Mount and Blade Central Asia

Therefore, Badrani and his men were mainly on guard against Xiao Valad's gang, who might be caught by Governor Tavel and implicate them.

Hearing Badrani say this, Nasidin smiled.

As the dagger of the Muqi sect, during their most glorious period, their targets were often famous sultans and emirs. It was only in recent decades that they began to gradually lower their profile and accept some relatively civilian commissions.

Those big shots generally like to live in luxurious castles. Within the Muqiyi sect, they have maps of many famous castles. Some of them were explored through informants, and some were simply purchased from the builders.

Over the past few hundred years, many predecessors have updated the latest versions of maps while doing their business.

Especially the famous palaces in famous cities like Baghdad, such as the Abbasid Palace, where the assassins of the Murarii sect visited twice in history and left behind valuable experience.

Otherwise, why do assassination organizations have to choose big brands? This is called foundation.

After determining the location of the dark wizard, Nasidin planned to move around that night to see if the roads left by his predecessors could still be used.

As the saying goes, officials have their own ways and rats have their own ways. The secret passage that was used twice by the assassin of the Muciyi sect in the same castle to kill two people over a span of seventy years is naturally not a wide and bright road.

Or rather, it couldn't be called a road at all...that road was the pipe used by the Abbasid Palace to dump excrement.

Naseedin certainly didn't know that in later generations, assassins like him would be called "assassins" by Christians, but he should at least be grateful to the Black Sheep Governor for reducing the number of people in the Abbasid Palace.

Although this passage still had some smell, it did not seem so unacceptable at this time, and he could climb up from the inside relatively easily.

Nasidin had already walked around the area during the day, and the information Badrani obtained was obviously correct. The Black Sheep people did not have many guards outside the palace, and the governor should no longer live here.

After all, compared to this ancient palace, the military camp built in the city is much easier to defend in terms of terrain and structure.

This was undoubtedly good news for Nasidin, as it greatly increased the chances of him successfully completing the mission.

But for the black wizard Ali, the black sheep man who suddenly disappeared into the military camp caused him a lot of trouble.

He is a century-old black wizard. In the ancient Eastern country, he would be considered a spirit. How many years has it been since he served himself?

In this huge palace, apart from him and a few dark wizards, there was no one else to be found. What would he eat? What would he drink? Where would he find people when he needed sacrifices?

After witnessing the brains of several dark wizard apprentices like Ali, who were brought out with great difficulty, being cooked as sacrifices, the few remaining dark wizards became wary of each other.

Of course, this doesn't mean that these dark wizards were close before, it's just that they are being more explicit now.

The simplest example is that Ali now occupies most of the space by himself. Those dark wizards are all moving away from Ali, each choosing an area they like and starting to arrange their own "new wizard tower."

Those who can become dark wizards are all smart people, especially those dark wizards who have survived several disasters in the city of Mosul. They are the smartest of the smart.

Although there were no other tower masters among these black wizards except Ali, these black wizards had more or less learned some useful things from the construction process of Ush Tower and knew how to arrange magic circles to enhance their own witchcraft abilities.

In fact, if Ali had not come up with several new witchcrafts after arriving in Baghdad, like fishing to catch those black wizards, this group of people would have dispersed long ago.

Ali regarded these people as potential high-quality sacrifices, and these black wizards also colluded in private, preparing to find an opportunity to drain the knowledge in Ali's mind.

Generally speaking, after the city of Mosul was captured, the ideals of these dark wizards were downgraded from building a brand new wizard city and a city of knowledge to just grabbing whatever they could get and calling it a day.

Only Ali still maintained a little of his original intention. After Li Rufeng led the Mongols to capture the city of Mosul that he occupied, his only remaining thought was the city of Baghdad.

Ali could never accept that the city was destroyed by the Mongols again, although the few rational parts in Ali's heart told him that Li Rufeng was not Hulagu. On the contrary, the Mongolian shaman was trying his best to bring a new order to this land.

In fact, that Mongolian shaman was not even a Mongolian.

But after all, for Ali now, keeping him alive until now is not the rational part.

