a gaunt, fleshless face, nothing but skin and bones. The necromancer sneered under his breath. "Why would I take risks for a mere Baron Soroson? What if the Paladins discovered me? Besides,
"there's no need anymore! That fool Arthas has already taken all of Lordaeron's fleets away to hunt down the Dreadlord Mal'Ganis. The day of Lordaeron's destruction isn't far off!" Then he knitted his brows again and muttered to himself, "Besides, the Assassins' League charges too much. I never want to go to a place like Ravenholdt Manor again!"
As for that low-ranking rogue...
Just an ordinary member. What secrets could he know? He doesn't matter at all!
Oh, right, and that pigheaded fool Dudley-is he Baron Soroson's son? Was he being sent to Scholomance this time to become a necromancer apprentice under Darkmaster Gandling?
Heh, if he doesn't arrive, you're the one who'll suffer, Baron Soroson, not me!
The necromancer quietly vanished into the darkness. He had more important things to do. This matter had never been his responsibility in the first place. Those fools had merely sought his help because they could not complete their mission.
Their failure to complete the mission had nothing to do with him!
It was deep into the night. Jiang Jie leaned against a tree and closed his eyes.
The Black Tortoise Longevity Art circulated automatically within him. He had rested for over two hours that afternoon and was in good spirits now. He did not need sleep; resting with his eyes closed would do.
Harold's interrogation of Dudley had already lasted an hour.
Dudley, that stupid pig, was utterly spineless. Harold had barely begun before he spilled even how many times he had peeped at maids bathing as a child!
In the end, the results shocked everyone!
That vial of Scourge Plague had actually been given to him by a strange shadow!
"Boohoo, my father said someone would ambush you on the road and told me not to be afraid, because those people wouldn't hurt me!"
"My father also said that if those people failed, I should behave myself and go with you to Tirisfal Monastery! Once I got there, I'd be safe, because I wouldn't have to go to Scholomance or become a necromancer!"
"But a shadow came to me and told me to find a chance to pour the Scourge Plague into your drinking water and turn you all into Undead!"
"I was scared! I may be a coward, but I'm not stupid! I knew that if you all became Undead, I'd have no choice but to go to Scholomance! I know what kind of place Scholomance is! I don't want to go there! I want to go to Tirisfal Monastery!"
"Boohoo, don't kill me! That shadow made me do it! He even threatened me, saying that if I didn't obey, he'd kill me! He'd kill my whole family!"
"Could I make up for my crime by doing something useful instead? I'll report my father! He's a member of the Cult of the Damned! They've always kept it from me, but I overheard them once by accident! Oh, right, that shadow seemed to be called 'Corno'! I'll tell you everything I know! Please spare me!"
What interrogators liked best was precisely this sort of coward-a coward who would sell out even his own father to stay alive!