"Welcome to the City of Liberty!"
Some time later in the evening, Duan Qing and the others heard the same words in front of the huge gate of the Free City: "May your dreams fly forever, adventurers."
"...Uh, please..."
"Ah, I know what you are going to ask, adventurers."
A soldier-looking guy guarding the door rubbed his hands with a flattering smile on his face: "But this is our rule here, so..."
"Please pay the entrance fee of twenty gold coins." He looked at the other people behind the convoy, then cleared his throat and said.
"...Is it twenty gold coins per person?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, there are about eleven of us, so the total is two hundred and twenty..."
"No, no, sir."
Seeing Duan Qing reaching for his waist, the soldier immediately rubbed his hands together: "There is also transportation fee of five gold coins for each person, management fee of thirty gold coins, protection fee of fifty gold coins..."
"Holy crap! Why don't you grab it?"
Duan Qing immediately pulled his hand back from his waist: "Also... there are so many people passing by, why don't you collect their money?"
"They are already on our registration list, so they don't need to pay these one-time fees." The soldier still smiled and rubbed his hands: "Don't worry, we are the guards of the Free City, and we will definitely keep our promises. …”
"How, how is it possible? Is there really anyone willing to hand over more than a hundred gold coins?" Black Corn in the back also jumped up.
"Of course." The soldier gradually lowered his face: "Why, are you doubting my words?"
"No, no, that..." The smiling butcher hurriedly pushed his hands, trying to lower the temperature between each other: "We are just newcomers here, so..."
"Newcomer?" The guard rolled his eyes, and then smiled again, but this flattering smile that looked like a businessman had turned into a hateful smile in their eyes: "Double for newcomers, do it Card discounts, we have three options: ordinary status, VIP status and exclusive status. Their prices and privileges are naturally different... What, you are not convinced? We also have a blacklist. If you are unfortunate enough to be on it One of them... humph, you don’t need me to remind you what will happen, right?"
"..."
"Yes, put away that look in your eyes and think about it carefully. Don't worry, we will ensure your safety in the city. If you encounter the same... or encounter any trouble, remember to report our names... …”
"Okay, okay, the show is over."
The voice of a woman full of mature charm rang in the ears of Duan Qing, who was standing at the front. Then, as she whispered, she stretched out her hand and pressed his body behind her: "You guys who have never seen the world, you should let go earlier. It’s better to drive...do you know what they do?”
"Aren't they city guards?"
"They are indeed the City Guards."
Turning around and giving Duan Qing a smile, Wuyu Liushang put one hand on his waist, stroking his long hair while slowly shaking the rapier in his hand: "But..."
"It's just that the words are the same."
She turned back and the smile on her face slowly disappeared: "Tell me, which gang are you from?"
"Who are you?" The guard's face turned gloomy again: "I have to warn you, miss, you are hindering..."
"I see."
A slight sound suddenly passed by the soldier's ear. He was stunned for a moment, then looked at the curved thin sword stretched out in front of him, and swallowed hard. The woman who was still holding her waist with one hand tugged at the corner of her mouth and looked at the other person up and down again. The sword, which had been calm and unruffled, slowly retreated and placed a piece of rag on the edge of the sword between the two sides. Between the individual's eyes: "Is this... the symbol of the Black Dragon Gang? Is it your turn to be on duty today?"
"you you……"
Reaching out and touching the right armband hidden in the gap of his shoulder armor, the soldier-like guy's voice began to tremble: "Who are you?"
"I am Xu Yu Liu Shang, you may have heard my name."
Smiling and shaking the badge in front of her, the blue-haired woman quickly retracted her rapier: "But this is not the issue we need to discuss now, and it is not the reason for you to pretend to be stupid. You just need to go back and see me. Your boss, then...just tell him my name."
"Now, get out of my face." Ignoring all the surveillance glances from around her, the blue-haired woman looked away from the soldier's face: "Otherwise..."
"I'm afraid you're not the only one who's unlucky."
The soldier-like guy's eyes rolled up and down twice, and finally he stayed on the murmuring face for a while, and then he slowly escaped deep behind the city gate while retreating. Duan Qing, who had been troubled by this man, finally took his dumbfounded eyes away from his back, wandered in a daze for a while in the street that extended into the darkness, and finally followed the figures of passers-by around him and unknown places. The whispers floated toward the sky above the city - black tall buildings, old glass, walls that had turned into gray-black due to long periods of wind and frost, and various strange shapes on the top floors of those tall buildings. , various exterior lines for unknown purposes... All the decorations seemed to prove to everyone that this city was unique, as well as the various weird atmospheres coming from this city, but until this scene happened, After the gatekeeper's position that originally blocked him from entering the city became empty, Duan Qing finally felt the darkness from this city and the omnipresent feeling of malice.
"Even the guards thought it could be fake, right?" He murmured.
"It's just a way to make money." Xu Yu Liushang replied calmly: "And..."
"Speaking of which, there are no real city guards in this city. Only new players... will be deceived by them."
"...How many gangs are in this business?"
"a lot of."
He casually glanced in the direction of a cloaked woman at the back of the team. The woman took the lead and walked into the city: "Stealing wealth, robbing people, vendettas, fighting for territory... Such things happen every day here. It was staged in an alley, maybe you will feel a little surprised, but for me..."
"They're all things I'm used to."
