Lord of Mysterious Wizard-Chapter 556 - 512: Scumbag

Burkxi City, before dawn.

Rows of various "castles" and "estates" are renowned in this bustling city, where the Sun has yet to rise; it is the last hour of darkness when suddenly, a pair of gray eyes appear without warning, followed soon by the figure of Tang Qi, stepping out from the void.

A "Curios" falls behind him, transparent and illusory, with icy-cold and death-laden tentacles, which, along with those strange gray eyes, shrink into a tiny "Death God Octopus" and swim back into his stomach, devoured by Gluttony.

"Not exactly flashy or aesthetically pleasing, but a very practical Curios."

Tang Qi, satisfied with the item he extorted, nods as he now stands amidst the city below.

This place is incredibly far from Blue Deer City, or rather the whole of Secret Phoenix State, but somewhat closer to the Federation’s second-largest city, Jiatai City.

According to Ralph’s daughter, Lia, and her close relationship with her grandmother, Ralph’s mother, she almost knows the majority of Ralph’s life trajectory.

"Ralph, as a genius, was accepted into Jiatai University, and upon graduation, he was supposed to have a promising future ahead, staying in a big city to work. But before that, Ralph decided to take a graduation trip, starting from Jiatai City and ending in Blue Deer City... to see his own mother before finding a job."

"However, this trip changed his life, and the initial turning point happened right here in Burkxi City."

Toting a suitcase and dressed in the most comfortable Wandering Alchemist attire, Tang Qi follows the Information Fragment through streets rich in Old Calendar Era style and enters an old, relatively secluded street.

"Hmm?"

As soon as he steps in, a look of surprise appears on Tang Qi’s face.

He glances at the sky involuntarily; it’s surely around five or six in the morning.

The old street, supposed to be desolate and serene, is bustling with activity.

At least dozens of young men with various styles have gathered in front of a building, queuing up. Despite talking to one another, their hostile gazes cannot be concealed.

What has happened? Tang Qi looks directly at the door number. The hard metal door number is riddled with corrosion from the passage of Time, but the numbers and Ancient Federation font are still faintly visible.

"Sevoro Street, No. 42, Fog Castle Office."

Tang Qi silently recites the number as it matches the information in his mind, then heads toward the line.

His excellent appearance and that natural affinity immediately cause a stir among the queue formed by young people of all styles, with dozens of "hostile" glances thrown his way, accompanied by dissatisfied murmurs.

"Another one here to compete for food, it’s over."

"He’s a Wandering Alchemist, and way too attractive."

"I’m about as handsome as he is, but I don’t have his air. What should I do?"

"He’s an outsider. We need to band together to push him out; it’d be best to make him leave."

"Or try bribing with money; this guy must be really poor."

Tang Qi, with his sharp hearing, catches all these remarks, a smile curving on his lips as he walks straight to the end of the line, where a black-haired, slender, somewhat effeminate young man with heavily applied black makeup stands out in gothic style.

Tang Qi stands in front of him and kindly asks, "Excuse me? What happened here?"

Others, who’ve been watching Tang Qi’s approach, expect the gothic youth to reject him, but instead, he’s briefly startled and quickly explains, "The Lady of Fog Castle, Charlotte, is recruiting a caretaker – she requires someone young, handsome, and robust."

After speaking, the effeminate youth adds with a troubled expression, "Lady Charlotte says that the person who accompanies her to the end of her life can inherit her estate... Although it’s unclear why many previous caretakers recruited by Lady Charlotte haven’t won her approval, everyone has still decided to come to try their luck."

Understanding dawns over Tang Qi’s face as he hears the latter part of the explanation.

To accompany and care for a dying old lady for the chance of a large inheritance—many young people with no proper job wouldn’t refuse.

In his mind, the information about "Fog Castle" and "Lady Charlotte" flickers, his expression gradually turning odd.

Meanwhile, the warmth of the rising Sun finally starts to dispel the darkness enveloping Burkxi City, and the queue formed by dozens of handsome men begins to grow restless because some movement can be heard from behind the rusty door.

The hiring personnel are about to appear; the recruitment is about to start.

Before the young crowd can act toward Tang Qi, this "competitor," a wave of invisible energy suddenly spills out.

Once a "Red" influence is released, the lively queue comes to a sudden halt, and at once, they all firmly embrace a new thought that springs into their minds:

"I’ll strive on my own, I won’t be an embarrassing gigolo!"

Amidst such low roaring, dozens of handsome men clench their fists with determination and disperse, each with a look full of fighting spirit on their faces.

As an old man with white hair and liver spots on his face and arms "struggles" to open the front door, he doesn’t see the bustling scene he has witnessed many times before.

Instead, he only sees a young figure, bathed in the warm sunlight, approaching him.

The old man squints his eyes, and after a few seconds, he finally sees that this is an impossibly young man, seemingly a Wandering Alchemist.

And then, he saw the young man approaching, and with a bright smile under his astonished gaze, he said, "Hello, I am here to apply for the caregiver position."

