People were upset after seeing the note.
"We can't wait any longer," said the man in ragged riding boots. He gripped the armrest as if it gave him a sense of security. "This is sitting back and waiting! We have to act."
"Having impatience will lead to disaster." Opposite him, a woman dressed like an aristocratic lady was sitting by the window. She was closest to the glass and Arthur could almost smell the perfume wafting from her. This is the first time he has been so close to a noble woman. After all, aristocratic women never appear alone on the street. They always get into carriages, are crowded around, sent to their destination by servants, and are received by their masters with gentlemanly etiquette.
At this moment, she clearly refused: "There is no news, which means he is still alive. Have you forgotten, Bunyoro? He is a clergyman."
"Of course he's alive. He's an upright Gao Huan, a heretic in Gaia! Damn it, do you think anyone can split the church? I see he has a crazy streak in his bones."
"It means he keeps his word."
Bunyoro smiled strangely. "What a pure and flawless girl, she actually talks about her promise. Anjou, Ryan said you were married, but I don't believe it."
"you……"
"Enough." Someone shouted, "I have enough troubles, and I don't have time to listen to your quarrels. I think the Ravens say they are staff, but they always come up with some bad ideas!"
Arthur didn't realize there was a third person in the room until he spoke. Handy Enspan, he recognized, the head of the Raven Staff. He and his famous traits are well known in Byrne's community. The adoptive father "The Fisherman" warned the members of the Miao Hands that they could only observe the cripple from a distance and not get too close. "He doesn't like you, you little thieves." said the fisherman. "The reason is obvious. We brothers and sisters all have two hands." The older children understood the meaning of the words, winked with six fingers, and pretended to have a broken arm. , the toothless boy snorted, and the two girls giggled and bumped into the clock. He remembered laughing hard too, but only Keeli looked cringing.
He is like a shadow, Arthur thought, as if he doesn't exist if he doesn't speak, and even the wind can't catch it. He suddenly understood Qili's feelings and couldn't help tightening his shawl. The breeze hid his breath.
"It's not that I asked him to find someone." Sir Bunyoro said, "If you ask me, Uriel would be more useful here. The leaders of the Night Watch are not in the city, and the ravens are not afraid of those rookies."
"It's pointless! What good is the chaos in the city? We could have made money safely and replaced your closed-toed boots."
"Don't look down upon it, Anjou, it is a gift from a princess. She is younger than you, nobler than you, and the best thing is that she has never been married."
Madame Anjou turned her head away in disgust. "You decide, Enspan. You always make the right decisions, and the ravens trust you. Wait or act?"
"Ryan trusts you too." Buyolo reminded, "Don't let him down, boss."
With a creak, Handy stood up from the chair. The shadow shook. He walked over to the hearth and stared at the pyre. The firelight fell on his right arm, the metal reflecting a bright beam of light. Tiny ash is floating in the air.
Anjou grasped the lace of her gloves. Opposite her, Sir Bunyoro remained motionless, leaning back on the sofa.
Handy Enspan said: "You said you were disappointed, Bunyoro?"
Jazz didn't answer.
"One-armed" did not remain silent. He clenched his fists, making a crisp metal collision sound. "Disappointed, eh?" His tone seemed to be tolerant, "I failed you, is that what you meant? When the 'Paint Man' captured Ryan and you started to shirk each other's responsibilities and argue over women and gold coins, I agreed to the self-recommendation of a new member in order to solve the problem and save our companions, but you feel that you should blame me for this, is this the truth?"
"That kid is not trustworthy!" Bunyoro said gloomily, "He is a hunter's apprentice, a kindred spirit of the Cross Knight. Maybe Worrell saw the wrong person. He was dying at the time and his eyesight..."
"There's no need to bring Worrell into this, Bunyoro. I know you don't want to do it." Handy interrupted angrily.
Jazz closed his jaw violently, his teeth making a sound. He was in pain, Arthur was surprised to find. According to Enspan, Worrell seems to be a mutual friend of Buyolo and Uriel. Is he dead? Why have I never heard of this name?
"In any case, Uriel is a compatriot of you and me. According to Byrne's rules, it is not an exaggeration to call him a brother." "One-Arm" slowed down his tone, "Taking a step back, since he can save Returning to the Nameless One, we can definitely bring back Ryan from the Night Watch. To be honest, even you and I can't do this! Don't tell me you haven't fallen in before."