He is the dark wizard in the world who has done the most in-depth research on the Blue Wind. His 150-year wizarding career has destroyed his humanity and twisted his soul.

In the process of repeatedly replacing new bodies, the part that could be called human was gradually discarded. Now, what was hidden under the skin called Ali was nothing more than a twisted mass of ashes, ashes that should have burned up along with the City of Circles and the Palace of Wisdom long ago.

"I should have died long ago." Ali muttered to himself in the room alone.

But in the other corner of the room, Naseedin, hiding in the darkness, aimed at Ali's head with the sophisticated crossbow in his hand.

"Yes, you should have died long ago." Nasidin said softly, knowing that the dark wizard could hear him.

He made the noise on purpose. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Although Nasidin had no intention of completing the mission tonight, there was no defense at all. This was a rare opportunity, and he couldn't hold back.

Nasdin was born to make the dark wizard turn back. The back of the human head is protected by the skull, and only by piercing the part below the occipital bone can one ensure a fatal blow.

However, to find the right angle, Nasidin would have to bend down and get within three meters behind the dark wizard, which was too risky, so he chose to expose himself and gain an opportunity.

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Ali turned around and looked in the direction of Nasidin.

hum!

The crossbow arrow flew away!

Chapter 645 Let's make a deal, kid, I won't lie

Before the crossbow arrow hit Ali's face, it was caught in the palm of an old arm.

"I've seen you before, boy." A creepy smile appeared on Ali's old face. "The dagger of the Muciyi sect is really rare. I thought you had disappeared for so many years and were extinct."

After missing his attack, Nasidin turned around and ran. His movements were as sharp as a civet cat, and in the blink of an eye he disappeared in the intricate terrain of the palace.

Naseedin was not afraid of death, but he was afraid that he would die before his sins were cleansed and he would not be able to reach heaven.

But to Ali, Naseedin's escape was meaningless. He simply slightly modified Naseedin's sense of direction, and the well-trained assassin ran back on his own.

"I said, can you leave now?" Ali looked at the crossbow arrow in his hand, and raised his head to look at Naseedin as if he was looking at goods.

The look was so terrifying that even an assassin like Naseedin couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. Then he found that his legs seemed to be grasped by invisible hands and he couldn't move.

"Oh? The Muciyi organization still insists on using ancient breathing techniques to strengthen the bodies of assassins like you? Good, good, good, very good." Ali showed a satisfied expression. "Please don't mind. I really need a guy like you right now."

Naseedin instinctively sensed the danger, a danger beyond death. Just as he was not afraid of death before, he was afraid of dying in the wrong way and missing the chance to enter heaven.

Without hesitation, he pulled out his dagger and threw it directly at Ali. He did not expect this blow to kill the enemy, he only hoped it would give him some breathing space.

"Don't fight against fate, it's meaningless..." Ali suddenly dodged to the side in embarrassment, avoiding the dagger.

He originally planned to use the invisible wizard's hand to intercept the dagger, but his magic just "flashed" and all of it was ineffective for a moment.

Ali's face suddenly turned dark. Although as believers of the Azure Wind, everyone had to adapt to this kind of convulsive "flash", but such coincidences were still rare, and Ali had encountered it several times recently.

This made him even more certain that it was the malice coming from the Azure Wind.

Nasidin did not waste the opportunity. At that moment, between the two options of attacking and escaping, he chose the latter without hesitation.

He had to find better opportunities, use better weapons, and so on. Nasidin could come up with many reasons, but deep down he only knew that the real reason was fear.

Nasidin was afraid that the dark wizard would take his soul. He didn't know if the dark wizard could really do that. The masters in the castle had never taught him this, but Nasidin didn't want to take the risk.

He ignored the risk of being discovered and forcibly broke through a window inlaid with stained glass. That was the emergency exit that Nasidin had chosen in advance. He had intended to escape through that window after the actual assassination was completed.

That was one of the few windows in the entire Abbasid Palace that was large enough for Naseedin to jump out directly after breaking it. The other windows were made up of smaller pieces of glass.

Ali stood at the broken window, staring at the direction where Naseedin fled, frowning, coughing a few times and spitting out a mouthful of blood. This body was becoming increasingly unusable, but that body really satisfied him.

