In the tavern, against the gasps of everyone, Ricky said slowly:
"What secret?"
Thales stared at the drill, unable to take his eyes away.
His curiosity and suspicion about that night overcame the uneasiness and fear in his heart.
The driller didn't answer right away.
The man in Shadow Shield looked around, and after seeing that everyone was attracted by this topic, he bowed and smiled with satisfaction.
"That's why I'm here today."
He slowly raised his head, revealing a pair of eyes that suddenly became sharp under his eyebrows: "Since crossing the sea, Teng has shown unusual enthusiasm for the Bright Star royal family. I guess it is due to his past status."
"But, in the bloody year, accepting a deal that leaves no room for retreat and uprooting the Bright Star royal family? This is really too much."
Next to Ricky's hand, the masked man snorted coldly.
Year of Blood.
Upon hearing the keyword, Thales' eyelids twitched for no reason.
"There must be a reason, a reason why he is so fascinated by the bright star."
Zhuo Zi straightened up and responded to the people with different expressions one by one with indifferent eyes.
"Six years ago, as our person in charge in the North, I issued an order: If there is an opportunity, assassinate the visiting Second Prince of the Stars."
Quick Rope gave Thales a light poke in the dark.
Thales lowered his eyelashes and pretended not to see the reproachful look from the other party: "Why is it you again?"
Zhuozi's words continued, attracting everyone's attention: "But this order was eventually blocked by Teng. He even went against the norm and took the risk to show up, just to prevent us subordinates from doing impulsive things."
"He wanted that prince alive, so he even sent me to negotiate with the Black Sand Master."
Ricky frowned and moved his fingers lightly on the table.
"From the almost crazy assassination of royal family members eighteen years ago, to now doing everything possible to ensure the survival of that prince," Zhuo Zi showed a mysterious expression: "The changes in attitude before and after Teng can only explain one thing."
He raised a finger and sounded serious:
"The existence of that prince must mean something."
Thales could feel his nails clenching the palm of his hand.
The mercenaries started to commotion in low voices.
Zhuozi ignored him and just stared at the highest-ranking Ricky: "If I take him down, I can find out Teng's secret, find out why he is so interested in the Bright Star royal family, and find out his bloody color."
In the past year, he has gone crazy to take over the big business and the truth behind it."
"What do you say? Do you want to discover this secret with us?"
The commotion of the mercenaries became louder and louder, and Thales could even hear Marina gritting her teeth behind her.
Northland swordsman Clay leaned forward and said something in the masked man's ear, but the masked man just shook his head slightly.
Until Ricky raised a hand expressionlessly to silence the whispers around him.
"Where's Teng?"
The leader of the mercenaries did not dwell on the so-called secret thrown out by the other party, but asked softly:
"How is he doing now?"
Returning to this topic, Dongzi's face seemed to be covered with a haze.
He and Ricky looked at each other quietly, but the latter's indifferent expression showed his attitude and focus.
The driller could only sigh slightly.
"Life or death is uncertain."
The three leaders of the Sword of Disaster frowned at the same time.
"But I can tell you that his situation is not good, very bad," Zhuozi clasped his hands and took over the conversation very quickly, "For six years since then, Teng has not shown up in the organization again, even
I rarely receive instructions from him anymore, even if I do..."
He said solemnly: "Including me, more than one person in the organization began to doubt the current situation of the shadow master."
After hearing what the driller said, Ricky took a deep breath.
"So," "Crasus" of the Sword of Disaster showed a strange expression: "The Shadow Shield is now a headless poisonous snake."
The masked swordsman added unhappily: "That makes them even more dangerous: you never know where the venom will splash."
Clay snorted softly, and the driller could only respond with an embarrassed smile.
"Then what are you doing here?"
Ricky shook his head: "Discover his secrets and inherit his unfinished mission?"
The boy's smile slowly disappeared.
"Needless to say, after Teng's disappearance, Shadow Shield is at a critical turning point."
Zhuozi coughed: "As I said, capturing that prince is the key to solving the mystery. It is a summary of Teng's actions in the past ten years."
The masked man snorted lightly.
"It sounds like you are very dissatisfied with your master?"
"dissatisfied?"
The driller's expression was subtle at first, and then he shook his head decisively.
"No, I am here to save the desperate Shadow Shield from desperate situations and difficulties."
