Judging solely from Morgana’s return behavior, Charlie and Maria struggled to discern her intentions.
Maria, in particular, fretted over the possibility that Morgana hadn’t truly departed Shiwan when she left here, but
rather sought a new destination.
So, she turned to Charlie and said, “Sir, my father once mentioned that the stone chamber where my master
journeyed westward vanished without a trace. He suspected that our master must have wielded formidable magical
powers to relocate or conceal that chamber. Morgana’s arrival in Shiwan Mountain this time, most likely, pertains to
unraveling the secrets of that stone chamber.”
Charlie nodded thoughtfully and replied, “I share your sentiments. It seems unlikely that Morgana would hastily
depart Shiwan Mountain. Perhaps she has stumbled upon fresh leads.”
Maria, wearing a concerned expression, added, “If Morgana indeed discovers a means to augment her power
through her master’s remnants or acquires elixirs and magical artifacts of value to her, her strength could become
even more formidable.”
Charlie contemplated the matter and said, “Back then, if Morvel Bazin managed to pass that ring to your father
before his demise, it implies that he had insights into Morgana’s character. He must have taken precautions
accordingly.”
He then continued, “Although Morgana failed to retrieve Morvel Bazin’s relics and legacy in the past, despite the
passage of three centuries, I believe she still can’t overcome the safeguards he established against her.”
Maria nodded in agreement and murmured, “Let’s hope you’re right…”
***
Meanwhile, Morgana continued her westward journey without a hint of stopping.
Simultaneously, Charlie received news that Morgana’s Boeing 777 flight to Myanmar had taken off. According to
civil aviation data, the plane’s destination was nearly 200 kilometers from Shiwan Mountain, a state airport.
Observing that the van Morgana had been traveling in was also en route to the airport, Charlie suddenly exclaimed,
“Morgana is leaving China!”
Maria asked in astonishment, “Why is she departing in such haste? Has she already located her master’s
possessions?”
Charlie shook his head and replied, “I can’t say for sure, but Morgana’s abrupt departure doesn’t seem consistent
with typical behavior following a major discovery.”
He continued, “As I mentioned earlier, Morvel Bazin was likely wary of her even before his passing. There’s no
logical reason for her to have found his relics so swiftly. I suspect Morgana has a hidden agenda for leaving so
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtabruptly.”
Maria furrowed her brow in confusion and mumbled, “Sir, I can’t help but feel that something doesn’t quite add up
here. There’s an element of irrationality.”
Jagoan reassured her, “We’re merely speculating from a distance. To truly understand the situation, we must go
there ourselves and uncover the missing pieces.”
With determination, he stood up and urged, “Since Morgana is intent on leaving, let’s follow suit. Her plane is due to
arrive the Interlocken airport in about two hours. We should rush to the airport and fly to Interlocken. Perhaps we
can cross paths with her at the airport once more.”
Maria, without hesitation, affirmed, “All members of the loyal clan obey the master’s orders.”
Jagoan nodded and said, “I’ll arrange for the plane immediately.”
An hour later, Jagoan and Maria boarded a flight bound for Interlocken.
This time, Jagoan forwent the cloak-and-dagger approach of using Isaac Cameron’s shell and renting a private jet.
Instead, he utilized the Jagoan family’s private jet in Aurous Hill.
He no longer worried about Morgana uncovering their actions; thus, discretion was no longer necessary.
Meanwhile, Morgana successfully passed through security and customs with a Chinese identity passport she had
prepared in advance. She sat in the VIP lounge, her anxiety and unease causing her leg muscles to twitch.
In her mind, the haunting words of Morvel Bazin resounded incessantly, “Get out of here!”
These four words cast a profound shadow over the depths of her soul. Unable to contain herself, she replayed the
entire sequence of events, desperately trying to analyze the likelihood of Morvel’s continued existence.
She recalled every detail of her and Lucius’s induction as disciples of Morvel, reflecting, “In retrospect, Master
never placed great importance on me and Lucius. If it weren’t for the rebel army hunting us down, Master might
have never acknowledged us… never appeared before us…”
“Looking back, Master took us as disciples, partly to learn about the world beyond and partly with the hope that we
could serve his people. He never truly considered us genuine disciples…” Morgana’s thoughts meandered back
more than three centuries, revisiting the harrowing moment when she and Lucius were chased into Shiwan
Mountain by the rebel army.
Beyond the Eternal Mountains as he called them, Shiwan Mountains, under the cover of darkness, tens of
thousands of rebel cavalrymen launched a relentless assault, relentlessly pursuing the remnants of their foes whom
they were determined to crush.
Clad in rebel army attire, brandishing rebel flags, and sporting distinctive Manchu queues that set them apart from
the Chinese populace, they drove the battered remnants of defeated generals into the Eternal Mountains.
The forces of China suffered heavy losses, retreating while battling, with casualties mounting. Eventually, Lucius
Clark and Morgana found themselves bereft of comrades.
