Thinking of this incident a long time later, Mengzhu once curiously asked Duan Qing why he walked over to the little boy that afternoon and had that magical encounter. Duan Qing's answer was very in line with his character. After excluding many of the boasting and self-talking, the rest of the meaning was probably: I have sharp eyes and good luck.
Of course, Duan Qing must have his own real reasons for this matter, but these are reasons that only he knows in his heart, and Mengzhu may never know. As for the series of stories that followed and the consequences that followed, Duan Qing could not have expected it now.
Now, they are making a lot of preparations.
According to what Mengzhu said before, if you want to go deep into the Emerald Forest, you must make long-term plans, so it is natural to prepare your own food and water, and there is no such thing as a two-dimensional backpack in the free world that does not conform to physics. Although the system won't take care of what you want to take, you have to carry it yourself. Therefore, how to allocate your luggage is very important.
The night in the village is quiet and distant, with some insect chirping coming from the corners, and the windows of most households are illuminated by light - most people are not asleep at this time, but it will be hard to tell soon, Therefore, the two of them could only use their limited time to collect resources.
At the beginning, they encountered some difficulties - in the past, the way players obtained food was to buy it from people's houses in the village or barter. However, Duo Qing and Mengzhu did not have so much loot in their hands at this time. It was impossible to go out hunting at night, so when Mengzhu tried to beg for some food and was rejected, the two of them worried about the problem of food rations.
Finally, the problem was solved inadvertently. While trying to go to another house to beg for food, they accidentally revealed their intention to find someone deep in the Emerald Forest.
Then, that family's attitude suddenly changed.
"You're going to the Emerald Forest to find someone? Oh my, that's a very dangerous place. Although I've never been there, uncle, I feel terrible just hearing other people talk about it... You adventurers , It’s really amazing. When I was young, uncle, I didn’t dare to do such a thing, hahahaha..."
So, they received some gifts from that family: a few pieces of hard bread.
"The depths of the Emerald Forest...Many people have been there and never came back. You two...Oh, that's it, I'll give you some bread... ..”
"Xiao Mengzhu actually wants to go deep into the Emerald Forest? This is not possible, such a dangerous place, no, no, not even if there are ten more people... Do you have to go? Okay, okay , since you are so determined, I have nothing to say, auntie. Just wait a moment... Although you can't help, just accept these cakes and save them for the road..."
As if some hidden element had been triggered, the villagers of Greenstone Village heard that the two were going to travel deep into the Emerald Forest. They all expressed concern and gave them more or less some food and water as support. , I don’t know if this is their true feelings or a deliberate design of the system. However, in Duan Qing's eyes, the earnest expressions of these villagers when they gave each other things made people feel a little awkward.
It was like the feeling of hearing someone else determined to die, and then kindly sending them on their last journey.
"Are we just like people who are going to die?" Duan Qing, who was loading a lot of things into the package, asked helplessly.
"You won't really die, so what are you afraid of?" Mengzhu pouted: "And it's all free, free! It's fun to have free things..."
The problem of food and water was solved, and the next thing was the tent. Mengzhu said that it was used for camping for safety reasons at night. But no one would give it to them, and they couldn't make it themselves, so they had to go to the grocery store in the small square in the middle of the village to buy it. The two of them pooled their assets together, and could barely afford nearly 900 Ebri coins. They could buy a minimal tent worth 500 gold coins, but that would only happen tomorrow, and they were probably already closed at this time.
Thinking that all the collected money would be pushed in front of the sharp-tongued grocery store owner for a tent, Mengzhu's little face wrinkled up like a bun, which made Duan Qing feel a stomachache.
"Isn't it just money! Let's go for a walk in the forest and earn it back in minutes..."
"Oh, so you guys who are spending a lot of money..." Mengzhu glanced at Duan Qing helplessly: "I never knew that money is hard-earned. Those are all coins in vain! I have saved so much A long time..."
"Why are my eyes full of tears? It's because I love this pile of coins deeply..." The little girl clasped her hands together and spoke with emotion, but there was not a single tear in her eyes.
As for the torches among the items to be prepared, they are used for lighting, but according to Mengzhu, deep in the Emerald Forest, even during the day, they will be obscured by towering trees and become like night. So if possible, it's best to get permanent lighting, such as oil lamps or magic lamps. High-end goods like the latter are naturally hard to come by, but small oil lamps hung around the waist are relatively cheap and can be found in grocery stores, so they can be considered. But even the cheapest oil lamp is now beyond the two's budget - they still have to leave some money to go to the southern village entrance to replace equipment and hire manpower.