A few people just walked into the city gate and stepped into the street that seemed to have become much darker. Then, bathed in a large number of malicious eyes, they carefully followed the convoy to the left and right of the city and walked into the city. With conscious avoidance, they bypassed the sight of many large groups that seemed to have unknown purposes, and then, led by the whispers, crossed the first-floor building complex surrounded by the crisscrossing inner city rivers—— Just like the capital of the principality, the city's periphery is also surrounded by those strange-shaped high and low houses in a circle, and then the concave area on the side near the harbor is protected in its own arms.
"That should be the City Lord's Mansion."
After the convoy stopped in the shadow of a certain alley, the blue-haired woman finally broke the team's silence: "Over there is the central square, and further ahead is the harbor area. Players' bases and other forces are generally distributed there. The base points are radiating around, and the rich guys...have probably bought one or two houses in the luxury area now."
"Where is the police station that Licas mentioned?" Duan Qing asked in a low voice: "The message he gave us before he left... we need to hand it over."
"In that direction, Ivan Street in the east area of the city."
Pointing to the direction to their left, Xu Yu Liushang replied calmly: "But... we are now carrying too many goods to meet the city lord. If we don't want to be robbed for no reason, it is best to find a place to throw away these troublesome things now. good."
"Those envoys actually ignored us and didn't even want their own things." The braised crab behind gritted his teeth and said, "Isn't this too irresponsible? How can there be such a person?"
"And we were almost wiped out by gangsters..."
"That police officer probably doesn't have a good background. It's better if we don't listen to him."
"Should we find a tavern to record it first? It's a good thing that the goods are gone, but if the person dies and comes back..."
"Anyway...it's always right for us to meet the city lord first."
In the low-pitched discussion among several players at the back, Duan Qing's voice sounded like a final conclusion: "It's best to be able to see nature. If you can't see it... at least let them put down your purpose and things. Although the principality is now in a weak position, it is possible that they really do not take us seriously, but since the city is like this..."
"It's better that we don't think of ourselves as messengers first."
Looking at a small castle surrounded by a moat in front of him, Duan Qing retracted his gaze: "For safety... let's hide the limelight first."
He arranged his clothes, his eyes roamed on the faces of the two soldiers guarding the city lord's palace for a long time, and finally murmured to himself amidst the smiles and chatter of the two soldiers beside him: "These two generals It can't be fake..."
"that……"
A voice suddenly came from across the street at the other end of the alley, and at the same time stopped Duan Qing, who was about to step forward to start negotiation mode: "Ladies and gentlemen... is this your goods?"
"...We are not businessmen."
Looking at the rather wretched-looking man who was approaching slowly with his waist hunched over, Duan Qing hurriedly raised his arms: "Don't come here to try to trick us."
"Well……"
As if to prove that he had no ill intentions, the man took two steps back, followed Duan Qing's gaze to the other side, coughed and whispered: "That..."
"Do you want to see the city lord?"
"..."
Duan Qing, who was sticking to the edge of the alley, once again turned his gaze to that person and stayed there for a longer period of time. He originally wanted to drive the other person away, but unexpectedly stopped: "...You have a way to do it. Have you met the city lord?"
"Yeah."
As if he wanted to praise Duan Qing's understanding, the wretched man bowed his head and then hunched over while casually approaching the team: "My name is Gal, and I am... …Uh, businessman, I run various businesses with my caravan to meet the needs of various customers. Our business place is in the east. This is my business card..."
"Stop, stop, stop."
After confirming that there were no people around who wanted to rob the goods, Duan Qing lowered his guard a little, and then secretly directed the positions of others while blocking the man's spit: " If you have anything to say, just say it, you..."
"You are a smuggler."
The whisperer on the side folded his arms and suddenly intervened in the conversation between the two: "The warehouses in the east are the territory of those dealers. They are a group of guys who can sell anything and dare to sell anything..."
"Uh...it's not as exaggerated as you said, Miss."
Gal's waist bent even lower: "It's just that the business here is better, so our business scope has expanded slightly..."
"You sell guns or you sell people... we don't care."
Duan Qing put his weapon between the two people angrily, and looked at each other sideways: "We don't have much time to do business now, so...if you don't have anything else to do, please don't disturb me. Us, if there is any way you can help us see the city lord..."
"Please tell me as soon as possible, okay?"
"...The City Lord is not in the City Lord's Mansion all year round, this gentleman."
The wretched man looked at Duan Qing's expression, and then lowered his head calmly: "But... we are very familiar with the city lord's schedule and comings and goings."
"I have said before, we do all kinds of business." Gal said with a low smile: "Including intelligence business... You must be in great need now, right?"
"..."
"I know you're very interested."
He let out two low chuckles again, and the businessman who looked very wretched finally opened his mouth, and then showed a black-hearted smile with an expression that showed him that he was convinced: "It just so happens that I said to those behind you We are also very interested in the goods, so... we should be able to have a good talk, right?"
After receiving a silent reply from Xu Yu Liushang, Duan Qing took a deep breath. He originally wanted to slap the other person away with his hand, but finally forced himself to endure it: "Okay, anyway, we can't talk about it." There will be two hairs missing..."
"What are your terms?"
"...Let's find another place."
After looking around for a while, the wretched man smiled unscrupulously: "Let me think about it..."
"How about Rust's Tavern?"
He pointed in a certain direction on the street, while ignoring the hostile looks cast by the players around him: "This meal is my treat..."
"Let this be a great gift to welcome you."
