Apocalypse I Have One More Keyword Than Others
Chapter 142 - - 142 Soul’s Three Questions_1
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The pirates queued before Duge, one by one, entered the witch's hut and came out one by one.
Not a single sound was heard.
Duge's hearing range of fifty meters also failed him; he couldn't catch any sound from inside the witch's hut.
It must be said,
the witch's magic truly had some substance to it.
About an hour later, it was finally Duge's turn. He gave Vito a signal with his eyes and stepped into the witch's hut.
The hut was gloomy, illuminated only by a few candles, and the air was filled with a faint scent of medicinal herbs.
"Sir, you need to pay 10 Gold Coins to enter," a veiled maidservant barred Duge's way, her hands holding a tray, "Fortune-telling will cost 40 Gold Coins," she said, her voice devoid of any emotion.
Damn it!
50 Gold Coins!
Ten pirates in one hour, that's five hundred Gold Coins, and ten working hours a day adds up to five thousand Gold Coins. In sixteen days, it would match the amount of his bounty.
This was practically daylight robbery.
No wonder she would ruthlessly retaliate against everyone who leaked the contents of her fortune-telling.
If it were him, he would retaliate too!
Being a witch was much easier than being a pirate when it came to earning money.
And with no risk involved.
Take note, the two merchant ships of the Dufei family he plundered only got him a little over a thousand Gold Coins...
Duge counted out 50 Gold Coins, placing them onto the maidservant's tray.
The maidservant stepped aside, making room for him to pass.
Duge followed the corridor all the way in.
The hallway was about ten meters long, with small wall lamps lit every meter, their flickering light allowing one to vaguely make out some strange patterns on the walls.
Exaggerated human faces, hexagrams, octagrams, celestial constellations, and such--- they looked mystical and bizarre, sparking the imagination...
It was the same tactic used in temples.
First, spread all sorts of legends, then use the environment to create an atmosphere, making everyone who enters feel an unconscious awe towards the witch.
The herbal scent in the air probably had a hypnotic effect as well!
As Duge analyzed the witch's methods, he reached the end of the hallway, pushed open the door at the end, and bent down to enter.
The room was still dimly lit
A woman shrouded in a black cloak sat behind a table, with a Crystal Ball in front of her, and behind her, a cupboard was filled with vials of potions, which bore no names, just strange symbols.
The dim light did not affect Duge's vision; he could clearly see the layout of the witch's room, and even the eyes of the witch peering out from under her cloak.
They were the eyes of a young person. Although only the eye sockets and eyebrows were visible, Duge surmised she couldn't be over 25 years old.
Could she be a fraud?
The thought involuntarily crossed Duge's mind.
Seeing Duge, the witch pointed at a chair in front without lifting her head: "Sit."
Duge sat down.
Only then did the witch lift her head to glance at him, then dropped her gaze again, and continued, "Young man, what would you like to divine?"
Her voice was hoarse and old.
Concealing everything, she didn't even dare reveal her true voice.
This theatrical witch, even if she did possess magic power, probably had limited abilities!
Earlier,
Duge was there to witness this world's mystical forces.
But now, he had changed his mind, "Witch He Ya, I've heard an ancient proverb that goes, 'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.' Meaning, rather than giving a man a fish, it's better to teach him how to fish. Therefore, I wish to learn your fortune-telling skills. If I learn how to divine, I can find out anything I want."
The witch was taken aback, having not anticipated such a question from Duge.
After a moment,
she lifted her head again and looked at Duge: "Young man, don't be delusional. Magic can only be learned by witches; you are a man, you will never be able to perceive magic power. Please ask your question quickly, don't waste my time..."
"Alright then!" Duge was slightly disappointed and smiled, "Please divine for me where I come from."
"You're not asking about the Sea God Scepter?" The witch was stupefied once more.
"The Sea God Scepter means nothing to me. I'd rather know where I come from!" Duge smiled, "Please divine it for me."
"Fine, young man, I hope you won't regret it." The witch's hands hovered over the Crystal Ball, and she began to murmur to herself.
Duge watched her with a smile, quietly waiting for the answer.
Nan Youlong had said, once the soul transmigration was complete, the soul and the body would become one, and even the most sophisticated methods would fail to detect it. Thus, this question was the most suitable to probe into what exactly witchcraft was.
The Crystal Ball emitted a flickering white glow.
Duge wore a quiet smile as he waited.A moment passed.
Crack!
