The next day at noon, all the thieves came to the central square. Some of them looked around nervously, while others held weapons in their hands, looking like they were ready to fight to the death at any moment.

  They were not so tense before, but this morning there was news that the imperial army had been deployed in Brakada and might attack here at any time. This news made the thieves very confused. Originally they wanted to get the loot as soon as possible and leave, but now they are stuck.

  In front of the square, several large piles of goods were placed like mountains. Three middle-aged men stood among the goods, one of whom was the executioner from yesterday. Next to them were a few ghouls. The three officials, dressed as middle-aged men, were holding paper and pen, recording. From their occasional glances, they would quickly take in the details of the goods and then swiftly write them down with a practiced air, indicating that this was the result of long years of accumulated skill. The goods next to them were all valuable items, including spices, silk fabrics, and handicrafts. A discerning thief could see at a glance that these were the stolen goods they had been coveting for so long. Immediately, someone became excited and began whispering and nodding in conversation.

  A middle-aged man saw that all the thieves had arrived and came out saying: "Everyone has arrived, right?"

  No one dared to make a sound. This was a very polite way of putting it, but for some thieves who were now overly sensitive, it seemed too polite and had an air of danger, as if the cat was playing with the mouse. Even the most cunning and slippery Buddha didn't say a word and hid inside, because after yesterday's conflict, none of the thieves trusted him much anymore, so he naturally didn't need to come out and take the lead.

  "Well, everyone is here." Seeing no one speaking up, Asa spoke up to respond. He actually didn't want to take the lead, but even more so, he didn't want nobody to make a sound and just waste time here.

  The middle-aged man nodded and said: "Good, I suppose all of you here are from the Einfast Empire?"

  This time, no one dared to make a sound. The Empire had been slaughtering the beastmen for over a decade, and long before they arrived here, Old Thief Foduoren had repeatedly warned everyone not to reveal that they were from the Empire, lest they provoke the beastmen's anger and be torn apart alive. Now, with the Empire's army lurking nearby, they were even more likely to be mistaken for spies.

  "Yes, that's right. We are." Asa surprisingly admitted bluntly, almost all the thieves were startled by his answer, even Xiao Yi poked him. But he felt that since others asked like this, they probably already knew, there was no need to continue hiding. He always liked to deal with things very directly.

  Fortunately, the few cannibals on that side did not rush over and start killing because they heard their identities. The middle-aged man continued to speak calmly: "We also roughly understand why you came here. Someone below reported to us that you want to buy the loot stolen by the big-eared monsters, which means you are all black market businessmen who want to come and sell the loot. And the person who was executed yesterday is also your companion, right?"

  "Yes." Asa had now become the spokesperson for this group of thieves. The others were already tense, those standing on that side with huge axes hanging from their waists, the massive size indicating a massive weight that could crush people to death even if it didn't cut them down. Many were already imagining their own miserable deaths under such terrifying weapons after making some careless move.

  "I'm afraid I have to tell you that it can't be as you wish. The Big Ear monsters robbed these goods without our knowledge beforehand, but since they want to join our city, they must follow our laws. We bear no hostility towards any country and welcome all legitimate merchants, so we will return all the stolen goods to the merchant caravan that was robbed, and naturally, we can't give them to you. As for your friend who came uninvited, we're also sorry, but whoever he is, if he has violated our city-state's laws, we have no choice but to act according to our laws. I hope everyone remembers that the punishment for violating the law in our city is very severe, so be careful."

  "The law." This word, which thieves had always despised, now felt unusually weighty. Most of the thieves secretly vowed that if they could get through this difficult time, they would become the most law-abiding citizens in the city, and would even memorize every word on the stone tablets, constantly reviewing them to avoid inadvertently offending anyone.

  But the middle-aged man's words suddenly turned to an unexpected aspect. "No matter what you want to do, since you haven't violated our laws, you are our guests. In order not to disappoint the first batch of Enfast customers, we decided to allocate a small portion from these goods to give to you."

  This bread that fell from the sky stunned the thieves. Just now they were trembling with fear of being put to death, and suddenly they were treated as guests, and the long-awaited goods were in their hands, this sudden change left them dizzy and bewildered, for a moment they had no reaction at all.

