The owner of the "Golden Handle Tavern" leaned on the counter, supported his chubby face with his hands, and sighed repeatedly.
In front of the boss is a bunch of drunken coolies. Even though this pub is called "Golden Handle", it is actually a street pub in the outer city that specializes in providing drinks and cheap food to the coolies who come and go. Even the wandering orioles,
Even prostitutes don't like to work as tavern girls in this dirty and smelly place.
"Hey! Boss, be happy! Have another plate of pickled cucumbers, burp——"
A coolie with a putty-covered face, several teeth missing in his mouth, and a long wine burp made people worry whether he would vomit it out directly next moment.
The boss took it for granted and brought a plate of pickled cucumbers to the coolies. The sour and salty taste was most suitable for poor people like them at the bottom of the city.
A plate of pickled cucumbers was shared among seven or eight coolie workers. One of them said: "Boss, we have money to pay the bill today. Don't always think that we will default on the bill."
"Yes, we have been asked to work by the army master these days, and the salary is calculated every day. I guarantee that your wine money will be indispensable!"
The tavern owner wiped the counter with a rag and said with a sullen face: "You bunch of slackers have never had a stable and long-term job. You work for a day and pay for the day. When you earn enough, you lie down in front of my door and beg for a drink."
In the past, how many defaults were there on credit? If you have the ability, settle it for me!"
"Boss, you hide in the tavern all day long. Of course you don't know what's going on outside." A coolie said: "Now the army men also have to settle old scores. In the past, all the rich families related to the governor and chief adviser would have to settle old scores."
He was arrested and thrown into prison, and the ground was even dug up and searched."
Another coolie answered: "Hey, the army men don't want to do these dirty jobs, so they rush us to do them... But I heard that the backyards of rich people are protected by magic.
, some brothers who were digging were accidentally killed by the explosion."
"This is our fate. Of course we can work day by day as long as we can." The coolies didn't think there was any danger. They were all drunk and in a daze. Years of being in a hazy state had made them accustomed to this kind of life.
Most of these coolies have no families. One person has enough to eat and the whole family is not hungry. The places they live in are mostly crowded rental houses in rows, and some of them hang out in places like Can Can Street.
——Oh, today’s Canned Can Street is no longer a dirty and smelly poor place.
"By the way...does any of you know what happened in Can Can Street?" The tavern owner asked: "Didn't you say a few days ago that you were going to open a hospital there? Why is there no movement?"
"Boss, your information is too limited!" The coolie laughed: "Who is that... Doctor Olanso is regarded as a wanted criminal by the army master, and he is searching door to door. Even that sweet shop
Because the army boss suspected that he had entertained Dr. Olenso, the restaurant was completely smashed, and even the underground wine cellar was cleaned out!"
The tavern owner was a little surprised: "Isn't this just a house raid? Why do legionnaires do these things? Forget about rich people, the 'Sweet Bangcai Hotel' only entertains people who work similar to you."
The coolie said: "Now that there is no war, those legionnaires have to eat, right? Now they just make money by ransacking homes... Boss, have you been blackmailed too?"
The tavern owner sighed tiredly: "A group of legionnaires came here before. They said that my kitchen did not meet the specifications. They also took out the fire safety regulations from more than ten years ago, saying that it was to prevent explosions like those in Canned Street.
The incident happened again, and I searched it inside and out. As a result, I had to take out all the money I earned in the first half of the year, and even treated them to a feast to avoid this trouble."
"Boss, you are lucky." The coolie said: "Now that all the legionnaires have flocked to Huowu City, those tavern girls have suffered a lot. They did it for whoring and refused to pay, and it is said that they even killed them.
I’ve hooked several tavern girls, but I don’t know how hard they played?”
The tavern owner was having a headache. They, who were open to do business, hated the soldiers who behaved rudely. To put it bluntly, they were a bunch of bandits. However, they planned to stay in Huowu City for a long time, and the troubled days were still going to be long.
While everyone was talking, several coolies who smelled rancid and were covered in dirt walked into the "Golden Handle Tavern". The owner of the tavern couldn't help but frowned and said: "Guys, what do you want to eat? In the room
There are no seats left, I’ll send you to the bench outside, okay?”
The coolie workers grunted a few times, sat down directly on the high chairs in front of the counter, and smashed out two silver coins engraved with fish patterns.
