"When we arrive in Fenghua Town, we first go to Flower Basket Street for a stroll. I heard that there are many shops there, and some players have even bought some storefronts. The goods they sell must be cheaper than those sold by the townspeople. Also, hello ! Are you listening, uncle!"
"Ah... I'm listening, at least now."
The sound of squeaking wheels could be heard endlessly. At this time, Duan Qing and Mengzhu were sitting in the carriage heading to Fenghua Town with the other two players. Generally, newcomers who want to go there from Greenstone Village will choose to take this convoy that goes back and forth every few days, unless they are like Iron Ambition, who have high-level friends to pick them up.
At this time, in the car that was leaking air everywhere, Mengzhu was expressing great dissatisfaction with Duan Qing's absent-mindedness.
"Are you still thinking about that old man? Stop thinking about it, we are all leaving..." The girl's body swayed up and down with the bumps of the carriage, and her golden ponytail also trembled, like a Lively goldfish were thrown ashore.
"I've always been interested in that old man, but unfortunately I didn't have a chance to see him in the end..."
The old man they were referring to was not the old village chief of Greenstone Village, but the noisy old man who was still howling and singing until they left.
"It's just an old man with a bird's nest on his head. What's so good about him?" Mengzhu had obviously seen that person before, so in order to show her dissatisfaction, the girl pouted her little mouth: "Aside from making noise, she never I've never seen him do anything good..."
"It's a person like this who has stories to listen to." Duan Qing smiled, put his hands behind his head, and leaned on the wooden board of the carriage: "I like to listen to these NPC stories the most... ..”
"Even if there is a story, it's definitely not a good story about a bad old man... Oh, it's so boring. How long will this train last..." Mengzhu buried his head in In his knees, his small body was curled up on the wooden seat, with only a slit on his face exposed. His eyes blinked back and forth in boredom, and he rolled his eyes upwards from time to time, not knowing what he was thinking of.
"Speaking of the future..." Duan Qing suddenly said: "Do you want to find an adventure group?"
"No..." The girl's mouth was buried in her arms, so her voice was muffled, but her answer was clean and crisp.
In Free Continent, organizations provided for players to form themselves usually appear in the form of adventure groups. Even for large guilds such as Jianghu and Wings of Freedom, the information registered in the Adventurer's Guild is just an adventure group. It's just that these adventure groups have levels. The higher the level, the more high-level tasks they can take on, and the more adventure groups they can accommodate.
This form is also commonly used in many fantasy-themed games, and everyone has seen it a lot. Therefore, in their external claims, major forces still regard themselves as guilds, which can be regarded as a kind of brand promotion.
During the Windy Month of the Free Continent every year, the managers of the Adventurers Association will organize a rating event and then decide the level and promotion of each adventure group. As more and more adventure groups are formed by players themselves, this rating activity is getting longer and longer, and now it has lasted for three full Wind Moons. The reason is that the adventure group can receive too many commissions.
Those are all living tasks.
"So simple? Being able to join an adventure group has many benefits..."
"...I hate guilds." The girl didn't speak for a long time, and then she added in a dull tone at the end.
Another victim of the gloomy society... Recalling Mengzhu's previous experience, Duan Qing shook his head helplessly, and then thought about it: "Then... should we try and build an adventure ourselves? group?"
The quiet ponytail was still swaying with the rocking of the carriage, but the next moment, it suddenly jumped up: "Yes!"
"We can just form one ourselves! This way we can have the final say on everything, and nothing disgusting will happen... Why didn't I think of that before! Uncle, you are indeed insidious enough, this I can think of all kinds of ways..."
This kind of thing is what a normal player would think of, and who is the insidious uncle... Duan Qing raised his hands to block the braids that were shaking around due to excitement, and regretted his previous talk.