  The middle-aged man continued: "The goods being cleared here are all the ones we are preparing to return to those businessmen, and your gifts have been put in the Municipal Hall. Please select a few people to check and receive them, and then you can take them away."

  "But isn't the Empire already dispatching troops to prepare for war? Even if we get the goods, how are we going to get back?"

  The middle-aged man smiled and said in a gentle tone, "We have no hostility towards any country here, nor do we intend to fight with any enemy. Your country's actions must be just a temporary overreaction, and we will soon send an envoy to contact your country. I believe our return of your goods is enough to express our sincere desire for peace, and I also believe that your country does not like to engage in unnecessary conflict. We are very confident that we can fully reconcile with your country in a short period of time. This small gift we are sending you is also a token of our goodwill towards the business people of your country. We hope that after you return, you can convey our situation to your friends and introduce it to everyone."

  The thieves slowly adapted to this surprise and immediately became excited.

  "What a formidable means." In the midst of the thieves' clamor, Little Yi, who had been silent until now, whispered in Asa's ear, making his ears itch. "Granting favors under intimidation. These thieves, having benefited, will return and exaggerate the orderliness and human-friendliness of this place, and these rumors spreading from their mouths are more convincing than official announcements to some extent. Moreover, if they return these goods to the imperial merchants, even if a little is missing, it's still an unexpected great joy for those merchants, and they will also lift their guard against this beastman city-state. The empire's hostility towards this place will greatly decrease. As a result, people will believe that this is an orderly and human-friendly place, even if they know there are many beastmen here. Originally located between trade routes, countless merchants will flock here, and the benefits it gains over time cannot be compared to the value of these goods."

  Asa nodded. However, he only cared about that book mixed in the goods, if it was really like that, then all things would be easy to solve.

  After discussion, it was naturally the speaker Asa who had been fearless just now and took charge of the representative. He led a few people to the City Government Office to check the goods. This is also what Asa himself hoped for, and it's necessary to take a look first to see if the book will be mixed in with this small portion of goods.

  They followed a middle-aged man to the City Hall. The City Hall was undoubtedly the most magnificent building in the city. Although it was still built with giant stones, its scale was more than ten times that of ordinary buildings here, which were already quite large, and it looked like a castle that was shorter and had no floors. The central hall was big enough for people to ride horses inside, and the huge stone pillars needed several people to hug together, while the surrounding areas were separated into many rooms by stone boards.

  A considerable number of half-orcs and humans were busily coming and going, holding papers in their hands and talking to each other, completely ignoring the few outsiders, presenting a bustling scene like that of a marketplace.

  The goods are in the corner of the hall. An old man and a young man are standing next to this pile of goods. The middle-aged man introduces the old man as Sedelos, the lord of Eufu City. It was he who decided to send these goods to the thieves. The young man beside him is General Gulu, who commands all the troops of Eufu.

  The old man's waist and back were straight as a pen, with a thick head of silver-white hair and whiskers that would have looked great if they had been grown out, but were instead cut short in a casual, neat manner. The casually styled silver hair and whiskers shone brightly in the sunlight streaming through the window, making even the wrinkles on his face look unusually vibrant, as if they were just decorations indicating age and wisdom. The eyes in those wrinkles were clearly those of a young person, with clear black and white pupils shining brightly and full of vitality. This was an old man who didn't have any air of "oldness" about him. He wore ordinary clothes, and would not have stood out if he had been mixed in with the crowd, making it hard to associate him with the powerful and majestic position of "castle lord", especially in this strange city filled with beastmen.

  General Gulu was about thirty years old, and his appearance didn't quite match his position. His face was somewhat pale and gaunt, with a slightly too-defined outline that gave him an air of calmness, like a sculpture. Under his long eyelashes were a pair of jet-black eyes that seemed to absorb even the light around them, giving off an otherworldly aura. When Asa first saw him, he suddenly felt a strange sense of familiarity, but upon closer inspection, he couldn't quite place it.

