MM Racing Chapter 164 The Scarred Man's Laughter Resembles Guan Yu
Chapter 164 The Scarred Man's Laughter Resembles Guan Yu
Chapter 165 (7.3k long chapter) The Scarface Laughs Like Guan Yu
Picking up where we left off, Salazar questioned Harry about why he had to help the aliens. Harry, however, didn't answer, but instead asked:
"This is far better than the last time when he risked his life to reveal secrets to me, helping me to thwart Voldemort's scheme."
"Today, I've fought for his freedom, which is exactly the principle of chivalrous heroes in the martial world: 'Give me a peach, and I'll repay you with a precious jade.' What's wrong with that?"
Salazar showed no mercy, coldly replying, "Oh? You mean, as long as you can live with yourself, you're perfectly willing to let wizards fall into the same predicament as a thousand years ago?"
An ordinary wizard would have been terrified and speechless by such a chilling aura. But Harry, a man of few words, was bold and defiant, and scoffed:
"Brother, all you've said is to criticize me for being petty and lacking in principle. But if you ask me, your words are even more blatantly selfish and unworthy of being called human!"
"Brother, you only know how those sorcerers taught other races to be enslaved a thousand years ago, but how did we become the leaders of all races?"
"kill."
Harry said, "Ha! If that's the case, why didn't you use your great powers back then to wipe out those alien races and save yourself this trouble today?"
"I thought you understood this," Salazar said calmly. "Exterminating a race will lead to other races uniting against wizards and seeking endless revenge."
"Since you know this precedent cannot be set, brother, you should understand the consequences of my actions today! The magical world is now ruled by wizards, with all other races bowing their heads in obedience, governed entirely by rules and morality!"
"If I were to renounce this kindness today simply because he is a kitchen servant, tomorrow others could say, 'The one who helped me is a Muggle, not one of our kind'; and the day after, they could even shout, 'This scoundrel comes from the Slytherin House, and even if he lends a hand, he has ulterior motives!'"
"This gradual, layered collapse of morality and social order is like a rotten dike breached by an ant hole; it will eventually lead to the upheaval of heaven and earth and the reversal of moral order—that is the true root of chaos!"
"Since this scoundrel has risked his life to help me, I, a seven-foot-tall man, should repay him with my utmost loyalty. If this fellow dares to do anything to harm the sorcerer in the future, I will swiftly strike him down to settle the score!"
"My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror; all my deeds are righteous! Do you, brother, agree with my reasoning?"
Harry's voice was like thunder, each word like the clash of metal, leaving Salazar speechless for a long time.
After a long while, a few scattered claps finally drifted out from Harry's arms.
"I must say, Harry, you are wiser than Rowena—but I disagree with your views on morality."
Harry frowned and asked, "What advice do you have for me, brother?"
Where is my locket?
"That was a year ago, wasn't it?"
Upon hearing this, Harry couldn't help but sigh, a sigh that carried seven parts shame and three parts anger, truly a feeling of deep remorse.
"Brother, don't mention it! I used to think my godfather was a treacherous villain, and I wanted to capture him and torture him. Who knew he was such a good man? I was truly wronged!"
"As for that Peter the Rat, even Death Eaters would scoff at him. How could such filthy creature be allowed to know the secrets of Horcruxes?"
Salazar wasn't buying it. "You're talking like the man who cheated Rowena back then."
"He said he would come back someday, and Rowena believed him her whole life."
Harry felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him, and suddenly stood up, pointing to the sky and swearing, "Brother, please don't worry! If I don't find the pendant by the time I finish third grade, I'll accept your punishment!"
Seeing that he had made the oath, Salazar said no more.
Harry walked in, lost in thought. When he looked up, Black was fighting fiercely with Kreacher, and the portrait of Volgab in the closet was still cursing, shaking the dust off the beams.
Dobby stood in the corner, looking around in alarm. When he saw Harry arrive, he rushed forward and called out:
"Mr. Harry Potter, they're fighting! Dobby doesn't know whose side to take!"
"You damned little bastard! If you dare to show that crazy woman's picture again, I'll make you pay!"
Black yanked Kreacher's long ear and roared, making Kreacher dizzy and his ears ring. He spun around a couple of times, then collapsed to the ground and fell silent.