The little girl once proposed to start a herbal medicine business again, but Duan Qing stopped her.
"It's better to seize the time as soon as possible. I always feel that something big will happen in the next few days." Duan Qing explained.
While saying this, the two of them were sitting at a round table in the hotel lobby, discussing tomorrow's itinerary. Duan Qing looked at the people coming in and out of the hotel from time to time. Most of them were players returning from their adventures. Of course, some looked ordinary, and some were beaming with joy. They probably gained something from today's adventure. Occasionally, several players would greet each other loudly and sit together, as if they knew each other. There are also those who are alone, or sitting in the corner with a sullen expression, or looking lost and not knowing what they are thinking about, probably because they have encountered some bad luck.
Among the crowds of people coming and going like flowing water, there are a few people who have been sitting at the round table and have not moved. Duan Qing could still recognize a few of them, and he felt that the girl sitting opposite him could also recognize those former teammates, but she didn't say anything.
From time to time, several players entered through the gate, came to those people and whispered to each other, and then some others went out again. After a while, several different people came in and continued to discuss something with the few people sitting there. Hasty looks would often appear on the faces of those who were coming and going. The captain-like person sitting in the middle of the table would strategize, say a few words to calm those people down, and then reprimand them with a straight face. The appearance of speaking righteously.
Of course, due to the distance, Duan Qing and Duan Qing could not hear the specific content, but while Duan Qing was holding the tea cup to hide his peek, he could still clearly see the double-wing logo on the shoulders of those people.
That is the logo of Wings of Freedom, the second largest guild in the alliance.
The subordinates coming and going, the frequent exchanges, and the serious expressions of the people at the table... Various signs, coupled with Duan Qing's rich experience, are telling him one fact: they will make big moves.
"It's best to start taking action tomorrow. I will take care of the oil lamp matter." Duan Qing put down the tea cup, with a hint of seriousness and faint worry in his eyes: "I hope... I don't get involved in anything. ..."
******************
"There is nothing to worry about. We have been preparing for so long..."
"Yes, the preparation for the incident, various unexpected responses, and... the way to welcome our old friends are all in our plan. Logically speaking, there should be nothing unexpected. occur......"
On the table here, several leaders of the Wings of Freedom team are discussing their future arrangements. Sitting in the middle is the man who seemed to be the one who saw what happened to Mengzhu when Duan Qing was here a few days ago. Captain's man.
"But I heard that Jianghu also sent people, it seems that Duan Shanyue personally led the team..."
Several people started talking about it.
"Broken Mountain..."
"The second-in-command in the world..."
"I heard that in the game Ancient God of War, I once defeated the second best Yun Jingbu in the world..."
"I don't know what my current strength is..."
Although the voices of several people's discussions were low, a certain emotion called guilty conscience still spread out in the discussion, so the captain scolded a few words again, and then began to boost the morale of his own people.
"Duanshanyue has already retreated to the second line, why are you afraid of him! And even if they have experts to lead the team, don't we? The first team has been setting off for several days, and counting the time, it should be Here we are, you all know the strength of the 'Ice and Snow Goddess'. They have completed several high-level tasks. In terms of strength, we are definitely worthy of them..."
The captain pressed his hands on the table, looking confident. The expressions of the other people at the same table gradually relaxed. It seemed that the title of Ice and Snow Goddess still gave them some confidence. Two more people came over to report the situation. After listening, the captain gave them some more instructions and then planned to make the final arrangements.
"If our large team comes tomorrow, we will start taking action according to the first part of the original plan. The intelligence we collected and screened before will also be handed over to them. We only need to do other work to ensure that we plan later Just implement it smoothly... Don’t hold back! Don’t create extraneous problems! At this juncture, anything that may cause obstruction must be eliminated.”
He moved his hands forward again, pressing them on the table, and his whole person exuded a chilling aura: "No matter whether the obstacle comes from the outside... or from the inside."
"I think everyone is already clear about the importance of this mission, so... don't think too much, do your job well, and call it a day."
*********************
Duan Qing and Mengzhu went offline one after another to rest, calculated the time in the game, and agreed to meet again in the early morning. After that, it’s time to look for teammates to help.
