855 Negotiation (1/2)
Sheyan smiled.
”It seems that you still don't understand what I mean. There is no difference between justice and evil for us believers of the High God. We gave the fragment to you because we believe that we will gain greater benefits from you. As for things such as light and darkness, righteousness and evil, they are all but an illusion. If one were to state it in a more direct term, victory is justice, and failure is evil, because history is always written by the victors.”
Saruman gently clapped and smiled.
”Your opinion is wonderful, Mr. Seaman.”
From the short conversation up to this moment, Sheyan found that Saruman's reputation was well-deserved indeed. His voice and speech were extremely convincing, and his rhetoric was strong. People who were not determined enough would find their minds shaken when they hear him speak. In addition to that, his voice contained a sense of spring blessings. It was no wonder that Saruman could keep his identity so well-hidden after becoming Sauron's secret ally, and only exposed himself when he imprisoned Gandalf.
Sheyan also felt at ease by now, because his guess was indeed not wrong - the one he was facing was an old sly fox - and it looked like he was also very greedy, so at least he wouldn't do something ridiculous like instantly ordering his underlings to kill the three of them. That was to say, the worst case scenario for them was just to fail the main storyline mission.
Therefore, his confidence soared. He then added.
”The great Lord Saruman must know that the High God is known for His strictness and omnipotence, so if we can't get a satisfactory price here, then our consequences will be quite severe....”
Saruman laughed and told them passionately.
”Of course I have enough wealth to satisfy you, but the point is, I still don't know what you are selling.”
Sheyan smiled and said.
”I guess my lord must know of a shocking event that happened recently - the eight great Ringwraiths grouped up to attack the leaders of the Elven tribe.”
Saruman's expression turned heavy.
”Yes, my friendship with the elves has lasted for thousands of years. This kind of despicable behavior has of course caused me serious concern.”
”The fight was fierce, and both parties suffered heavy losses. According to the intelligence we gathered, at least the Ringwraith Dwar was almost destroyed - the second gift I presented to you was proof of that. But the Elven tribe had also permanently lost an important figure.” said Sheyan gravely.
Saruman was moved.
”Who?”
Fang Senyan stared into his eyes and said very seriously:
”The Lord of Rivendell, the holder of the Ring of Air - Lord Elrond.”
”That's impossible!” Saruman cracked the handle of his chair that he was grabbing. His white beard and white hair all fluttered up. At that moment, he exposed an overbearing aura akin to a lion looking down on all existences!
”As a believer of the High God, lying is a heavy sin,” said Sheyan indifferently. ”More importantly, the merchandise I am offering this time has a lot to do with Lord Elrond.”
”How could Elrond fall? Was he not protected by the Ring of Air?” Saruman was still in disbelief.
”We don't know the exact details either,” Sheyan immediately lied.
”The ones present on the scene at that time was another group of believers of the High God. The only thing I care about right now is how much the great Lord Saruman can pay us for the goods we bring.”
Saruman closed his eyes, apparently to digest the impact this news had caused him, and then very seriously said.
”I must first look at what you brought in.”
”The essence Mr. Elrond left behind after his death....three of them in total,” said Sheyan as he pulled out the crystal belonging to him from his private storage space.
When Saruman saw the crystal, he was visibly moved! He grabbed the [Elven Illusion Bone Crystal] from Sheyan's hand, and closed his eyes while he stroked it. One can feel the powerful magic on Saruman's fingers. Space seemed to be distorted around the crystal!
”An Illusion Bone Crystal! It really is an Illusion Bone Crystal! This is an Illusion Bone Crystal that recorded the life experiences of Elrond!! With a bit of time and luck, I can obtain Elrond's power!”
After Sheyan saw Saruman's reaction, he casually said.
”Mr. Saruman, because you haven't paid for it yet nor have you shown any tendency to pay, please be careful when you inspect the goods....”
Saruman suddenly lifted his head. The look on his face at that moment was one of brutality mixed with ridicule. The voice he emitted was extremely cold.
”Lurtz! These three are your dinner! There are still such crystals on the other two, so search for them and hand them over to me before you do your thing.”
The door of the laboratory suddenly burst open, and the familiar face of the Uruk-hai Lurtz appeared in front of Sheyan. He licked his lips with his scarlet tongue and coldly told Sheyan.
”You weakling. We meet again. I could already sniff your unique smell the moment you walked into the Mage Tower. You can rest assured that my stomach will be the best grave you can find.”
Sheyan sighed.