Dark King

The trio took the bottles. Although they were no aware of its content but still stood up and earnestly thanked him.

Dudian nodded slightly as he saw the improvement they had after being taught by Old Fulin: “Go and get prepared. Butler show them the way.”

“Yes.” Nicholas replied.

Trio followed after Nicholas as they took the small bottles with themselves.

Nicholas brought them to a room in the second floor. They looked at the small bottles in their hands after the door was closed. Barton checked it against the light and saw a light green liquid inside the bottle. He was startled: “Is this fountain of life?”

Joseph’s eyes moistened as he clenched the small bottle.

Kroen opened the cap and sniffed: “It should be. I had inquired about ‘fountain of life’ earlier on and the rumor is that it is a holy spring that could wash all the dirt, diseases and plague from the body. It can cure almost everything and purify the radiation value of the body. Young master wanted for both of you to join Holy Church and military. You wouldn’t be able to pass the physical examination with the current state of your bodies. He should have given this to us to improve the physical condition of our bodies.”

Joseph’s surprised face turned calm. He slowly said: “No matter what I will give my all to help Dean in the future.”

Kroen smiled: “I’ve heard that for normal people like us we have to use a drop a day for about one month or so to significantly eliminate the radiation value. If we use two drops a day then the effect would be more obvious. But we can’t be greedy and drink mouthful or not only there wont be an effect but it would cause harm to the body. It may even lead to death in such a situation.”

Joseph shook the small bottle: “There should be around hundred drops inside. It is enough to improve our constitution. ”

Barton took a deep breath: “Afterwards all three of us will have to follow separate ways but whereever we end up our hearts would be together forever!”

“Yes!” Joseph nodded.

“Yes!” Kroen said in a prideful tone.

…

…

The next day.

Dudian called out Barton and took him away.

“Take you somewhere today.” Dudian sat firmly in the carriage and looked at Barton.

Barton had taken fountain of life yesterday. He had seen the dark brown patches in his chest. It seems the accumulated radiation was being extracted. He had changed his dress and combed his hair neatly. He had brown hair and dark black eyes. Barton was a smart kid. Although he was not handsome but he had characteristics which made him unforgettable.

“Where are we going?” Barton asked.

Dudian smiled: “I had adopted you as a friend but now its time to get your own family!”

Barton immediately reacted as he was not the stupid kid from before: “Do you want me to be part of another family?”

“Yes,” Dudian nodded.

Barton slightly smiled: “You know that I will never feel affection to my biological parents but hatred!”

Dudian’s eyes lit up as he patted his shoulder: “If you want something in this world to belong to you then you have to fight for it, including your family.”

Barton was silent

The carriage traveled through the suburbs and came to a small town.

“Master, we are here.” The coachman spoke out.

Dudian got off the carriage and looked at small manor. It was dilapidated but in this small town it would be regarded as a reputable family’s house. The lawn was shabby as dead yellow grasses were everywhere. A look was enough to confirm that there was no gardener to take care.

Dudian came to the manor and waved his hand towards the coachman.

The driver approached in haste and shouted: “Anyone at home?” After two calls the door of the manor opened. An old woman with gray hair using pestle crutches came out. She was wearing glasses as she looked at Dudian. Her eyes brightened as she saw the gold pattern on Dudian’s clothing. She warmly said: “Hi, how are you?”

Dudian opened the fence of the manor and greeted the old woman. He said: “Old lady, where is your child?”

The old woman replied: “In the house. It is cold so they are all inside the house.”

“I’m here to visit them.” Dudian said.

“Come, please come in.” The old man politely invited him.

The coachman stopped near the fence as Dudian followed her into the house. Barton followed behind Dudian. He realized that it will be his new home.

The room was spacious but old. In the center of the hall a huge portrait hang on the wall. It was a picture of a heroic youth in a knight armor.

“This is my grandfather.” There was a trace of pride in old woman’s eyes as she looked at the picture.

Dudian smiled: “Isn’t Lowe in here? ” His voice was peaceful but had very strong penetrating power. A chunku middle-aged man raushed out from another room. His face was covered in baerd and he was dressed in dusty suede. The traces of sewing could be seen at the corners of his clothing. The man’s eyes lit up as he saw Dudian. He respectfully said: “Mr Dean. Welcome! Please have a sit.”

Dudian said in a cold tone: “It is so cold today and you let your mother come out to open the door?”

Chunky man turned his head towards his mother: “Mother, you should go back. Go go!”

The old woman replied: “Alright. Be polite son.” She was pushed away from the hall by the Lowe.

Dudian looked around. The walls were ash gray and the old bell that was hung inside had stopped swinging long ago. Because of lack of repairs most of the things were full of dust.

Chunky man saw that Dudian was looking around. He pulled a chair and wiped with his sleeve. He warmly said: “Mr Dean, please sit.”

