"Okay, let's get ready and we're ready to go."
"Don't be anxious, see if everything is ready, a good black iron sword, a large amount of magic gem powder, a bottle of green stone wine, and boxes of gold coins..."
"I said, are these things really necessary? Do the city lords really care about these things?"
"Even if people don't like you, you still have to show the necessary posture! Otherwise, how could you still plan to meet the city lord empty-handed?"
On the early morning of January 12, 796 in the New Calendar of the Free World, at the entrance of the tavern in the corner near the dock of the Free City, a group of players who had just reunited placed the items they had collected in front of each other, just like He kept confirming as if he was making final preparations before departure: "Although the amount of money is not much, this box of gold coins already looks a bit like a rich man... Well, I'm afraid you haven't yet." What should I do if someone robs me when I get to the door?”
"Dare you come to rob? It's not certain who will rob who!" After wiping his nose, Chao Ri Dongsheng raised his ax with confidence: "Don't worry, our Qingling Adventure Group will definitely be able to do it in the Free City today. Famous!”
"I'm not asking you to massacre the city. Why are you so excited?" Duan Qing crossed his arms and looked at the other person's face. Duan Qing finally shook his head and sighed: "Forget it, we don't have enough manpower anyway. The remaining I can only leave it to you to do whatever you want...Gedman."
"I'll leave it to you to keep an eye on him." He turned his head and his eyes fell on the big shield warrior who was also standing between the piles of goods: "The people from the Dongcheng Association should have taken care of it for us. Everything, but they probably won’t come forward to solve the problem for us. Can they handle the inquiries we gave you before, and don’t let this guy mess around-"
"I always feel that the latter problem is more troublesome than the previous one." Sighing and letting out a bitter smile, the shield warrior who was being looked at by Duan Qing then raised his thumb: "Leave it to me, I won't let him mess around. Come."
"I hope so." Withdrawing his gaze, Duan Qing then began to look at Xue Ling Huan Bing, who was also sorting out his equipment and belongings: "Then there is you - you have no problem being alone, right?"
"Don't forget what I did before I met you." Xue Ling Huan Bing pushed her long white hair behind her and raised her head and then showed her own smile: "Wrecking things like that. Things are my specialty.”
"It's not just about sabotage. Preliminary investigation and confirmation are also very important." He stretched out his hand and tugged on the cloak and hood prepared for the other party. Duan Qing emphasized in a low voice: "Even if we have time, those few Whether there is the person we want to find is still something that needs to be confirmed. If we take action without grabbing the opponent's tail, it may have the opposite effect——"
"I know I know."
She blocked Duan Qing's mouth with fingers that were like white jade. The corners of Xue Ling Huan Bing's lips were slightly raised. The breath of ice and orchid also followed the autumn wind passing through the streets and alleys of the Free City. Qing slowly blew in front of her: "At least I still have some friendship with my former sister Mengzhu, and my identity can easily be recognized by the other party. Unlike some people who delete their accounts and are unwilling to meet others... "
"After all, it's all in the past." Duan Qing smiled helplessly: "I can't let go after hearing it, but I don't know what to say when we meet. Anyway, for the sake of the mission, this step to save the little girl It’s better to leave it to you.”
"If I discover her existence, I will try to solve it in a peaceful way." Putting away the smile on his face, Xue Ling Huan Bing then used the pulled up hood to cover his face: "Of course , if I can’t find anyone in the few places Dongcheng will provide, I will come back first.”
"The City of Freedom is a seaport, and there are too many possibilities of taking people away." Duan Qing, who lowered his head, also sighed: "We will try our best to ensure peace of mind, but if we can't find any clues—— "
"We can only just hope that she is okay."
The gathered team began to disperse gradually with these swan song words, slowly dispersing in their own directions. Duan Qing, who was watching the back of Xue Ling Huan Bing, then also watched the other two people carrying their backs. The full backpack gradually disappeared towards the other side of the City Lord's Mansion and the City of Freedom. The cold wind, which represents the climate getting colder and the autumn days getting longer, is also constantly blowing from the harbor not far away from the other side of the tavern. As the citizens and players of Liberty City pass by this intersection from time to time, they don't know what they are thinking. Duan Qing gradually woke up after standing still for a long time, shook his head and waved gently to the carriage parked here: "Let's set off too."
"Don't you need to confirm the location with the Dongcheng Club, sir?" Sitting in the driver's seat of the carriage, holding on to the reins tightly, Ningyu Ninglan put her long leather boots wrapped in a blue and white skirt together: "They Only one name was given..."
"These are enough." After checking the carriage behind him, Duan Qing turned over and sat on the edge of the carriage: "I know the location."
"It's in the small alley not far from the central city."
Following Duan Qing's memories, the old carriage slowly drove out of the intersection in front of the tavern. The muffled sound of the ruts and the stone road colliding with each other kept appearing in the ears of the two people, accompanied by shaking. The feeling keeps going deep into the city where Duan Qing is pointing. An atmosphere of silence also appeared in front of the carriage as the carriage moved forward slowly. Even the scenery around the streets along Yanhe Road that kept passing through Duan Qing's field of vision became boring. He put his hands together in front of him. The gray-robed magician finally broke his constant gestures of moving forward and turning left and right, and looked at the side face of Enyu Ninglan with a searching gaze: "How have you been these past two days?"
"I feel very good, sir." She turned around and showed a smile. There was a hint of coquettishness in Ninglan's voice when she answered: "The team doctors from the Lou family have already diagnosed Ninglan. They think Ninglan has no problem."
"That's not what I'm referring to." Duan Qing shook his head and interrupted: "I'm referring to your thoughts - have you made up your mind?"
"..."