An army detachment, led by Gartu, pursued them vigorously. Hindered by the steep terrain and thick forests, the
cavalry dismounted and continued the pursuit on foot.
Gartu’s commanding voice echoed, “Listen! Surrender now, and I, Gartu, will spare your lives. Refuse, and if I catch
you, you’ll be taken to the capital and meet your end in disgrace!”
At that moment, Morgana ran alongside Lucius through the dense woods, her shoulder bearing the painful burden
of an arrow wound inflicted by a rebel cavalry archer during their retreat.
The rebel army, skilled in horseback archery and notorious for coating their arrowheads with putrid corpse fluids
carrying virulent diseases, had inflicted a wound that festered with black, foul-smelling pus. Every jolt sent waves of
excruciating pain through Morgana’s body, causing her to almost collapse uncontrollably. Thankfully, Lucius clung to
her, pulling her along with unwavering determination, preventing her from being overtaken.
Morgana understood the cruelty of rebel army arrows. Even if the wound was not lethal, it would transform into a
festering scourge, spreading ulcers across her body within days and robbing her of life.
With every painful step, Morgana knew her time was running out.
Observing that Lucius was visibly slowing down to save her, she choked back tears and uttered, “Lucius, save
yourself! I can’t hold on any longer. If you take me with you, it will only hinder you…”
Lucius, resolute and unwavering, replied, “I promised your brother I would protect you. Even if it means giving my
life, I will not abandon you. I won’t face your brother without fulfilling that promise.”
Tears welled in Morgana’s eyes as she whispered, “Lucius, don’t be afraid. If there’s truly no escape for both of us,
promise me that you’ll grant me a merciful end, that you’ll stand beside me and face those rebel dogs to the death.
I’d rather not fall into their hands and suffer their cruelty.”
Lucius clenched his jaw, declaring firmly, “Morgana, fear not. If we find ourselves with no recourse, I will grant you
the mercy you seek. We will confront those rebel fiends to the bitter end, and I will never allow you to suffer at their
hands.”
In the distance, Gartu and his men drew nearer, spotting the telltale trail of Morgana’s blackened blood.
He sneered with a cruel grin, “Since you refuse to bend, you shall face the consequences. When you fall into our
hands, my brothers and I will ensure that the little beauty enjoys her final moments.”
Morgana, trembling with fear and fury, cried out, “Even if I become a specter, I won’t allow you fiends to go
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmunpunished! One day, the Ming Dynasty will vanquish you all, expelling your puppet emperor from our land!”
Gartu retorted with a cold laugh, “Your Ming Dynasty? Your Ming Dynasty is on the brink of annihilation at our
hands! From now on, this land belongs to us Manchus! All Chinese people who defy the Manchu shall meet their end
at our hands.”
Suddenly, a booming voice interrupted their confrontation, demanding, “What? You even intend to kill me?!”
With those words, an elderly man clad in Azure robes descended from above the forest, wielding a majestic and
solemn silver-hilted longsword.
This man was Morvel Bazin!
Gartu hadn’t anticipated that this elderly figure could descend from such heights unscathed.
He warily inquired, “Who are you?”
Morvel’s tone was icy as he replied, “You, a mere offspring of Tartars, dare inquire about my name? You have
disrupted my rest and created this turmoil. Today, you shall pay with your lives!”
Gartu sneered and ordered, “This old man fancies himself immortal! Come forth, kill him!”
In an instant, the rebel soldiers raised their bows and arrows, taking aim at Morvel.
With disdain etched on his face, Morvel retorted, “Do you dare to flaunt your archery skills before me? Perish!”
With a swift movement, his longsword transformed into a flurry of spinning blades, hurtling toward the hundreds of
rebel troops.
Before the soldiers could grasp the situation, they were all decapitated simultaneously, leaving not a single survivor.
Not far away, Lucius and Morgana gaped in astonishment. They had never encountered such a formidable
individual in their lives and believed they stood before a deity.
Morvel sheathed his longsword and approached them.
He inquired, “Why were the two of you being pursued by the Tartar soldiers?”
Lucius was the first to regain his composure and quickly explained, “I am Lucius Clark, and I thank the venerable
one for saving our lives. My sister and I stood together against the rebels but lacked the
strength to prevail. We were relentlessly pursued by the rebel army. Your timely intervention saved us, or else we
may not have survived today…”
Morvel frowned and asked, “Tartars have always been active in the north. We are currently in the Eternal
Mountains, nearly at the southernmost point of the Tang Dynasty. How did the Tatars reach here?”
Lucius blurted out, “Tang? Sir, it is no longer the Tang Dynasty. The current dynasty is the Ming Dynasty, having
ruled China for over two centuries. But the traitor Will Saint allowed the rebel army through the pass, leading to
their invasion of most of the country…”
Morvel scolded with a cold voice, “The Chinese people today can’t even protect their own land?”
Update of The Charismatic Charlie Wade by Lord Leaf