Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System

Chapter 401: Chapter 86: The Ancients, All Lived Past a Hundred

The surprise in Aurora’s eyes deepened, but she quickly suppressed it. She simply gave a soft reply, "Alright, I’ll see to it at once."

She continued pushing the wheelchair forward. After a moment, she couldn’t help but ask softly, "Brother, can you tell me why? You were so resolute the day before yesterday."

Murphy turned his head to look at his wife, a faint smile gracing his lips. "Because this is about picking a side. But I don’t think there’s much risk for me to pick this side, given my current strength."

He paused, his tone taking on an almost imperceptible complexity. "Besides, since the opportunity has presented itself... it’s worth taking a look."

Aurora gave him a deep look and didn’t press him further.

She just nodded, her voice soft yet firm. "No matter where you go or what you decide, I will support you. Kaiden and I will be here at home. Nothing will happen to the Monte Territory. You can go and do what you need to do with peace of mind."

...

「Monte Castle, in the secret underground chamber.」

The chamber was dimly lit, with only a few electric lamps embedded in the stone walls providing a steady glow.

Murphy sat alone in his wheelchair, gazing at the empty stone wall before him.

"Come out."

An extremely faint ripple, like the surface of disturbed water, spread through the air in the secret chamber.

Immediately after, a deep violet, somewhat ethereal figure silently materialized a few steps in front of Murphy.

It was Margaret.

Her hair cascaded down like a waterfall and her face was as exquisite and perfect as ever, but her figure was somewhat transparent.

"Master." She bowed slightly, her voice coming through the projection. "You summoned me?"

Murphy’s gaze fell on her ethereal yet still clear face. He got straight to the point. "Margaret, do you know the secret of the Morning Star Bell?"

A flash of understanding crossed Margaret’s ethereal eyes, quickly replaced by a complex expression. "Master... As I expected, you’ve found out."

"So you do know." Murphy’s voice was devoid of emotion, yet it carried an intangible pressure.

"Yes, Master, Maggie knows." Margaret admitted readily, her illusory form flickering slightly. "But I also know that once you learned of this, your mind would surely be in turmoil. And for some things, the more you desire them, the more you need calm and meticulous preparation. Being too hasty or excited will often only backfire."

She paused, looked into Murphy’s deep eyes, and said softly, "It seems the Star Speaker approached you?"

Murphy didn’t deny it.

He fell silent for several breaths before speaking again, asking a question that had long troubled him. "What exactly is the origin of the so-called Balance Keepers?"

He had asked Margaret this question more than once.

But each time, she had cleverly evaded it or given a vague answer.

Now, he was raising the old subject again.

Margaret’s projection froze for a moment. A near-icy sneer flickered across her perfect face. "Traitors."

Murphy’s eyes narrowed, waiting for a more detailed explanation.

However, Margaret just shook her head, a look of helplessness on her ethereal face. "Master, it’s not that Maggie doesn’t want to tell you. It’s that there are certain boundaries, certain constraints, branded deep in my soul that prevent me from speaking of them. Please understand."

’A contract?’

Murphy didn’t press her any further.

He changed the subject. "Then, what do you know about this business in the Holy City?"

"It should be more or less the same as what that Star Speaker told you." Margaret’s tone returned to its usual calm. "The resounding of the Morning Star Bell is indeed related to a boon. After all, for the vast majority of living beings on this Continent—especially for those who stand at the pinnacle of power yet are still bound by time—the allure of a longer lifespan is undeniable."

She let out a sigh. "How ironic, yet how true. However, the Church Court didn’t manage to awaken the Holy Bell, which has been silent for centuries, entirely on their own. They obtained—or rather, exchanged for—some ’keys’ from the Silver Tower."

Murphy pressed, "What’s in it for the Silver Tower?"

"What’s in it for them?" Margaret’s projection let out a soft chuckle. "A great deal, Master. You wouldn’t be so naive as to think that we, who chose to remain in the Old Realm, guarding these ruined lands that the New Realm considers mere relics, don’t possess things that would make even the upper echelons of the New Realm green with envy, would you?"

"Different rules give birth to different possibilities. Even the Knight’s Secret Medicine you take, which is refined from this World’s Origin, could potentially unleash a power even we can’t fully predict right now if it were in the more active and malleable environment of the New Realm’s Laws."

"The people from the Silver Tower expended great resources to come to this world. One of their goals is to force the valuable remnants of the Old Realm into the New Realm."

Murphy mused, "So, in that case, there shouldn’t be any real accidents or obstacles during the Holy City’s coronation ceremony, theoretically?"

Margaret affirmed, "Most likely not. Most of us in the Inheritance Sect have already entered various Half-Planes. We’re serving our time in prison obediently with the Pope and won’t easily conflict with the Church Court."

"Since the Silver Tower provided some assistance, they won’t shoot themselves in the foot in the short term."

"The other scattered Wizard Organizations lack the strength. The various Kingdoms and the Imperial powers will weigh the pros and cons, and given their own strength issues, they won’t rashly challenge a moment where a miracle is being made manifest."

"As for that Great Shepherd Leader in the north..."

She paused, her tone turning somewhat peculiar. "Did you know that the Great Shepherd Leader who leads the Northern Shepherd Chief District in defiance of the Holy City has actually been the same person all this time? Three hundred years of division, three hundred years of confrontation—he has been the one leading it from the very beginning."