"We can't continue like this. Shadow Shield needs to be invigorated, needs to be revived, needs new stimulation..."
The masked man interrupted him again.
"Or a new leader I guess you want to say?"
The man's words immediately choked in his mouth.
"It's been twenty years since Teng came to the Western Continent," the masked man said coldly, with a tone of knowing a lot: "Having been a 'Shadow Master' for twenty years, how do you think about Shadow Shield's leadership rotation?
In terms of a 'good tradition', his reign was indeed too long."
The man's face turned cold.
"You don't have to hint like that."
"I am disclosing these secrets to you all just to win your trust," said Zhuozi coldly, "to prove to you that Shadow Shield, at least the part I lead, is no longer Teng.
The old views of that period, and we should not bear the treatment and stigma of that period."
As soon as he said this, the masked man hummed and shook his head, while Clay chuckled.
It was Marina who unexpectedly took over the drill's words.
"It's ridiculous," the woman in red said in a hateful tone: "What kind of 'stigma' do you think we can give to a group of stinky rats in the gutter?"
Hearing this rebuttal, Dozi frowned and looked at Ricky, only to find that the other party was not at all displeased that the conversation had been interrupted.
He could only sigh and turn to Marina.
"I'm not just talking."
Facing Marina's hateful eyes, Dozi said with sadness: "There was a time when Shadow Shield was not a rat that everyone yelled at. Once upon a time, we also had noble and respectable ideas."
The mercenaries looked at each other.
I saw Zhuo Zi take a deep breath: "Thousands of years ago, the empire was finally restored, and the major powers were born. The powerful and high-ranking people set off countless wars, tyranny, slavery, oppression, and the helpless people of the world experienced a
Another famine, death, pain and suffering."
"So, after being forced to a dead end, such a group of people came into being: they were from humble backgrounds, with despicable names, and were alone. However, they stood up to take the sword. They used their small and big powers in the weak situation, risked their lives in the shadows to attack, and used the most primitive
The simplest but most powerless and clumsy way is to assassinate tyrants, resist tyranny, fight back against power, stand in the way of the rulers' injustice and the tyranny of the princes, and raise the voice of the suffering people."
"It's rare," Ricky said with a hint of approval in his eyes: "Compared with those killers who act blindly, at least you understand the past of your organization."
Thales' eyebrows moved: This was the first time he heard the Shadow Shield described from this angle.
The drill boy leaned forward, then let out a long sigh, his eyes wandering.
“Once upon a time, we were the last hope of the poor, the pioneers of the insurgents, and the unreturnable warriors of the resistance. Through unimaginable means and costs, we threatened, reminded, and warned those tyrants who held high positions but preyed on the common people.
"In the shadow cast by the rulers, there will always be such a restless presence, always turning into the sturdiest and most thorny shield, guarding the people who are trampled under their feet and look down upon like ants."
Ricky remained motionless, while Clay and the masked man responded with expressions: the former scorned, the latter snorted.
But Zhuozi's words were interrupted again.
"How can you be so shameless and describe a despicable thing in such a great way?"
"Last hope? Bah," Marina gritted her teeth and said, "You scum, do you know how many thousands of innocent people lost their lives because of you during the bloody years?"
The driller looked back at Marina with some surprise.
He said with a complicated expression: "I can't say you are wrong, girl."
The driller lowered his head and sighed:
"The fact is that over the past thousand years, the Shadow Shield, which fought to the death in despair, has fallen into the filthy state it is today through drifting with the crowd and having no choice but to compromise day after day."
He clenched his fists and bit out the words between his teeth as if he was angry:
“It’s only about profit, it’s like a fly working like a dog, it’s so muddled and disgusting.”
The air in the tavern was quiet for a moment.
"Wow, a noble, pure, shadow assassin who has escaped from vulgar taste," Clay shook his head and sarcastically said, "It's so rare."
The drill boy still clenched his fists, as if he didn't see the eyes of others, and didn't hear Clay's sarcasm or Marina's snort.
"Especially after Teng arrived, our situation has become worse and worse."
His face tightened and his breathing quickened:
"Eighteen years ago, he beguiled us, contacted all parties, and launched an action against the Bright Star royal family, starting with the assassination that shocked the world."
Thales's heartbeat was getting faster and faster: My tavern gave him too much information tonight.
The boss suddenly raised his head and gritted his teeth: "As a film owner, he has never leaked the list of employers for that business to us, but he tried his best to trick us into ignoring the risks behind it."