  Asa couldn't help but steal a few more glances at him, and the more she looked, the more drawn to him she became. The exposed bones, muscles, and skin had an incredible luster that was simply flawless - even the most skilled sculptor would be hard-pressed to capture that perfect blend of lines and texture. At first glance, it was hard to believe that it was actually flesh and blood, as if only the finest essence could be compressed into such a form.

  If this body is full of the essence of battle, then this person must be a person who lives for battle. Asa suddenly had this feeling.

  General Ge Ru suddenly turned his head, and those dark eyes met Asa's gaze as if they had flashed. Asa subconsciously turned his head away.

  The goods left for them were not many, but also not a few, accounting for about one-tenth of the total goods. They were all taken out from each batch of goods and gathered together. Although they are insignificant compared to the total number of goods, they are worth hundreds of gold coins when calculated.

  Several thieves stepped forward to collect and sort the goods. These things could be sold for a good price, and each person could get around ten gold coins, which made the thieves extremely excited. Flattery and praise poured out of their mouths, praising the strict system and high living standards of Oufu City from top to bottom. They said that Lone Eye Dragon was a scourge who deserved to be hanged for his evil deeds, and that it was a great deed to get rid of him. The food specially prepared by the inn was incredibly delicious, and all of this was naturally attributed to the wise management of the city lord.

  "If you think it's still okay here, I hope you'll tell your friends in the Empire about our situation honestly after you leave." Sedros City Lord smiled and looked at the thieves pouncing on the goods, revealing a benevolent expression like a kind master looking at a group of cats and dogs excitedly fighting over a pile of bones. "As for news of the war, you don't have to worry too much, I can almost be certain that this war won't happen." His casual tone seemed to be full of confidence.

  "No problem, you are the most talented leader I have ever seen." "If there is a chance in the future, I will definitely come to live in your city too." The thieves' gratitude was beyond words.

  "Ah, what's this thing?" A thief suddenly cleaned out a package from the goods, opened it and found that it was all cosmetics, trinkets and accessories for girls, as well as a book.

  Judging from the color, it can be seen that this is a very old book, but it's not particularly worn out. It's soft and made of some kind of leather material. The several large characters on the cover are square and strange, and they're not commonly used words.

  "That should be the merchant's personal belongings, the big-eared monsters robbed and brought them together. We have to return it to the merchant's hands." The middle-aged man walked over and picked up the book and package.

  Asa turned around, not letting anyone see his slightly excited expression. Although he had been trying to calm down, the ultimate goal of this entire journey was right in front of him, causing him to breathe heavily.

  It's almost certain that the book is now in hand. Just wait for them to return the goods, go find Chris in the merchant group and show the bishop's appointment letter, and it can be easily obtained, then return to Sandru and report to Bishop Ronis, and everything will be completely settled.

  He had always disliked having to do something that he couldn't avoid, and living freely was his preferred way of life. When Bishop Ronis gave him this task, although he felt a sense of duty, he also didn't feel very comfortable. But this complex and arduous task was unexpectedly completed so smoothly, as if the burden on his back had suddenly disappeared, leaving him feeling extremely relieved and happy.

  "Wait a minute." Cedros, the city lord, beckoned to the middle-aged man, instantly cutting off Asa's pleasant feeling. "Let me take a look at that book."

  The lord of Sedros took the book in his hand, only glanced at the cover and the first few pages, and his face began to change. Undoubtedly, he understood what this thing was. Of course, the one who changed color more severely was Asa beside him, but no one noticed it.

  "What kind of thing is this?" The city master shook his head in surprise, handing the book to General Gru beside him. "It's extremely dangerous for things like this to be scattered around everywhere, put it away."

  "I'll take it back and put it under my pillow." The young general's tone was calm, as if that were the safest place in the world. His voice was pleasant, clear and crisp.

  "Oh, that's good." The city lord nodded, apparently also acknowledging the security level of this place.

  General Gru took the book from him. His hand was neat, his fingers were long, and the shape of his hand was elegant, forming a very elegant image with his clear-cut face. Asa found that there was a faint scar on his hand, from the tiger's mouth to the palm. It seemed like a straight palm print slanting across the palm.

  Asa suddenly had a vague premonition that things had developed to this point, and it seemed that he would have to use his own expertise to achieve his goal.