His soul was growing weak. Just from Mosul to Baghdad, he had changed three bodies along the way.

More than a hundred years ago, Ali only needed to replace his body every ten years or so. Even ten years ago, Ali only needed to replace his body every three to five years.

When the dreamland covered Mosul, Ali didn't even need to change his body. He hid his soul completely in the dreamland, and what remained in the material world was just an appearance.

But now Ali's need for a young body is increasing. This is the second body he has used since he arrived in Baghdad.

Human life is meaningless to Ali, but this rate of consumption has undoubtedly begun to affect Ali's ability to survive. Perhaps in a few days, Ali will face the problem of having to focus all his energy on finding a new body.

Such a life is meaningless to Ali. He is a dark wizard, not a ghost.

So he wanted to try something new. The young man from the Muqiyi sect looked good. At least he had plenty of vitality.

...

"This wizard is difficult to deal with. I was exposed today and I failed again!" Nasidin hurried back to the hiding place and looked at Badrani with a childish grievance on his face.

Naseedin never thought that he would suffer consecutive failures. He was not mentally prepared for this. When the last bit of strength supported him to run back to his hiding place from the Abbasid Palace, Naseedin collapsed. He cried like a child in front of Badrani.

To be honest, for Badrani, this was the first time for a young lady to get into a sedan chair.

Although he was an experienced scabbard, in the previous missions, the scabbards either completed the task cleanly and neatly, or died on the spot at the crime scene. Such a complicated situation had never occurred.

Moreover, Badrani did not know how to coax children. Although these daggers looked like children and spoke in a voice like children, Badrani knew very well that these people had nothing to do with the word "children".

Every dagger has grown up successfully by killing their companions. They were trained as weapons and should not have such rich emotions.

The only reason for Nasidin's current behavior is that he has been out of the control of the Muqiyi sect for too long, and he is passively learning more things from this world that the Muqiyi sect does not want to teach him.

Such as fear, such as desire for the future.

Badrani didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. On the positive side, if Nasidin became less extreme, perhaps Badrani could guide him in the future and let him leave the Muqi sect like himself.

He was confident enough that he could become the most perfect companion, even a "father" in Naseedin's heart, and he would never betray him.

But from a bad perspective, it means that from now on, Badrani can no longer regard Nasidin as the invincible dagger. Nasidin's blade has become blunt, and they need to find another way to deal with the dark wizard.

Badrani was thinking and comforting Naseedin. After being comforted by wine, delicious food, and a few small pills rich in poppy ingredients, Naseedin fell asleep with guilt, leaving Badrani to start packing up his belongings.

Although they are companions, for safety reasons Badlani plans to change his hiding place temporarily to see if the dark wizard will follow the clues and find him.

But he didn't plan to take Nasidin away. God knows whether the dark wizard would put some mark or curse on Nasidin. Badrani must ensure his own safety first.

In the darkness, Badrani quietly left the hiding place and went to the second hiding place he had prepared long ago, leaving only Nasidin himself and the old gatekeeper who lived in the gatehouse and collected their commission.

To be honest, Badrani would not feel any sadness no matter who died.

After experiencing so many life and death situations, Badrani has learned to look at these things from a very rational perspective.

He did see Naseedin as a potential partner, but only if he were alive.

The good news is that after one night, Nasidin was still alive, and the dark wizard did not come directly to his door.

The bad news is that the Black Sheep Governor Tavel suddenly issued a new order this morning, and the Black Sheep are searching the city for Nasidin.

Badrani saw the wanted posters in the hands of the black sheep men from afar. He could only say that the black wizard was at least an excellent painter. The wanted poster he drew was very realistic, enough for people to find Dang Nasidin by following the map, and the reward was very high.

He now had to kill the old man guarding the gate first, and then decide whether to kill the "partners" who had helped them enter the city before.

Killing the gatekeeper was a simple matter, and Badrani could handle it cleanly by himself. As a scabbard, he was very proficient in this kind of thing, from handling the body to cleaning up the scene.