"Phew~ Don't mind him, Harry." Black clapped his hands and laughed, "He just needed a good beating."
Before he could finish speaking, he noticed Harry's face was ashen, so he quickly stopped smiling and asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"
Harry pulled up a chair and sat down, sighing deeply, "Father, please forgive me, I was just wondering where Salazar's locket is."
He then recounted in detail how, apart from the Gryffindor sword, the other three founders' relics might become Voldemort's Horcruxes.
Upon hearing this, Blake's thick eyebrows furrowed into an iron knot, and he remained silent for a long time.
"No wonder... In fact, I've always felt that Voldemort had something wrong with his head, which is very different from Professor Dumbledore's assessment of his superior intelligence."
"It seems this is because he made too many Horcruxes."
Before Harry could speak, Kreacher struggled to his feet and hoarsely cried out:
"Oh... Potter wants to destroy the Horcruxes... just like Kreacher's true master..."
Upon hearing this, Harry immediately became alert, quickly stepped forward, and pressed on with the question:
"You mean it's my godfather's second brother? What does this have to do with him?"
These repeated questions were like a steel knife piercing his heart, causing Kreacher to clutch his head and wail in horror.
"No! Kreacher shouldn't have said those things; Master Regulus clearly instructed him not to!"
Upon hearing his younger brother's name, Blake's mind exploded like gunpowder meeting a flame. He rushed forward, grabbed Kreacher by the neck, and lifted him into the air, urgently saying:
"What did my brother say to you?"
"You know the cause of his death—no, are you even alive?!"
Blake pressed him harder, but Kreacher, like a saw-off gourd, only managed to wail out loud with his hoarse voice, which was utterly annoying.
Enraged, he gripped the old monster's neck tightly, shaking it until its soul nearly left its body, and roared:
"Remember this! I am the last descendant of the Black family, and your only master!"
As the saying goes, old favors are hard to forget, and the master's command is hard to disobey. Although Kreacher was in great torment, he could not resist the dictates of the slave and could only sob and tell the whole story.
Readers have heard that Regulus, in his youthful arrogance and infatuation with Voldemort's reputation, actually joined his ranks. When the tyrant sought a house-elf to test his potions, Regulus offered Kreacher to him.
Little did Voldemort know that he lured Kreacher to a cave where Horcruxes were hidden and traps were laid. He forced Kreacher to drink the potion of despair, which made him bloated, his intestines ripped apart, and his soul torn apart.
Poor Kreacher suffered terribly, and only managed to escape with his life by clinging to the thought that "Master Regulus wants me back."
When Regulus saw that it returned emaciated, he became suspicious. From then on, he secretly investigated and eventually discovered Voldemort's treacherous nature, and also learned that a Horcrux was hidden in the cave.
Regulus suddenly realized his mistake and, with a do-or-die mentality, took Kreacher and explored the cave again.
Although he stole the Horcrux, he fell victim to Voldemort's deadly trap and died on the spot, devoured by the hordes of undead in the lake. Truly: a young man strayed deep into the wrong path, a brave man turned back, his clothes stained with blood.
After Kreacher finished speaking, the entire mansion fell silent, except for the rustling sound of wind blowing through the snow outside the windows.
After about three to five breaths, Harry suddenly stood up and shouted:
"As the ancients said, 'To err is human, to forgive divine.' Now that we know my sworn brother's remains are still in that cave, how can we let them lie exposed in the wilderness? We should bring his remains back so that his soul can return to his homeland!"
Upon hearing this, Kreacher trembled violently, fell to his knees with a thud, and wailed heart-wrenchingly.
"But, but Mr. Potter! That's a very dangerous place!"
"The lake in the cave is teeming with countless undead. Only one small boat can reach the center of the lake, but the boat can only hold one adult wizard, and there's no way to use magic for flight or levitation..."
"The Dark Lord is too evil!"
Harry frowned. "If you say that small boat can only hold one person, then how did you manage to share it with my uncle?"
"Because Kreacher isn't a wizard! The Dark Lord wants to see adult wizards and underage wizards kill each other!"
Kreacher wailed loudly, while Black's eyes turned bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead, and he roared ferociously, "Where is the real Horcrux?!"
"My brother gave you that locket, right?"