"Then we'll be two people together with you. Well, I don't know what other conditions are needed..." The little girl who didn't notice Duan Qing's sad face could not wait to start planning and making preparations in this regard. Her eyes gleamed, she clasped her fingers and looked up at the sky. At the same time, she counted the sinister uncle in her mouth among the number of people without any hesitation: "No, I will go check it out when I get offline..." ..."
"If you want to set up an adventure group, you need to meet many conditions. In my opinion, you probably can't do it." At this moment, a young man with long hair sitting on the wooden board at the other end of the carriage interjected calmly.
"How do you know..." Hearing that the player opposite with the ID name "Baili Duyou" actually hit her, the girl who had just become excited jumped down from the board, put her hands on her hips, and blurted out her retort. But thinking that what the other party said might be true, her tone softened again: "Is it difficult to form an adventure group...?"
"It's difficult." The man didn't care about the change in the girl's attitude before and after, he just snorted lightly, and then said: "According to what I know now, if you want to form an adventure group, there are probably... ..Three ways.”
"Go to the town where the Adventurer's Association exists, find a powerful or famous adult, and then... start public relations until he or they can recommend that you have the qualifications to form an adventure group."
He pushed the long hair on his forehead and shook his head as if he was being cool: "Of course, it would be better if you could persuade the official to come forward. But that would be more difficult, and it would require you to make some changes to the principality. Contribution... Of course." He smiled slightly: "The empire is also possible."
We can still talk well without pretending... Duan Qing rolled his eyes, then looked up at the roof of the carriage.
"The second situation." Baili Duyou raised another finger: "The separation and merger of the adventure group will also result in the establishment of a new adventure group. The situation in between, you can read it literally You should understand what it means, so..."
"Whether there is a big guild willing to cooperate with you and give you a name is the key to this."
"We don't want...we want to build it ourselves." Mengzhu repeated her thoughts without hesitation.
"Oh, that's really a pity. This is already the easiest way I know." Baili Duyou Tan Tanshou said: "Among the known guilds, at least one-fifth are like this. A guild that sells dog meat. To put it simply... it’s a branch.”
"Of course, there are still some..." He paused, and then continued: "They are some players who liked each other and then absorbed and merged. Well, they are really a group of like-minded people... ."
As if he thought of something, the man carrying an iron sword smiled coldly: "They will regret it."
An old man with a beard sitting next to him leaned to the side uneasily, as if there was some cold aura emanating from his body.
"If you don't have any intention to use these two methods, then congratulations, you can officially embark on a path to establish an adventure group." Baili Duyou didn't care about the performance of the uncle next to him. In fact, Along the way, the bearded uncle didn't say much.
He straightened his body and then raised his third finger again: "Gather the number of people, accept the test, and then...pass the test."
"It's not an easy thing to hear." Duan Qing on the side finally finished the sentence.
"Of course. Those tests are conducted by the association's senior adventurers. If you are not strong enough, you will naturally be beaten to disgrace. As for the subsequent trials... I heard that the alliance's top guilds and organizations I didn't know how many times I had to kill people, and many people died in the end before I could achieve the designated goal."
The girl's excitement finally faded away completely.
"I don't care whether you who have just come out of the Novice Village can pass these two levels. First of all, you must gather the five people who form a team..." The man finally finished bragging and leaned back. , and then sighed: "Just the two of you... hum."
Just as the little girl was about to retort, the driver's voice suddenly sounded from the carriage seat in front: "Dear passengers, it's time to rest."
***********************
Kidd is the guard captain of this convoy. He wears a suit of bright armor and a pair of iron boots that reflect cold light. A big sword with a cold light stood sideways behind him, like a flagpole, waving to others as he patrolled.
But this strong man in armor did not wear a helmet, so when others saw him, they would first focus on the top of his head - there was also a big, bright bald head there.
When Duan Qing saw the guard captain Kidd for the first time, he suddenly realized why the blacksmith in Valar was so familiar with him.
Could it be because both of them were bald... He maliciously guessed.