If all goes well, even the caretaker's family will need at least two days to realize that he is dead and not drunk somewhere. Of course, doing so also means that they must abandon this hiding place.

"Naseedin, we must find another chance to kill that dark wizard." Badrani began to brainwash Naseedin mentally. "This is your last chance. The sect will never allow a dagger that has failed twice in a row to survive."

Hearing Badrani's words, young Nasidin showed a bewildered expression on his face. He clenched his fists and nodded silently.

"Listen, kid. You're the third dagger I've ever handled. I'm not young anymore, and I can't bear to see someone like you die so meaninglessly." Badrani continued, "I know what you're worried about, but I want you to know that if you truly fail, or don't want to try again, I'll support you."

Hearing Badrani say this, Nasidin's eyes widened immediately, as if he had heard some heinous lie.

"This time, I'm willing to stand by your side. There's no shame in admitting failure, and heaven isn't all that beautiful. I'm willing to give up everything to help you find a way out," Badrani said sincerely. "It all depends on your choice. No matter what you ultimately choose, just know that you can trust me and rely on me."

"Thank you, Badrani, I will complete the mission and I will not fail." Nasidin gradually became firmer in Badrani's eyes. Now he was carrying not only his own life, but the lives of two people.

He must succeed!

Badrani also smiled. He didn't care about the life or death of the dark wizard. He came here just to seize the opportunity and take a gamble.

If Nasidin could successfully kill the dark wizard, it would be good news for him, as he could use this opportunity to show off in front of Li Rufeng.

If Nasidin gave up on assassinating the dark wizard again out of fear, it would also be good news for him, because he could gain a loyal long-term tool.

Even in the worst case scenario, if Naseedin died in the mission to assassinate the dark wizard, what loss would it have for Badrani? He had nothing to lose and instead got rid of a big trouble.

So Badrani smiled brightly, and he just watched Naseedin get ready again, planning to sneak into the Abbasid Palace during the day for another assassination attempt.

Of course, this time Nasidin took away a lot of "new equipment" from Badrani, such as a larger crossbow, deadly poison, and several daggers that were convenient to carry close to the body.

This time, Naseedin still sneaked into the Abbasid Palace through the sewer. Even though the Black Sheep issued a wanted order, the security forces around the palace did not change much, as if the Black Sheep had deliberately forgotten about him.

He had confirmed last night that there were no other servants in the palace except for a few dark wizards, so it was empty whether it was day or night, making it very convenient to sneak in.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time, Naseedin Baihala." When Naseedin had just sneaked into the castle and found a suitable room to rest for a while, Ali's voice suddenly came from the corner, scaring Naseedin so much that his hair stood on end.

The young man brandished two daggers and quickly retreated to the corner like a frightened jackal. He then looked around, but there was no one in the room except him.

No, to be exact, there was a crow in the room, squatting on the beam, looking at him with its cold black eyes, as if with a hint of pity in its eyes.

"You are very perceptive." The crow spoke in human language, proving that it was he who had spoken just now.

"You know what? I actually know you better than you know yourself." The crow continued, "Your mother was from Baghdad. She gave birth to you when she was sixteen. Two months later, she met a group of robbers and died a very painful death. You became another abandoned baby bought by the Mulai sect. Those robbers knew that children like you could be sold for a high price."

Nasidin stared at the crow without answering. He had nothing to say. The past was meaningless to him, and no one had ever taught him the meaning of these things.

"The good news is that your father is still alive. He is a wealthy businessman." The crow continued, "I want to make a deal with you. Lend me your body, and in three years I will return it to you, along with your father's name."

"Believe me, I am the only person in the world who can tell you this news." The crow stared at Nasidin, as if waiting for his answer.

But what responded to him was a powerful crossbow arrow. Nasidin had already finished stringing and aiming.

After shooting the crow to death with one arrow, he quickly took out the second crossbow arrow. He only brought three such crossbow arrows, and now there are two left. He must ensure that one of them will be shot at the dark wizard.

However, to his disappointment, more crows flew in from all directions and squatted on the beams, one next to the other, still looking at Naseedin with their bright black eyes, as if mocking his arrogance.