"No, that's right. But, but Kreacher can't destroy it. I've used every spell I can think of, and the locket isn't damaged at all!"
"Oh! Kreacher is so useless! Young Master Regulus clearly told me to find a way to destroy it!"
"I asked you where the locket is!"
Knowing how his younger brother had died, Blake could no longer contain himself. He grabbed Kreacher by the collar, spitting as he said:
"Take me to find it!"
Kreacher's heart was breaking, his mind overflowing with grief, and he had no energy left to argue with Black.
He wiped away his turbid tears with his two withered hands, his snot gurgling like a broken bellows as he hunched over and headed straight for the kitchen.
"Kreacher hid it in a kitchen drawer, among other Master Regulus's belongings..."
After a while, the thrashing became increasingly frantic, causing the pots and pans to clang and clatter.
"Kreacher was definitely here, but the locket is gone!"
"Kreacher is absolutely not mistaken..."
Unable to find the locket, he went mad, turning the entire kitchen upside down, overturning pots and pans, and scattering rice like snow, yet not a trace remained.
"No! Someone stole the locket!"
"Kreacher has disappointed young master Regulus once again!"
Blake flew into a rage upon hearing this, "You lost it?! Something so important! How could you lose it?!"
Kreacher was terrified, staring blankly with his large, vacant eyes as he murmured, "Kreacher will find it, Kreacher will never let Young Master Regulus down..."
After speaking, he snapped his fingers again. A plume of green smoke rose suddenly, and his figure vanished in a gust of cold wind.
Black's anger surged like a raging tiger. He grabbed the copper pot and iron pan from the kitchen and smashed them to the ground.
The porcelain bowl shattered like ice flowers, and the tin kettle crashed into the wall, leaving a dent. Dobby huddled in the corner, trembling, not daring to utter a sound.
After smashing the kitchen as if it had been ravaged by war, Blake slumped to the ground, his chest heaving like a broken bellows, panting heavily:
"Regulus should really tell Professor Dumbledore about this. He knows perfectly well that the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters are mortal enemies..."
"He's just too arrogant, just like me..."
Seeing this, Harry first called Dobby to make some hangover soup, then sat cross-legged in front of Black and said seriously:
"Father, please rest assured. In the future, Harry will accompany you to that cave to guide your uncle's spirit to his final resting place!"
These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over his head, startling Blake sobering him up considerably. He waved his hands repeatedly and said:
"Absolutely not! Harry, that's far too dangerous! If anything happens to you, even if you die, I will never be able to face your parents again."
"We should tell Professor Dumbledore about this first."
Harry shook his head. "Father, you're mistaken! Kreacher just explained it clearly: if you want to get to that damned lake, you can only take a boat. But the boat can only hold one adult wizard. What good would it do to call Professor Dumbledore?"
"Besides, since that boat can't identify a young sorcerer, I should take this opportunity!"
Harry's words were so reasonable and well-founded that Black was completely confused. He nodded haphazardly in agreement and they went to rest.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye. That night, Kreacher suddenly appeared. His eyes were sunken and his appearance was haggard, as if he had traveled a thousand miles.
When asked about the whereabouts of the locket, they only said that the trail led to a thief named Mundungus.
It should be noted that this guy makes a living in the gray world, and he was once recruited by Dumbledore to be an informant for the Order of the Phoenix.
Since Voldemort's downfall, he has targeted the ancient mansions of the Holy Ones who have lost their lineage, and the Black mansion was no exception. However, he used some kind of trickery to deceive even Kreacher.
Harry found out the location of the cave and how the mechanism worked, and Kreacher then went after the thief again.
Upon learning the location, Blake immediately became anxious and was eager to teleport the phantom there.
Just as he was about to act, Harry grabbed his sleeve and shouted:
"Father, wait! To break this deadlock, we need the help of a hero to make things go smoothly."
Blake was taken aback. "Who?"
Harry simply smiled and said, "Godfather will know when we arrive. For now, let's go to St. Catchpoll Village first."
Blake immediately used Apparition, but after a flash of light, he was standing at the entrance of the village when he opened his eyes again.
In the distance, a giant willow club, several dozen feet long, pierced the sky, its gnarled body resembling a dragon ascending to heaven.
