Chapter 15: A Reluctant Agreement

Chapter 15: A Reluctant Agreement

Section 14: A Reluctant Agreement

"Well, this..." Old Evil was at a loss upon hearing this. After all, he had received the elder mage's nurturing kindness. Despite his demonic reputation, Old Evil's heart was actually quite soft, though he often hid it behind a tough exterior.

Seeing an opportunity, the elderly mage quickly continued, "At my age, my only wish in life is to carry on our family's bloodline. If I can't fulfill this, I'll surely die with regrets! Woe is me!" With that, he broke down in tears.

"Please don't cry!" Witnessing the sorrow of the man who had raised him for over a decade, Old Evil felt at a loss. He wanted to console him but didn't know how. For a moment, he awkwardly sat there, feeling uncomfortable all over.

"Child, this incident can be entirely attributed to my mistake. Because of my oversight as an old fool, young Stephen met his demise!" the sorrowful old mage exclaimed. "If our family line were to be severed because of this, I wouldn't have the face to meet our ancestors in the afterlife! Could you truly bear to make me a sinner, to suffer in the pain of guilt forevermore?" The more the old mage spoke, the more agitated he became until his voice trembled with tears.

Seeing this, Old Evil's heart softened, but he couldn't simply refuse outright. Thus, he found an excuse, saying, "It's not that I don't want to help, but I truly lack the ability. You see, I look nothing like your young Stephen. How could I possibly impersonate him?"

"That's not a problem at all!" Excited by Old Evil's change of tone, the old mage immediately said, "I possess a Sub-Divine artifact, a mask called 'False Reality.' Once you wear it, you can transform into anyone you wish!"

"Hmm…" Old Evil felt dejected. He suspected that the old mage had planned this all along. He promptly retorted, "Looking alike is one thing, but the key lies in our physiques. Look at me, my height and build—do they resemble a mage's?"

"Hehe!" The old mage suddenly chuckled sinisterly. "In fact, it's precisely your physique that I value most. You see, my great-grandson's mother was a barbarian, and he inherited her genes. At only fifteen, he's as sturdy as an ox. As such, your builds are quite similar. The magic robe you're wearing was his—it fits you perfectly, doesn't it? Hehe, you two could be considered outliers among mages. So, do you have any other objections now?"

"Well..." Old Evil fell into a dilemma and forced a bitter smile. "What about my temperament and disposition? I don't think I'm capable of acting or pretending to be foolish!"

"That's not an issue at all!" the old mage promptly replied. "You don't have to pretend—just be yourself. I'll tell everyone that your personality changed drastically after you went berserk. Anyway, no one else would dare to say anything. Even if you cause trouble, it doesn't matter; I'll take the blame for you!" A hint of murderous intent flickered in the old mage's eyes as he spoke. Clearly, he was planning on using Old Evil to teach those who had bullied his grandson a harsh lesson.

Old Evil, who relished chaos, was quite satisfied with this condition. However, he then grew worried and asked, "But what if I slip up? I don't have any memories of your great-grandson, nor do I know any of his friends or acquaintances."

"That's not a problem. I'll just say that you lost your memory. As long as you and this fatty insist on your identity, nobody else's words will matter," the old mage declared proudly.

"Ai!" Old Evil was completely out of options. He nodded gloomily and said helplessly, "Fine then, I guess I'm just unlucky. Who can blame me for owing you?"

"Hehe, I knew you'd help!" the old mage promptly expressed his gratitude.

"But, you can't expect me to impersonate someone for the rest of my life, right?" Old Evil said with some difficulty, "I'm not used to living in someone else's shadow!"

"Is that so?" The old mage pondered for a moment before suggesting, "How about this? As long as you can leave an offspring with lightning talent for our family, I'll let you go!"

"Ahh?" Old Evil was stunned by this proposition and could only reply gloomily, "Having relations with women is no problem, but getting them pregnant is another story!"

In fact, saying he had no confidence was Old Evil being too modest. In reality, he had no idea at all. In his previous life, he didn't have any children despite having countless beautiful women, each one more stunning than the last. Old Evil himself was also very strong, capable of performing seven times a night, which was an understatement. Yet, none of them bore him a child. This situation had left Old Evil anxious, and he even offered generous rewards, declaring that anyone who bore him an heir could ask for anything they wanted. However, the result was that a few daring women merely helped him wear multiple green hats. From then on, Old Evil realized that it might be due to his self-created cultivation method that rendered him infertile, thus giving up hope. To his surprise, the old mage brought this matter up again today, causing him immense frustration.

Upon hearing this, the old mage was somewhat taken aback. He thought to himself, 'I don't think I've had the chance to teach him about women yet. How does he know about this? Could it be that he's self-taught?' However, having witnessed Old Evil's miraculous side, the old mage didn't bother dwelling on it and simply said, "You're still young, so don't worry about this. I have confidence in you!"

"Alright, alright!" What else could Old Evil say? He couldn't possibly admit his incompetence, right? But then, he added, "Tell that fatty to put in some effort too. If he can produce a qualified heir, let me go as well!"

Despite Old Evil's disrespectful words, the fatty was deeply moved. He couldn't help asking, "Why are you doing this? Isn't the title of Duke and wealth that rivals a nation enough to entice you?"

"Hmph, your measly possessions aren't worth my attention!" Old Evil said disdainfully. "Alright, if you agree with this proposal, then it's settled. Otherwise, forget it!"

Seeing that Old Evil wasn't bluffing, the old mage couldn't help but nod in admiration. Then, he said, "Very well, regardless of who among you can produce a qualified heir, I will allow you to leave and pass on this vast inheritance to that child."

Upon hearing this news, the plump Kadi Stephen was overwhelmed with excitement. He had initially thought that his lineage would lose its inheritance, but now, to his surprise, Old Evil didn't care at all and even gave him such an opportunity. This made him couldn't help but feel gratitude towards Old Evil, no longer minding the disrespectful nickname. In fact, as the senior, being called "Fatty" by Old Evil, despite his younger age, felt justified.

Seeing that matters were settled, the elderly mage then stood up and said, "Very well, let's leave it at that. Kadi, you return immediately and announce that Little Stephen has been saved by me, but his injuries are severe, requiring some time for recovery before he can go back!"

"Yes!" Kadi Stephen promptly agreed. Then, he hastily asked, "What about the mastermind behind this incident?"

"Hmpf!" The elderly mage snorted coldly. "Don't touch that woman for now. After all, we have no evidence, and 'Little Stephen' is alive again. It wouldn't be wise to directly confront the royal family over just some injuries; it might arouse suspicion. Just endure it for now and vent your anger in a casual manner! I will avenge Little Stephen in the future!"

"Alright!" Kadi Stephen nodded, then couldn't help shedding more tears.

"Sigh, take solace, my child. Remember, the family still relies on you." The senior mage, seeing this, comforted him with a heavy heart.

"Yes, I understand." Cadence Stephen wiped away his tears. He then bowed deeply to the senior mage and Old Evil before taking his leave.