A crisp sound rang out.
The white light on the Crystal Ball instantly vanished, immediately followed by the surface being covered in cracks.
The witch grunted, her body shaking violently, and looked at Duge in disbelief, “Who are you?”
Damn!
That’s got some punch!
Duge smelled a faint scent of blood from his nose!
The witch coughed up blood!
Holy shit!
The impact of this question is too powerful. In the future, in other worlds, it could serve as a trump card.
Duge chuckled and shook his head, concerned, “Witch He Ya, this is exactly why I came here. These days, I’ve been immersed in confusion, troubled by three questions.
Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going?
I have a feeling that if I could unravel these three questions, I’d unravel the ultimate mystery of life and become a God Spirit of this world…”
“…”
He Ya was dumbstruck.
At that moment, she suddenly had the urge to pick up the broken Crystal Ball in front of her and smash it on the head of the guy across from her.
You’re a pirate, damn it!
Forget robbing people, what’s with wanting to become a god!
“Even Witch He Ya can’t divine the answer?” Duge still wore a smile, encouragingly, “Why not try with another Crystal Ball? I had planned to come to you next month to divine ‘Who am I’?”
He Ya choked on her words and pointed toward the door, “Please leave, you’re not welcome here.”
“But I paid,” Duge remained seated, “Witch, won’t you try again? What if you manage to divine it this time?”
“I will refund your money, please leave this place,” the witch inhaled deeply and said.
“Shall I come back in a month?” Duge asked.
“No, never come back here again, I don’t welcome you,” He Ya hysterically said.
At that moment.
She even forgot to disguise her voice, as it became much clearer and less hoarse.
“Witch, your voice?” Duge widened his eyes in surprise. He stood up angrily, grabbed He Ya by the collar, and yanked her up from her seat, “You fraud, you’re not Witch He Ya, who are you?”
The witch struggled desperately: “Let me go, you bastard, I curse you…”
Her voice suddenly stopped.
Because Duge had ripped off her veil.
Beneath the veil was a young, twisted face in anger, with a trickle of blood on the corner of her mouth.
Indeed, she had suffered a magic backlash when trying to divine Duge’s origin.
At this time.
He Ya looked at Duge astonished, forgetting to speak.
“Who doesn’t know that He Ya is over a hundred years old, you’re definitely a fraud. I’m going to drag you out and let everyone know that the witch is a swindler…” Duge laughed, “Pity those ignorant pirates, who’ve been fooled by you for so long.”
“Ignorant young man, do you know the price of humiliating a witch?” The young witch finally snapped back to her senses and sneered, “You’ve already been cursed by me. Without my antidote, you won’t even be able to leave this room, you’ll bleed from every orifice and die. Beg for mercy now, and I might still spare your life.”
“The curse you mentioned, was it the powder that popped from your fingernails?” Duge shook his head with a smile, blinked a few times and said, “I’m sorry to inform you that I didn’t inhale any of it. And you know, subduing a renowned witch gives me an immense pleasure.”
Even in the dim light, Duge’s senses weren’t impaired.
In the first simulation, his opponents were Tong Shihong and Zong Gui.
Those martial artists were much quicker than a witch who never exercised. None of He Ya’s slightest movements escaped Duge’s eyes.
The witch’s pupils constricted: “My curse targets the soul.”
“I don’t quite believe that you can cast a soul-targeting curse without even uttering a spell. If you had that much power, you wouldn’t be hiding here, living off deceit,” Duge said with a chuckle as he shook his head.
“I haven’t lived off deceit,” the witch angrily said, “My divinations are true.”
“Where is the Sea God Scepter?” Duge asked.
“…” The witch responded with silence.
“Tell me, or else I’ll take you out and reveal your true identity to everyone,” Duge said with a chuckle, his hand on her neck slightly tightening, “Of course, it might also be with your dead body, to let everyone know the true face of the witch.”
“The Golden Compass. Find the Golden Compass, and it will guide you to the Sea God Scepter,” He Ya said resignedly, looking at Duge’s calm face.
“Where is the Golden Compass?” Duge asked.
“Assemble the seven pieces of the Destiny Sea Map, and you can find the Golden Compass,” He Ya, with her fate clutched in Duge’s hand and having seen no signs of him being poisoned for so long, finally despaired.
“…” Duge was exasperated, gazing at He Ya, “Are you playing nesting dolls with me? Is that what you tell those who come to you for divination?”
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