21. No one can kill a cat in the Hillelwig Mountains
The tavern fell into another kind of silence.
The creak of the bed board was heard next door, and the sound of tables and chairs moving, cluttered footsteps and the clinking of wine glasses were heard in the hall downstairs.
Catalina covered her mouth with the cloth she carried with her. It was just ordinary linen cloth, and the sour smell it gave off indicated that it had been used many times.
Its only purpose is to remind Catalina to "stop talking".
When Catalina wanted to pass the spare strip of cloth to Lu Li, she was rejected. Lu Li had experienced the most terrifying period of the Silent Hour, knew what to do, and still had the straw doll in his pocket to deal with the Silent Hour.
But he couldn't confirm whether the straw doll was still effective after 24 years.
The hours of silence limited communication and limited what people could do. Catalina lay down on the squeaky single bed and took advantage of this moment to rest.
Lu Li pulled out the wooden chair and sat in front of the window, looking at the dark wilderness and the ring of magma and fire in the distance.
Catalina woke up from time to time, and Lu Li's presence made it difficult for her to fall asleep. Sometimes she would lie on her side and admire Lu Li's profile. If the silence did not envelope the town, she might ask why she kept looking outside.
As time passed, Catalina, who was wearing leather armor, also fell into a light sleep. Until the clock in the tavern hall downstairs rang 10 times, signaling the arrival of morning.
Catalina woke up to the sound of the clock and looked at the sky that was brighter than the night——
The ring of magma fire still hangs high on the dome, but it has become more vivid. The rock walls dormant in the darkness have become clear due to the increase in brightness, and the uneven rock walls and shadows exist in the sky with a sense of three-dimensionality and realism.
It seems real.
That's why Catalina says someone is crazy about the sky.
The church bells rang over the town soon after, declaring silence and departing.
Catalina took off the cloth and stuffed it back into the leather armor: "It's over."
"Is this daytime?" Lu Li asked.
The brightness did not increase anymore, it only remained dim enough to see things.
"This is day, or dusk," Caterina said.
There is no early morning in the weird era, there are only two hours.
Dusk and late night.
It's dusk from 10 o'clock to 15 o'clock, and it's night after that.
Before departure, Mole took the initiative to come to the door. He was still greedy for the strange currency. Of course, the matte stone was now on Catalina.
The mole's covetousness made Catalina think that the value of the strange currency was more than simple.
"Mole, tell the truth, what's the use of it?" Katarina tossed the strange currency, and the thick and short mole opposite followed it with a dozen eyes shaking up and down, and explained absentmindedly: "A weird deal with neutral friends. They don't accept it.
This is the only currency we accept. I am an intelligence hunter, and this is a good opportunity to expand my business."
Caterina wasn't entirely convinced - she had never seen a mole so hungry for anything.
"That's it?" Katarina stopped tossing. "To be honest, we might consider giving it to you."
Catalina thought the mole would back down, but he wanted the currency more than he imagined: "That's what you said, sting."
Before Katarina returned, Mole lowered his voice and said quickly: "If you encounter a weirdo that can communicate, you can exchange your life for weird currency."
"Why didn't I know about this?" Katarina had never heard of it.
The Mole's answer was simple: "Because you don't have weird currency."
Catalina didn't want to be embarrassed, she was regretting it, and she was thinking about how she could leave the weird currency by going back on her word.
"Do you know the merchant?" Lu Li asked at this time, briefly describing the merchant.
"Businessman..." Mole rolled his eyes and thought. "I only know a few... I can tell you everything. In exchange, you must sell me the weird currency."
He saw that Catalina wanted to regret it.
"Okay." Lu Li nodded in agreement.
Catalina wanted to stop it, but it was Lu Li's thing, not hers.
Mole recalled: "You can find the kind of businessmen you mentioned in the city."
"Is this considered intelligence?" Catalina tried to stop the transaction.
Mole also realized this, his eyes trembled for a few seconds, and he handed Lu Li an iron piece with determination: "This represents the friendship of the Earth dwellers... Take it to the Earth dwellers Chamber of Commerce, they know your problem.
"
Katerina shut her mouth.
Apparently the mole needs the weird currency for more than just its value.
Lu Li was not satisfied with the answer, but still picked up the iron piece and accepted the deal.
"The Earth Residents Chamber of Commerce?"
Lu Li looked at the iron piece. It was not a badge because the shape was irregular, and the outline of an iron pickaxe was hollowed out in the center.
"One of the largest merchant organizations in the wasteland." Catalina explained in a low voice, looking at the thick dwarf mole: "I didn't expect you to be a member of them. Congratulations, mole."
The tone was full of envy. With Mole to rely on, he was no longer a little hunter who could ignore bullying at will.
"Just peripheral members who are still intern." Mole said, staring closely at the strange currency in Katarina's hand.
"Give it to him." Lu Li tilted his head and said.
"The transaction was quite pleasant, see you next time." Mole put away the strange currency, counted out 230 shillings to Lu Li, and left the tavern carrying a backpack about the same size as his body.
After the Mole left, an annoyed Caterina complained: "That coin is worth more."
"The merchant has a large sum of money from me." Lu Li replied.
The strange currency seems valuable, but it is worthless compared to the wealth of merchant Chu Luli.
The premise is that the merchant still exists.
And if Katarina goes back on her word she will lose Mole's trust.
As Catalina said before, trust is very important on the ground.
"It's time for us to set off."
Katarina fastened her leather armor, put away the road map, checked out of the Wanderer's Tavern.
Lu Li continued to observe the pedestrians on the street. Although he would not stay on a figure for too long, it still caused trouble.
It was an outline that was different from ordinary people. The man was over two and a half meters tall, and he could touch the eaves by raising his arms. He didn't seem to like being looked at, so he glared at Lu Li fiercely and stepped closer.
A slender figure stood in front of Lu Li, and Catalina's eyes flashed with black light, threatening: "Don't cause trouble, big guy."
Body shape is not the only criterion for measuring strength.
Hunters will not fight each other unless necessary unless the battle can be ended in a concealed manner without any injuries.
Injury to them is linked to death.
The burly man stared at Catalina for a moment, then left without saying a word, his exposed lizard tail lashing the air from side to side in annoyance.
"Don't look at others casually. This is different from that time." Catalina reminded Lu Li after she relaxed. "You should feel lucky that you met me. Of course I am lucky too."
Continuing to walk out of the town, Catalina said: "If it is other hunters, they will kill you before they know your identity. Then they will take away your wealth and yourself."
When she said this, she also looked at Lu Li's body. Obviously "itself" had another meaning.
