More than ten days passed again.
Rumors about the beastman city-state deep in the wilderness have been spreading further and further, and they're getting more and more divine. Some people say they've seen beastmen dressed more magnificently than the royal guards, and even had conversations with them. There are also merchants returning from the west who claim that western nations have already sent people to trade with that beastman city-state.
No matter what the rumors say, the situation in reality is gradually getting better and the robbery cases of the Big Ear Monsters have disappeared. One reason is that Brakada's destruction of a Big Ear Monster camp had a great deterrent effect, and another reason is that it was said that the southern army would develop soon.
This is not good news for the thieves in the city. During this period, they took advantage of the chaos caused by the Big Ear Monster's robbery to gain a lot of benefits. However, as the good days are about to disappear, some people have already started leaving here.
But there is still a gang of thieves who remain here, preparing to make a big fortune. This group consists of wanted criminals with blood on their hands and fugitives with nowhere to go, the elite among bandits, the worst of the worst.
The group is now holding a meeting in the largest hotel room in the city. The content of the meeting is about going to the beastman's city-state to collect stolen goods, and also to accept a new partner who has just joined them.
At this extraordinary time, it's really inappropriate for new people to join, and many members have expressed their opposition. A few days ago, two members were caught by the city guard and thrown into prison, but they came back in just a few days, bringing a young man with them. It turned out that this young man was a fellow prisoner in the same cell, who used his exceptional skills to overpower the guards, escape from prison, and release all the prisoners. He then told the two members that he wanted to go to the legendary Beastman City to sell stolen goods, and asked if they wanted to partner with him. The two people saw that he was a kindred spirit, and admired his exceptional skills, so they introduced him into this group of thieves.
The host of the meeting was an old thief named Foduoleng, who was also the leader of this group of thieves. He was a man in his fifties, nearly sixty years old, and every wrinkle on his face not only did not show any signs of aging but instead had a kind of old cunning and vitality, and the scattered age spots were a testament to his experience.
No matter what profession, to do the best must be with a brain. When the old thief knew about the beastman city-state and saw the big ear monsters starting to loot, he immediately made up his mind to make a fortune from selling these stolen goods. So he contacted the big ear monsters and then gathered a group of people who were also living by their wits to do this big business together.
Asa blended in with the group of thieves, although there were still many people who were dissatisfied with him, he had already become a member of this gang. Things went much smoother than expected, and in just a few more days, he would be able to reach the beastman's city-state, not only retrieving that book but also getting a firsthand look at the specific situation of that city-state.
"Now, let's hear your opinions." The old thief finished his plan and looked around at his fellow accomplices. Setting aside his profession, this was a very worldly old man who, even if he really did know the most and had planned everything out, didn't forget to formally ask for everyone's opinions.
"No objections." "Let's do it as you said." "The money we brought can be used, right?" Although there were still a few people who had some doubts, most of them agreed with the old thief's plan.
The old thief finally made a decision: "That's it, we'll set out three days from now at dawn. Everyone must remember that if this news falls into the ears of those in power, it will be treason and there will definitely be troops coming to capture us. So I remind everyone again, absolutely no information can be leaked." He glanced around at the people nearby, especially looking at Asa. He didn't quite trust this newcomer; if not for the two members who had directly brought him over, he would never have allowed this person to join. This was a very dangerous plan and he didn't want any mistakes; just a few days ago he had killed a fellow accomplice who had some private connections with the city guard officer.
Knock, knock, knock, three rhythmic knocks on the door. Everyone in the house suddenly stood up and drew their weapons, and the room fell silent, leaving only the sound of tense breathing.
It was three knocks, rhythmic and neither light nor heavy, as if seeking the master's consent. This was not the kind of courtesy a hotel porter would have, and Asa suddenly felt a strange sensation, as if he had heard this very polite knock somewhere before.
"Who's there." The old thief's voice was drawn out, weak and lifeless, as if he were lying in bed waiting for his last breath. At the same time, with a quick movement, he drew out a dagger from his waist. It was a thin and slender dagger, which in the old thief's hand flipped over with ease and was held upside down, seemingly able to cut a person's throat as smoothly and quickly as cutting lard.
"Someone's there. Open the door." It was a crisp, pear-like female voice. The old thief turned around and looked at Asa for a moment. This was the room Asa had booked in the inn.
This voice seems to have been heard somewhere before, but I just can't remember where. Asa shook his head.
The old thief made a gesture of pulling in and closing the door to the thief by the door.
The thief suddenly opened the door and reached out to grab something. But what happened next was not him pulling someone in, but rather being pulled out himself, and it seemed like he was even thrown down the stairs, followed by a loud thud and a pained cry.