It was getting late, and the people in the convoy were preparing to set up camp and rest. Although it was not the first time to set up camp in the past few days, there were some obvious differences this time.
Because at this time they were on the mountain road of Andachier Mountain.
The road to Green Stone Village is very difficult and dangerous. The main reason is this mountain road. In Kidd's words, this is a mountain road that their ancestors have made on the steep mountainside with countless efforts. With this mountain road, they no longer have to risk their lives across wild beast-infested mountain streams, and because of the passage of horse-drawn carriages, they can save several days on the road.
Although these carriages were walking on this steep mountain road, their speed was still very slow.
There are some gravels on the side of the mountain road, placed along the roadside. They vary in size, and seem to be some basic protective measures to prevent passing carriages from accidentally falling off. On the other side of the row of gravels is a steep cliff. Looking down from a high place, you can see the mountain stream at the bottom of the cliff - a forest composed of trees and weeds. When walking on some roads with small height differences, you can still hear the sound of water coming from the mountain stream below. It seems that it is blocked by dense bushes, so you cannot see the original appearance of the stream.
On the other side of the mountain road, there is still a steep rock wall, but this rock wall is upward. Through the layers of hand-hewn gravel, you can see that there are still some sparse trees growing on the high rock wall. Occasionally, you can see some newly decorated green branches, stretching stubbornly towards the sky above your head, showing the world signs that life is about to revive and bloom.
But the sun was about to set at this time, and those little green spots gradually disappeared into the darkness. Also about to perish in the darkness is Kidd's bald head.
At this time, he was directing the work of the accompanying defense team members of the convoy. Although there are seven or eight carriages, according to Duan Qing's observation, he only has about ten men. It seems that this trade route is relatively safe, so he does not need many manpower.
In other words, not many people use this trade route, so there are not many people taking care of it.
With a serious expression on his face, Kidd sent away the several businessmen who came to discuss the matter. When he saw a few players coming up from behind, his stern expression finally relaxed: "You are Moshang Qingshan, right? Valar mentioned The one..."
The blacksmith's face is quite useful... Duan Qing also put on a pleasant smile, and then asked: "Those just now..."
"They want to drive a little further, and then they are looking for a place to rest... hum." When mentioning the previous businessmen, Kidd's face darkened again: "If it were somewhere else, I might agree. Theirs. But this mountain road..."
"What's wrong with this road? Is there any danger?" Mengzhu asked at the side.
"Of course...no." Kidd glanced at the little girl's curious expression, then patted the bright armor on his upper body: "If there is any danger on this road..." He Pointing in one direction: "Those businessmen have been too scared to come."
"This road is naturally steep, as you all have seen." Kidd said, "So when they were digging this mountain road, the person who built the road thought of taking a rest."
He took two steps forward and came to the edge of the mountain road, and then gestured to the front and back: "This road has designed several places like ours now. The terrain is gentle, wide on both sides, and above the head... .It’s also relatively stable, you should understand what I’m talking about.”
He pointed to the cliff above, where there was a large boulder with clear lines: "Accidents like falling rocks are not easy to happen in a place like this. And if the weather is bad..." He pointed to the camp where he was stationed. Ahead, half of the tunnel was cut out of the empty mountain road, and part of the huge rock was dug in, forming a C-shaped road.
"We can go in and hide," he said.
"The wisdom of your ancestors... is very powerful, as powerful as their labor." Duan Qing said.
"I've always thought so." Kidd knocked on his armor, and the clanging sound echoed in the valley: "It's a pity that those businessmen never understand these...what sounds?"
He pricked up his ears first, and then raised his head as if he noticed something. There was a rumbling sound coming from inside the cliff, which was tens of meters above the cliff and could not be seen.
"This... is a rockfall! But how is it possible..." His face slowly turned livid, and Bald Kid shouted to the surroundings: "Hide in the tunnel quickly! Hurry!"