The tavern owner's eyes lit up, as if he had taken some magic potion, and he became excited. He raised his hand to accept two silver coins, and then served these dirty and smelly coolies with turbid bad wine and pickled wine.
vegetable.
"Hey! Where do these brothers make money? They are too generous." Immediately, someone came closer and asked.
These coolies usually only earn a few copper coins, and rarely have the opportunity to touch silver coins. If it is not a life-threatening drudgery, no one will ever hire a coolie so generously.
"The Great Cemetery." A coolie drank heavily to quench his thirst. He spoke slurred words and spitted: "I don't know what happened to the Great Cemetery. It felt like someone had turned it over, and there were terrifyingly large footprints.
"
The tavern owner wiped his wine glass and asked: "Aren't the church body collectors responsible for taking care of the cemeteries? What do you need to do?"
"All those body collectors are dead, not a single one is left." The coolie patted the dirt on his body casually and said: "The army master wants us to transport all the corpses in the city to the cemetery for burial. If you are willing to do it,
We are also short of manpower now."
As a result, other coolie workers shook their heads. They would rather dig sand and shovel soil than move corpses.
The tavern owner also shook his head secretly. He didn't expect that as soon as the Imperial Legion came to Huowu City, it would turn the place into a mess. Even the usually unknown corpse collector was dead. Who was offended by this?
Thinking of this, the tavern owner killed a maggot that climbed up on the counter.
…
A golden-feathered crow landed on Xuan Weizi's arm, and placed a cloth bag in his palm. After briefly looking at the list Tius left, he carefully put it away, then twisted the magic peas in the bag and looked at it carefully.
This kind of magic pea is made by the Green Ring based on the ancient druid magic. They can be planted in almost all terrains and can automatically absorb nutrients and grow into magic vines.
In the past, all kinds of sacred places in the Green Ring were protected by magic vines, which could not only block ignorant mortals, but also launch trigger attacks against those with malicious intentions. Moreover, during the growth and development process, the magic vines could also pass through different
The cultivation method allows the magic vine to produce various special changes, which are not limited to attack effects such as entangling, grappling, tripping and whipping.
The poisonous sting of thorns and blood-sucking are all light. It can also make the magic vine grow huge piranha flowers, spray acid and poisonous mist, and even swallow the enemy in one bite. If you put more effort into cultivating it, it will not be a problem.
, the magic vine itself even has the effect of "Diamond Wood", which is as strong as steel and is not afraid of flames.
Moreover, the magic vine itself can be integrated into the natural environment. As long as the ambush remains immobile, the magic aura will behave in the same way as the surrounding jungle, making it an excellent weapon against intruders.
Even magic vines were a unique food source for ancient druids. Compared to the Green Ring Druids, they were more wild and did not interact with people in the civilized world. They relied on the various fruits produced by magic vines to satisfy their hunger. The book of magic vines
Not only can the body bear the "magic berry technique", legend has it that it can also bear magical golden apples, which can enhance one's intelligence and physical fitness after eating them.
Of course, today's Emerald Ring can no longer restore this kind of magic vine. The magic peas Xuan Weizi begged from Tar Valon will be the means he will use to cause destruction in Fire Dance City in the future.
From magic peas to magic vines, different results are obtained due to different cultivation methods. This characteristic of corresponding changes due to the external environment is exactly what Xuan Weizi values.
In fact, plants themselves have the characteristics of adapting to changes in growth and development caused by the environment. For example, the same seeds will grow into trees with different shapes, such as facing the sun and facing the sun, the soil is fertile and the soil is thin, the water is high and the water is dry, etc.
Druid's magic peas are equivalent to greatly strengthening this characteristic. Plants have no consciousness, but they can accept the environment and change better than ordinary human consciousness. This is the "true response" in Taoism.
.
Plants and trees are ignorant, but they contain the nature of Taoism. Plants and trees know the cycle of the four seasons and the change of day and night. Their ability to respond to things is purer and more intrinsic than ordinary people who are aware of it. It coincides with the natural reincarnation of heaven and earth. And many ordinary people know that some things are
Doing something that is not good for your physical and mental health but insisting on doing it repeatedly is a foolish act from a far-off road.
