Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Magic Core Forced Upon Me

Unable to out-argue Zhou Tian and unable to act against him, the bishop found himself with no choice but to ignore Zhou Tian’s presence and focus on his own affairs. As for Zhou Tian, since the other party wasn’t targeting him, he had no intention of provoking the bishop either. He simply stood quietly by the side, carefully observing the unfolding events.

After watching for some time, Zhou Tian finally pieced together what had happened in Huangshi City during his absence. The reason the Fat Pig City Lord had initially been able to deal with Zhou Tian and his companions so ruthlessly was because outsiders knew nothing of their true identities. Now, with the Holy Church of Light aware of the situation and coming prepared, it was a simple matter for such a powerful organization to deal with a mere city lord.

General Nero, who had previously clashed with the Fat Pig City Lord and been imprisoned, was released and, pending further orders from the Empire, was temporarily appointed as acting city lord. As for the former Fat Pig City Lord, he was thrown into prison on charges of attacking the clergy without cause. Though the final verdict had yet to be pronounced, it was doubtful whether he’d keep his life, and his noble status was almost certainly forfeit.

Subsequently, the officers, magicians, and others who’d acted against Zhou Tian and his group did not face as severe punishment as the Fat Pig City Lord, but all received some form of retribution.

Finally, thanks to the efforts of the Holy Church of Light, most of the magic cores buried beneath the city were unearthed. With a bit more work, even if they couldn’t recover every last one, the losses would be minimized as much as possible.

When matters were nearly resolved, Zhou Tian, who had been growing drowsy, was suddenly roused by a new discussion.

“Now that we’ve dealt with almost everything, let us discuss how to handle these magic cores,” the cardinal said, withdrawing from his spatial ring a magic core that had clearly been tampered with.

At the sight of the core, the faces of those present shifted. Every one of these magic cores had been rigged. Though nothing had happened so far, everyone knew that just because disaster hadn’t struck yet didn’t mean it wouldn’t in the future. They had no idea when these cores might be detonated. It was as if a group of people were gathered together, and someone pulled out a time bomb with a broken timer to discuss how to disarm it. Even with their strength, and even though an explosion might not kill them outright, no one could truly ignore the threat of sudden destruction.

Involuntarily, everyone took a few steps back, widening the distance between themselves and the cardinal. Only then did a cleric speak up: “These magic cores can no longer be used. If they were to fall into the hands of the uninformed, they could cause tragic accidents. I suggest we destroy them outright.”

“Is there no way to remove the tampering?” someone asked.

“The power within these magic pearls is unlike ordinary magic. Conventional methods are useless. Even if we could restore the cores, the price would be tremendous. It would take too much time and effort for little gain. Rather than trying to erase the enchantments, we should simply destroy the cores outright.”

“But if we do that, wouldn’t it make us—the Holy Church of Light—look incompetent? We mobilized so many and still couldn’t resolve the crisis! For the sake of our Church’s reputation, we cannot allow these magic cores to explode!”

While all present voiced their opinions, the cardinal regarded Zhou Tian with a playful gaze before turning to address him once more: “Captain Zhou Tian, you and your team were the first and only ones to encounter the demon behind this. In your view, how should these magic cores be dealt with?”

Though delighted at heart, Zhou Tian put on a hesitant expression. After studying the core in the cardinal’s hand, he replied, feigning helplessness, “I’m just a newcomer. I don’t even know what these magic pearls are, let alone how to break their enchantments.”

“Is that so?” The cardinal appeared skeptical, though he was secretly pleased. He pressed Zhou Tian: “I’ve heard that you’re a formidable alchemist, Captain Zhou Tian. Since your arrival, you’ve used at least three types of alchemical artifacts never seen before. With your abilities, are you really unable to handle a few small magic cores?”

“I didn’t say it was impossible,” Zhou Tian replied, “just that I’m unfamiliar with these magic pearls’ powers and can’t guarantee I could unbind them.”

“Is that really the case?” The cardinal’s face showed disbelief as he continued, “Are you claiming you won’t help because you lack the power to nullify the enchantments, and not because you’re unfamiliar with them?”

“Who says so?” Zhou Tian stood up as if agitated, glaring at the cardinal. “If you can provide me with an equal number of ordinary magic cores, I’ll destroy all these tampered ones.”

“Truly?”

“If you don’t believe me, forget it.” Zhou Tian let out a secret sigh of relief and moved to sit back down.

But the cardinal had no intention of letting him off so easily. He had finally provoked Zhou Tian into making such a statement and was not about to let him retreat. Before Zhou Tian could return to his seat, the cardinal quickly called out, “Since you’re confident, for the sake of our Church’s honor, I agree to your request and will grant you a batch of magic cores. However, if you fail to resolve this perfectly, you alone will bear the consequences.”

“No!” Zhou Tian’s teammates spoke in unison, objecting the moment they heard this. Although the cardinal held great authority within the Church, if Zhou Tian, their captain, were made to shoulder such responsibility, Vivian and the others would also be implicated. They knew they risked offending the cardinal, but at a moment like this, they stood firmly by Zhou Tian.

Unfortunately, Zhou Tian seemed to have lost all reason. Despite their protests, he immediately agreed, “No problem. As long as you give me enough normal magic cores, I’ll take care of all the tampered ones for you.”

The cardinal, his scheme unfolding as planned, paid Vivian and the others no mind. Instead, he turned to Zhou Tian and said, “Very well. I’ll give you the magic cores. But if you fail, and there’s an incident, not even the Pope’s intervention will spare you from the consequences.”

Zhou Tian, like a gambler blinded by his own risk, replied without hesitation, “A man’s word is his bond. Since I’ve taken on this task, I will not allow any mishap to occur.”

“Excellent. That’s what I admire about you, Captain Zhou Tian,” the cardinal responded, as if worried Zhou Tian might change his mind. Without delay, he produced a great pile of magic cores from his spatial ring.

Unlike the others, Zhou Tian’s face showed no trace of worry as he gazed at the mountain of magic cores before him. Instead, a hint of a smile appeared.

Noticing this, the cardinal instinctively felt something was amiss. He considered retrieving the magic cores, but Zhou Tian was a step ahead, and with the power of his system, he instantly converted all the cores into spiritual energy.

Even the cardinal, with all his authority, couldn’t help but wince at seeing Zhou Tian “collect” such a vast quantity of magic cores. Still, recalling his original purpose, he forced himself to suppress any regret and asked, “Now that you have them, Captain Zhou Tian, when will you begin destroying the tampered magic cores?”

“Destroy what?”

The cardinal’s expression darkened, and he rebuked Zhou Tian sternly, “Captain Zhou Tian, you claimed you could destroy the demon’s tampered magic cores. I gave you the magic cores, and now that they’re in your hands, you’re trying to deny the matter? What is the meaning of this?”

“Oh, that!” Zhou Tian’s face lit up with feigned realization, and he replied innocently, “I thought you were talking about something else. If it’s the magic cores, I already took care of them just now, didn’t I?”

“Captain Zhou Tian!” the cardinal shouted, thinking he was being mocked. He continued angrily, “Simply storing the magic cores in a spatial device won’t prevent them from exploding. If they detonate inside, not only will your equipment be destroyed, but the resulting spatial rupture will amplify the blast. If you can’t destroy them, take them out and we’ll find another solution.”

“Who said I put them in a spatial device?” Zhou Tian rolled his eyes, spread his hands with an air of triumph, and said, “Didn’t I just deal with them? Did you see me use any spatial equipment?”