The wheels of the carriage pressed through the wet soil, and the convoy of the Golden Skylark Troupe finally arrived at the gate of Lone Rock City.
Looking at the uneasy and frightened eyes of the pedestrians walking through the city gate, Barbara frowned and said to Randall: "I originally thought we would be given a grand welcome, but it seems that art is not welcome here.
"
"This has nothing to do with art." Randall looked at the sharpened spear point of the city gate guard, stroked his chin and said, "Something is wrong."
With questions in mind, the troupe's motorcade slowly drove into this city built on the rocks.
Lone Rock City, also known as Wangxia City during the Taylor period thousands of years ago. It is a city built on a high mountain and is also a natural barrier that isolates the northern and southern worlds. There is not a single smooth road in the city.
There are some rugged slopes and winding paths. Even so, the residents of the city have lived here for generations and have long been accustomed to life on the ridge. Few people intend to leave the city.
After sending the Golden Skylark Troupe to the upper square of Lone Rock City, Knight Captain Horn rode his horse to find the leader of the troupe and said to him: "Half of the mission assigned to me by the Knights has been completed. I have sent you safely.
Here. But since this is the territory of another country, I cannot lead the troops to protect you. Therefore, in the coming days, most of the troops will stay in the military camp at the foot of the mountain, and a small number of elites will stay to protect you. etc.
Just send someone to tell me when you want to set off and return."
After chatting for a few more words with the troupe leader, Horn came to Randall, first took out a coin-sized, umbrella-shaped silver badge from his arms, then put it into the latter's hand, and whispered: "
Before leaving, Lord Cumberland specifically told me that I will fully cooperate with you to complete the mission. If anything happens, wear this badge and you will know where to find me."
Randall nodded and put the badge in his arms. Just as he was about to speak, a rapid sound of horse hooves attracted his and Hossen's attention.
A dozen cavalrymen rode the unique mountain ponies of Lone Rock City, with paint tubes hanging on their chests and horns on their waists. They roared out from the gate of the inner city and rushed towards the gate of the outer city.
Randall and Horn exchanged glances, and the former whispered: "Something is really wrong..."
After bidding farewell to Knight Commander Horne, the members of the Golden Skylark Troupe found a hotel in Lone Rock City and rested for the night. The next morning, everyone started building the stage and setting up the scenery in the city square as usual.
, each preparing for tonight's performance.
As for Randall, he took a few friends with him, disguised himself as a member of the theater troupe, and walked through the streets, handing out flyers for the troupe's performances while learning about the religious situation within Lone Rock City.
To his surprise, the residents in the city talked about more things than war.
"I heard from others that the army of the Southern Empire is coming."
An honest-looking cobbler took the flyer handed over by Randall and said to him cautiously: "I heard that there are thousands of invaders."
The cobbler's wife, a fat woman with a small mouth and small eyes, knocked her husband on the head with the big wooden ladle in her hand and said angrily: "Every year, they say that the southerners are coming! But the result is! Every year
It’s been a lie for years!”
The cobbler touched the top of his head, swallowed his rebuttal, and shrank his head angrily.
The fat woman picked up the flyer, her eyes lit up, she pointed at the beautiful woman on the paper and said: "This is the legendary actress in Twilight City - Miss Barbara?!"
Randall nodded: "Today is the first performance of the Golden Skylark Troupe in Lone Rock City. As long as you go early enough, we will also arrange good seats for the first one hundred viewers and waive half of the tickets.
…”
The fat woman took the flyer and looked at it over and over, and said with joy: "My sister has been to Muxi City, and she has shown me everything there more than once when she came back. One of them is the Golden Skylark Troupe...
It’s better now…”
Randall glanced at the fat woman in front of him, then at the cobbler beside her, raised the brim of his hat, saluted, and started walking towards the next house.
At seven o'clock in the evening, fires and oil lamps were lit in the small square of Lone Rock City. Hundreds of citizens arrived at the venue early and sat in the auditorium made of wooden steps under the arrangements of the staff.
Barbara, who was busy adjusting her makeup in front of a palm-sized mirror, glanced at Randall at the door and said casually: "You really should take a look in the mirror. Your current expression doesn't look like a
The bodyguard seems to be a debtor."
Randall looked sideways at Barbara in the dressing room and whispered: "I went around the city this afternoon, and all I got was bad news."
"Invasion from the South?" Barbara made small wooden strips from mountain birch and lightly applied a little glitter on her eyebrows and feet: "I have heard about those things for a long time. Rumors of the invasion from the South spread in Lone Rock City every year.
But in fact, every time it turned out to be a rumor."
Randall sighed: "I hope this time I am overly concerned."
Barbara, who was dressed in a dress, listened to the voices on the stage, carefully put the mirror in her hand into the box, locked it, and walked to Randall with a smile: "I saw that among the guests tonight,
Many nobles from the city appeared. Maybe you don’t know, but even the young queen in the palace who loves fun came here in disguise. Through tonight’s performance, as long as we can successfully break into the upper-class social circle, we
The task can be completed quickly..."
Randall hugged Barbara and kissed the latter's forehead gently: "I hope so."
Barbara smiled and pushed Randall away: "Don't ruin my makeup."
The performance in the square was in full swing, and the applause and laughter of the audience floated into the distance with the mountain breeze.
On the mountain wall of Lone Rock City, there are two figures standing still with different expressions.
Lying on a crumbling old tree on the cliff, the werewolf Aldenan put his two paws under the back of his head. While looking at the starry sky above his head, he crossed his legs and said, "Have you seen enough?"
A dull voice came from under the tree: "Shut up."
Aldenan said in a helpless tone: "I feel pathetic for you. Of course, it is precisely because of your patheticness that I have become a tragic foil."
The orc Carol wore a large linen cloak and hid on the platform of the cliff, quietly looking at the ocean of joy below without saying a word.
"Some people say that to love someone is to fulfill everything they have." Aldenan bared his teeth and said with a smile: "If you ask me, this kind of statement is completely a loser's self-comfort. If you like something, you won't have it if you don't have it.
How do you know how the other person feels?"
Carol remained expressionless and said again: "Shut up."
Climbing up from the branch, the werewolf's light body turned over and fell to the ground silently.
He first walked to Carol, then looked at the troupe performing at the foot of the mountain, and finally said: "Originally, when we were at the border, we could just grab two people and go back to do business. But since you saw this convoy, we
I followed them for more than half a month!"
Aldenan approached Carol and said softly: "The time has come to make a decision. Either you take her away! Or we leave!"
Carol pushed away the werewolf beside him and growled: "I told you! Shut up!"
"coward!"
Aldenan jumped onto the treetop again and said in a disdainful tone: "Even if you have strength, your thinking is still in the environment of the weak, just like..."
The werewolf suddenly stopped speaking and stood up suddenly on the treetop. While looking into the distance outside the city, he whispered: "Hey, hey! Carol!"
Carol shook his body irritably and said to his head: "Leave me alone!"
Ardenan turned over and jumped off the branch, jumped in front of the orc, grabbed the other man's chin, and forced him to look up into the darkness outside the city.
"Open your eyes and look! What is that?!"
Hearing Aldenan's roar, Carol, who was originally angry, couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock when he looked at the scene in his sight.
In the mountains south of Lone Rock City, a fire snake composed of torches is quickly attacking towards the city gate at the foot of the mountain...