Lord of Rot

Leech lay flat on the back of his Horse-headed Eagle, Rocket, letting the wind yank his short black hair backward.

The skin on his face was pulled taut.

Rocket flew at high speed, the roar of its passage long since left behind.

The oncoming air struck him like a heavy hammer, forcing Leech to lie prone.

After this period of growth, Rocket had not only grown larger, but its body was now approaching the size of the Griffins Leech had once seen. Its flight speed, moreover, was several times faster.

If someone were to look up from the ground during the day, all they would see was a striking white contrail trailing a tiny black dot.

Rocket’s wings reduced a journey that would take over ten days by boat to less than an hour.

After they crossed Shuijian River Bay, mountains began to appear below.

Monkey Territory was located at the southernmost tip of the East Gorge, bordering the territory of Giant’s Foot. Its geography, filled with mountain ranges, was similar to that of Iron Valley.

The jagged peaks, large and small, looked like a monkey’s cupped hand cradling the castle in its palm. That was why the fortress was named Shanzhang Castle.

He gazed down from high in the sky.

Under the moonlight, Leech kept shifting his gaze westward.

It was a vast mountain range, soaring into the clouds—so immense that even a Horse-headed Eagle would struggle to cross it.

Right in the middle of the mountain range was a long canyon pass named Bonta Canyon.

The canyon connected Monkey Territory and the desert.

Of course, there was an easier way to get to the desert from the East Gorge by taking a detour through his maternal grandfather’s Linta Bay, but that would waste a lot of time.

Kro Camel had taken the Linta Bay route the last time he went to buy horses.

But it was precisely because of Bonta Canyon’s existence that Monkey Territory became a pivotal hub connecting the three regions of Giant’s Foot, the East Gorge, and the desert.

This was also why Monkey Territory was so determined to capture Shuijian River Bay.

Only by controlling Waterfall Land could they maximize their profits.

Leech gently patted Rocket.

Rocket tucked in its wings and adjusted its altitude to descend.

They flew silently toward Shanzhang Castle, completely unnoticed.

Landing on a small hill overgrown with trees and weeds, Leech dismounted from the saddle.

He retrieved his prepared supplies from the saddle.

Besides the Dragon-Slaying Sword on his back and the Sword Saw at his waist, Leech had also specially prepared Alchemy Bombs.

Considering the unknown dangers of infiltrating Shanzhang Castle alone, he designated the destruction of the castle with Alchemy Bombs as his last resort.

’If possible, I’d rather kill and control Wells Bill, take his corpse, and thereby seize control of Monkey Territory.’

’Iron Valley, Waterfall Land, and Monkey Territory combined would form a coalition that not even a Duke could afford to ignore.’

’In the distance, waterways connect to Porcupine Territory and my grandfather’s Linta Bay.’

’From then on, the resistance I face will be greatly reduced.’

’The hub that the old monkey has been scheming for can become mine.’

However, this plan was fraught with problems. Controlling a Baron, after all, was not as simple as controlling a Transcendent. A Baron lived in the public eye; the slightest oddity would arouse suspicion. If Leech’s ability to control corpses were to be exposed, he would be targeted by the entire kingdom.

’So, killing Wells Bill is a must. The rest is optional.’

FLUTTER FLUTTER. A corpse bird flew over and landed on Leech’s shoulder.

He raised his hand and gently scratched the corpse bird’s head.

Waterfall Land bordered Monkey Territory. Leech only needed the Water Nymph to swim a little farther south to establish a mental link with her.

Though Leech was eager to kill, he hadn’t forgotten to bring along his strongest trump card.

’Alchemy Bombs are useful, but a power beyond the Extraordinary is even better.’

”Wait for me out here,” Leech said to Rocket. ”Fly over when you hear my signal. If there’s no signal, don’t move an inch.”

”COO!” Rocket nodded in understanding.

Leech took out his personal stock.

In his left hand, he held an energy-storing staff; in his right, the 200-pound, door-sized Dragon-Slaying Sword.

’I’ve saved up ten bottles of Lucky Potion recently, but I haven’t found a compelling reason to use one. Now, walking into the lion’s den alone, I could use a little boost of luck.’

Then Leech took out another bottle of Lucky Potion and fed it to Rocket.

’Better safe than sorry.’

’With both me and the Horse-headed Eagle having drunk a Lucky Potion, the odds of a lucky break might just double.’

’Rocket is a crucial part of my escape plan, so it needs good luck on its side, too.’

After sending the corpse bird off, he pulled the [Pot of Invisibility] over his head and made his way through the forest toward Shanzhang Castle.

At night, the castle gates were tightly shut. Even with the [Pot of Invisibility], it was impossible to get someone to open the gates for him.

He raised the energy-storing staff in his left hand and activated it with a light tap.

”Spider Walking Skill.”

Leech lifted his left foot and placed it on the wall of Shanzhang Castle. It stuck fast.

He lifted his right foot and placed it on the wall as well.

He was now parallel to the ground.

It was as if gravity no longer had any hold on him.

Just as he neared the crenellations, Leech overheard two Soldiers whispering.

”This time, Lord La will definitely be able to take Longship Castle, right?”

”Of course,” the other Soldier said matter-of-factly. ”But I heard the Lord’s health is getting better and better. Even if Lord La really wins this time, he won’t get to become the new Lord.”

”There’s really Magic that can make people younger?”

”I heard he started worshiping a Divine Spirit!”

”Aren’t we supposed to worship the Four Gods...?”

The two of them stopped talking in unison, turning their heads to look at Leech as he climbed up.

But their gazes only lingered on Leech for less than a second before moving away.