Black was taken aback. "Harry, are you talking about Ron?"
Harry clapped his hands and laughed, "It's my brother Ron! We acquired this divine weapon before, but haven't yet found an opportunity to test it. I invited him by letter on Christmas Eve, and my brother and I accepted immediately."
Black was still clicking his tongue in amazement when Harry strode toward the giant club. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the two reached the base of the club, only to find it deserted and empty.
Just as they were wondering, they suddenly heard a rustling sound above their heads, and saw a red-haired man slide down the stick like a nimble ape, his clothes fluttering and his laughter ringing out. Who else could it be but Ron Weasley?
"Harry! Mr. Black! You've finally arrived!"
Blake stared at the towering club for a long time, then asked strangely, "Wait, doesn't this count as using magic outside of school?"
Ron chuckled, completely unconcerned, and said, "I've used this at home many times already. Obviously, it's just the wand inside the Whomping Willow changing according to my thoughts; I haven't even cast a spell."
After saying that, he shrunk the giant stick to the size of an embroidery needle and stuffed it into his ear canal.
"Let's hurry up and go!"
"No, no, no, please wait a moment, Ron." Blake quickly said seriously, "You should know what we're going to do, right?"
"Of course I know, Harry already wrote to me about it a long time ago."
Blake opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Do your parents know about this?"
"I told you I went out to play with Harry."
Upon hearing this, Blake felt a throbbing sensation in his temples and a sharp pain in his head.
Before he could offer further advice, Harry laughed and said, "When Godfather left home, he wasn't even as old as my brother. Why is he hesitating now?"
These words hit the nail on the head. Blake's face turned red and then pale, and he could only stretch out his arms and sigh:
"Alright, but you must follow my instructions when you get there."
Harry and Ron linked arms, and Black used Apparition, instantly vanishing the three figures. When they reappeared, they were standing on a black reef.
But what one sees is this: all around are jagged rocks like swords and halberds, at one's feet the waves crash against the shore and a white rainbow rises, behind one the sheer cliffs reach the sky and hang in dark blue, and at the bottom of the cliffs a deep cave hides a mysterious light.
Blake stood on tiptoe, peering at the crevice in the cliff face, and frowned, saying, "Looks like we'll have to swim across."
Ron grinned. "No need for that. We can just walk there."
He immediately took the willow-shaped magic staff from his ear, shook it in the wind, and it grew to five or six feet in size. He shouted "Hit!" and the divine weapon suddenly transformed into a hundred-foot-long dragon, crashing straight into the stone wall beside the cave, causing the shattered stones to fall like rain.
He immediately let go, allowing the end of the stick to brace against the reef. He tested it with his feet, and like a nimble cat exploring a ravine, he stretched out his arms and waist, stepping forward on the bridge of sticks that seemed to reach the sky. It was truly a sight to behold: a crane soaring through the clouds, a seafarer chasing the waves and smoke.
Blake's eyes widened, and he couldn't close his mouth for a long time. "You've really come up with some fancy tricks with this stick."
The three stepped across the crevice one by one. When they reached the crevice, Ron lightly stomped his foot, and the hundred-foot-long staff instantly shrank back to its normal length and flew into his palm.
These people made their way along the cliff face, and after only a few dozen steps, they saw the winding stone steps leading up to the cave. At the end of the steps stood a smooth, naturally formed stone wall.
Black raised his wand and pressed it against the wall to examine it closely. Suddenly, he tapped a spot with the tip of his wand, and a silvery arc of light, shaped like a crescent moon, appeared on the wall.
"We've found the keyhole!"
Blake cried out in delight, immediately raised his staff and chanted an incantation, and a bloody gash, as if cut by a knife, appeared on his palm.
He smeared his hot blood onto the arc of light, and the entire stone wall vanished without a trace, like morning mist meeting the sun, revealing a dark, gaping hole.
Ron asked in surprise, "Blood is the key to open this door?"
“That’s right, this is the price we pay for going in.” Blake cast a spell to heal his wounds. “My house-elf told me.”
Black and Ron each cast a glow-in-the-dark spell and were about to step forward when Harry exclaimed in surprise:
"How come you used magic without being bothered by those bastards from the Ministry of Magic?"