Almost everyone rushed towards the door. But a slender sword poked out from the doorway, and a few feints immediately stopped the people in front.
"What are you doing? I'm here looking for someone." The newcomer repeated his intention and actually walked in himself. It was just one person after all.
This is a relatively slender and small person, holding a similarly slender and small sword in his hand, which is both thin and long. However, no one dares to underestimate this dangerous weapon, as the strange blade indicates that the wounds it inflicts on the flesh are impossible to suture.
A Sa had seen such a sword before, he immediately looked at the face of the person holding the sword and couldn't help but ask in surprise: "How is it you? What are you doing here?"
"Of course, I'm looking for you." The newcomer's eyes narrowed into a thin, hazy slit, revealing a smile. This smile had almost cost him his life in the Lizard Swamp, and now this situation wasn't much better either.
The effect of the World Tree's leaf seems to be surprisingly good, she is now completely different from how she looked when lying in bed a few months ago. She has regained her energetic spirit from the Lizard Swamp, even her outfit is almost identical to what it was back then, an adventurer's attire, with a cloak draped over her and a large backpack on her back.
"Oh, so it's a friend of Asa's friend. Please come in, miss." The old thief turned his head to glance at Asa, made a gesture of invitation and stepped aside, revealing a surprisingly aristocratic demeanor. However, as Xiao Yi walked up to Asa's side, he seemed to casually turn around and position himself beside the door, his hands behind his back, the knife no longer in sight but undoubtedly still clutched in his hand.
A Sa felt her head was going to explode, she glanced at Xiao Yi and saw that she actually smiled and said: "The air in this room is so stuffy, why don't you guys open the window with so many people?"
"It's going to open, or else the smell of blood would have suffocated people to death." The old thief guarding the door chuckled, and the age spots on his face also trembled. The thieves voluntarily changed their seats, surrounding Asa in the middle, with many still holding their weapons. Those two members who recommended Asa's entry also fell silent.
"Listen, kid, I don't have any complaints about you, I absolutely trust you." The old thief's voice was sincere. "But now everyone is walking on thin ice, you've got to give us an explanation. What kind of person are you, and how did you end up with such a refined noble lady as a friend?"
The dim light in the room cast a gloomy shadow on everyone's face, with hostility and vigilance lurking beneath. The eyes of these people were not to be underestimated, and at a glance, they could see that Xiao Yi's demeanor and temperament were not those of someone from their own circle. The aristocratic upbringing was evident, so how could such an aristocratic woman come looking for a thief from another land? They had to investigate the reason behind this, and any hint of discordant danger would trigger their already somewhat oversensitive alertness.
Of course, Ah Sa has the confidence to retreat completely, but this way, the hard work of this month will be wasted, and that book will not know when it can be taken back. If time is long, if others are allowed to take over and walk away with those stolen goods, it will be troublesome.
"You said you killed someone outside and ran here, we didn't ask any questions. Now please tell us about your story, where are you from, what did you do? The friends here are all from different places, they should know a bit about the truth of what you're saying." The old thief wanted Asa to reveal his true identity, he was now certain that Asa was a spy who had infiltrated their group, probably a subordinate of some noble.
Asa shook his head and said: "I'm afraid you'll take my head to claim a reward."
"Don't worry, at most it's just killing a few people. Everyone here has killed before." The old thief smiled, revealing his sharp canine teeth.
Asad said: "More than two months ago, I killed the Qing Dynasty's imperial envoy and local officials in Aili."
The trick to lying is to tell 90% of the truth, and the remaining 10% must be shocking enough to stun people into submission. This was what Mr. Porukan told him when he was preparing to infiltrate the gang.
All the thieves were in an uproar, and this matter had long been shocking the whole country. The investigation team dispatched by the capital had almost turned over the entire Eli City, only to hear that they were wanted for a young man. This was one of the few major cases in the capital in recent years, and the reward for the fugitive had already exceeded 100 gold coins. This sky-high price made the fugitive a legend among thieves. They really couldn't think that the person in front of them was such a big shot.
"Really? But I heard that at the time, more than a dozen cavalrymen also went missing. You didn't do it all by yourself, did you?" The old thief's eyes blinked suddenly, clearly disbelieving.
Two thieves suddenly reached out from behind and grabbed Asa and Xiao Yi's necks, with the other hand already drawing a dagger.
Asa's head didn't even turn around, and he directly hit the thief's heart with his back. The thief didn't make a sound before falling to the ground. Originally, Asa was going to use his other hand to deal with another thief, but he saw Xiaoyi grasping the thief's wrist, and with a very skilled reverse twist, she threw him to the ground. This was the first time Asa had seen her take action, and it was surprisingly quick and clean, quite impressive.
