Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 270 A Chance Encounter Amidst Golden Wind and Jade Dew

"Thank you, it's nice to see you again."

The visitor greeted him politely and squeezed his way in; it was none other than Zhang Yuan.

"Damn it, you've ruined us all, and you still won't let us go?"

"Boss, he's all alone this time. Let's all go together, kill him, and avenge him!"

"Exactly, at worst we can go somewhere else or join the Bloodsail Gang."

Unaffected by the angry shouts and curses, Master Zhang remained calm and composed, looking at the person opposite him with a smile on his face.

Arden, on the other hand, was much calmer. His teammates were making it sound so easy, as if they thought it was just a simple meal and they could take down the opponent with a single bite.

During the previous conflict, this enemy leader kept a low profile, yet his men were easily defeated like chicks and ducklings. Now that their strength has been greatly diminished, how can they be confident?

“Mr. Chanem, what happened yesterday is yesterday, and those territories and assets are rightfully yours as the winners. Since you claim to be fair, I’m afraid your actions are somewhat inappropriate.”

Arden stepped forward with a stiff upper lip, and his words, neither humble nor arrogant, earned him the monk's respect.

Zhang Yuan nodded amicably to Arden, ignoring the mixed expressions of resentment and fear in their eyes, and smiled.
"No matter how angry you are, things that can't be done will still be done. Even if you want to rely on others, if you have no value yourself, it's just a pipe dream."

"You!" Arden's pupils contracted as he realized the other party was implying something.

Zhang Yuan waved his hand dismissively: "Hey, don't worry about the details. Anyway, you don't have many choices right now, do you?"

"If your visit is merely to mock us, then there's no need for that. We have no intention of getting involved in gang-related matters any further."

Ardennes was telling the truth; with their strength greatly diminished, their chances of staying in this vortex are slim.

"Withdraw?" The mage scoffed noncommittally. "Are the grudges and feuds between gangs so easily forgotten? Can you really just withdraw like that?"

Arden remained silent, and the other members also showed visible worry on their faces.

"How about you come and do something for me?"

This remark stirred up a hornet's nest. Arden stopped his teammates' angry and disorderly shouts and curses, and asked incredulously:

"You are far too arrogant and look down on people!"

"Oh, I thought you were quite keen to get your thumbs back, but I didn't expect that. In that case, farewell!"

"We have backbone too! Never!" Arden, who was speaking passionately, suddenly stopped, staring at him with wide eyes as if a pause button had been pressed and the video was being played frame by frame: "You, what did you say?"

"Gentlemen, does anyone want their thumb back?"

Wow!
The excited Maginots immediately surrounded him, and Arden even rushed up to Zhang Yuan and shouted.

Without making a sound, the mage pushed away the outstretched arms. His head was starting to ache from their clamor and venting. With a flick of his finger, the Maginots, who were gathered in a circle, felt a loud bang pierce their eardrums. They covered their ears or opened their mouths wide in silence.

Satisfied, Horrible looked around at the tranquil surroundings. The little trick of Horrible's cough was indeed very suitable for this scene.

“As you can see, I am a mage.” Zhang Yuan made another gesture, and his robes, which had been used as disguise, were now in their true form as a mage robe. “Thumbs, I can reattach them for you, but what can you penniless lot give me in return?”

"Isn't this your doing? You still—"

"Shut up!" Arden slapped his underling's idiotic words away. "Excuse me, sir, please don't take offense at this fool's offense. May I ask about the finger?" "Mercy is the privilege of the strong, and I'm happy to exercise it." Master Zhang adopted a courteous gentlemanly demeanor.

"As for your fingers, your thumbs were severed in just one day. The wounds are clean, and I even used magic to preserve them. I am fully capable of restoring your limbs to their original state. There's no need for limb regeneration; a simple healing spell will suffice."

Before everyone could be overjoyed, the monk continued, "I'll say it again, what can I gain?"

This put them in a real predicament. The group of followers whispered among themselves and began to discuss the matter in front of the monk, and Zhang Yuan simply let them be.

Having reached a preliminary consensus, the Maginots calmed down, and Arden was once again the one to step in:

"Your Excellency, we have nothing left for you to appreciate, and we are not concerned about serving a powerful spellcaster. However, what are your plans for us?"

"First of all, I welcome your help. As for the arrangements for you," the mage glanced at the anxious crowd and said something unexpected: "Maintain the status quo and continue your work. There is no need to change the name Maginot."

The group of people looked at each other in confusion, and finally looked at the mage. It was Arden who stepped forward: "Sir, we don't quite understand what you mean."

"What don't you understand? Just live the way you did before, and I'll even send some helpers to help you seize territory and establish new power."

And such good things?

Although the blueprint drawn by the monk was quite moving, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
The punishment is unknowable, so the power is unpredictable. If it were an ordinary gang leader, what he would want would be nothing more than money and possessions. But the person in front of him was a mysterious sorcerer, and the demands he made were also incomprehensible. All of this made them feel uneasy.

"You can continue to pay your dues to the Bloodsail Gang as usual, and I don't need your share of the profits. However, you should also tone down your behavior, understand?"

Maginot and the others were still completely confused, but they nodded repeatedly.

"So what about the finger grafting?" Arden himself was getting impatient without his underlings urging him.

“No problem.” Zhang the Philanthropist readily agreed, then slapped his forehead as if he had just remembered, and pulled out two parchments and spread them on the table: “I almost forgot, there’s a spell contract here, you can sign it while you’re at it.”

???

We think you came here solely for this purpose, and we have no interest in doing this for you.

But circumstances forced Arden to step forward, pick up a piece of parchment, and begin to read it carefully.

Surprisingly, the contract was not harsh; aside from the confidentiality agreement, it was almost entirely the same as what we had just discussed.

The only thing that troubled him was the agreement regarding obligations:

Without posing a significant threat to their own lives, the Maginot Gang must accept the sorcerer's assignment to complete three missions.

The final interpretation right belongs to the other party.

Arden passed the contract down, and even the illiterate man understood its meaning with the help of his teammates.

However, the problem is that the contract itself is quite ambiguous. What is the mission? What does it mean to not pose a significant threat to one's own life? What the hell is the right of final interpretation?

Can anyone translate this for us?!

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(End of this chapter)