The Highest Bounty

Neptune had a discussion with Biggie that did not go very well. There was either miscommunication between the two or Biggie simply could not let go of his mental obstacles. When Neptune told Biggie they needed him for the escape, Biggie fell silent. Neptune explained their current situation and told him what he had to do in detail. However, all he heard in response from Biggie was silence.

“Neptune, are you able to lift the spell on us?” Liliath suddenly asked. She had been listening in on their conversation the entire time.

“Yes, the forbidding spell is a type of energy seal that I’m able to remove.” Neptune wondered what Liliath was up to. “Should I lift the spell on the rattan ropes as well?”

“Nope, just the forbidding spell on me will do. You don’t have to lift Biggie’s spell either.” Liliath explained, “I have a special ability that will allow Biggie to temporarily forget about his mental obstacles.”

Biggie who had been silent this entire time turned to look at Liliath. “Really?”

“It should be possible, but I’ll need your cooperation.” Liliath was not too sure whether the method was feasible. “I have a special ability called Black Hypnosis where I’m able to force other creatures to be hypnotized and control all their actions. Neptune, you can lift the forbidding spell on me.”

“Right now? Your ability can’t last that long, right?” Neptune was aware that a powerful ability often had more limitations.

“It can only last for up to three hours, and I lose all combat power when I’m using the ability. After those three hours, my combat power will also be halved,” Liliath told them about the side effects of the ability.

Neptune factored in Liliath’s hypnosis ability as a variable before calculating the feasibility of their plan. After a while, he said, “There are still six hours before the space-time backtracking ends. If no one from the Witch Tribe realizes that their treasure trove is empty, there will be at least five hours before they come and get us. That’s because Gu Ding has yet reached the amount of purification medicine to be refined. If you hypnotize Biggie now, Biggie won’t be able to fight after three hours, and your combat power will also be halved at that time. Since Gu Ding can neither escape by himself nor last until the space-time backtracking ends, all three of you will die. So Lili, wait a little longer. After three hours, I’ll lift the forbidding spell on you. At that time, our chances of escaping will be much higher.”

“Three more hours?” Liliath nodded after listening to Neptune’s explanation. “We’ve been waiting here for a few days. What are a few more hours?”

“How are things over there? Did you manage to talk Biggie into it?” Gu Ding asked after he heard Neptune end the call.

“Not really, he was silent the entire time.” Neptune did not know how to handle Biggie’s mental obstacles. “But Lili came up with something. We’ll launch our plan in three hours.”

Gu Ding nodded and continued to refine more medicine.

About two hours later, there was a commotion outside the tent.

“There are people coming over, there’s more than one of them,” Neptune alerted Gu Ding in his ear.

After a while, Lawton charged into the tent with two other Witch Tribe warriors. When they saw Gu Ding still refining medicine, he walked around the tent as if he was looking for something.

“If you have something to say, then say it. You’re disturbing me from refining medicine.” Gu Ding guessed that someone had probably found out that their treasure trove had been emptied. Since Biggie and Liliath were still bound with rattan ropes under forbidding spells, it made sense for them to put Gu Ding on top of the suspect list.

“Outsider, did you really think that we wouldn’t notice the theft you committed right under our noses?” Lawton stared at Gu Ding as if he was trying to find out if he was innocent or not from his subtle expressions.

“I haven’t stepped foot out of this tent for days. If you look at the number of bottles of medicine I’ve refined, you’d know that it’s true. I mean, is it even humanly possible to refine medicine to perfect quality while stealing? In order to refine medicine to perfect quality, it requires all of a pharmacologist’s focus and energy. If a pharmacologist is distracted even slightly, they will be unable to refine medicine of perfect quality. If you doubt me, you can bring me to your high priest.” Gu Ding was not lying since it was true that he had not stolen anything. He really had been refining medicine the entire time in that tent throughout the past few days.

“Good, His Reverence High Priest wants to see you too.” Although Lawton was a bit suspicious, he did not dare jump to conclusions yet. “I don’t think you’d lie in front of him.”

“Lead the way!” Gu Ding was looking for an opportunity to meet the high priest as well. Although his plan was about to start an hour earlier than expected, it did not mean that their chances of escaping were ruined.

Lawton and his people took Gu Ding to the high priest’s tent.

“Your Reverence High Priest, we’ve brought him over!” Lawton knocked on the door outside the tent.

“Bring him in!” the high priest’s croaky voice was heard from the tent.

Gu Ding pushed open the door and found the high priest sitting cross-legged behind a table. The latter was staring at him with an intense gaze. “How dare you!”

“Your Reverence High Priest, I don’t quite understand what you mean. If you’ve lost something, I can assure you, you’re looking for the wrong person.” Gu Ding did not plan to take credit for Neptune’s work.

“Oh, really?” The high priest’s face had a smile that was slightly daunting. He tapped the crystal ball on the table with the cane in his hand. The crystal ball then showed an insect landing on a staff whereby the staff proceeded to disappear. Right after that, the insect was seen flying toward a piece of armor and landing on it before the armor proceeded to disappear as well. “I’m guessing this is your special ability, right? Summoning insects to steal things for you. You probably have an interspace ability as well.”

“All my abilities are close-range attacks. None of those bugs were summoned by me,” Gu Ding denied the high priest’s assumptions.

“You’ve been deceitful ever since the beginning. You’re the only outsider who isn’t sealed by a forbidding spell. Are you saying that the thief is one of my people?” The high priest had not expected Gu Ding to continue denying his words under such conditions.

“I said, I didn’t do it. Whether you believe me or not, it’s up to you.” Gu Ding continued to play along. Gu Ding had only played the role of the mastermind in the theft, and Neptune was the one who did all the work. Therefore, it was not Gu Ding’s doing.

“Since that’s the case, do you mind if I check your memories?” The high priest doubted his own judgment for a split second because Gu Ding did not seem to be lying.

“How are we going to do it?” Gu Ding felt that it was a good opportunity for him to seal the high priest.

“Are you worried that I may do something on you?” The high priest was not expecting Gu Ding to agree to it so easily.

“No. If you really wanted to kill me, the slightest movement of your finger would’ve done it.” Gu Ding shook his head.

“Very well, then. Let me see what secrets you have in that little head of yours.” The high priest waved his hand, and Gu Ding felt some sort of strange energy beginning to wrap around his body. The energy made him unable to move. Gu Ding slowly floated toward the front of the high priest, and the high priest put a finger on his forehead.

When the high priest’s finger touched Gu Ding’s forehead, the Absolute Seal in Gu Ding’s body instantly activated. Suddenly, the high priest’s finger stiffened, and the high priest felt strange, cold energy penetrate his body. The energy seemed to freeze all of his body’s own energy as a strong sense of weakness overcame him. In an instant, the high priest’s neck tensed, and Gu Ding wrapped his hands around the former’s throat.

“Hehe, I wasn’t expecting it to be this easy. From now on, you’re my hostage.” Gu Ding grinned in front of him.