The silver moon hung high, barely illuminating this remote and shabby alleyway.
The flickering light from a few torches filtered through the only narrow gap leading outside.
But outside the alley, the rude and rude curses made Thales wake up suddenly.
Although traveling underground made him a little dizzy, and the corners and paths he followed the instructions after arriving on the surface were also a bit complicated, Thales knew very well: he had left the cover of the Secret Department and was exposed to what Longxiao City could see.
Within sight.
He was in danger, and his only hope of getting out of the city at this moment... was the contact person Putilai mentioned.
Thales concentrated his attention, and the sins of the Hell River surged up in time, enhancing his hearing.
More than a dozen different breathing sounds appeared in his senses from two directions: one with many people and the other alone.
"You have been in Longxiao City for so many years," this was the cold voice from before. When he spoke to the crowd, Thales could faintly feel his impatience: "You should know how serious this matter is, and you also know
How serious we are is not a battle of wills."
The rude voice responded with a disdainful sneer: "Humph!"
Thales frowned slightly: Who are they? Where am I?
Where is the person I'm supposed to meet?
Damn Putilai, he clearly said that he didn't want to be like the secret science, but he still left me only a mystery.
The confrontation across the wall seemed to continue: the gruff response clearly displeased his opponents.
The third voice sounded again, seeming to still be trying to convince the rude man: "This is for our survival. From closing the city to raids and now arresting people everywhere, they have never interfered with gangs and underground businesses so roughly...
Listen, the Palace of Heroes is serious this time, I think they don’t even care if they are destroyed.”
Thales's heart shivered.
Starting from noon, Lumba was assassinated and he fled the Palace of Heroes. Until night fell, a few hours passed, and the prince could probably imagine what Longxiao City looked like now.
"I don't think so," the gruff voice replied casually, "I'm doing just fine."
"boom!"
"Hey," it seemed like someone knocked on a certain board angrily: "You old..."
But with another muffled sound, he was about to get angry, as if he was stopped by his companions.
Thales pushed his body closer to the rough broken wall in front of him, raised his ears, and tried to grab all useful information.
"Is it?"
It was the cautious third person, who seemed more inclined to negotiate to solve the problem than his cold companion: "Starting from the afternoon, at the market in Sword District, all the goods we planned to sell this month have been detained;
In Longyi Square, the old gangsters of Camus were directly confiscated; even the nobles of the Spear District and the Ax District were imprisoned in batches, and even the subordinates of powerful vassals such as Kierkegaard were greatly implicated;
As for us? As long as there are people with criminal records, the patrol team will catch them and send them directly to the water prison without asking any questions..."
"And you, you think you are special, that because of your old relationship with Shake the Earth, the poor people in the Shield District and the Hammer District can stay out of trouble, and the patrols and the Grand Duke's personal guards always let you go?"
He paused.
A cold voice took over his words: "You are wrong."
"And one day, you will pay for it."
Thales's heart moved, and he heard a few key words.
The prince looked around subconsciously: This remote alley seemed to be old, and the irregular brick and stone walls were badly damaged, as if they would fall down if touched. The house on the left that it connected to had obviously not been occupied for a long time. Only half of the house was left.
The house was even more miserable than the abandoned house that Thales had stayed in. It was as if someone had taken a giant hammer and smashed a third of it vertically downwards, starting from the roof.
But Thales soon realized that the ground under his feet was also full of gravel and rotten wood, and there were even deep pits from nowhere.
Like...
It's like a messy battlefield.
Is there such a place in Longxiao City?
Thinking of this, Thales immediately trembled slightly!
Under the moonlight, he turned his head in disbelief, and looked around through the narrow cracks in the alleyway and several holes in the broken walls: dilapidated beams, collapsed brick walls, dirty paths, and something strange in his nose.
No fishy smell...
Thales was stunned.
He knows this place.
He still remembered the texture of the rough dirt road under his feet, the low and cluttered old houses, and the maze-like intricate alleyways.
Only the bustling sound of people is missing.
here it is……
Thales touched the broken wall and stared blankly at the house with the roof smashed off.
This is the shield zone.
It is the shield area of Longxiao City.
It was the Shield Zone that was destroyed six years ago due to the crazy and fierce battle between two magicians with no bottom line.
It was him who ran away frantically for his life with his little cunning head, it was he who crossed life and death with tears in his eyes, and it was he who followed the black sword in the shield zone to fight back to the death.
It's here.
An inexplicable sadness surged into Thales' heart.
So many years.
He finally returned to this place.
However, Thales had doubts in his heart: Why did Putilai come to this place by himself?
"Hahahahahaha..."
A rude voice suddenly laughed loudly, attracting Thales' attention.
"'You will pay the price', hahahaha..."
The laughter was bold and wild, but Thales could hear the displeasure and sullenness in it.
With the senses enhanced by the sin of Hell River, Thales could vaguely feel that opposite the rude voice, the breathing of the group of people was getting heavier and heavier.
It seems that the scene is getting more and more ugly.
The laughter gradually stopped.