The hand pulling the reins of the carriage paused for a moment, and the smile on Anyu Ninglan's face disappeared little by little. The feeling of being overwhelmed then flashed across her face, and what finally appeared was a depressed face. : "Ninglan, as long as Ninglan can stay with Mr. Ninglan, everything else... Ninglan hasn't thought about it yet."
"You have been following my orders for the past two days." Duan Qing shrugged his shoulders slightly, looking back at the other party with an extremely serious expression: "You executed it very well, and it reminded me again The once omnipotent, chic and calm maid of the Duan family, even if her strength has not fully recovered due to the recovery from her injuries, it is only a matter of time."
"But that's not what I want to see."
Shaking his head, the gray-robed magician then changed the tone of what he wanted to say: "At least when the journey to the free world just started, your performance was much better than now. That When you are able to have your own ideas and your own style of doing things, you can handle every problem you encounter well even if you are not with me."
"You're even showing jealousy." After saying this, he chuckled a few times for some unknown reason, as if recalling something amazing: "Forget about the words, in front of me When facing Ling Bing, your performance became much stronger unconsciously, don't you think so?"
"Ninglan, Ninglan just wants to serve Mr. properly." A flustered look appeared on her face, and Ninglan hurriedly turned her head: "Ninglan has no other intentions, Ninglan, Ninglan doesn't dare to—" —”
"'Ninglan' is not that easy to play."
Reaching out to block what Enyu Ninglan wanted to say, Duan Qing shook his head and whispered: "If you want to get rid of the shackles of the past and become an independent person, the first thing you need to forget is these rules and pick up your own idea."
"Those shackles imposed on you by the Duan family are there to prevent you from having these thoughts." He put away his serious expression and gradually focused his gaze in front of him: "The person who forced you to surrender is not the right person. What I love and respect is the deliberately created level gap between you and 'Duan'. If you want to clear the oppression caused by this level gap, you must first truly stand up. "
"Ninglan, Ninglan, I..."
"At least let's start with putting forward opinions. Look at the few people just now, they have put forward a lot of opinions and suggestions." Facing the frightened look from Ningyu Ninglan, Duan Qing smiled and patted her head. : "If this is difficult to do, you can also start by changing the title. First try not to call me 'sir' or anything else, but directly call me... uh."
"Looks like we're almost there."
As the conversation progressed during this period, the carriage passed through streets and alleys one after another, and finally arrived at the entrance of a dim alley near the center of the Free City. The crooked alleyway looked obviously much more sinister to outsiders. The dim light that cannot be observed prevents passers-by from visiting, as if this is replacing the "No Entry" sign that should be inserted at the door. The hesitant look on her face was quickly replaced by a look of vigilance. Ningyu Ninglan, who had tightened her grip on the reins, instinctively slowed down her breathing. The palm that was originally on her head was rubbed. His movements slowly retracted, accompanied by Duan Qing's deep smile: "Don't be nervous, that guy is definitely not a bad person."
"Of course, that's assuming she doesn't move."
Jumping out of the carriage, the gray-robed magician casually walked into this crooked alley, and then with the faint sound of the carriage behind him, he came to the very familiar sign in his memory. In front of the dilapidated building of the "Black Magic Cottage": "Is anyone there?"
"I am Linyuan Duanshui, a magician from the empire."
Looking at the unresponsive door of the hut, the gray-robed magician still did not stop greeting him: "By order of the Council of Mages, I came here to pay you a special visit."
"Master Shadow Mage Gardevoir."
Making a gesture of not worrying, Duan Qing lowered his head deeply. The standard magician salute continued for a while in front of the black magic house, and finally gradually became louder with the faint echo of the terrifying wind. Retracted: "It turns out to be Wiggins' apprentice, please come in."
"excuse me."
The darkness and hell-like cries from inside the small door didn't seem to have the slightest feeling of intimidation. Duan Qing just walked into the door of the black magic cabin, and then slowly disappeared in the gap where the black energy that was constantly surrounding and testing was slowly disappearing. In the meantime, I found the figure of the black magician named Gardevoir: "It's an honor to meet you, sir."
"Speaking of which, this is our first meeting." He straightened his hair, and a smile burst out on his face: "I should call you Lord Gardevoir. Or would it be better to just call you Shana-sama?"
"...You look very familiar to me."
Still the same image wrapped in a black veil, Gardevoir, who was sitting in the corner of the hut, slowly raised one of his skinny hands: "But this magic robe you are wearing is just an ordinary one. Where’s the magic robe?”
"Well, the omnipotent robe was damaged in my previous adventure." Then the smile on Duan Qing's face turned into a bitter smile: "Teacher Wiggins gave me a severe lesson for this. If it weren't for Fa The universal space function of the robe is still there, so I might not be able to leave the gate of the Mages Council."
"Well, it's a good thing he didn't dispose of you himself."
Ruoyouruowu's eyes swept across Duan Qing's body, and Shadow Mage Gardevoir curled up her body like an old woman: "Then you come to visit this time, what trouble do you want to find me for?" On the head?"
"One of our friends is seriously injured, and we would like to ask you to help him take a look." Duan Qing gestured towards the vague outline of the carriage standing outside the door behind him, and said still politely: "We are here I made some inquiries in Freedom City and heard that the owner of the Black Magic House can treat such injuries, so I came here."
"If your so-called friend is the dragon lying outside the door, that's really surprising."
Still curled up with a lazy and tired look, Gardevoir's voice when he answered was still full of a sense of insight: "It is already a wonder that dragons can travel with humans. There are actually still dragons on this continent. Something that can seriously injure a dragon?"
"Dragon-slaying arrow, a product of alchemical magic used to attack dragons."
Duan Qing spoke the answer to this question in a low voice.
"As one of the managers of the Void Library, you must have heard of this killer weapon, right?"