The two came to the player market at the entrance of the village. Due to the high flow of people, it is not only a place for buying and selling, gathering, but also a good place to find people to cooperate with. The Emerald Forest is the best place for adventure here, and its level of danger is well known, so many people who want to enter the forest will probably look for teammates here.
Duan Qing and Mengzhu set up a stall in a corner at the entrance of the village. Of course, this stall was not for selling things. In this game, when someone wants to form a team with unknown savages, most players like to place a piece of cloth on the ground and then put some gravel to express their intention to form a team. Of course, you can use a stone to put the word "team", or put a message like "seeking thighs". The current convention is probably a simplified version of the method originally invented.
As for why this is the case? Because there is no public channel for chatting and shouting in this game, and standing on the street and shouting seems silly...
Of course, places like Novice Village are poor, so high-end methods such as pens and ink and wooden signs are relatively luxurious. When they arrive in towns, these propaganda methods will become mainstream. Many people use this method to invent more things in the free world. Business, but these are things for later.
Now Duan Qing doesn't have to use these methods. He just sits in the back with a bored look on his face, leaving all the negotiation matters to Mengzhu - this is also Mengzhu's voluntary choice. Originally, she was not willing to sacrifice herself like this for that uncle, but after she saw Duan Qing's communication style, she asked him to rest in the back with a blue face.
The process of that exchange was as follows:
"Name? Oh, it's on your head. Well, it doesn't matter...Level? Why are you only level ten? Do you know what we are going to do? We are going to the Emerald Forest to slay the gods... ....Ah no, you are looking for someone! You have to walk at least hundreds of kilometers away, what's the use of you being only level 10..."
Then the man said something crazy and walked away.
Mengzhu lectured him angrily for a long time, roughly saying what's the use of pretending now, but Duan Qing acted like a master, showing his foresight and foresight: "Didn't you say that going deep into the forest is dangerous, no? It’s not safe to find someone with big legs..."
Your thighs are just wool, where can I get the thighs from Novice Village to hug you...
So the girl could only calmly let the uncle stay and pick up the guests herself. At this moment, the person she received to "apply" was a young man with a short haircut.
"... Go in and find someone, right? No problem. Brother, I'm the best at this. I know who lives in every house near us..."
"Well, we are going to a strange place..."
The task of the two of them to find someone is not the most dangerous task they have entered into the Emerald Forest so far. Some of the people who have been here before seemed quite interested in this task, but in the end they all They didn't agree because Duan Qing and the others were...too poor.
Find someone? Of course this is not dangerous. Go deep into the Emerald Forest? Well, if you can get inside, of course it would be a good thing, but you can just pay for this... or you can get some loot, what? Don’t know what rewards you can get? Are you going to let me work for nothing?
The two of them had planned to use some of their own things to subsidize their teammates before, but the budget was too tight. Apart from the gloves, there was nothing that could be sold and attractive enough among the remaining personal assets. Mengzhu is not good at lying and deceiving people, so until this person, no one agreed to go with them.
But this stupid green man gave Mengzhu some hope.
"Don't worry, little girl... Oh no, this lesbian. This kind of business is common on our road. Whether the person owes money or causes trouble, we can take care of it. Believe me, I am very professional..."
It turned out that he was a fool who was just a gangster... On the surface, the girl still smiled, but in her heart she was disapproving. The level of law and order in this era is very high, and the path of being a gangster is almost invisible. arrive. The young man in front of me is probably a patient with chuunibyou. Judging from the way he talks seriously, he is probably very seriously ill.
"Well, we don't have anything nice to pay you..."
"It doesn't matter. Brothers on the road are all about loyalty. If we do business a few times, we will become acquaintances. As for the requirements... My requirements are not high. I just need to take care of the food for my brother, hahahaha... ....”
"This is easy to handle, hahaha..."
The two of them smiled at each other without any pain. The scene was as embarrassing as it was embarrassing. Duan Qing from behind looked at the girl hiding behind her and waving her little hands wildly, looking crazy, and secretly smiled to herself.
Then, a familiar voice reached Duan Qing's ears.
"Ah, isn't this Brother Mo? It's been a while since we last said goodbye. I wonder how you've been doing lately. Do you need my help?"
The conversation between the two people in front was interrupted by the sound. Duan Qing followed the sound and looked, and the image full of holes appeared in front of him again.