Anjou smiled at him. "The great knight was beaten unconscious in the street for robbing a ten-year-old girl. When he woke up, he was in prison. Two days had passed."
Buyolo became angry and said, "It's that kid who has a problem! I looked at her and lost consciousness."
"What's the problem? She is one of our own, and the fire gives her innate mysterious powers."
Handy had heard enough of their quarrels: "You have settled enough old scores, Anjou, and you haven't reached that point yet. Bunyoro, I know very well that Ryan is your attendant, and we are all concerned about his safety. If You are really afraid that no one will die for you, so why not spend more time on your wife's belly and avoid embarrassing yourself in front of everyone! I asked Uriel to save people, but I didn't just let him go. "
When Buyoluo heard this, his face looked better: "Who else did you send?"
"Myself." Handy told him, "The warden of the Night Watch is our friend. Damn it, when did you commit crimes before, was it not my fault? Have you ever thanked me for this? Huh?"
"I'm not--"
"Whatever you are, a bunch of noisy bastards! And you, Anjou, send the girls back before he comes back. Damn it, I've never seen anyone take a gift back! What on earth do you think they are?" What is it?"
"It's not easy to raise a pair of girls of the right age! Especially Lai Yin, she is not a mysterious creature." Mrs. Anjou covered her mouth with a fan and coughed.
"When you give them to Uriel, they have already changed hands." Handy pointed out unceremoniously. His metal knuckles knocked on the table, making a "click" sound. "Let's talk about my family. Who sent that piece of paper?"
"One of the Hands," Sir Bunyoro replied, "a clumsy little boy."
"As for killers, the Raven Group is really not involved in much. Our main business is ladder transportation." Handy considered, "The fisherman has no reason to find trouble. He is also a Bain, and he will always blame us. But no matter what Whoever is against the Ravens, then they chose the wrong target this time."
"We are unknown people, and we will use any means." Buyoro said uneasy, "No one dares to guarantee their success."
"There is no news for so long. Maybe some accident happened." Mrs. Anjou also frowned.
Arthur suddenly heard the sound of flapping wings, and there was a slight disturbance in the airflow. He raised his head and saw a pair of dark wings falling from the sky and hitting the foggy glass.
Madame Anjou opened the window and put the letter bird into the house. Her fingers dangled in front of Arthur's eyes, slender and white, with a pampered blush. He had no reason to think of Qili. Her fingers were thinner and more flexible, like a pair of flying butterflies when prying the lock cylinder. And she always sees right through his magic and pulls off the cloak with a sly smile.
"What's written?" came the question from the window, and he quietly poked his head to take a look.
Handy Enspan frowned, and all the confidence disappeared from his face. "The warden led people to search the cells and found a secret passage in Ryan's cell."
People were surprised. "Secret passage? Did he escape on his own?"
"Not sure. They found blood stains and the remains of corpses. They looked very strange... wearing the cloak of the Night Watch! Damn it!" When he read the last sentence, the leader of the Raven Group was already furious. "Want to start a war, Blenken? Think we'll just swallow it?"
Anjou and Buyolo looked at each other. "Where did Ryan go?" the latter asked.
"The secret passage is a dead end." "One Arm" told them. He crumbled the letter, his face expressionless. "We will know the answer soon. Well, he has struggled hard, but it won't end like this. Gather the people, you two, we have a big business today."
As he walked towards the door, Arthur did not dare to stay where he was, and slipped into the woodland. Sir Ryan is missing, and the Ravens are going to war with the Blenken family. He just wants to return to the Hands as soon as possible and tell the news...
Who to tell? Arthur stopped. He suddenly realized that the fisherman had driven him away because he had brought Uriel home in a daze. I should hate him for this, Arthur thought, he made me lose Qili.
But he couldn't convince himself, because Qili never belonged to him. "Six Fingers" had a brother who was bribed by outsiders and betrayed the Miao Hands. He later invited Qili to escape with him, but Qili informed the "fisherman" of his plan. "Six Fingers" came back the next day and told everyone that his head had been smashed.
The "fisherman" should be grateful for leaving Arthur's head. In any case, he had a good time in the Miaoshou Group, and he didn't feel hungry very much - even the two girls under Uriel were hungry! They are fragrant, beautiful, and of noble birth, far more noble than Qili, but they are gifts given to Uriel by the Ravens. No one would give gifts to the thieves of the Mighty Hands.