As for whether the vegetation in this world coincides with the way of reincarnation, Xuan Weizi is not necessarily sure, but he does have the idea of conducting an experiment in Huowu City, but this experiment may be on a relatively large scale.
He checked the magic peas one by one. Every time he twisted one, a mouse shaped by the astral body jumped out of Xuan Weizi's sleeves. Then he took the magic peas away and ran towards the depths of the sewer.
Nelum noticed this scene and asked: "Doctor Olenso, are you making preparations?"
Xuan Weizi nodded and replied: "Fusman's people have been searching the ground extensively to find us two. Once they have found it, they will realize that we are hiding in the sewer, so they should prepare as soon as possible... By the way
, didn’t you say you have three safe houses? Can you tell me the specific locations?”
Nelum reported three locations, and when he saw the rats running away, he realized: "Are you going to let these rats dig holes?"
"Almost." Xuan Weizi actually planned to use the magic pea to grow into a magic vine, break through the soil, and directly reach the underground of the safe house, and said: "As long as you go to the underground of the safe house, you should be able to enter, right?
"
"No problem!" Nelem was very confident about this and asked: "Then the doctor has contacted my children?"
Xuan Weizi said: "I used the bird scouts to pass on the news. As for what they do, I can't force them to restrain them."
Nelem snorted coldly: "Didn't you say that Fusman also sent people? They are waiting for both parties to bid! These guys don't take me as a father seriously at all!"
"Your Excellency, there is no need to be angry. Take this time to think carefully about what you can use to keep them loyal."
Will Mann really agree? Or is it just an expedient measure of last resort?"
Nelum asked: "Doctor, are you saying that Fursman will attack my children sooner or later?"
"Isn't it true? If he can kill you, why would he let your children go?" Xuan Weizi said with an ordinary look.
Nelem looked uneasy: "I...I still have some young children who stay with their mother in Huowu City. They..."
Xuan Weizi said seriously: "If you want to retake Huowu City, be prepared to give up."
"This, this..." Nelem was worried.
Xuan Weizi's expression changed, half as a comfort, half as a joke: "And you are in good health. As long as you can survive this test, you can have more children in the future."
Xuanweizi has no interest in Nelum's children. Most of his children have not inherited Nelum's own talent in arcane arts. The best one is only a mid-level mage, and most of the others are mediocre.
This may be a rule that mages cannot change. None of their spell-casting abilities, genius wisdom, and full of spells and gestures can be passed on to future generations. This is the same even for ninth-level mages who have undergone preliminary changes in their physical vitality.
"Doctor, the medicine is ready." Wolf's voice came from behind.
Xuan Weizi responded, went to the small stove and opened the lid of the medicine jar. Inside was a thick blue-purple liquid that was still bubbling, but almost no heat was rising.
"Yes, it's a perfect alchemical potion." Nelum took a look into the pot and asked, "Doctor, what kind of potion are you refining?"
"A potion that can gather negative energy. It's not for drinking. It's a material to assist me in casting spells." Xuan Weizi said.
Nelum was a little surprised. He looked at the curtain next to him and said, "Doctor Olenso, have you learned necromancy?"
"How can it be so simple? I just figured out the general basis of necromancy, especially the collection and construction of negative energy." Xuan Weizi stirred the potion with his sword finger in the air and said: "The spell I cast may be related to
Necromancy is similar, but it shouldn’t be considered an arcane system.”
In fact, Xuan Weizi cannot directly equate Taoism with the spellcasting system of this world. The internal refining of the Dandao, the ability to understand one's mind and nature, is similar to psychic powers; the practice of thunder magic, the ability to summon wind and rain, is quite similar to Druid magic. However,
To put it into detail, there are many skills in Alchemy to adjust the essence and exercise the internal organs, which can be combined with martial arts; in Thunder Method, there are also steps, movements, spells, calculations and arcane techniques.
Compatible.
Not to mention the Five Directions Rampant Weapons method, which has been clearly used to absorb the old energy of the dead souls. In this world, it is the category of necromancy. However, if Xuan Weizi wants to directly sense the old energy of the dead souls, he may not be able to do so in a short time.
There are too many rampant soldiers that cannot be captured, so negative energy must be used as a medium to open an altar and practice the law.
Xuan Weizi found it strange to practice the method in a dark and dirty sewer.