Leilin didn't know about all the things that had happened in the small shop after he left.
After reaching an agreement with the old witch, he first went to the largest and most famous restaurant in the City That Never Sleeps to enjoy a sumptuous lunch, then he even brought a gift and visited Cleo's villa to thank him for some of the secrets he had shared earlier.
And when Cleo saw that Leilin had already become a wizard of the Four Seasons Garden, the shocked expression on his face almost made Leilin laugh out loud at the time.
Although the Four Seasons Garden possessed a first-class team of wizards and complete experimental facilities, it was undeniable that it still lagged quite a bit behind the City That Never Sleeps in terms of other comforts and enjoyments.
Leilin now finally understood why many members, even though they had housing at the Four Seasons Garden headquarters, would still take their vacation time to come to the City That Never Sleeps for recreation.
For wizards, their long lifespans and power far exceeding that of mortals allowed them to easily obtain a great deal of power and status.
And apart from their research and experiments, these mortal enjoyments became one of their few entertainments.
A large number of elderly wizards, after giving up hope of advancing further, would retire from their organizations and settle down in the City That Never Sleeps, enjoying life every day.
The neighbor wizard Cleo, whom Leilin knew, was a representative among them.
However, these matters were still far from Leilin for now. He was still very young, with enormous room for growth, and was far from the point of becoming disheartened.
Appropriate recreation was merely an outlet for his leisure time.
...
Time passed quickly. Three days later, Leilin met with the old witch again as previously arranged.
"Follow me! I'll take you to a meeting point of the organization I'm part of!"
The old witch led Leilin out of the City That Never Sleeps.
In a secluded forest, the old witch took out a ghastly face mask and put it on: "Black wizards are different from white wizards. A leak of information could lead us to being surrounded and captured, so many members hide their identities. You'd best disguise yourself too, and come up with a code name!"
It seemed that before obtaining the full formula for Maria's Tears, the old witch had already become a rather firm ally of Leilin's.
After all, compared to promises and oaths, the bond of mutual interest was more enduring.
"My code name is 'Old Ghost' – don't get it wrong in there!" the old witch reminded him, still somewhat concerned.
"Hide my identity? I like that!" Leilin nodded. His facial muscles contorted, and the color of his hair changed, from pure black to silver-white.
At the same time, he put on a mask: "Once we get there, you can call me 'Blood Hand'!"
This system of black wizards clearly suited Leilin's tastes better.
Moreover, concealing his identity would also be of greater benefit to his actions within the Four Seasons Garden.
The location for this meeting was at the bottom of a swamp.
Although this place might seem like hell to ordinary people, for a formal wizard like Leilin, it was merely a matter of taking a few extra steps.
After passing through the thick, foul-smelling swamp, Leilin found himself in a temporarily excavated underground space.
"You're late, Old Ghost! And it seems you've brought a newcomer?"
A black rat the size of a burly adult stood upright, staring intently at Leilin, its small green eyes filled with distrust.
"Yes, he's the one I mentioned last time. His code name is 'Blood Hand'!"
"Though the scent of blood on him tells me he's a black wizard, too many have betrayed us by joining those white bastards. We need a more thorough verification..."
Standing beside the black rat was a bald wizard whose face looked as if it had melted, with a huge python coiled around him.
"He scared my precious!"
Upon seeing Leilin, the python suddenly recoiled in fear, as if it had encountered a natural predator, then respectfully lay on the ground in a posture of submission, causing the bald wizard's expression to turn extremely ugly.
Leilin understood. This was likely due to the bloodline of the Comorin Giant Snake he possessed.
It was the bloodline of an ancient creature, which naturally commanded and suppressed others of its kind.
"Damn you!" the bald wizard attacked directly.
Numerous beast-like claws materialized in the air, accompanied by the roars of fierce beasts, constantly lunging at Leilin.
"You're looking for death!"
Leilin shouted sharply, a circle of crimson light erupting from his body. His right hand grabbed at the air!
Countless black shadows emerged from the darkness, wrapping around the beast claws. Sizzle!!! White smoke constantly billowed as the claws melted under the shadow's envelopment, turning into drops of black liquid that dripped to the ground.
"Ugh!" At the same time, the bald wizard's face turned pale, and he stumbled back a few steps, as if he had suffered a minor setback.
"Hahaha... what did I just see? Viper, you can't even handle a newcomer?"
A woman wearing a white mask nearby mocked loudly.
"Hmph! Just you wait!" The bald wizard, Viper, shot Leilin a cold glare but did not attack again.
The old witch had already explained the rules here to Leilin before they came.