What Arthur wanted more was Qili. She is not too beautiful, but her fingers are nimble and her shape is beautiful. She does not have exquisite long braids, but her short hair is cool and smart. She does not care in a soft voice, but her laughter is loud, like the copper in front of the door. Bell, and also jumps on Arthur's back during hide-and-seek.
None of this can happen again. The "fisherman" chased him away, but didn't say he wouldn't kill him if they met again. The thought of Qi Li coldly throwing knives at her made Arthur's heart sting. He secretly walked back to Uriel's cabin and hid in the haystack in the attic, hoping to see when the Ravens would return the two girls.
However, another group of people came first.
The lock cylinder popped open and made a clicking sound, which was then covered by the sound of footsteps. There were three uninvited guests, very close to each other. Through the gap in the floor, Arthur saw "Six Fingers" and his little follower "Rabbit Tail". The latter was short in stature and had a head of gray and sticky curly hair. He walked into the room talking and laughing with his friends, and was also attracted by the last person. Pushed and staggered...Qili! She kicked the rabbit's tail in the calf and walked into the house.
Arthur didn't expect to see her here. They were also very surprised to see that no one was home.
"They're not here," said Bunnytail.
Liu Fing sucked the broken peg of his finger, looking around wildly. "The stat sheet was also taken away."
Qili kicked the chair in displeasure. She rummaged around the room for a while and emptied the garbage cans to search, but the girls from the Ravens only left some household garbage. They even took away their luggage.
"It's Arthur's fault," said Bunnytail. "He was here before and was caught."
"That man didn't cut off his finger." Liu Zhi yelled, "He was afraid of pain, so he betrayed us. It must be for this reason. Now he is a member of the Raven Regiment."
"traitor!"
Qili threw away the empty bucket, and there was a "bang" sound. Her eyes were as sharp as an eagle, glaring at her two companions: "Just wait."
Liu Fing shuddered, seeming to feel her anger. "Qili..."
"Wait until they come back, Six Fingers." The girl interrupted him, "I will complete every task my father gives me, no matter what happens. I don't want to make an exception, especially for you. After Arthur left, there will be no one I know. More. Now, Liuzhi, listen to me, we will wait here until the two women come back. You hide outside the door."
Usagi Tai couldn't help but ask: "What if they don't come back...?"
Qili didn't answer. "Go ahead, Bunnytail, I'll wait here."
When they left, the only sound left in the room was Qili's breathing. Arthur couldn't help but his heart beat faster, and he tried his best to suppress his breathing with magic. Qili found me and then sent the others away? Maybe she doesn't want to go against me? All kinds of fantasies floated through his mind.
But Qili found a pansy seed and began to cultivate it. This is the usual method of communication for the Miaoshou Group. "Father," she said to the thin core pillar after the flowers bloomed. "The Ravens took the target away."
"Our one-armed master reacted very quickly." came the fisherman's voice. "The Raven Group is about to take action to seek justice for the missing members. This move is quite chivalrous, who can say it isn't?"
"Are those women also considered members of the Ravens, father? He sent them to you too."
"No one is as clever as you, Qili, there is no doubt about that. They are just some beautiful gifts. It doesn't matter whether they disappear or not. The movements of the Ravens cannot be based on this."
"I'm sorry, father." Qili tensed up. "The Ravens are on hold, but we can't find any trace of One Arm. Should I still go to Vivici Manor? Maybe a note..."
"That's enough, don't do unnecessary things. Based on my understanding of Enspan, repeated stimulation is of little use. It will make him suspicious." The fisherman's voice was slightly hesitant, "Vivech Manor needs manpower, but not Nightingale only wants warriors. You can’t trust the little devils of the Miao Hands."
"I'm different, father." Qili said, "I can sneak in before Bellugo and Blenken's people find..."
"Don't take risks, Qili. You are indeed different from them. You are my child and I will never send you." The fisherman's voice was so gentle. He was trying to persuade Qili, but Arthur could not hear the determination in it. . Qili is not an obedient child, she may feel that she is being questioned. Thinking of this, Arthur felt very uneasy.
Sure enough, she took the bait. "So, if, if I find the ladder, father, what should I do?"
"Take what I gave you," said the fisherman. "But Kili, I want you to use it somewhere else."
you are lying. Arthur wanted to say that you wanted her to steal the ladder at all. He was shocked to realize that he no longer trusted the fisherman's words. Not long ago, he was grateful to him from the bottom of his heart and called him his father. How did I become like this? He remembered that when he was under duress, Uriel didn't kill him, and neither did the fisherman, but he kicked him out of the Mighty Hands.