In everyone's eyes, a bald man in full armor was shouting and urging. Behind him, several people named adventurers, who were actually players, had started running. Above them, the rumbling sound had begun to approach the direction above their heads, and then suddenly appeared in their field of vision.
Large and small gravels suddenly fell from the sky dozens of meters high like falling rain. The speed of the fall was so fast that it was difficult for everyone else to react. In the previous arrangement, the businessmen had already entered the tunnel in front, but the carriage behind them had not yet entered. Several people like servants were pulling the horses there, but now, they could no longer control it because those The horses were frightened.
Therefore, the carriage is the most unreliable means of transportation in the world... There is still time in my heart to think, but the time does not leave Duan Qing too much chance to react. The falling rocks fell like rain, hitting their heads in an instant.
call--
Although they know that they will not really die, this kind of death experience is not what players want to enjoy. So everyone, including Duan Qing, lay on the ground, protecting important parts of the body with their hands, trying to save their lives in the coming disaster. However, when the sound of breaking through the sky approached, the tragedy that was imagined did not happen. Duan Qing waited for a while with his eyes closed, then turned over from the ground, trying to figure out the current situation.
Then, he and the others saw a shocking scene.
Large and small gravels were suspended in the sky that was about to enter the dark night. Some stones were relatively low to the ground, so they were able to see the real reason behind the levitation - purple strips, large or small, appeared behind the stones, like spider threads. Sticking to it, these stones were suspended in the air. Those threads seemed to appear out of thin air, tightly stretched behind them, pulling the rocks with strong falling force. Probably because the speed of these stones approaching the ground is too fast, some purple threads have been stretched very long, and the purple fluorescence is reflected in the twilight sky, forming a surprising and beautiful scene.
The next moment, these purple threads suddenly retracted, just like retracting a elastic ball, pulling the stones back, and then...disappeared into thin air.
It was as if this devastating disaster had never happened.
In the scene that suddenly became silent, the sound of slow footsteps rubbing against the soil surface suddenly appeared in everyone's ears from far to near. In front of the tunnel, the sound of wooden sticks hitting the ground sounded at the same time, and with increasingly clear steps, they gradually approached the front of the convoy. The shocked people looked over there, and saw an old man walking over slowly, holding a wooden cane with difficulty.
He was wearing a shabby robe, and the hem of the gray-white robe had been frayed into pieces, thus exposing the old man's naked feet. In addition to various holes caused by bumps, the robe also showed many traces of dirt and fading. It seems that it has not been cleaned and maintained for a long time. However, through the patterns on the robe, those who know the goods can see its original gorgeous appearance. And matching the shabby robe was a string of rosary beads hanging around the old man's neck. Each rosary on the hemp rope is very large, and they are strung together and hung on the old man's chest. The lowest few even reach the abdomen. Although the light is dim, the surface of the black rosary beads still reflects the oily light that has emerged from years of rubbing.
But the most eye-catching thing is the black cloth covering the old man's eyes.
"I'm sorry that these things have happened to you." With his white hair fluttering beside the black cloth, the old man didn't look like an invisible person at all. He walked straight to the front of the motorcade and then stopped. The wooden crutches made a thumping sound as they hit the dirt road.
"Hopefully no one was hurt by this."
At the rear of the convoy, there were some frightened people crawling out of various temporary shelters. Some were rescuing their companions, while others were checking whether any cargo was damaged. In the chaotic scene, Duan Qing noticed that the crutch in the old man's hand - assisting walking did not seem to be its real purpose. Although it was as tattered as the robe he was wearing, the ancient shape, strange lines, and the obviously swollen head above the cane all proved to the world that it was a staff.
As if he noticed the observing eyes of the people approaching, the old man tilted his head, and his blindfolded eyes seemed to be staring at Duan Qing. Duan Qing only showed a smile after seeing that look.
"I forgot to introduce myself..." The old man bowed slightly as a courtesy, but he was so surprised that everyone who came over bowed down.
"I am Gustan," he said, "a...weaver of destiny."