...

In the morning, a valuable black vintage car left the city center, wobbly making its way toward the suburban area, ascending toward "Burkxi Mountain."

In the car, Alfred, who was proudly showing off his veteran driver’s style, drove skillfully up the mountain while glancing at Tang Qi in the rearview mirror, curiously asking, "Would a pharmacist like you really be willing to become a male caregiver? You do realize it can be very hard and thankless work."

"Although the lady was very beautiful when she was young, she is very old now, and has quite a temper."

Upon hearing this, Tang Qi looked thoughtfully at the white-haired old man, continuing to maintain his persona.

With a radiant smile, he replied warmly, "As you see, I am just a wandering pharmacist. I have run out of travel money. If I can receive a suitable reward for taking care of Lady Charlotte for a while, why wouldn’t I do it?"

"Besides, even without a reward, I am still very willing to help a lonely old lady."

As Tang Qi spoke, he occasionally glanced out of the window at the desolate scenery flashing by, which didn’t quite fit with the pictures Lia had described.

Burkxi Mountain, which Lia had described as even more beautiful than Deer Mountain, appeared extremely desolate to Tang Qi’s eyes. All the trees had become bare, dark and ashen, coloring everything around. Apart from the occasional crow flying past, it seemed difficult to find any other living creatures.

In this strangely silent atmosphere, it seemed as though an indescribable, terrifying life was hidden.

Soon, the vintage car groaned and squeaked, rolling over a stone bridge that seemed as if it hadn’t been swept in years, and along the neglected estate’s pathway, it arrived in front of a massive ancient castle.

Tang Qi got out of the car and with a "bang," closed the door behind him.

At this moment, Alfred’s voice came from behind. The old man had not gotten out of the car but stared at Tang Qi, a hint of regret hidden deep in his eyes, he said, "Sir, if you regret this, I can take you back right now."

"Someone like you really isn’t suited for this job. Those lazy ruffians in Burkxi City might be a better fit."

Sharp perception allowed Tang Qi to easily detect the hidden meaning in Alfred’s words, so he waved his hand without turning back and said, "Go back, Alfred. Your work here is done. Cancel the recruitment."

Upon hearing this, Alfred was first startled, then his eyes became perplexed, and obediently he replied, "Yes, sir."

Tang Qi stood in front of the castle, looking ahead at the thick, dark mists flowing down from the distant high mountains. The fog enveloped the castle in an eerie, horror-inducing aura.

Fragments of information appeared sporadically in the depths of his eyes.

"Fallen soul... Pollution..."

Having already made some guesses, Tang Qi, recalling the information Lia had provided, sighed softly. Then, he stepped on a dry twig without hesitation and entered the castle.

Although it was his first visit to the castle, Tang Qi showed no signs of getting lost. The moment he stepped inside, a hoarse and tragically beautiful piano sound unexpectedly began to play, guiding Tang Qi through the garden, corridors, and various rooms, until he finally arrived at a secluded parlor.

At the far end, in front of an extremely old piano, there was an aged figure seated, dressed in a large red dress.

She seemed to be playing with deep concentration, a piece titled "Heartthrob," composed by a musician over a century ago, which depicted a story of love at first sight.

Yet, what should have been a lively and sweet piece became hoarse and tragically beautiful in the hands of the elder, even carrying slivers of terror that could chill one to the bone.

As Tang Qi approached, he noticed photographs of a little girl on the cabinets, desk surfaces, and walls.

She looked about fifteen or sixteen years old. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

In the photos, with her golden hair and pale skin, she often wore a red dress and various hats, her stunning features exuding an astonishing sweetness.

The piano had stopped playing at some indistinguishable point in time.

A voice, old beyond measure, crept into Tang Qi’s ears.

"Was I good-looking when I was young?"

Along with her voice turned the aged figure, revealing her face.

The first sight was enough to cause instant mental collapse and madness - sparse golden hair combed back, skin full of wrinkles, looking like it was about to crack, plastered onto the bones. The eye sockets, nostrils, and mouth were rotten beyond repair, thick maggots wriggling inside, gnawing at the remaining decayed flesh.

She had even dabbed lipstick on her lips in an attempt to appear "healthy," a vivid red.

Boom!

As she turned around, the once colorful and magnificent parlor seemed to accelerate through tens of thousands of years in time, everything around decaying. Spotty colors crept up, pungent dust swirling in the air, and those heart-throbbing pictures quickly faded.

The sweet girl inside was being replaced by the disgusting old woman.

Suddenly, a light breeze blew past Tang Qi’s face. With a blink of an eye, the revolting, maddening face almost pressed against his, and the disgusting smell accompanied the dreadful aura, spewing toward him.

"Answer me, do I... look good?"

Yet, this horrifying transformation failed to make Tang Qi’s expression change even the slightest bit.

As if he had expected this all along, he internally sighed, "Womanizers, truly the cause of great troubles."