"You know," the rude voice paused for a few seconds before speaking in a low voice, even deeper than before:
"Six years ago, Urad couldn't survive in Longxiao City, so he used tricks and turned the market and the black market into a mess. Coupled with the disappearance of the Far Eastern man, the business in Gong District also declined.
There was a blank, so for a while, all the scum who overestimated their capabilities wanted to grab these bones..."
The rude man paused slightly, and there was a dangerous signal in his voice: "And after several years of struggle, those of you who are still here really think that you are a nobody, and you even talk like a big boss.
…”
Urad?
It was six years ago...Rumba's subordinate, the man with eight braids?
Thales frowned, and he subconsciously shrank back, completely hiding himself in the darkness behind the wall.
"enough."
The cold voice spoke again, as if he was the leader of this group of people.
"We don't know the past grievances between you and Ullad, Cripple," his words still lacked any warmth: "We don't want to get involved, but everyone is looking for a living in Longxiao City..."
"Ha!" A rude voice suddenly rose, interrupting him.
"To make a living?"
Even though this guy is alone, he seems to be very kind. Facing so many people, he is not only calm and fearless, but his tone is even more arrogant:
"It's been several years, and there was Urad's example before. Regardless of water, land or black roads, the increasingly strict patrols have confiscated your goods more than a dozen times. The money lost was enough to buy a Dragon Sky City, but
You guys are still persevering, as if you have endless money to lose... Hey, are you really occupying the market just to make a living?"
Faced with the rude questioning, the group of people did not speak, but Thales could feel that their breathing rate became closer and more frequent.
"Even so, you have never given up giving gifts and benefits to the nobles in the inner city in these years, as if you have endless money... Including the receptionist who was hanged for having an affair with the Black Sand Leader. I know that his
The benefits are all delivered by you."
He coughed with a rude voice, spit out a mouthful of phlegm, and continued to say disdainfully: "Hey, it's neither for fame nor profit, and it looks like you are worried about the country and the people? Tell me, which gang does this, just
Just to 'make a living'?"
The group of people confronting him remained silent, but Thales could already hear the clenching of some people's fists.
"Look, I know your details very well," the rude voice chuckled again, but it was inexplicably chilling: "I know who you are actually helping, and I know whether it is for self-protection or for others.
With a purpose and a backer..."
"Hey."
"Urad is gone, but his stink is still in this city and has not dissipated." Thales was deeply impressed by the man's tough and rough voice, and he felt more and more like he had seen this man before.
:
"If I report it to the White Blade Guards, guess what the consequences will be?"
A longer silence than ever before lingered between the two parties.
White Blade Guards.
Really bad.
Caught in this confrontation, Thales only felt that the atmosphere was getting worse. He looked around anxiously, but was disappointed to find that there were only two ways to leave this alleyway: either sneak out of the narrow gap and come here.
Either get in front of the two parties, or step on the rubble and broken wood from the other side, and run over the wall in an earth-shattering high-profile manner.
Neither option is a good idea.
After a long time, the cold voice from the crowd on the other side sighed slowly.
"There have been no White Blade Guards for a long time, Grievor," his words were very soft, but with bad intentions: "From the day when disaster struck and the dragon reappeared..."
"The late king is dead and times have changed. Neither Exeter nor Longxiao City are the same as before."
These words that sounded in the dark night made Thales slightly startled.
He probably figured out the identities of both parties.
Their status may not be very high, but they should not be ignored in Longxiao City. They affect the lives of many people and are closely connected and closely related to the official middle-level officials such as the patrol team.
Thales felt a long-lost familiarity with this kind of person.
Sure enough, the next second, the rude man named Grivet said coldly:
"So you just found a new master?"
He snorted, with deep disdain: "Why, Charmaine Rombard's stuff is so delicious, you guys even rush to line up to take a sip when you're passing by?"
"Damn..." One of them seemed to be unable to hold back his temper and took a step forward, but he was immediately stopped back.
"Quiet!" This time it was the third voice. He seemed to be the one who spoke with the most weight besides his cold voice.
His words were obviously much more cautious, and he sounded like he was discussing: "I know, Boss Grivet, we usually don't interfere with each other and have a tacit understanding with each other, but this time..."
But Grivet didn't seem to buy it at all. His rough voice interrupted the other party:
"Then get lost."
Grivet's rude voice was both ugly and harsh: "I don't care how important that prince is, I don't care who assassinated the parricide, I don't care what nonsense the Palace of Heroes is playing, I don't care you black men
Whose balls are the dogs licking? I don’t care whose bones you have to collect to get involved, and I don’t care whether you want to rebel or want to be promoted to a noble position. What I care about is one and only one thing: you dogs
Son of a bitch”
Thales bit his lower lip: Sure enough, his disappearance triggered a series of chaos in Longxiao City, and even affected these...
Just listen to Grivet slamming his fists and growling:
"Stay away from my territory!"
This sentence immediately caused the crowd opposite to explode.
"This old cripple..." There was a sound of a blade piercing wood.
"We should give him some color..." A few malicious sneers.
"Let me tell you," one person said unhappily.
But all these people's words stopped abruptly.
It seemed that he was stopped by his leader.
Just when Thales breathed a sigh of relief and thought the conflict was over...