I hate him, Arthur understands. I didn't do anything wrong, I just didn't want to die for him. In the final analysis, it is the fishermen who do not regard us as human beings.
Qili was the same, but she didn't feel it. Seeing her crushing the petals and taking out the flying knife points from her waist, Arthur couldn't bear it anymore. He felt the straw and wooden boards under his palms. They were strong but not strong enough to withstand the strong wind. There are never blustery days in Byrne. He stood up and took a deep breath.
After a loud bang, the wood snapped and the ground collapsed. Arthur fell into the gap and landed on top of Qili's head, pressing her to the ground. Both sides groaned. Countless pieces of wood and straw flew and crashed into the first floor.
They all calmed down for a while. Arthur was well prepared and grabbed her hand first. Qili started to struggle, but was subdued by him.
"It's you, Arthur." She kicked him in the calf. "You're hiding here, traitor."
"I'm not." It wasn't a matter of urgency, but he explained instinctively. "I will not betray you, Qili. Only you betrayed me. Don't you understand? It's the fisherman, it's all his fault."
"It's father." Qili hissed, "He drove you away and didn't kill you, but it would be easy for him to kill you. You ignorant white-eyed wolf!" She suddenly raised her head and bumped into his face.
Arthur felt a sharp pain, far worse than the injury caused by the fall, and hurriedly raised his head. Qili twisted her waist, and he simply turned the girl over, held her arm down with one hand and pinched her throat with the other. "You are crazy," he shouted. "Fuck your father, it would be easy for me to kill you now! Don't move!"
"Don't you dare!" She laughed. "If you make any louder noise, Six Fingers and Rabbit Tail will come in and beat you. You hid it well, Arthur, the best I have ever seen. You should keep hiding it." Stay! Until we leave and go our own ways."
"Yeah, I should. But I want to save you."
she spat. "I want to thank you, just let me go and start."
Let you go and we will fight. "Weiwei Manor, Raven Staff Group, do you still need me to remind you? That is not the place where the Miao Hand Group should go."
"There is no place that Nightingale shouldn't go," Qili said coldly. "Let me go, Arthur, I can pretend I didn't notice you."
"Like that time with Odd?"
These words made her stiff for a moment. "It seems you all still remember." Qili squeezed out a sentence, and he felt the vibration in her throat. "Six Fingers never dared to tell me a dirty joke again."
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He's afraid of you, Arthur thought. When they were in the Miao Hands, the brothers Six Fingers and Odd were very likable, but not to girls. The girls in the Miao Hand Group have been harassed a lot. Most people don't care about it, but there are a few girls who value chastity. Arthur thought they were all dirty and ugly no matter which category they were in. Qili was the special one in the former category. She said the latter looked like a princess, and even tore off their clothes herself, laughing with Odd.
But anyone who tried to take off Qili's clothes would be stabbed unless she wanted to. After Odd's death, the children of the Miao Hands knew that even if she wanted to, the knife would come sooner or later.
"He's a coward," she said defiantly, as if the pause was an illusion. "The idiot brothers Six Fingers and Odd, Little Tails...and you, Arthur, you are special, you are the stupidest. Kill me quickly, idiot."
"If I want to kill you, just do nothing!" Arthur almost hit her. "The Ravens are going to war with the Blenkens, Qili. Are you going to join their war? To get the Fisherman a new bitch?" he almost begged, "Don't do it, not if you're smarter than me."
Qili looked at him with a very strange look. "You know a lot, Arthur. The Ravens told you, didn't they?"
"So what? I want to save you."
"You don't understand anything! Will the Ravens take you in? A guy who was chased away by a fisherman? A lie! Or is it the owner of this house who took you in? Do you know who he is, huh?"
"What does it matter to me who he is?" When Uriel was mentioned, Arthur was still angry, but not as serious as hating the fisherman. He wanted me to go to Bronze Gear, not to Vivici Manor. He doesn’t want me to kill for him either.
"You are a complete fool." Qili suddenly raised her feet.
Arthur heard the sound of wind coming from behind, and then he was knocked down by the table with a broken leg. The pain on his spine was unbearable and he couldn't help but scream. fool. She broke away from his hand and picked up the stick. fool. She said while typing. He could only cover himself with his hands and was unable to fight back.
By the end of the fight, they were exhausted. Qili retrieved her throwing knives from under the rubble, one was broken and three were intact. She held them and looked Arthur over. He didn't dare to move.