"Teng said it very beautifully: Shadow Shield has had enough of wandering around in the back alleys, accepting the stinky coppers of a few country villagers, finding rich or poor baron officials, and going to help those who were stolen and killed in the village.
It is a trivial matter for the livestock to seek justice. He also said that we have a big responsibility and will get to the root of it."
The drill boy looked around, his eyes burning with anger, as if he was trying to find some recognition.
"He told us: Through an unprecedented big business, the Star Kingdom will collapse from now on. This represents the beginning of a new era, a great era rooted in chaos and confusion. The whip will crack, the blood will be spilled, and the fields will be destroyed.
Burning, fear will sprout, a troubled world that allows us to shine, change from decline, and rise to the top, just like our rise thousands of years ago, the world that woke up from sleep will remember us again, and then need us again."
The son's words were so vivid that Thales could even imagine Teng's tone at that time.
but……
List of employers.
Thales noticed the word.
In the Year of Blood, who exactly wanted to see the destruction of the Bright Star Royal Family?
The driller let out a breath, his expression and tone darkened at the same time.
"It has to be said that he is very eloquent and has superb methods, and he also has the power of his new position... Some people are bewitched, and some people have to obey him for the sake of their lives."
Clay showed his disdain: "I guess you're going to say, you're one of those people who 'have to'?"
The drill boy shook his head.
"That's not important anymore. What's important is the consequences of this matter."
"Let's see what Teng and his crazy plan brought to us."
The driller spread his hands flat and looked downcast:
"Chaos? Of course, the war in the Year of Blood was a complete mess. It was not just civilians who suffered, but also assassins like us, and even mercenaries like you. If everyone is likely to die in the war, then what?
What do you want a killer to do? In the days of continuous war, if we can’t even find a flat and quiet piece of land to rest and repair, then how can we talk about bribery and assassination?”
"And that great chaos didn't last long, at least it didn't end until our golden age came."
The son's expression was struggling, as if he was going through hell:
"For eighteen years, Tengwei has made enemies on all sides: the Shadows are not only hidden in the stars, but have no place to stay. Even in the world outside the stars, they have to face the secret forces or their allies who are chasing after them and killing them all.
You can't imagine what we were like in the old days, everything was terrible."
The driller's eyes were cold: "That's a business with no winners."
Thales was shocked.
"After the catastrophe, the Kingdom of Stars was not completely defeated, and it did not usher in a golden age of assassins and shadows. On the contrary, they climbed up from the ruins. The new king's ruthless methods were even more ruthless than before, and the power of the throne was unprecedented. We once wholeheartedly
Hopes and opportunities to make a living: The endless grievances of the nobles and the melee between princes slowly disappeared under the iron fist of the new king, and were nowhere to be found. The chaotic future promised by the fall of the Star Kingdom not only did not come, but
It's ridiculous to say that we are drifting away, but sometimes our subordinates even wonder: Could it be that Teng who initiated that assassination was a spy for the Kingdom of Stars?"
The last narration was almost uttered by Dongzi in a poignant tone that made him cry and laugh at the same time.
It makes people frown.
Ricky exchanged glances with the others.
"You just asked me if I was 'dissatisfied' with Teng?"
Zhuozi shook his head violently, with jealousy flashing in his eyes: "No, the word you chose is too simple, and it is not enough to describe how we feel about Teng."
"In twenty years, Teng was brought by the Shadow Shield."
"It's a disaster."
The tavern became quiet again.
Only Thales was still immersed in his own thoughts.
Teng.
What kind of person is this?
"You said that six years ago, Teng took the risk to appear in Longxiao City, was ambushed, and was dying?"
Ricky's voice sounded, bringing Thales back to reality.
The driller nodded politely:
"yes?"
Ricky touched his chin and chuckled with clear eyes:
"It doesn't matter whether your words are credible or not."
"Be careful of someone like Ruteng. How did he get discovered in Longxiao City, which you have been running for a long time?"
The boy's face turned stiff.
"So, either you are talking nonsense, bitch, or..."
Ricky's smile turned cold.
"Now, the person we are dealing with is a man who is unwilling to be inferior to others and kills his master in anger..."
Ricky's eyes showed a deathly cold look:
"traitor."
The tavern returned to a suffocating and terrifying silence.
Everyone looked at the drill with strange eyes.
