Published: March 12, 2025
Chapter 429: The Intent of the Drunken Man
Zhao Hai and the others followed Phil to the living room, where Smith was standing outside the door. Zhao Hai quickly bowed and said, "Uncle Smith."
Since they were not yet married and due to the strict family rules, Zhao Hai could only address Smith as 'Uncle' for now.
Smith nodded and said, "Alright, let's go inside and meet Megan's grandfather. Megan, hurry up, your grandfather has been waiting for you for several days."
Megan responded and ran into the room. Only then did Zhao Hai lead everyone inside following Smith. As soon as Zhao Hai entered, he saw Megan sitting next to an elderly man, acting spoiled.
The elderly man seemed quite aged, with some gray hair neatly combed and a serious expression on his face. Most importantly, he exuded an impressive aura, one even stronger than Smith's, clearly someone who had held a high position for many years.
Smith said to Zhao Hai, "Hai, this is Megan's grandfather."
Zhao Hai stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Zhao Hai pays respects to the clan leader, grandfather."
Lando nodded and gazed steadily at Zhao Hai. Having experienced such situations before, Zhao Hai remained calm, quietly looking back at Lando.
Lando spoke in a deep voice, "Have a seat." Zhao Hai complied and sat down, but Lando remained silent, continuing to observe Zhao Hai. However, Zhao Hai was no longer concerned with what Lando was thinking; he turned to Smith and said, "Uncle Smith, I’m here today to discuss something with you."
Smith was taken aback and looked at Zhao Hai, "What’s the matter?"
Zhao Hai then shared the situation regarding the Versailles Family, along with his intentions to help. Smith and Lando listened with furrowed brows. After Zhao Hai finished speaking, Smith looked at him and said, "Do you really want to help? And you plan to fight under the banner of the Budah family?"
Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Yes, I have the ability to help them now, and the Versailles Family has done us favors. Moreover, they are an old noble family in the Aksu Empire, assisting them will bring us numerous benefits."
Before Smith could speak, Lando interjected, "You should go. You intend to attack with undead beings, right?"
Zhao Hai nodded, looking somewhat puzzled at Lando. He had noticed earlier that Lando seemed to have a disdainful attitude towards him, barely wanting to speak. He didn't expect Lando to support him at this point.
Lando continued without allowing Zhao Hai to think too much, "In recent years, there haven’t been any major wars on the continent, so we dark mages have hardly participated on the battlefield. Those people have already forgotten the power of the undead legion commanded by dark mages. By assisting the Versailles Family this time, you will showcase what dark mages can do on the battlefield. Therefore, you not only need to fight, but you must also win convincingly to restore the prestige of dark mages."
Zhao Hai nodded again, but Smith then said, "I’ve heard about this too. Twenty thousand people, mercenaries at that, which can only be a ruse. Anyone with clear sight can see through it. However, this matter must be given careful thought. From what I’ve gathered, the opposition’s actions against Casa City haven’t been too aggressive. It seems they might be waiting for you to seek them out. As soon as you do, they will definitely target you, and they may even deploy ninth-level experts. Are you sure you can handle this?"
Zhao Hai was taken aback by Smith’s words, turning to him and asking, "They really are coming after me?"
Smith nodded, "I didn’t think so initially, but now that you mention it, it makes sense. They may not know your true identity, but they are aware of you as Zhao Hai, the dark mage. When you interacted with the Versailles Family, especially with the recent events involving Ryan, they likely anticipated you would come to their aid. Thus, they decided to attack the Versailles Family, drawing you in, and then dispatching experts to eliminate both you and the Versailles Family. This way, they can easily deal with two of their enemies."