"Oh, Harry, didn't you know? If there's an adult wizard around, the Ministry of Magic's tracking can't determine whether the spell was cast by a minor wizard."
Harry shook his head and said, "This Ministry of Magic is a complete shoddy operation."
He then cast a glow spell with his wand and stepped into the cave with the two of them.
Upon entering the cave, a vast, dark pool stretched out before us, its distant shore indistinct and indistinct. Looking up, we saw no dome, only a chilling wind blowing. In the distance, a pale green light pierced through the thick fog, its reflection in the lake resembling the underworld.
The three walked slowly along the lake shore and found a small boat moored by a rock. As they boarded, the boat rocked gently, allowing the three of them to sit down without sinking.
Harry shook his head and said, "That Voldemort is really brainless. He set up restrictions but didn't consider the number of people involved."
"If I had known this would happen, I should have invited Hermione and all the heroes to come. They could have filled the room like a human pyramid. What could a thousand or so undead lurking in the water do to me?"
Black's lips twitched. "In fact, Harry, even James couldn't have come up with such a bizarre idea."
"That's so un-wizard-like of you."
He grumbled a few more times, and then the three of them headed towards the center of the lake.
Harry stood at the bow, his blue eyes scanning the waterways; Ron followed behind, wielding his oars with remarkable skill; Black leaned out, his wand tip emitting a chilling light that shone into the unfathomable depths of the icy pool.
But what could be seen underwater were shadowy figures, mostly floating corpses, old and young, women and children, tall and short, fat and thin, all kinds of people. It was unknown where Voldemort had gathered so many people who had died unjustly.
Blake stared at the scene for a long time, then gritted his teeth and said, "Damn it! There are at least a thousand corpses down there, and I can't find my brother at all!"
Ron quickly advised, "Mr. Black, you'd better be careful and avoid those things."
Blake didn't answer, but stared at him for a long time before turning away angrily. "Don't worry, Ron, I'm not that reckless."
About half an incense stick's time later, the small boat crashed into a small, dark rocky islet. The islet was only three or five zhang in circumference, and its entire body was a single, jet-black boulder. A chilling green light emanated from its center, illuminating the three men's beards and eyebrows, making them appear as if they were standing before the Yama's palace.
Harry, Harry, and his two companions stepped onto the island. As they looked closely at the green light, they saw a stone basin with a base, just like the Meditation Basin.
The stone basin was filled with a shimmering, emerald-green liquid, resembling the venom of a snake, and a pendant-like object could be vaguely seen sinking beneath it.
Blake stared intently at the basin, his throat tightening, and after a long while he finally managed to croak out, "Those are my brother's keepsakes."
"I'm sure he left a message in the locket."
Ron looked at the gruesome green liquid with a hint of disgust, then shrank his willow magic wand to the size of a magic wand and cast a levitation spell on the stone basin.
Unexpectedly, the stone basin remained completely still and undisturbed, serving no purpose whatsoever.
Ron exclaimed in surprise, "The magic isn't working!"
"This must be the Despair Potion that Kreacher mentioned, a potion that is more painful than being hit by a hundred Crucifixion Curses at the same time."
Blake gasped. "Only by drinking them can I get my brother's belongings."
Upon hearing this, Ron was horrified. "Drink this stuff? Is this even drinkable by a human?!"
Blake didn't answer, but rolled up his sleeves to his elbows and said cautiously:
"I'll try a bite first."
After speaking, he stretched out his tongue and bent down to gently dip it into the basin.
No sooner said than done, his whole body suddenly stiffened, his limbs abruptly straightened like iron, his eyes bulged like copper bells, and a rattling sound came from his throat, as if an invisible iron chain had been strangled around his neck.
Seeing Black in this state, Harry rushed forward to help him lie down, patting his chest and abdomen to soothe him.
After about half a cup of tea's time, a divine light gradually gathered in Blake's eyes, and he murmured to himself.
"James... I see you here..."
Ron crouched down beside him to comfort him, "Mr. Black, you're still alive."
"Oh... Lily... why did you cut your hair short... it looks terrible..."
Ron's face darkened. "Never mind him, Harry. I don't think he's hurt at all."
As the saying goes: the more you forbid something, the more likely you are to do it. If Blake had stubbornly refused to drink that green juice, that would have been one thing, but his miserable state only stirred up Ron's obstinacy.
