Chapter 598: The Khandaqi Tribe
A Deadly Introduction
The bullet was no match for Diana's reflexes. She was about to intervene, but Luke stopped her.
Pffft!
A burst of blood appeared. The bearded man's face was frozen in astonishment as he slowly collapsed to the ground.
Luke raised a hand and, as rocks tumbled down, an unseen force yanked the hidden assailant into the air before slamming him hard onto the ground. The assailant turned out to be just a dirty boy, about fifteen or sixteen years old.
The rifle the boy held was an old Mosin-Nagant, produced in the 19th century and over a hundred years old.
Luke grabbed the rifle, examined it, and tossed it away. Then he focused on the boy.
"Khandaqi?"
The boy's face was taut. His right hand was held behind his back, tightly clutching a dagger tucked into his waistband.
Luke nudged the bearded man's corpse with his foot. "Do you know who this man is?"
The boy remained silent, but his eyes began to change. Of course, he knew who this scoundrel was; many of his tribesmen had died at the hands of the bearded man over the years.
"He's the gift I brought for you. Take me to your chief. I have something to discuss with him."
The boy subtly curled his lip. Bringing an outsider to the chief was simply impossible.
Luke was in no mood to waste time and directly used the Lasso of Truth. Five minutes later, the boy lay on the ground in despair, his eyes filled with terror.
"Demon!"
"You're a demon! Ahhhh!!!"
His cries were miserable and helpless. He screamed as he tried to crawl away.
Diana put the lasso away and whispered, "They don't seem to know anything about the mystical traditions."
"We can only ask the chief. Ordinary people aren't privileged to know."
The two mounted their camels and rode away, leaving the boy to his hysterical meltdown.
The Khandaqi are truly a strange race, excessively loyal. Just revealing one secret turned the boy into this state.
Luke didn't understand their culture, so he decided to ignore it for now.
Meeting the Chief
Guided by the "map" gleaned from the boy, the two rode smoothly through the canyon and soon arrived at the deep cave entrance. Khandaqi sentries were positioned all around. Seeing them, they immediately raised their guns and opened fire.
Bullets rained down from all directions but were stopped by an invisible barrier.
The air crackled with the sound of metal hitting an obstruction.
The Khandaqi witnessing this were speechless, completely stunned.
Luke stood still, allowing them to fire until their rifles ran dry. Then, he leisurely walked toward the cave. A white-bearded old man appeared at the entrance. Seeing the two figures encased in an invisible barrier, the corners of his mouth couldn't stop twitching.
"Who are you? Why have you come here?"
Luke nodded slightly. "You can call me a friend who has traveled a long way."
"Friend?"
"Yes, friend," Luke emphasized. "We mean no harm. We heard the Khandaqi live in the canyon, so we came, as friends." He paused, then said resignedly, "Could you ask your men to lower their guns?"
As he spoke, he voluntarily dissolved the barrier.
The old man's eyes flickered. He was tempted to take a cold shot and kill the visitors, but after much thought, he gave up the idea. The situation was unknown. He couldn't, and dared not, take the risk.
"Everyone lower your weapons. Do not be rude to the guests."
The soldiers on the sentry posts exchanged glances and reluctantly holstered their weapons.
Luke asked with a smile, "Are you the chief here?"
The old man nodded. "My name is Khalist. Who are you?"
"Darnel Lucio. Archaeologist and part-time wizard."
The old man's face shifted slightly. He couldn't help but scrutinize him.
"You are a wizard?"
"Half of one, I suppose."
Luke let out a laugh. His gaze sharpened as he asked, "May we come in?"
The old man gave instructions to his subordinates in the native tongue, then led the two into the rock cave. The cave was vast. They encountered forks in the path frequently, and in the dimly lit areas, they could faintly see the figures of women and children.
The three stopped in a place resembling a meeting room. The old man sat in the main seat, and Luke and Diana sat opposite each other.
"Where are you from, Mr. Lucio?"
"British."
"Why did you come here?"
"To study magic."
Luke extended his index finger. The tip burst into flame, then turned into flickering electric light, and finally into cold air. The rapid, continuous transformations made the old man's eyelids twitch.
This young man really is a wizard!
It had been years since that war ended. He hadn't seen a wizard since.
"My father saved an Egyptian wizard when he was young. Later, I learned the wizard wasn't Egyptian, but Khandaqi. I learned these spells from the notes he left behind." He paused, adding,
"My talent for magic is quite good, but I desperately need a teacher."
The old man stroked his beard, deep in thought.
Luke continued, "The magic he left behind is different from the Western kind. It originates from the Ancient Egyptian Ennead system. I searched half of Egypt but couldn't find what I was looking for. Then I heard the Khandaqi tribe has a lineage of ancient magic, so I came uninvited. I hope you don't mind."
The old man shook his head. "There is no magic in Khandaq. Those rumors are baseless."
Luke ignored his denial and spoke word by word. "To be honest, my magic cultivation has hit a bottleneck, and I urgently need guidance from a master. Only the Khandaqi can help me. If you can find that person..."
"I'm willing to offer a certain amount of compensation. Five... four hundred thousand dollars—in food, medicine, clothing, furniture, anything you need."
The old man's face was cold.
"I apologize, I cannot help you."
"Four hundred and fifty thousand!"
Luke increased the offer. "That should be enough, shouldn't it?"
The old man sneered internally. "You have the wrong person. There are no wizards in Khandaq."
"Five... no... six hundred thousand. That's the limit of what I can offer. If you want weapons and ammunition, I can also help you acquire some."
The old man remained unmoved, his expression detached. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Luke clenched his fist, staring intently at him, and growled in a rough voice,
"Add another two hundred thousand. That's the final price. If you don't agree, I'll go look for other tribes."
"I truly apologize, I cannot help."
Luke snorted in anger, seemingly humiliated, and abruptly stood to leave. Diana followed him. Once out of the cave, they mounted their camels and rode away without looking back.
The Art of the Tease
On the way back, Diana was utterly confused.
"What game are you playing now?"
"In the language of the East, it's called 'luring the tiger out of its mountain lair.'"
Luke whispered, "Until I find what I'm looking for, I must maintain a good relationship with the Khandaqi."
"But we already left."
"It doesn't count as leaving until we're out of the canyon. Trust me, it won't be long before they chase after us and invite me back."
"Are you sure?"
Luke sighed lightly. "Didn't you notice? The women and children hiding in the corners had no clothes. They are too poor. They lack everything, and they want everything."
"Then why didn't you offer more?"
"Offering too much would arouse suspicion, and offering too little wouldn't be tempting enough. Four hundred thousand dollars was just right. The only thing that surprised me was his attitude. That old man is not an ordinary character."
At the same time, several Khandaqi men guarding a secret post returned to the cave via a hidden path and reported Luke's movements to the chief.
"Are you sure they kept riding outward and didn't turn back?"
"Yes."
"Chief, should we stop them?"
The old man stroked his beard, his eyes showing confusion and faint hesitation.
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