"Griwal, Griwal, Griwal, the famous Griwal."
It's that leader, that cold voice.
"It is rumored that Grivet can compete with the 'Five Generals'," his voice came faintly from outside the fire-lit alley, "you lost one of your legs in the disaster six years ago."
"I can never stand up again."
Six years ago, you lost both legs?
six years ago.
Thales caught the word.
Grivet was silent for a few seconds.
"Ha, you said my legs were lame decades ago," the man with a rude tone showed no sign of weakness, and his laughter was still easy and easy: "Six years ago, I thought they were an eyesore, so I gave them to them.
Sawed."
"do you have any opinion?"
The breeze blew through the narrow cracks in the alleyway, making a low whistling sound.
Just listen to the cold man continue: "Not only that, you also lost an eye."
"Losed half my sight."
"Eye?" Grewal's voice suddenly rose:
"Hey, I think it's stuck in my eye socket and it's too much for my head, so I might as well take it off."
Several muffled sounds were heard, as if he flicked his forehead.
The cold voice laughed out loud.
"Also, you only have three fingers left on your left hand."
"Whether it's a clenched fist or a weapon, there's nothing you can do."
Grivet replied nonchalantly: "Hey, haven't you ever picked your nose? Don't you think it's more convenient?"
Hearing these words, Thales frowned deeply.
The lonely figure outside the wall...
What kind of man is he?
The cold man ignored Grivet and continued: "Not only that, in that disaster, you suffered heavy casualties. Count how many brothers you buried with your own hands in the Shield Zone six years ago?"
This time, Grivet was silent for a long time.
long time.
It seemed like it was silent.
Another gust of wind blew by, and the firelight outside the alleyway trembled slightly.
The man named Grivet took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.
"My brothers are all made of iron." His slightly lower voice came from the air, but he still refused to show weakness.
Griwal's voice was slightly trembling: "Yeah, if we really have to fight, one against ten, it's just commonplace."
There was only silence in response to him.
Thales listened quietly and sketched the image of this man in his mind: he had lost both legs, an eye, and his left hand was disabled.
Rude, without manners or education, and full of gangsterism.
However, he is also bold, stubborn and tough-tongued.
After a while, the cold voice began to chuckle: "Hmm, hum, hum..."
"Don't make me laugh, Grewal, look at how disabled you are now. Not to mention holding the soul-killing gun, you can't even stand up, and you have to rely on a wheelchair to walk..."
In response, Grivet took a sip of disdain.
"Look around again, look at this place that has been plowed by disasters and giant beasts: poor, dilapidated, decayed, pitiful, despicable, this shield area that you rely on for a living and are proud of."
The cold man tutted: "Look at this miserable situation. Not only has your shield area never recovered, it's getting worse and worse. I heard that you don't even have enough manpower to watch the Liuying brothel? Not to mention that you still have to take care of those people."
Brother’s orphaned family members, maybe you should call your wives and daughters to help, you know, you can also make some ‘extra money’ while watching the show?”
There were bursts of jeers from the crowd.
This time, Thales didn't hear Grivet's rebuttal.
"Think it through."
"It's no longer your time now, old cripple," the cold man's words contained an implicit threat:
"If you insist on refusing to see the reality clearly and keep trying, you will only end up destroying yourself and hurting everyone around you."
Footsteps sounded, as if that cold man was slowly pacing forward.
Thales heard Grivet's breathing getting heavier and heavier.
"We didn't go to war with you, not because we were afraid of you, but you seem to look down on us? Why, do you think you are still a prestigious extreme epee infantryman, think you are still the respected boss Grievo, and are still in Longxiao City?
The light of the common people who responds to everything inside and outside, or the hero who holds the soul-killing gun to protect Longxiao City?"
"But actually..."
The man's voice was very gentle, and seemed to have no emotional ups and downs at all, but it was particularly chilling: "Since six years ago, you have been nothing. The person who is breathing under your incomplete body is just a person in a wheelchair.
Just a cripple waiting to die."
This time, Grivet's breathing became louder and louder, and he even let out a low hum.
But his rough voice didn't come again.
It seemed as if Grieve had given up on counterattack.
The cold voice caught the opponent's pain point, and he slowly laughed: "For example, if we are more than ten steps away and shoot you with a crossbow when you can't stand up... what can you do?
"
"If we really take action, if we really want to do something to you, to the Shield District, to the Hammer District, to your group of extremely poor men and brothers, to their wives and children, and to the livelihood of their employers, let them
Life is a hundred times worse than now..."
The other party's words are getting slower and slower, making people more and more chilling.
"What do you think you can do as a disabled person who can't even walk, can't hold a knife steady, can't see the road clearly, and can only live in a wheelchair for the rest of his life?"
Grivet remained silent.
There seemed to be a real silence.
"See the situation clearly and choose wisely," the man sneered and stopped: "Since you know the people behind us very well, you should know: We are very powerful and we can do it, but a disabled person like you cannot
Stop, unable to stop, unable to stop.”
"So I'm giving you one more chance now, Grieve, to reconsider your answer..."
However, before the man finished speaking, Thales suddenly felt frightened!