He steeled himself and moved closer to the stone basin, mimicking Blake by lightly touching it with the tip of his tongue.
In an instant, Ron was struck as if by lightning; his body stiffened and trembled violently before he collapsed to the ground.
Harry quickly repeated the same method, gently stroking Ron for a while before Ron slowly woke up.
"thirsty."
Ron licked his chapped lips, struggling to get up, his face still hazy.
He casually drew his magic wand, chanted a spell to summon a clear spring, but as soon as the water column appeared, it suddenly scattered into thousands of silver beads, which fell to the ground with a crackling sound and disappeared without a trace.
Upon seeing this, Ron suddenly realized that this was also a series of schemes devised by Voldemort!
To obtain the item, one must drink the green sap thoroughly. Afterward, one's mouth will be unbearably dry, and one cannot use magic to summon a clear spring; one can only drink the murky water of the lake. But once one touches the water, how can one escape the clutches of the hundreds of vengeful corpses at the bottom of the pool?
Seeing the two of them like this, Harry thought to himself:
This damned potion is absolutely vicious! My godfather and my brother, such fine men, would suffer terribly if they only got a drop. If I wanted to save them, I should be the one to take it.
Just as he was pondering this, he saw Blake struggle to his feet, pull out his wand, and chant a spell at the stubborn rock on the shore, carving out a stone bowl. He then bent down to scoop up the greenish-blue potion.
Ha hurriedly grabbed his wrist and cried out, "Godfather, wait! This bitter water is for Harry to drink!"
"This, cough cough! This is absolutely not allowed! Even killing me won't do it!" Blake swallowed hard and said decisively, "This is my own business, there's no reason for you to suffer this kind of pain."
"Father, you are mistaken! I swore a blood oath that I would not be human if I did not kill that bastard Voldemort!"
"Although I have fought with that guy a few times during my two years of schooling, all I have seen are his remnant souls and phantoms. I have never known his true abilities."
"Now that I know this thing can only shatter livers and gallbladders, but not kill, I'm going to test it out and find out what kind of bastard Voldemort really is!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Harry suddenly exerted tremendous force in his arm. Black felt a sharp pain in his wrist, his fingers loosened, and the stone bowl was snatched away by Harry.
Before the two could stop him, Harry scooped up a bowl, brought it to his lips, and gulped down the entire bowl of blue liquid without leaving a drop.
The moment the medicine entered Harry's throat, he felt as if a thousand gusts of cold wind were piercing his brain, even more so than if a thousand Dementors under his command were attacking him all at once!
But then, a surge of agonizing and malevolent thoughts overwhelmed him, making his very soul feel as if it were being fried in a cauldron of oil. It felt as if thousands of fire ants were gnawing at his joints, and his internal organs were being slowly and painstakingly torn apart by invisible blades.
Veins bulged on his forehead, and his jaw clenched so hard it seemed to shatter his teeth.
Blake hurriedly helped him up, calling out repeatedly:
"Harry! Are you alright?"
Ron spat on the ground and reached for the stone bowl, "I'll drink it!"
Unexpectedly, Harry suddenly swung his arms, knocking the two of them back half a step, and then grinned a sinister smile.
"What's the big deal! This tastes even weaker than pumpkin juice!"
After saying this, he waved his wand, and the rocks on the island instantly transformed into two stone chairs and a chessboard.
Harry remained seated as a mountain, and shouted at Ron, "Brother, since you're so skilled at chess, why don't you play a few rounds with me? What's the point of just drinking this rubbish!"
Seeing that Ron was acting like a mad tiger, he dared not disobey and could only sit down and play chess with trepidation. Harry casually moved a piece and then shoved the stone bowl into Black's hands.
"Please fill it up, Godfather!"
Black, as if waking from a dream, shakily scooped half a bowl and handed it to Harry. Harry tilted his head back and drank it all, then suddenly slammed the empty bowl heavily on a stone, the sound echoing far and wide, and laughed loudly:
"Not enough! Not enough! Fill my cup again!"
Youfenjiao:
Playing chess didn't stop him from taking poison; the excruciating pain didn't faze him.
He laughed loudly and hurriedly called for the cup to be filled, turning the filth into a heroic act!
(End of this chapter)