Dudian didn’t reply to him and pulled over the chair: “You ancestor have been a hero who have leaved so many things. But generation after generation everything was sold and spent! Unsightly!”

Chunky man was embarrassed and laughed but didn’t dare to answer.

Dudian saw that the man’s self-esteem has been broken long time ago. He pointed at Barton: “This is who I was talking about. You will transfer him as your son and he will inherit your last name.”

Chunky man looked at Barton and saw the traces of deformation. He was in a dilemma: “Mr Dean, I have promised you. But to pay for the legal responsilibities and fees…My income…The kid should be from slums…This…”

Dudian took out a stack of gold notes from his pocket. He pulled ten of them. Each of them was worth hundred gold coins and overall they would be one thousand gold coins in total: “This is the money. Don’t forget its not one time but an annual fee. Do you understand me?”

Chunky man’s eyes lit up as he saw the gold notes. He was more excited as he heard that it was just a yearly fee for helping out Barton: “I understand…I understand every word that ou say. Not to mention him but I would be willing to adopt hundred more…Ha ha.. Mr Dean you are generous…”

Dudian raised his hand to interrupt him: “But don’t forget that if you do something that shouldn’t be done then don’t forget that your end won’t be fruitful.”

Chunky man replied: “I can guarantee that I’m tight-lipped. I will never leak a sentence! ”

Dudian looked at Barton: “From today on you will have his lastname. You will be called Barton Hull. After a month I will come to find you and we will go with you to participate in assessment for knights.”

Barton looked at the ugly middle-aged man. He didn’t think that this will be his ‘own father’. He looked back at Dudian: “Yes.”

Dudian nodded got up and left the hall.

“Mr Dean, you should sit for a while …” The chunky man’s voice echoed out.

Dudian didn’t turn back his head but left the manor and got on the carriage.

Dudian took Joseph after returning to the castle. He took him to another family. This family’s ancestor was a war hero. Although he wasn’t a well-known person back in his days but he had died in the battlefield. The ancestor was an excellent soldier who had rised up to lieutenant rank. Now only the ancestral property was left. The flag of the family hang in the center of the hall. Servants cleaned the manor every day so although the house had faded but it still looked clean.

In comparison to the previous Hull family this one had character.

Dudian had personally selected the family. Naturally he had his own reasons to place Barton in Hull family and Joseph in here.

After going back Dudian called Kroen. The reason Kroen wasn’t give to adoption was because of his arm deformity. It would be very difficult to achieve something with an arm if he was sent away.

“This is for you.” Dudian took out a stack of gold notes and gave to Kroen. In totally they would be valued more than thousands of gold coins: “Create an intelligence network. If you don’t understand anything then you are free to ask me any time.”

Kroen’s eyes shined as he swallowed his salive: “Master, its too much.”

“The purpose of the money is to buy people.” Dudian replied.

Kroen put away the money: “I will carefully select people.”

Dudian waved him off.

…

…

Two days later.

Dudian as usual went to the Temple. He made another order of hundred pounds of material. He was about to return back to his castle when he remembered the invitation letter he had received. He went back to the 13th castle.

After he got off the carriage Dudian ran into an architect: “Are others in here?”

The architect in front of the castle recognized Dudian: “The others have come since long ago.”

Dudian nodded.

Both of them went to the top floor of the main building. Dudian was able to hear the laughter which came from the conference room. He walked past and knocked on the door.

The door was opened by a middle-aged architect. He looked at Dudian in puzzled manner: “Are you the one who has won the ‘epoch’ medal?”

Dudian smiled and nodded.

“Please come in.” The middle-aged architect smiled as he saw Dudian admit.

The argument in the meeting room stopped as they heard the middle-aged architect. Dudian saw seven or eight people in the conference room. Tiffany was also present.

Dudian looked at the crowd: “Dean greets the predecessors.”

“You are way too polite. We don’t have successor or predecessors in here. Only the talen counts. The age is not part of the assessment.”A black haired old man laughed.

Dudian looked at the black haired man. He found that the man’s face looked Asian. There was a bit of warm intimacy towards the man as most of the people within the giant wall were westerner. Rarely people who looked asian would come out.

Tiffany waved at Dudian: “Come over sit by my side.”

“Come and sit with me.”

“There is a free place here too.”

Dudian smiled and declined other. He sat down next to Tiffany: “I heard that today there will be a seminar. It’s my first time so please help me out with the rules that I have to follow which I’m not familiar with.”

“It’s a small matter. Everyone was like you the first time.” The middle-aged man sitting on Dudian’s left laughed.

“Hmpf!” A middle-aged man with a crooked nose sitting across the table snorted: “I thought we are here to talk about inventions and research. If its not something like that then I’m leaving right now!”