All the thieves are showing their ferocity, the atmosphere has reached a critical point, and it will be irretrievable once triggered.
Asa pulled something out of his bosom and threw it at the old thief. This was what Rodhart had returned to him.
The old thief took it over and examined it carefully against the light, this was a seal carved out of a whole piece of agate, with official rank and imperial bestowed flower patterns clearly engraved on it.
This is indeed an imperial seal bestowed upon a trusted minister, with royal craftsmanship that ordinary artisans cannot imitate. The old thief has great confidence in his own vision. Nor would anyone be willing to use a piece of agate to forge such a thing.
Moreover, he had also heard that the young man who was wanted was indeed the only clue to this shocking case because he took the imperial envoy's seal back and cheated some money.
"This is......" The old thief coughed, and the wrinkles on his face all twisted and curved. Seeing his expression, the other thieves understood a bit, and their vigilant eyes all turned into reverence and astonishment.
"Not just over ten cavalrymen, but over fifty. I killed them all." Asa said calmly, with an air of grandeur that came naturally to a great thief like him. "If you'd like, we could put on a show together. But I don't think it's necessary. I'm just here to find some companions and make some money." Asa's gaze swept across the room, taking in all the thieves. Dealing with these people who lived by their wits had its advantages - like animals sensing each other's strength through scent, as soon as a killer aura emerged, the sharp glint in their eyes would intersect, and they'd immediately know each other's weight class. The wild beast-like aura he'd cultivated from a young age, honed through countless near-death experiences, was enough to make ordinary criminals tremble with fear.
Xiao Yi surprisingly also cooperated with the atmosphere and drew out her sword, swinging it a few times. Although she didn't have much momentum, her posture was still there.
The old thief nodded, he could also see the weight of the young man in front of him, and returned the seal to Asa, looking at Xiao Yi asked: "Then she is......"
"This is the daughter of a duke, my lover." Asa introduced. "Please forgive me for not being able to mention her father's title, she eloped with me behind the back of the whole family."
All the thieves were in an uproar, but such an absurd thing happened to such a formidable character, and it could only be said that the capable ones were more capable, and it was not enough to raise any further suspicions.
It wasn't until dusk that they finally got rid of the thieves, and only Asa and Xiao Yi were left in the room. After confirming that no one was eavesdropping, Asa let out a sigh of relief and asked Xiao Yi: "Do you know how close you came to getting me into trouble?"
"I don't know, but I think you'd have a great future if you went into acting or cheating girls. Great lover." Xiang Yi said with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.
A Sa's face turned a bit red, and he coughed, saying: "No way, only by saying it that way will they easily believe. It was the local official here who taught me. By the way, has your body recovered?"
"I really want to thank you for finding such good medicine, you saved me again." She walked in front of Asa and looked at Asa's face very carefully, saying: "Thank you so much." This was the first time Asa saw her in a normal environment with a normal state of mind. At such a close distance, those misty eyes seemed to emit a special flavor, making Asa feel a strange sensation.
"Is it really you who did that thing with Ai Li's imperial envoy?" Xiao Yi had also seen the seal just now.
"No, I just fooled them."
"Then where did you get that seal from?"
"Ah... I picked it up." Asa hastily changed the subject and asked: "What brings you here?"
"I originally came to rescue my sister, but on the way, I met my sister and your friend. I heard that you were still in this place. I came to the city hall to find you, and the local official said that you were with a group of thieves. He told me that you were staying at this inn, so I came here, but I didn't expect to encounter such a scene. Actually, I originally wanted to ask you to go with me to Lizard Swamp to retrieve my backpack."
Aza frowned, unable to understand why Lord Poluk would tell her such things so bluntly. "Backpack? It was lost half a year ago and must have rotted away from the sun and rain by now. And who still remembers its exact location?"
"Really? En... Then let's go to that Beastman's city together and have some fun. Anyway, you've already introduced me to those thieves, found your lover, no reason to leave now." Xiao Yi surprisingly smiled generously.
It's probably still okay to have someone accompany you, and she's also skilled with her hands, and... anyway, it feels pretty good. "So where do you live?" Asa didn't know why he suddenly asked this question.
"You've said all that, what can you do if you don't live here?"
"Oh..." Ah Sa hastily said: "Then I'll go take a bath first." Hesitated for a moment, and asked: "Are you going to take one too?"
Xiao Yi looked at him, and those originally very charming narrow eyes were still as charming even when they widened. She drew out her sword and quickly danced a few sword flowers in front of Asa, then used the tip of her sword to point at his face, saying one word with each point: "Please don't think too much, you sleep on the ground."
