Chapter 519 286: Dragon Witch

He tossed aside his longsword and knelt before the woman, prostrating himself on the ground like a dog wagging its tail, begging for favor.

His eyes were filled with fanatical adoration for the Witch's Snowfoot.

The woman nodded, stepping on the back of the prostrate High Priest's head as she entered the indescribable space.

With a POP, the High Priest's head burst open like a flower. But the blood, rather than spattering, congealed in midair. Then, this suspended blood truly blossomed into red flowers:

Roses, anthuriums, azaleas, Chinese roses, dahlias, peonies, irises... All were red, a fiery, flame-like red, all frozen at the very instant of their bloom, as if that moment were eternal.

The High Priest of the Dragon Eater Association had died in the most absurd fashion.

But that wasn't the end.

More people leaped out from behind the rocks.

Among them were Griffin Knights and no shortage of Dragon Eater Association Cultists. It was as if they had been notified, lying in ambush here with weapons readied and Sharp Claws sharpened, yet no conflict erupted between them.

The same was true now that they had all leaped out together.

They huddled together like brothers, cast aside their weapons and Sharp Claws, and knelt shoulder-to-shoulder in two rows, their heads staggered. Their expressions were pious, their movements solemn and grim, as though they were forming not a carpet, but a stairway to the Celestial Kingdom.

Their fate was the same as the High Priest's. The moment the Witch's bare feet stepped upon the backs of their heads, their heads burst, blossoming into a variety of fiery red flowers.

The Witch advanced gracefully toward the summit, wreathed in these fiery red flowers. As she stood on the edge of the cliff, the currents gusting from the Abyss billowed her red dress high into the air, making her look like a crimson flag about to be swept away by the wind.

The winding trail of flowers behind her slowly began to rise, transforming into streams of rose-red runes that embedded themselves in the brown runic stones. The stones began to tremble, then crack, and finally, they shattered completely.

At that moment, the Red Moon in the sky shone clear and bright. Its blood-red light instantly illuminated a swirling, chained mass of mist within the Abyss. From within the mist, a pair of furious and savage Golden Eyes appeared.

"That's the Mad Dragon!"

"Yes. That is the Mad Dragon—a symbol of mystery and Madness that does not belong in this world."

Carmen turned and looked at the blond man pointing a gun at her. "Did the Baron send you?"

Her irises were rose-gold, a bewitching and unusual color that brought to mind a sunset sky, the clouds collapsing as boundless sunlight streamed through the cracks.

Jack looked into those eyes, at once bewitching and imperious, and couldn't help but shiver. He stammered,

"Great Witch, please spare me! This was all the Baron's doing! I was just hiding here to get the jump on someone—anyone! I never expected it would be you!"

Carmen glanced at the chains that snaked down the cliff like serpents and asked Jack, "What did Baron Constantin want you to do here?"

Jack answered honestly, "He said the Dragon Eater Association was going to release the Mad Dragon from Traitor's Cliff. He wanted me to lie in ambush and take a shot at the creature when the opportunity arose. If it's a sin, the blame is his. If it's a meritorious deed, the credit is mine."

Jack glanced at the Chronicles of the Headless Rider, then down at the foot of the mountain, where the Law Enforcers were either grievously wounded, dead, or wailing in agony. He also saw the Silver Lion King, whose form was dissipating into specks of fluorescent light.

He paused, then added, "But at the time, I didn't know it would be you, ma'am. If I'd known, I would have died before taking this job.

So, a person of your stature won't hold a grudge against a nobody like me, right? How about you just pretend I'm a fart and let me go?"

"You sound sincere," the Witch said coolly, "but it's not very convincing when you're pointing a gun at me."

Jack said with righteous indignation, "I'm just ensuring my own personal safety! What if you suddenly turn on me?"

Carmen said, "Then put the gun down."

But Jack shook his head, jutting his chin toward the Chronicles of the Headless Rider on the ground. "I'm afraid that if I put the gun down, you'll kill me just like you killed them."

"While I do feel it would be an honor to be stepped on by the Witch's bare feet, if death is the price, it's an honor I'd rather pass up." As always, Jack delivered his outrageous lines with a perfectly straight face.

Carmen tilted her head, a long lock of hair falling to the side of her cheek. The gesture made her look more like a lovely, delicate maiden than a Witch.

"I think I understand why you're friends with Baron Constantin."

"Probably because we're both devastatingly handsome," Jack shrugged. "But I'm not like him. I'm loyal. Passionate, but not promiscuous."

"There's another difference."

"Does Lady Witch think Baron Constantin isn't as handsome as me?" Jack perked up.

"I just think Baron Constantin values his life more than you do."

The moment the Witch finished speaking, Jack felt the cold metal of a gun barrel press against his temple.

He risked a glance from the corner of his eye.

The word 'someone' needed to be revised. It wasn't a person at all. It was a man-sized bouquet of Dahlias—Dahlias that were holding a gun!

Jack gave an awkward laugh. "Does Miss Witch enjoy gardening?"

"When I first made my debut on the Inner Side, you all called me the Witch of Flowers. But that was almost a hundred years ago."

"Grandma Witch, how about this? I'll count to three, and we put our guns down together."

Jack said, "One, two, three."

He didn't put his down, and neither did the Witch.

The Witch sneered, "Did you think I would believe you?"

"I've seen plenty of these little tricks from you Westminster Commissioners."