"Go to hell, traitor," she said, but made no move.
"I'm not a traitor."
"You'd better not be. The Ravens are over, Brenken has found the Cloth Man, and they have reached a new contract." The tip of the knife passed across his eyes, and Qi Li smiled slightly. "You're on a sinking ship, Arthur."
He sensed something but couldn't believe it. "And you don't want me to go up. Why? Odd..."
"He is not you." She pushed the boy to the ground with a gentle push. "Not as stupid as you." But she tore his clothes apart with her other hand. Arthur stared into her eyes.
The flying knife spun between her fingers, and she threw it onto the collapsed table. It bounced off the surface without piercing. Qili glanced at the blade and said, "I have to re-sharpen it."
Arthur took her hand. It was thin and small, rough and covered in scars, but it was Qili's hand. He never thought that he would hold them again. Feeling the warmth coming from the opposite side, his heart trembled. "Don't go to the manor, please."
"Father will not allow it. Do you think he is trying to dissuade me? I have no choice."
"Just being chased away. It's nothing."
Qili couldn't laugh or cry. "You don't understand anything. I know it. Father won't let anyone go, understand? But he's afraid of that man."
Arthur was confused: "Who?"
"The man who held you hostage. He could kill everyone in the Mighty Hands in one minute and string people on spears like fruits." Qi Li erected a wooden stick, "It is said that he launched an attack outside Byrne. He also went to the Holy Land of Anthoros to start a massacre in the sub-church war. It is precisely because the fishermen are afraid of him that they will let you go."
Arthur seemed to be listening to fantasy. He only thought Uriel was a priest or a Gaia believer. Thinking that the other party had turned people into barbecue skewers, Arthur couldn't help but feel chills all over. "But he looks..."
"Not so cruel?"
"I don't think so anyway."
"Whatever you want. In any case, he is better than the Ravens under his command. One-Arm may care about his subordinates, just like protecting these two little girls, but now he and the Ravens cannot protect themselves." Qili was wearing a Jacket, she pulled it over her head so as not to tear it. When she straightened her arm, she winced in pain from the bruise. "Don't stand there watching the show! Come and help me."
"What the hell, here?"
"What, can't you get up?" She finally took off her jacket and kicked him in the stomach. "Hurry up, I'll give you a knife later."
She was naked, her toes were curled up from the cold, but she had a smile on her face. It was that sly smile, as if he was taking advantage of someone. This moment was just like the scene he had dreamed about for many years. She put her arms around his shoulders and neck and pressed her lips to his ear.
Arthur stretched out his hands and folded them into his arms. They felt each other's body temperature and didn't move for a long time. Maybe it's been as long as a century. "Let's get out of here, Kili," he said at last.
"Stop dreaming. Father can find us."
"Not like Odd. I mean, leave Byrne."
She suddenly grasped his shoulders tightly, scratching the bloody marks with her fingernails. "What?"
"Leave Byrne."
"Do you have any idea? Go to Uriel and hope that he will show mercy?"
Arthur couldn't answer. This was just a passing thought, an idea that could satisfy him when his heart was filled with love and desire for her, and it didn't matter if it came true. As for Uriel...if he learned anything during his time in the Mighty Hands, it was not to have expectations of others.
"Don't be stupid." Qili pushed his head to her chest, almost hitting his ribs. She was thin and pale, but strong, and Arthur's nose hurt even more. "Even if we can escape, what else is there besides Byrne? The hunters will burn us to death, which is more dangerous than Vivici Manor. In the end, I just went to steal things."
How to steal a ladder? Arthur couldn't imagine it. He always felt that he had a rich imagination and liked to imagine the flow and changes of the wind as if they were his hands. Later, he gained the talent of the Nameless One, but Uriel told him that it was not his hands that caused the mystery, but the soul fire. In the Miaoshou Group before, the fisherman never told him the source of the wind, let alone taught him. Qili and Liu Zhi, they also don’t understand the truth about their talents. Now the fisherman wants Qili to steal the ladder...
At this time, he suddenly caught something in his mind. "The rectangular ladder."
"What?" Qili didn't hear clearly.
"Let's go to Vivici Manor." Arthur picked her up and Qi Li quickly picked up her jacket and grabbed his arm with her other hand.
"Are you going too?"
"Of course." He used the wind to blow away the straw on their heads and faces. "I hide better. Even if you can't find me, no one can find me. Let's go together, then escape from Bain, and never be separated."