Damn it.
The driller wiped the sweat from his palms.
This so-called Crassus...
Ricky remained motionless, waiting for the drill's response.
A few full seconds passed.
The latter took a deep breath.
"In fact," finally, at this moment, the drill man no longer smiled, but his face was cold and his eyes showed a ruthless look:
"If you've never been loyal to someone or something..."
"How about betrayal?"
As soon as these words came out, both Clay and the masked man looked at the drill with even sharper eyes.
But unexpectedly, Ricky smiled.
"You must be afraid of him, right."
The leader of the Sword of Disaster said calmly: "Afraid of Teng."
The figure of the drill trembled.
"Whether you are subconsciously imitating his words and deeds, or you are deliberately showing resentment and dissatisfaction, you cannot cover up the fear you inadvertently reveal."
Ricky seemed to have grasped the opponent's weakness:
"To you, he is like an insurmountable mountain and an endless shadow, right?"
"The reason why you want to master his secret so much is because you can't wait to surpass him and surpass Teng."
The driller swallowed softly.
His lips trembled, but he made no sound, as if he was struggling.
It was as if all his previous eloquence had lost its color at this moment.
Finally, Ricky looked at him and shook his head.
"Come on," Ricky did not pursue the question, but leaned on the backrest and snapped his fingers:
"It's time to talk about our cooperation."
The drill boy was startled for a moment, as if he didn't expect that the other party would return to the topic he wanted so easily.
"So……"
Ricky clenched his hands with a cold look in his eyes:
"For possible cooperation, you might as well tell me something about that prince?"
Thales stiffened as he listened and tried his best to act natural.
"How did you find him?"
After a few seconds, the drill took a deep breath and smiled.
After a while, a man in simple clothes was led into the tavern.
The new guest was lightly dressed and dusty, and his face was still tired from traveling. However, even when faced with a room full of swordsmen with unkind expressions, he still maintained his demeanor and even pride, walking along with neither humility nor arrogance.
, and immediately found the person in the room who kept his word.
The driller smiled broadly: "Allow me to introduce you, this is Baron Russell Vader."
Following his words, the new guest bowed lightly.
Thales moved slightly, and he subconsciously felt that he had seen this man before.
but……
Ricky frowned slightly: "Baron?"
Clay looked suspicious and said softly: "Vida, I remember the noble surname of this northerner. It seems to be a small vassal with a fiefdom. It can't be any smaller."
The new guest raised his body, revealing a weathered but serious face.
"Remove the honorific title," Russell nodded: "My fiefdom has been taken back and my title has been deprived of me."
He said with a straight face: "Now, I'm just Russell Vader."
"You are being too modest." On the other side, the boss raised his hand and added cheerfully: "Currently, you are our most reliable source of intelligence and cooperation partner, including our retreat..."
Suspicion appeared on Ricky's face: Cooperation?
But Russell, the new arrival, had no intention of exchanging pleasantries and interrupted him directly.
"I've had enough of glib diplomacy," Russell shook his head and spoke bluntly:
"So I just got right to the point."
"A few days ago, we received a piece of news," he said with a solemn face and a low voice, making others listen unconsciously: "An informant secretly discovered traces of Thales Bright Star in the desert."
Thales's heart skipped a beat!
Even the fast rope stopped moving.
"The informant had already targeted the target, but because he was short of manpower and in the enemy's territory, he had to ask us for help and arrange for their subsequent evacuation."
Russell frowned and said: "The deadline for evacuation was last night. According to the plan, our informant will come to us with his prince prisoner."
Ricky listened to the other party's narration, the suspicion on his face never disappeared.
Thales stared straight at the ground, motionless.
"But it's early in the morning, and the informant hasn't responded."
Russell exhaled and said sternly: "For this reason, we have reason to believe that he failed."
"That's why I'm here today, breaking my routine, and urgently asking for help from both of you."
Russell looked at the smiling drill, and then at Ricky, who had a blank expression.
The new guest gritted his teeth and said: "Tiles Bright Star has most likely escaped our control and received official protection from the camp, and we must rush to recapture the target with a thunderous strike before the army comes back for reinforcements. Time is urgent, the sooner
The better.”
Ricky and his companions exchanged glances.
"Any clues?"
Russell nodded.
"Our informant, he is a mercenary," Russell looked around with a serious expression: "The name he uses in the desert is..."